May 2021 - Page 5 of 9 - The Virginia Star

Commentary: Biden’s Union Agenda Betrays American Workers

May 17, 2021May 16, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Man in safety vest, working during the day.

The consequences of Democratic control of Congress and the White House are just beginning to be felt, as one of the most disruptive pieces of legislation in American history quietly moves from the House of Representatives to the Senate, where only a successful filibuster may prevent its passage. H.R. 842, also known as the Protect the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) goes a long way towards completing America’s transition into a corporate oligarchy. Because it will also make the elite captains of big labor more powerful than ever, they don’t care.

The PRO Act, like the more visible H.R. 1, is an example of disastrous legislation that is packaged and labeled as advancing the interests of the American worker, when in fact they are designed by special interests to destroy democracy and deny upward mobility. The new operative theme is simple and tragic: in America, big labor, big business, and big government no longer engage in healthy conflict. Rather than checking and balancing each other, on the biggest issues they display a corrupt unity.

Here are some of the provisions of the PRO Act:

Analysis: Biden’s Spending Could Become A Hidden Tax On Everything

May 17, 2021May 16, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

As the U.S. climbs out of a once-in-a-century pandemic, rising prices have led to increasing worry that rapid inflation could be just over the horizon.

Americans have already witnessed higher prices in the past few months, with everything from gasoline to lumber to basic home items jumping in cost. The increases, partially fueled by non-existent interest rates and record government spending, could lead to inflation that the U.S. has not seen in decades, experts say.

“In the short term, consumers can expect to see rising prices across the board,” Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a columnist at The Washington Post, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “I expect in the next few months people will be getting sticker shocked in virtually all aspects of their life.”

Commentary: The List of Contraband Symbolism, Political Views, and Speech Will Grow

May 17, 2021May 16, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Outside Christie’s home in upstate New York, nestled beneath a tree near her driveway, sits a small rock painted with a Confederate flag that could cost her the custody of her little girl.

In a row between parents identified only as Christie and Isaiah, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court’s Third Department unanimously allowed the pair to retain joint custody of their biracial child but ordered the mother to remove the rebel rock by June 1. Failing that, the court ruled the rock’s “continued presence shall constitute a change in circumstances.”

Put plainly, the bench threatened to revisit parents’ custody agreement and warned: “Family Court shall factor this into any future best interests analysis.”

Commentary: The World Health Organization Endorses Lockdowns Forever

May 17, 2021May 16, 2021 RealClearWire

The last 14 months elevated a global group of intellectuals and bureaucrats about which most people had previously cared very little. Among them, the ones who believe least in freedom entrenched their power, thanks to a big push by the lavishly funded but largely discredited World Health Organization.

The WHO tapped an “independent panel” (the fix was already in: the panel’s head is former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark) to figure out what the world did right and did wrong in response to Covid-19. The final report has all the expected verbiage about the needs for more global coordination and largesse going to public health.

The key conclusion follows:

“Every country should apply non-pharmaceutical measures systematically and rigorously at the scale the epidemiological situation requires, with an explicit evidence-based strategy agreed at the highest level of government…”

Law Enforcement Officers Fired for Inaction in Parkland Shooting Get Jobs Back, Vacation Pay

May 17, 2021May 16, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Two of the police officers who lost their jobs over inaction during the deadliest school shooting in American history have gotten their jobs back, with back and vacation pay.

Arbitrators reinstated them and could do the same for a third officer as well. Federal Judge Keathan Frink affirmed the arbitrators’ decisions in a May 13 ruling, the Associated Press reports.

Broward County deputies Brian Miller and Joshua Stambaugh were among the police who responded to a February 14, 2018 mass school shooting report at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Northam Signs Letter Asking Congress for $1 Billion for Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Infrastructure

May 17, 2021May 16, 2021 Eric Burk

Governor Ralph Northam and governors of other Chesapeake Bay watershed states are asking Congress for $1 billion to help meet 2025 pollution reduction goals. In a letter sent May 13, the officials say that their Billion for the Bay Initiative would help restore the bay and create jobs.

Federal Government Awards Virginia Money for Damage from February Winter Storms

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 The Center Square

Sidewalk covered in snow and parked vehicles

The federal government will award the Commonwealth of Virginia and local governments money related to the costs of damages from winter storms in mid-February, President Joe Biden announced.

