Day: December 21, 2022

House GOP Locates Emails, Texts Showing Pelosi Office Directly Involved in Failed January 6 Security

Just the News

House Republicans gathered a trove of text and email messages showing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office was directly involved in the creation and editing of the Capitol security plan that failed during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot and that security officials later declared they had been “denied again and again” the resources needed to protect one of the nation’s most important homes of democracy.

The internal communications were made public Wednesday in a report compiled by Republican Reps. Rodney Davis, Jim Banks, Troy Nehls, Jim Jordan and Kelly Armstrong that encompasses the results of months of investigation they did of evidence that had been ignored by the Democrat-led Jan. 6 committee. The lawmakers were authorized by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to do their own probe.

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Congressman John Rose Calls on DHS Secretary Mayorkas to Resign or Be Impeached over Reports of Illegal Immigrants being Transported to Tennessee

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06) called for U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to be removed from office via resignation or impeachment on Tuesday.

Congressman Rose’s demand follows reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are planning to bus illegal immigrants to Tennessee this week.

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Nashville Council Approves Term Sheet for New $2.1B Tennessee Titans Stadium

The Center Square

Metro Nashville’s Council approved a non-binding term sheet related to building a new $2.1 billion Tennessee Titans stadium on Tuesday night.

The term sheet outlined a deal that includes $1.26 billion in taxpayer funds toward building the stadium along with a tax fund that is projected to collect $2.9 billion during the 30-year lease to pay off $760 million in revenue bonds from Metro Nashville’s Sports Authority. This tax fund will also pay for future maintenance and upgrades at the stadium.

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Appeals Court Blocks Biden Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors

Admin

On Monday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Biden Administration’s rule mandating that all federal contractors receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, the 5th Circuit’s three-judge panel voted by a 2-1 margin to uphold a prior decision by a lower court that blocked the rule, first implemented by the Biden White House in September of 2021. That ruling came as a result of a lawsuit by the states of Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi seeking the overturning of the mandate.

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Report: DOJ Demanded Data on House GOP Intel Staffers During Russia Probe

Admin

During the failed investigation into so-called collusion between the Donald Trump campaign and the Russian government, the Department of Justice (DOJ) used grand jury subpoenas to secretly obtain communications between staffers working for Republican members of the House of Representatives.

The New York Post reports that the first such demands came in November of 2017, when the DOJ ordered search engine giant Google to hand over information on two senior staffers for the House Intelligence Committee, which at the time was led by Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). The material was ultimately delivered to the DOJ by Google on December 5th.

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‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ Public Libraries Agree to Allow Actor Kirk Cameron to Hold Children’s Faith-Based Story Hour Only After He Threatens Lawsuit

Susan Berry, PhD

Actor and author Kirk Cameron announced he scored two victories recently when two public libraries that had hosted a “drag queen story hour” for children finally agreed to allow him to hold a children’s faith-based story hour.

The libraries denied him their facilities at first, but then reconsidered once he threatened court action.

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‘Twitter Files’ Reveal Platform Aided Pentagon Propaganda Efforts Abroad

Just the News

The most recent release of Twitter’s internal documents, dubbed the “Twitter Files,” details the platform’s cooperation with the Pentagon to promote propaganda materials in line with the military’s strategic geopolitical interests.

Released by The Intercept’s Lee Fang, the latest release detailed Pentagon requests that the platform either verify or “whitelist” a plethora of accounts it used to “amplify certain messages.” Whitelisting an account exempts it from spam and abuse flags while also making it more likely to trend.

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Puberty Blocker, Cross-Sex Hormone Prescriptions Double in America’s Children Since 2017

Susan Berry, PhD

Health insurance claims data for treatment of gender dysphoria in children aged 6-17 years shows puberty blocker prescriptions have doubled since 2017, and claims for cross-sex hormones also doubled up until 2021.

