Author: Peter D'Abrosca

Senator Johnson Responds to Biden’s State of the Union Ahead of President’s Visit to Wisconsin

Peter D'Abrosca

Just before President Joe Biden visited Wisconsin on Wednesday, a U.S. Senator from the state released a scathing statement on the 46th president’s Tuesday night State of the Union address.

“In spite of President Biden’s inaugural speech promise that his number one goal was to heal and unify our nation, today, America is even further divided due to his mismanagement of the economy, our southern border, foreign policy, and COVID-19,” Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) said in a statement.

Read the full story

Oversight Organization Battling National Institute of Health in Court over Chinese Involvement in COVID-19

Peter D'Abrosca

A government watchdog Tuesday took the next step in its battle to expose Chinese connections to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

“Empower Oversight filed an amended complaint today against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation for documents related to a request by Chinese researchers to remove genetic sequences related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus from a database controlled by NIH,” that group said in a press release. 

Read the full story

Michigan High School Assistant Principal Charged for Alleged Child Sex Abuse

Peter D'Abrosca

A high school assistant principal who stands accused of sex crimes with a 10-year-old family member has been suspended with pay from his position at the school as he awaits trial, according to several reports. 

“Melven Conway, the assistant principal at Ecorse High School was arrested at the school Monday morning on criminal sexual conduct charge,” WJBK reports. “The crimes allegedly happened about eight years ago and involved a relative of Conway who was 10 years old at the time.”

Read the full story

Miami City Manager Appoints New Police Chief

Peter D'Abrosca

Miami’s City Manager Monday appointed the city’s interim police chief into the role permanently, ending a months-long process to find a new head of the Miami Police Department (MPD).

“After further evaluating Chief [Manuel] Morales’ performance during the first 100 days, I am extremely confident that he is eminently qualified, respected and admired by many and will continue to do a great job as Chief for the Police Department. Furthermore, this decision will ensure stability at the leadership level of the City’s Police department, ” City Manager Art Noriega said in a release.

Read the full story

Gov. Lamont Visits Connecticut High School to Check In After First ‘Mask Optional’ Day

Peter D'Abrosca
Ned Lamont shaking hands with students during school visit

Connecticut’s Democrat governor Monday made an awkward visit to meet and greet high school students after they finished their first day of classes wherein COVID-19 masks were optional. 

“I’m doing good, I wanted to see what this first day was like,” Governor Ned Lamont (D) told one Glastonbury High School student as they shook hands. 

Read the full story

Georgia Mother Arrested Twice at Gwinnett County School Board Meetings Speaks Out

Peter D'Abrosca

A mother who has been arrested twice at Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) School Board meetings spoke to The Georgia Star News Monday. 

“I am unhappy that our school board keeps violating constitutional rights of its constituents and that parent rights are being usurped each and every day by a power- and control-hungry Board of Education,” Karen Pirkle said. “I am devastated that my child was involved and they violently arrested me in front of her. I will continue to fight for my child no matter what. As a result of the board actions, my child will not longer attend GCPS schools, as they have now banned me from all school property which limits this parent’s right to drop off and pick up my child. I will continue to fight for my child and her rights.”

Read the full story

Ohio Department of Health Still Won’t Provide Pandemic Update Despite CDC’s New Mask Guidance

Peter D'Abrosca
Three people wearing masks, one focused on center

After the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Friday recommended that 70 percent of the U.S. population can stop wearing masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is still unwilling to update Ohioans on the status of the pandemic. 

When contacted by The Ohio Star to ask for the department’s professional opinion on whether Ohioans will soon be able to return to pre-pandemic life, ODH spokesman Ken Gordon declined to comment. The Star also noted that even Congress – which has had a mask mandate in place for two full years and threatened to fine members who refused to wear masks – finally made masks optional ahead of President Joe Biden’s Monday night State of the Union address. 

Read the full story

Connecticut Dems Move Forward on Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee Abortions

Peter D'Abrosca
Mae Flexer

Connecticut’s elected Democrats are pushing to amend the state’s constitution to include access to abortions, in case abortion becomes illegal at the federal level.

