Day: April 17, 2022

Culture Clash: Exec Chairman Of Pro-Trans Oracle Backs Ortagus as Tennessee Leaders Work to Support Birth Gender Distinctions, Parental Rights

Neil W. McCabe

The executive chairman, and chief technology officer, of software giant Oracle, was revealed as the sole contributor to Tennessee Conservatives PAC, the Super PAC backing GOP Tennessee-5 House hopeful Morgan Ortagus, presents a clash of Silicon Valley values, such as attacks on those defending birth-gender in the Volunteer State.

Lawrence J. “Larry” Ellison donated $1 million to the Super PAC, according to the committee’s Friday filing posted on the Federal Elections Commission website at 12:19 p.m.

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Catholic League: Secularists Are ‘Doubting the Resurrection But Not Pregnant Men’

Susan Berry, PhD

Reflecting on the meaning of Easter, the president of the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization, questions how secularists can possibly doubt the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, “but not pregnant men.”

While faith is central to all religions, the Catholic League’s Bill Donohue observes “it is not on faith alone that the account of Jesus’ resurrection is persuasive.”

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Weak Fundraising Report for TN-5 Carpetbagger Candidate Robby Starbuck: Raised Only $104k, with 64 Percent from Out-of-State

Aaron Gulbransen

The first quarter of 2022 finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by TN-5 candidate Robby Starbuck shows that he raised just over $104,000 in the first three months of the year, with 64.73% percent of that– $67,666– coming from out-of-state, and just 35.26 percent of it–$36,857–coming from Tennessee.

Starbuck raised $104,523.78 for the Federal Election Commission reporting period covering January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022 but had a very high burn rate, spending $71,003.56 of it.

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Tennessee Attorney General Joins Federal Lawsuit Against the Biden Administration for Ending Title 42

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, along with a coalition of 20 state attorneys general, is joining a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration’s decision to end Title 42, according to a press release by Slatery’s office.

Title 42 is a public health policy that allows border officials to turn away migrants because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health order, which permits the immediate expulsion of illegal immigrants who attempt to cross our border, was implemented in March 2020 by the CDC in response to COVID-19. Now, the CDC has announced that it will end the order on May 23rd.

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Mandel Reacts to Trump’s Endorsement of Vance in Primary Race

Peter D'Abrosca

After former President Donald Trump Friday endorsed J.D. Vance in Ohio’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race, Vance’s opponent and current leader in the polls reacted. 

“I continue to be a proud supporter of President Trump and the America First agenda. I look forward to earning his endorsement in the general election and working with him to defeat Tim Ryan in November,” said former Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel. 

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Gov. DeSantis Tells Illegal Immigrants to Not Come to Florida

Grant Holcomb

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said this week that illegal immigrants wanting to come to Florida “would not be welcome.”

“To those who have entered the country illegally, fair warning: do not come to Florida,” DeSantis said. “Life will not be easy for you, because we are obligated to uphold the immigration laws of this country, even if our federal government and other states won’t.”

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Two Georgia Physicians Forced to Pay Millions Over Allegations of Kickback Scheme

Cooper Moran

Two physicians, and the company they manage, agreed to pay millions to settle allegations of a healthcare kickback arrangement with other doctors, according to a release from the Department of Justice.

Specifically, Paul D. Weir, John R. Morgan, and Care Plus Management will distribute $7.2 million to solve the complaint over potential violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act.

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Fairfax Schools Picks New Superintendent in Process that Frustrated Conservatives and Progressives

Eric Burk

The Fairfax County Public School Board selected Dr. Michelle Reid to serve as the new superintendent, replacing Dr. Scott Brabrand.

“Dr. Reid is focused on academic achievement and outcomes for every student in our Fairfax community. She has previously demonstrated the highest professional standards when it comes to leading a school district and a proven track record of working to build a successful future for students,” Fairfax County School Board Chair and Sully District Representative Stella Pekarsky said in a Thursday press release.

