Zuckerberg: FBI Warned Us to Be on the Lookout For a ‘Hack and Leak’ Op with ‘Trove of Docs’ Before the Election

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Congress Wednesday that the FBI warned him months ago that Facebook should be on “heightened alert” about “hack and leak operations” that could be part of a foreign disinformation campaign in the final weeks before the 2020 election.

The Facebook honcho made the remarks during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where he testified alongside Google’s Sundar Pichai and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey.

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ETSU Student Government Calls for Cutting All Ties with Neighboring Christian University Over Departure of Homosexual Professor

The Student Government Association at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is targeting a private Christian university over allegations that it forced a homosexual professor to resign last spring.

The SGA at the public university on Tuesday voted 17-5 to suggest that ETSU cut its athletics scheduling and financial partnerships with Milligan University and other universities accused of discrimination, the Johnson City Press reported. Milligan is located about five miles from ETSU.

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Boeing Cuts Thousands of Jobs, Prepares for Air Travel Slow Down Amidst Coronavirus Surge

American aerospace giant Boeing announced a fresh round of job cuts during its earnings call on Wednesday morning as coronavirus cases continued to surge worldwide.

Boeing said it would cut 7,000 jobs by the end of 2021, according to The Wall Street Journal. The job cut, the latest in a series of coronavirus-related cuts, would take the company to 130,000 employees after starting 2020 with 160,000.

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Apple Developing Search Engine as Google Comes Under Antitrust Scrutiny: Report

Apple has ramped up development of its own search engine technology as antitrust U.S. and European Union regulators scrutinize Google, according to a Financial Times report.

The Silicon Valley tech giant has subtly started the transition away from its reliance on the Google search engine, The Financial Times reported. Apple’s latest software update iOS 14, for example, directs users directly to links when they search for a term on their device’s home screen.

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Commentary: Trump Economy Grows Record 33.1 Percent in Third Quarter Amid Rapid Recovery

The U.S. economy blew the barn doors off all other past recoveries with a record, inflation-adjusted 33.1 percent gain in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — more than any other quarter in economic history — in the last major economic report before the election in November.

That is great news for the American people, and it certainly bodes well for President Donald Trump in his bid for reelection against former Vice President Joe Biden as the race for 2020 comes down to the wire. It comes as more than 14 million jobs have been recovered since labor markets bottomed in April amid the Covid state-led lockdowns, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Court Order Forced ICE to Release 250 Criminal Immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Tuesday that it released 250 immigrants with criminal histories back into communities in response to a coronavirus-related order issued by the Central District of California, Fox News reports.

The news came a week after U.S. Judge Terry Hatter ordered the agency either release or deport detainees at the Adelanto ICE processing center in Southern California in order to halt the spread of coronavirus infections. According to the order, starting from October 19 they must reduce the population at the facility by at least 50 detainees a day, until the population is at or below 475 detainees. At the time of the order, about 750 people were detained there.

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Glenn Greenwald Resigns from The Intercept Over Censoring of Biden Piece

Shortly after resigning from The Intercept on Thursday, Glenn Greenwald published the article whose censoring he said caused him to step down in the first place.

Greenwald announced on Thursday that he would be leaving The Intercept, the publication that he co-founded in 2014, due to censorship from editorial staff over a piece critical of Joe and Hunter Biden.

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Non-Colored Students Need Not Apply: Loudoun County Public Schools Initially Barred White Students from Equity Ambassador Program

In the initial draft of a student equity ambassador program informational packet, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) barred students who weren’t colored from admission into the program.

Under “III. Process for Selecting Student Equity Ambassadors” the second process listing guidelines specifically mentioned students’ skin color as a qualifying factor.

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Michigan: Ground Zero for Biden-Led Chinese Acquisition of Automotive Manufacturer with National Security Implications

A key presidential election battleground state of Michigan is also ground zero for a Chinese company’s acquisition of an automotive manufacturer with direct involvement by one of Hunter Biden’s businesses.

The transaction gave Chinese companies direct control of technology with possible military applications and, therefore, has national security implications.

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Confederate Flag Along I-95 Removed for Highway Construction Project

The Virginia Flaggers have removed their large Confederate flag from its prominent location in Stafford County along Interstate 95 after the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) acquired the land for construction of the Rappahannock River Crossing project.

Measuring at 20-feet tall and 30-feet wide, the controversial flag flew attached to its 80-foot pole since May 2014, nearly six and a half years, and was almost impossible to miss from both sides of the highway.

