New Documentary Exposes Ivy League Privilege and the Students it Shuts Out

“Exclusion U,” a feature documentary released this year, details how Ivy League universities accumulate billions of dollars as they restrict class sizes, turn away qualified students, and favor the children of the rich.

“Ivy League endowments are worth $193 billion dollars, but they only educate 0.3 percent of U.S. undergrads,” the film’s narrator stated. “That’s less than 63,000 students.”

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China Has Operated Spy Facilities in Cuba Since at Least 2019, White House Says

The White House clarified Saturday that China has operated a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, according to The Wall Street Journal, following reporting that Beijing reached a tentative agreement to set up a new operation somewhere on the island country.

The White House on Friday had characterized as “inaccurate” the WSJ’s first report of a planned Chinese surveillance outpost in Cuba focused on intercepting electronic communications, including emails and radio transmissions, in the southeast U.S. However, White House officials told the outlet Saturday that the Biden administration has worked to tamp down on China’s repeated attempts to spy on the U.S. since Biden took office, and said China has had a surveillance operation in Cuba since at least 2019.

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America’s Biggest Public Pension Has No Plans to Pull Investments from China as Others Flee

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has no plans to divest from Chinese assets despite other large pensions pulling funds due to geopolitical risks, according to a statement given to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

CalPERS, which is the largest U.S. public pension and covers California’s public employees, has “no [sic] new initiatives to announce at this time,” a spokesperson told the DCNF when asked if CalPERS would divest from Chinese assets. The DCNF calculated over $3.6 billion in Chinese investments across numerous Chinese companies in the pension’s portfolio from its 2022 fiscal year report.

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Drug Manufacturers, CVS, Walgreens Settle Another Opioid Lawsuit with 22 States for $17.3 Billion

Thirteen attorneys general announced settlements with opioid manufacturers Teva and Allergan on Friday, while 18 states settled with CVS and Walgreens for a total of $17.3 billion.

The attorneys general said settlement funds will start flowing into state and local governments by the end of this year and will be used for prevention and treatment of opioid addiction.

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Commentary: Unmasking the CDC’s In-House Intelligence Service

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is departing at the end of June and Joe Biden has tapped former North Carolina health boss Dr. Mandy Cohen to replace her. More important than the identity of the CDC director is what goes on behind the scenes, and hints have been emerging.

In April of 2021, the CDC reassigned Dr. Nancy Messonnier, longtime director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). In a May 7, 2021 White House briefing, Walensky suddenly announced that Messonnier was stepping down.

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Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Legislation Raising Tax Deduction for Joint Filers

Two Republican Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill that would raise the annual tax deduction limit for married, joint filers.

House Bill (HB) 125 sponsored by State Representatives Adam Mathews’ (R-Lebanon) and Nick Santucci (R- Howland Township) aims to increase the annual deduction limit for married, joint filers for contributions to state 529 plans and Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE)savings accounts as well as index the annual deduction limits to inflation.

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University of Cincinnati Professor Melanie Rose Nipper Defends Giving Student a Zero Grade for Use of ‘Biological Women’

A gender studies professor defended her decision to give a student a failing grade on an assignment because she used the term “biological women,” claiming the phrase perpetuates “systemic harm.”

Olivia Krolczyk, a student at the University of Cincinnati, made a viral video discussing how her unnamed professor had awarded her a zero on an assignment in which she had argued that biological men, or transgender women, have an unfair advantage over biological women when they compete on the same sports team, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. University of Cincinnati Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies professor Melanie Rose Nipper admitted to the outlet that she awarded Krolczyk a zero for her use of “biological women,” stating that the right to free speech and debate ends when “you are, intentionally or unintentionally, participating in a systemic harm of some kind.”

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Measure to Require Parole Information be Published Online Heads to Gov. Evers’ Desk

The fate of a Republican sponsored bill that seeks to compel the state’s parole commission to post its decisions online about who has been granted and denied parole is now in the hands of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.

By a 29-4 vote, the Senate recently advanced the measure with some changes after an earlier version of it previously passed the Assembly on the strength of bipartisan support. Under the parameters of the newly proposed measure, the Department of Corrections would be required to post the names of individuals granted parole, denied parole or returned to prison following the revocation of parole.

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AG Kris Mayes Faces Bar Complaint Alleging Violation of Duties to State Clients

A bar complaint was filed against Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes last week. Chandler resident Charlie Schinke accused Mayes of violating her ethical duties to two state clients by threatening one with a potential criminal investigation and publicly admonishing another client in a press release.

