After polling parents and holding a public forum, the Henrico County School Board voted 4-1 Thursday for an optional plan to allow in-person learning. The phased approach will allow Pre-K through 2nd grade students to return to school four days a week starting November 30. Grades 3-5 would return on December 7, and older students will return in February.
Read MoreMonth: October 2020
Virginia’s Second District Candidate Scott Taylor Talks Debate with Opponent Luria and Her Backfiring Smear Ads
Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredricks welcomed Virginia House of Delegates candidate Scott Taylor to the show to discuss his debate with incumbent Elaine Luria and her pattern of dishonesty.
Read MoreOverview of Virginia’s Highly Competitive 5th Congressional District Race
Two first time candidates Bob Good (R) and Cameron Webb (D) are hoping to fill the empty House of Representatives seat of Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, in what projects to be an extremely close and competitive race.
Good, who served on the Campbell County Board of Supervisors from 2015 to 2019, became the Republican nominee after beating freshman U.S. Representative Denver Riggleman (R-VA-05) in a GOP convention this past June, collecting almost 60 percent of votes.
Read MoreTRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for October 24
Welcome to the Saturday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).
It’s officially 10 days until the election on November 3 – and seven days until early voting in Virginia closes.
Read MoreIncrease in Homeschooling, Working from Home Likely to Last
Increases in homeschooling and working from home triggered by COVID-19 closures may have permanent impacts, according to University of Virginia (UVA) researcher Hamilton Lombard.
“Based on trends over the past few decades, the number of homeschoolers and telecommuters were both expected to continue growing rapidly even before the pandemic. If Virginia’s homeschoolers were a school division, they would be one of Virginia’s largest school divisions, and easily its fastest growing,” Lombard told UVA Today.
Read MoreBill Giving AG Increased Authority to Investigate Patterns of Misconduct by Police Signed into Law
Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill into law on Wednesday that gives the state attorney general additional powers to investigate unlawful patterns or practices by law enforcement officers and file civil action to stop the misconduct.
Introduced by Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), Senate Bill 5024 was one of several bills approved by the governor this week.
Read MoreMask Usage Only Encouraged, Not Required at Polling Locations on Election Day, Officials Say
Voters in the Commonwealth that arrive at polling places on Election Day without a mask or face covering and refuse to wear one or vote outside will not be turned away, according to election officials.
The Virginia Department of Elections (VDOE) has given election workers throughout Virginia guidance on what to do when a voter goes to a polling precinct without a mask and does not wish to put one on.
Read MoreCommentary: Charities, China, and the Biden Family Grift
A few days before the 2016 presidential election, outgoing Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, announced the formation of the Biden Foundation. “The Biden Foundation is an educational foundation dedicated to exploring the ways that everyone—no matter their income level, race, gender, age, or sexuality—can expect to be treated with dignity and to receive a fair shot at achieving the American Dream,” read the nonprofit’s press release dated November 5, 2016.
Read MoreEpstein Ex Maxwell Denied Getting Prince Andrew Sex Partners
Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend denied introducing Britain’s Prince Andrew to underage sex partners in a defensive and combative deposition made public Thursday, calling the prince’s accuser an “awful fantasist.”
“Are we tallying all the lies?” Ghislaine Maxwell asked during the 2016 deposition, saying she could not recall taking Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre out for a night of clubbing with Andrew in London. “Her tissue of lies is extremely hard to pick apart what is true and what isn’t.”
Read MoreBorder Patrol Arrests Nearly 300 Illegal Immigrants After Searching Stash Houses, Stopping Smuggling Attempts
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials and local law enforcement in Texas arrested 294 suspected illegal immigrants within 18 hours, the Department of Homeland Security announced last week.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents intercepted smuggling attempts and raided stash houses in four separate incidents in Laredo, Texas, on Oct. 13, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Of those detained, 90 were from countries other than Mexico.
Read MoreThird Degree Murder Charge for Derek Chauvin Dropped, All Others Charges Remain
A Hennepin County District Court Judge on Wednesday night chose to sustain eight of the nine total charges against the four defendants in the death of George Floyd while he was in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.
In a 107-page ruling, Judge Peter A. Cahill dropped Derek Chauvin’s third-degree murder charge, but sustained second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges against the former Minneapolis police officer.
Read MoreAlmost Two in Three Voters Oppose Biden Packing the Supreme Court, Poll Finds
Nearly two in three voters say they oppose 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden adding more Supreme Court justices if he is elected, according to a poll exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Marist poll, sponsored by the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, found that 61% of voters oppose Biden packing the court. This number includes 63% of Independents and 31% of Democrats.
Read MoreGiuliani: Hunter Biden’s Laptop Contains Images of Underage Girls, Evidence Given to Delaware State Police
Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has revealed that Hunter Biden’s laptop includes sexually inappropriate images of underage girls, and that the evidence has been turned over to the Delaware State Police for investigation.
