Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we’ve got some really interesting stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
Tonight’s much anticipated presidential debate is just hours away, Nevada voters have one less candidate for president to choose from, and the governor of Texas is taking major steps to protect his state ahead of a possible hurricane. Also, Congress is back in session trying to reach a budget deal, and a judge agrees with a high-profile defendant’s request to move his murder trial to a different venue.
What to Expect From Crucial Harris–Trump Showdown
ABC will host the 90-minute debate in Philadelphia between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, and it starts at 9 p.m. ET.Tonight’s rules announced by ABC require that each candidate be given two minutes to respond to a question, followed by a two-minute rebuttal and an extra minute for a follow-up or clarification. You should know that the candidates will be standing the entire time behind podiums, and both Trump and Harris will receive a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water. Props or pre-written notes are not permitted onstage.
Also, during these segments, only the microphone of the candidate speaking will be turned on and only the moderators will be allowed to ask questions. Additionally, much like the CNN debate, there will be no interaction with campaign staff during the event, including during the two commercial breaks.
Interesting to note that Harris has been preparing for the debate at a hotel in Pittsburgh since last week. She has also been using her downtime to get out and meet with supporters, and when recently asked, she said she was ready to debate Trump.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign says that the former president doesn’t require traditional debate preparation, but continues to meet with advisers including former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
You should also know that last month, Trump’s campaign announced the addition of Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his transition team should he win the election in November.
On a final note, after winning a virtual coin toss, Trump chose to follow Harris in the closing statement of the debate, and in return, Harris picked the podium that will be on the right side of viewers’ TV screens.
Nevada Supreme Court Removes Green Party Presidential Candidate
The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled against the Green Party and ordered the removal of its candidate, Jill Stein, from the ballot.Last week, Nevada’s top court acknowledged that the Green Party used a sample petition from the Nevada secretary of state’s office to gather signatures to get the party on the ballot. However, because the petition lacked language required by the law, the court ruled that those 30,000 signatures were invalid.
You should know that Nevada law requires minor parties seeking ballot access to include an affidavit with the petition for signatures. It’s required to state that the person circulating the petition believes each signer is a registered voter in the state and that the signature is genuine.
Instead, the Green Party included the affidavit that is required for petitions for ballot referendums. A lower court had ruled in favor of the Green Party, but the Democratic Party appealed that ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court. The high court agreed with the Democrats’ argument.
In response, Stein called the ruling a slap in the face to democracy, to the rule of law, and to millions of voters in Nevada who are now denied a real choice.
A co-chair of the Nevada Green Party also responded to the state’s high court ruling, saying that she will not be voting in the upcoming election.
The executive director of the Nevada Democratic Party called the ruling a victory for Nevada voters by ensuring that the Green Party plays by the same rules as other campaigns.
Texas Governor Activates Emergency Responders Ahead of Potential Hurricane Landfall
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Tropical Storm Francine is forecast to hit Texas and Louisiana sometime tomorrow and reach hurricane strength by the afternoon. However, it’s not expected to become a major hurricane, which would be Category 3 or higher.Abbott says Texas will continue to closely monitor weather conditions to protect the well-being of Texans, and he warns that the system will “bring potential flash flooding threats and heavy rain.”
He went on to encourage residents to take the necessary precautions for potential tropical weather, including remaining weather aware, monitoring road conditions, and having an emergency plan to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones.
You should know that the NHC says that “life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds” are expected along the coasts of Louisiana and eastern Texas by mid-week, while a tropical storm watch is in effect for northern Mexico and southern Texas.
Officials also say the storm system is expected to produce four to eight inches of rain, with up to 12 inches of rain along the southern Texas coast into southern Louisiana.
Interesting to note, the Atlantic hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 until Nov. 30, tends to peak in early September. Researchers say the 2024 season so far has been relatively quiet.
Congress Returns to Face Looming Government Shutdown
After a full month away, lawmakers have only 20 days to come up with an agreement to keep the government open before the Sept. 30 funding deadline.You should know that if they fail to reach an agreement, the government will go into a full or partial shutdown beginning at midnight on Oct. 1.
So you know, spending stalemates are common in Washington at this time of year as the House and Senate wrangle over 12 spending bills.
Historically, September funding deadlines have been addressed through the use of a continuing resolution (CR). That’s a stopgap funding bill that keeps the government running at the previous year’s levels. However, this year, the budget battle may be a bit different because the 2024 presidential election is less than two months away.
Last week, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) introduced legislation to keep the government funded through March 2025 with the backing of House Speaker Mike Johnson. However, certain provisions in that proposal have already been deemed unacceptable by many Democrats and, right now, Congress is nowhere near finding unity.
The CR includes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which is designed to strengthen safeguards against voting by illegal immigrants. Democrats say it could lead to voter suppression. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer went on to say that if Johnson insists on including it, a government shutdown will occur and it will be blamed on the Republicans.
By the way, Trump has weighed in on his Truth Social platform, saying he supports the SAVE Act. He told Johnson to get tough, saying Republicans must pass it.
Judge Moves Trial of Idaho Quadruple Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger
A judge in Idaho’s Second District says the local community in Moscow is prejudiced against 29-year-old Bryan Kohberger, a suspect in the brutal 2022 murders of four college students. Kohberger faces four felony counts in the brutal killings of Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle.The judge said he was concerned about Kohberger’s ability to receive a fair trial at the Latah County courthouse due to the extensive media coverage that this case has received as well as statements made by public officials suggesting Kohberger’s guilt.
The judge went on to say that the local courthouse isn’t large enough to accommodate all those interested in the case and that the county sheriff’s office doesn’t have enough deputies to handle security.
By the way, defense attorneys want the judge to move Kohberger’s trial to Boise, the state’s capital and its largest city, but the judge has not yet said where the trial will be moved to.
One final note, Kohberger, a former criminal justice student at a college in Washington State, was arrested more than a month after the killings at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. He has been in the Latah County Jail since January 2023.
It’s a story that’s captured the attention of so many of us and one that we’ll be keeping a close watch on.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Tuesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
With that, let’s scope out some of the comments:
We heard from my pal Steve, who checked in with early birthday greetings.
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*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Mark Cuban, who says: “It’s not about money or connection—it’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone.”
Mark Cuban is an American businessman and investor, and he’s my favorite shark on ABC TV’s “Shark Tank” program.
Before we go, today is National TV Dinner Day. The first Swanson TV dinner consisted of a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, peas, and sweet potatoes.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Tuesday, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today! Bye for now.