Schinke asked the State Bar of Arizona to investigate whether Mayes violated Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct 1.6 and 1.7. He said, “In just the last month, Ms. Mayes appeared on television to threaten one of her clients with an investigation that could carry potential criminal dimensions, and publicly admonished another client in letters that she distributed in a press release.” He added, “The Attorney General’s self-appointed status as the investigator of her own clients not only is inconsistent with her statutory responsibilities but compromises the ethical obligations that bind all members of the Arizona Bar.” Schinke explained, “Attorney General Mayes’ public criticisms of, and threats to investigate, her own clients are inconsistent with her duties of confidentiality and loyalty.”

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Northern Virginia Commission Identifies $600 Million Worth of Climate-Change Projects

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission evaluated the climate-change readiness of the region and its military installations – identifying 129 projects to address readiness gaps.

Utilizing a $1.5 million Department of Defense grant, multiple counties and municipal governments participated in the study, such as Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties, home to Joint Base Ft. Myer-Henderson Hall, Ft. Belvoir and the 58,000-acre Quantico Marine base.

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Bipartisan Pennsylvania Bill Would Allow ‘Personal Option’ Through Association Health Plans

A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania state lawmakers are championing legislation enabling small-business association healthcare plans to offer workers affordable coverage. 

Such plans facilitate lower costs by allowing business and industry organizations to pool their members and negotiate insurance prices. The measure’s author, Representative Valerie Gaydos (R-Moon Township), was among numerous sponsors who told The Pennsylvania Daily Star they experienced firsthand how governmental burdens have made it harder for companies to provide their members with inexpensive medical coverage. Gaydos said this is particularly true since the Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, heavily restricted association plans. 

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Georgia Uses $83.5 Million in COVID Relief Money for Public Safety Grants

Georgia is giving out more than $83.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money as grants to fund 118 public safety projects across the Peach State.

Departments can use the funds to augment law enforcement staffing and support violent crime reduction initiatives or intervention programs. They can also use the money to invest in technology and equipment to address the uptick in violence and personnel shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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With DeSantis Opposition, State Funding Highly Unlikely for New Rays Stadium

While the owners of the Tampa Bay Rays want a new stadium and a plan could be approved as soon as this fall, state funding will likely not be forthcoming due to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policy against public funding of professional sports stadiums.

Team owner Stuart Sternberg has denied rumors that the team would leave St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field, but team officials want a replacement for the domed stadium built in 1990 and home to the team since their debut in 1998. The team’s lease at Tropicana Field expires in 2027.

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Education Hotline Allegedly Catches CRT in Arizona Schools, Violating State Law

Since Department of Education Superintendent Tom Horne introduced the Empower School Hotline in March, the department has received calls and emails reporting critical race theory in Arizona schools.

The Department of Education said Thursday that parents had called the hotline with evidence that schools have offered students content regarding gender issues forbidden under state law. Examples include keeping pronoun changes within the classroom, or providing emancipation paperwork to all students in a Gay-Straight Alliance club meeting.

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Western Caucus Introduces Copper Industry Protections Bill

A group of Republicans announced on June 8 that they’ve introduced the Copper is Critical Act to Congress as a protection against potential future environmental restrictions upon the industry.

The bill comes shortly after U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s recent restrictions on drilling and mining on public land in northwest New Mexico. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., views this as a threat to his home state, where copper mining is a leading industry, largely conducted on public and indigenous land.

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George Soros Gives His ‘More Political’ Son Control Of $25 Billion Empire

Billionaire George Soros has handed control of his $25 billion financial empire to his son Alexander, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The board of Open Society Foundations elected the younger Soros, who describes himself as “more political” than his father, as chairman in December, a position that George Soros said his younger son “earned,” according to the WSJ. Alexander is the only member of the family that serves on the committee overseeing Soros Fund Management, the chief engine of the $25 billion Soros financial empire.

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Scandal-Plagued Civil Rights Group Launches Attack on Parental Rights Groups

The Alabama-based civil rights organization that made its name suing the Ku Klux Klan has put parental rights groups in its sights and for the first time has started tracking the “antigovernment movement” ideology in its annual “Year in Hate & Extremism” reports.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) added “reactionary anti-student inclusion groups” to a list of 702 “antigovernment extremism” groups it tracked in 2022, separate from 523 “hate” groups. The organization focused almost exclusively on just one in its annual report published this week: Florida-based Moms for Liberty, far and away the leader in chapters nationwide.