According to data compiled by Komodo Health Inc for Reuters in October, in 2021, 42,167 children and teens between the ages of 6 and 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria, three times the number in 2017.

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Transgender Suicide Stats Are ‘Exaggerated’ and Can Increase Suicide Risk, Psychiatrists Say

Admin

Transgender activists often tout the claim that youths with gender identity issues have a suicide attempt rate as high as 41%, but that exaggerated statistic may encourage suicide, multiple psychiatrists have argued.

The suicide rate of youth patients at the United Kingdom’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) was 0.03% over the course of a decade, according to an analysis of about 15,000 patients, and another clinic reported that 13.4% of their referrals were considered to be at high risk for suicide prior to their initial triage appointment, according to analysis by Dr. Alison Clayton, an Australian psychiatrist. Compared to this clinical data, transgender suicide statistics that activists promote typically draw from voluntary surveys and find a much higher risk of suicide among respondents.

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Feds Lost Track of 150k Migrants due to Biden’s ‘No Processing’ Policy, Training Video Shows

Just the News

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials lost track of 150,000 migrants that entered the United States due to the Biden administration’s “no processing” immigration policy, a training video from the federal agency shows. 

The Biden administration launched “Operation Horizon” in November 2021 to try to locate 150,000 migrants that were released in the summer earlier that year, but the training videos published Tuesday by Fox News show that officials had difficulty tracking down the migrants due to a lack of identifying information.

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Ohio Legislature Passes Law Requiring Sexual Abuse Prevention Education in Schools with the Restriction That Materials Cannot Promote Abortion

Hannah Poling

Ohio lawmakers passed a Bipartisan bill that requires schools to provide age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention education with the caveat that provided materials must not promote abortion.

House Bill (HB) 105 sponsored by state Representatives P.Scott Lipps (R-Franklin) and Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) known as Erin’s Law, was inserted into Senate Bill (SB) 288, a criminal justice bill sponsored by state Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) on December 15th.

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Kari Lake Celebrates Election Challenge Moving Forward at AmericaFest 2022, ‘Christmas Came Early Yesterday’

Neil Jones

PHOENIX, Arizona – While making another appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2022 to an enthused crowd in downtown Phoenix, Republican Kari Lake shared her reaction to her election challenge officially going to trial.

“This is so historic, and you know what? I couldn’t have done it without you,” Lake said. “A little over a day ago, I stood here on this stage, and I said, please pray, not just for me, but pray for our attorneys, for our witnesses. Pray for the judge, my goodness! You did it, and yesterday we got great news, we are taking these bastards to court.”

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Florida Unemployment Rate Lowest in 10 Largest States

The Center Square

Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.6% in November, the lowest of the 10 largest states in the U.S. and 1.1 percentage points lower than the national rate. It was also the 24th consecutive month that Florida’s unemployment rate remained below the national rate.

In November, Florida continued to exceed the national job growth rate for the 20th consecutive month; its employers have added jobs for 31 consecutive months.

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Minneapolis Doctors Defend Gender Transitions for Kids

Admin

Earlier this month Minneapolis doctors defended what they perceive as the moral and scientific legitimacy of child gender transitions, which typically involve puberty blockers, “hormone therapy,” and even surgical intervention.

Their remarks came at a Dec. 2 press conference where Mayor Jacob Frey signed an executive order that protects access to “services, supplies, drug therapies, and other care that an individual may receive to support and affirm their gender identity,” including minors who do not live with their parents.

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To Cap Off AmericaFest 2022, Charlie Kirk, Steve Bannon, and Others Spoke on Freedom, Faith, and the Future

Neil Jones

PHOENIX, Arizona – To mark the end of Turning Point USA’s four-day-long AmericaFest 2022, Charlie Kirk and many other Conservative commentators took the stage in downtown Phoenix to share final remarks with a crowd of cheering onlookers.