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The Buckeye Institute Questions How Colleges, Universities Use Large Gifts

At a time when public and private colleges and universities continue to reiterate their growing financial concerns, a disregard of donor intent is chopping away at public trust, according to an Ohio group.

The Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based think tank, pointed to a multi-million dollar gift to The Ohio State University’s law school as an example of schools paying for fundraising activities and salaries from original donations, rather than following the intent of alumni.

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Judge Blocks Michigan Ban on Open Carry at Voting Centers

A Michigan judge blocked a Nov. 3 ban on the open carry of firearms near polling places Tuesday.

Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray issued a preliminary injunction against Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s recent decision to bar the open display of guns at voting centers, according to The Detroit News. Murray said that the directive was more like a law of its own, rather than an interpretation of existing state ordinances, the local outlet reported.

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Commentary: Gary Peters Sides with Chuck Schumer Over Michiganders

Believe it or not, the junior senator from Michigan is Gary Peters – not Chuck Schumer. For Michiganders, that hasn’t been clear in the past six years because almost no daylight exists between Senator Peters’s actions and the marching orders given by the Democrat Leader from New York.

From voting to impeach President Donald Trump to opposing almost all of his highly qualified judicial nominees, Gary Peters falls in line every time. In fact, Peters has voted with his party’s liberal leader almost 90% of the time.

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Democratic Delegate Lee Carter Claims Police Are a Threat to Public Safety

House Delegate Lee Carter (D-Manassas) stated multiple times in the last several days that “police are a threat to public safety in every community.” These assertions coincided with the ongoing riots over the death of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man that Philadelphia police shot for charging at officers with a knife.
Carter issued three tweets in a row, in each post repeating the same mantra that police threaten public safety.

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Tennessee DCS Revokes Foster Parent ‘Cultural Awareness’ Curriculum for Violating Executive Order on Diversity Trainings

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) revoked a cultural awareness training on Tuesday for violating President Trump’s Executive Order. DCS is reviewing the program, Cultural Awareness for Foster Parents, currently.

DCS sent the memo to agency provider trainers on the same day the curriculum was pulled.

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US Economy Surges at Record Rate, GDP Grows 33.1 Percent

The U.S. economy grew by a record 33.1% in the third quarter of 2020, as employers continue to restore jobs and the country continues to feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Commerce figure released Wednesday reflects the rate of decline in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) during the third quarter, from July to September. The economy plunged by 31.4% in the second quarter of 2020, a record drop caused by government measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, according to The Associated Press.

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New Unemployment Claims Fall to 751,000, Beat Expectations

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 751,000 last week as the economy continues to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Oct. 17, in which there were 787,000 new jobless claims reported. The figure released on Oct. 22 was the lowest since March, according to CNBC.

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Chattanooga Left-Wing Activist Under Criminal Investigation Speaks to Middle School Students About Political Activism

A left-wing activist in Chattanooga who allegedly vandalized property and allegedly used social media to attack the family of the judge overseeing her case served as guest speaker to middle school students and discussed political activism.

That activist, Marie Mott, is currently running for the Chattanooga City Council, according to her campaign’s Facebook page.

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Commentary: How to Restrain Big Tech Immediately

A year ago, University of Georgia professor Cas Mudde took to Twitter and asked: “How do you manage to stay informed about political news and stay mentally balanced?” In his next tweet, he confessed too much time on social media was contributing to anxiety and depression.

With this, Mudde expressed a sentiment many social media users share. As we discuss policy issues tied to social media—tech regulation, free speech, foreign influence—we shouldn’t lose sight of the damaging psychological effects of today’s information environment. You may not want to hear this a week before the election, but social media addiction is a public health issue. Big Tech is the new Big Tobacco.

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20,000 Texas Mail-in Ballots Need to Be Redone Because of Barcode Problem

Approximately one-third the mail-in ballots in Tarrant County, Texas have been rejected by scanners due to a defect in their barcodes, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Heider Garcia, the county’s elections administrator, attributed the problem to the shop that printed that ballots, but assured that the ballots affected would still be counted, according to the Texas outlet.

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Hurricane Zeta Hits Louisiana with Flooding, Power Outages

Hurricane Zeta slammed into storm-weary Louisiana on Wednesday with New Orleans squarely in its path, pelting homes and businesses with rain and howling winds, knocking out power to thousands and threatening to push up to 9 feet of sea water inland in a Gulf Coast region already pounded by multiple storms this year.

Roads were flooded near the coast, where forecasters said Zeta made landfall around Terrebone Bay near Cocodrie, an unincorporated fishing village at the end of a highway with a marine laboratory but few if any full-time residents.