Biden declared a major disaster for severe weather storms that happened between Feb. 11 and Feb. 13. Federal assistance will be available for the state, tribal and local recovery efforts related to the storms.

Funding is also available to some private nonprofits for the cost of emergency work and repair or replacement of facilities.

Commentary: House Republicans Defy the January 6 Narrative

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

January 6 riot at the capitol with large crowd of people.

It’s about time.

U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) prompted outrage this week following his remarks during a congressional hearing on the events of January 6, 2021.

Clyde, along with several Republican House members, is finally pushing back on the Democrats’ allegedly unassailable narrative about what happened that day. The roughly four-hour disturbance at the Capitol, as I’ve covered for months, is being weaponized not only against Donald Trump but also hundreds of nonviolent Americans who traveled to their nation’s capital to protest the final certification of a fraudulent presidential election.

Big Tech used the so-called “attack” on the Capitol as an excuse to achieve its long-sought-after goal to deplatform the former president; NeverTrumpers such as Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) insist the chaos of the day was fueled by the “Big Lie”—in other words, the belief held by tens of millions of Republicans—and a good share of independents—that Joe Biden didn’t legitimately earn enough votes to win the White House. The Biden regime vows to use the “whole of government” to purge the country of “domestic violent extremists,” which is code for Trump supporters.

Over a Year into the Pandemic, Politicians Are Still Getting Caught Ignoring Their Own COVID Restrictions

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Mask with smartphone that reads "COVID-19"

Many lawmakers who have ordered or urged citizens not to leave their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic have not followed their own advice.

The Daily Caller News Foundation has kept track of those politicians or local lawmakers who spurned their own COVID-19 rules to attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration and the lawmakers who flouted their own advice and then excused their behavior as essential, compiling lists of the biggest offenders such as Democrats New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and many more.

The DCNF searched for, but did not find, examples of prominent Republicans who urged citizens to stay home due to COVID-19 and then did not follow their own advice. Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, for example, sparked a backlash when he traveled to Cancun in February as Texans struggled without power under heavy ice storms.

Science Magazine Publishes Letter Pushing for Better Investigation of COVID-19’s Origins

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

A group of scientists called for a more objective investigation into the source of COVID-19 in an open letter in Science magazine on Thursday.

“A proper investigation should be transparent, objective, data-driven, inclusive of broad expertise, subject to independent oversight, and responsibly managed to minimize the impact of conflicts of interest,” the 18 scientists wrote, many of whom have conducted extensive research in microbiology and are from top U.S. universities.

A World Health Organization-led team released a report on COVID-19’s origins in March, and the WHO’s director general, the White House, the U.S. State Department and 13 other countries expressed concern that the report was compromised, particularly as China blocked the team’s access to key data.

Public health agencies and research laboratories need to open their records for investigation, the scientists say in their open letter.

Commentary: ‘No Evidence’ That Gun Buyback Programs Reduce Gun Violence, New Economic Study Finds

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Shortly before Christmas in 2018, a woman named Darlene voluntarily turned in a 9mm pistol to the Baltimore Police Department. It was just one of about 500 firearms the department collected that day as part of the city’s gun buyback program, which paid citizens somewhere between $25 and $500 in exchange for their firearms and high-capacity magazines.

Darlene, however, had a confession. She was turning in her 9mm, she told a local news reporter, so she could “upgrade to a better weapon.”

Like what? the reporter asked.

“I don’t know,” Darlene said. “I haven’t quite decided.”

Pope Francis Decries Plunging Birth Rates: ‘No Future’ Without the Family

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Pope Francis lamented news of plunging birth rates worldwide in a Friday address, warning that there is “no future” without the family.

“If the family is not at the center of the present, there will be no future; but if the family takes off again, everything will take again,” the pope tweeted Friday.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released in early May found that the provisional number of births in the United States in 2020 is down 4% from 2019. Women in the U.S. gave birth to approximately 3.61 million babies in 2020, compared to about 3.75 million births in 2019, and the United States total fertility rate fell to 1.64, the lowest rate since the government began tracking such data in the 1930s.

More Than 120 Retired U.S. Generals and Admirals Post Open Letter Blasting Biden Regime’s Marxist Assault Constitutional Rights

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

More than 120 retired military generals and admirals have posted an open letter questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election, Joe Biden’s mental health, and warning that the United States is in deep peril under Biden’s divisive leadership. The former high-ranking military officers blasted the “Commander-in-Chief,” accusing him of launching “a full-blown assault on our Constitutional rights in a dictatorial manner, and summed up the situation as a “conflict is between supporters of Socialism and Marxism vs. supporters of Constitutional freedom and liberty.”