“Hey, AmericaFest is completed. Make a plan. Make a promise to yourself. Make a challenge to yourself. The easy thing in 2023 would be to complain and say this is kind of an off-year. The necessary thing is to say I’m going to do something in 2023 I did not do in 2022, and if you’re looking for that place to start, that’s why Turning Point exists,” Kirk said during his final remarks.

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Michigan Mom, Denied Ethnicity and Gender Class Course Materials, Will Appeal Judge’s FOIA Ruling

The Center Square

Carol Beth Litkouhi isn’t done.

Unhappy with the board of the Rochester Community Schools in Michigan, she won election to a six-year seat with them in November. On Monday, she told The Center Square last week’s ruling by an Oakland County Circuit Court judge denying her Freedom of Information Act request for the district’s ethnicity and gender class course materials will be appealed.

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Columbus Civilian Police Review Board Member Asked to Resign After Anti-Police Comments

Hannah Poling

In an 8-1 vote on Monday night, the Columbus Civilian Police Review Board recommended the removal of one of its members due to the member posting anti-police rhetoric on social media.

The decision comes in response to board member Gambit Aragon making anti-police social media posts after the cancellation of a controversial holiday story time event at a Clintonville church featuring drag queens.

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Georgia Supreme Court Sends 2020 Fulton County Election Lawsuit Back to Appeals Court to Reconsider

Just the News

The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday sent a 2020 election lawsuit regarding Fulton County back to a lower court for reconsideration, adding another layer to the suit’s twisting saga through the court system.

The lawsuit, Caroline Jeffords, et al. v. Fulton County, et al., alleges that the plaintiffs’ votes in the 2020 election were “diluted by the inclusion of allegedly unlawful ballots in Fulton County.” Jeffords also alleged that Fulton County violated the Georgia Open Records Act.

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Youngkin’s Budget Proposal Includes Item for 15-Week Gestation Limit for Abortions

Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent budget proposal includes a $50,000 item for adult correctional facilities to offset increased costs from establishing a “15-week gestation limitation for abortion.”

The item aligns with Youngkin’s request that legislators pass a pain threshold abortion ban in 2023. Such a bill will face stiff opposition in the Democrat-controlled Senate, where it will likely be sent to the Senate Education and Health Committee, chaired by Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth).

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Wisconsin Senator Baldwin Wants Student Debt Forgiveness for Farmers

Bradley Vasoli

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Tina Smith (D-MN) filed legislation this week to forgive student-loan debt for new members of the agriculture industry. 

Their bill, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act, would cancel significant educational debt for those qualifying as “a beginning farmer or rancher” as well as minority, women, and veteran farmers. 

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Ohio Public Employees Sue AFSCME, Other Unions over Forced Dues Payments

Bradley Vasoli

Ten Ohio public employees this week sued in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to stop labor unions from drawing money from their paychecks.

Lead plaintiff Lukas Darling worked in property enforcement for the Boardman Township Planning and Zoning Department and resigned as a member of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) two years ago. The other nine petitioners have worked either in public schools or at a state agency. Each resigned as a member of either AFSCME, the Ohio Association of Public School Employees or the Ohio Education Association.  

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Commentary: Twitter Files Point to Urgent Need for Platform Transparency

RealClearWire

December has been a whirlwind month in the Twitterverse. A new academic study argued that hate speech was surging on the platform, while new company owner Elon Musk countered that such tweets were being quietly hidden, so they didn’t count. High-profile journalists were abruptly suspended and restored with little explanation, with condemnations from the EU and UN. All the while, the so-called “Twitter Files” allowed an unprecedented inside look at the messy and controversial world of platform moderation. What can we learn from all of this about the how the social platforms at the heart of our digital democracies are run?

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Richland County Juvenile Court Judge to Meet with Ohio Governor’s Legal Counsel to Discuss Vacant Supreme Court Seat

Hannah Poling

Richland County Juvenile Court Judge Steve McKinley will meet Wednesday with Governor Mike DeWine’s chief legal counsel to discuss a vacancy on the Ohio Supreme Court.

