Month: August 2022

Commentary: The CDC Finally Admits the Science on Natural Immunity

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In August 2021 Science Magazine, a peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, highlighted groundbreaking research out of Israel that upended the public health establishment.

The research, which relied on a database enrolling some 2.5 million Israelis and was led by Tal Patalon, head of the KSM Research and Innovation Center at Maccabi Healthcare Services, and deputy Sivan Gazit, found that previous infection from Covid-19 conferred considerably stronger and longer-lasting protection against the Delta variant than vaccines.

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‘Leftist Mindset’: DeSantis Rips Hochul, Crist for Treating Republicans Like ‘Second-Class Citizens’

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Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida blasted Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York and Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist of Florida for attacking Republicans during a Saturday night Fox News appearance.

“We’ve got so much support in Florida, and it’s not because people have hate in their hearts,” DeSantis told “Unfiltered” host Dan Bongino. “They are thankful we saved their jobs. Mothers are thankful we kept their kids in school and senior citizens are thankful we provided medication for them, and so I think that he really put his foot in his mouth. But I think people like Hochul and Crist are representative of this leftist mindset and they do believe that the conservative half of the country are effectively second-class citizens.”

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Tennessee’s Inflation-Adjusted K-12 School Spending Increases Lower than Most States: Report

The Center Square

Tennessee’s per-pupil spending on K-12 public school students, amongst the lowest in the country, increased an inflation-adjusted 18 percent from 2002 to 2020 while its student population grew 13 percent, according to a new study from the Reason Foundation.

The study looked at spending increases across the country, where spending per student increased $3,211 per student, or 25 percent. In Tennessee, the raw data showed that the 18 percent increase amounted to $1,704 in inflation-adjusted spending per student.

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Customs and Border Protection Seizes Ancient Egyptian Artifact in Memphis

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the port of Memphis, Tenn., seized an ancient Egyptian artifact that is at least 2,600 years old in a shipment from Europe meant for a private U.S. buyer.

The artifact was the stone lid of an Egyptian canopic jar, which was used to hold the internal organs of mummies. The jar featured the face of Imsety, a funeral deity that protected the deceased’s liver in the ancient Egyptian religion.

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Gov. Abbott Accelerates Busing of Foreign Nationals from Southern Border to New York City

The Center Square

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is accelerating the state’s busing to New York City of foreign nationals who’ve entered the U.S. through the southern border.

The majority coming in are believed to not have valid asylum claims, are bypassing federal immigration law, and instead of being deported are being released into the U.S. under new Biden administration policies, attorneys general who’ve sued the administration argue.

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Commentary: Woke Retailers Seek Congressional Smash-and-Grab on Your Credit Card

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Woke retailers like Home Depot, Kroger, and Walmart are asking Congress to pass their own special smash and grab worth billions of dollars by mandating changes to how credit cards are processed.

Joining forces with far-left Democratic Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, retailers are seeking changes in federal law threatening rewards programs that many consumers use to take some of the sting off of the high cost of everything from food and gas to furniture and travel.

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New York Gov. Hochul Calls Remote Learning During Pandemic ‘A Mistake’

The Center Square

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday called it “a mistake” the state switched to remote learning in schools at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago.

Hochul, a Democrat running to serve a full term in November, made her remarks during a wide-ranging speech at the University of Albany commemorating Women’s Equality Day. That included her calling on the Department of Labor to study the impact the coronavirus had on women in the workforce.

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Trump Calls DOJ’s Heavily Redacted Affidavit for Mar-a-Lago Raid a ‘Total Public Relations Subterfuge’

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The Justice Department ordered the FBI raid of former President Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Florida out of concern that “highly classified national security documents” stored in the estate’s basement could be disclosed and compromise “clandestine human sources” used in intelligence gathering, according to a heavily redacted version of the affidavit used to obtain the warrant.

Judge Bruce E. Reinhart on Thursday ordered that a redacted version of the affidavit be unsealed by noon today. The order came hours after the Justice Department submitted a proposal for extensive redactions to the document.

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Elon Musk Teams Up with Major Cell Provider to End Dead Zones

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Cell phone carrier T-Mobile and Elon Musk’s spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX announced a cooperative initiative Thursday, which the two organizations claim will end dead zones in cell phone coverage.