“A legislative committee on Friday endorsed a proposal to enshrine the right to abortion in the Connecticut Constitution,” The Hartford Courant said. “The concept is in its earliest stages — the language of the proposed constitutional amendment has yet to be drafted — but it has already drawn support from Democrats and criticism from Republicans.”

Read the full story

Federal Judge Rules Fairfax County School Officials Discriminated Against Students by Lowering Admissions Requirements

Peter D'Abrosca

A federal judge Friday ruled that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) officials discriminated against Asian students by lowering the bar for admission to Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHS) in a push for “diversity.”

“This is a monumental win for parents and students here in Fairfax County, but also for equal treatment in education across the country,” Erin Wilcox an attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) said in a press release. “We hope this ruling sends the message that government cannot choose who receives the opportunity to attend public schools based on race or ethnicity.”

Read the full story

Cleveland Police Officer Cleared in Shooting of Wanted Alleged Murderer

Peter D'Abrosca
Cleveland, Ohio, Police car

A Cleveland Police officer was cleared by a grand jury earlier this week after it determined that he acted lawfully in self-defense in the shooting death of an alleged murderer last year. 

“The grand jury ruled that the officer acted properly based on its review of a thorough, independent investigation,” Attorney General Dave Yost (R) said in a press release. “The goal is always to find the truth.”

Read the full story

Mom Arrested Again at Gwinnett County School Board Meeting

Peter D'Abrosca

A mother who was previously arrested at a Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Board meeting was again arrested Thursday night, according to a mother who attended the meeting.

“Last night Karen Pirkle was once again arrested at a school board meeting,” Brenda Stewart told The Georgia Star News. “She requested to secure a speaking slot and received written confirmation that she secured a spot.  She was arrested upon arriving and banned for life.”

Read the full story

Ohio Gov. DeWine and Minnesota Gov. Walz Issue Bipartisan Response to Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Peter D'Abrosca
Mike DeWine and Tim Walz

Two governors who serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan, presidentially-appointed Council of Governors – meant to give advice and opinions to the United States President’s Office along with heads of executive branch agencies like the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Friday denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin. Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) said the United States must stand with Ukraine because the two countries share the same values. “At the direction of President Vladimir Putin, Russian forces have invaded Ukraine in violation of international law. This is unacceptable, and all freedom-loving people should stand against this unprovoked invasion,” DeWine said in the release. “Ukraine has been a sovereign and independent state since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s.  The United States and Ukraine share common values including freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people.” Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) appeared to be more worried that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was somehow a threat to America’s national security. “We stand with Ukraine and condemn Russia for these unprovoked and unlawful attacks,” he said in the release. “We stand ready to…

Read the full story

Minneapolis Middle School Newspaper Publishes Black Lives Matter Protest Guide

Peter D'Abrosca

A Minneapolis middle school, which teaches children as young as age 11, published in its school newspaper a guide for Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesting. 

“After the murder of Amir Locke at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department on Tuesday February 2nd, many of us are–and have been–taking to the streets to protest this injustice,” the February 15 edition of Justice Page Middle School’s paper The Rhino Report says. “This (nowhere near complete) guide on protest etiquette and tips is a combination of personal experience, advice from online circles of local activists, and just general common sense.”

Read the full story

Metro Nashville Public School Board Member Drops ‘F Bomb’ in Board Meeting

Peter D'Abrosca

In a Metro Nashville School Board (MNSB) meeting that turned heated Tuesday night, one of the school board members directed a curse towards parents. 

Parents who attended the meeting – but were not allowed to speak – cheered when the board voted seven to one in favor of ending the school system’s mask mandate on March 21, when students return from their spring break.

Read the full story

Lawsuit Alleges Michigan Secretary of State Allowed Facebook to Sway 2020 Election

Peter D'Abrosca

A conservative group in Michigan is duking it out in court with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) claiming that the elected official allowed money from Silicon Valley titan Facebook to have a partisan impact on the state’s 2020 elections. 

