Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-manchin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Manchin</a> (D-WV) played a role in directing millions of dollars in funds to groups associated with his wife, according to a new report.
An analysis published on Friday does not contain any allegations of wrongdoing, but its findings underscore how lawmakers&#8217; personal interests may benefit as they seek federal money for projects in their home states.
Among the examples listed <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/joe-manchin-helped-steer-millions-federal-funds-groups-linked-wife" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by Fox Business</a> is a $1 billion commitment over five years to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law <a href="https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-manchins-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">championed by Manchin</a> and signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021.
Months earlier, the White House appointed the senator&#8217;s wife, Gayle Manchin, to be <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/26/politics/gayle-manchin-appalachian-regional-commission/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">co-chairwoman of the federal-state partnership</a>. She said in May 2021 that the money <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/commission-led-sen-manchins-wife-set-receive-millions-more-manchin-backed-omnibus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would help ARC</a> &#8220;more adequately meet the overwhelming needs of communities impacted by job losses resulting from the decline in the coal industry. These grants will be instrumental to the long-term diversification and economic growth in Appalachia.&#8221;
Sen. Manchin <a href="https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/u-s-senators-manchin-capito-of-west-virginia-vote-for-omnibus-spending-bill/article_0a48c3e0-822e-11ed-8684-b39420b573a0.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also supported the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill</a>, signed by Biden in December, that included $200 million in funding for the commission in 2023, which represented <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/commission-led-sen-manchins-wife-set-receive-millions-more-manchin-backed-omnibus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a $5 million increase from spending in the previous year</a>.
The new analysis covers other loans and grants to projects tied to Gayle Manchin, including $39.6 million secured in 2018 by Bethany College, a West Virginia institution where she served as a trustee from 2012 to 2021. The report said the money came from the Rural Development program under the Agriculture Department. That federal program received access to <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/funding-available-under-inflation-reduction-act-expand-renewable-energy-rural-southern-new-england" target="_blank" rel="noopener">billions of dollars in funding</a> from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that Sen. Manchin played a major role in negotiating.
&#8220;The college worked tirelessly with USDA staff for several years to complete the rigorous application process and provide the department with all the information it required to evaluate the college’s eligibility,&#8221; Bethany College stressed in a statement.
As one of 30 members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Manchin helps to draft legislation allocating funds from the federal government. Manchin&#8217;s office told Fox Business that the senator uses his position on the panel to &#8220;fight for&#8221; West Virginia causes.
&#8220;The loans and grants specially outlined in this article were all announced with bipartisan support from both state and federal legislators representing West Virginia,&#8221; a spokesperson added.

Joe Manchin

Analysis Shows How Manchin Helped Move Federal Money Toward Groups Linked To Wife: Report

Congress

Politics

Senate

West Virginia

A Democratic state senator of West Virginia <a href="https://wvmetronews.com/2022/12/01/republicans-add-one-more-to-their-mega-majority-in-the-state-senate-as-glenn-jeffries-switches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">switched</a> his registration to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican Party</a> this week. 
State Senator Glenn Jeffries submitted paperwork to join the Republican caucus after being elected in 2016 to serve as a Democrat. The Republicans now <a href="https://www.wsaz.com/2022/12/01/west-virginia-sen-glenn-jeffries-switches-policital-parties/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hold</a> a majority in the state senate of 31 senators. 
“I have the greatest respect for the many friends and supporters I have been blessed with during my time in public office,” Jeffries <a href="https://wvmetronews.com/2022/12/01/republicans-add-one-more-to-their-mega-majority-in-the-state-senate-as-glenn-jeffries-switches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in his announcement. “I hope to continue and strengthen those relationships going forward.”
“Our politics have gotten so personal and difficult. I want to make sure that I serve constituents and our state in a respectful, thoughtful way that leads to a better life for all West Virginians,” he added. 
Jeffries did not <a href="https://www.wboy.com/news/politics/west-virginia-senator-switching-political-parties/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provide</a> a purpose as to why he made the switch, but in a release, the West Virginia Democratic Party said the change was because of “discomfort with Democratic Party values.”
“Just last year Senator Jeffries received the highest score of any West Virginia Senator from Climate Cabinet Action, a national group dedicated to supporting the best climate and environmental justice champions in statehouses across the country,” West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin <a href="https://wchstv.com/news/local/west-virginia-sen-glenn-jeffries-announces-switch-to-republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. “Hopefully, Glenn will be permitted to continue to be an environmental justice champion in his new party.”
His change in party status was first announced by the Putnam County Republican Executive Committee. 
“I warmly welcome Senator Glenn Jeffries into the West Virginia Republican Party,” Tony Hodge, the Putnam County Republican Party Chairman and the Co-Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, said. “Senator Jeffries has proven himself to be a very hard worker for Putnam County. His efforts to improve infrastructure such as water and sewer services as well as road maintenance have been exemplary.”
Jeffries worked as a union carpenter before he started his own company in 1997. He is now the president and owner of Cornerstone Interiors.
His actions in the past year <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-west-virginia-state-government-and-politics-a76069022f204d6fd13c7f921893f440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> sending a letter to Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett, asking him to come to West Virginia. The outreach ended with two subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway agreeing to buy 2,000 acres from the state to construct a manufacturing center. 
“With Senator Jeffries as a member of our caucus, we stand at 31 members strong. Glenn has been a leader in the minority caucus with his work in economic development and infrastructure,” Senate President Craig Blair said. “As a successful small business owner, he knows what meeting a payroll, hard work, responsibility, and teamwork mean. I know he has been – and will continue to be – an incredibly valuable member of the West Virginia Senate.”

