Month: October 2023

In California, Violent Crime Rises While Arrests Fall

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New crime statistics reveal that in the state of California, violent crime has risen sharply while arrests have fallen, despite a decrease in violent crime nationwide.

As reported by Just The News, the newly-released FBI statistics show that, from 2021 to 2022, the rate of violent crime in California for every 100,000 people rose from 481.2 to 499.5, despite a nationwide decrease from 387 to 380.7. Meanwhile, arrests declined all over the state, falling dramatically below pre-pandemic levels.

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Commentary: Notorious Southern Poverty Law Center Tries to Blacklist Turning Point USA, Project Veritas from Donor-Advised Funds

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by Tyler O’Neil   The Southern Poverty Law Center routinely attempts to shame charities into blacklisting conservative nonprofits to defund the SPLC’s ideological opponents, whom it brands as hateful. This week, the SPLC released a report condemning six donor-advised funds for directing money to “extremist finance.” The report aims to shame the charity sector into blacklisting specific organizations. The list includes many of the SPLC’s former targets, but it also features two new names: Turning Point USA and Project Veritas. As I explain in my book “Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center,” the SPLC took the program it had used to bankrupt organizations associated with the Ku Klux Klan and weaponized it against conservative groups, partially to scare its donors into ponying up cash and partially to silence ideological opponents. Amid a racial discrimination and sexual harassment scandal in which the SPLC fired its co-founder, a former employee called the “hate” accusations a “highly profitable scam.” The SPLC brands conservative Christian nonprofits that advocate religious freedom, such as Alliance Defending Freedom and Family Research Council, “anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups,” while it brands organizations that advocate enforcing U.S. immigration law, such as the Center for Immigration Studies, “anti-immigrant hate groups.”…

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Common Themes on Energy Policy Emerge Among Republican Presidential Candidates

Just the News

by Kevin Killough   In the past few years, America has seen high inflation rates and a faltering economy that some observers say will go into a recession. The latest conflict in the Middle East could likely pose a significant disruption in global energy supplies. Where the GOP contenders stand on energy policies will likely weigh heavily on voters’ decisions in 2024. Just The News highlights the key points the top Republican candidates have made with regard to energy policy during their campaigns. Donald Trump When former President Donald Trump, the current leader in the 2024 presidential race, sat down with Association of Mature American Citizens’ (AMAC) Rebecca Weber and Just The News’ John Solomon, he said that at the end of his term in 2020, America was energy independent. “We didn’t need anybody’s energy. We didn’t have to give them arms or armies. We didn’t have to guard anybody. We didn’t have to keep the Gulf open. We were totally set,” Trump said. In another six months, Trump said, the U.S. would have been energy dominant, meaning it would be the largest producer and exporter of oil and gas in the world. Trump told Weber and Solomon that unleashing American oil is key to the country’s economic…

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U.S. Urges Americans to Flee Lebanon, Accuses Hamas of Blocking Americans from Leaving Gaza

Just the News

by John Solomon   The State Department on Sunday night urged U.S. citizens to depart from Lebanon because of an “unpredictable security situation” while accusing Hamas of blocking Americans from fleeing Gaza ahead of an expected Israeli offensive. “To date, at least, Hamas has blocked them (Americans) from leaving, showing once again its total disregard for civilians of any kind who are stuck in Gaza,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS News. Meanwhile, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs posted an urgent alert Sunday night to X, formerly known as Twitter, to Americans in Lebanon. “U.S. citizens who wish to depart Lebanon should leave now, due to the unpredictable security situation,” the department tweeted. “There are still commercial flights available, but there is reduced capacity.” Lebanon: U.S. citizens who wish to depart Lebanon should leave now, due to the unpredictable security situation. There are still commercial flights available, but there is reduced capacity. Please check flight options at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport… pic.twitter.com/7tjvXHlXle — Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) October 22, 2023 The post gave readers resources, including flight options from Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. “The Department of State urges U.S. citizens not to travel to Lebanon,” the U.S.…

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Middle TN Democratic Socialists of America Hold ‘All Out For Palestine’ Rally in Nashville

Kaitlin Housler

The Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) held a second rally in support of the terrorist group Hamas on Sunday in front of the Nashville Metropolitan Courthouse. About 300 vocal supporters attended, chanting slogans indicating support for a “Free Palestine” and the ouster of Israel from the region.

