Month: September 2021

Antifa Supporting Teacher Reportedly Admits to Indoctrinating Students

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A pro-Antifa California public school teacher touted his efforts to radicalize his students through political indoctrination in his classroom in a conversation captured on a video and released by Project Veritas.

Gabriel Gipe is an AP government teacher at Inderkum High School in the Natomas Unified School District (NUSD) in Sacramento, California. He described himself as “probably as far left as you can go” and said he has asked the question,”Like, why aren’t people just taking up arms? Like why can’t we, you know — take up arms against the state?” in the video.

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Texas Passes Law Targeting Social Media Companies for Alleged Censorship

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The Texas state Senate passed a bill Tuesday that aims to curb perceived political censorship by social media companies.

The bill, introduced in the Texas Senate by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, would prohibit social media platforms from “censoring” users based on their viewpoints. “Censoring” includes actions such as removing content, banning users, demonetizing users, and suppressing posts, according to the bill.

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America First Legal Requests Investigation into the Biden Administration’s Afghanistan Withdrawal, Demands Answers on ‘Vetting’ of Evacuees

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America First Legal is demanding an investigation into the Biden administration regarding its withdrawal from Afghanistan and is requesting answers from a number of government agencies over the handling of evacuees, according to a letter and six Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The group has asked the Department of Defense (D0D) acting inspector general for an investigation into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, specifically into the reported “‘Kill List’ Given to the Taliban,” information revealing what the president knew from intelligence reports, details about the “abandoned equipment and assets” and about leaving Bagram air base, as well as information about the “effective deployment of US air force assets.”

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Facebook Says It ‘Incorrectly Deleted’ Account of Mother of Marine Killed in Kabul Explosion

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Facebook says it incorrectly removed the account of the mother of one of the Marines killed in the Kabul terrorist attack last week, following several posts critical of President Joe Biden.

Shana Chappell, mother of Kareem Nikoui, one of the 13 Marines killed in the suicide bombing at the Kabul airport last week, claimed in a Facebook post Monday that her Instagram account had been deleted. Instagram is owned by Facebook.

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Condoleezza Rice and H.R. McMaster Plead with Officials to Rescue Orphans in Afghanistan

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Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster are pleading with top American and international officials to rescue orphans from Afghanistan before the Taliban takes them.

The two officials made their case late Tuesday in a letter, Axios reported, sent to first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, top Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, the secretaries of defense and state, the executive director of UNICEF and the U.N. secretary-general.

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Poll: Youngkin Now Tied with McAuliffe in Virginia Governor Race

RealClearWire

The race for Virginia governor is now a dead heat as Republican Glenn Youngkin has pulled within a single point of Democrat Terry McAuliffe at summer’s end, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

The survey of 1,074 likely voters, conducted over the weekend by the Republican polling firm Trafalgar Group, showed 46.6% backing McAuliffe while 46.3% support Youngkin, a result well within the margin of error. Robert Cahaly, the pollster, called it “a virtual tie.”

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Commentary: BidenCare Blows ObamaCare Costs Out of the Water

RealClearWire

PolitiFact’s 2013 “Lie of the Year” came from former President Barack Obama selling ObamaCare, his massive government takeover of healthcare. “If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it,” Obama said. That was a lie. Now President Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) want to expand that lie through their $3.5 trillion federal spending blowout pending in Congress. 

Obama also said we could keep our doctors under ObamaCare. Obama lied to me and millions of other people. When I left a full-time job in 2013 for contract work, I switched to an ObamaCare exchange plan. And no, I didn’t get to keep my doctor on that new plan. I also saw the cost of my ObamaCare plan increase by double digit rates for 2014.

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Ilhan Omar Possibly Committed a Felony by Concealing Her Finances in Required Disclosure Form, Watchdog Group Alleges

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Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar possibly committed a felony by failing to properly report her assets and income in her financial disclosure reports to the House of Representatives, a conservative-leaning watchdog group alleged in a complaint filed Tuesday.

The group, National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), demanded the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) investigate why Omar’s financial disclosures make no reference to the income she may have received from her memoir published in May 2020, as well as the Democratic lawmaker’s apparently gross undervaluation of her new husband’s consulting firm, which raked in nearly $3 million from Omar’s political campaign from 2018 through 2020, campaign finance records show.

