Month: January 2023

Big Tech-Aligned Group Wants to Go ‘Nationwide’ in Shaping Election Operations

Admin

A Big Tech-aligned group funded through liberal dark money is moving to expand “nationwide,” even though about half the states have banned using private money to run elections. 

The Center for Tech and Civic Life launched the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence in partnership with organizations funded by the liberal Arabella Advisors and Democracy Fund, as The Daily Signal previously reported. The tech center is the same group that distributed $350 million in election-administration grants in 2020 from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife.

Read the full story

Census May Add First New Ethnic Group since 1997

Admin

A new proposal from the Biden Administration calls for the census and federal surveys to add a new group labeled “Middle Eastern and North African,” which would mark the first new ethnic group added to federal records since 1997.

According to ABC News, the new proposals released Thursday would combine all questions about race and Hispanic ethnicity into a single question, rather than keeping them separate as the 1997 standards do. The proposals were crafted by a group of selected representatives from multiple federal agencies, organized by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Read the full story

Audit: Hall Medical Clinic in Waynesboro Received $300K in Excess TennCare Payments

The Center Square

A recently released audit shows the Hall Medical Clinic in Waynesboro received more than $300,000 in TennCare funding payments due to underreporting the payments the clinic received.

In an audit conducted by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office, the clinic was found to have not reported $621,775 in payments and 2,340 TennCare visits to the clinic between 2017 and 2021.

Read the full story

New House Intel Panel Member Rep. Austin Scott Calls for Probe into Adversaries’ Control of U.S. Supply Chain

Just the News

Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott, a new member on the House Intelligence Committee, hopes the panel will investigate efforts by unfriendly foreign powers to insert themselves into U.S. food and technology supply chains.

“One of the things that I expect us to look into, and hopefully look into, is where our adversaries have embedded themselves in the supply chain of basic necessities for Americans,” Scott said on the John Solomon Reports podcast.

Read the full story

Legalization of Esports Betting Proposed in Pennsylvania

Bradley Vasoli

A state lawmaker is urging colleagues to support a bill he is drafting to legalize esports betting in Pennsylvania. 

Representative Ed Neilson (D-Philadelphia) began circulating a memorandum last week making the case for legitimating video-game betting in the Keystone State, observing that the esports business took in $1.1 billion worldwide in 2022 and is predicted to soon realize a $1.8-billion global value. Neilson ascribes much of the recently increased enthusiasm around esports to the lifestyle constraints imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. 

Read the full story

Minnesota Ranks Second in the Nation for Highest Corporate Tax Rate

The Center Square

Minnesota’s top marginal corporate tax rate, 9.8%, is the second-highest the nation, according to an analysis the Tax Foundation released Tuesday.

The North Star State is one of the 44 states that levy corporate income taxes. Nationally, on average, these taxes accounted for 7.07% of state tax collection and 4.04% of state general revenue in fiscal year 2021, the report said.

Read the full story

Tennessee U.S. Rep. Mark Green and Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz Speak at 917 Society Constitution Celebration at Mar-a-Lago

Laura Baigert

PALM BEACH, Florida – U.S. Representatives Mark Green (R-TN-07) was the featured speaker and Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1) was the special guest speaker at the 917 Society’s constitution celebration held at the Mar-a-Lago Club on Saturday evening.

Both congressmen were greeted with enthusiastic standing ovations on their introductions to about 200 supporters of the 917 Society, about double the number of attendees in 2022, who gathered in the club’s grand ballroom for a gourmet dinner that followed a cocktail hour held poolside.

Read the full story

Commentary: There Is a Reason Why DEI Is Little More Than a Costly Failure

Admin

Earlier this month, amid howls from the “progressive” Left, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis demanded an accounting of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) expenditures from the state’s public colleges and universities.

The results are exactly what you might expect. According to a recent report from Campus Reform, in 2022, Florida institutions spent $28 million on DEI initiatives, more than half of that ($15 million) funded by taxpayers.

Read the full story

Ohio Congressman Calls Out FDA for ‘Illegal’ Approval of Mail-Order Abortifacients

Bradley Vasoli

U.S. Representative Bob Latta (R-OH-5) is leading a charge by federal lawmakers against the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) relaxation of safety requirements for abortion drugs so consumers can access them by mail.

The Bowling Green-area lawmaker coauthored a letter with U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and garnered signatures from 75 other members of Congress to insist that the FDA’s recent actions violate federal law. In particular, the legislators object to the agency’s approval of chemical abortion-inducing substances while no longer requiring in-person dispensing. 

