Florida Seeks to Replace SAT with CLT, Following Classical Education Trend

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ feud with the College Board is calling attention to alternatives in standardized testing methods, including the Classical Learning Test (CLT).

DeSantis began pushing back against the College Board, which administers the SAT entrance exam and Advanced Placement (AP) curricula, in January when his administration rejected the trial-run of the AP African American Studies course in the state of Florida.

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Poll Finds Overwhelming Support for Michigan Taxpayer-Funded Business Subsidies

A significant majority of the state’s voters support using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private businesses.

According to a statewide poll conducted by the Glengariff Group, Inc., and commissioned by the Business Leaders for Michigan, 76% of respondents favor government grants to businesses seeking to relocate or expand their footprint in the state.

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Connecticut Gov. Lamont Unveils Plan to Reduce Connecticut’s Healthcare Costs

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has unveiled a raft of proposed health care reforms he says will cut medical costs and make care more affordable. 

Lamont has filed a pair of bills that, if approved by the state Assembly, would ban the use of anti-competitive health care contracting practices, improve transparency in pricing for medical treatments, cap out-of-network insurance charges, and join a multi-state bulk purchasing program to lower prescription drug costs, among other changes.

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Penn Medicine’s Resident Physicians Move to Unionize

Hundreds of medical residents at the University of Pennsylvania Health System may become the first group of its kind in the state to unionize as their demands for higher pay and better working conditions have gone ignored.

Unionization efforts sparked nationwide after the pandemic pushed long working hours from routine to unsustainable. As such, the residents at Penn Medicine’s main campus in West Philadelphia decided to add their name to the growing list of those seeking representation.

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Lawmakers Approve Income Tax Subtraction Increase for National Guard

Virginia could soon increase the income tax subtraction for certain members of the National Guard under a proposal passed by lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly this week. 

The proposal, contained in HB 2373, would increase from $3,000 to $5,500 the income tax subtraction for certain members of the Virginia National Guard. The income tax subtraction would apply starting in the 2023 taxable year, and would be eligible to O-6 and below – a rank designation that is a Colonel in the Army, Air Force and Marines, and Captain in the Navy. 

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Arizona State Senator Calls Out Katie Hobbs After Forced Resignation of Department of Child Safety Director Nominee

Arizona State Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Director Nominations (CDN), announced Wednesday that Hobbs’s choice to lead the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS), Matthew Stewart, was allegedly forced to resign following questionable behavior.

“It’s disgraceful that Katie Hobbs either did not conduct a thorough review of Mr. Stewart prior to offering him the position as DCS Director, or she thought she could sweep his history under the rug. This agency is tasked with protecting vulnerable children. While Katie Hobbs openly touted skin-color as her seemingly only priority in the search for the next potential DCS Director, it might have also been a good idea to look at experience and qualifications too,” said Hoffman.

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Arizona Bill Would Require a State Income Tax Cut After Budget Surplus Years

Arizona taxpayers could soon get half of the state’s annual surplus of funds sent back to them as an income tax cut the following year.

The state Senate passed SB 1577 Wednesday afternoon. Sponsored by Chandler Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard, the bill would require the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to assess state revenue numbers. If the committee certifies an ongoing surplus after accounting for population increases and inflation, the Department of Revenue must cut the individual income tax rate to lower revenue by 50% of that surplus.

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Changes to Proposed Ohio Transportation Budget Calls for Increasing Train Regulations

Billions of dollars are being allocated in Ohio’s transportation budget. As the train derailment in East Palestine is still fresh in people’s minds, lawmakers are considering a few amendments to try and prevent what happened there from happening again.

“We’ve got broad support across party lines to get this done,” state Representative Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) said.

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Toxic Train Derailment Killed More than 43,000 Aquatic Animals, Department Says

Officials estimate that more than 43,000 aquatic animals were killed after a Norfolk Southern train derailed earlier this month in eastern Ohio, causing toxic chemicals to be released into the air and water, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNTR) announced Thursday.

Residents began reporting incidents of dead fish floating in local creeks after a controlled burn was performed to prevent an explosion from train cars carrying toxic chemicals including vinyl chloride. The total estimate was calculated based on observations on Feb. 6 and 7, DTNR Director Mary Mertz said, according to Fox 8.

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Key Hunter Biden Associate Cooperating with Congress, Opening Crucial Window into Joe Biden Dealings

Congressional investigators have scored a major breakthrough by securing cooperation from Eric Schwerin, a close business associate of Hunter Biden who also had dealings with Joe Biden’s business and tax affairs.

“He is cooperating with us,” House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) revealed Thursday evening on the “Just the News, No Noise” television show. “His attorneys and my counsel are communicating on a regular basis. Now, I feel confident that he’s going to work with us, and provide us with the information that we have requested.”

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Commentary: Ohio Train Derailment Shows We Need an America First Infrastructure Policy Now More than Ever

After the massive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, our nation’s infrastructure issues are now top of mind for many American citizens. While East Palestine experienced a landmark environmental disaster after nearly 50 train cars were derailed, Biden administration officials remained silent for weeks. The derailment demonstrated a fact that is all too apparent in recent months: America’s infrastructure is being neglected, and the Biden administration’s policies are not the answer to the problems we face.