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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Endorses Ron DeSantis for President

Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican presidential nomination on Saturday.

The two-term governor threw his support behind DeSantis during a speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, following the endorsement from 20 of the state’s legislators and former Oklahoma Congressman and Trump-appointee Jim Bridenstine, according to a campaign press release. Stitt said he endorsed DeSantis because he’s a “strong conservative and principled leader.”

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Children Exposed to Bizarre Nude Performance at ‘All Ages’ Oregon State University Drag Event

Underage children were exposed to adult nudity at a recent drag show at Oregon State University’s Lasells Stewart Center, hosted by the student-fee funded campus LGBTQ group Rainbow Continuum on June 2.

The drag performance—called “Illegal Drag Show”—openly encouraged LGBTQ members to “Be Gay. Do Crime.” An Instagram post advertised the event to “all ages,” alongside a note that it would contain “adult themes.”

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TN Faith & Freedom Coalition Calls on Gov. Lee to Cancel Special Session on Gun Control ‘In the Interest of Public Safety’ Due to Danger from Far Left Activists

The Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) called on Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) Monday to cancel his proposed August 21 special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.

“We are writing you because you have made it clear that you are planning to use your authority to officially call an ill-advised special session of the Tennessee General Assembly on August 21st to address gun issues in the aftermath of the Covenant School shooting tragedy, a heinous and despicable act committed by a mentally ill individual who claimed to be on the transgender spectrum,” the TNFFC said in a letter sent to the governor. A copy of the letter was also sent to all members of the Tennessee General Assembly.

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DeSantis, Pence Stay in ‘Safe Lanes’ on Trump at Greensboro GOP Convention Appearance

Republican presidential rivals chose a safe lane while delivering keynote speeches at the annual North Carolina Republican Convention in Greensboro on Friday and Saturday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was clear in an analogy to reference former President Donald Trump and his legal troubles though he didn’t mention his name, and former Vice President Mike Pence urged patience and prayer.

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Commentary: Breaking Down the Biden Administration’s Political Weaponization Higher Education

The Media Research Center (MRC) has revealed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using the “Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program” to single out and vilify political opposition- effectively criminalizing freedom of thought and free association. This is the same DHS that has classified the American people’s personal “thoughts, ideas, and beliefs” as “critical infrastructure” and “cognitive assets.”

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University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s School of Nursing Recognized as Best in the State

The “largest website and community of nurses online,” nurse.org, named the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s (UTC) School of Nursing as the best in the state as part of its 2023 nurse.org Best Nursing Schools by state rankings.

In its ranking explanation, nurse.org cited UTC’s National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Exam (NCLEX) pass rate of 96 percent. Graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse upon completion of the bachelor’s program in nursing. The national average NCLEX pass rate is 82 percent.

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Pollsters Shift Five House Seats Toward Dems After SCOTUS Ruling

The Cook Political Report updated the ratings of five House races across several states in 2024 on Thursday, shifting them towards Democrats after the Supreme Court ruled against Alabama’s redistricting plan.

The Court struck down Alabama’s GOP-drawn Congressional map for the 2022 midterm elections on Thursday, ruling in Allen v. Milligan that the was racially discriminatory and diluted African-American voting strength in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The decision’s implications mean that more House seats in Alabama are likely to be competitive in the 2024 election, with the Cook Political Report reflecting those changes in its ratings.

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Biden Admin Taps New Border Chief

The Biden administration has tapped Jason Owens to lead Border Patrol next, according to an internal agency email sent by Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Troy Miller obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Owens has served in the agency for 25 years and is currently chief of the Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector in Texas. Outgoing Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz announced his retirement on May 30 after overseeing the agency during a time of record migration at the southern border, where CBP recorded more than 2.3 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2022 alone.

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U.S. Sees 1,000 Percent Surge in Migrants from Afghanistan, China

Border Patrol has seen 1,000% increases in migrants coming from Afghanistan, China and other countries far from U.S. borders between fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023.

The surges include migrants from Algeria, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Paraguay and Vietnam, outgoing Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz wrote on Twitter Friday. It has been challenging to deport such migrants, Ortiz said.