democrats vs republicans

Democratic West Virginia State Senator Switches To Republican Party

Democratic West Virginia State Senator Glenn Jeffries Switches To Republican Party

Democratic Party

Thousands of fans broke into a rendition of &#8220;Take Me Home, Country Roads&#8221; on Sunday at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nfl">NFL</a>&#8216;s first regular-season game in Germany.
During the fourth quarter between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks at Allianz Arena in Munich, many in the crowd of some 70,000 fans joined in singing John Denver&#8217;s 1971 smash hit. Videos of the moment went viral on social media, amassing hundreds of thousands of views in just a few hours.
Greg Auman, staff writer for The Athletic covering the Buccaneers, posted a video to Twitter showing the crowd breaking into song. In the footage, the song is being played over the public address system while the crowd sings along.
In the stands on the opposite end of the field, fans can be seen waving their mobile phones while shining their flashlights. &#8220;And yes, that Bavarian classic, &#8216;Country Roads,&#8217; sung with passion by the Munich crowd,&#8221; Auman captioned the video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
And yes, that Bavarian classic, “Country Roads,” sung with passion by the Munich crowd. <a href="https://t.co/2c00o4bFVH">pic.twitter.com/2c00o4bFVH</a>
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) <a href="https://twitter.com/gregauman/status/1591842899138064386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Good Morning Football&#8221; host Jamie Erdahl Buckman posted another video from the sidelines, in which attendees be heard filling the stadium with song.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Country Roads of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Munich?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Munich</a> 🍺 <a href="https://t.co/faj7j4E9No">pic.twitter.com/faj7j4E9No</a>
— Jamie Erdahl 💍 Buckman (@JamieErdahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamieErdahl/status/1591861081256984576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
The song also caught the attention of the NFL Network broadcast crew, who joined in briefly from the broadcast booth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They&#8217;re singing Country Roads in Germany. This atmosphere is pretty cool. <a href="https://t.co/kHpnUYT3pS">pic.twitter.com/kHpnUYT3pS</a>
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1591843588727603201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
The crowd also made an impact on Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
&#8220;That was one of the great football experiences I&#8217;ve ever had,&#8221; he said at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxWSU0PbqDc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post-game press conference</a>. &#8220;It says a lot for 23 years in the league and for a regular-season game. I think the fan turnout was incredible. It felt, like, very electric from the time we took the field. The end of the game, with them singing &#8216;Sweet Caroline&#8217; and &#8216;Country Roads,&#8217; that was pretty epic. So I think everyone who&#8217;s a part of that experience got to have something pretty amazing, [a] memory for the rest of their life. So thank you for hosting us, we appreciate it. Thank you.&#8221;
&#8220;Country Roads&#8221; has a prominent history in Germany. In 2013, songwriter Bill Danoff performed the song for the annual “Day of German Unity” hosted by the German embassy in the U.S. According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2013/10/04/bill-danoff-on-how-country-roads-became-a-german-oktoberfest-hit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Post</a>, the crowd of 2500 guests enthusiastically joined in the song, then asked him to perform an encore. Asked by the Post why he thought the song was so popular, Danoff, who wrote the song for Denver, said simply, “I have no idea.&#8221;
“First of all, it’s very singable,” Danoff added at the time. “But so is ‘Call Me Maybe.’ Maybe ‘Call Me Maybe’ will be the song 40 years from now.”
The song also has a special connection as Munich is home to Oktoberfest, the German folk festival famous for beer, and the 70s country hit is one of the most popular drinking songs favored by the attendees. According to data from <a href="https://pr-newsroom-wp.appspot.com/2018-10-23/from-mountain-mamas-to-munich-john-denvers-country-roads-winds-through-oktoberfest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>, the song was streamed nearly 190,000 times in Germany on the first day of Oktoberfest 2018. In the U.S., it was streamed more than 850,000 times that same day.
The song is more widely known among American football fans because of its affiliation with West Virginia University. It is the theme song of the university and is frequently played at school events, including at every home football game.