“Without fair and honest elections that accurately reflect the ‘will of the people’ our Constitutional Republic is lost,” the 124 former officers stated in the letter, which was released by the group “Flag Officers 4 America.”

“Election integrity demands insuring there is one legal vote cast and counted per citizen. Legal votes are identified by State Legislature’s approved controls using government IDs, verified signatures, etc. Today, many are calling such commonsense controls ‘racist’ in an attempt to avoid having fair and honest elections,” the letter continued. “The FBI and Supreme Court must act swiftly when election irregularities are surfaced and not ignore them as was done in 2020.”

Court Dismisses Chase’s Lawsuit over Censure by the Virginia Senate

May 16, 2021May 15, 2021 Eric Burk

The Eastern District Court of Virginia dismissed Senator Amanda Chase’s (R-Chesterfield) lawsuit over her censure by the Senate. On Wednesday, Judge Robert Payne granted a motion to dismiss filed by Attorney General Mark Herring on behalf of the Senate and the Clerk of the Senate. In April, Herring argued that the Senate and the Clerk have sovereign immunity and that the Senate’s decision to censure is a “non-justiciable” political question.

Gubernatorial Candidate Terry McAuliffe Makes Transition from Primary to General Election

May 15, 2021May 15, 2021 Matthew Hall

With three weeks to go before the Democratic Party primary on June 8th, former Virginia Governor and Clinton confidante Terry McAuliffe transitioned his campaign to the general election with a series of social media posts attacking Republican gubernatorial nominee, Glenn Youngkin.

On the heels of the Youngkin announcement, McAuilffe blasted his Republican opponent by tweeting, “Let me introduce you to Glenn Youngkin: Glenn’s a Ted Cruz and Corey Stewart-endorsed, self-funding, Big Lie believing Trump loyalist who’ll stop at nothing to advance the GOP’s extreme agenda.

Commentary: Bernie Sanders Proves He’s Nothing More Than an Establishment Mouthpiece

May 15, 2021May 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Remember Bernie Sanders? You know, the goofy socialist who nearly became the Democratic nominee in 2016 and 2020. In both presidential races, his supporters touted him as a threat to the system. His campaign was a “revolution” and, if he became president, he was going to bring down the warmongering, plutocratic establishment.

Bernie has since proved these claims very wrong.

Last week, he tweeted in support of Liz Cheney, the very embodiment of the warmongering plutocratic establishment.

Lawmakers Reach Deal on Bipartisan 9/11-Style Commission to Investigate Capitol Riot

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The two top lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee reached an agreement Friday on legislation that would create a bipartisan, 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The bill, authored by Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson and New York Republican Rep. John Katko, is focused exclusively on the attack and not other episodes of political violence as multiple Republicans earlier insisted. Though it has the support of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, it is unclear whether Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other members of his caucus support it.

“I haven’t read through it,” McCarthy told reporters when asked about the bill Friday morning.

Not One State Reported a Sizable Increase in Coronavirus Cases Last Week

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

For the first time in months, not one state reported a dramatic weekly increase in coronavirus cases.

While average daily cases fell by less than 10% in 11 states, 37 states saw cases fall by over 10% and just two states had cases marginally increase, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The United States also averaged fewer than 40,000 daily cases last week, a 21% drop from the week prior and the lowest total since September.

Death and hospitalization rates have also plummeted nationwide. The U.S. has averaged 600 deaths per day, the lowest point in approximately 10 months. If the number continues to fall the nation could soon hit its lowest point of the entire pandemic, according to the Associated Press.

Jobless Claims Hit New Pandemic Low, Drop to 473,000

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Photo “Unemployment Insurance Claims Office” by Bytemarks. CC BY 2.0.

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 473,000 last week as the economy continues to slowly recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending May 1, when 507,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 498,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Economists expected Thursday’s jobless claims number to come in at 500,000, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Texas Bill Will Ban Abortions After an Unborn Baby’s Heartbeat Can Be Detected

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott indicated Thursday that he will sign a heartbeat abortion bill banning abortions after the unborn baby has reached six weeks gestation.

