Ohio GOP Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Slams Biden After Deadly Afghan Explosion, Calls on President to Resign

Ohio GOP Senate Candidate J.D. Vance on Thursday slammed President Joe Biden’s approach to foreign policy in Afghanistan.

The statement from Vance follows two explosions that were reported in Kabul, Afghanistan, the center of evacuation efforts carried out by the United States. In the explosion, dozens of individuals were killed and injured, including at least 11 U.S. Marines.

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Capitol Hill Republicans’ Calls for Biden’s Resignation Amplify After American Casualties in Afghanistan

Capitol Hill Republicans on Thursday intensified their calls for President Biden’s resignation following explosions outside a Kabul, Afghanistan, airport, killing four Marines and wounding or injuring dozens more while also throwing U.S. evacuations into further disarray.

“4 US Marines killed in this morning’s attacks in #Afghanistan and another 3 wounded,” Georgia Rep. Jody Hice tweeted. “President Biden is responsible for every single drop of blood spilled in his botched withdrawal. #BidenMustResignNow.”

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Two Explosions Reported in Kabul Killing at Least 11 Marines, Dozens of People Injured

Two explosions were reported in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, killing at least 70 people, and injuring dozens more, including multiple Marines, eleven of whom have died. (See update below for the latest on casualties).

A suicide bomb reportedly detonated outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA), and another bomb went off at the nearby Baron Hotel, where Americans have been gathering for rescue and evacuation.

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Commentary: Kamala Harris Backed Afghan Exit Despite Intel Warning Taliban Would Abuse Women

Just 12 days before President Biden ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the U.S. intelligence community warned the White House that allowing the Taliban to control the country would put Afghan women at grave risk, according to a little-noticed intelligence assessment.

Biden nonetheless pressed ahead with the plan – with the support of his vice president, Kamala Harris, who boasted that she was the last person in the room with the president when he made the decision and felt comfortable with the plan.

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Democrats Advance $3.5 Trillion Budget Blueprint, Breaking Hours-Long Stalemate Between Pelosi, Moderates

The House Tuesday voted on a deal to adopt the framework for President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion budget and advance the bipartisan infrastructure bill after Democratic leadership and moderates broke an hours-long stalemate over how the two would be prioritized in the coming weeks.

The deal, which passed 220-212 on a party-line vote, allows for the House to begin crafting its reconciliation bill and sets the infrastructure package up to pass the chamber on Sept. 27. It followed multiple Rules Committee hearings and hours of intraparty deliberations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her team and a group of moderate Democrats who insisted on taking up the infrastructure bill first, directly opposed to both dozens of progressives and the speaker herself.

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California’s Former Democratic State Senate Leader Endorses Larry Elder

Gloria Romero, the former Democratic leader in the California state Senate, endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder in a video released Monday.

Her endorsement comes as polls show a tossup race between Elder and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom ahead of the state’s Sept. 14 recall election. Elder has emerged as the frontrunner among dozens of Republican candidates and has been sharply critical of Newsom’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Biden EPA Appointee Allowed to Retain Ties with University Controlled by Chinese Government

A high-ranking Environmental Protection Agency political appointee received approval to maintain his professional relationship with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology while serving in the Biden administration, according to documents obtained by a watchdog group.

EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science Policy Dr. Christopher Frey disclosed in his May 11 ethics recusal statement that he had taken a two-year unpaid leave of absence from Hong Kong University following advice by the agency’s Office of General Counsel, records obtained by the watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) show. The ex officio chancellor of the university, Carrie Lam, is also Beijing’s hand-picked bureaucrat to serve as the chief executive of Hong Kong.

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Biden Investigation into COVID Origins Come to an End, Remains Classified

The 90-day investigation ordered by the Biden Administration into the origins of the Chinese Wuhan coronavirus has come to a conclusion, but remains classified to the general public for the immediate future, according to CNN.

In the month of May, Biden ordered the intelligence community to conduct their own investigation into where the virus originated from, after shutting down previous ongoing investigations that had been initiated by the Trump Administration, and ordered his new investigations to report back in 90 days with their findings. The 90-day deadline was Tuesday.

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Commentary: Biden’s Electric Car Plan Means Rigging Manufacturing to Favor Unions

At NREL future research should focus on understanding consumer driving and charging behavior and the nuances determining the choice of residential charging infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles (PEV). Shown is in the Power Systems Lab in the Energy systems Integration Facility (ESIF)

In a highly orchestrated and publicized White House gathering this month, President Biden presented a detailed plan for the development of a U.S. fleet of clean, high-mileage electric automobiles that would reduce reliance on gasoline and generate thousands of good union jobs. It’s a new, government-encouraged, taxpayer-subsidized auto world. The plan calls for U.S. auto production to become 50% electric by 2030. Today, the electric share stands at a paltry 2%.

