Even Democrats in Nevada’s state legislature–a key battleground state–now favor voter ID, but with a catch.  The catch was the bill also expands ballot drop boxes, typically favored by Democrats, which Republicans view with skepticism.   The bill passed the Senate Monday with a 16-5 vote, and now heads to Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has expressed support in the past for voter ID, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.  Lombardo vetoed a bill earlier in the session that expanded ballot drop boxes. Assembly Speaker Steve Yager, a Democrat, sponsored Assembly Bill 499 as a compromise.  Nevada is one of 14 states that do not require photo ID for in-person voting. Since 2021, multiple states passed election reforms expanded some form of ID requirement to mail-in voting.  As noted in my book, “The Myth of Voter Suppression,” voter turnout has historically increased in states that adopt voter ID requirements. In November, Nevada voters approved Question 7 to amend the state constitution to require photo identification for in-person voting. The ballot question was set to return in 2026 for another round of voting before it can take effect. The legislation, while adding momentum to the policy, would only be a law lacking the same teeth as a constitutional amendment.  Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on election integrity requiring the Justice Department to prioritize enforcing federal election laws, while also stating that mail ballots must arrive by Election Day. The post Even Democrats in This Battleground State Back Voter ID. But There’s a Catch. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

“We’re anxious to have the ball and run with it,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Tuesday, referencing the budget reconciliation bill that has passed the House and is now being considered by the upper chamber.  The South Dakota Republican emphasized that he thought Republicans had a vision for what they would like to see in the potentially landmark legislation. “We have an agenda that everybody campaigned on; most notably, the president of the United States,” Thune said.  Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee, concurred, stressing the importance of the bill to small businesses. West Virginia small businesses “are very anxious for the depreciation and the expensing, so that they can grow their businesses and hire more people,” Capito explained.  Thune also addressed Elon Musk’s recent criticism of the House reconciliation bill as fiscally irresponsible, saying that the former Department of Government Efficiency chief was accepting assumptions that are predicated upon a static budget-scoring assessment.  Thune characterized the dispute between one of the president’s top donors and congressional Republicans as a “difference of opinion.”  Thune laid out his vision for the Senate version of the bill that would fulfill Republican campaign promises, including modernizing the military, securing the border, and extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 first-term tax cuts.  The Senate majority leader also appeared optimistic about the chances of more reform of federal spending in the Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill as well.  “We think there are areas [of the] federal government—areas of waste, fraud, and abuse—that we can further identify that would make that a more robust package,” Thune said.  One key vote that Thune will have to court for the bill is that of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who has criticized Republicans’ desire to cut Medicaid benefits. “[I]gnore calls to cut Medicaid,” the Missouri senator argued in an opinion column May 12 in The New York Times. More than 70 million Americans are on the program, including more than 1 million of Hawley’s Missouri constituents. Trump talked with Hawley on Monday to go over his concerns about the bill.  “Just had a great talk with President Trump about the Big, Beautiful Bill. He said again, NO MEDICAID BENEFIT CUTS,” the Missouri senator wrote in an X post.  Another swing vote the majority leader likely needs is that of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who told CNBC today that he would oppose raising the debt ceiling. The House reconciliation bill has been estimated to add about $3.1 trillion to the national debt (including interest) over 10 years. If the temporary provisions of the bill were extended without cuts that number balloons to $5.1 trillion. The president appears ready to lend his voice and significant political clout to get the budget bill across the finish line. Trump criticized the Kentucky senator on Tuesday writing a Truth Social Post that said, “Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!” The post ‘We Have an Agenda,’ Thune Says of GOP Senators on Budget Bill appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Following the Trump administration’s reorganization of the National Security Council staff, former NSC staffers say the president appears to place more confidence in the State Department to execute his foreign policy agenda. President Donald Trump put more than 100 staffers from the NSC on administrative leave on the Friday before Memorial Day. That included both career employees and political hires by the Trump administration. After disloyal personnel caused turbulence within the NSC during Trump’s first term, the president has taken pains to prevent career bureaucrats from interfering with his agenda.  While Trump’s distrust of the “deep state” is warranted, former NSC employees told The Daily Signal they fear disempowering the council could give more authority to hostile bureaucrats in the State Department and other agencies. Federal Election Commission data show that, during the 2019-2020 election cycle, 93% of all political contributions from U.S. State Department employees went to Democratic Party candidates or political action committees.   