Over 20% of the U.S. by land area and 90% of the world remain uncovered by traditional wireless networks, which rely on terrestrial cell phone towers to connect users to networks, according to a SpaceX press release.  The new plan, dubbed “Coverage Above and Beyond,” will leverage SpaceX’s low-earth satellite network, known as Starlink, to broadcast T-Mobile’s wireless network into places that are traditionally not covered by terrestrial networks, according to T-Mobile’s press release.

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Oversight Republicans Investigate Why DOE Hasn’t Spent COVID Relief Funds, Role of Teachers Unions

The Center Square

Oversight Republicans have launched an investigation into how the U.S. Department of Education has handled billions of COVID-19 relief dollars, raising the alarm about the major learning loss experienced by students.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona demanding documents and answers as to why most of the money has reportedly remained unspent.

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After Zuckerberg Revelation, FBI Says It Routinely Warns Social Media About ‘Malign Influence’

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The FBI said it “routinely notifies” private companies, including social media platforms, of potential threats after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook “decreased” the distribution of the Hunter Biden laptop story right before the 2020 election because of a warning from the FBI.

The FBI’s defense comes after Zuckerberg appeared Thursday on the “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. Host Joe Rogan asked Zuckerberg about how Facebook handled the story first broken by The New York Post involving the questionable contents on the laptop of President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.

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‘Find Another Job’: Oklahoma Officials Respond to Teacher Quitting over CRT Ban

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Oklahoma officials are calling for teachers pushing Critical Race Theory (CRT) to leave the classroom after an Oklahoma teacher spoke out against the states’ education law following her resignation.

Summer Boismier quit her high school teaching position at Norman Public Schools in Norman, Oklahoma, after she shared a QR code in her classroom linking students to “Books Unbanned,” a program through Brooklyn Public Library, that allowed students to access books prohibited from being taught by a state law. The law, HB 1775, prohibits teaching that one race or sex is superior to another, with the intent to prevent the teaching of CRT and certain elements of gender ideology.

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American Ally Strikes Nuclear Deal with Russia

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South Korea reached an agreement with Russia’s state-run nuclear giant to jointly construct a reactor turbine despite sanctions and widespread global hostility toward Russia, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

South Korea’s state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) and ASE, a subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom, will collaborate in a $2.25 billion venture to provide components for Egypt’s first nuclear reactor, according to the AP. Economic affairs chief Choi Sang-mok said the U.S. ally consulted with the U.S., who has led the sanctions regime to isolate Russia from the global economy, before striking the deal.

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Commentary: The Rise of Conservative Christian Right-Wing Latinos

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My father taught me that we came to this country to work. I refuse anything that is free, and I don’t leech from anyone. 

I remember him with pride in his eyes, his head held high, and determination in his soul. When he would drive me to school in his 1979 Super Sport El Camino—loaded down, as it was, with two lawnmowers, one Weed Eater, and the other essentials of a small mowing business—those quick 10-minute drives were often filled with gems of wisdom. 

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Republicans Say California’s 2035 Ban on Gasoline-Powered Cars Will Apply in Virginia

Eric Burk
Glenn Youngkin

California regulators moved forward with a plan to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035, a policy that also impacts Virginia and other states that have chosen to link their emissions law to California’s. In the wake of the decision reported by The New York Times, Virginia Republicans are once again expressing frustration over the 2021 legislation that tied Virginia’s regulations to California’s zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) requirements.

“In an effort to turn Virginia into California, liberal politicians who previously ran our government sold Virginia out by subjecting Virginia drivers to California vehicle laws,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a Twitter statement Friday.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Lauds Taxpayer-Backed Expansion of National Sewn Trades Nonprofit

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A national nonprofit organization will be expanding operations at its Detroit location in order to meet the needs of one of its clients.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was joined by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to announce that sewn trades-based Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC) will be expanding its facility, a press release from the governor’s office said this week.

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Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Withdraws 2020 Election Subpoenas, Pulling Plug on Probe

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After firing former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman from his position as special counsel in the state’s 2020 presidential election probe, GOP state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has withdrawn subpoenas the investigator previously issued to the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) and the mayors of Madison and Green Bay.

