Midwest
Biden agency chief has 'slow-rolled' SBA's cooperation in electioneering probe says House committee
EXCLUSIVE: The chairman of a House committee tasked with overseeing small business and commercial issues sent the Small Business Administration (SBA) a scathing letter Friday outlining how it has purportedly failed to hand over sufficient subpoenaed documents.
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, previously noted the SBA used a 2021 Biden executive order on “promoting access to voting” to forge a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) with the Michigan Department of State.
The way the MOU has been acted upon is controversial and potentially unconstitutional, Williams has said, as he and others in Congress previously accused the SBA of using it to funnel resources to a swing state in a partisan way. He previously said the SBA is “diverting its resources away from assisting Main Street so it can register Democratic voters” in Michigan.
On Friday, Williams wrote SBA administrator Isabel Casillas-Guzman to criticize “lackluster production of documents pursuant to the committee’s July 30, 2024 subpoena.”
LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM TOP MICHIGAN OFFICIAL OVER ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR ELECTIONEERING
Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, right, is accusing President Biden of using the Small Business Administration as a campaign arm. (Getty Images)
Williams had asked for, and later subpoenaed, travel calendars for agency staff, as well as other key documents in his probe into whether SBA’s work under the MOU is indeed partisan or worse.
“Since the first request was made by this Committee on March 20, 2024, the SBA has produced approximately 500 pages of documents, a substantial portion of which is just one email chain; further, nearly 20 percent of the documents produced by the SBA were entirely unresponsive to the Committee’s requests,” the letter went on.
“It remains unclear why the SBA has slow-rolled productions and wasted time producing documents that were either nonresponsive to Committee’s requests or duplicative.”
WATCHDOG GROUP SUES FEDS FOR RECORDS AS LAWMAKER CALLS VOTER REGISTRATION EFFORTS A ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’
Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams is targeting a partnership started by the Michigan Department of State and Small Business Administration chief Isabel Guzman. (Getty Images)
In May, the SBA was also sued on a coinciding front by the conservative Oversight Project, a government transparency watchdog, after it too made Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for similar documentation.
In that filing, plaintiff Mike Howell called the documents sought a “matter of widespread and exceptional media interest in which there exists possible questions about the government’s integrity which affect public confidence.”
In Friday’s letter, Williams said the SBA has provided “zero calendars” despite the subpoena, as well as a document describing the “implementation plan” of its voter outreach work, as required under President Biden’s separate order.
Williams also said he is aware of the aforementioned separate FOIA litigation and that the agency attested therein that such a document does exist.
A source familiar with the committee’s work said government officials also accused the panel of making baseless allegations surrounding the investigation and said the agency is trying to cover up any electioneering.
Williams told Fox News Digital on Friday he remains disappointed at what he characterized as a woefully insufficient response by the SBA.
“Instead of cooperating with basic congressional oversight, the SBA has once again given us documents that are not responsive to our requests – despite their claims otherwise. With the presidential election less than three months away, our investigation is more important than ever,” Williams said.
“Let me be clear, this Committee will not stop until we put an end to the SBA’s abuse of taxpayer resources, and ensure they refocus their efforts to the mission of supporting Main Street.”
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who was not party to the letter but has been a key voice in the upper chamber on the matter, said that if the agency has done nothing wrong, then it should welcome “the opportunity to share its work.”
“There is a very simple solution here – for the SBA to stop playing games and be fully transparent.”
The SBA, through a spokesperson, argued late Friday the agency rightly provided “extensive testimony, briefings, transcribed interviews, documents and other information in response to congressional inquires, including the Committee’s most recent subpoena.”
“We are continuing the work to fulfill the subpoena beyond our initial document production. Any suggestion that the agency is conducting improper work or that its response has been anything other than cooperative is simply not true,” the spokesperson added.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee teacher in the running for ‘America’s Favorite Teacher’
MILWAUKEE – This week marks Teacher Appreciation Week and, as many teachers are honored throughout the week, one local educator is in the running for one of the nation’s top honors.
America’s Favorite Teacher
What we know:
Tina Gleason, a teacher at Golda Meir School in Milwaukee, is in the running to become “America’s Favorite Teacher” and needs the support of the community to earn the title.
Gleason is going up against thousands of teachers nationwide. But each week, that list narrows down.
This week wraps up the quarterfinals – where Gleason will rely on public vote to move on.
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Gleason has been teaching for 31 years. Almost half those years have been catered to STEM and sustainability education.
“I think it’s just an honor to be recognized,” said Tina Gleason. “I’m just excited to be in the running at all, I had no idea I’d make it to the quarterfinals.”
How to vote
What you can do:
Voting for the quarterfinals ends on May 7 at 9 a.m. A single vote is free – while a larger quantity requires a donation to The Planetary Society.
Help Tina Gleason become America’s Favorite Teacher by casting your vote here.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by America’s Favorite Teacher.
Minneapolis, MN
Tom Homan says Trump administration is using "smarter enforcement" in Minneapolis
Indianapolis, IN
New Prime Video doc: Kyle Larson’s maniacal mission to race Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 in same day
Kyle Larson focused on Indy 500
Arrow McLaren’s Kyle Larson discusses focusing on the Indianapolis 500.
INDIANAPOLIS — Despite knowing the odds were against him, that it would take perfect weather, impeccable timing, the travel gods aligning and everything he had within his soul, Kyle Larson went for “The Double” twice, a feat in racing only four other drivers have attempted.
“The Double” is a maniacal mission to complete 1,100 miles in one day at two of the most iconic races in cities more than 400 miles apart — the Indianapolis 500 first, then NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C.
Larson’s two-time attempt at “The Double” in 2024 and 2025 is the subject of a new Prime Video documentary, “Kyle Larson vs The Double,” which premieres May 21.
The film delves into the incredible challenges Larson faces, on and off the track, as he goes for one of the most elusive triumphs in racing — from 500 miles in an Indy car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to jumping on a plane to North Carolina to compete for 600 miles in a stock car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“The logistical challenge of ‘The Double’ is staggering,” Prime Video says in the film’s press release, “managing the extreme physical toll of heat, dehydration, G-forces and mental exhaustion.”
Before Larson, four other drivers took on “The Double” — John Andretti in 1994; Robby Gordon in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004; Tony Stewart in 1999 and 2001; and Kurt Busch in 2014.
Stewart is the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles, finishing sixth in the Indy 500 and third in the Coca-Cola 600.
In Larson’s 2024 run at “The Double,” rain delayed the Indy 500, causing him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600. He finished 18th in Indy and was replaced by Justin Allgaier at Charlotte. Larson competed in both races in 2025, but crashes dashed his hopes of finishing 1,100 miles in one day.
The film goes beyond Larson’s mission on the track, taking a personal look at his life and career, his mindset, his sacrifices and the people around him who cheered him on.
“Sometimes, the most compelling stories in sports aren’t about crossing the finish line,” Prime Video says, “they’re about the sheer will and determination it takes to compete at the highest level.”
Watch ‘Kyle Larson vs The Double’ trailer
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.
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