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When the self-styled Freedom Caucus killed dozens of bills last week in what became known as the Mothers Day Massacre, the damage wasnt immediately apparent to most observors. Turns out that among the scuttled legislation was a must-pass measure to keep some state agencies open.

The maneuver left tea party-aligned Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick with tremendous leverage over the more moderate House Speaker Joe Straus. The House now must rely on Patricks Senate to pass the legislation keeping some state agencies operating. Patrick told Straus Wednesday he would hold hostage that key bill unless the House passed legislation popular among social and fiscal conservatives, including the transgender bathroom bill.

They thought we were idiots, state Rep. Stickland, R-Bedford, told me, referring to himself and other member of the House Freedom Caucus a dozen strong.

But, Stickland said, thanks to the Freedom Caucus strategic gambit, I was now witnessing the end of the regime.

Excerpt from:
How Jonathan Stickland and the tea party outmaneuvered Joe Straus - Austin American-Statesman

Prince Harry, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are regularly photographed out and about at events. But this might be the sweetest event theyve ever hosted.

The three held a tea party at Buckingham Palace honoring children who have had a parent die serving in the armed forces. According to the Kensington Royal Instagram (an account representing the activities of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry), the three invited 850 children and their guardians to this Party at the Palace.The kids participated in fun events alongside the royals, all for a good cause.

Today was organized to celebrate you guys, Prince Harry said at the event, via Elle UK. Were here to remind you that we as a family, and as a nation will never, ever forget the sacrifices that all of you here have made. We wanted to give you an opportunity to know that you are part of, sadly, a very large group of fantastic people.

He added, The three of us, and all of our family, wanted to thank you so, so much for everything youve done. I can assure you that Buckingham Palace gardens have not seen this much fun, ever.

Below are some adorable photos of the event:

POOL New / Reuters

WPA Pool via Getty Images

WPA Pool via Getty Images

POOL New / Reuters

POOL New / Reuters

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The Royals Hosted A Tea Party For The Most Heartwarming Reason ... - HuffPost

When a heavy rain storm with lightning hit, it left over 3,000 Montgomery County residents without power Thursday morning. The cause of the outage was a lightning strike near a Dayton Power and Light substation.

Sometimes, depending upon the severity of the damages, restoring your power can take anywhere from an hour to even a few days. However, most of us do not have a clue about what it takes to get the lights and the air conditioning, back on. So, I went behind the scenes with power crews to find out how they are trained, and what it takes to do this often dangerous job.

PHOTOS: Lightning hits the Miami Valley

I learned that the Dayton Power and Light Company is responsible for more than 10,000 miles of lines.

"Literally, from Wapakoneta down to Greenfield. Then from Oxford near Miami University all the way over to Columbus and everywhere in-between," said Bruce Coppock, DP&L Director of Operations.

With 120 line workers responsible for 24 counties, the power company focuses on training, equipment testing and maintenance, to keep their operations running smoothly and safely.

DP&L Director Bruce Coppock talks about the in-depth training his technicians receive.

"To do anything by yourself it's a 6-year progression, so we bring you in day one perhaps not even knowing how to climb a pole and for 6 years train you on everything that can happen in this field," Coppock said.

Equipment is constantly tested, even the their gloves. Shawn Talley tests gloves every day in a special lab to make sure they will protect the line workers.

NOW WATCH: Timelapse video shows recent storm moving through Dayton

"We're looking for obvious gashes, punctures and holes," said Talley, an electric meter technician. "They are the second biggest thing you can use. The most important thing is your brain. Make sure you watch out for what you're doing so hopefully, these are your second line of defense."

Each line worker has a checklist before they even tough the electrical lines.

"They do a job hazard analysis that they do onsite when they show up to a job. They walk the job, see what hazards are there and they'll evaluate those hazards and write them out," said Safety Coordinator, Terrance Tolbert.

DRONE VIDEO: Recent storm moves through the Enon area

When we are not experiencing high winds or storms, Dayton Power and Light crews are performing maintenance. They follow a five-year cycle of tree-trimming to keep branches off the power lines and prevent future outages.

"I like telling people it's like trimming all the way to Tampa and all the way back. So we do a tremendous amount of maintenance, " said Mark Vest, Director of Operations. "It's a well-oiled machine."

Rain or shine, near your house or down the street, crews are working each day to keep your power on.

