Month: January 2021

To understand President Trump’s signing of the latest so-called COVID-19 “stimulus” bill after days of veto threats, we need to understand the critical constitutional history of the Watergate era.

Citing the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, Trump declared, “I will sign the Omnibus and COVID package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed. I will send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item, accompanied by the formal rescission request to Congress insisting that those funds be removed from the bill.”

More Than 1.5B COVID Face Masks Will Pollute the Oceans: Study

An estimated 1.5 billion disposable face masks will end up in the oceans this year according to a Hong Kong-based conservation organization.

OceansAsia based its estimate on 52 billion masks being manufactured in 2020 to meet the demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Their report also says that a “conservative” calculation means at least 3 percent of them will be washed out to sea.

Nashville Bomber Anthony Warner Reportedly Wrote to Acquaintances About Lizard People

January 4, 2021January 3, 2021 Jason M. Reynolds

Nashville bomber Anthony Warner reportedly mailed packages to people he knew before the attack with pages containing nonsensical rambling statements about lizard people and UFOs.

NewsChannel 5 reported on the development in the Christmas Day bombing case.

New House Rules to Eliminate Gendered Terms Like ‘Father, Mother, Son, Daughter’

January 4, 2021January 3, 2021 The Center Square

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern announced new rules for the 117th Congress, which will be introduced and voted on after the new Congress convenes.

The rules include “sweeping ethics reforms, increases accountability for the American people, and makes this House of Representatives the most inclusive in history” – including eliminating the words, “father, mother, son, and daughter,” from federal code.

Bill to Ban Biological Men from Women’s Sports Gains Bipartisan Support in Congress

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation to ban biological males from participating in women’s sports.

Gabbard, a Democrat who ran for the 2020 presidential nomination for her party, is the sponsor of H.R. 8932, the “Protect Women’s Sports Act,” alongside Reps. Markwayne Mullin, (R-Okla.), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Rep. Alexander Mooney (R-W.V.), and Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.).

Almost 100 Million Americans Plan to Make Finances a New Year’s Resolution in 2021

January 4, 2021January 3, 2021 The Center Square

About 97 million Americans say they plan to make a New Year’s resolution for 2021 that involves their financial situation, compared to 66 million who said they’ve done so in the past, according to a new survey by WalletHub.

Of those who responded to the survey, more than a third say their top financial resolution will be to save more money. With that in mind, WalletHub came up with suggestions that can help you save more and spend less.

Some Virginia Newsmakers Share Their New Year’s Resolutions

January 4, 2021January 3, 2021 Eric Burk

A New Year, a new General Assembly session, a new state election, a new vaccine — The Virginia Star is looking forward to the stories of 2021. We asked a few newsmakers what their resolutions for 2021 are. Here’s what they said:

Top Chinese Official Sees ‘New Window of Hope’ with a Biden Administration

The Chinese government sees “a new window of hope” for improved relations with the Biden administration, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said in an interview with a state-controlled media outlet.

“China-U.S. relations have come to a new crossroads, and a new window of hope is opening,” Wang said in an interview with CGTN.

“We hope that the next US administration will return to a sensible approach, resume dialogue with China, restore normalcy to the bilateral relations and restart cooperation,” added Wang, who accused the Trump administration of trying to start “a new Cold War” with Beijing.

Virginia State Senator Ben Chafin Dies Due to Complications from COVID-19

Republican Virginia State Sen. Ben Chafin Jr. has died from COVID-19 complications, his office announced in a statement.

Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Virginia Senate Republican Caucus confirmed Chafin’s death, The Hill reported. Chafin represented Virginia’s 38th District in the last six years and was 60 years old.

Commentary: Dooming Lincoln

It’s one of the ironic facts of history that Lincoln was fond of the tune “Dixie.” Following the capture of Richmond in 1865, he instructed the Union band to play it in celebration of the South’s surrender. “I have always thought ‘Dixie’ one of the best tunes I have ever heard. Our adversaries over the way attempted to appropriate it, but I insisted yesterday that we fairly captured it,” he said. “I now request the band to favor me with its performance.”’