NFL Munich game

WATCH: 70,000 Fans Sing ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ At NFL’s First Regular-Season Game In Germany

WATCH: 70,000 Fans Sing 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' At NFL's First Regular-Season Game In Germany

Germany

Music

Tom Brady

World

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/has-manchin-missed-his-moment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin</a> blasted fellow Democrat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-calling-for-americans-to-unite-demonizes-republicans-as-a-threat-to-democracy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a> as “divorced from reality” Saturday in an extraordinary rebuke prompted by Biden’s vow to close coal-fired power plants.
Manchin, who represents a red state dependent on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wall-street-journal-blasts-joe-biden-john-kerry-for-pushing-self-destructive-green-energy-policies-while-china-burns-more-coal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coal industry</a> and who has clashed with the socialist wing of his party before, reacted after Biden vowed Friday to replace coal energy with wind and solar and shut down plants “all across America.”
“President Biden&#8217;s comments are not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs,” Manchin said in the statement. “Comments like these are the reason the American people are losing trust in President Biden and instead believe he does not understand the need to have an all in energy policy that would keep our nation totally energy independent and secure.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My statement on comments President Biden made about shutting down coal plants: <a href="https://t.co/LEeqrGdwqm">pic.twitter.com/LEeqrGdwqm</a>
&mdash; Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1588893692232085506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden’s comments came at an event in Carlsbad, California, where he touted his administration&#8217;s economic policies.
“I was in Massachusetts about a month ago on the site of the largest old coal plant in America. Guess what? It cost them too much money,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;No one is building new coal plants because they can’t rely on it, even if they have all the coal guaranteed for the rest of the existence of the plant,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;So it&#8217;s going to become a wind generation.&#8221;
“And all they&#8217;re doing is, it’s going to save them a hell of a lot of money and using the same transmission line that they transmitted the coal-fired electric on, we&#8217;re going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar power.&#8221;
Manchin’s  strongly worded statement taking aim at his party’s standard bearer, coming just days before the midterm elections, was a dramatic escalation of his alienation from fellow Democrats.
“It seems his positions change depending on the audience and the politics of the day,” Manchin said of Biden. “Politicizing our nation&#8217;s energy policies would only bring higher prices and more pain for the American people.”
Manchin, who backed the Biden administration&#8217;s so-called &#8220;Inflation Reduction Act,&#8221; which included green energy initiatives, called Biden’s words “offensive and disgusting.” He demanded an apology from the White House on behalf of coal workers, many of whom have lost their jobs as the Left seeks to replace fossil fuels with green energy.
“Let me be clear, this is something the President has never said to me. Being cavalier about the coal jobs for men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally put their lives on the line to help build and power this country is offensive and disgusting,” Manchin said. “The President owes these incredible workers an immediate and public apology and it is time he learn [the] lesson that his words matter and have consequences.”

President Biden Signs Tax, Climate And Healthcare Package

‘Offensive And Disgusting’: Joe Manchin Blasts President Biden As ‘Divorced From Reality’ In Extraordinary Rebuke

Joe Manchin Blasts President Biden As 'Divorced From Reality' In Extraordinary Rebuke

Biden Administration

Executive

U.S.

