Day: September 10, 2022

California School District Gives Students Access to Books with Pornographic Content

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A California school district is offering books with pornographic scenes in its school websites, and parents are planning to take action.

Poway Unified School District in Poway, California, is giving students access to several books that feature pornographic scenes, according to the library databases. Several parents have compiled a database of age-inappropriate content in the district libraries and brought it to the attention of the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, a group that focuses on equal rights in education, the Executive Director of the group, Wenyuan Wu told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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Commentary: Time to Scrap the Espionage Act of 1917

RealClearWire

According to the FBI’s court-approved search warrant for Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, probable cause existed to believe Donald Trump may have violated three laws by seemingly stealing 300 classified government documents from the White House, some extremely sensitive, and squirreling them away in his Florida mansion. For the public, the most arresting (no pun intended) of these allegedly violated statutes is the Espionage Act of 1917. 

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Children Left Parentless After Memphis Gunman Kills Mother

Peter D'Abrosca

Three children are now parentless after their mother was killed by a 19-year-old gunman who Wednesday went on an apparently random shooting spree in Memphis.

“Allison Parker was murdered on Wednesday, Sept. 7 during a mass shooting in Memphis,” says a GoFundMe for the Crittendon County, Arkansas woman who was killed Wednesday. “She leaves behind three children who also lost their father two years ago. One of her children was with her at the time of the shooting. Please give what you can to help them.”

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Steve Bannon Tells Charlie Kirk That 35 Trump Allies Were Raided Thursday by FBI

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Former Chief Strategist for President Trump Steve Bannon spoke with Charlie Kirk on his show Thursday and told the host that 35 high level supporters of Donald Trump were raided this week.

“35 members of MAGA, the Republican party, people close to Donald Trump, were rolled in on yesterday by the FBI with these intimidation tactics,” Bannon told Kirk. 

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Ohio GOP Chair Paduchik Holds Onto Job for Now

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio Republican Party (ORP) Chairman Bob Paduchik will hold onto his job until at least January, the party having decided on Friday at their meeting in the Columbus suburbs to refrain from voting on its officers until next year. 

The question of whether the ORP could legitimately defer its executive-board elections until its January gathering has been a controversial one. This week, the national law firm Thompson Hine issued a legal opinion stating that, because the Ohio Revised Code requires the “members-elect” of both parties’ state committees to vote on their officers, those elections had to take place on September 9. The assessment reasoned that because those elected in August to serve on the committee would be sworn in at the autumn meeting, none would remain members-elect in January.

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Florida and Arizona Top-Ranked States in Heritage Foundation’s Education Freedom Report Card

Susan Berry, PhD

The Heritage Foundation ranked Florida, followed by Arizona, as the states that most empower parents in their children’s education and support education freedom.

On Friday Heritage published its first Education Freedom Report Card which provides measures of the concept in four categories: school choice, academic transparency, regulation freedom, and spending.

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California’s Clean Car Rules to Take Effect for Just One Model Year in Minnesota

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Because the state of California is amending its “clean car” emissions standards, Minnesota will be abiding by the old California standards it chose to adopt for only one model year.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) admitted as much in a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them by the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association (MADA). The lawsuit argues the MPCA wrongfully outsourced its legal authority.

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New Florida Legislative Proposal Saves Toll Drivers 50 Percent in Savings

The Center Square

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new proposal for the legislature to consider next year to give toll road commuters a 50% discount.

Under the new plan, drivers who use toll transponders like SunPass and E-PASS and have 40 or more transactions a month would receive a 50% credit on their monthly bills. The proposal would benefit about 750,000 Floridians and save the average commuter $550 a year, according to estimates.

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Tucker Carlson Rips Gov. Bill Lee After Violent Week in Memphis

Peter D'Abrosca

Tucker Carlson Thursday night ripped Tennessee’s governor for what he sees as soft-on-crime policies in the wake of a murderous rampage that left four dead in Memphis. 

 “So this happened in a city that is collapsing due to violence,” Carlson said on his show “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” “Memphis set an all time record for homicides last year. Earlier this week, a woman called Eliza Fletcher, as you know, was kidnapped and murdered while she was out for a jog in her neighborhood. Her killer had just gotten out of jail on a kidnapping charge. He was let out years early. So, he got out and committed the same crime, this time with murder.” 

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Pennsylvania Counties Take the Lead in Spending Opioid Settlement Dollars

The Center Square

Pennsylvania is set to spend $1 billion from the National Opioid Settlement – and the focus is on the county level.

Pennsylvania’s share of the $26 billion settlement will be divvied up so that 70% goes to counties, 15% is appropriated by the General Assembly, and 15% goes to counties involved in the opioid litigation, subdivisions, district attorneys, and special districts.

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Connecticut GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Stefanowski Announces ‘Parental Bill of Rights’

Susan Berry, PhD

Connecticut Republican candidate for governor Bob Stefanowski announced a “Parental Bill of Rights” that seeks to empower the state’s parents to make education and healthcare decisions for their children.

“During the last several years, the pendulum has swung too far against the rights of parents and their ability to make critical decisions for their children in terms of education, healthcare, and the teaching of moral values they hold dear,” Stefanowski said Tuesday. “As Governor, I am going to reverse that trend and restore parental rights in a significant and meaningful way.”

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Emerson Poll Shows Tight Races for Arizona Senate, Governor

Peter D'Abrosca

An Emerson poll released Friday shows that both the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races in Arizona, are essentially dead heats. 

The poll shows Sen. Mark Kelly (R-AZ) leading his insurgent challenger Blake Masters by only two points, 47 percent to 45 percent. Five percent of voters remain undecided, and four percent say they will vote for someone else. Meanwhile, 53 percent say they expect Kelly to win, regardless of whom they support. 