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Sumner County Schools Announce Closure Next Week to ‘Help Mitigate Spread’ of COVID-19

Olivia Adams

Sumner County Schools announced on Wednesday that all district schools will be closed next week “to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among students and staff.” The announcement, which was made on Facebook, noted that the schools “will utilize inclement weather days.” In addition, “There will be no instruction via GoogleClassroom during this time period.” The school further noted that “extracurricular activities, including athletic games and practices, will continue but must occur after normal school dismissal time.” The schools will resume normal operations on September 13.

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Texas Abortion Ban Goes into Effect, Supreme Court Takes No Action

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Texas’ highly disputed abortion ban went into effect early Wednesday morning, uninhibited by any action from the Supreme Court.

Abortion providers had filed emergency requests to block the enforcement of the Heartbeat Act (S.B. 8), which bans abortions after the unborn baby‘s heartbeat can be detected. The Supreme Court did not intervene, though it still may do so. 

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Minnesota Senator Tina Smith Criticizes Texas Abortion Ban

Hayley Feland

Minnesota Senator Tina Smith tweeted out Wednesday, criticizing the Supreme Court’s decision regarding a Texas abortion ban. Smith called the decision a “direct attack on Roe.” Smith said that she’s not “blind” to what is being done. She said, “I used to work at Planned Parenthood, not blind to what’s happening here.” Smith called the law unconstitutional saying they are going to “fight it.”

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Fairfax Public Schools Will Require Proof of COVID-19 for High School Athletes

Eric Burk

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is requiring high school athletes to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination by November 8, according to a Monday letter from Superintendent Scott Braband. He said that would help keep FCPS high school students in the classroom.

“Vaccinating our students is a critical step in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and minimizing any disruption to learning. The majority of pauses to instruction for our high school students come as a result of exposure during athletic activities, which the Virginia Department of Education classifies as a high-risk activity,” he said. “These pauses impact participation in activities and in-person learning while the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) investigates and determines close contacts and next steps.”

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Virginia Schools Grapple with Bus Driver Shortage Exacerbated by the Pandemic

Eric Burk

Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) announced a starting pay increase from $17.21 to $20.21 per hour to attract bus drivers amid a national bus driver shortage. That combines with an already-in place $3,000 bonus, and was made possible by additional funding from Chesterfield County, the school and the county announced Monday.

“A national school bus driver shortage has led to transportation challenges at the start of the 2021-22 school year. Chesterfield school bus drivers are working long hours and driving multiple routes to get students to and from school, but dozens of school buses are sitting idle because of a lack of drivers,” a CCPS press release said.

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Man Charged in Don Gaetz, Matt Gaetz Extortion Plot

Grant Holcomb

Stephen Alford, a Florida developer and fraud convict, was arrested and charged for attempting to extort $25 million from former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, father of embattled Congressman Matt Gaetz, according to POLITICO.

After Don Gaetz wore a wire for the FBI, it was found out that Alford would have ensured one of Gaetz’ family members received a presidential pardon, and no one would go to prison. The family member was identified as Don Gaetz’s son, Congressman Matt Gaetz.

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Ohio GOP to Fill Three Central Committee Slots; Non-Judicial Endorsements Not on Draft Agenda

Brian Ball

The 66-member Ohio Republican Party’s State Central Committee will fill three open seats  during its fall meeting scheduled for Friday, Sept. 10.

But the question remains if the GOP central committee will endorse in the races for Ohio governor, attorney general and other statewide races at this meeting or allow voters in the May primary to sort  out that question question.

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Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka Steps Down

Hayley Feland

Minnesota State Senate majority leader Paul Gazelka stepped down on Wednesday in what some are saying is a likely precursor to entering into the race for governor. A statement from Gazelka said that he will be a part of Minnesota’s “future success” as he pursues “the next chapter” in his “political life.” Gazelka has held the majority leader position for five years. His letter, announcing his stepping down from the position, listed his accomplishments. He said that, “These accomplishments were possible because we stuck to our principles and communicated directly with the people of Minnesota.”