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home</a> buyers in Appalachia and the Deep South are currently seeing the best deals, according to a study from luxury real estate agency RubyHome.
In the second quarter of 2022, the median sale price of a home in the United States was $440,300, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, marking a 36% rise from $322,600 in the second quarter of 2020. The analysis by RubyHome, however, found that the average home price in West Virginia is a mere $75 per square foot.
“This data offers a fascinating insight into the disparities in house prices and affordability,” a spokesman for RubyHome said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “West Virginia stands out at the top despite having one of the lowest average household incomes in America.”
Indeed, although typical household income in West Virginia is a relatively low $65,332, the average house price of $129,103 implies that residents are witnessing an income to cost ratio of 50.6%. Residents of Mississippi and Arkansas, where families earn $65,136 and $69,357, respectively, are seeing house prices of $157,828 and $169,867, respectively, implying income to cost ratios of 41.3% and 40.8%.
The study comes as the American housing market witnesses turmoil due to a variety of economic factors, including supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages. The other states in the top ten — Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Iowa, and Indiana — are predominantly located in the Midwest and South.
Meanwhile, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has remained below 3% for much of the past two years, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from government-backed mortgage company Freddie Mac. Since the beginning of the year, however, the rate has surged from just over 3% to reach 6.9%, including a jump of nearly 1% in less than one month.
“Homebuilder confidence has dropped to half what it was just six months ago and construction, particularly single-family residential construction, continues to slow down,” Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater said in a <a href="https://freddiemac.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/mortgage-rates-slow-their-upward-trajectory?_ga=2.175595746.1746873982.1666299928-1989272781.1664299903" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
Noting the rapid erosion of housing affordability, the National Association of Home Builders recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/housing-affordability-plummets-trade-group-calls-out-biden-for-ignoring-the-problem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admonished</a> President Joe Biden for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shows-some-progress-biden-responds-to-another-dismal-inflation-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> that his administration has made “some progress in the fight against higher prices,” for which rising shelter expenses are largely responsible. “If President Biden is truly serious about fighting inflation, he needs to address the nation’s growing housing affordability crisis,” National Association of Home Builders Chairman Jerry Konter said last week.
Interest rates across the economy have increased as the Federal Reserve introduces a contractionary monetary policy regime. The central bank <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-the-federal-reserves-recent-rate-hike-means-for-the-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> the target federal funds rate by 0.75%, a move which followed two identical hikes in June and July, in an attempt to relieve persistent inflationary pressures.
The economy is a primary issue on the minds of voters weeks before the midterm elections, with 84% considering the topic to be primary, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-midterm-poll-spells-bad-news-for-democrats-on-the-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from ABC News and The Washington Post, which also revealed that 74% of Americans believe the economy is in bad shape. The Republican Party leads the Democratic Party by a 16% margin and a 19% margin with respect to trust in respectively handling the economy and inflation.

Kids play in field

Here Are The States With The Most Affordable Housing Markets

Appalachia And Deep South Have Most Affordable Housing Markets

Arkansas

Economy

Federal Reserve

Housing

Mississippi

West Virginia lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday that bans abortion with limited exceptions.
The legislation passed the state&#8217;s Senate 22-7 and the House 77-17, now moving to the desk of Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who is expected to sign the bill into law.
It bans abortion except for cases where the embryo or fetus is nonviable, the pregnancy is ectopic, a medical emergency exists, or within eight weeks of a pregnancy caused by sexual assault or incest for an adult or 14 weeks for a minor.
The law also includes criminal penalties for anyone who performs an abortion without a medical license or at an unapproved location.
Once signed into law, the bill will replace the state&#8217;s current ban after 20 weeks, which went into effect in July after a judge <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/west-virginia-judge-blocks-pre-roe-v-wade-abortion-ban-2022-07-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked</a> a pre-Roe ban from the nineteenth century. The decision allowed the state&#8217;s only abortion clinic to resume services at the time.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Tera Salango ruled the state&#8217;s laws were in conflict, leaving the need to clarify the current situation.
&#8220;It simply does not matter if you are pro-choice or pro-life,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/west-virginia-judge-blocks-pre-roe-v-wade-abortion-ban-2022-07-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Every citizen in this state has a right to clearly know the laws under which they are expected to live.&#8221;
The new legislation was overwhelmingly approved as an updated measure, though pro-abortion advocates blasted the effort. Alisa Clements, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, spoke out against the bill in a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/west-virginia-legislature-passes-abortion-ban-narrow-exceptions-rcna47589" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Tuesday.
“There is nothing more extreme than a law that strips people of the freedom to govern their own bodies, and our state lawmakers have shamefully forced this despicable bill down our throats, behind closed doors in a matter of hours,” Clements said.
The West Virginia bill was passed the same day that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-lindsey-graham-introduces-national-15-week-abortion-ban-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a bill that would ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks.
The <a href="https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/3065785d-86b8-4d36-986a-72aa1c8f100c/protecting-pain-capable-unborn-children-from-late-term-abortions-act-.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a>, dubbed the “Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act,” was announced during a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
“I see this as a responsible alternative to the very radical position by Democratic senators,” Graham <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmiXZ14L_dU&amp;ab_channel=USSenLindseyGraham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I can assure that a vast majority of Americans do not support abortion on demand up to delivery.”
The state&#8217;s legislation also follows a growing number of laws further restricting abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June and returned laws regarding abortion to states. Indiana passed a similar abortion ban last month, the first since the court&#8217;s ruling.
The Biden administration has continued to condemn the increased abortion restrictions. Following the passage of Indiana&#8217;s law, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement opposing the decision.
“The Indiana Legislature took a devastating step as a result of the Supreme Court’s extreme decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate women’s constitutionally-protected right to abortion,”  Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/06/statement-by-white-house-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-on-the-indiana-abortion-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