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Biden Admin Reports Over 3 Million Illegal Aliens Cross America’s Borders in Single Year

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For the first time ever, U.S. border agents encountered over 3.2 million illegal aliens on America’s borders in a single fiscal year, a number that is greater than the combined population of Hawaii, Alaska, and Vermont.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CPB, reported Saturday that agents encountered 3,201,144 illegal immigrants at or between ports of entry to the country between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023. (The federal government’s fiscal year runs from October through September.)

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New York A.G. Flouts Court Orders by Pressuring Social Media to Censor ‘Hateful’ Speech, Lawyers Say

Just the News

Free speech battles over Hamas terrorism against Israeli civilians and the Jewish state’s military response aren’t just roiling college campuses such as New York University, which is investigating its law school’s student body president for using her office to blame Israel.

They could get the Empire State’s attorney general in trouble with a federal judge.

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Tennessee Supreme Court: Man Can’t Continue to Short-Term Rent Home

The Center Square

A DeKalb County homeowner won part of his short-term rental case in front of the Tennessee Supreme Court but he still won’t be able to short-term rent the property in the future due to amendments to homeowners association rules that came after his purchase.

Pratik Pandharipande bought a property in the Four Seasons neighborhood on Center Hill Lake in 2015 and began to lease the property on a short-term basis between two and 28 days.

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Supreme Court Takes Up Landmark Government Censorship Case

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The Supreme Court on Friday took up Missouri v. Biden, the free speech case challenging the Biden administration’s efforts to censor content on social media, while issuing a pause on a preliminary injunction granted by a lower court.

Republican attorneys general from Missouri and Louisiana sued the Biden administration over its communications with social media companies related to the suppression of online speech, arguing it violated the First Amendment. District of Louisiana Judge Terry A. Doughty issued an injunction in July blocking certain parts of President Joe Biden’s administration from colluding with social media platforms to censor content online. The Supreme Court paused the injunction, but agreed to take up the case, according to the court order.

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D.C. Judge Pauses Trump Gag Order in January 6 Case

Just the News

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday agreed to temporarily pause a gag order she imposed on former President Donald Trump while he appeals the decision.

Chutkan on Monday issued the order, prohibiting him from publicly attacking the court staff, the prosecution, and any potential witnesses. The judge is overseeing special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 case against the former president. Trump has vocally accused Smith of pursuing a political witch hunt against him to derail his 2024 White House bid.

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‘The Chosen’ Season Four to Debut in Theaters This February

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“I know it’s hard,” Jesus (played by Jonathan Roumie) says in a voiceover for “The Chosen’s” Season 4 teaser. “Man makes it much harder when he leans on his own understanding.” 

The smash hit’s fourth season premieres in theaters on Feb. 1, 2024, producers announced Monday. The rollout will begin in the U.S. and Canada with a two-week run of episodes 1-3 on Feb. 1, followed by episodes 4-6 beginning Feb. 15, and Episodes 7-8 beginning Feb. 29, according to a news release. 

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Knoxville Man Convicted for Providing Support to ISIS

Peter D'Abrosca

A Knoxville man was convicted for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). 

“On Oct. 19, following an eight-day trial, a jury convicted Benjamin Carpenter, 31, of Knoxville, Tennessee, aka Abu Hamza, of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a foreign terrorist organization,” the release says. 

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Hennepin Healthcare Holds Yearlong Program on How ‘Microaggressions’ Create ‘Health Inequities’

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Hennepin Healthcare has employees participate in a yearlong “journey” so they can reflect upon alleged racial disparities within healthcare.

“Training is for one year with monthly mandatory assignments, videos, meetings, and discussions that, whether by design or by chance, remind you that you are inherently racist,” a whistleblower who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation told Alpha News.

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Attorney Ben Crump Claims Leonard Cure Was ‘Triggered’ by Georgia Deputy Before Fatal Shooting

Tom Pappert

The attorney representing the family of Leonard Cure, who a Georgia deputy fatally shot during a traffic stop, claimed on Friday that Cure was “triggered” by law enforcement before the struggle that preceded his death on October 16.

Cure was fatally shot by a Camden County Sheriff’s deputy last week when he refused to cooperate with the deputy after being pulled over for allegedly driving more than 100 miles per hour. Video released by the Camden County Sheriff’s office reveals that, after being tased, a struggle ensued between the deputy and Cure. It continued despite the deputy deploying his baton and striking Cure, and only ended when the deputy removed his pistol and appeared to fire once into Cure’s abdomen.