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Nashville Think Tank Files Lawsuit Against Metro Nashville Over Sidewalks

Members of the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee this week filed a lawsuit against the city of Nashville on behalf of two homeowners that Metro officials forced to pay for public sidewalks.

Beacon officials said in an emailed press release that they are filing the case to prevent Metro officials from holding building permits hostage until individual property owners agree to pay for public infrastructure like sidewalks.

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Social Media CEOs Get Earful on Bias, Warning of New Limits

With next week’s election looming, the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Google were scolded by Republicans at a Senate hearing Wednesday for alleged anti-conservative bias in the companies’ social media platforms and received a warning of coming restrictions from Congress.

Lawmakers of both parties are assessing the companies’ tremendous power to disseminate speech and ideas, and are looking to challenge their long-enjoyed bedrock legal protections for online speech.

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Biden’s Plan to ‘Transition Away’ from the Oil Industry Would Hurt New Mexico, Texas the Most

Both Republicans and Democrats are pushing back on comments Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made about “transitioning away” from the oil industry.

At the presidential debate Thursday night, Biden said, “I would transition away from the oil industry, yes. The oil industry pollutes, significantly. It has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.”

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Justices Deny Fast, New Look at Pennsylvania Ballot Deadline

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would not grant a quick, pre-election review to a new Republican appeal to exclude absentee ballots received after Election Day in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania, although it remained unclear whether those ballots will ultimately be counted.

The court’s order left open the possibility that the justices could take up and decide after the election whether a three-day extension to receive and count absentee ballots ordered by Pennsylvania’s high court was proper.

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Election Experts Warn Voters to Stop Sending in Ballots, Vote in Person Amidst USPS Delays

Election and postal experts have warned Americans to stop voting by mail as delays continue to hamper the postal system one week before the election.

With just seven days of voting left before the Nov. 3 election, sending a ballot through the United States Postal Service (USPS) system would risk a late delivery, election experts told the Washington Post. The week of Oct. 16 was the 14th straight week where more than 10% of first-class mail delivery was delayed.

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New Protests Loom as Europeans Tire of Virus Restrictions

Protesters set trash bins afire and police responded with hydrant sprays in downtown Rome Tuesday night, part of a day of public outpouring of anger against virus-fighting measures like evening shutdowns for restaurants and bars and the closures of gyms and theaters — a sign of growing discontent across Europe with renewed coronavirus restrictions.

Pedestrians and motorists returning home from work in Rome were taken by surprise when protesters, some of them hooded and members of an extreme-right political group, set afire to trash bins in Piazza del Popolo, overturned parked motor scooters and mopeds and hurled smoke bombs, state TV reported. Police vans unleashed torrents of water to disperse them.

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Cancel Culture Claims Another: Virginia Military Institute Superintendent General Peay Resigns

Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Superintendent, retired four-star Army General J.H. Binford Peay III (’62), resigned on Monday. Peay shared that Governor Ralph Northam prompted the resignation.
“On Friday, 23 October 2020, the Governor’s Chief of Staff conveyed that the Governor and certain legislative leaders had lost confidence in my leadership as Superintendent of Virginia Military Institute and desired my resignation.”

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U.S. Department of Interior Efforts Added $1.1 Billion to Michigan’s Economic Output in 2019

U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) activities supported a total of 7,590 jobs, $645 million in value added and $1.1 billion in economic output in Michigan in 2019.

That’s according to a DOI report issued Monday. The DOI’s Economic Report for Fiscal Year 2019 measures the department’s economic contributions through its management of federal lands and waters as well as investments in conservation and natural landscapes efforts as well as contributions to preserve the nation’s cultural heritage.

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DeWine Calls for Some Ohio Businesses to Close Offices, Employees Work from Home

The Ohio Star received a tip that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was calling on larger businesses in Ohio’s red counties (according to the Ohio Public Health Advisory System) to keep their employees at home.

During a special news briefing held on Wednesday announcing a Bureau of Workers Compensation dividend giveback of $5 billion to Ohio businesses, The Star asked the governor about the tip and whether he was urging businesses to keep employees at home.

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Richmond Judge Sides with Northam on Lee Statue Removal

A Richmond Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of the Commonwealth and Governor Ralph Northam on Tuesday, allowing for the removal of the controversial Robert E. Lee statue on Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue.

In his decision, Judge W. Reilly Marchant lifted the temporary injunction, ordered by a separate judge back in August, which barred Nortam from taking action, but said the statue could not be removed until a proper appeal process has taken place.

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