West Virginia Capitol

West Virginia Passes New Law Banning Most Abortions

Abortion

Pro-Life Movement

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

A West Virginia man suspected of raping a teenager was arrested after investigators tracked his location using a phone app and an alligator sign as a clue.
Coweta County, Georgia, authorities revealed that after the suspect allowed a 17-year-old girl to use her smartphone after the alleged rape, she was able to tip them off to her whereabouts.
&#8220;Somewhere along there, their ride to Pennsylvania, they pulled off in Coweta County, and he rapes her at knife point, and we were able to confirm the incident happened inside Coweta County,&#8221; said Coweta County Sheriff’s Investigator Toby Nix, <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/app-alligator-leads-to-rape-suspects-arrest-investigators-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Fox 5 Atlanta.
Investigators told WSB-TV that the teenager met the 28-year-old man on Snapchat, and he agreed to drive her to another state. During the drive, he detoured to a reservoir area where the alleged rape occurred.
The report noted that the girl first shared her location with her boyfriend, who did a Google search of the coordinates to find an image of an alligator warning sign at B.T. Brown Reservoir Park. She confirmed that she had seen the sign near her location.
The girl also used an app called Noonlight to allow tracking of her location and to communicate her need for help.
&#8220;If you think there’s danger, you can manually trigger an alarm (using the button in our app for example),&#8221; the app&#8217;s developer <a href="http://help.noonlight.com/en/articles/2060965-how-does-noonlight-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explains</a>. &#8220;We immediately receive the alarm and can send your location, along with other vital information about you and the alarm, to local police, fire, or EMS responders and get you the right help, right away.&#8221;
The alleged rapist was soon pulled over and arrested. The vehicle was later confirmed as being at the location of the attack through the use of surveillance video.
“The driver and passenger were separated and the female passenger told deputies that she was being held in the vehicle by the driver against her will,” Habersham County Sheriff’s Lt. Matthew Wurtz <a href="https://nowhabersham.com/security-app-leads-deputies-to-passenger-who-says-she-was-held-against-her-will/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The arrest occurred on September 6 when the man was taken into custody in Habersham County. He is expected to be moved to Coweta County for additional charges related to the incident, including rape, kidnapping, and possession of a knife during a crime.

USA, police car with lights on – stock photoUSA, police car with lights on – stock photo

Rape Suspect Arrested Using App, Alligator Sign To Track Location

Georgia

Police

Rape

Technology

Popular podcast host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tim-pool">Tim Pool</a> just released his first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">single</a> with former Offspring drummer Pete Parada.
The official music video already has more than one quarter of a million views on YouTube as of Friday. Pool, who became famous for live-streaming the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011, wrote and performed the debut single “Only Ever Wanted” as a collaboration with Carter Banks and Parada.
“With this song we make our first foray into seizing back the cultural spaces dominated by establishment institutions that hate you,” Pool said of his first contribution to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">music industry</a>.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Timcast - Only Ever Wanted (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MOfvaUwWi2k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Pool called the new album “a dream come true.” He <a href="https://heromag.net/exclusive-tim-pool-drops-new-single-with-cancelled-drummer-pete-parada/">said</a> in a press release, “The first song I ever learned was from the first album I ever bought, ‘Americana’ By the Offspring. When I heard that Pete was fired over his inability to get the vaccine I knew instantly that The Offspring had made a mistake, both politically and in terms of market opportunity.”
Last August, Parada <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/offspring-drummer-writes-viral-post-opposing-vaccine-mandates-parts-ways-with-him-over-medical-inability-to-get-shot">announced</a> he would not be joining the band’s upcoming tour because he had the immune condition Guillain-Barré Syndrome and had been advised not to get the COVID vaccine. He said because he wouldn’t “comply with what is increasingly becoming an industry mandate,” his band The Offspring claimed “[he was] unsafe to be around” and fired him after 14 years.
But to Pool, their loss was his gain. He continued, “Pete&#8217;s drumming and vision has been a major asset to our production and added that burst of energy our songs were looking for. Carter made magic happen and transformed these songs I&#8217;ve written into something I never thought possible.”
Parada agreed that the collaboration with Pool was a huge benefit both personally and professionally.
“Tim was one of the first people with a large platform to support me after my dismissal from The Offspring,&#8221; Parada said. &#8220;When I reached out to thank him, he immediately invited me to his home to talk about music and the possibility of working together.”
The veteran drummer said he was happy to keep making music with Pool and Banks after he was let go from the band.
“I was impressed with the range of material that he had already written and could instantly hear what I would do with those songs. It’s been a great collaborating environment between myself, Tim and Carter,” he continued. “I get excited every time they send a new song for me to play on here in my studio because I know it’s going to be interesting and something that I’ll enjoy sinking my teeth into.&#8221;