But a White House official told The Daily Signal that the “right-sizing” of the NSC is in line with the restructuring of various agencies to better serve the president. The official said Trump’s decision to make the NSC smaller makes it more nimble and efficient. “The National Security Council has been consolidated to facilitate more streamlined processes and greater coordination between the White House and the federal agencies,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told The Daily Signal. “President Trump works tirelessly to keep Americans safe, and it is imperative that all components within the White House, and across the executive branch, are working together at an efficient pace.” The NSC staff could be decreased to just 60 people, said Robert O’Brien, one of Trump’s first-term national security advisers, wrote in a recent op-ed.  White House employees regularly see Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the West Wing, meaning greater collaboration and dissemination of information from the president to the State Department and NSC, The Daily Signal has learned. Rubio currently serves as both secretary of state and national security adviser after Trump reassigned Mike Waltz from the role of national security adviser to nominee to be United Nations ambassador.  In early May, Trump told The Daily Signal he will pick Waltz’s permanent replacement as national security adviser in the next six months. “We have a lot of people that want the job, I can tell you,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “I mean, a lot of people say it really works in with what [Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s] doing. But we have a lot of people. I’m going to be naming somebody.” “He would do the job permanently,” Trump said of Rubio, “but I don’t think it’s, you know, it’s an appropriate job.” Rubio’s dual role as both national security adviser and secretary of state enables “even greater coordination when it comes to following through on all of the president’s foreign-policy objectives,” a senior State Department official told The Daily Signal. “The rightsizing of the NSC announced by President Trump and Secretary Rubio will result in a more agile agency that will allow the administration to quickly respond to national security issues,” the official said. “The president deserves a process where he is setting the agenda, the NSC is working to orchestrate the collaboration needed across agencies, and Cabinet secretaries are leading their respective department to carry out commander’s intent as directed by the White House.” The National Security Council is traditionally treated as the president’s in-house foreign-policy shop and national security advisory and coordinating body. Even when the president’s Cabinet officials work together harmoniously, the NSC is necessary to act as a referee among agencies. The NSC executes the president’s agenda and deconflicts national security questions that come up between departments, according to former NSC employees. According to those former employees, the president is in a difficult position, as it’s hard to hire loyal staff at the NSC, and the NSC, like State, consisted of far more career employees than political appointees.  The NSC has a handful of political appointees, but it traditionally relies on detailees from other agencies. It has minimal resources to make direct hires, so it’s common for the NSC to hire bureaucrats from other agencies. This makes it difficult for directors to identify people who are fully aligned with the administration’s agenda.  In both his first and second terms, Trump inherited NSC staffs of about 400 officials accustomed to former Presidents Barack Obama’s and Joe Biden’s approach to the NSC being central in the policymaking process. Under Obama and Biden, the NSC evolved from a decision-coordinating apparatus to a foreign policy decision-maker. The 1947 National Security Act created the NSC with only an order of organization and function. From 1947 until the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, the State Department dominated the council. But presidents have since used the ambiguity of the act establishing the NSC to utilize it as they see fit. The NSC gained a national security adviser in 1953, paving the way for it to evolve from a coordinating body to a policymaking body, Evan Cooper and Lucas Ruiz write in National Interest. It’s unlikely that detailees from other agencies would be interested in holding their home agency accountable to the president’s agenda if they’re going back the following month, according to former staffers.  If NSC is not working as intended, national security orders could take longer to execute and a heavier hand could be required from the president, who can only be in so many places at once, former staffers said. Robert Greenway, senior director of the NSC’s Middle Eastern and North African Affairs Directorate during the first Trump administration, said the reorganization is “encouraging” and should “restore the essential trust and confidence required by the president it serves and support the implementation of his policies.”  “The president is entitled to—and must have—a loyal team to implement his policies and execute his orders, and this includes his National Security Council staff, which has historically been employed to coordinate across the government, but has not always demonstrated loyalty to the president,” said Greenway, who now serves as director of the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation.  One solution tossed around is giving the NSC a larger budget. If the NSC is to coordinate the president’s national security agenda, it should be capable of hiring loyal staff rather than relying on career officials, former National Security Adviser O’Brien said. “The president is entitled to a personal national security staff dedicated to his vision,” O’Brien wrote. “Assembling such a staff requires a substantially increased budget to hire personnel directly at the White House.”  The post Unpacking the President’s Vision for the National Security Council appeared first on The Daily Signal.

