Author: Zachery Schmidt

DOJ Finds Arizona Department of Child Safety Discriminated Against Parents and Caregivers with Disabilities

Zachery Schmidt
Sign Language

The Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) discriminated against parents and other caregivers with disabilities. DOJ officials accused DCS of violating Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Monday report found DCS “failed to communicate effectively with parents and children with hearing disabilities, including by not providing interpreters. DCS also failed to reasonably accommodate the needs of parents with disabilities by, for example, not providing information in a simplified form,” according to DOJ press release.

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Florida Obtains Additional Arrest Warrant for Second-Would-Be Trump Assassin

Zachery Schmidt
Ryan Routh

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Wednesday secured an arrest warrant for attempted felony murder against Ryan Routh, according to a press release.

Routh, who allegedly attempted to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump while he played golf at Mar-a-Lago, is accused of causing a traffic accident that “gravely injured a six-year-old girl” after fleeing Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.

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Trump Sues Pollster, Des Moines Register After Releasing Outlier Poll

Zachery Schmidt
Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump sued The Des Moines Register and its former pollster J. Ann Selzer on Monday for election interference, according to Fox News.

Selzer released a poll on November 1 showing Kamala Harris beating Trump in Iowa by 3 points. This poll was considered an outlier as another poll released the same day by Emerson showed Trump winning the state by 10 points.

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DHS Updates Rules for H-1B Visa Program

Zachery Schmidt
Workers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced changes on Tuesday to the H-1B program that will enhance the abilities of American companies to fill job vacancies.

The government says the new rule will “modernize” the H-1B program by simplifying the approvals process, giving employers more flexibility in retaining workers, and enhancing program oversight, according to the DHS press release.

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Woke Ohio College President Says State Bathroom Ban ‘Hurts Us All’

Zachery Schmidt

The president of Antioch College criticized Governor Mike DeWine on Monday for signing Senate Bill 104 (SB 104), which prohibits students from using the school bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

“Policies like the one just signed into law harm all of us. When we allow discriminatory laws to take root, we all lose,” President Jane Fernandes said in letter to the editor of The Columbus Dispatch.

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Election Integrity Expert Says States Need to Stop Non-Citizens Voting: America Doesn’t Know the Extent of the Problem

Zachery Schmidt
Vote Here Sign

An election integrity expert told The Tennessee Star this week that states need to start taking steps to prevent non-citizens from voting in their elections.

“I think states need to make it clear in their constitutions that you have to be a citizen to vote in all elections in the state to prevent local school boards, local town councils, and others from legalizing alien voting,” said Hans von Spakovsky, manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative.

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Pro-Life Leaders Sound Alarm on Potential Abortion Ballot Initiatives: ‘Bunch of Mini Roe v. Wade’s‘ Nationwide

Zachery Schmidt
Abortion Supporters

Leaders in the pro-life community are warning Americans about the pro-abortion industry’s deceptive ways, as over 20 percent of states face the possibility of voting on an abortion-related ballot measure in November.

The states that may see these ballot measures are Florida, Maryland, New York, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Dakota.

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Liz Cheney Calls Trump’s Actions on January 6th as ‘Evil as You Can Imagine’

Zachery Schmidt

Liz Cheney said Thursday that what former President Donald Trump did on January 6th is as “evil as you can imagine” and as much of a “dereliction of duty of an American president we have ever seen.”

“[Trump was watching [the riot] on television, and he thought the mob was doing the right thing. And no matter how many times people pleaded with him to tell the mobs to go home, he wouldn’t do it,” the former Wyoming representative said in a talk at the University of Montana’s 2023 Mansfield Center Lecture series. “And did he not do it for over three hours, but in the middle of the violence, when the attack was happening, he sent out a tweet saying that Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what Trump wanted him to do.

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Liz Cheney Claims Making Jim Jordan the New Speaker of the House Is a ‘Risk’ to American Democracy

Zachery Schmidt

Former Representative of Wyoming Liz Cheney said on Thursday that making Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) the new Speaker of the House is a risk to America’s democracy.