During an explosive interview on Newsmax TV Tuesday night, Giuliani told host Greg Kelly that he was only about halfway through the “voluminous” hard drive and it has already revealed “about five major federal crimes, and about 30 to 40 million dollars that went to the Biden family as bribes.”
Read MoreSenate Judiciary Committee Advances U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Barrett to Full Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to advance U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate.
The vote was 12-0, with all 10 Democratic members of the committee choosing to boycott the vote.
Read MoreVirginia Department of Education Releases New ‘Equity Audit Tool’ as Most Schools Continue Distance Learning
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released a new “equity audit tool” last week. The tool is part of VDOE’s “Navigating EdEquityVA,” which focuses on providing tools and resources to dismantle inequities in education.
Included within the checklist are evaluations of “anti-racism,” various biases such as gender and ethnic bias, support of racial justice groups like Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Black Power, proportional disciplinary action across races, and equal representation throughout groups and classes.
Read MoreTrump, Biden Debate Marked by Clashes, but Less Chaos
After the first presidential debate was panned so widely that organizers introduced a mute button, Thursday’s second and final debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden was far more civil.
Whether because of that button or the terrible reviews — especially for Trump — the two interrupted each other far less frequently, even as they clashed on issues ranging from the coronavirus to crime.
Read MoreCommentary: A Vaccine from China? No Thanks
While Democrats including presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Gov. Andrew Cuomo (N.Y.), Gov. Gavin Newsom (Calif.), Gov. Ned Lamont (Conn.), and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot all publicly question the Trump administration’s ability to facilitate a safe COVID-19 vaccine, could arsonist-turned-firefighter China have the cure we all need?
Read MoreFlorida USPS Worker Accused of Stealing Mail-in Ballots
A Florida US Postal Service worker is accused of stealing a mail-in ballot, dozens of political flyers and 4 prepaid debit cards in a scheme that may have started nearly two years ago, federal authorities said Monday, the The New York Post reports.
Crystal Nicole Myrie, “embezzled letters, postal cards, and mail which came into her possession intended to be carried or delivered by her,” according to a criminal complaint.
Read MoreCommentary: The Biden Family Scandal is Monumental; It’s the October Surprise Joe Biden Just Wants to Go Away
by Julie Strauss Levin Let’s get right to the bottom line: Recent news raises serious questions as to whether Joe Biden broke the public’s trust, exploited his position as a public official, and financially enriched the Biden family significantly from foreign business partners in China, the Ukraine, and Russia.…
Read MoreVaccine Expected to be Ready for Vulnerable Population by January, HHS Sec Azar Says
Department of Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar said Wednesday that he expects a coronavirus vaccine to be available for vulnerable Americans by January 2021.
The Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary said that vaccines will be immediately be offered to seniors, health care workers and first responders once hospitals are able to administer it, according to The Hill. Sec. Alex Azar’s comments came at press briefing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters.
Read MorePassionately Catholic: Obey Him to the Brim
Ponder this…
Not many people like to be told what to do. Even as young children, we didn’t like to be told to clean our rooms, do the dishes or come home at a designated curfew. We want to do what we want, when we want and how we want. But is this what the Lord is asking us to do? Let’s take a look at sacred scripture for the answer.
Read MoreTRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for October 23
Welcome to the Friday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).
It’s officially 11 days until the election on November 3 – and eight days until early voting in Virginia closes. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Virginia is TODAY.
Read MoreDemocratic Party of Virginia Invests Heavily in Virginia Beach Mayor’s Race
Virginia Beach mayoral candidate Jody Wagner out-raised incumbent Bob Dyer in September; Wagner received $321,799, while Dyer received $72,240, according to The Virginia Public Access Project. Furthermore, $167,349 of Wagner’s receipts were in-kind donations from the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA).
Read MoreHost Fredericks Holds Roundtable with Tim Anderson, Reeves, DeSteph, Kiggans, and Cooper About a Law Enforcement Citizen Review Board
Thursday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredricks welcomed a roundtable consisting of Tim Anderson, Sen. Bryce Reeves, Sen. Bill DeSteph, Sen. Jen Kiggans, and Kristen Cooper to the show to discuss the current citizen review board legislation and how it will make police and communities unsafe.
Read MoreRichmond City Council Committee Advances Ordinance to Rename Confederate Avenue
Richmond City Council’s Land Use, Housing and Transportation Committee voted on Tuesday to advance an ordinance that would rename Confederate Avenue, located in the city’s northside, to Laburnum Park Boulevard.
The ordinance was co-sponsored by councilwoman and committee vice chair Kim Gray, 2nd district, and councilman Chris Hilbert, 3rd district.