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Two Cobb County Sheriff’s Deputies Killed in Line of Duty

Peter D'Abrosca

Two Cobb County Sheriffs Deputies were killed in the line of duty Thursday night while attempting to serve a warrant, that law enforcement agency said. 

“Two deputies died tonight in the line of duty while serving a warrant,” the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said Thursday night. “SWAT and FAST teams are at the scene. The suspect is barricaded. We will release additional information, including the names of the fallen deputies, as it becomes available.”

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Attorney General Miyares Creates Election Integrity Unit

Eric Burk

Attorney General Jason Miyares has created a 20-member Election Integrity Unit within the Office of the Attorney General [OAG]; the unit will investigate and prosecute violations of election law, provide legal guidance, and work with law enforcement to protect election purity.

“I pledged during the 2021 campaign to work to increase transparency and strengthen confidence in our state elections. It should be easy to vote, and hard to cheat. The Election Integrity Unit will work to help to restore confidence in our democratic process in the Commonwealth,” Miyares said in a press release.

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Michigan Can Vote on Whether to Make Abortion a Constitutional Right, Court Rules

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The Michigan State Supreme Court Thursday ordered a proposed amendment enshrining abortion as state constitutional right to be certified for voters’ November ballots.

With a 5-2 majority, the court said a petition to place the proposed amendment on ballots had undisputedly received enough signatures, deciding that the amendment’s words were spaced properly for certification. In July, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan (PPAM) said over 753,000 signatures were collected by Reproductive Freedom for All campaign supporters, MLive reported.

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Oberlin College Pays Out Millions After Launching Defamation Campaign Against Bakery

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Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, announced Thursday that it will pay a local bakery $36.59 million after a legal defamation battle.

The lawsuit began in 2016, when Allyn Gibson Jr. accused a black student of stealing a bottle of wine from Gibson’s Bakery, causing the college to launch a defamation campaign which included the vice president of the college calling the bakery racist. The Ohio Supreme Court declined the college’s appeal of a court’s previous judgment, causing the college to decide Thursday to pay the bakery.

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Youngkin Highlights New State Tax Deduction on Military Retirement Benefits

Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin held a ceremonial signing highlighting legislation from State Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) and Delegate John McGuire (R-Goochland) that creates a state tax deduction on military retirement income.

“As part of my Day One Game Plan, I’ve pledged to fight for a reduction in military veteran retirement pay taxation, and today, we are delivering on that promise. This is a great step toward making Virginia the most veteran-friendly state in the country. As we near the anniversary of 9/11, I feel honored to support our service members in this way. I want to thank the legislators for their incredible work as we continue to advocate for our military-connected communities, veterans, and their families,” Youngkin said in a press release Friday.

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Arizona GOP Disputes Katie Hobbs’ Portrayal of Herself as a Moderate in Her New Border Security Ad

Rachel Alexander

Arizona Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is running for governor, is pivoting her campaign ads to “clone herself as a ‘moderate,’” Arizona Republican Party Chair Jerimiah Cota contends. A new ad from Hobbs states that she will “keep our border secure,” but Cota said in a statement that “this is far from the truth.” 

He said, “This statement is absurd implying that the border was secure to begin with. On top of that, Katie cannot expect the people of Arizona to forget her atrocious record when it comes to border security. … She has actively worked against securing Arizona’s border her entire career. We view Hobbs and her team’s attempt to trick an entire state into forgetting her anti-border security history as an insult to the intelligence of Arizonans.” 

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Kari Lake Accuses Opponent Katie Hobbs of Hiding as the Clean Election Commission Rejects Her Request for Town Hall-Style Debate

Neil Jones

Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake slammed her opponent Katie Hobbs Thursday after the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (AZCCEC) rejected Hobbs’s request for an unorthodox debate format.

“It’s becoming clearer everyday that Hobbs’ strategy is to hide from me, the Press, and Voters throughout the entirety of this campaign and run out the clock on the people of Arizona. Fortunately, the Clean Elections Commission refused to play inter her game and voted down her proposal for a town hall safe space,” said Lake. ” I will take part in the debate format that I already agreed to, and if Katie Hobbs grows a spine between now and October 12th, she is welcome to join me!”

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Arab Countries Pressure Netflix to Remove Gay Content

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The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which represents Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE among others, demanded that Netflix remove content that violated “Islamic and societal values,” which Saudi state media implied would include LGBTQ content.

While the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM), a Saudi-based media watchdog for the GCC, did not specify the nature of the content in question, it mentioned that some was targeted at children and that failure to comply would result in legal action, Reuters reported. Saudi state-run TV outlet Al Ekhbariya, discussing the announcement, accused Netflix of “promoting homosexuality by focusing excessively on homosexuals,” the BBC reported.

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Idaho Pride Group Postpones Children’s Drag Show over Safety Concerns

Just the News

The Boise Pride Fest will cancel a drag show featuring children over safety concerns.

“While the vast majority of our sponsors and supporters have voiced their support for the Boise Pride Festival and the Drag Kids program, we have made the very difficult decision to postpone this performance due to increased safety concerns,” the group stated, according to Idaho News. “The health and well-being of the kids, their parents, and the attendees of the Festival are our priority.”

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Commentary: Pennsylvania’s Utility Disconnections Spike Amid Energy Affordability Crisis

Admin

Pennsylvania earned a dubious distinction recently that underscores the economic pain wreaking havoc statewide for millions of residents struggling to make ends meet.

We, along with four other states, account for 69% of all 3.6 million utility disconnections between January 2020 and December 2021, according to a report from the Center for Biological Diversity. 

It gets worse.

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