“The notion that the Republican Party is anywhere close to contemplating putting Jim Jordan into the position of Speaker of the House is something that tells you the level of risk we face in our democracy today,” Cheney said in a talk at the University of Montana’s 2023 Mansfield Center Lecture series.

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Commentary: Most Teachers Are Not Activists

Zachery Schmidt

Historically, unions have done some remarkable work in the private sector. However, union officials in the early 1950s began to capitalize on the many extraordinary powers and immunities that were created by legislatures and the courts. This allowed union bosses to no longer depend on rank-and-file workers’ input or support. Starting in the late 1950s, public-sector unions started to grow, and private-sector unions began to decrease.

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Nashville’s Zoning Laws Are Contributing to Housing Prices 30 Percent Higher Than They Should Be, Experts Say

Zachery Schmidt

Housing prices continue to climb in Nashville as interest rates and scarcity of available homes combine with the overall desirability by people across the country to move to the Tennessee capital.

But additionally, data from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) College of Business shows from May 2023 that, the city’s housing is 33.41 percent higher than it should be. FAU determined what the average cost of a home in a city is and what the cost is expected to be by analyzing data from Zillow and other third-party housing data providers.

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Supreme Court Says Cannot Identify Who Leaked Draft Opinion That Led to Overturning of Roe v. Wade

Zachery Schmidt

The Supreme Court said Thursday it cannot identify who leaking the draft opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., the landmark case that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. The Supreme Court marshal investigating the leak “has to date been unable to identify a person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence,” the court said.

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Montana to Vote on Referendum That Protects Infants Who Survive Abortions

Zachery Schmidt

A pro-life referendum takes center stage in Montana as state residents are set to decide whether to give additional legal protections to babies who survive abortions.

Montana LR-131, also known as the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, says that infants born alive after an abortion are legal persons and that healthcare providers must take “necessary actions to preserve the life of a born-alive infant.” These “necessary actions” include “the right to appropriate and reasonable medical care and treatment.”

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Renowned Constitutional Scholar: Ongoing Border Crisis Fits Constitution’s Definition of an Invasion

Zachery Schmidt

A renowned constitutional scholar said what is happening now at the southern border does constitute an “invasion” under the U.S. Constitution.

“The kind of organized entry that we are seeing now where you got some of the gangs down in Mexico facilitating it and getting paid to put people across the border, that does qualify as an invasion even when no arms are involved,” Rob Natelson, the Independence Institute’s senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence, said.

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‘Only a Small Cushion’: Oil Prices Surge Again as Demand Approaches Highest Level Ever

Zachery Schmidt
Person pumping gas into vehicle

Global crude oil prices surged Friday, continuing their steady approach toward $100 per barrel, as a top energy group projected greater demand through 2022.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil index, which measures U.S. prices, increased more than 1.89% to $91.73 per barrel while the European Brent Crude index ticked up nearly 1.71%, hitting $92.94 per barrel as of Friday afternoon. Both indices inched closer to their highest price in multiple years, according to data tracked by Business Insider.

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Exclusive: Shock Report Finds ‘Massive Discrepancy’ with Absentee Ballot Records in Virginia

Zachery Schmidt

A Virginia nonprofit released a report this week that shows potential errors in how Virginia has sent absentee ballots to people looking to vote by mail.

In one case, out of a sample size of 587 addresses in 22 districts across the state, 217 out of 243 live contacts – nearly 90 percent – the absentee ballot information listed did not match the person living there, the report found.

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Report: Afghan Refugee Who Is Accused of Rape in Montana Will Not Have His Work Permit Removed

Zachery Schmidt

An Afghan refugee in Montana who faces a felony rape charge will not have his work permit revoked, according to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).

Robert Law, who is CIS’ director of regulatory affairs and policy, said his Department of Homeland Security sources told him that the Biden administration will not remove Zabihullah Mohmand’s employment authorization document (EAD) at this time.