“This is what happened in 2020,” co-founder of the Michigan Conservative Coalition Marian Sheridan said in a press release.  “Zuck Bucks, which is private money, was used by elected officials through public entities to promote voting, but only promoted among selected potential voter groups.  Not to all citizens.  Every voter should have received the benefit of a fair portion of the funds unfairly used by elected officials.  They cannot selectively promote anything.”

Read the full story

Timken Endorsers Silent on Her Alleged Mismanagement of Ohio Republican Party Funds

Peter D'Abrosca
Jane Timken For U.S. Senate

Three U.S. Senators who this week endorsed Ohio Republican candidate Jane Timken for U.S. Senate are silent after The Ohio Star reached out to ask about Timken’s alleged mismanagement of Ohio Republican Party (ORP) funds. 

Tuesday, Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) endorsed Timken in the hotly contested primary race that includes candidates J.D. Vance, Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel. 

Read the full story

Vanderbilt Concerned After Uptick in Suicide Among Medical Students

Peter D'Abrosca
Woman in lab coat looking through microscope

Vanderbilt University is concerned after four of its medical school students have committed suicide in less than two years. 

“Vanderbilt University is committed to a culture of caring in which the well-being of all community members—our extraordinary students, the faculty who teach them, and the staff who play an immeasurable role in the success of this remarkable university—is enhanced and supported,” Vanderbilt said in a statement. “We strive to foster a culture of openness through brave dialogue, honest self-reflection, and willingness to invest in this incredible university by investing first in the mental health and wholeness of every member of the Vanderbilt family.”

Read the full story

Arizona Congressman Says Government Should Impound Trucks If Freedom Convoy Spreads to America

Peter D'Abrosca

In response to a report that American truckers could follow the lead of their Canadian counterparts and clog parts of the I-95 Beltway near Washington, D.C., a Democrat congressman from Arizona has a solution for the potential peaceful protest. 

“Perfect time to impound and give the trucks to small trucking companies looking to expand their business,” Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-07). 

Read the full story

Kalamazoo Deputy Cleared in Fatal Shooting of Knife-Wielding Man

Peter D'Abrosca

A police officer in Kalamazoo County who shot and killed a knife-wielding suspect in a gas station parking lot has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a standard post-shooting investigation, as officials say he acted lawfully in self-defense. 

“The events of Oct. 4 were incredibly tragic,” Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting reportedly said Tuesday. “They forever changed the lives of those personally involved, their families and loved ones, our law enforcement officers, and our community.”

Read the full story

Ohio Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Slams Proponents of Intervention in Ukraine

Peter D'Abrosca

Noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “an evil man,” U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance Tuesday slammed proponents of U.S. intervention in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

“The media and political elites are seething at me because I uttered aloud what everyone deep down knows is true: that the Russia-Ukraine border dispute has nothing to do with our national security, no American interest is served by our intervention, and that the obsession with Ukraine from our idiot leaders serves no function except to distract us from our actual problems,” Vance said in a press release. 

Read the full story

Huckabee Sanders Endorses Kleefisch for Wisconsin Governor

Peter D'Abrosca
Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Rebecca Kleefisch

An Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Monday issued an endorsement to one of her counterparts in Wisconsin. 

“I’m proud to endorse my good friend Rebecca Kleefisch,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former press secretary to then-President Donald Trump. “We need strong conservative governors like Rebecca, standing up for our law enforcement, pushing back against the radical Left and their socialist policies, and making sure that craziness coming out of Washington doesn’t change our states.”

Read the full story

Canadian Trucker Urges Nationwide Strike over COVID-19 Rules in Viral Video

Peter D'Abrosca
police officers standing outside in the snow

In a now-viral video an unidentified man encouraged a national strike in every Canadian business sector, along with active support for those who are opposing COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates in the country. 

“You’ve seen what’s happening in Ottawa,” the man, whose face was blurred in the video, said. “Canadians are known around the world to be among the most kind, most peace-loving people anywhere. And so you know when Canadians star rising up by the millions, to oppose what their government is doing, something is horribly wrong.”