Top leaders from Ford, GM, and Stellantis (formerly Fiat-Chrysler), along with environmentalists and governors, were prominently invited to share in the announcement. Yet the absence of any non-union, America-located auto producers was glaring. There were no representatives from Hyundai, Nissan, or Toyota – companies that have long produced popular vehicles within our borders and recently expressed some support for Biden’s goal. Also striking was the absence of Tesla’s Elon Musk, the world’s acknowledged leader in the electric car and battery revolution. Tesla is an American firm, but it is not unionized.

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Biden DOJ Declines to Appeal Court Order Blocking Reparations for Non-White Farmers

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday failed to formally file an appeal in federal court against an injunction that was issued against one of the most controversial aspects of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, leaving the future of planned reparations for non-White farmers in doubt, as reported by Politico.

Monday was the deadline for the DOJ to do so, 60 days after federal judges ultimately ruled that the $4 billion program, which would forgive the debts of exclusively non-White farmers, was unconstitutional and thus could not be implemented. The measure was one of many elements of the bill passed by Congress and signed into law by Joe Biden in March.

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Commentary: How Unions Could Save America

The general perception within Conservatism, Inc. and libertarian circles is that collective bargaining is a violation of the right of the individual to seek work without being compelled to join a union. That sounds good in principle, but there’s much more to the story.

A few years ago, the workers at a local grocery store chain in California went on strike. The reason they voted to strike was that management had implemented a new policy whereby most of the employees, including full-time career workers, had their hours reduced to fewer than 25 hours per week. At the same time, these employees had their health coverage taken away.

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Music Spotlight: Jasmin Bade – Exclusive First Listen Premiere of ‘X’s & Y’s’

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  –  Jasmin Bade first discovered country music when she was six years old. It was Christmas time and she heard the Australian-country artist Kasey Chambers. Her aunt and uncle were playing her record and “fell in love with it” and wouldn’t stop singing her songs all the way home.

Besides Chambers, her mother would play Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley and the (Dixie) Chicks. Bade soon started guitar lessons and would take any chance she could to play. She would play on the streets (called busking in Australia) for pocket money. By ages 7 and 8, young Bade was singing in shopping centers.

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Commentary: Election Rules Have to Mean Something

The rule of law must be respected for liberty to be protected.  Changing the rules to achieve a desired outcome undermines both, and when this is done in the administration of elections, democracy itself is imperiled.

Unfortunately, the left shows no compunction about wielding power for partisan advantage, especially when it comes to election administration. They’ve even gone so far as to create new rules to suit their purposes, regardless of whether they possess the authority to do so.

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Judge Grants Michael Avenatti Mistrial in Embezzlement Case

A judge granted Michael Avenatti a mistrial on Tuesday in a case accusing him of stealing millions of dollars from his clients, according to multiple reports.

U.S. District Court District Judge James Selna, who was nominated by President George W. Bush, said prosecutors failed to provide financial evidence to Avenatti before the trial started, Law.com’s Meghann Cuniff reported live from the Santa Ana, California, courtroom.

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer, Lawmakers, School Groups Clash over Mask Policy

Two young, brunette girls wearing black masks

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, lawmakers, and some school administrators are clashing over back-to-school COVID-19 policies.

Ken Gutman, who serves on the K-12 Alliance of Michigan’s Board of Directors and is superintendent of Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, called on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to develop a COVID-19 delta variant plan for schools and for the department or local health departments to enact a mitigation strategy that includes a possible mask mandate inside school buildings.

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Human Smuggler Pulled over in Cloned Border Patrol Vehicle Near Tucson, Arizona

In a creative attempt at smuggling illegal aliens into the United States, a driver was pulled over near Tucson in an SUV painted to replicate those driven by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

This is not a Border Patrol vehicle. [Homeland Security Investigation Phoenix] and [Border Patrol] agents from [Tucson] Station foiled a smuggling attempt using a cloned vehicle and a fake uniform. The driver and 10 migrants were taken into custody,” said Chief Patrol Agent of CBP’s Tucson Sector John R. Modlin on Twitter. 

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Virginia Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate McAuliffe: ‘Make Life Difficult’ for Unvaccinated

Terry McAuliffe

In a keynote speech at a mid-August Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe said that it was imperative to “make life difficult” for Americans who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. 

“We have 93 million Americans today that are not vaccinated. We need to do everything that we possibly can … And I tell my private businesses all the time, I hope you mandate vaccines for people coming in,” he said in his speech. “Until we make it hard for people get on planes or go to movie theaters, people just aren’t going to do it … We’re not going door to door, but you make life difficult. If you’re going to come to the HIMSS conference, you got to be vaccinated.”

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Public May Not See Net Benefit of Infrastructure Bill That Could Expand Rail in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Much fanfare surrounding infrastructure legislation in Congress focuses on road and bridge improvements, but the bill’s implications for relatively costly rail transit in northeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere have gotten far less attention.

The current proposal to spend $66 billion on Amtrak would be the largest federal expenditure on passenger rail since the creation of the transit agency.