Lincoln’s feelings aren’t hard to understand. “Dixie” is as good as any song that belongs to America. But what was to Lincoln a beautiful melody that had been “fairly captured” has today been marked down by polite society as an anthem of white supremacy and a relic of “Lost Cause” mythology. Indeed, amidst what they’re calling the “reckoning,” a passionate urgency to expunge the Confederacy from history has perhaps never been stronger.

Congresswoman-Elect Spearheads Effort to Keep Ability to Carry Guns in Capitol, Says DC Is Unsafe

Colorado Congresswoman-elect Lauren Boebert, alongside 83 other Representatives, have countered an effort by Democratic legislators to disallow politicians from carrying firearms in the Capitol.

Boebert, a vocal supporter of gun rights, rallied the group of lawmakers to oppose a measure by Democratic California Rep. Jared Huffman to prohibit gun carry throughout Capitol grounds. Huffman garnered support from 19 other House members and said the “current regulations,” which allow concealed firearms for politicians, “create needless risk” in a mid-December letter.

Some Virginia Newsmakers Share Their New Year’s Resolutions

January 4, 2021 Eric Burk

Bill Allowing Religious Exemptions for COVID-19 Vaccines to be Considered Again by General Assembly

January 4, 2021January 3, 2021 Jacob Taylor

With multiple COVID-19 vaccines now being distributed and administered across the Commonwealth of Virginia, a Republican state Senator is looking to revisit the topic of religious exemptions to immunizations when the General Assembly convenes for its regular session in ten days.

Senator Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg) has introduced and pre-filed Senate Bill 1116, which would allow for a parent or guardian to object to the vaccination of a child on the grounds that immunization conflicts with their religious practices or tenets, even during an emergency declared by the state board of health.

Still No Chain of Custody Documents Produced in Georgia for 76 Percent of Absentee Ballots Cast in Drop Boxes Two Months Ago in Presidential Election

January 3, 2021January 2, 2021 Tiffany Morgan

Two months after the November 3 presidential election, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office and county officials in the state have failed to produce chain of custody documents known as ballot transfer forms that tracked the movement of 76 percent of the estimated 600,000 absentee ballots deposited in 300 drop boxes around the state and subsequently delivered to county registrars responsible for accurately and honestly counting those votes in that election.

Commentary: End Court Packing Threat

Congressional Democrats have promised to pack the Supreme Court if they take control and Joe Biden’s fraud-ridden election stands. Senate stalwarts like Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga), and David Perdue (R-Ga.) are leading the charge to end this threat by amending the United States Constitution to specify that the number of Supreme Court Justices will be nine, ending the court packing threat once and for all.

Larry King Hospitalized with COVID-19: Reports

January 3, 2021January 2, 2021 Admin

Legendary journalist and television host Larry King is hospitalized for COVID-19, according to media reports on Saturday evening.

Treasury Sending Out $600 Stimulus Checks This Week

January 3, 2021January 2, 2021 The Center Square

A second round of stimulus checks, this time in the amount of $600, is being sent out this week, the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday.

Referred to as economic impact payments, the $600 check individuals will receive is part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, a bill President Donald Trump signed Sunday.

L.A. Sheriff: 235 Arrests Enforcing COVID-19 Restrictions

As of Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had made 235 arrests over this month in an effort to enforce coronavirus restrictions as the region continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases, officials said Wednesday.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva said his agency has patrolled and targeted underground parties.

Scientists: Common Sleep Aid Could be Used to Help Prevent or Treat COVID-19

Researchers at the renowned Cleveland Clinic say melatonin, a dietary supplement that is used as a sleep aid for people suffering from insomnia, could be employed to help prevent or treat COVID-19.

Boston Removes Lincoln Emancipation Memorial

The Emancipation Memorial statue, put up in Boston’s Park Square in 1879, has been taken down after an online petition with more than 12,000 signatures called for its removal.