Vos sent letters to the mayors and WEC officials on Friday withdrawing the subpoenas, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

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Lawmakers Refer Propositions to the Ballot to Address the Initiative Process in Arizona, Raise the Bar for Tax Hikes

Rachel Alexander

The Republican dominated Arizona Legislature referred three propositions to the Arizona ballot this year that aim to improve the initiative process. Proposition 128 would allow the legislature to fix citizen initiatives that have had legal problems, instead of requiring them to go back to the voters for tweaking. Proposition 129 would require initiatives to stick with one single subject, as propositions referred to the ballot by the legislature must do, so partisan interests can’t ram through massive amounts of new laws. Proposition 132 would change the threshold of approval for a tax increase initiative or referendum from a majority to 60 percent of voters. Progressives have turned to initiatives in Arizona increasingly in recent years, due to difficulty getting legislation passed in the Republican dominated legislature.

Prop. 128, named the Legislative Changes to Ballot Initiatives with Invalid Provisions Amendment, was sponsored by State Senator Vince Leach (R-Saddlebrooke) and passed along party lines. The Voter Protection Act currently prohibits the legislature from tinkering with initiatives, even when a court has struck down parts of one. Passed in 1998 as Prop. 105, it allows a narrow exception for changes that further the measure’s purpose and receive a three-fourths vote in each legislative chamber. 

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Ryan to Appear with Biden in Ohio Despite President’s Low Approval Rating

Bradley Vasoli

U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), a candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, said this weekend that he will make a public appearance alongside President Joe Biden despite the latter’s abysmal approval rating in the Buckeye State.

A July survey from Morning Consult indicated Biden suffered from a -23-point net approval rating in Ohio. Ryan is himself struggling to win sufficient favor with Ohioans in his race against Republican attorney, venture capitalist and author J.D. Vance who maintains a 3.7-point average polling lead against the Democrat according to RealClearPolitics.com. 

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Bill Proposed to Compensate the Wrongfully Convicted in Pennsylvania

Bradley Vasoli

Two Pennsylvania state legislators on Friday proposed a law to facilitate compensation for those who the commonwealth imprisons based on wrongful convictions. 

Representatives Frank Ryan (R-Palmyra) and Regina Young (D-Philadelphia) plan to introduce the legislation to bring Keystone State policy into line with 38 other states that indemnify exonerated people. 

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Commentary: Drain the Academic Swamp

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Recently, a number of medical schools have joined the anti-European, anti-Christian, pro-Marxist woke bandwagon. According to physicist Lawrence Krauss, “the American Association of Medical Colleges has approved a Diversity-Equity-Inclusion based curriculum, which the AAMC Council of Deans Chair says is as important as teaching the latest scientific breakthroughs.”

Meanwhile, our military leadership continues to push incoherent gender ideology upon a captive audience of young soldiers, sailors, and airmen. And justices at the heights of our judiciary system, because of political correctness, dare not even define the word woman.

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OH-13 Democrat Nominee Emilia Sykes Inserted Pay Increase into Legislation to Benefit First Responders Families

Aaron Gulbransen

In 2018, as an Ohio legislative leader, OH-13 Democrat nominee Emilia Sykes inserted a pay raise for herself into legislation to benefit the families of fallen first responders.

Between December 2017 and December 31, 2018, Emilia Sykes served as the Democratic Whip in the Ohio House of Representatives. In the Ohio House of Representatives, the minority whip “is responsible for monitoring legislation and securing votes for legislation on the floor. The Minority Whip is elected by all members of the House and is responsible for monitoring legislation and security votes for legislation on the floor.”

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Ohio to Spend $2 Million on Disabled College Students

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Ohio plans to spend more than $2 million to help Ohio college students with disabilities, Gov. Mike DeWine announced.

The money, which is part of the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities College2Careers program, will be divided into $1,000 grants that may be used for tuition or other educational expenses during the 2022-2023 school year. Students must be participating in OOD services to be eligible.

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Feds Pay Millions to Subsidize Air Service to Georgia Airport

The Center Square

The federal government pays millions of dollars annually to subsidize commercial air service at the Macon, Georgia, airport.

The Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon receives nearly $4.7 million annually — or more than $19.5 million over four years and two months — as part of the Alternate Essential Air Service program. AEAS is similar to the Essential Air Service program, which Congress created in 1978, except that the money may go to a community instead of directly to an air carrier.

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Toyota Executive Calls Market for Electric Vehicles Not ‘Mature Enough,’ Georgia Has Almost 4,000 Charging Stations

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The United States, including Georgia, isn’t ready to fully adopt electric vehicles (EVs), and hybrids continue to be a better alternative for the near term, a high-ranking Toyota executive told the  Wall Street Journal.

High EV prices and a small charging infrastructure are holding the market back, Jack Hollis, executive vice president of sales at Toyota Motor North America said during “a virtual event with journalists,” the Journal reported in its news story.

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Whole Foods Sued for Alleged False Advertising

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An anti-factory farm nonprofit alongside a trio of customers sued Whole Foods on Tuesday, claiming that the grocery chain used antibiotics in its beef products despite marketing them with the slogan “No Antibiotics, Ever.”

Activist group Farm Forward claims that independent testing found antibiotics and other pharmaceutical residue in beef sold at Whole Foods, alleging that the Amazon subsidiary’s claims it does not use antibiotics were false advertising, according to their complaint. Farm Forward’s website states that their mission is to “promote conscientious food choices, reduce farmed animal suffering, and advance sustainable agriculture.”

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WisDOT Plans New Commuter Rail System from Milwaukee to Kenosha

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The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is touting planned upgrades, including a new commuter rail system that stretches 33 miles of active freight rail from Milwaukee to Kenosha.

Authorities highlight that the train will ultimately link with the Union Pacific North commuter rail system in Kenosha, a Railway Age report said this week. Overall, the line will access nine stations, six of them being new to the system, with the proposed trail running parallel to I-94 along Lake Michigan in southeastern Wisconsin.

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New Florida Toll Discount Program to Go into Effect September 1

The Center Square
Sunrise Toll Plaza

A new toll discount program will go into effect September 1 to reduce costs for Floridians using the state’s turnpike system and toll facilities to help offset inflation.

Florida commuters will be able to take advantage of a new rewards program called “SunPass Savings” when driving on Florida’s Turnpike System and using its toll facilities owned by the Florida Department of Transportation. The savings program is for SunPass customers who use the prepaid electronic toll collection program operated by Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, Florida’s toll agency.

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Arizona Sheriff: Biden Administration Is Turning a ‘Willful Blind Eye’ to Border Crisis

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The Biden administration is endangering American lives by turning “a willful blind eye” to the crisis at the southern border, Arizona Sheriff Mark Lamb said Monday.

“Their track record would show that they’re not going to address it,” Lamb, the sheriff of Arizona’s Pinal County, told the “Just the News, Not Noise” TV show. “They’re going to continue to turn a willful blind eye to it — just jeopardizing American lives every day.”

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Majority of Funds for Climate Change Program in Pennsylvania Went to Repave Bloomsburg Parking Lots

The Center Square

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is sending $740,000 to Pennsylvania for “critical infrastructure to combat climate change” – but most of the money will go toward repaving parking lots.

The USDA Rural Development program provides taxpayer money for all sorts of programs, from infrastructure to health care to environmental and economic concerns in the rural parts of America. In fiscal year 2022, it provided almost $1.5 billion for local projects.

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Niland: ‘Maricopa County Republicans Do Not Trust Drop Boxes’

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The Voter Reference Foundation (VRF) has said that ballot drop boxes in Arizona’s Maricopa County should be manned with staff from the two major parties, based on the discovery that one of two drop boxes lacked proper surveillance during the primary.

Maricopa County Republican Chairman Mickie Niland said the county’s drop box camera was not recording during the primary and reported the surveillance error, the Foundation said.

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Texas Bans BlackRock for Anti-Oil Agenda

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The state of Texas announced new restrictions on at least 10 finance firms that have declared an opposition to oil and other fossil fuels, since such a stance could “undermine” the Texas economy that depends heavily on such fuel sources.

