It’s Saturday already — where has the summer gone? My children start school in two weeks and it won’t be long before we’re experiencing falling leaves and cool nights and all the other accoutrements of autumn.
This is your weekly roundup of news from the Gem State Chronicle and beyond. Reminder that as a free or paid subscriber via Substack, you can decide to all receive daily posts, just Saturday roundups, or just Sunday devotions. Click here to manage your subscriptions.
As you know, I am entirely reader supported:
- Paid subscribers via Substack get bonus notes with most articles, giving me an opportunity to share behind-the-scenes thoughts with supporters, as well as early access to podcasts and significant discounts in the merch store.
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- Finally, I also offer freelance writing and editing services. Reach out to me if you have a project you’d like me to consult with you on.
After finishing some big projects I got back in the habit of recording short daily updates on each day’s news. You can find the Daily Minute on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, X, and even TikTok!
Last week at the Chronicle…
On Monday, I opened up a discussion about the grocery tax in Idaho. Is it a white whale, the number one priority we must harpoon in the upcoming session? Or is it a red herring, distracting us from bigger issues?
On Tuesday, I unveiled the Idaho GOP Platform quiz. You have the opportunity to read through the 42 bills used by the Institute for Legislative Analysis to rate our lawmakers on adherence to the Idaho GOP Platform. Take the quiz here!
On Wednesday, I shared some feedback I received regarding the grocery tax in Idaho. Opinions were mixed – many want it repealed, others want to see action on property taxes first, and a few said that we should keep the grocery tax.
Speaking of groceries, on Thursday I asked what we should do about the fact that our free market has opened the door to a lot of tremendously unhealthy foods.
Finally, on Friday I posted a survey regarding the grocery tax. If you haven’t yet taken it, take the time to do so now. A lot of lawmakers read this publication, so let them know what you think. All you need to do to participate is become a free subscriber to this publication. Survey closes Monday afternoon, at which time I’ll share the results.
Also Friday, I reported a possible violation of campaign law by the District 11 Democrats. After the primary, they switched two of their candidates, which appears to be illegal. GOP candidate Kent Marmon alerted the Secretary of State’s office, which investigated the matter and discovered that one of their own employees gave the LD11 Democrats the go-ahead. As of now they plan to revert the switch, meaning Anthony Porto will face Marmon for House seat A while Toni Ferro will face Camille Blaylock. Read the full report here.
Speaking of legislative campaigns, Primary Pulse has evolved into Candidate Central. Bookmark that page to be your one stop shop for information about every Republican candidate for the Idaho Legislature.
In other news…
Yesterday afternoon I joined Elizabeth Farah, Josh Turnbow, and Ben Dorr on WorldNetDaily to talk about the disastrous Harris/Walz ticket.
Niklas Kleinworth of the Idaho Freedom Foundation dug through the new transparency reports from the Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare to learn how many able-bodied adults are on the public dole:
The last time a presidential election was this contentious and unprecedented was in 1968, when an unpopular sitting president stood down his reelection bid, a candidate was shot, and the DNC headed to Chicago.
The eventual winner of the 1968 election was Richard Nixon, who resigned the presidency 50 years ago this week. Tucker Carlson interviewed a veteran of the Nixon White House who explained how Watergate was a deep state coup against one of the most popular presidents in American history.
After watching that, check out Vice President Nixon debating Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1959:
Upcoming events…
The Western Idaho Fair begins this Friday at Expo Idaho. The Ada County Republicans will be there for the duration, but if you stop by on Saturday, August 17, you’ll get to see my friends from district 14. See you at the fair!
Thank you all for your support as I continue to bring you news and analysis that empowers you to make positive change in Idaho. Make sure to subscribe, follow me on Twitter, and follow the Chronicle on Facebook, Telegram, YouTube, and Rumble. Have a great weekend!
About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
