Senator Marsha Blackburn Pens Letter to YouTube Slamming the Social Media Giant for Aiding the Chinese Communist Party by Demonetizing News Video

On Monday, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) penned a letter to YouTube after it was revealed the social media giant demonetized a news video discussing a story how former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli allegedly sexually assaulted Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai.

An episode of Breaking Points, a popular YouTube show hosted by Saagar Enjeti and Krystal Ball, was demonetized after it ran a segment discussing the disappearance of the tennis star, the Federalist reports.

Read the full story

Cook Political Report Shifts Democrat-Held Georgia, Arizona and Nevada Senate Seats to ‘Toss Up’

The Senate and governors editor for The Cook Political Report told The Star News Network the collapse of popular support for President Joseph R. Biden Jr., was one of the critical factors driving the political prognosticating site’s decision to move Senate races in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada to ‘Toss Up.’

“We never start an incumbent out in ‘Toss Up,’ until they have an opponent,” said Jessica Taylor, about the changes to move the three Democrats, Arizona’s Sen. Mark A. Kelly, Georgia’s Sen. Raphael G. Warnock and Nevada’s Sen. Catherine M. Cortez-Mastro from the presumption that they were favored for reelection.

Read the full story

Commentary: Five Trump-Russia ‘Collusion’ Corrections We Need from the Media Now

Five years after the Hillary Clinton campaign-funded collection of Trump-Russia conspiracy theories known as the Steele dossier was published by BuzzFeed, news outlets that amplified its false allegations have suffered major losses of credibility. The recent indictment of the dossier’s main source, Igor Danchenko, for allegedly lying to the FBI, has catalyzed a new reckoning.

In response to what the news site Axios has called “one of the most egregious journalistic errors in modern history,” the Washington Post has re-edited at least a dozen stories related to Steele. For two of those, the Post removed entire sections, changed headlines, and added lengthy editor’s notes.

Read the full story

As Crisis in Ethiopia Unfolds, Biden Admin Prepares for a Second Afghanistan

As Ethiopia heads towards a potential collapse, the Biden administration worries the situation will turn into another Afghanistan, Axios reported.

The government of Ethiopia has called on its citizens to arm themselves as rebels make their way towards the capital, Addis Ababa, Axios reported. The rebels are reportedly from the Tigray region, where concerns have risen about ethnic cleansing and the use of starvation by the government as a tactic of war.

Read the full story

Hundreds of Google Employees Sign Letter Opposing Company’s Vaccine Mandate

A group of roughly 600 Google employees signed onto a letter opposing the tech giant’s company-wide vaccination mandate and called for its repeal.

Google first imposed a requirement in July that all of its in-person workers be vaccinated against COVID-19. The company is now asking all of its workers, including those working from home, to upload their vaccination status to the company website by Dec. 3 due to the federal contractor vaccine requirement, according to CNBC.

Read the full story

Racine County Sheriff to File Charges Against Wisconsin Election Commission Members

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office announced that it will file criminal charges against five of the six members of the Wisconsin Election Commission.

Sheriff Schmaling recommended charges to Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson for Commissioners Margaret Bostelmann, Julie Glancey, Ann Jacobs, Dean Knudson, and Mark Thomsen. The charges for each commissioner include two felonies and three misdemeanors.

Read the full story

Remote Learning Lowered Test Scores in Every State Surveyed, Disproportionately Affected Minorities

Remote learning led to declines in test scores in English and math when compared to the scores of schools that had more in-person learning, according to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

Leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools to close in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, but many schools remained closed throughout the 2020-2021 school year. According to new research from the NBER, remote learning had a negative impact on students’ test scores in English language arts (ELA) and math in all 12 states studied. Declines in scores were smaller for students who continued in-person learning.

Read the full story

Biden Admin Invites Taiwan to ‘Summit for Democracy,’ China Calls It a ‘Mistake’

The Biden administration extended an invitation for its “Summit for Democracy” to Taiwan, upsetting China, which views the island as its own.

The list of invitees for the summit, which will be held in December, was released Tuesday by the State Department. The gathering was originally announced in February, with three main themes, “defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights,” according to the White House.

Read the full story

Commentary: Rittenhouse Case Highlights a House Divided on Self-Defense

The conclusion of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, in which the 18-year-old was found not guilty of murder or assault in the shootings of three rioters in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, reflects a widening gap in how Americans conceive of justice and self-defense. 