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Ohio GOP State Representatives Plan to Introduce Recreational Marijuana Bill

Zachery Schmidt

Ohio Republican Representatives Jamie Callender (R-Concord) and Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) said Tuesday they will introduce a bill that allows Ohioans to use marijuana for personal use.

In the bill, any Ohio resident who is 21 or older to “buy, possess and grow” marijuana in the state. Also, people would only be allowed to have up to five ounces of marijuana and grow six plants, according to cincinnati.com.

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Report: Metro Nashville Public Schools Paid Consultants $11 Million to ‘Help Students Return to School,’ But Insider Says They Did ‘Almost Nothing’

Zachery Schmidt

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) in January paid millions of dollars to Meharry Medical College Ventures (MMCV) to help students return to school, however, according to a person who worked in a city public school, the workers did “almost nothing.”

“It was boring, it was really boring and I said to this guy, ‘So this is what you do? You sit in this room for 8 hours?’ He said ‘No, occasionally I get up and walk the hall and at the end of the day go to one of the doors where the children leave’ and that was it,” an unidentified person told Fox 17 News.

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Former State Rep. Nina Turner Files FEC Paperwork Setting up a Possible Second Congressional Run

Zachery Schmidt

Democrat Nina Turner filed paperwork Monday with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) that would allow her to run for Congress again, according to cleveland.com.

Turner filed FEC paperwork – called a “statement of candidacy” – that does not oblige her to run for office after Ohio redraws its district maps, the news outlet reported.

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Almost 75 Percent of Tennesseans Will See a Monthly Increase in Flood Insurance Payments Starting October 1

Zachery Schmidt

Seventy-two percent of Tennesseans will end up paying more money in flood insurance prices starting October 1 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s new flood insurance rules begin.

This summer, FEMA rolled out its new rating methodology called “Risk Rating 2.0.” FEMA said this new methodology will deliver rates that are “actuarily sound, equitable, easier to understand and better reflect a property’s flood risk.”

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Arizona Becomes First State to Sue Biden Administration over Its New COVID-19 Mandate

Zachery Schmidt
Mark Brnovich

Arizona became the first state to sue the Biden administration over its federal vaccine mandate, according to Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s press release.

“The federal government cannot force people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The Biden Administration is once again flouting our laws and precedents to push their radical agenda,” Brnovich said. “There can be no serious or scientific discussion about containing the spread of COVID-19 that doesn’t begin at our southern border.”

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Georgia Attorney General and 14 Other State Attorneys General Files Amicus Brief in Support of Virginia Church

Zachery Schmidt
New Life in Christ Church

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr along with 14 other state attorneys general filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in support of allowing a Virginia church to determine who is a minister “under its own doctrine.”

“This is another example of the threat to religious liberty and we will continue to defend the First Amendment,” said Carr. “We joined this coalition to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the rights of religious organizations.”

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Ohio County Sherriff’s Office Says It Will Not Enforce Local City’s Indoor Mask Mandate

Zachery Schmidt

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that it will not enforce the indoor mask mandate that Gambier passed this week.

“If you have read information from the Gambier ordinance concerning the mask mandate, it indicates a $25 fine and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office is the enforcing body,” the sheriff’s office said. “I have spoken with Mayor [Leeman] Kessler and informed him that deputies will not be citing anyone for violations. We will not put deputies in that situation. We have not enforced mask mandates in the past, and we will not enforce this mandate.”

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Arizona Gov. Ducey Calls for Afghan Refugees Even as Thousands of Americans Still Remain in Afghanistan

Zachery Schmidt

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and state Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers (R-District 25) announced Thursday that Arizona will welcome refugees from Afghanistan.

“The Afghans fleeing the Taliban regime served alongside America’s military forces and fought for freedom,” the press release states. “We’re grateful for their efforts and Arizona wholeheartedly welcomes our fair share of the refugees in our state.”