Texas’ Heartbeat Act passed the state’s Senate Thursday. Abbott highlighted the bill’s passage in a tweet that noted the bill was “on its way to my desk for signing.” The governor also thanked Republican state lawmakers Bryan Hughes and Shelby Slawson for their leadership in introducing the legislation.

The Colonial Pipeline Attack Could Lead to Real Change in Cybersecurity Policy

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Eric Burk

Hackers infiltrated the Colonial Pipeline’s systems, held its data hostage for a $5 million ransom, and in the process, triggered local gas shortages across the eastern U.S. In response, politicians began talking about needed reform to protect critical infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts say talk is common around such initiatives, but because of the recent attack’s impact on the everyday lives of Americans, legislators may finally be ready to make real changes.

Steve Bannon Presents ‘War Room: Pandemic’

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

An all new LIVE STREAM of War Room: Pandemic starts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Saturday.

Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon began the daily War Room: Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25, when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out of China around the Lunar New Year. Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical, public health, economic, national security, supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET.

The Colonial Pipeline Is Back Online

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Eric Burk

After five days that saw Virginia’s gasoline availability plummet, the Colonial Pipeline is fully-operational as of Thursday evening. But the company says not to expect supplies to return to normal immediately.

‘Too Risky’: Progressives Are Upset CDC Lifted Mask Mandate

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Progressives voiced their dismay following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated guidance that vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors.

Progressives and medical experts immediately criticized the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mask guidelines, arguing that the alteration was extreme and would be harmful to certain parts of the population. Others said the new guidance is confusing and disincentivizes people to get vaccinated.

“The CDC has done an about-face that’s shockingly abrupt: it’s confusing & could actually disincentivize vaccines,” Dr. Leana Wen, a George Washington University public health professor, tweeted after the announcement Thursday.

“Yes, vaccinated people are well-protected and not a threat to others,” she said in a later tweet. “But do we trust that the honor system—won’t unvaccinated people pretend to be vaccinated & stop wearing masks?”

Commentary: Celebrating Our Heroes on Armed Forces Day

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Every third Saturday in May, America comes together to celebrate Armed Forces Day in honor of the brave men and women who serve in the U.S. military.

May 15, 2021 is the 71st anniversary of the establishment of Armed Forces Day. This commemorative holiday was established by President Harry Truman in 1950 following the passage of the National Security Act in 1947.

At the end of World War II and the onset of the Cold War, the United States Congress and the Truman administration recognized that an overhaul of our national security, intelligence, and defense apparatuses were needed for America to defeat the expanding threat of communism. The National Security Act established the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Air Force. It also unified and restructured the U.S. military by moving the War Department, Navy Department, and Air Force under the direction of the new Department of Defense.

Fully-Vaccinated Virginians No Longer Need Masks in Most Settings

May 15, 2021May 14, 2021 Eric Burk

Fully-vaccinated Virginians no longer need to wear masks in most places, including indoors. On Friday, Governor Ralph Northam updated his mask mandate, effective Saturday, to align with new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance released Thursday.

“Virginians have been working hard, and we are seeing the results in our strong vaccine numbers and dramatically lowered case counts,” Northam said in his announcement.

Virginia GOP Senators Tell Northam to End Mask Mandate

May 14, 2021May 14, 2021 Cooper Moran

The Virginia Senate Republican Caucus issued a statement via Twitter on Friday urging Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to end the state-wide mask mandate.

The statement follows updated guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that allows vaccinated individuals to no longer wear a mask indoors.

House GOP Elects Stefanik as Conference Chairwoman

May 14, 2021May 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

House Republicans elected New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik as GOP conference chair on Friday.

California Rep. Darrell Issa, who voted for Stefanik, told reporters as he left the GOP meeting that “it’s a very united conference.”

Norment, Saslaw Discuss If Virginia Will Remain Business-Friendly in the Future

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Eric Burk

In a post-session virtual luncheon hosted by Wason Center Academic Director Quentin Kidd, Senate Minority Leader Thomas Norment (R-James City) expressed alarm at erosion of Virginia’s business-friendly status while Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said moderate pro-business senators were helping protect Virginia’s business environment — for now.

Commentary: Biden Mocks Ancient Wisdom

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Human nature stays the same across time and space. That is why there used to be predictable political, economic, and social behavior that all countries understood.