According to McKinley, as an Ohio Supreme Court justice, he would define the state constitution “reasonably and in accordance with our tradition … protecting individual rights and the separation of powers.”

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Ohio Teacher Sues School for Firing Her for Not Using Student’s Preferred Pronouns

Just the News

An Ohio teacher filed a lawsuit against her former school after she said she was forced to quit for not using a student’s preferred pronouns, which would have violated her religious beliefs. 

Vivian Geraghty was an English teacher at Jackson Memorial Middle School in Massillon until the district forced her to resign in August because she refused to participate in a student’s social transition to another sex by using different pronouns and a different name than the student had at birth.

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Commentary: This Christmas Season, I’ve Become a Hallmark Man

Admin

The following admission should embarrass me. Fortunately, I have reached the age where personal quirks more often bring amusement than shame.

Here’s my confession: I’ve begun watching Hallmark movies. Recently, I even spent two evenings with a Candace Cameron Bure film from the Great American Family. Yep, here I am, a guy in his early 70s, all alone and happily watching sappy movies.

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Congress’ Massive Spending Bill Sets Aside Another $45 Billion for Ukraine

Admin

Congress appropriated an additional $45 billion in emergency assistance to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion in its yearly spending bill released early Tuesday.

The bill is Congress’ largest assistance package for Ukraine to date, following a $40 billion package signed into law in May, a $12 billion supplement in September and $800 million authorized in Congress’ defense spending budget, bringing the total anticipated support for Ukraine in 2022 to nearly $100 billion. It exceeds President Joe Biden’s $37 billion request for military, economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine despite some Republican opposition to offering a “blank check” to Ukraine.

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State of Emergency in El Paso as Border Patrol Reports Record Illegal Entries

The Center Square

Blanketed babies in car seats on the sidewalk. People laying in blankets and sleeping bags on the ground. Hundreds pouring into downtown El Paso at a time. In November alone, more than 53,500 illegal foreign nationals were apprehended, and an additional 24,000 who evaded capture by law enforcement  in the Customs and Border Patrol sector that includes El Paso.

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Wells Fargo Ordered to Pay $3.7 Billion for ‘Illegal Activity,’ Including Mismanaging Accounts

Just the News

Federal regulators on Tuesday ordered Wells Fargo Bank to pay a $1.7 billion civil penalty and more than $2 billion in compensation to customers for what they say was “illegal activity affecting over 16 million consumer accounts.”

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wells Fargo “repeatedly misapplied loan payments, wrongfully foreclosed on homes and illegally repossessed vehicles, incorrectly assessed fees and interest, charged surprise overdraft fees,” among other things.

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Commentary: The FBI Copied Parts of the Debunked Steele Dossier Directly into Its Spy Requests

RealClearWire

The FBI relied more extensively on Christopher Steele’s debunked dossier in their Russiagate investigation than has been revealed, inserting key parts from it into their applications for warrants to spy on the 2016 Trump campaign.

Agents did this without telling the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that the precise wording was plucked directly from a political rumor sheet paid for by Hillary Clinton’s campaign or providing judges with any independent corroboration of the explosive allegations.

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New Jersey Passes New Gun Control Law

Admin

New Jersey’s state Senate narrowly passed a new concealed carry gun control legislation Monday, with one Democratic lawmaker joining Republicans in saying it is unconstitutional, according to NJ.com.

The bill would require gun owners who seek a concealed carry permit to purchase liability insurance and take training courses, while also increasing permit fees and restricting guns in “sensitive places” like schools, public parks, courthouses, bars and private property, according to the legislation. The bill received bipartisan criticism, with Republican state Sen. Michael Testa calling the bill “absolutely wrong” and Democratic state Sen. Nicholas Sacco saying it is unconstitutional and will face legal challenges, according to NJ.com.

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