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Newly Introduced Ohio House Bill Would Give Ohioans Data Privacy Rights

Zachery Schmidt

Two Ohio legislators put forward a bill Monday that would protect data rights for Ohioans.

In House Bill 376, introduced by State Reps. Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.), it would “establish data rights for Ohioans while requiring businesses to adhere to specified data standards,” according to the Ohio House of Representatives press release.

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Vetoes Bill That Would Have Allowed Ohioans to Shoot Off Fireworks on Certain Holidays

Zachery Schmidt

Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill Friday that would have permitted Ohioans to legally shoot off fireworks on several holidays.

When Senate Bill (SB) 113 was introduced by Ohio State Senators Michael Rulli (R-Salem) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), the bill wanted to allow Americans to celebrate certain holidays legally, according to the Rulli press release.

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Ohio Reaches Record Settlement with Publicly Traded Pharmaceutical Company for Alleged Overpayment of Services

Zachery Schmidt
Dave Yost

Centene Corp (CC) reached a record settlement agreement Monday with Ohio for its alleged overbilling of the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) for its pharmaceutical services.

America’s largest Medicaid managed care organization agreed to pay $88.3 million to Ohio after Dave Yost, the state’s attorney general, filed a lawsuit in March, according to a Yost press release.

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Two Ohio House Republicans Join Democrats in Voting in Favor of Creating Commission to ‘Investigate’ Capitol Riots

Zachery Schmidt

Two Ohio Republican House of Representative members on Wednesday voted in favor of a bill that creates a commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol Riots.

Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16) and David Joyce (R-OH-14) joined 33 other Republican house members in voting to create the commission. This bill passed the House by 252 – 175 votes.

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Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney Faces Another Republican Who Wants to Challenge Her in the State’s GOP Primary

Zachery Schmidt

  Another Wyoming Republican is throwing his hat into the GOP primary race in an effort to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY-At Large District). Darin Smith, a Cheyenne-based businessman, announced his candidacy Friday, according to a press release. The Wyoming native describes himself as “pro-God, pro-family, pro-life, pro-gun, pro-veteran, pro-oil and gas, and pro-agriculture.” Smith told The Cowboy State Daily that Cheney is “more vulnerable” to a primary challenge in 2022 than she was back in 2016. “Obviously, her national stature is going down the tubes,” he told the State Daily. “She does not share the same worldview of the Republican Party.” In his campaign video, Smith said Liz Cheney “voted against Wyoming” when she voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. Three months ago, the Wyoming GOP censured Cheney over her impeachment vote of former President Donald Trump. This will not be the first time Smith has faced off against Cheney in an election. Previously, Smith ran against her back in 2016 in the GOP primary. However, he came in fourth out of nine places five years ago. The practicing lawyer told the State Daily that he has learned a lot since 2016. “Back then (in 2016), my wife…

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Chinese-Backed Ohio Hospital Researcher Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Stealing Trade Secrets

Zachery Schmidt

  A Dublin, Ohio hospital researcher was sentenced to 33 months in prison after being convicted of “conspiring to steal exosome-related trade secrets concerning the research, identification and treatment of a range of pediatric medical conditions.” Yu Zhou pleaded guilty last year to stealing scientific trade secrets at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Research Institute, according to the DOJ press release. Zhou stole these secrets for personal financial gain, the DOJ said. “Yu Zhou sought to exploit U.S. taxpayer dollars intended to fund critical, life-saving research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital through the whole-sale theft of their trade secrets,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Zhou’s greed was encouraged and enabled by a series of Chinese Government programs which incentivize thievery in an attempt to supplement China’s own research and development goals on the back of American ingenuity and investment. This successful prosecution should serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to profit from pilfering hard-earned U.S. trade secrets.” Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel for the Southern District of Ohio said Zhou “willingly” took part in the “Chinese Government’s long-term efforts to steal American intellectual property.” “Zhou and his wife executed a…

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