The supply of money governs inflation. Print it without either greater productivity or more goods and services, and the currency cheapens. Yet America apparently rejects that primordial truism.

Commentary: ESG Investing Is Politics by Other Means

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 RealClearWire

Before Joe Biden’s election, environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing was sweeping all before it. Wall Street was coming to the planet’s rescue and saving capitalism at the same time. It was a self-serving myth. As I show in my new report Capitalism, Socialism and ESG published today, doing well by doing good is no more than Wall Street sales patter. But since the election, financial regulators have been falling over themselves playing catchup.

Biden Administration to Continue Building Part of President Trump’s Border Wall

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

After initially vowing to not build any more new wall along the southern border, the Biden Administration has backtracked and announced that it will resume construction on some areas of the wall, the Daily Caller reports.

Construction will resume on a 13.4 mile portion of the wall located in the Rio Grande Valley, at the southernmost tip of Texas, and will once again be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The USACE confirmed that it has already “resumed DHS-funded design and construction support on approx. 13.4 miles of levee in the Rio Grande Valley that were partially excavated or at various levels of construction when work on the wall was paused for review.”

Commentary: Big Tech Censorship Is Here to Stay

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Big Tech has betrayed the American people yet again – despite hopes that Facebook would finally reverse it’s ban on Donald Trump’s account, the social media giant has re-committed to a path of dangerous partisan censorship.

On Wednesday, an oversight board established by Facebook ruled that it would not be overturning the platform’s January decision to suspend Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Amid Violence, UMich Student Government Pledges to be in ‘Lockstep’ with Palestinians in Their ‘Fight Against Oppression’

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The University of Michigan Central Student Government released a scathing statement in support of Palestine and against Israel, prompted by the ongoing conflict in Jerusalem. The letter accuses Israel of “settler colonialism, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid.”

“We aim to do whatever is in our power to ensure that we remain in lockstep with [the Palestinians] and their fight against oppression,” the student government said in an open letter.

Commentary: Biden’s America Resembles the Bad Old Days of 1973

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

While President Joe Biden may look fondly back on the year 1973, the year he began serving in the United States Senate, did he really have to bring the entire country back with him to that fateful year?

Today’s headlines are ripped straight out of the newspapers of 1973.

Arizona Election Auditors Claim Maricopa County Officials Deleted Databases from Voting Machines Before Handing Them over

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Maricopa County election officials tampered with election records just days before the equipment was delivered to the Arizona Senate for the 2020 election audit, according to the Senate Liaison for the Maricopa County 2020 Forensic Election Audit.

Before the machines were turned over, a directory full of election databases was deleted by an administrator, resulting in spoliation of evidence, the Maricopa County Audit’s official Twitter account alleged in a tweet late Wednesday.

Biden Admin Stops Flying Migrants to Other Cities for Easier Expulsion

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The Biden administration discontinued flights carrying migrant children and family units from one part of the border to another in order to expel them to Mexico, CBS News reported Wednesday.

Advocacy groups criticized the administration for flying migrant families and unaccompanied minors who illegally entered the U.S. through the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas to El Paso, Texas, or San Diego, California, for expulsion to Mexico, according to CBS News.

Emergency Broadband Benefit Applications Open, Provides $50 per Month to Help Recipients Pay Broadband Bills

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Eric Burk

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is accepting applications for an economic relief program providing $50 per month to help low-income families pay for broadband.

“The Emergency Broadband Benefit program will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands,” states an announcement shared Wednesday by Congressman Rob Wittman (R-Virginia-01). “Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.”

Virginia’s COVID-19 Case Numbers, Hospitalizations Down to Spring 2020 Levels

May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 Eric Burk

Virginia’s COVID-19 case numbers hit a new milestone on Monday: just 336 reported cases, according to the Virginia Department of Health; the last time numbers dropped below 400 was in June and April of 2020. According to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, COVID-19 hospitalizations are low as well, with the seven-day moving average at 775 on Thursday; that number hasn’t been below 800 since late March 2020.

Northam Awards $9.4 Million from Volkswagen Lawsuit Funds to Electrify Diesel Fleets at IAD, Fairfax County, and Amherst County

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Eric Burk

Governor Ralph Northam awarded $9.4 million to fund electrification of government-owned vehicle fleets for Dulles International Airport, Fairfax County, and Amherst County. The funds are part of the Clean Air Communities Program (CACP) and is funded by the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust (VEMT). Along with the $9.4 million awards, Northam announced a second round of funding, an additional $20 million, to electrify school buses.