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DeSantis Taps Shawn Hamilton to Lead Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Fried Challenging the Hire

Grant Holcomb

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has selected the next secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). DeSantis picked Shawn Hamilton who oversaw the state park system as deputy secretary. Hamilton was previously a superintendent in the Alabama Air National Guard and also served in the Iraq War who has also worked in environmental conservation.

Hamilton would be the first black man to lead the FDEP and DeSantis said he we would bring “a strong, proven record of environmental stewardship and management of award-winning state parks and conservation lands.”

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Arizona Democratic Legislator Responds to Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Gosar, Finchem and Kern over January 6 Remarks

Rachel Alexander

Rep. Charlene Fernandez (D-Yuma) responded to a defamation lawsuit filed against her by three Arizona Republican leaders by asking the court to dismiss it. U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), Rep. Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) and former Rep. Anthony Kern (R-Phoenix) filed the lawsuit against her due to a letter she sent on February 12 to the FBI and Department of Justice along with the rest of the Democrats in the Arizona Legislature asking the agencies to investigate the men about their role on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol protest. The three were at the Capitol that day but did not participate in the unauthorized entry of the building or aggressive behavior. 

Finchem told National File that “it’s been horrible” dealing with the accusations. “They’ve destroyed my character in the public eye. They’ve destroyed my reputation, and all of it is a big lie.”

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Florida Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Nikki Fried Files Financial Disclosure Form

Grant Holcomb

Florida Agriculture Commissioner and 2022 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Nikki Fried, has filed her financial disclosure forms, showing updates to her 2019 financial forms and new changes.

Fried was hours away from racking up fines for potentially not filing by the September 1 deadline, which was the end of the extended grace period. Form 6, which Fried completed, was originally due on July 1.

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Wisconsin Congressional Delegates Respond to Biden’s Waiving Afghanistan Congressional Report

Hayley Feland

Wisconsin congressional delegates responded to President Biden waiving the congressional mandate stating that the Pentagon is required to provide a detailed report regarding the risks surrounding withdrawing from Afghanistan. Representative Bryan Steil (R-01-WI) said in a comment to Star News Network that, “Before the botched withdrawal in Afghanistan, the Biden Administration waived an important Congressional mandate that would have provided vital information and transparency to both Congress and the American people.

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Arizona Rep. Gosar Responds to Report That Biden Ignored Congressional Mandate Before Afghan Withdrawal

Peter D'Abrosca

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) responded Wednesday to a report that President Joe Biden ignored congressional mandate requiring him to brief Congress on the risks of the United States’ troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

“Biden botched President Trump’s withdrawal and must be held accountable. He is unfit to lead and has presided over the entirety of this debacle” Rep. Gosar told The Arizona Sun Times.

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Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs Knocks Biden Administration for ‘Investigating’ GOP States That Banned Mask Mandates

Cooper Moran

U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, criticizing the top education official for his “misguided” approach to school mask mandates.

The letter from Biggs follows an announcement from the Department of Education of an investigation into whether state bans on mask mandates qualify as discrimination against kids with disabilities.

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Health Department in Uber Conservative Michigan County Threatens Jail, Child Confiscation for Coronavirus Violations

Cooper Moran

The Allegan County Health Department is threatening jail and child confiscation over alleged coronavirus order violations.

Allegan County voted 61 percent for Donald Trump in the 2020 election and is run entirely by Republicans. Nevertheless, the agency issued a letter August 27 to an unknown parent, who posted it on social media:

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Fifth Republican Candidate Announces Bid for 2022 Minnesota Gubernatorial

Hayley Feland

A fifth Republican candidate has announced their bid for the 2022 gubernatorial race. State Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) announced on Wednesday that she will be running for Minnesota governor in 2022. Benson made the announcement from Ham Lake, Minnesota, saying that she is running because of values that have been instilled in her since she was a child

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Michigan State Accepts Foreign COVID Vaccines but Rejects Natural Immunity, Lawsuit Alleges

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Michigan State University recognizes COVID-19 vaccines not approved for use in the United States with lower documented efficacy than natural immunity, according to a federal lawsuit.

It’s the second filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) against a public institution of higher education for refusing to exempt recovered individuals from a vaccine mandate.

