Day: June 23, 2023

U.S. 13-Year-Olds Show ‘Historic Declines’ in Math and Reading

Susan Berry, PhD

Math and reading achievement for 13-year-olds in the United States is at its lowest level in decades, according to test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) examination, also known as the Nation’s Report Card.

According to results released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average mathematics score for 13-year-olds plunged nine points between the 2019‒20 and 2022‒23 school years, while the average reading score declined four points over the same time period.

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Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer Testifies During Third Day of Disbarment Trial of Trump Attorney John Eastman

Rachel Alexander

The third day of the State Bar of California (SBC) disbarment trial of Trump attorney John Eastman took place on Thursday, with the SBC calling Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and Jonathan Marks, Deputy Secretary for Elections and Commissions in Pennsylvania, as witnesses. Richer is a Republican who started a PAC for election fraud-denying Republicans, and Marks was appointed to the position under then-Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Kathryn Boockvar, a Democrat.

Attorneys for Eastman and the SBC conducted direct and cross-examination of the two witnesses. Shortly into the direct examination of Richer, as he began testifying about his confidence regarding Dominion voting machine tabulators, Eastman’s attorney Randy Miller expressed his concern to the SBC disciplinary Judge Yvette Roland that she was allowing the SBC’s witnesses like Richer to present one side but not allowing Eastman’s witnesses to testify on the same topic. He said it was “quite prejudicial,” only “getting half the story.” Roland did not change her mind. 

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Homeland Security Secretary Appoints AFT President Randi Weingarten to Security Council to Advise on Keeping Schools Safe from ‘Terrorism’

Susan Berry, PhD

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced Wednesday that American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten is among 20 new members appointed to his Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council (HSAPC), which seeks to advise the DHS secretary on “campus safety and security, improved coordination, research priorities, hiring, and more.”

“The newly appointed members are a diverse group representing higher education associations, campus law enforcement, two- and four-year colleges and universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges, and Asian American and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions,” DHS said in a press statement about the new appointments.

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Tucker Carlson Discusses RFK Jr’s Campaign in Episode Six of ‘Tucker on Twitter’

Kaitlin Housler

In the sixth episode of his newest production, “Tucker on Twitter,” former Fox News primetime host Tucker Carlson discussed his thoughts on why the media “hates” Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr.

During his 18-minute monologue released Thursday afternoon, Carlson said “there’s never been a candidate for president the media hated more than [RFK] Jr,” adding that even former President Donald Trump got a “gentle scalp massage” in regards to media coverage when compared to what RFJ Jr. has been receiving ever since he announced his candidacy.

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IRS Whistleblower Says Search Warrants, Charges for Hunter Biden Blocked, Joe Met Chinese Client

Just the News

A supervisory IRS agent divulged to Congress widespread interference in the probe of Hunter Biden, including the blockage of two search warrants and more extensive criminal charges, while also confirming the government had evidence that Joe Biden met with his son’s Chinese business partners, according to testimony released Thursday,

Just the News obtained the testimony of IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley shortly after the House Ways and Means Committee voted to pierce Hunter Biden’s tax privacy and make the agent’s allegations of preferential treatment and political interference public.

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Tennessee’s Republican AG Exits Group Sponsored by Woke Companies

Admin

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has left an organization of state attorneys general that has accepted sponsorships from left-leaning companies and nonprofits, The Daily Signal has learned. 

The organization, called the Attorneys General Alliance, is holding its annual conference this week in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The annual conference, running Monday through Thursday, was expected to attract 850 attendees from the offices of 30 state attorneys general. 

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Sen. Blackburn Slams Biden Admin for Being Soft on China

Peter D'Abrosca

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee spent Thursday morning slamming President Joe Biden and his administration for what she believes are weak policies that are allowing China to gain ground in the war for global dominance. 

“The Biden administration wants to let Communist China off the hook on COVID, Taiwan, and Cuba. Their policies will makes us more dependent on the CCP,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), attaching a video from an appearance on Fox News. 

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Poll: Trump Maintains Double-Digit Lead over DeSantis in South Carolina

Admin

Among likely South Carolina primary voters, Former President Donald Trump has maintained his lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 41 percent to 18 percent in the multi-candidate ballot, according to the latest National Research poll commissioned by American Greatness.

Last month, Trump led DeSantis 43 percent to 18 percent among likely South Carolina primary voters. This change is well within the survey’s margin of error (+/- 4.38 percent), so it is not considered to be statistically significant.

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Pennsylvania House Committee Advances Legislation Favoring Certain Contractors; GOP Flags Alleged Notice Violation

Bradley Vasoli

A Pennsylvania House of Representatives panel on Thursday passed bills to favor apprenticeship-trained labor and pay prevailing wages in state contracting in a process Republicans blasted as illegitimate.

The House Labor and Industry Committee reported both bills to the full chamber, with all 12 Democrats supportive and all nine Republicans opposed.