Read MoreSenator Amanda Chase Takes a Run for the Governor of Virginia to Advance the Policies for the People
Thursday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredricks welcomed state Senator Amanda Chase to the show to discuss her run for Virginia governor next year.
Read MoreHospital Network Blocked Clergy from Administering Rites Three Separate Times
On three occasions officials at MedStar Health System (MSHS) hospitals denied entrance to clergy to perform rites including infant baptism and end-of-life last rites, according to a Wednesday press release from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Complaints from a patient and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington led the OCR to push Washington D.C.-area MSHS hospital operator to allow clergy into its hospitals despite COVID-19 regulations.
Read MoreNew Unemployment Claims Fall to 787,000, Lowest Level Since March
The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 787,000 last week as the economy continues to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Oct. 10, in which there were 898,000 new jobless claims reported. Thursday’s figure was the lowest since March, according to CNBC.
Read MoreDemocrats Considering Bill Forcing Taxpayer-Funded Abortions for 2021 Session
Virginia delegates are evaluating a potential bill for the 2021 regular session that would increase funding for abortions under Medicaid and require individual businesses to include abortions in their insurance plans. A House subcommittee met on Tuesday to discuss House Bill (HB) 1445 and hear public comment on the bill. Planned Parenthood and NARAL representatives offered comment, as well as the Virginia Society for Human Life President Olivia Turner.
Read MoreCommentary: Biden’s Top Five Job-Killing Policies
Under a Joe Biden presidency, millions of American workers would lose their jobs, families would struggle to pay higher taxes, and many would be forced into unions against their will. At a time when millions of Americans are already struggling due to Covid-19 economic shutdowns, Biden’s job-killing policies would be a disaster.
Read MorePope Francis Becomes First Pope to Endorse Same-Sex Civil Unions
Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pontiff while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.
The papal thumbs-up came midway through the film that delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.
Read MoreAppeals Court Rules North Carolina Absentee Ballots Postmarked By November 3 Are Valid If They Arrive Before November 12
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday, allowing it to count absentee ballots that arrive before Nov. 12 as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.
“All ballots must still be mailed on or before Election Day,” said Circuit Judge James Wynn in the court’s 12-3 ruling. “The change is simply an extension from three to nine days after Election Day for a timely ballot to be received and counted. That is all.”
Read MoreAmy Coney Barrett Has More Support Than Any Other Trump Supreme Court Nominee, Poll Shows
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has more support than either of President Donald Trump’s previous nominees, a poll released Wednesday found.
A Morning Consult poll released Wednesday found that 51% of voters said the Senate should confirm Barrett, numbers which have risen three percentage points from last week. The poll surveyed 1,994 voters between October 16 and October 18 with a 2-point margin of error.
Read MoreReports: Biden’s Tax Plan Would Increase Taxes Across the Board, Estimates Vary by How Much
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s proposed tax increases of nearly $4 trillion over the next 10 years, if passed, “would be the highest in American history – indeed, in world history,” an analysis of his plan determined.
Lew Uhler, founder and chairman of the National Tax Limitation Committee and National Tax Limitation Foundation (NTLF), and Peter Ferrara a senior policy adviser to NTLF, made that conclusion in a new report published by The Hill.
Read MoreShenandoah to Release New Music November 13
When I heard that Shenandoah was releasing a collaboration album, I thought it would be a greatest hits album. What I didn’t expect was a record with all new songs paired perfectly with a plethora of current country artists.
Read MoreJoe Biden Denies That Hunter Profited off His Family Ties, Hunter Said the Exact Opposite Last Year
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said in an interview Tuesday that there was no basis “whatsoever” to say that his son, Hunter, has profited off of his family name, a claim which the younger Biden contradicted in an interview last year.
Joe Biden was asked in an interview with Wisconsin TV station WISN about comments from Sen. Ron Johnson, who asserted in a report that Hunter Biden has “profited off the Biden name” through his foreign business dealings.
Read MoreHouston Police Sgt. Killed By Repeat Offender After Soros-Funded D.A. Refused to Press Charges
A police sergeant in Houston, Texas was shot dead Tuesday morning by a suspect who was in police custody just two days earlier, but was allowed to go free when the Democrat district attorney refused to press charges.
HPD Sergeant Harold Preston had been with the Houston Police Department for 41-years and was due to retire at the end of the year, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter. The local pro-police paper is urging voters to oust the D.A., whose campaign for office was bankrolled by left-wing billionaire George Soros.
Read MoreOxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma to Plead to Three Criminal Charges
Purdue Pharma, the company that makes OxyContin, the powerful prescription painkiller that experts say helped touch off an opioid epidemic, will plead guilty to three federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8 billion, Justice Department officials announced Wednesday.
The company will plead guilty to three counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and violating federal anti-kickback laws, the officials said. The resolution will be detailed in a bankruptcy court filing in federal court.