"They're usually here pretty quickly," said Ron Vorhis of Kettering.

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Cincinnati Enquirer sues to open tea party court hearings - WHIO

U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, met with about 30 tea party activists Monday evening in the rural Beaverdam area of Hanover County to take questions about health care, the budget, flag burning and Republican leadership in Washington.

Wittmans district includes Hanover and King William counties in the Richmond area. He spoke to the Patrick Henry Tea Party, which has dotted the area with signs promoting its membership. Hanover was represented by Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, prior to a court-ordered redistricting last year.

Wittman, who has represented the 1st District since December 2007, said he had also met with several progressive groups formed to oppose President Donald Trump. On Monday, he touted the American Health Care Act, the bill that passed the U.S. House on a second attempt and is designed to repeal provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

Wittman voted against the first version of the bill but said the second version contained a lot of good pieces.

We know the Affordable Care Act by any measure is not working, he said. The law continues to fail. Therefore, something must be done.

Wittman said the House bill, which is expected to be revised in the Senate, moves toward a philosophy of allowing individuals, not the federal government, to make decisions.

Wittman said he voted against the big omnibus spending bill in early May. As Congress looks forward to tax code changes, he said he liked Trumps pitch for a reduction in the corporate income tax rate to 15 percent.

Questions ranged from high-speed rail to a discussion on broadband internet.

Bob Keeler, who helped form this tea party group early in the Obama administration, said members in the area loved Brat. But Wittman is following in his steps.

Hes not in the Freedom Caucus yet, but were a work in progress on him, Keeler said.

Wittman later said he asks pointed questions of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and others in the GOP leadership.

John Boehner and I had some very cross words, he said, referring to the former House speaker whose moderate tendencies enraged conservatives. In fact, I wont even go into some of the things that happened on the House floor.

Im going to listen to what folks are saying back home.

The meeting was held at American Legion Post 90.

Post commander Eugene Truitt, an Air Force veteran from Mechanicsville, asked Wittman when Congress would pass a bill to provide penalties for flag desecration.

Wittman said he believed such a bill, which he supports, would get a hearing this year. I continue to push the leadership to have it come to the House floor, he said.

I do think its worthy of debate about what are the limits of freedom of expression under the First Amendment.

Ill have a conversation with Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader (Kevin) McCarthy, Wittman said. I want a yes or no answer from them about whether they will bring that bill to the floor.

One topic that did not come up during the meeting was one thats consuming Washington Russia.

Wittman said afterward that he wants to allow the House and Senate intelligence committees and the FBI to investigate various aspects of Russias influence on the American election. That should be a nonpartisan issue, he said.

And while he didnt oppose Trumps firing last week of FBI Director James Comey, he added: I understand the criticism about the timing.

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Rep. Rob Wittman answers questions for tea party group in Hanover County - Richmond.com

Lois Lerner / AP

BY: Jack Heretik May 15, 2017 11:07 am

Current and former IRS officials are asking not to publicly testify about the agency's alleged bias against Tea Party and other conservative organizations, claiming they are in danger if they do so.

Former official Lois Lerner and Holly Paz both argued in recent filings under seal in the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati that thedeath threats and other harassment they have faced take precedence over the public's right to hear their testimony on the case of IRS bias against conservative groups, USA Today reported.

The officials during the Obama administration were accused of singling out Tea Party and other conservative groups for extra scrutiny while reviewing their applications for tax-exemptstatus. The lawsuit in Cincinnati is one of several such cases against IRS officials accused of holding anti-conservative biases during the Obamaera.

Lerner resigned over the case after she refused to testify before a congressional hearing. Paz, who had worked under Lerner, was reassigned. Both were involved in the processing of applications for tax-exempt status.

Their attorneys argued in a recent court brief that their clients' lives would be in "serious jeopardy" if they testified in public.

"This documentation, as the court will see, makes very personal references and contains graphic, profane, and disturbing language that would lead to unnecessary intrusion and embarrassment if made public," their attorneys said. "Public dissemination of their deposition testimony would put their lives in serious jeopardy."

Attorneys for theTea Party groups suing the IRS rejected that argument, saying the public has a right to know more about what happened

A hearing on Friday that is closed to the public will address this issue.

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IRS Officials Claim Lives in Danger if They Testify About Tea Party Bias Case - Washington Free Beacon