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New State Budget Sends New Hampshire School Spending Soaring, Even as Enrollment Declines

Admin

Fewer students and falling test scores couldn’t stop New Hampshire politicians from pouring even more money into the state’s public school system. It is part of a decades-long trend of Granite State taxpayers spending more money to teach fewer children and getting declining results.

Gov. Chris Sununu bragged the FY 2024-25 budget “provides more money for public education than ever before.”

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University of New Hampshire Poll: State GOP Voters Stick with Trump in Classified Docs Case, But Indies Say He’s Guilty

Admin

In the eyes of most Granite Staters, former President Donald Trump is a criminal. But that’s not stopping a majority of Republicans from giving the former president their thumbs up.

And, echoing the findings of the NHJournal/coefficient poll released last week, Republicans in the latest Granite State Poll, a States of Opinion Project, out of the UNH Survey Center said Trump’s indictment on federal charges made it more, not less, likely they’ll support him.

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Democratic Virginia Candidates Compete for Primary Wins in Newly Drawn Districts

The Center Square

In yesterday’s General Assembly primaries, competition was fierce among Democrats for unclaimed Senate districts newly defined in Virginia’s last redistricting in 2021. 

Incumbents represented a little more than one-third of the commonwealth’s senatorial candidates. Ten Democratic Senators returned to contend for their seats, with eight competing against newcomers and two squaring off against each other for the up-for-grabs 18th District. Four of the eight incumbent-challenger Democratic races went to the current Senators.

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Data: Michigan Labor Force Grew in May

The Center Square

Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in 16 of Michigan’s 17 labor market areas over the month, according to data released today by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.

“Regional jobless rates advanced in May as residents began entering the summer job market,” labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics Wayne Rourke said in a statement. “Payroll employment rose in most metro areas over the month.”

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Virginia Primary Voters Decide on GOP Candidates

The Center Square

Tuesday’s primaries in Virginia saw two hotly contested Republican Senate races, and five that were won by a substantial margin after the most recent redistricting scrambled seats.

Former state Sen. Glen Sturtevant eked out a victory over Sen. Amanda Chase, the incumbent of the 11th district, which was redistricted to what is now the commonwealth’s 12th Senate district. Newcomer Nikki Baldwin ran for the 29th district in her first race for public office while battling it out with Maria Martin, who competed unsuccessfully in 2019 against Democrat Luke Torian for Delegate district 52, in her second race for public office. 

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Clinton-Appointed Judge Strikes Down Florida Ban on Medicaid Payments for Sex Changes

Admin

A federal judge struck down Florida’s prohibition on Medicaid coverage for sex-change treatments, a rule previously set up by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Robert Hinkle, a U.S. District Judge appointed by former President Bill Clinton, ruled that Florida’s ban on Affordable Care Act coverage for puberty blockers and hormone therapy for people in Florida violated equal protection rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Hinkle called the rule “purposeful discrimination” and said the ban was instituted by DeSantis and the Republican-controlled legislature “for political reasons.”

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Ohio House Passes SAFE Act, Save Women’s Sports Act, and Parents Bill of Rights

Hannah Poling

The Ohio House of Representatives passed two Republican-backed pieces of legislation on Wednesday one that aims to protect women’s sports and children from exploitation in the state and one that aims to require school systems to have policies in place that allow parents to be more active in their child’s education.

The Ohio House passed House Bill (HB) 68, known as the SAFE Act, with the Save Women’s Sports Act amended into it by a 64-28 vote and HB 8, known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, by a 65-29 vote advancing both pieces of legislation to the Ohio Senate for their review.

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Ohio National Guard Commander Awarded for Being a Role Model Despite Pushing Journalist in East Palestine

Hannah Poling

The two-star commander of the Ohio National Guard who made national headlines for pushing a journalist during an East Palestine news conference earlier this year has been given a leadership award for being “a role model for others.”

Major General John C. Harris Jr. received the Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award from the Baldrige Foundation on Wednesday for his role-model leadership “challenging, encouraging, and empowering others to achieve performance excellence.”

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Biden Admin Gives Ford, Foreign Company Whopping $9 Billion Loan for EV Plants

Admin

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday announced a conditional loan of up to $9.2 billion to a joint electric vehicle venture between Ford and Korean battery maker SK On.

When combined with state subsidies offered to the joint venture, known as BlueOval SK, the record-breaking loan means that taxpayers will be financing nearly the entire $11.4 billion investment by Ford and SK, according to Blomberg. The loan is the latest in a series of increasingly large offers from the DOE’s Loan Program Office (LPO), which had its lending authority surge to $400 billion — more than 10 times the $33 billion it has issued since 2009 —following the passage of President Joe Biden’s signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act.

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Commentary: School Choice’s Rapid Post-Pandemic Expansion Sets Up a Big Pass/Fail Test for Education

RealClearWire

A growing number of states are adopting a comprehensive new type of school choice program that would pose a threat to public schools if many students were to leave them for a private education. 

Eight states – including Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and West Virginia – have approved “universal” or near-universal school choice laws since 2021. They open the door completely to school choice by making all students, including those already in private schools and from wealthy families, eligible for about $7,000 to $10,000 in state funding each year for their education. 

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