The statue of Abraham Lincoln with a freed slave appearing to kneel at his feet drew objections amid a national reckoning with ‘racial injustice’. The decision to remove “acknowledged the statue’s role in perpetuating harmful prejudices and obscuring the role of Black Americans in shaping the nation’s freedoms,” AP reports.

Millions of COVID-19 Vaccines Have Yet to Be Used Since First U.S. Distribution

Over 9 million COVID-19 vaccines have yet to be administered in the U.S. since they were initially distributed on Dec. 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of the 12,409,050 doses of the vaccines that have been distributed, only 2,794,588 have been administered as of Wednesday morning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Commentary: Lockdowns Are Killing Young Adults

On Dec. 16 the top-ranked Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a headline-grabbing article about the risks that Covid poses to young people. The article and an accompanying New York Times piece by its authors strongly implied that people under the age of 45 face a high risk from the disease and, furthermore, this risk is understated by official statistics.

NY Stock Exchange Begins Delisting Securities of China Telecom Companies, Following Trump’s Order

The New York Stock Exchange has began the process of delisting securities of three China telecom companies, following President Trump’s order last month barring U.S. investments in Chinese firms believed to be owned or controlled by the Chinese military.

Amazon, Walmart Saw Profits Surge in 2020 as Small Businesses Decimated by Pandemic

Globally dominant retailers Amazon and Walmart saw profits soar in 2020 on the strength of surging online sales amid a traditional retail environment decimated by COVID-19 closures and shoppers too nervous to venture out into brick-and-mortar establishments.

Vice President Mike Pence Welcomes the Efforts of Representatives and Senators to Object to Electoral College Votes

January 3, 2021January 2, 2021 Admin

In a statement Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence issued a statement through his Chief of Staff Marc Short that he welcomes the actions of some members of the House and Senate, who say they will object to the final certification of the Electoral College vote on Wednesday. “Vice President…

Petersburg School Board Votes to Play High School Winter Sports

January 3, 2021January 2, 2021 Jacob Taylor

The Petersburg City School Board voted 6-1 in a virtual meeting last week to move forward with high school winter sports during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The school board’s decision allows for the return of high school boys and girls basketball, indoor track and field, wrestling as well as cheerleading, and came just a couple weeks after the body had originally voted on December 16 to cancel winter sports because of the virus.

The Virginia Star Person of the Year 2020: Scott Surovell

January 3, 2021 Eric Burk

Most Virginians have not heard of State Senator Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax). They should. He runs Virginia’s government.

For the first time in 26 years, Virginia’s government was in total Democrat control in 2020, including the executive offices, the judicial branch, and the General Assembly.

Virginia’s Dominion Energy Gives Stoney PAC $50,000

January 3, 2021January 2, 2021 Eric Burk

Four days before Christmas, Richmond-based utilities provider Dominion Energy gave $50,000 to Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s One Richmond PAC, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP). With Stoney having just won re-election for another four-year term as mayor, it’s unclear what the funds are for.

The Virginia Star Person of the Year 2020: Scott Surovell

January 3, 2021January 2, 2021 Eric Burk

Most Virginians have not heard of State Senator Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax). They should. He runs Virginia’s government.

For the first time in 26 years, Virginia’s government was in total Democrat control in 2020, including the executive offices, the judicial branch, and the General Assembly.

Eleven Republican U.S. Senators and Senators-Elect Join Growing Chorus in Congress Who Say They Will Challenge Electoral College Results Wednesday

January 2, 2021January 2, 2021 Jason M. Reynolds

Eleven more Republican U.S. senators and senators-elect from 10 states said they will contest the Electoral College results Wednesday over fraud concerns.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), one of the 11, made the announcement Saturday. Senator-Elect Bill Hagerty (R-TN), who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in the election, is working with her in the dissent.

Eleven Republican U.S. Senators and Senators-Elect Join Growing Chorus in Congress Who Say They Will Challenge Electoral College Results Wednesday

January 2, 2021 Jason M. Reynolds

Eleven more Republican U.S. senators and senators-elect from 10 states said they will contest the Electoral College results Wednesday over fraud concerns.