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Former Trump U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer Endorses J.D. Vance in Ohio Senate GOP Primary

Cooper Moran

Former U.S. Trade Representative under former President Trump Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday endorsed J.D. Vance in his campaign for U.S. Senate.

Lighthizer, an Ohio native, called Vance an “advocate” for the middle-class, joining a growing list of former Trump officials in supporting the best-selling author’s campaign.

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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Wants U.S. Justice Department to Release Contacts with Stacey Abrams and Other Left-Wing Activists

Chris Butler

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Wednesday he has filed a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA) with the U.S. Department of Justice to release any records of contact with Stacey Abrams. Raffensperger said in a press release that he also wants records of contact with Abrams’ Fair Fight Action and 60 other liberal activist organizations.

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Major Party Competition Reaches a Decade-High in the 2021 State Legislative Elections

The Center Square

The percentage of state legislative seats being contested by both major parties in 2021 is higher than at any point in the past decade, according to a Ballotpedia analysis of candidate filings. Of the 220 seats up for election in New Jersey and Virginia, 93% are set to feature a Democrat versus a Republican on the general election ballot this November. Of the remaining 15 seats, 10 will likely be won by Democrats since they have no Republican competitors and five will likely be won by Republicans.

This is the first state legislative election cycle since at least 2010 where more than 90% of state legislative seats up for election nationwide were contested by both major parties. This increase in major party competition was largely driven by an increased level of competitiveness in the Virginia House of Delegates over the past decade.

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University of North Carolina Course Says WWII Was ‘Japan’s Attempt to Roll Back Euro-American Colonialism’

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The University of North Carolina is offering a class called “Global Whiteness,” which involves student presentations on Trump and interracial hookups on campus. 

Campus Reform obtained the fall 2021 syllabus, covers the concept of race since the 19th century, but also contains what appears to be revisionist narratives of American history, specifically World War II. 

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Tennessee Legislators Must Convene Special Session to Address Urgent Issues, Williamson County-Based Group Says

Chris Butler

Members of the Williamson County-based Tennessee Stands have said members of the Tennessee General Assembly should still hold a special session. Tennessee Stands Executive Director Gary Humble said in an emailed message to his supporters that Tennesseans and a majority of members of the Tennessee House of Representatives want a special session. This, Humble said, “to address a host of issues currently plaguing our state.”

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Rep. Tim Burchett Cosponsors Bill to Award Congressional Gold Medal to East Tennessean Killed in Afghanistan

Cooper Moran

Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) announced on Tuesday that he will cosponsor legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 U.S. military service members who were killed in Afghanistan last week.

Included in the 13 U.S. military members was Ryan Knauss, a U.S. Army Staff Sgt. from Representative Burchett’s district.

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Commentary: The Clear Case for Joe Biden’s Impeachment

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Alan Dershowitz says calls for the impeachment of Joe Biden are “wrong.” He claims in his most recent op-ed at the D.C. establishment’s favorite Republican rag, The Hill: “Whatever one may think of what Biden did or failed to do, it does not constitute an impeachable offense under the text of the Constitution.” With all due respect, Dershowitz is full of crap.

“The Framers,” Dershowitz writes, “insisted that a president could not be impeached unless he committed criminal-type conduct akin to treason and bribery.” If this is true, then why did President Thomas Jefferson call for the impeachment of a federal district judge on the grounds that he was “a man of loose morals and intemperate habits?” Jefferson was a prominent founder, who greatly influenced the framers of the Constitution.

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Trump Issues Statement Supporting Mother of Fallen U.S. Marine Who Criticized Biden for Response and Disrespect at Ceremony Receiving Bodies of Service Members Killed in Terrorist Attack

Cooper Moran

Shana Chappell, the mother of U.S. Marine Kareem Nikoui who was killed in the deadly terrorist attack in Afghanistan, slammed President Joe Biden for his response to the families of the fallen soldiers.

In a social media post, Chappell called out Biden for “disrespect,” describing that Biden repeatedly checked his watch as the bodies of the victims of the deadly explosion were carried off a plane.