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Independent Candidate from Minneapolis Announces Run for Hennepin County Sheriff

An independent from Minneapolis has announced his run for Hennepin County Sheriff. Jai Hanson, a police officer, is hoping to make positive changes in Hennepin County and specifically in Minneapolis. Hanson is not seeking an endorsement from any political parties because he wants to be a true independent. He said he wants to be “part of the solution” and make policing about people rather than politics.

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At Conference, Northam Says Virginia Is Ideal for Offshore Wind Industry

RICHMOND, Virginia — Governor Ralph Northam and Dominion Energy CEO Robert Blue announced that the Port of Virginia will lease 72 acres of the deep-water Portsmouth Marine Terminal for staging and pre-assembly of Dominion’s offshore wind project.

“This announcement is yet another milestone toward making Virginia the national leader in offshore wind power,” Northam said. “The Commonwealth and Dominion Energy are standing together to promote clean energy, reduce carbon emissions, create jobs, and build a new American industry on the East Coast of the United States.”

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Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb: ‘We Will Never Mandate the Vaccine’

Mark Lamb

In response to various business and governmental entities mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for employees, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb told people in a video posted to Twitter that he would not be imposing a mandate for his workers. Gov. Doug Ducey issued an order on August 16 prohibiting local governments from issuing vaccine mandates. It is punishable by a class 3 misdemeanor or other legal action. 

Lamb said, “As long as I am your sheriff, we will never mandate the vaccine. We believe that your health choices are yours and yours alone. Whether you get the vaccine, or don’t get the vaccine, that’s your private information. Here, we believe in America and freedom and we’re going to continue on with that. God bless.” 

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Facebook Under Fire from White House, Critics over Lack of Transparency

Facebook is facing backlash over several decisions in August that critics say indicate a lack of transparency, particularly regarding the problem of misinformation.

The tech company drew criticism after it published a report Saturday detailing the most widely-viewed content on the platform for the first quarter of 2021, showing that the most viewed news article was a factual story published by the Chicago Tribune about a doctor dying two weeks after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Facebook had initially shelved the report and published data on the second quarter of 2021 instead, but released it following an investigation by The New York Times that revealed the tech company withheld the report due to fears it would seem like it was promoting misinformation.

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Ohio State University Issues Vaccine Mandate

The Ohio State University used this week’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to mandate all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated by Nov. 15.

OSU President Kristina Johnson wrote in a letter “the university is taking this step because vaccines are the safest and most effective form of protection against COVID-19. We are focused on enhancing the health and safety of our community.”

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Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer Travels to Kabul, Details U.S. Cannot Complete Evacuations by August 31

U.S. Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI-03) joined Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-06) and traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, the center of evacuation efforts carried out by the United States.

In a joint statement after the trip, the two military veterans criticized the ongoing efforts and detailed that there would be no way to complete evacuations by August 31, contradicting a direct claim by President Joe Biden.

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Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Florida’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act Filed

A motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act that bans transgender females from participating in high school athletics, was sent to a federal judge on Monday.

The Act, also known as SB 1028, was approved in April by the Florida Legislature, and signed into law by Governor DeSantis in June on the basis that it would ensure that biological males do not participate in female sports in order to keep spots open for biological females.

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Judge Hearing Arguments from Florida Parents over DeSantis’ Mask Mandate Ban

A Leon County Circuit Judge is hearing arguments from parents seeking an end to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ mask mandate ban. Specifically, the parents are seeking to challenge DeSantis’ executive order from July 30, which numerous school districts have been defying.

Charles Dodson, a former judge and is representing the parents, said schools are not safe until everyone is masked.

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California Recall Ballot Design Opens Door to Possible Fraud

Gavin Newsom

A flaw in the ballot design for California’s recall election, which takes place in less than three weeks, is raising eyebrows among voters. 

Photographs taken by several voters show that the envelopes in which ballots are placed have a circular hole, allowing envelope handlers to see whether the voter voted “Yes” or “No” to recall embattled Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

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Roundup: Fight for Schools Submits Petition to Recall Loudoun School Board Member Beth Barts; Other Virginia School Board Updates

Fight for Schools PAC announced Wednesday that they have collected 158 percent of the signatures necessary to ask a court to recall Loudoun School Board Member Beth Barts.

“For five months, Loudoun County has been at the center of local, state, national, and even international media attention. Much of this is due to the actions of Beth Barts. She has shown a complete inability to comply with the law, her own code of conduct, and the basic decency that accompanies being an elected official in the United States of America,” Fight for Schools Executive Director Ian Prior said in a press release.

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Man Fighting on Behalf of Crime-Ravaged Buckhead Responds to Atlanta Hiring a Director of Violence Reduction

Due to rising crime rates, the City of Atlanta is advertising for a director of violence reduction. Crime has increased so much that residents of nearby Buckhead formally want to secede from Atlanta. The man leading that secession movement told The Georgia Star News Wednesday that the new director of violence reduction, regardless of who takes the job, won’t influence Buckhead residents to have second thoughts about leaving.

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