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Plan to Change Wisconsin’s Indefinitely Confined Voter Rules Faces Opposition

The Center Square

Republicans and Democrats each question the plan to change the state’s indefinitely confined voter rules at the Wisconsin Capitol.

Rep. Cindi Duchow, R-Town of Delafield, presented her plan to tighten the state’s indefinitely confined voter law by defining what indefinitely confined means, requiring people apply for a separate indefinitely confined absentee ballot, clarifies a public health emergency does not allow people to claim indefinitely confined status and would ban people from voting indefinitely confined if they vote in person.

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Virginia’s Economic Development Agency Eyeing Quantum Computing

The Center Square

Recent advances in quantum computing have caused industry experts to believe it’s becoming viable, and Virginia wants in on the action, according to the latest edition of the Virginia Economic Review.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the state’s economic development authority, used the most recent issue of its quarterly magazine to dive into the field of quantum computing – what it is and potential ways to bring it to Virginia. 

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Expert in Disbarment Trial of Trump’s Former Attorney John Eastman Contrasts ‘Unusual’ Vote Spikes for Biden in 2020 Compared to Hillary Clinton’s Election

Rachel Alexander

The disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman continued on Thursday during its eighth week, featuring testimony from statistician Dr. Stanley Young and two character witnesses. Young, who has been designated as an expert by California Bar Disciplinary Judge Yvette Roland, spent much of the time discussing the election contrast report he co-authored with a team of statistical PhDs, which focused on what he repeatedly characterized as “unusual” differences between the number of votes Joe Biden received in 2020 versus the number of votes Hillary Clinton received in 2016.

Eastman’s attorney Randy Miller began his line of questioning asking Young about the report, which focused primarily on 10 states. Young observed how California stood out in comparison to the other states, with Biden receiving around 800,000 more “unexpected” votes than Clinton, taking into account the growth in population. In two states that decreased in population, there were around 300,000 more unexpected votes for Biden in New York, and Illinois got 75,000, he said. In some states that had population increases, the increases were significantly higher than those increases. Arizona and North Carolina each had 80,000 unexpected votes for Biden, Texas had 200,000, and Georgia over 200,000.

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Commentary: The Reason the Department of Education Is Afraid of Innovation in Higher Ed

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Online learning has revolutionized higher education, but a recent move by the federal Department of Education is threatening to tear down systems that are helping millions of students learn.

An extremely wide diversity of students choose to take online courses or to get entire online degrees. Colleges that offer them need to be nimble as the economy changes, yet traditional colleges are slow to change, and they often lack the expertise and funding to develop and manage online courses independently.

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In His Disbarment Trial, Trump’s Attorney John Eastman Discusses Alarming Findings of Wrongdoing from Official Reports About the 2020 Election

Rachel Alexander

The eighth week of the disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman wrapped up on Friday, featuring more testimony by Eastman as well as three of his character witnesses. Eastman discussed the evidence he relied upon when he gave Trump advice regarding what to do about the possibility there was cheating in the 2020 election, including official reports from the Georgia General Assembly, the Georgia State Election Board, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s office. 

Eastman’s attorney Randy Miller asked him about a Nov. 13, 2020 report that the Georgia State Election Board had Seven Hills Strategies prepare about problems in the 2020 election, which Eastman said he’d relied on. It discussed chain of custody issues surrounding ballots and the integrity of their transportation, lack of transparency, lack of access for Republican Party monitors, and incompetency by election officials. California Disciplinary Judge Yvette Roland, who contributed to Democrats while serving on the bench, refused to let him discuss it.

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Report: Murder Rate Is Higher in Blue Counties than in Red Ones

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A new report from a conservative think tank reveals that the rate of homicides have consistently been higher in Democrat-run counties than Republican-run ones since 2002.

According to Fox News, the report from the Heritage Foundation directly contradicts an unproven claim that has been repeated by many Democrats claiming that the opposite is true. California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) recently said that “8 of the top 10 murder states are red,” while far-left billionaire George Soros similarly and falsely claimed that “murder rates have been rising fastest in some Republican states led by tough-on-crime politicians.”

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Pentagon: US Recorded Nearly 200 Risky Encounters with Chinese Aircraft over Last 2 Years

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The Department of Defense (DOD) issued a statement revealing that American aircraft have had roughly 180 hostile encounters with Chinese aircraft over the last two years.