Major Flaws in Georgia Secretary of State’s ‘Audit’ of Absentee Ballot Signature Matching in Cobb County

January 2, 2021January 2, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is not responding to questions about major flaws in his office’s “audit” of Cobb County absentee ballot envelope signatures counted in the November 3 presidential election, the results of which were announced in a press release last week.

Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, have certified that former Vice President Joe Biden secured a razor thin margin of victory of 11,779 votes in Georgia in the November 3 election, despite numerous lawsuits alleging significant irregularities in that election.

John Fredericks Commentary: Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project Will Bring Jobs to the Commonwealth

Anybody who knows me knows I’m a jobs guy. I believe in jobs, good wages and all the positives than come from infrastructure projects. We have one about to explode in our own backyard here in Virginia – and I mean explode in a good way. It’s the multi-billion dollar economic development blockbuster known as the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project. This thing has been under development for a long time…from the informational meetings years ago, the drawing boards, the public meetings, the regulatory hurdles and the construction.

Commentary: Ossoff Must Be Defeated Yet Again

This week, I shared my thoughts on the evil soul of the White-hater, Jew-hater, Israel-hater, and overall despicable person Raphael Warnock. To summarize those 1500 words in 20 words: Warnock, who has the theological soul of a Warlock, regards the Wrong Rev. Jeremiah Wright as a modern-day Biblical “prophet.” In truth, Wright is so viciously despicable that even Obama, who once worshipped at Wright’s feet, fled from that church and left Wright as soon as the public learned what that White-hater, America-hater, and Jew-hater was saying each week from his true Bully Pulpit, the pulpit of a bully.

Portland Rioters Attack Federal Courthouse with Molotovs on New Year’s Eve

A group of violent demonstrators in Portland hurled “Molotovs cocktail-style firebombs”, lit fires and tried to break into a federal courthouse house on New Year’s Eve, authorities said.

Between 80 and 100 rioters tossed at least two firebombs and launched “aerial-grade fireworks” at both the federal building and a county justice facility, according to a press release from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). Others in the group attempted to break into the federal facility using tools, the department wrote.

Report: At Least 140 GOP House Members Plan to Challenge Electoral College Results on January 6

At least 140 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives plan to challenge the electoral vote results on January 6 when Congress meets to certify the next president, CNN reported on Thursday.

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), who launched the effort to challenge the “flawed election,” expressed surprise on Twitter that the number of House members joining him had grown that high.

Commentary: Enough Already with Using Cartoons and Cookies to Sell LGBTQ Agenda to Kids

The year 2020 was tough for everyone, children and adults alike. Most school-age kids were forced to attend school virtually, at least for part of the year. This, combined with lockdowns, caused screen time use to surge.

More than usual, parents may fear kids aren’t learning well or are being exposed to things they aren’t yet mature enough to handle. On this, their intuition may be correct: 2020 saw an increase in LGBTQ-friendly marketing targeted at kids.

Analysis: Electric Vehicles and Their Drawbacks

January 2, 2021January 1, 2021 RealClearWire

Electric-powered cars are now the rage. Tesla’s market capitalization is seven times larger than that of General Motors and fourteen times larger than Ford’s, though it builds a fraction of the vehicles that those companies do. Many politicians are even considering banning gasoline-powered cars within a few years in favor of electric vehicles (EVs), all in the name of saving the planet.

Republicans Have Doubled the Number of Poll Watchers for Georgia Runoffs, Officials Say

Georgia Republicans say they have doubled the number of poll watch volunteers to supervise the contentious Senate runoff elections which will be tallied next week.

A total of 8,000 people volunteered to join a “historic effort” to ensure election integrity ahead of Jan. 5, Fox News reported, citing GOP officials. The number of recruits increased two-fold from the 4,000 volunteers who have been supervising early voting in the state for the past few weeks, according to Fox.

Congress Overrides Trump’s Veto of Defense Authorization Bill

The Senate on Friday voted to override President Trump’s veto of the $741 billion defense authorization bill, giving Trump the first veto overide of his presidency.

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Appeal to McConnell, Georgia Court Sets Hearing in Latest Election Challenges