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Biden Waived Report on Afghanistan Drawdown in June

Eric Burk

President Joe Biden waived a requirement for the Pentagon to provide a report to Congress before reducing Afghanistan troop levels below 2,000. In a June letter to some Congressional Committees, he explained, “I have determined that a waiver of the limitation under subsection 1215(a) is important to the national security interests of the United States.”

That’s raised eyebrows among some Republicans, The Washington Free Beacon reported Tuesday, the same day Biden announced the end of “20 years of war in Afghanistan — the longest war in American history.”

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Biden Admin Told Refugee Organizations to Prepare for Arrival of up to 50,000 Afghans Without Visas

Admin

The Biden administration told refugee organizations to prepare for the arrival of up to 50,000 Afghans without visas, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Nine State Department-contracted nonprofits that resettle refugees in the U.S. are trying to recruit more staff and volunteers to help process arriving Afghans, according to the WSJ. Some of the organizations said they haven’t been told how many refugees to expect or when they might arrive.

“We’re going to make it work, no matter how difficult, but I’d be lying to you if I said we aren’t concerned,” HIAS nonprofit President Mark Hetfield told the WSJ.

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Conservative Student Group Threatened with Blacklisting for Refusing to Sign ‘Black Lives Matter’ Letter

Admin

A group of students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign signed a letter of demands to the Federalist Society chapter at the university after the chapter stated it would remain neutral on the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I am incredibly proud to be part of an institution among leaders who, when faced with the recent cries from the black community who has for their entire existence in this country been oppressed, amplified these cries loud enough so that those in power will finally hear,” began the letter authored by University of Illinois College of Law student Celestina Radogno, a copy of which Campus Reform has obtained.

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Biden Defends Withdrawal, Declares End of War in Afghanistan

The Center Square

President Joe Biden addressed the nation Tuesday afternoon, presenting a detailed defense of his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and once again honoring the lives of the 13 U.S. service members killed in a terrorist attack last week.

Biden’s speech came the day of the deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces from the country. All U.S. troops were reportedly evacuated, though at least 100 Americans, possibly several hundred, remain.

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Mother of Slain Marine Suspended from Facebook, Instagram After Criticizing Joe Biden

Peter D'Abrosca
Shana Chappell

The mother of a U.S. Marine who died during the ISIS-affiliated attack on Kabul’s airport has been suspended from Facebook and its subsidiary, Instagram. 

“Shana Chappell, mother of Marine Kareem Nikoui who was killed in Kabul, had her FB and Instagram accounts suspended for posts she made about her son and her feelings about the President and Vice President,” Lynn Afendoulis, former Michigan State Representative, said on Facebook. “This is horrifying. Her son GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OUR COUNTRY. She can say what she wants. Her FB account is back up. For now. God be with her.”

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Music Spotlight: Bridget Caldwell

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Singer-songwriter Bridget Caldwell does not come from a musical family. They loved music, but did not play or create music.  Her mother had “exquisite” taste in music and would play anything from Bonnie Raitt and Hank Williams to Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald.

Caldwell said she has always been a loud, boisterous kid and in third grade when she was cast as Snow White in the school play, her love for musical theater began. One day she started singing, her teacher ran down the hall to get her mother who was a special needs teacher, and said, “You have to come to hear this.”

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‘We’re on a Mission’: Advocacy Groups Behind Push to Save Women’s Sports Campaign Against Trans Surgeries for Minors

Admin

The battle to “Save Women’s Sports” resulted in a slew of legislation banning biological males from girls’ sports and conversations on the national stage about gender, sex, individual dignity, and much more. Now the advocacy groups behind this push are assembling to battle the next burgeoning culture war issue — transgender sex change surgeries and procedures for minors.

Progressive activists, media, lawmakers, and even some medical professionals call such procedures “gender affirming medical care” and protest that denying an individual this “care” is cruel, regardless of age. Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed the state’s SAFE Act in April, arguing that the legislation was a “vast government overreach” and that it shouldn’t jump into every ethical issue.

But advocacy groups like the Family Policy Alliance (FPA) insist these procedures irrevocably hurt children. And backed by a network of about 40 independent, state-based family policy councils, FPA aims to multiply the number of states across the nation that legally protect children from gender transition.

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