Rock Station in Concert

LISTEN: Tim Pool Releases First Single With Ousted Offspring Drummer Pete Parada

COVID-19 Vaccine

Music Industry

Tim Pool

New details surrounding the inmates accused of beating to death James &#8220;Whitey” Bulger have emerged Monday, alleging that prisoners knew ahead of time the notorious Boston gangster and long-time FBI informant would soon be arriving at the penitentiary.
Sean McKinnon, 36, has been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and making false statements to a federal agent. According to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-u-s-news/call-shows-inmates-knew-whitey-bulger-was-moving-to-prison/">The Hill</a>, McKinnon told his mother during a phone call that inmates were aware of Bulger transferring to the U.S. Penitentiary Hazleton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, in October 2018.
According to a transcript, U.S. Assistant Attorney Hannah Norwalk said McKinnon&#8217;s mother warned her son to stay away from Bulger.
&#8220;I can&#8217;t,&#8221; McKinnon said.
&#8220;You get in trouble,&#8221; the mother responded.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t worry. Oh, I don&#8217;t plan it,&#8221; McKinnon said.
McKinnon is accused of serving as the lookout while Fotios Geas, also known as &#8220;Freddy,&#8221; 55, and Paul J. DeCologero, also known as &#8220;Pauly,&#8221; 48, were allegedly pounding Bulger&#8217;s head with a padlock stuffed inside a sock 12 hours after authorities transferred him from another facility.
McKinnon and Geas shared a cell at the time of Bulger&#8217;s death.
McKinnon&#8217;s defense attorney told the judge that her client calling his mother does not indicate he was involved in any plot to kill Bulger, adding that &#8220;the entire unit was alerted&#8221; about Bulger&#8217;s transfer.
&#8220;The fact that his roommate was a henchman has nothing to do with him,&#8221; defense attorney Christine Bird said, according to the transcript. &#8220;He didn&#8217;t select his roommate.”
&#8220;The fact that he knew that doesn&#8217;t really tell the Court that he was involved in the conspiracy,&#8221; Bird added.
The Hill reports that Norwalk told the judge that security footage shows Geas and DeCologero entering Bulger&#8217;s cell around 6 a.m. At the same time, McKinnon sat at a table that looked straight at the other two men inside the cell for about seven minutes. Authorities found Bulger dead two hours later.
Norwalk said that DeCologero &#8220;said as soon as they saw Bulger come into the unit, they planned to kill him,&#8221; adding that he told this inmate witness that McKinnon was the lookout.
Geas and DeCologero received charges of allegedly aiding and abetting first-degree murder and assault, resulting in serious bodily injury. Authorities filed a separate charge against Geas for an alleged murder by a federal inmate serving a life sentence.
Geas remains incarcerated at the Hazleton penitentiary, while authorities have housed DeCologero within the federal prison system.
McKinnon was on federal supervised release at the time of the indictment, but was arrested Thursday in Florida and received a separate charge for allegedly making false statements to a federal agent.
Bulger, who had already been serving two life terms in person for his role in 11 murders spanning several decades, died at 89.
Bulger’s death has been called a security failure for the federal prison system, and with the new revelations unsealed in court Monday, it has raised additional questions about how authorities handle prison transfers — especially with one of the nation’s most prolific crime lords.
NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/whitey-bulger-murder-case-twist-inmates-west-virginia-prison-knew-adva-rcna44502">reports</a> that a former Bureau of Prisons investigator said he would have “raised holy hell over” Bulger’s transfer into USP Hazleton’s general population.
“It’s just absurd that this happened,” Vito Maraviglia, the former investigator, told NBC.
WCVB <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/prosecution-prisoners-knew-whitey-bulger-would-be-transferred-conspired-to-kill-him/40970814#">reports</a> that Bugler’s family blames the federal prison system for allowing inmates to attack an elderly man who was in a wheelchair when he arrived.
Hank Brennan, an attorney for Bulger&#8217;s estate, told 5 Investigates that they “didn’t need affirmation to know that the system put a hit on James Bulger.”
“The DOJ has hidden this confirmatory information from the public and Mr. Bulger’s family for four years but covetously spews these facts publicly when it serves its interest to deprive a person of liberty,” Brennan said in a statement, according to WCVB. “The DOJ repeatedly proves it follows no moral compass and is strictly loyal to its own self-interest.&#8221;

James ‘Whitey’ Bulger Mugshot

Inmates Suspected Of Involvement In Murder Of James ‘Whitey’ Bulger Were Allegedly Aware Of His Prison Transfer