Fox News reports that Pentagon officials published evidence of this trend during a press conference on Tuesday, with Assistant Defense Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner saying that “since the fall of 2021, we have seen more than 180 such incidents.”

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Trump Endorses Jim Justice in West Virginia Senate Race

Just the News

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice in the state’s 2024 Senate race.

Justice, the state’s two-term governor, is currently seeking the Republican nomination and faces Rep. Alex Mooney in that contest. The winner of the primary will go on to seek the seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who has yet to announce his reelection plans.

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Commentary: Malicious Mitt Romney

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Throughout his unremarkable political career, Mitt Romney carefully cultivated the image of the ultimate “nice guy.” Handsome and credentialed, Romney presents himself as some sort of perfect, milquetoast functionary. Governor Romney, then Senator Romney – the perfectly unexceptional, inoffensive face to serve as advocate for Ruling Class prerogatives.

But in these late innings of his public life, Mitt shows his inner malice. In his quotes provided to biographer McKay Coppins for a new book on Romney, Mitt finally went on-the-record to express his disdain for people he publicly flattered, and his revulsion for the conservative movement he supposedly represented.

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Ambassador Callista Gingrich Commentary: Remembering the American Icon Suzanne Somers

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This past week, we lost an American icon – Suzanne Somers.

As Ambassador to the Holy See in 2019, I had the honor of traveling with a U.S. delegation, including Suzanne and her husband, Alan Hamel, on a trip to Krakow, Poland, to participate in the March of the Living.  We walked alongside 10,000 participants from Auschwitz to Birkenau to remember the 6 million Jews who died during the Holocaust and to honor the heroes and survivors of the Second World War. Throughout the trip, I was struck by Suzanne’s grace, authenticity, humor, and kindness. 

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Alaska Sues Biden Admin over Canceled Oil Leases

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Alaska is suing the Biden administration for cancelling oil and gas leases sold in the state under the Trump administration.

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) formally filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior on Wednesday, a move which it had promised to make in response to DOI’s September decision to retroactively cancel seven oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The DOI hailed the cancellations as a strong action to protect the environment, but industry groups and political officials slammed the revocations for their questionable legality and effects on the U.S. energy sector.

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Detroit Synagogue President Samantha Woll Stabbed to Death

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Breitbart Samantha Woll, 40, board president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, Michigan, was murdered Saturday, and was found stabbed to death outside her home. The Detroit Free Press reported: A politically connected Detroit synagogue president was found stabbed dead this morning outside her home in the city’s Lafayette Park neighborhood, east of downtown. Samantha Woll, 40, led the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue and previously worked for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and on the re-election campaign of Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats. READ THE FULL STORY           

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Hamas Releases Two American Hostages

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Hamas released two American hostages on Friday after detaining the U.S. citizens since it carried out terrorist attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, the State Department said.

Hamas said it released a mother and her daughter, both American citizens, for humanitarian reasons and to spite the Biden administration’s claims about Hamas’ atrocities, Hamas said in an English-language statement on Friday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later confirmed that two American hostages were transferred out of Hamas custody around 3 p.m. EST.

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Trump Fined $5,000 for Violating Gag Order, Judge Warns of ‘Imprisonment’

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The Epoch Times New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron had issued a gag order on both parties in a case New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against former President Donald Trump, prohibiting any statements that attack his court staff. On Oct. 20, he admonished the Trump legal team for what he called a “blatant violation” of the gag order. The same day, the judge issued an order fining President Trump $5,000. “Donald Trump has received ample warning from this Court as to the possible repercussions of violating the gag order. He specifically acknowledged that he understood and would abide by it. Accordingly, issuing yet another warning is no longer appropriate; this Court is way beyond the ‘warning’ stage,” he wrote. READ THE FULL STORY                      

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Joe Biden Paid Nearly $2.75 Million Cash for Rehoboth Beach House Within Weeks of Hunter Sending ‘Threatening’ Text to Chinese Business Partner Demanding to Close $10 Million Deal

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Daily Mail It’s Joe Biden‘s favorite place – his summer home in Delaware where he has decamped dozens of times during his 1,000 days as Commander-in-Chief. As DailyMail.com revealed on Tuesday he has spent at least 300 of those days either in the country’s second smallest state or on vacation. He bought the home at a time that it appeared his political career was over – five months after his Vice-Presidency had ended he was well into his 70s and after all he had decided to forgo a 2016 run for the top job. READ THE FULL STORY            

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Members Push Back on President Biden’s Lump Funding Request for Israel, Ukraine, and Border Security

Kaitlin Housler

A group of Tennessee congressional lawmakers have criticized President Joe Biden’s budget request for Congress to fund an aid package for both Ukraine and Israel.

