Day: December 20, 2020

State Rep. Alleges Georgia House Speaker David Ralston ‘Lied to Trump’ About Following Through on Efforts to Convene a Special Session

Chris Butler

In an interview with The Georgia Star News on Friday, State Rep. David Clark (R-Buford), alleged that Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) has no intention to follow through on a promise he made to President Trump in a phone call earlier this month.

Clark alleged that in that phone conversation, Ralston promised President Trump he would use his power and influence to convene a special session of the Georgia General Assembly, for the purpose of reviewing the qualifications of Electors in the aftermath of the November 3rd election, fraught with allegations of voter fraud.

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Commentary: Joe Biden’s ‘First Hundred’ Daze

Admin

Often during spring training, the Hall of Fame baseball manager of the Reds and Tigers, Sparky Anderson, was asked about how his team would fare in the upcoming season. To put off the question without appearing rude, the skipper would say, “we’ll know after the first 40 games.”  Interestingly, the jury is still out on whether Sparky actually believed this, because after the first 40 games he slyly put off the question for more and more games until his team had patently proven its competitive mettle (or lack thereof) to reporters and fans.   

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Commentary: On the First day of Christmas…Teachers Got a Legal Headache Over Blurring the Line Between Church and State

Admin

During a school year disrupted by pandemic-related closures, students across the U.S. will soon be absent for a scheduled reason: the annual Christmas break.

In New York City, the U.S.‘s largest school district, children will be off from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1. Officially called “winter” recess, the December hiatus coincides with Christian celebrations, adding to the number of approved days that many students take off from school on religious holidays, including Eid al-Fitr and Yom Kippur.

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Southern California Runs Out of ICU Beds

Admin

Southern California has intensive care unit bed capacity reached 0% amid a surge of coronavirus cases, according to a Thursday report from the Los Angeles Times.

The area, which encompasses Los Angeles County, has begun moving patients out of intensive care units (ICU) and local hospitals are keeping certain patients in the emergency room for longer than normal, the Times reported. However, the situation is set to boil over if hospital capacity exceeds 20%, the local outlet wrote.

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Commentary: Reflections on the Bill of Rights

Admin

The deep divisions plaguing our country may find a remedy in the most unlikely of places: the Bill of Rights. Ratified 229 years ago on December 15, 1791, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known collectively as the Bill of Rights. There is little public commemoration of December 15, in contrast to the tradition of celebrating two famous dates in the history of the United States—the Fourth of July, the day that the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, and September 17, the day that the members of the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. Yet, of the three documents, the Bill of Rights is perhaps the one most invoked by citizens and advocates in everyday life.

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Space Force Unveils Official Name for Its Troops

Admin

Vice President Mike Pence announced on Friday that Space Force troops will be named “Guardians,” according to a White House transcript of the announcement.

Pence made the announcement during a White House ceremony that commemorated the military branch’s first birthday, according to the transcript. President Donald Trump established Space Force in a $1.4 trillion national security bill in December 2019.

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Strzok Messages Refer to Audio Recording of Trump Aide’s Phone Call with Fox Executive

Admin

Internal FBI messages declassified this month make a cryptic reference to an audio recording of a conversation between a Fox News executive and George Papadopoulos, a revelation that the former Trump campaign aide calls “disturbing.”

The message in question is from the Lync account of Peter Strzok, who was the FBI’s lead investigator on Crossfire Hurricane, the counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign.

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Acting Defense Sec. Orders Halt to Biden Transition Meetings

Admin

Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller reportedly ordered a halt to cooperation with the transition team of Joe Biden on Thursday, resulting in cancelled meetings building-wide.

According to Axios, officials across the Defense Department were shocked at the directive, and unsure of what prompted it. Apparently, a top Biden official was also taken by surprise by the directive.

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Atlantic City Auctions Off Chance to Blow Up Trump Plaza

Admin

Atlantic City has launched an auction and the winner will get to virtually push the button that starts the long-anticipated implosion of the former Trump Plaza Hotel, according to The Hill.

The building at the center of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk was used as a casino since 1984 and shut down in 2014 and fell into a state of disrepair. The demolition work had already begun early this year but the remaining structure is set to be blown up on 29 January.

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Gov. Whitmer Blasts Trump Administration Over Vaccine Rollout, Announces Relaxation of Economic ‘Pause’

The Center Square

In what she claimed is her last news conference before Christmas, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer blasted President Donald Trump’s administration for what she depicted as a “slow-walked” rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the state.

She also made several announcements regarding the “pause” implemented by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services since the middle of November.

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Minnesota State Lawmakers Call for Audit of COVID-19 Death Certificates

Admin

In a “dangerous video” released Thursday, two state lawmakers called for a full audit of the death certificates for Minnesota’s 4,723 COVID-19 deaths.

“When people live in fear, they make irrational decisions and they look at the world through a different lens. Their life is based on fear instead of living their life to their full potential,” said state Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria, who obtained some of the “raw files” of COVID-19 death certificates from the Minnesota Department of Health.

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Ohio City Worker Sues Over Administrative Fees Related to Union

The Center Square

A city employee in southwest Ohio says a union continues to collect money from his paycheck after deciding he did not want to be a part of the organization.

Timothy Crane, a city of Hamilton employee, filed a federal lawsuit against both the city and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 20, claiming compulsory fees taken from his paycheck violate his First Amendment rights, according to a news release from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.

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Three Republican Prince William County, Virginia Supervisors Leave Unconscious Bias Training

Eric Burk

A Prince William County sensitivity presentation to the school board and Board of Supervisors (BOS) members exploded into a shouting match earlier this month, leading to three Republican Supervisors leaving the meeting. The “Raising Awareness of Unconscious Bias to Foster Inclusivity and Equity” presentation was part of a joint work session between the two boards.

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