Read the full story

Wisconsin’s 2020 Election Investigator Threatening to Jail Non-Compliant Elected Officials

Peter D'Abrosca

A special investigator and former member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court who has been looking into potential voter fraud in the 2020 election is now threatening mayors with jail time if they fail to comply with his requests for information. 

“Conservative former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman on Friday filed yet another petition in Waukesha County Circuit Court against the two mayors, this time adding Racine Mayor Cory Mason, the city clerks from Madison and Green Bay, staff from the Wisconsin Elections Commission and city of Milwaukee employees,” The Wisconsin State Journal reported. 

Read the full story

USPS Will Conduct Audit Amid Mail Theft Uptick in Ohio

Peter D'Abrosca

According to a U.S. congresswoman from Ohio, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will conduct audits of its policies and procedures after a massive uptick in mail theft and violence against mail carriers has the public up in arms. 

“For years now, Central Ohioans have struggled with slow and unreliable USPS deliveries, particularly in the Northland area serviced by the Innis Road branch and Southeast Columbus,” Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03) reportedly said. “These audits are the first step to restoring the rapid, reliable deliveries Americans should expect from their Postal Service. We expect to receive full reports from the USPS following the completion of the audits in the coming weeks, and I will work with local officials to ensure the necessary investments and solutions are put in place.”

Read the full story

North Carolina State House Candidate Unloads on School Board over Critical Race Theory

Peter D'Abrosca

A candidate for North Carolina’s State House of Representatives blasted the Cabarrus County School Board (CCSB) for its support of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools. 

“As a parent, and I speak to other parents, and there’s a few things we don’t want,” Brian Echevarria said at a CCSB meeting Monday. “I’m biracial, I’m bilingual, I’m multicultural. The fact is, in America, in North Carolina, I can do anything I want, and I teach that to my children. And the person that tells my little pecan-colored kids that they’re somehow oppressed based on the color of their skin would be absolutely wrong and absolutely at war with me.”

Read the full story

Former Police Officer Kimberly Potter Sentenced to 24 Months in Daunte Wright Case

Peter D'Abrosca

Noting that the case departed significantly from that of other police killings in Hennepin County, a judge sentenced former Brooklyn Center Police officer Kimberly Potter to 24 months in prison, with the instruction for her to serve two-thirds of that sentence, or a total of 16 months. 

“This is a cop who made a tragic mistake,” Judge Regina Chu said just before sentencing Potter. “She drew her firearm thinking it was her Taser and tragically killed a young man.” 

Read the full story

Big-Name Democrats Skip Biden Visit to Ohio

Peter D'Abrosca

As President Joe Biden visited and spoke in Ohio Thursday, notable Democratic elected officials from around the state were not in attendance. 

According to the Ohio Republican Party (ORP), Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, also a U.S. Senate candidate, was not in attendance for Biden’s speech. Neither was Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) or Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). Ryan, too, is running for U.S. Senate. 

Read the full story

Loudoun County Public Schools Won’t Comment After Judge Orders It to Follow Executive Order on Masks

Peter D'Abrosca

After a group of parents sued Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) for forcing students to continue wearing masks despite Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) issuing executive order banning that practice, LCPS declined to comment on the situation. 

Wayde B. Byard, LCPS’ public information officer, told The Virginia Star Thursday that the only comment he could offer was already made by Superintendent Scott Ziegler. 

Read the full story

Florida Sen. Rick Scott Joins Colleagues in Calling for Accountability for Spying on Trump

Peter D'Abrosca

A Florida U.S. senator Wednesday called for accountability after bombshell reports from Special Counsel John Durham that the intelligence community and Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, spied on former President Donald Trump’s campaign, and continued spying on him once he entered the White House.  

“For years the media parroted the Democrat narrative about Russian collusion,” Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) said. “And now as we’re learning, week after week, that was a complete lie. “The latest with the Durham report is that the Clinton campaign, the same group that fearmongered this Russian collusion, actually spied on the President of the United States.”

Read the full story

Toyota Says Plants Operating at Normal Capacity After Ambassador Bridge Protests Cleared

Peter D'Abrosca

Automobile industry giant Toyota said Wednesday that its manufacturing plants that were affected by the Ambassador Bridge blockade are now back to normal operations.