Read the full story

Republicans Bring New Strategy to Wisconsin Reading Readiness Proposal

The Center Square

The latest reading readiness proposal at the Wisconsin capitol, with the backing of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in tow, may have a chance at becoming law.

State Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, and State Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Cameron, on Friday introduced their plan for students having trouble reading. It builds on a 12-year-old law assessing reading readiness of 4K through second grade students.

Read the full story

Former Teachers Union President in Virginia Charged with Embezzling $400,000

Admin

The former president of a Virginia teachers union was arrested and charged with embezzlement from the organization on Monday, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Ingrid Gant, former president of the Arlington Education Association (AEA), was arrested after police conducted a six-month audit that showed she embezzled $410,782.10 from the union, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. Gant was charged with four counts of embezzlement and allegedly used debit cards for unauthorized purchases and gave herself multiple bonuses.

Read the full story

Commentary: Sunshine Might Be Free but Solar Power Is Not Cheap

RealClearWire

Mississippi residents are consistently told that renewable energy sources, like solar panels, are now the lowest-cost ways to generate electricity, but these claims are based on creative accounting gimmicks that only examine a small portion of the expenses incurred to integrate solar onto the grid while excluding many others.

When these hidden expenses are accounted for, it becomes obvious that solar is much more expensive than Mississippi’s existing coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants and that adding more solar will increase electricity prices for the families and businesses that rely upon it. One of the most common ways of estimating the cost of generating electricity from different types of power plants is a metric called the Levelized Cost of Energy, or LCOE.

Read the full story

Ohio Could Lead in Creating Teacher Compact

The Center Square

An Ohio senator said she believes continuing a national trend she’s championed for more than two years can help soften what education leaders say is a teacher shortage in the state.

Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, spent the better part of the past four years reducing licensing issues and getting state compacts passed that allow doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other skilled professionals to get an Ohio license easier if one is held in another state.

Read the full story

Failed Senate Candidate Admits: The Democrats Brand is ‘Toxic’

Admin

Former Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio called the Democratic Party’s brand “toxic” Friday during a discussion on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

“The Democratic brand, in so many areas of the country, is toxic,” Ryan told host Bill Maher. “There is a woman who ran for Supreme Court in Ohio, sitting Supreme Court justice. Two years ago, she ran and won, got on the court, you didn’t have to put a D or R by your name. There’s a county in southern Ohio, she got 51 percent.”

Read the full story

EU Approves Use of ‘Cricket Powder’ in Food, Citing ‘Environmental Pressures’

Admin

The European Union approved cricket powder as a novel food to be added to bread, pasta, meat substitutes and various other foods, according to a Jan. 3 entry into the EU’s regulation database.

The European Food Safety Authority determined that partially defatted cricket powder is safe for human consumption when added to everyday food products at certain levels after the Vietnamese insect insect farming company, Cricket One Co., applied for approval in 2019, according to the EU, as previously reported by independent journalist Irina Slav. Replacing animal livestock with insects is one way to relieve environmental pressures, according to the EU, citing United Nations guidance in a frequently asked questions page.

Read the full story

Commentary: New Regulation Handicaps Disabled Gun Owners

RealClearWire

The Biden administration’s newly released regulations regarding “pistol-stabilizing braces” will instantly turn tens of thousands of law-abiding Americans into felons and create a national rifle registry. But the Biden administration and the media exaggerate the costs and ignore the benefits these braces produce.

Few seem to realize that stabilizing braces for pistols were originally designed to allow wounded and disabled veterans who may have lost the use of part of their hand to hold handguns. They are essentially a strap attached to the gun. Disabled individuals are often viewed as easy targets by criminals, and stabilizers make it easier to defend themselves. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) originally approved pistol braces during the Obama administration. 

Read the full story

Utah School Administrators Admit to Deceiving Parents by Using ‘Loopholes’ to Teach Critical Race Theory in Classrooms

Hannah Poling

Less than a week after an undercover investigation revealed that school administrators in Cincinnati, Ohio have admitted to covertly indoctrinating students with Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classrooms, they discovered similarly that school officials throughout Utah, are prepared to use “loopholes” in order to promote social justice and CRT to their students.

Ohio and Utah are both conservative states, which is why activist instructors have devised more covert methods of presenting divisive subjects.