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Commentary: FDR Did Not Create America’s Middle Class

This week I have a question from Ryan who asks about economic development in America. Ryan says,

I was having a discussion with an acquaintance the other day over the causes of the post WW2 economy, more specifically why the middle class grew so large compared to the past and today. My claim was that the war devastated other countries’ industries, forcing other countries to buy from the US. This combined with the return of many men from the military to the workforce was the primary cause.

He claims that while those produced a large GDP, it did not explain why the middle class grew. Instead he advocates that the primary cause was the FDR policies of wealth redistribution, high tax rates, and strong labor unions. As such, he advocates for a return to those policies today.

What would be your perspective on this and where might one go to further research it?

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Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Blasts DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg for ‘Tokenizing’ People of Ohio

Nearly three weeks after a toxic chemical-spewing train derailment, U.S. Secretary Pete Buttigieg finally toured the devastation left behind in East Palestine, OH. 

Ohio resident and newly announced Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy at a campaign stop in Iowa criticized President Joe Biden’s transportation chief for “leadership from behind.”

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Tennessee Comptrollers Office Offers Report Addressing Tennessee State University Student Housing Shortage

The Tennessee Comptrollers Office has released a report questioning the effectiveness of the leadership at Tennessee State University (TSU). The primary focus of the report is on the University’s recent housing controversy, and its need to explore alternative options due to overcrowding. However, the report also covers TSU’s policies around the awarding of scholarships, the governing board’s competency, and the university’s financial management.

Like many universities across the country, TSU has seen a growth in enrollments during the post-pandemic years. Coupled with an increasing interest in traditional Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from students planning to enroll in college, TCU has seen its enrollment from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022 increase by 1,141 students. Simultaneously, the university’s scholarship budget grew from $6.4 million to $28.3.

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FBI Gone Wild: Internal Memos Chronicle Years of Drunk Driving, Lost Weapons and Other Misconduct

Scores of FBI employees have been caught over the last five years engaging in unethical and illegal conduct such as driving drunk, stealing property, assaulting a child, mishandling classified documents, and losing their service weapons — but they often escaped being fired, according to internal disciplinary files provided to Just The News. 

One agent left a highly lethal M4 carbine unsecured in his government car during a Starbucks run and had the weapon stolen, but even he received only a two-week suspension despite violating the bureau’s protocols for weapons storage, the records show.

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‘Do No Harm’ Exposes Infiltration of Woke Ideologies in Tennessee Medical Schools

A report obtained by The Tennessee Star, published by an organization of physicians, healthcare professionals, medical students, patients, and policymakers, reveals the pervasive infiltration of woke diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideologies in Tennessee medical school curricula and programs.

The report from Do No Harm, titled The DEI Bureaucracy in Tennessee’s Medical Schools: Woke Ideologies Are Reshaping Medical Education in the Volunteer State,” warns of vast implications for medical students and all who receive medical care in the state of Tennessee.

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Florida’s DeSantis Announces New Initiative to Combat Illegal Immigration

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday an extensive legislative plan to address the border crisis.

His proposal comes as record numbers of foreign nationals have illegally entered through the southern border and made their way to Florida or are continuing to be apprehended by state and federal law enforcement officers as they attempt to enter Florida illegally by sea.

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Commentary: Success in Education Will Determine Civilizational Order vs Post-Modern Anarchy

There is no subject of greater importance – and controversy – today in America than that of education. And nowhere is the clash between civilizational order and post-modern anarchy on greater display than with New College of Florida, a tiny liberal-arts college in Sarasota. The New York Times recently described the reaction of “students, parents, and faculty members” to Governor Ron DeSantis’s reforms of the college in a curious way: “a political assault on their academic freedom.”

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Conservatives Have Their Work Cut Out for Themselves in Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

Supreme Court Justice candidate Daniel Kelly emerged victorious from Tuesday’s primary election, but the conservative finished a distant second to his opponent, far left Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz. 

While Kelly and fellow conservative candidate, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow, divided up the right side vote (24 percent and 22 percent, respectively),  Protasiewicz grabbed 46.5 percent on her own. 

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New Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Barnstorms Iowa to Campaign on His Unapologetic Message of American Exceptionalism

Running on four hours of sleep from his trip to New Hampshire the day before, newly announced Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy crisscrossed central and eastern Iowa Thursday, bringing the first-in-the-nation caucus state an unapologetic message of American exceptionalism he believes will take him all the way to the White House. 

The 37-year-old Ohio entrepreneur crowned by The New Yorker as the “CEO of Anti-Woke Inc”, paid a call on Republican lawmakers Thursday morning at the Iowa Statehouse, then joined a Republican Women’s group for lunch in the Quad Cities, was back in the Des Moines metro for an afternoon business roundtable at a production plant in Ankeny before capping the day at a Polk County Republicans event in Urbandale. 

