NEWS AND OPINION:
Here’s a significant and fast-approaching event of note to consider.
“As Election Day 2024 approaches, Faith & Freedom Coalition will host the largest gathering of conservative Christian activists in the U.S. from June 20-22 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.,” the host organization said in a statement to Inside the Beltway.
“This year’s Road to Majority Conference will underscore what matters most to voters of faith and feature an extensive lineup of conservative leaders, including but not limited to Senators Joni Ernst, Josh Hawley, Marsha Blackburn, Bill Hagerty, Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee, Rick Scott, and many others. Additional details and more speakers will be announced in the coming weeks,” the organization said.
“Attendees can expect to hear from an extensive lineup of conservative leaders and expert panelists, with a robust focus on pro-family and pro-freedom policies, empowering conservatives to fight for their values at the polls, and the importance of Americans of faith engaging in the public arena,” it added.
The Faith & Freedom Coalition is a national grassroots movement made up of nearly 3 million members nationwide who are focused on mobilizing and training people of faith for “effective civic action” — with support for Christian values and an eye on influencing public policy.
Find the host organization at ffcoalition.com.
THE BURDEN ON BUSINESS
Familiar family businesses on Main Street have a new challenge, according to the Job Creators Network.
“The media has regularly reported on big companies moving from blue states to red states because of bad economic policies” and a new survey “proves small businesses are no different,” the organization said in a report shared with Inside the Beltway.
Yes, there’s a poll.
“Small businesses are more vulnerable to high taxes and costly regulatory environments compared to their large corporate counterparts. That’s why it’s no surprise that 26% of small businesses say they’ve considered relocating to a different state or city to chase more favorable tax rates and escape government red tape. This is an opportunity for free-market minded governors to continue making their states stand out from the crowd by implementing pro-growth policy reforms that will ignite Main Street,” Elaine Parker, Job Creators Network Foundation president, said in a statement.
The nonpartisan group founded by Bernie Marcus of the Home Depot says its focus is to “protect Main Street and the 90 million people who depend on the success of small businesses,” according to a mission statement.
Find some insight in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.
Ms. Parker appeared before the House Committee on Small Business on Tuesday, advising lawmakers that the Small Business Administration has “strayed from its core mission of supporting Main Street,” according to a transcript of her testimony.
THE PRICE TAG
“Anti-Israel protests in California have taken a toll on local law enforcement’s financial resources,” reported Campus Reform, a conservative watchdog organization that monitors collegiate life.
“Kenneth Mejia, the Los Angeles City Controller, released data on May 28 revealing that the Los Angeles Police Department spent over $580,000 responding to student protests at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) between April 30 and May 3,” according to a report released Tuesday by the organization.
“The response effort — which involved nearly 600 police officers — centered around the anti-Israel encampment at UCLA set up on April 25. Although UCLA condemned Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling it a ’sickening and incomprehensible’ atrocity that ’deserves and requires our collective condemnation,’ university leaders also decided to allow protesters to erect and maintain an encampment ’as an expression of students’ 1st Amendment rights,’” the report said.
BIDEN’S BORDER BONANZA
President Biden’s executive action on Tuesday, which would turn away migrants on the southern U.S. border, certainly presented the press with a bodacious news story. Here are a few headlines of note:
“Biden caves to political pressure on southern border just months before election with executive action” (Fox News); “Biden signs executive action to tighten border security: ‘Republicans left me no choice’” (MSNBC); “Biden executive order on immigration comes much too late for border” (USA Today); “Biden signs executive order dramatically tightening border” (NBC News); “Biden announces order limiting asylum at the southern border: Here’s what it will do” (The Hill); “Details of Biden’s new border action and what it means for migrants” (Axios); and “Biden issues new executive action: Much of southern border to close at midnight” (Politico).
FOXIFIED
Fox News drew more prime-time viewers than CNN and MSNBC in the week of former President Donald Trump’s trial, according to Nielsen Media Research.
During those much-viewed prime-time hours, Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers, compared with MSNBC with 1.5 million and CNN with 625,000. Notably, the network aired 71 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the week.
Fox News also bested the broadcast and cable television competition in coverage of Mr. Trump’s trial in which he was found guilty on all 34 felony counts. According to data from Nielsen Media Research, Fox News averaged over 4.7 million viewers.
“The Five” was the powerhouse show overall with 3.4 million average daily viewers, followed by “Jesse Watters Primetime” (3 million viewers), “Special Report With Bret Baier” and “Hannity” (both with 2.6 million viewers) and “The Ingraham Angle” (2.4 million). Late-night regular “Gutfeld” also drew an audience of 2.4 million viewers.
POLL DU JOUR
• 67% of small-business employers in the U.S. are concerned that current economic conditions will force them to close their business.
• 70% of owners in the East agree.
• 70% of owners in the West agree.
• 65% of owners in the South agree.
• 62% of owners in the Midwest agree.
• 33% are not concerned economic conditions will force them to close their business.
• 30% of owners in the East agree.
• 28% of owners in the West agree.
• 35% of owners in the South agree.
• 38% of owners in the Midwest agree.
SOURCE: A Job Creators Network Foundation Small Business Poll of 400 small-business employers conducted online May 2-19 and released Tuesday.
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• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.