On Friday, the White House announced the details of Biden’s $105 billion funding request, with the majority of the funding – $61.4 billion – intended for Ukraine. Further, under Biden’s request, Israel would receive $14.3 billion. The rest of the requested funds would go towards humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and other places and fund various initiatives geared toward the Indo-Pacific.

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Trump Gaining Ground with Young Voters: Poll

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Former President Donald Trump is gaining ground with young voters ahead of 2024, and is faring better than President Joe Biden among the electorate, according to a Friday poll.

Trump is leading Biden among voters aged 18 to 29 by 2 points, as well as with 30- to 39-year-olds by 11 points, according to an Emerson College survey. Trump is also leading Biden in a head-to-head matchup 47% to 45% nationally, with 8% remaining undecided.

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Campus Speech Codes Used Against Students Who Dismiss Hamas Terrorism as Israel’s Fault

Just the News

A mile and a half from the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, a free speech battle is raging over the worst terrorist attack on Israeli soil.

New York University is under fire from critics of Israel and civil libertarians for its response to pro-Palestine student activism in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas slaughter and kidnapping of Israeli civilians and Israel’s resulting Gaza offensive.

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DOJ Charges Chinese National Who Operated Illegal Biolab in California

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged a Chinese national on Thursday for crimes related to operating an illegal biolab in California, according to a press release.

Jia Bei Zhu, 62, was arrested for “manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and for making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” according to a DOJ press release. Between April and June 2023, officials in Fresno, California, discovered at least 20 potentially infectious agents, such as HIV and Malaria, as well as mice genetically engineered to carry COVID-19, at an “unlicensed” laboratory in Reedley, California, operated by Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI), the successor of defunct Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), Fresno County court records state.

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PUCO Rules New York Energy Company Cannot Do Business in Ohio

The Center Square

A New York-based green energy company plans to appeal a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ruling that ended its ability to do business in the state.

A PUCO investigation said RPA Energy, also know as Green Choice Energy, forged Ohio customer signatures and altered recorded sales calls. The commission ruled Wednesday the company can no longer do business in the state and faces a $1.44 million fine for 159 violations.

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Miyares and Other Attorneys General Side with Parental Rights over School Board

The Center Square

Leading a group of 23 attorneys general, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an amicus brief on Wednesday on behalf of the plaintiffs in Mahmoud v. McKnight, a lawsuit involving Maryland parents and the Montgomery County School Board. 

Along with over 30 other states, Maryland law includes an opt-out provision that allows parents to excuse their children from sex education courses or lectures. About half the states require parents to be notified when their children will receive sex education, including Maryland.

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Commentary: The People in Charge of Our Money Supply Have No Idea What They’re Doing

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If you still think the people running America’s central bank understand inflation and interest rates, think again.

A prime example is Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Austan Goolsbee, who was wrong about inflation and is now wrong about interest rates and a soft landing for the economy. He is an ideologue clearly undeterred by facts—a scary reality for someone who helps control the money supply.

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Minnesota Rep. Signals to Colleagues He’s Planning to Challenge Biden for Presidential Nomination: Report

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Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips has signaled that he is planning on running against President Joe Biden in 2024, Politico reported Thursday.

Phillips has been considering a White House bid for months, and relayed his aspirations to run to House colleagues, two sources familiar told Politico. The congressman has signaled that he’s inching toward a presidential campaign, as the outlet reports that he reached out to the New Hampshire Democratic Party last week and approached potential staffers to bolster his expected efforts in the key early state.

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Michigan Senate Candidate Paid Rent to Company Linked to One of Her Donors

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Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan paid rent to a company linked to a donor to her 2024 Senate bid, according to campaign finance data and business records.

Slotkin, who raised roughly $3 million during the third fundraising quarter, paid $2,000 in rent in September to “Ghandi Properties LLC,” registered to 26222 Telegraph Rd., Southfield, Michigan, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. “Ghandi” appears to be a typo for “Gandhi,” as Gandhi Properties LLC is registered to that same address in business filings with the Michigan state government.

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