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State Rep. David Livingston Sends Follow-Up Letter to Hobbs Regarding Inauguration Funds, Answers Lead to More Questions

Arizona State Rep. David Livingston (R-Peoria) sent another letter to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) Wednesday demanding more answers regarding where she is placing funds for 2023 inauguration events. While Livingston did receive answers to his first letter, he said those have only led to more questions.

“Those records have not alleviated my concerns regarding your administration’s solicitation of inaugural funds. Instead, they have prompted new concerns and this supplemental request for more information,” Livingston wrote.

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Arizona AG Kris Mayes Goes After Brnovich for Disagreeing with Two of His Staff on Voter Disenfranchisement

Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes, who replaced Mark Brnovich in office last month, released documents showing that two employees disagreed with Brnovich on the credibility of some of the complaints the office received about voter disenfranchisement. Mayes issued a press release on Wednesday based on the opinions of two employees, Assistant Chief Special Agent Keith Thomas of the Criminal Division and Attorney General (AGO) Chief Special Agent Reginald “Reggie” Grigsby.

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Ohio State Representative Derek Merrin Lays Out His Republican House Priorities

Ohio House Republican Caucus Chairman State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova) and his allied House Republicans released his team’s priority list for House legislation on Wednesday.

This comes a mere week after Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill), along with his Republican supporters, announced their legislative priorities following several weeks without any measures being formally submitted with bill numbers at all.

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Abortion Interests Clamor for Protasiewicz for Wisconsin Court Seat

Wisconsin abortion advocates are following up Tuesday’s nomination of liberal Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice with strident calls for her election over conservative former Justice Daniel Kelly. 

Protasiewicz and Kelly beat right-leaning Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow and progressive Judge Everett Mitchell of Dane County in Tuesday’s four-way nonpartisan primary. The following day, Dorow endorsed Kelly and Mitchell stated his support for Protasiewicz going forward. 

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Arizona Troopers Seize Enough Fentanyl to Kill Nearly 800,000 People

Arizona state troopers last week seized enough fentanyl to kill nearly 800,000 people. The fentanyl had been smuggled in a pickup truck and made it nearly 150 miles north of the border, authorities said.

Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers on Feb. 16 responded to reports of a single-vehicle collision on I-10 in Sacaton. Located just south of Phoenix, it’s a straight shot north along highways I-19 and I-10, 146 miles from Nogales, Mexico.

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Arizona State Representative Celebrates Bipartisan Passage of Voter Signature Verification Bill

The Arizona House of Representatives passed a new house bill (HB) Wednesday clarifying the early ballot envelope voter signature verification standards. This bill came from State Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale), who celebrated the bill passing with bipartisan support.

“This goes to show that when you offer reasonable and necessary solutions to problems, you can reach consensus on real solutions for the people of Arizona. We Republicans are willing to do that and yesterday, we found out that there are some Democrats that are willing to do that as well,” Kolodin said.

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State Senator Van Wanggaard Commentary: Milwaukee’s Criminal Justice System Failed Officer Peter Jerving and Milwaukee

Last week, following the killing of police officer Peter Jerving, local and state leaders alike called for change to stop the senseless, preventable, tragic violence in Milwaukee. And they’re right. While the causes of violence are many, solving the crisis that is the Milwaukee criminal justice system would go a long way. 

Let’s start with the front line – police officers and police policies.

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Commentary: One-Size-Fits-All Education Doesn’t Work Well, but Diversity Advocates Are Hitting the Accelerator

There’s a world of difference in the abilities of elementary school students in the Trotwood-Madison City School District, outside Dayton, Ohio. Some low-performing fifth graders are only capable of reading first-grade picture books with basic words like dog and cat, says Angie Fugate, a district specialist focusing on gifted education. In the same classrooms, the aces read at a sixth-grade level, devouring thick novels that adults also enjoy, including the Harry Potter series.  

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China Calls for Russo-Ukrainian Peace Talks as War’s One-Year Mark Arrives

China called for a ceasefire in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict this week and for the start of peace negotiations as the war’s one-year anniversary approaches Friday.

Beijing unveiled its proposals as part of a 12-point plan to end the conflict that would also see the end of Western sanctions on Russia and a number of allowances for humanitarian relief, according to the New York Post.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Visits East Palestine, Ohio

Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, visited East Palestine, Ohio, on Thursday as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced the preliminary findings of its investigation into the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train transporting hazardous materials.

The February 3rd derailment has caused significant health and environmental concerns for the locals, who have expressed dissatisfaction at how slowly the federal government has responded to the emergency.

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Pennsylvania Residents Speak to State Senate About Ill Effects of Train Burn

Western Pennsylvanians who live near the site of the February 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment and subsequent burn went before a state Senate Committee Thursday to state that the event is clearly causing deleterious health consequences. 

The 53-car train derailed in the village of East Palestine, Ohio, less than a mile from where the Buckeye State abuts Beaver County in Pennsylvania. In the crash’s aftermath, the train company proceeded to burn five of the rail cars containing vinyl chloride, a course of action company officials said would avert a potentially disastrous explosion. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) initially supported what has been called the “controlled burn” but has subsequently blasted Norfolk Southern for its handling of the incident, particularly its decision to burn five cars; Shapiro asserted he was only told one car would be incinerated. 

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