U of Michigan Seems to Have a China Problem

A major artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot has exhibited troubling behaviors in response to researcher testing, as multiple models rebelled against commands. On May 23, Palisades Research announced the results of tests conducted on several AI chatbots, finding that three separate OpenAI models ignored instructions and “sabotaged” a request to shut down. OpenAI models—Codex-mini, o3 and o4-mini—all refused to terminate their operations. Specifically, Codex-mini rejected these requests as many as 12 times out of 100 trials. [Story Continues on MRC Free Speech America] 

A Texas bill that threatened free speech has failed to move ahead in the state legislature. The bill, HB 186, failed to pass just before the end of the Texas legislature’s session, AP reported Thursday, all but ending the push to ban social media accounts entirely for Texas children under 18 for now. Such a system would require age verification that threatens anonymous free speech. The bill also reportedlymade an exception for Google’s YouTube and communist Chinese government-tied TikTok, raising serious questions of bias. Read the full blog on MRC Free Speech America’s site.

CBS News’s 60 Minutes platformed a famous author’s stunning claim that America’s political right is anti-free speech like the political left, but MRC has the evidence to prove heavy leftist censorship bias. Appearing on 60 Minutes Sunday, writer Salman Rushdie claimed that leftists silencing free speech online is no different than the right opposing racist and sexualized books in schools. While the author acknowledged increasing censorship efforts, he obfuscated the reality of which speech the Constitution protects. Meanwhile, MRC’s unique CensorTrack database—documenting over 8,100 documented cases—shows that online censorship overwhelmingly favors the left. Read the full blog on MRC Free Speech America’s site.

Federal authorities arrested two Chinese nationals after they were accused of attempting to smuggle a potential bioweapon into the United States, claiming they wanted to use it to conduct research at the University of Michigan.On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced charges against Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, 34-year-old Zunyong Liu.'These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a "potential agroterrorism weapon" into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.'According to authorities, Liu arrived in the U.S. with a bag of fungus, Fusarium graminearum, which could be used as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon. The biological pathogen causes a devastating disease in wheat, barley, maize, and rice, the Detroit News reported. RELATED: Rubio to 'aggressively' revoke Chinese nationals' student visas to eviscerate CCP's spy invasion Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty ImagesAn FBI agent claimed in a criminal filing that Liu made “false statements” to Customs and Border Protection officers regarding his reason for visiting the U.S. and his knowledge of the fungus in his possession.“Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked,” the agent wrote.Interim U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon stated, “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals — including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party — are of the gravest national security concerns.”“These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme,” Gorgon added.RELATED: Chinese national accused of voting in US election skips hearing, prompting bench warrant Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesThe federal charges follow President Donald Trump’s crackdown on China’s infiltration of American universities.Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the administration would implement new visa restrictions on Chinese students.He wrote in a post on X, “The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An arrest warrant revealed additional details about the Boulder, Colorado, terror suspect and his alleged nefarious plot against a pro-Israel group. The suspect was accused of using a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to burn participants in the "Run for Their Lives" group, an organization that meets weekly to advocate for the hostages held captive by Hamas since October 2023. 'He would go back and do it again and had no regret doing what he did.' The hateful attack, which occurred on Sunday, reportedly caused injuries to 12 victims. Two individuals remain hospitalized, including one victim who is in critical condition. No fatalities have been reported. The district attorney's affidavit for arrest, obtained by Blaze News, revealed that Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, is facing several charges in connection with the brutal attack, including eight counts of "First Degree Murder (after deliberation) - Criminal Attempt" and eight counts of "First Degree Murder (extreme indifference) - Criminal Attempt." He is also charged with first-degree assault and possession of an incendiary device. The arrest warrant stated that the suspect carried out the