Read the full story

Alliance of Big Tech, Dark Money Groups Partners with Counties in State That Bans ‘Zuckerbucks’ for Elections

Admin

The group that distributed most of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial election grants in 2020 has designated at least two Utah counties as part of a new effort, despite a state ban on private money funding election operations. 

The two local juridictions are Cache County, with a population of 137,00, and Weber County, population 267,000.

Read the full story

Republican U.S. Senators File Bill to End China’s Permanent Normal Trade Status

The Center Square

Several Republican senators filed a bill on Friday to end China’s Permanent Normal Trade Status (PNTR), citing concerns over American job losses and human rights abuses overseas.

The China Trade Relations Act, which would strip China of its PNTR, was filed by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.

Read the full story

Top Soros Director Is Frequent Guest at Biden White House

Admin

One of the highest-ranking executives with George Soros’ far-left Open Society Foundation (OSF) has been revealed to have close access to the Biden White House, according to newly-released records.

As reported by Fox News, the executive director of OSF U.S., Tom Perriello, has made numerous visits to the White House for private meetings and public events over the last two years. Perriello also sits on the board of Governing for Impact, and is part of Soros’ inner circle.

Read the full story

Lake County Commissioners Rescind Sales Tax Increase

Hannah Poling

The three-member Lake County Board of Commissioners unanimously decided on Thursday to repeal the 0.5 percent sales tax hike they had just approved for the entire county two weeks earlier.

Following concerns from county citizens and even city governments, the all-Republican board made the decision to abandon the tax increase before it even took effect. After numerous public meetings, officials arrived at the conclusion that “the current and projected revenues in of Lake County will be insufficient by a substantial amount to fund the current budgets and statutory responsibilities.”

Read the full story

Semiconductor Convention Moving to Phoenix from San Francisco in 2025

The Center Square

Recognizing Arizona’s growing semiconductor sector, North America’s “premier microelectronics exhibition and conference” is coming to town.

SEMI, an industry association with members across the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, announced Tuesday it would hold SEMICON West 2025 in Phoenix after holding the conference in San Francisco for the last five decades. 

Read the full story

Pennsylvania Takes Steps to Ease Volunteer Firefighter Crisis

The Center Square

by Lauren Jessop   As Pennsylvania’s volunteer firefighters dwindle, lawmakers hope to reverse the trend. States nationwide struggle to recruit and retain volunteers, while simultaneously investing time and money into training required to keep up with stringent regulations. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, volunteers account for 96.8% of firefighters in Pennsylvania – the third highest percentage in the country. The national average is 70.2%. Since the 1970s, the ranks of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania have dropped from 360,000 to fewer than 37,000. A bill passed unanimously by the Senate last week would create a pilot program for community colleges and universities within the state’s higher education system to provide firefighting training to high school students. It’s now under consideration in the House of Representatives. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Crawford, would grant $150,000 to one school in three regions across the state – eastern, central, and western – to establish fire training programs. Brooks’ Chief of Staff Adam Gringrich told The Center Square the senator was pleased to have the bill moved so early in the session and hopes that the House takes it up when they convene. “The regional component of the grants addresses the equal need…

Read the full story

Virginia Senate Committee Rejects ‘Education Savings Accounts’

The Center Square

The Senate Committee on Education and Health voted to “pass by indefinitely” on three school choice bills by Republican lawmakers Thursday – a signal other school choice bills in the Virginia House of Delegates could face obstacles moving forward. 

One of the measures defeated Thursday sought to create a “Parental Choice Education Savings Account” program, which parents could apply for and use toward certain expenses, including private school tuition.

Read the full story

Battery Company Plans New Georgia IT Hub, but Incentives Unknown

The Center Square

A battery company plans to spend $19 million on a new regional IT hub facility in north Fulton County, but it’s unclear whether Georgia taxpayers are on the hook for any incentives.

SK Battery America expects to create 200 high-tech jobs at an integrated IT management center on Sanctuary Parkway in Roswell. It will serve the company’s battery manufacturing facilities in Georgia and the country.

Read the full story

DeSantis Pledges Mandatory Life Sentence for Targeting Children with Fentanyl Resembling Candy

Admin

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised Thursday that his state would deem possessing fentanyl or other drugs made to resemble candy a first-degree felony, and send those targeting children with such fentanyl to prison for life.