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer Kidnapping Defense Attorney: ‘FBI Set Men up’

The Center Square

Eight men face state charges for an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. If convicted, the men could serve up to life in prison.

On April 8, a federal jury acquitted two other men on similar charges related to the alleged kidnapping plot. The jury also deadlocked on two accused ringleaders of the plot. The Federal Bureau of Investigation paid informants more than $80,000 of taxpayer money for confidential information.

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Pittsburgh Joins Philadelphia in Banning Plastic Bags

The Center Square

The two largest cities in Pennsylvania have prohibited single-use plastics at businesses after Pittsburgh City Council passed legislation on Tuesday, joining Philadelphia’s ban approved last year. 

“This landmark piece of legislation will sharply curtail litter, mitigate stormwater risk, reduce the amount of microplastics in our soil and water, improve the city’s recycling efficacy, and begin to break our dependence on fossil fuel-based products,” Councilwoman Erika Strassburger said in a press release.

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Connecticut Unemployment Claims Slightly Rising

The Center Square

Unemployment is slowly recovering in Connecticut, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Labor.

In its latest Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims report, there was an increase in 18,000 initial claims filed throughout the country for the week ending April 9, with a total of 185,000 claims. The four-week moving average for the number of claims filed was set at 172,250, which was adjusted by 2,000 from the previous week’s number.

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GOP Challenger to Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva Asks For Investigation Into New GOP Candidate He Suspects Is a ‘Plant’

Rachel Alexander

Luis Pozzolo, who is running for Congress in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District as a Republican against incumbent Democrat Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03), asked Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich this past week to investigate another GOP challenger, Nina Becker. He alleges that she “has a history of producing phony petition signatures” and is connected to “a known leftist white supremacist group.” Becker is currently being prosecuted by the AGO for multiple felonies and misdemeanors, including some related to collecting petition signatures, and a judge in the case has declared her mentally incompetent.

Pozzolo told The Arizona Sun Times, “She is not alone — she is mentally Ill but has been used for somebody else — we want to know who is behind it.

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Blake Masters Only Republican U.S. Senate Candidate in Arizona to Fundraise More Than $1 Million from Supporters

Cooper Moran

Blake Masters, a Republican running to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate, hauled in more money from supporters than any other candidate in the GOP primary.

According to financial disclosures from the Federal Election Commission, the Tucson native brought in more than $1 million, the only contender to cross the seven-figure sum.

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Three-Fourths of Americans Say COVID No Longer a Crisis

Admin

An overwhelming majority of Americans now believe that the coronavirus crisis has all but passed and is now a much more manageable issue, according to a new poll.

Axios reports that in its latest poll, conducted with Ipsos, only 9 percent of Americans call the coronavirus pandemic “a serious crisis.” Conversely, 73 percent described it as “a problem, but manageable.” Another 17 percent say it is “not a problem at all.” Along party lines, only 3 percent of Republicans called it a “crisis,” in comparison to 16 percent of Democrats; 66 percent of Republicans called it “manageable,” while 81 percent of Democrats said the same. Just 3 percent of Democrats think it is no longer an issue, with 31 percent of Republicans giving the same answer.

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Report: The EU Would Rather Buy Putin’s Oil Than See Le Pen Win France’s Presidency

Admin

The European Union has delayed its much-anticipated ban on Russian oil imports to give French President Emmanuel Macron a better chance of winning reelection, The New York Times reported.

The EU embargo, which leaders have reportedly debated behind closed doors for over a month and are currently drafting, is expected after April 24, the date of the second and final round of France’s presidential election, European officials told the NYT. European leaders want to ensure right-wing populist candidate Marine Le Pen isn’t given a polling advantage when gasoline prices rise following a ban announcement, the officials said.

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Poll: Racial and Sexual Curricula in Schools Dividing Americans

Admin

According to a new poll, Americans are divided along party lines on the question of whether or not to actively teach about race and sexuality in public schools.