“Yes, as of today, we have resumed normal production operations at the three U.S. plants and two Canadian plants that were impacted by this challenge,” Toyota spokeswoman Kelly Stefanich told The Michigan Star. “We plan to make up the lost production in the coming weeks as the supply chain stabilizes.”

Read the full story

Twitter Reverses Ban on Account That Highlighted Left-Wing Hypocrisy

Peter D'Abrosca

Twitter Tuesday evening banned a well-known Twitter account called @DefiantLs, which posted screenshots pointing out left-wing hypocrisy. 

The owner of the account, who has always been anonymous and remains so, said the account was banned for an alleged “ban evasion,” despite the fact that the account owner says he or she has “never had an account suspended so I’ve never had a ban to evade.”

Read the full story

Viewpoint Diversity ‘Strangled’ as Tennessee Colleges Promote ‘Leftist’ Ideologies, Report Says

Peter D'Abrosca
Girl student standing and holding books in hand in a classroom

A group dedicated to studying what it calls “viewpoint diversity” in public universities issued a Monday press release and report saying that while conservative views are smothered on Tennessee’s college campuses, far-left ideologies are thriving. 

“Academics and administrators are no longer merely pushing progressive politics but transforming universities into institutions dedicated to political activism and indoctrinating students into a hateful ideology. We call this ideological bent, Critical Social Justice [CSJ],” according to a report published by Velocity Convergence. 

Read the full story

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson: Trump ‘Endured Eternal Coup’ During Presidency

Peter D'Abrosca
Ron Johnson

On the heels of massive news proving that former President Donald Trump was intentionally and falsely maligned as a Russian asset and that he was spied upon by intelligence agencies during his 2016 election campaign and his subsequent presidency, one senator took to Fox News in an attempt to set the record straight. 

“For many years now, as I’ve investigated this, I’ve always thought the Russian Hoax was just one intelligence community diversionary operation to basically cover up what they had done during the 2016 campaign,” Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) told host Jesse Watters on Fox News.

Read the full story

Petition Vowing to Teach Critical Race Theory Regardless of Law Tops 8,000 Signatures

Peter D'Abrosca
Young girl in pink long sleeve writing

A petition by teachers nationwide pledging to teach Critical Race Theory (CRT) to students regardless of whether states pass laws against the practice has reached more than 8,000 signatures.

“From police violence, to the prison system, to the wealth gap, to maternal mortality rates, to housing, to education and beyond, the major institutions and systems of our country are deeply infected with anti-Blackness and its intersection with other forms of oppression,” the Zinn Education Project’s petition page says. “To not acknowledge this and help students understand the roots of U.S. racism is to deceive them — not educate them.”

Read the full story

Traffic Finally Flowing on Ambassador Bridge After Week-Long Protest

Peter D'Abrosca

After a week-long blockade that shut down Ambassador Bridge connecting Michigan to Windsor, Ontario, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) maps show that the route is clear. 

The Canadian Freedom Convoy, a grassroots group of truckers who blocked the bridge in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions, was broken up thanks to police efforts, according to The Detroit Free Press. 

Read the full story

NFL Sideline Reporter Quits to Chair Minnesota Gubernatorial Campaign

Peter D'Abrosca
Michele Tafoya

A well-known National Football League (NFL) sideline reporter who formerly worked for NBC has ditched her gig covering professional sports to join the campaign of a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate. 

“Sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya will be joining my campaign as co-chairwoman! I’m excited to work with Michele & hope you’ll join us as we focus on saving Minnesota,” candidate Kendall Qualls announced Monday on social media. 

Read the full story

Ohio State University ‘Sex Week’ Features ‘Valentine’s for Abortion Providers’

Peter D'Abrosca

Ohio State University’s annual “Sex Week,” which begins Sunday, will feature two days for students to meet and thank abortion providers.

“Meet [Student Advocates for Sexual Health Awareness] (SASHA) in the Union on the 1st floor on to help thank abortion providers in Ohio and Texas for the valuable work they do for reproductive rights! We will be creating valentines,” the group’s schedule says. 

Read the full story