The Daily Caller reports that the restrictions, announced by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar, will prevent the companies in question from entering into most contracts with entities at the state or local level. The new policy is the result of a law passed in 2021 that requires the state government to limit its ties with anti-oil companies. As a result, the government requested information from over 100 companies to determine their stances on fossil fuels.

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Nashville and Franklin Gun Stores Ban Wearing of Masks and Hooded Sweatshirts

Aaron Gulbransen

On Saturday, the Nashville and Franklin Armories announced on social media that the company has banned the wearing of masks and hooded sweatshirts by customers seeking to purchase firearms or use the firing ranges at their locations.

“Effective immediately: The wearing of masks and hoodies are strictly prohibited and you will not be permitted in the store. If you are fearful for health reasons, we will have an online store available Mid September. If you have any concerns, please email [email protected],” the company said in a statement.

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Commentary: To Save Freedom, Defund Pro Sports

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In the last few years, the “Defund the Police” cry has reverberated through many of our cities. The police are not serving our communities, we’re told, and they’re wasting taxpayer money on ineffective services and driving racism. “It’s time to get rid of them,” many yell.

They’re barking up the wrong tree. If the public wants to defund something that’s wasting money and not serving the community, then they should look toward pro sports and defund them.

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Missouri School District Brings Back Spanking as a Punishment

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A Missouri school district will use spanking as a form of punishment in the 2022-2023 school year, according to the school handbook.

Cassville School District in Cassville, Missouri, is implementing a policy that uses spanking with a paddle as a form of punishment for students, according to the school handbook. Corporal punishment, or the use of physical force, will only be used to correct a K-12 student’s behavior when deemed necessary by the principal of the school.

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Commentary: Tennessee School Boards and Unions Go Up Against Hillsdale-Affiliated Charter Schools

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Hillsdale College's Monticello replica at the Blake Center donated by Prestley Blake in Somers, CT in on September 23, 2020.

Three Tennessee school boards denied the application of the American Classical Academy, a K-12 charter school system affiliated with Hillsdale College that provides students with a classic liberal arts education. The American Classical Academy alleges that these decisions are politically motivated and based on its ties to Hillsdale, which is Christian and conservative, as well as comments made by Hillsdale’s president, Larry Arnn.

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University of Minnesota Police ‘Maxed Out’ on Patrols as Campus Move-In Nears

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University of Minnesota Police Squad Car

University of Minnesota Police Chief Matt Clark told a Wednesday night campus safety forum that his patrols are “maxed out” in response to continued campus-area safety concerns as well as off-campus violent crime incidents.

Clark’s comments were part of a 90-minute panel discussion and Q&A hosted by the University of Minnesota’s newly-formed Strategic Safety Advisory Committee. Several students, parents, and community members were present in the live audience, and the forum was also broadcast live on YouTube.

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Virginia Board of Contractors Cuts Some Construction Trades Licensing Requirements

Eric Burk

The Virginia Board of Contractors voted to reduce licensing requirements in construction-related trades, a change meant to address a shortage of skilled labor and to comply with Governor Glenn Youngkin’s push for regulatory cuts. The cuts reduce the years of experience requirement for journey-level tradesman in in-demand construction fields from four to two years, create an extra pathway for skilled workers to become licenses, and eliminate a continuing education mandate.

“This is a major win for all Virginians,” Youngkin said in a press release. “Increasing opportunities for people to become licensed in high-demand, high-paying jobs while also helping businesses find the talent they desperately need will strengthen our Commonwealth. Since day one my administration has been working to reinvigorate job growth and make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family. I’m confident that these actions will move us closer to that goal.”

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CBO Says IRS Will Audit Americans Making Under $400K

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Despite claims from Biden administration officials that new funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will not increase the auditing burden on individuals and small businesses, a Friday letter from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reveals new auditing activity targeting taxpayers who report less than $400,000 per year will be expected to contribute to about $4 billion in revenue.

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Inflation Takes Its Toll on Pennsylvania Agriculture

The Center Square

The effect of inflation on Pennsylvania’s agricultural sector has been to exacerbate already-existing problems, driving up costs and squeezing business owners.

Since March, the monthly consumer price index in Pennsylvania has averaged 8.4%. Large amounts of federal spending, along with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have meant rising prices from raw materials to food and consumer goods.

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