The Associated Press reports that the poll by the University of Chicago, AP, and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research asked two questions of respondents: Do parents have too little, too much, or about the right amount of influence over what their children learn, and do teachers have too little, too much, or about the right amount of influence in the same area?

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Commentary: Michigan and Pennsylvania Lockdowns Show the High Price of Government Overreach

RealClearWire

It’s official, COVID-19 is no longer a crisis. According to a recent Axios poll, only nine percent of Americans believe COVID is a serious crisis. Yet the economic destruction caused by lockdowns lingers. Nowhere is that more obvious than in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Gov. Tom Wolf wielded immense emergency powers to shut down large parts of the economy, actions unprecedented in the 246-year history of the United States.

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New Details Emerge from Minnesota DFL’s Farmfest Rollover

Admin

Two of Minnesota’s most influential Democrats were driving to a fundraising event when they were involved in a rollover crash last summer. An open alcohol container was found in the vehicle, according to documents obtained by Alpha News, yet nobody was charged with an open-container violation.

Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha and Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen collided with a semi-truck as they drove from Farmfest to an afterparty fundraising event on Aug. 4 last year. Their vehicle rolled off the road in Three Lakes Township, but nobody was seriously injured. Blaha was driving and was not found to have any alcohol in her system after the accident. Franzen, however, said she had been drinking White Claws earlier that day.

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Ohio Supreme Court Throws Out Fourth Set of State Legislative Maps

The Center Square

The Ohio Supreme Court struck down a fourth set of state legislative district maps Thursday, ordering the Ohio Redistricting Commission to develop and adopt an entirely new set of maps by May 6.

The ruling declared the fourth set of maps invalid in its entirety. The new plan must be filed with Secretary of State Frank LaRose by 9 a.m. May 6 and filed with the court by noon the same day.

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Commentary: The Dystopian Future Where Women—and Men—Just Don’t Want Children

Admin

Most of the baby strollers my family observed on vacation in Savannah, Georgia were not transporting babies. Instead, couples perambulated about the city with . . . dogs. By the end of our vacation, we had counted more than 200 different dogs in strollers across the city. Seeing an actual baby in a stroller proved to be the exception, not the rule. 

The U.S. birthrate has fallen by about 20 percent since 2007, and shows no signs of recovering. Among childless adults, 44 percent of those under 50 say it is not too or not at all likely they will ever have children, up from 37 percent who said the same in 2018. 

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CDC Study: Remote Learning Hurt Kids’ Mental Health

The Center Square

When schools pivoted to remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the first casualty was kids’ mental health.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed teenagers’ mental health from January 2021 to June 2021. Compared with 2019, the study found that the proportion of mental health–related emergency department visits in 2020 increased by about 31% among kids aged 12–17 years.

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Carjackings Soar in Blue State After Democrats Tie Police Officers’ Hands

Admin

Carjackings in Washington have soared after Democrats endorsed a rule that limited police pursuits, according to a major police association, King 5 News reported.

Washington recorded an 88% increase in car thefts since 2021, according data compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, King 5 reported. The state experienced 12,569 stolen vehicles between January and March 2022, compared to 6,692 thefts during the same time period in 2021.

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78 Percent of Campaign Contributions to Carpetbagger TN-5 Candidate Morgan Ortagus Are Out-of-State

Aaron Gulbransen

The 2022 FEC first quarter report filed by announced TN-5 Congressional candidate Morgan Ortagus on April 15 shows that 78 percent of her campaign donations come from out-of-state sources.

Of the $591,418 in receipts reported by the Ortagus campaign in the FEC first quarter reporting period covers the time period of January 1 through March 31, only $126,477, or 22 percent, came from itemized individual contributions made by Tennessee residents. The average contribution made by the 84 Tennessee residents who donated to the Ortagus campaign was $1,505.

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