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GOP Presidential Candidates Hold Varying Positions on U.S. Involvement in Ukraine

Republican Party Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy recently laid out a plan that he says would end the war in Ukraine while breaking up Russia’s  growing alliance with China.

Newly minted presidential candidate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum says, “Support for Ukraine is important to stop empowering countries like Russia in the first place by selling US energy to our allies.”

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TCAP Retakes Reveal Most Tennessee Third Graders Are Not Proficient in Language Arts

The Tennessee Department of Education released district-level data on Tuesday from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) retake opportunity, one of the pathways to promotion for third-grade students who failed to score proficient on the original administration of the assessment.

Statewide, roughly 44,000 students, which translates to 60 percent of the state’s third-graders who took the initial assessment, did not score proficient on the spring TCAP English Language Arts assessment. By law, those students are eligible for a retake exam. According to the TDOE, over 25,000 students took advantage of the opportunity.

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Connecticut Gov. Lamont Signs Bill Authorizing Early Voting

Connecticut has become the latest state to authorize early voting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic under a bill signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday. 

The measure, which cleared the state Legislature last week, authorizes a 14-day early voting period for general elections, a seven-day period for primaries, and a four-day early voting period for special elections and presidential primaries. 

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Virginia Gov. Youngkin Rails Against ‘Two-Tiered Justice System’ After Trump Indictment

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday fumed over the charges against former President Donald Trump brought special counsel Jack Smith, contending the case signified a stark disparity in the application of justice by the government.

“These charges are unprecedented and it’s a sad day for our country, especially in light of what clearly appears to be a two-tiered justice system where some are selectively prosecuted, and others are not,” the governor tweeted. “Parents in Virginia know firsthand what it’s like to be targeted by politically motivated actions. Regardless of your party, this undermines faith in our judicial system at exactly the time when we should be working to restore that trust.”

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Maricopa County GOP Censures Attorney for Requesting Sanctions Against Kari Lake

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican, is in hot water with Republicans after representing the Maricopa County Supervisors (MCBOS) twice asking for sanctions against Kari Lake over her election lawsuits. A judge derisively dismissed the second request a couple of weeks ago, prompting the Maricopa County Republican Committee (MCRC) to censure Mitchell on June 6. 

Brian Ference, member at large with the MCRC and behind many of the group’s recent censures, told The Arizona Sun Times, “The recent censures show an unprecedented level of unity of Republicans holding their elected officials accountable. Just like with Rusty Bowers, the critical part is to take them as a call to action to door knock and inform the voters and then primary them.”

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Wisconsin Assembly Approves Financial Literacy Class

Students in Wisconsin are a step closer to having to take a financial literacy class to graduate from high school.

The Assembly on Wednesday approved a plan that would require a class on credit, credit cards, investing, and basic financial skills. State Rep. Calvin Callahan, R-Tomahawk, said the idea is to make sure that high schoolers can make smart financial decisions once on their own.

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Four Arizonans Sentenced for $24 Million in Fraudulent COVID Aid Payouts

Four individuals will be spending years behind bars for fraudulently obtaining tens of millions of dollars by posing as business owners asking for COVID-19 aid, a now-common finding nationwide.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Arizona District announced Thursday that Willie Mitchell, aka Blu Mitchell, 41, of Phoenix, Sean Swaringer, 57, of Peoria, Kimberly Coleman, 39, of Mesa, and Jason Coleman, 41, of Mesa, were sentenced for their parts in a network of fraudulent applications. 

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Commentary: Multiculturalism Toppled Rome

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Roman emperor Gaius assembled a massive invasion force and marched it across Europe to the English Channel. The elite of the greatest army in the world, along with a massive array of siege engines, drew up in battle formation along the shore, awaiting orders. Mounting a platform, Gaius commanded the trumpets to sound and then issued the orders: “Gather shells!” The soldiers frantically scrambled around the beach to fill their helmets with seashells. Gaius then erected a monument to celebrate this “victory against the sea” and transported the “booty” a thousand miles back to Rome for a triumphal march. 

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Only One-Third of Generation Z Is ‘Very Proud’ to Live in America

A new survey confirms the ongoing decline in patriotism among younger Americans, with just over one-third of the youngest generation expressing great pride in the fact that they are Americans.

As the Daily Caller reports, the poll by Morning Consult asked Americans about whether or not they would prefer to buy American-made products, even if it meant spending more money than they would for foreign-made goods. Baby Boomers, the current oldest generation, were the most likely to buy “made in America” products.

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