Inmates Suspected Of Being Involved In Murder Of James 'Whitey’ Bulger Were Allegedly Aware Of His Prison Transfer

Crime

Mafia

Murder

Prison

A federal judge threw out two plea deals on Tuesday, saying the prison time wasn&#8217;t harsh enough for the naval engineer and his schoolteacher wife who admitted to allegedly hawking nuclear-powered submarine secrets to an undisclosed foreign government in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.
Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, of Annapolis, Maryland, were arrested by undercover federal agents in West Virginia last October after a series of &#8220;dead drops.&#8221; The conspiracy began in April 2020 when the husband allegedly sent a package with military documents and contact information.
The apparent plot, however, fell apart almost immediately when Brazilian intelligence officials notified the Federal Bureau of Investigations of the couple&#8217;s activities. The couple later pleaded guilty in February to espionage charges.
Mr. Toebbe, who led the pair in the alleged national security crime, initially agreed to a 12-year sentencing plea deal, while his wife, who only acted as a lookout, agreed to serve three years, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/us/politics/spy-couple-toebbe-submarine-jail.html">reports</a>.
But Judge Gina M. Groh of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia forced them to withdraw their deals.
Groh reportedly said she would only accept a plea deal for both parties within the sentencing guidelines, which subjects both guilty parties to more than 15 years in prison.
The federal judge read a statement submitted by Vice Adm. William Houston of the Navy, which condemned the damage to the submarine fleet and national security caused by the Toebbes.
&#8220;The nation has spent billions of dollars developing naval nuclear propulsion technology,&#8221; Judge Groh said, reading from the statement. &#8220;Mr. Toebbe&#8217;s actions have compromised the integrity of this protected information, thereby undercutting the military advantage afforded by decades of research and development.&#8221;
Houston said in the statement that Mr. Toebbe, who had been trained in nuclear propulsion and handling classified data, could have allowed foreign military powers to close the gap with the U.S. and would take extraordinary effort and resources to restore.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jonathan-toebbe-diana-toebbe-navy-submarine-spy-withdraw-guilty-pleas/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=177457322">reports</a> the husband hid a memory card containing classified information inside a peanut butter sandwich during one of the exchanges. The New York Times reports that other drops included memory cards hidden in gum wrappers and Band-Aid boxes.
The judge called Mrs. Toebbe, who lost her credentials to work as a teacher, &#8220;a felon of the worst kind.&#8221;
&#8220;That is why the 36 months troubles me,&#8221; Groh said, according to The New York Times. &#8220;There are lower-level drug dealers that go to prison for way longer than 36 months.&#8221;
According to The New York Times, Mrs. Toebbe&#8217;s former students reportedly said the high school teacher had been openly critical of former President Donald Trump while jesting about leaving the United States.
The couple had allegedly asked the so-called foreign spies for assistance in escaping to another country after completing the espionage act.
Government officials have yet to disclose which country the couple approached with the intent to sell confidential information.
Judge Groh set a new trial date for the Toebbes in January.

Submarine

Judge Tosses Weak Plea Deal For Couple Who Allegedly Attempted To Sell Nuclear-Powered Submarine Secrets

Donald Trump

Espionage

U.S. Navy

An 80-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/west-virginia">West Virginia</a> snake researcher and Vietnam War veteran died earlier this month after he was bit by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nature">rattlesnake</a>, according to his family.
William H. “Marty” Martin was bitten by a timber rattlesnake on his property in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, on August 2 and died the next day. He was known as one of the top experts on eastern timber rattlers, a subject he had studied for decades. 
According to fellow researchers, Martin was still active in the field and going on expeditions into remote areas to find and document snake populations up until he died from the bite of a captive snake. 
“He was a larger-than-life character,” <a href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2022-08-10/vietnam-vet-martin-snakes-obit-6945757.html">said</a> Joe Villari, manager of the Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve. “He absolutely loved to bring anyone into his world: naturalists, other herpetologists, interested hikers. He was one of a kind.”
Villari would go on hikes with Martin throughout northern Virginia, and he described the naturalist as still in good condition. “He was in his 80s, and he was hard to keep up with,” he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-mountains-virginia-obituaries-23be2c4051e18c447f1ed2a228e4aa09">said</a>, according to the Associated Press. 
Martin, who was called “the ambassador of rattlesnakes” in a <a href="https://www.terrain.org/2019/nonfiction/the-ambassador-of-rattlesnakes/">profile</a> by Terrain, was also a paratrooper during the Vietnam War with the 101st Airborne Division. He later earned a degree in biology from the University of South Florida with the help of the G.I. Bill. 
Recently, Martin had released “The Timber Rattlesnake: Life History, Distribution, Status, and Conservation Action Plan,” a book he co-wrote, in 2021. He was remembered for his education efforts about rattlesnakes, including their role in American history as he would point to the famous Gadsden flag, which featured a snake and the words “Don’t Tread On Me.” 
Throughout his career, he would study poisonous snakes around the world in Asia, Africa, and South America. He even consulted with Australia’s famed “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin for an episode on eastern timber rattlers. 
Helping start the Virginia Herpetological Society at 17, he was long fascinated by snakes, telling Terrain that it was his father who helped perk his interest in snakes.
“My father introduced me to a lot of different subjects — rattlesnakes was one,” he said. “I was about one and a half years old. He took me out and taught me how to catch non-venomous snakes at two and a half. I didn’t catch rattlesnakes on my own until I was 14, because we didn’t live within walking distance of where they were.”
He is survived by his wife, two daughters and and two stepdaughters.

