Source: Dallas Morning News

NEW YORK — Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani who was a figure in former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment investigation, was sentenced Wednesday to a year and eight months in prison for fraud and campaign finance crimes by a judge who said fraud had become “a way of life” for Parnas.

Parnas, 50, had sought leniency on grounds that he'd cooperated with the Congressional probe of Trump and his efforts to get Ukrainian leaders to investigate President Joe Biden's son.

U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken didn't give Parnas credit for that assistance, which came only after the Soviet-born businessman was facing criminal charges. But the judge still imposed a sentence lighter than the six years sought by prosecutors.

The judge also ordered Parnas to pay $2.3 million in restitution.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/06/30/giulianis-former-ukraine-fixer-with-ties-to-texas-rep-sessions-gets-20-months-in-prison/

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Parnas was funneling money from Russian oligarch Andrey Muraviev into a variety of Republican campaigns, including a $5,400 donation to U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, during his 2018 re-election campaign. He was ousted by Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, but was successful in a 2020 bid in a different county.

Texas educator group proposes referring to slavery as “involuntary relocation” in second grade curriculum

by Brian Lopez, Texas Tribune


A group of Texas educators have proposed to the Texas State Board of Education that slavery should be taught as “involuntary relocation” during second grade social studies instruction.

The group of nine educators, including a professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, is one of many such groups advising the state education board to make curriculum change requests. This summer, the board will consider updates to social studies instruction a year after lawmakers passed a law to keep topics that make students “feel discomfort” out of Texas classrooms.

The SBOE found out about the suggested change in terms late during its June 15 meeting that lasted more than 12 hours. Board member Aicha Davis, a Democrat who represents Dallas and Fort Worth, brought up concerns to the board saying that it wasn’t a “fair representation” of the slave trade. The board, upon reading the language in the suggested curriculum, sent the working draft back for revision. "For K-2, carefully examine the language used to describe events, specifically the term "involuntary relocation."

“I can’t say what their intention was, but that’s not going to be acceptable,” Davis told The Texas Tribune on Thursday.

Part of the proposed draft standards that were obtained by The Texas Tribune say that students should “compare journeys to America, including voluntary Irish immigration and involuntary relocation of African people during colonial times.”

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/30/texas-slavery-involuntary-relocation/

The Council on Foreign Relations' Richard Haass discuss key takeaways from the NATO summit in Madrid.

President Biden could deliver an address on the January 6 Capitol riot after the House Select Committee's investigation concludes. NBC's Mike Memoli reports from the White House.

The GOP: Taliban rule in America, but "in a good way."

NASA scientists hope to bring Americans back to the moon through its Artemis project, a three-part mission that builds on Apollo 17’s findings with more sustainable technology. The first uncrewed launch could happen as soon as August.

Conservative attorney George Conway tells CNN's John Berman and Brianna Keilar what he would ask Trump White House lawyer Pat Cipollone if he sat before the committee for a transcribed interview.

The president appears at the 1:11 mark in the video.