Commentary: H.R. 1 Would Eliminate Key Signature Verification Safeguard

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 RealClearWire

Democrats have already passed H.R. 1, also known as the For the People Act, in the House of Representatives; fortunately, the bill faces a much tougher road in the Senate. Among the bill’s many serious problems are a wide array that I would characterize as “mechanical,” in the sense that they dictate the nuts and bolts of how states would run elections. H.R. 1 attempts to dictate these elements in a way that is either impossible to put into effect or would gut the effective administration of elections. One example is how H.R. 1 dictates, through its Section 1621, that states must deal with signature verification – a cornerstone of election security, especially with the growth of mail-in balloting.

Poll: Majority of Voters Blame Biden for Border ‘Crisis’

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 The Center Square

As the Biden administration continues to wrestle with an influx of people illegally crossing the southern border, new polling shows Americans are unhappy with the president’s handling of the issue.

Polling released Tuesday from Rasmussen reports that roughly two-thirds of Americans think “the current situation with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border is a crisis.”

Commentary: The Strange Death of the British Labour Party

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

I must visit Twitter periodically to renew my sense of horror. For lurid anthropological enjoyment, Twitter offers a safari to those inclined. Twitter is most satisfying when reality intrudes upon those dedicated to unreality, the “my-truthers.”

Last week’s elections in Great Britain were such an occasion. “Fascists live among us!” cried the Woke, who call for the professional death and canceling of anyone who disagrees with them.

Consumer Prices Increase 4.2 Percent to the Highest Level Since 2008

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The consumer price index has jumped 4.2% over the last 12 months, the fastest pace of inflation since 2008, according to a Department of Labor report.

The consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.8% between March and April, according to the Labor Department report released Wednesday morning. Economists projected that the CPI increased by 0.2% last month and 3.6% over the 12-month period ending in April, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Arizona Adopts Election Reform Bill That Stops Some Voters from Automatically Receiving Absentee Ballots

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed an election reform bill Tuesday that could stop thousands of voters from automatically receiving an absentee ballot ahead of an upcoming election.

SB 1485 would remove voters who have not participated in Arizona’s last four elections from its permanent early voting list, which allows them to automatically receive absentee ballots ahead of elections. Partisan primaries are included as separate elections, meaning that a voter could be removed if they fail to vote back-to-back election cycles, but they must also first fail to respond to mail notices alerting them.

Gas Crisis in Southeastern U.S. Worsens as over 1,000 Stations Run Out of Fuel

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

America’s southeast is seeing the worst of the growing energy crisis after a devastating hack of a major American pipeline, with well over 1,000 gas stations running out of fuel altogether, the New York Post reports.

Following the hack of the Colonial Pipeline, a critical system that serves 17 states, the situation was made even worse by a spike in panic-buying of fuel, which led to even more gas stations running out than caused by the initial hack. North Carolina felt the worst of the shortage, with approximately 8.5 percent of its roughly 5,400 gas stations running empty. Virginia was not too far behind, after around 7.7 percent of its 3,900 stations also ran dry.

New Federal Data Signals More Trouble for U.S. Economy

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that prices for consumer goods have risen significantly in the past year, putting extra strain on Americans’ budgets and worrying experts.

As the Biden administration fends off criticism over proposed tax increases, higher spending and rising inflation, BLS released data Wednesday showing the biggest increase in consumer prices in over a decade. Those price increases point to a spike in inflation, experts say.

More Than 178,000 Illegally Crossed Southern U.S. Border in April, a Two-Decade High

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported Tuesday that 178,622 people attempted to illegally enter America’s southern border in April, a two-decade high.

Officials said single adults comprised a majority of encounters.

Music Spotlight: Tyler Kohrs

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee- The first time I heard Tyler Kohrs sing was on an Instagram video. He has a beautiful, bright voice and his country covers were spot on. But that wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was that he sounded country and talked with a slight southern accent, but is actually Asian-American. That piqued my interest so much that I contacted him directly.

Those of you who watch The Voice may recognize Tyler Kohrs from his tryout this past March. He didn’t get through, but he still did very well where people remarked about it. The story he shares about his experience is one you will want to hear.