DeSantis said during a “Preserving Law & Order in Florida” press conference that the state’s government would “make it a first-degree felony to possess, sell or manufacture fentanyl or other controlled substances to look like candy” and punish targeting that type of fentanyl to children with a mandatory life sentence and $1 million fine. He also pledged to add $20 million of local support funding for law enforcement to stop fentanyl’s illicit spread in his upcoming budget proposals.

Read the full story

Commentary: The Left’s New Scheme That Threatens Free Elections

Admin

Like a bad movie sequel, leftwing nonprofits like the Center for Tech and Civil Life (CTCL) are once again pumping millions of dollars in left-wing “dark money” into election offices across the country. Just like they did in 2020, these groups are looking for ways to skew elections and boost liberal turnout in battleground states.

But this time, there’s a twist. CTCL and its allies aren’t just doling out eye-popping grants. They are aiming for nothing less than a shadow takeover of election offices. Through their new $80 million program, called the “U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence,” the left is targeting local election offices. The goal: push liberal voting policies and systematically reshape how our elections are run.

Read the full story

Commentary: The Importance of Reading Difficult Books

Admin

In his work The Western Canon, Harold Bloom wrote that a “reader does not read for easy pleasure or to expiate social guilt, but to enlarge a solitary existence.”

The apparent message in Bloom’s flourish is that a reader ought to be after something more difficult to attain than mere pleasure. Passive consumption of entertainment will simply not do. Instead, readers are to be fully engaged with the work in front of them, especially when the process is difficult. It’s through this difficulty that a reader inevitably enlarges what Bloom refers to as a “solitary existence,” or, put another way, an existential engagement with the human condition.

Read the full story

Radical Muslim Cleric Convicted in New York of Supporting ISIS

Admin

Radical Islamic cleric Shaikh Abdullah Faisal was convicted Thursday on several counts of supporting terrorism after working as a recruiter for the Islamic State (ISIS), according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

Faisal promoted a radical interpretation of Islam that supported the idea of killing nonbelievers, leading to his incarceration in Britain in 2003 and deportation from Kenya in 2010, according to the New York Times. On Thursday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Faisal had been found guilty several counts of lending support for terrorism after attempting to recruit an undercover officer into ISIS.

Read the full story

Trump Releases Video Statement on His Plan for Dealing with Atlanta Riots

Laura Baigert

Former President Donald Trump released a video statement Friday prompted by the riots in Atlanta, calling out the perpetrators and declaring what his actions would be as president under the same circumstances.

Protests against the construction of a new police training facility on Wednesday, January 18 turned violent days later when a man allegedly shot a state trooper during a law enforcement operation at the site. When police shot back, the man died, The Georgia Star News reported.

Read the full story

Five Memphis Police Officers Charged in Beating Death Belonged to 40-Member SCORPION Unit with History of Violence, Poor Training, and Lack of Supervision

Michael Patrick Leahy

The five former Memphis police officers who were charged last week with second degree murder in the beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols were part of a special, 40-member SCORPION (Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods) unit established in October 2021 by Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn Davis and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, a Democrat.

Read the full story

Biden’s National Security Council Held Meetings with CDC on COVID Disinformation, Emails Show

Admin

President Joe Biden’s National Security Council (NSC) meetings with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about COVID-19 disinformation in 2021, according to documents obtained in an America First Legal (AFL) lawsuit.

After the Kaiser Family Foundation published its latest State of Vaccine Confidence Insights Report — a report it routinely produced for the Biden administration — in May 2021, Elisabeth Wilhelm, a “Vaccine Confidence Specialist” at the CDC, shared it with numerous CDC and White House officials, according to emails obtained by AFL. This prompted a meeting between agencies of the federal government, including the CDC and the NSC, about the vaccine disinformation, according to heavily redacted emails.

Read the full story

Sen. Marco Rubio Cites Project Veritas Undercover Video in Letter to Pfizer CEO on Alleged Gain-of-Function Research

Susan Berry, PhD

Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R) cited the most recent undercover investigation released by Project Veritas (PV) in a letter to Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, and noted that, according to the PV video, Pfizer may be conducting gain-of-function research to mutate the COVID virus to create additional variants and vaccines to combat them for profit.

Rubio’s office noted that, in the PV exposé, Pfizer executive Jordon Trishton Walker claimed the drug company is considering the possibility of mutating the COVID virus itself via “directed evolution” in order to keep profiting off a continued stream of vaccines – which he later said would be a “cash cow” for the company.

Read the full story