For those cheering Rittenhouse’s exoneration, the case was a prototypical demonstration of rights and obligations of republican citizenship. A lawfully armed Rittenhouse joined with neighbors, in the absence of effective governance, to protect lives and property by putting out fires, cleaning up damage, and offering medical assistance to the injured. When he was directly assaulted for engaging in this activity, Rittenhouse defended himself, harming no one who had not directly placed him under reasonable fear for his life.

Read the full story

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Don Gaetz Extortion Effort

A Florida man, Stephen Alford, has plead guilty regarding his involvement in attempting to extort $25 million from Congressman Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL-1) father, former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz.

The latest development is part of a sex trafficking investigation where Stephen Alford attempted to secure a presidential pardon for Matt Gaetz, as Gaetz continues to face questions surrounding his friendship with former Seminole County, Fla. tax collector Joel Greenberg and Gaetz’s involvement into allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old arranged by Greenberg.

Read the full story

University of Florida President Supports Testimony by Political Science Professors

After months of back and forth between University of Florida (UF) and three of its political-science professors who were blocked from participating in a high profile lawsuit against Florida’s new election law, UF President Kent Fuchs approved a report Tuesday that called for that decision to be reversed.

In a separate report sent to an accrediting organization, UF denied that its Board of Trustees or any outside forces influenced their previous decision to prevent professors, Sharon Austin, Michael McDonald and Daniel Smith, from testifying against the law that was approved by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2021 legislative session that ended in April.

Read the full story

Wisconsin State Rep. Duchow Pushes Constitutional Amendment for Tougher Bail

GoFundMe’s about-face on facilitating donations to legal funds for Kyle Rittenhouse after his acquittal Friday is prompting questions about comparable fundraisers it left up for anti-police rioters and left-wing activists accused of violence.

The massive crowdfunding platform, whose biggest fundraisers include several left-wing causes, explained that its “long-standing policy” prohibits raising money for individuals charged with a violent crime.

Read the full story

Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Responds to Reporter Asking If He’s Had the Vaccine: ‘Have You Had an STD?’

During a press conference announcing his lawsuit with police officers and firefighters against the City of Phoenix over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich was asked by Arizona’s Family political editor Dennis Welch whether he was vaccinated. His press secretary waved the question off as “inappropriate.” 

However, Brnovich, who is running for U.S. Senate, responded, “Do you have an STD?” After a brief pause with some laughter from those present, he went on, “It’s not a ridiculous question. The question should be, once you allow or cede this authority to the federal government, where does it stop? And my own health information is my own health information.” 

Read the full story

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson Lifts Driver’s License Suspensions for 150,000

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that her department has lifted suspensions on the driver’s licenses of more than 150,000 Michiganders after implementing new laws last month.

The department lifted the suspensions of 12,000 Michiganders in October. Michiganders who are now eligible for a driver’s license may still need to pay a reinstatement fee or renew or reapply for a license, depending on how long the license was suspended.

Read the full story

Ohio Flush with Cash After COVID Relief, Infrastructure Bill

Cleveland sign in downtown Cleveland, Ohio

After its major cities raked in more than six billion dollars from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan for COVID-19 relief, Ohio will once again be flush with federal cash. 

The state is expected to receive more than$10 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is meant to be spent on rebuilding roads, bridges and other public structures, according to reports. 

Read the full story

After Two-Month Review, Fairfax County Public Schools Returns ‘Lawn Boy’ and ‘Gender Queer’ to High School Libraries

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has decided to return two controversial books to its high school library after completing a two-month review launched after a parent complained at a September school board meeting.

In a press release, Assistant Superintendent Noel Klimenko said, “I am satisfied that the books were selected according to FCPS regulations and are appropriate to include in libraries that serve high school students. Both books have value beyond their pages for students who may struggle to find relatable stories.”

Read the full story

Tennessee U.S. Rep. Mark Green Joins Colleague Diana Harshbarger on Natural Immunity Is Real Act

U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) said he will co-sponsor legislation that U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) filed titled the Natural Immunity is Real Act. The bill, if enacted into law, would require federal agencies to consider naturally acquired immunity from a previous COVID infection when issuing any rules or regulations aimed at protecting from COVID-19.

Read the full story