Read MoreRepublicans Will Put PPP Funding Back on the Floor for a Vote Despite Democrats’ Efforts to Block It, Sen. Blackburn Says
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told CNBC’s SquawkBox on Wednesday that Republicans will try again to pass their bill that would provide PPP and vaccine funding despite Democrats’ attempts to block the efforts.
CNBC asked Blackburn if she would vote for a deal if the White House and the Treasury Department reached an agreement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12).
Read MoreCommentary: The Antifa Industry at Work
When, in 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama’s career as a community organizer was lampooned at the Republican National Convention, few understood what the words meant. Most sympathetic voices in the media stressed “community,” evoking images of soup kitchens, clinics, and shelters. Republicans had every reason to look more darkly at what this kind of work meant and, probably due to Obama’s race, were inclined to associate the candidate’s time “organizing” in Chicago with New York racial demagogues and shakedown-artists like Al Sharpton.
Read MoreLieutenant Governor’s Race Crowded with Hopefuls for Future Governor
Ten candidates have officially announced runs for the 2021 Virginia Lieutenant Governor (LG) primaries, and more are reported to be eyeing the seat. According to the Virginia Constitution, the LG’s primary role is the president of the Senate; however, he has no vote unless the Senate is tied.
Candidate and former Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Paul Goldman told The Virginia Star, “People are going to say, ‘If I get to be lieutenant governor, I’ll be the next governor in four years. That’s what they’re thinking. That’s what they’ve always thought.'”
Read MoreCOVID Lockdowns a Boon for Virginia Lottery
The Virginia Lottery recorded $2.15 billion in sales during 2020, slightly lower than the 2019 figure, despite facing statewide shut downs in the spring and the growing economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Kevin Hall, executive director of the Virginia Lottery, gave a presentation Tuesday to members of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, providing updates on the current trend and forecast as well as the implementation of expanded gaming options coming to the state.
Read MoreCommonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales Joins Political Organization to Defund the Police and Shrink the Justice System
Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales is on the steering committee of “Our Black Party,” a political organization to defund the police. Morales has stated explicitly that she wants to defund the police and shrink the criminal justice system.
The Code of Virginia states that Commonwealth’s Attorneys are “a part of the department of law enforcement of the county or city in which [s]he is elected or appointed.” It is unclear whether Morales’s leadership within Our Black Party conflicts with her duties as a Commonwealth attorney.
TRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for October 22
Welcome to the Wednesday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).
It’s officially 12 days until the election on November 3 – and nine days until early voting in Virginia closes. President Trump meets Joe Biden in the final presidential debate TONIGHT. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Virginia is Friday.
Read MoreCorey Lewandowski Gives Updates on the Campaign Trail as Trump Surges in Full Force and Biden Hides in Basement
Wednesday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredricks welcomed senior advisor to the Trump-Pence 2020 campaign Corey Lewandowski to the show to give updates on the campaign trail.
Read MoreStaff Report: Governor Northam Signs New Laws to Support COVID-19 Response, Reform Policing
Governor Ralph Northam’s office announced Thursday the signing of eight COVID-19 response bills and three criminal justice reform bills. He also proposed amendments to three other bills related to healthcare, COVID-19 relief and criminal justice reform. Northam’s announcement is below:
Read MoreCandidate for Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, Bob Good Talks About His Ground Game and Having President Trump’s Back
Wednesday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredricks welcomed Virginia’s Fifth District congressional candidate Bob Good to the show to explain how he will always have President Trump’s back.
Read MoreVirginia Senate Gives Governor Power to Oust Police Officers
The Criminal Justice Services Board (CJSB) will have the responsibility of decertifying officers engaged in misconduct or criminally charged and implementing statewide conduct standards for law enforcement, if the Senate’s omnibus policing and reform legislation is signed into law.
Last Friday, the president of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates both signed the legislation, and on Wednesday the bill was communicated to Governor Ralph Northam for final approval.
Read MoreBitter Biden-Curious Rep. Denver Riggleman Shocks Virginia GOP
A sitting Virginia GOP congressman, who lost his party’s nomination, stunned party leaders and supporters when he told CNN Monday he would consider voting for Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
CNN Anchor Ana Cabrena: “Would you consider voting for Joe Biden?”
Rep. Denver L. Riggleman III (R.-Va.): “I would consider it. I’m a free-thinking American.”
William & Mary Reinstates Three Women’s Sports Teams After Threat of Title IX Lawsuit
William and Mary (W&M) announced Monday it is reinstating the women’s swimming, gymnastics and volleyball sports programs after a group of lawyers representing student-athletes on those teams threatened to sue the university in violation of Title IX compliance.
This all stems from the decision last month by former W&M athletics director Samantha Huge to cut seven sports teams at the end of the current academic year because of large budget deficits as a result of COVID-19.
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