Traveling Timber Rattlesnake

80-Year-Old Snake Researcher, Former Paratrooper, Dies After Rattlesnake Bite

Nature

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) refused to confirm on Sunday whether he would back President Joe Biden if he runs for the White House again in 2024.
Manchin shared the remarks during an interview with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on &#8220;State of the Union.&#8221;
“President Biden says he plans to run for re-election in 2024. You have not yet committed to supporting him in 2024. Do you think President Biden deserves a second term?” Tapper <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/07/31/manchin-on-2024.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> asks <a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sen_JoeManchin</a> whether he will support President Joe Biden for re-election in 2024. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNSOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNNSOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ut9zsIOJuL">https://t.co/Ut9zsIOJuL</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSotu) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu/status/1553772476357754880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“Jake, I’m not getting involved in any election right now. 2022, 2024, I’m not speculating on it,&#8221; Manchin answered.
Manchin instead emphasized his goals of helping the people of West Virginia and the nation.
&#8220;President Biden is my president right now, and I’m going to work with him and his administration to the best of my ability to help the people in my state of West Virginia and this country. And we have agreements,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;We have respectful agreements where we respect each other, and we work through them. So, this is what people are upset about. Everything is about the next election,&#8221; he added.
Manchin is among a growing number of Democrats who have refused to say whether they will support Biden if he plans to run in 2024.
In June, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) also brushed off the question of supporting Biden&#8217;s re-election.
&#8220;I think if the president has a vision, then that&#8217;s something certainly we&#8217;re all willing to entertain and examine when the time comes,&#8221; she previously <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/12/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-biden-reelection-2024-cnntv/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNN&#8217;s Dana Bash on &#8220;State of the Union.&#8221;
On Thursday, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) called for Biden to step aside and let someone else run for the Democratic nomination.
&#8220;I think the country would be well-served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats to step up,&#8221; Phillips <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/07/29/first-democrat-in-congress-suggests-biden-shouldnt-run-in-2024/?sh=47509d5b252b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Manchin went on to address the nation&#8217;s high inflation rates and said he&#8217;s focusing on formulating an energy policy to help Americans.
“This is about today’s inflation rates killing people. We have got to get the inflation rate down,&#8221; Manchin continued.
&#8220;We have got to have an energy policy that works for America. And we’re not going to raise taxes. But people should be paying their fair share, especially the largest corporations of America that have a valuation of $1 billion of value or greater. Can’t they pay at least 15% so we can move forward and be the leader of the world and the superpower we are?” he said.
Despite Manchin&#8217;s emphasis on not raising taxes, an analysis of the bill he recently supported claims Americans at nearly all levels will pay more if the legislation is passed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sen_JoeManchin</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaketapper</a> that his bill will not raise taxes and will not exacerbate inflation, despite new findings saying otherwise from a Penn-Wharton analysis and the Joint Committee on Taxation. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNSOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNNSOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/U6m7NnEuZL">https://t.co/U6m7NnEuZL</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSotu) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu/status/1553769957770633218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Most businesses and all corporations that I know pay 21%. So that’s not a tax increase; it is closing a loophole,&#8221; Manchin claimed.
Republican lawmakers believe Manchin is on the wrong track with the latest plan. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said on Sunday on CBS&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; that the move is bad policy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey criticized a new climate, health care and tax package unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin last week, saying Sunday that Manchin was &quot;taken to the cleaners&quot; in the agreement. <a href="https://t.co/WWgfXNmlC1">https://t.co/WWgfXNmlC1</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1553790596313227264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I think he got taken to the cleaners,” Toomey said. “He’s agreeing to all this bad policy, and return for which he’s been promised there is going to be some kind of pro-energy infrastructure bill sometime in the future.”

Joe Manchin Refuses To Confirm Whether He’ll Back Biden In 2024

2024 Election

Joe Biden

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