assault "as vengeance for 'his people,'" whom he described as Palestinians. Law enforcement authorities learned that Soliman had allegedly meticulously planned out the Sunday attack for a year, waiting for his eldest daughter to graduate from high school before carrying it out. She reportedly graduated last week. RELATED: 'Terror attack': 'Illegal' alien captured after allegedly setting pro-Israel demonstrators ablaze in Boulder, Colorado Photo by ELI IMADALI/AFP via Getty Images Soliman reportedly told law enforcement that he sought out a "Zionist" group online and found that "Run for Their Lives" held weekly gatherings. "Mohamed expressed his hatred for the Zionist Organization as they support and fund the bombings that are taking place in Palestine," the warrant read. "Mohamed said anyone who supports the exist[ence] of Israel on 'our land' is Zionist." Yet Soliman claimed that the attack "had nothing to do with the Jewish community and was specific in the Zionist group supporting the killings of people on his land (Palestine)," the arrest warrant read. In preparation for the attack, Soliman allegedly purchased items to create the Molotov cocktails, which he learned how to make on YouTube, and a homemade flamethrower in Castle Rock before he headed to Boulder, the arrest warrant indicated. However, the use of incendiary devices allegedly was not part of his original plan. "Mohamed said he had to use Molotov cocktails after he was denied the purchase of a gun due to him not being a legal citizen. Mohamed said he took a concealed carry class where he learned to shoot a gun but that all changed after he was denied the purchase," according to the warrant. RELATED: Wife and numerous children of Boulder terror attack suspect to be deported: DHS Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images Law enforcement said he arrived near the group's meeting spot dressed in disguise as a gardener, wearing an orange vest and a backpack sprayer while carrying flowers. He used the backpack sprayer, filled with gasoline, to douse himself "because he had planned on dying," the warrant stated. Soliman reportedly told law enforcement that he wanted "all" of the protest participants to "die," adding that "he would go back and do it again and had no regret doing what he did." He allegedly described the attack as "revenge" because the "Zionist group did not care about thousands of hostages from Palestine" but only about "their benefit, money, and power." Soliman insisted to law enforcement that he acted alone and no one knew about his plan. He faces up to 624 years in prison if convicted on all local counts. In addition, Soliman was also charged with a federal hate crime, according to the FBI's arrest affidavit. On Tuesday afternoon, Fox News reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations arrested Soliman's wife and children. Their immigration status is unclear at this time. When reached for comment, the DHS referred Blaze News to Secretary Kristi Noem's Tuesday post on X. She wrote, "Today, @DHSgov and @ICEGov are taking the family of suspected Boulder, Colorado terrorist, and illegal alien, Mohamed Soliman, into ICE custody." "This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it," Noem continued. "I am continuing to pray for the victims of this attack and their families. Justice will be served." — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Armed with a makeshift flamethrower and other incendiary devices, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly launched an attack on protesters in Boulder, Colorado, who were calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Soliman reportedly yelled, “Free Palestine!” during the attack, which injured multiple people. “So you guys are going to be so shocked to hear that this man came into the country during the Biden era in August 2022 on a B-2 tourist visa, that he, of course, they mention, he intentionally overstayed for over two years,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says. “So he was here illegally while he was planning the attack, and then afterwards, after he was arrested, he told investigators he ‘wanted to kill all Zionist people’ and ‘wished they were all dead,’” she continues. Soliman also reportedly claimed he hated the group who was demonstrating and needed to stop them from taking over “our land.” “This is really tragic,” Gonzales says. “This is going to keep happening in this country. It’s just going to get worse from here on out, because the Biden regime intentionally let these people in, didn’t vet them properly, didn’t screen them properly, opened the damn floodgates, and said, ‘Come on in.’” “It’s very easy to predict, just based on the sheer numbers that Joe Biden let in, that almost all of them are going to be tied to the Biden era,” she continues. “No pun intended, but it is this Molotov cocktail of what happened in the Biden administration,” BlazeTV contributor Jaco Booyens agrees. “You drive God out of a nation, you try to make a nation completely immoral, truth becomes fluid, your version of the truth, you import all kinds of radical ideologies from all over the world.” Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.