Month: August 2021

While critical race theory has rightfully garnered much attention of late, it is simply the latest step in advancing what is known as cultural Marxism. Many people lay the origins of America’s left turn to the 1960s, but in fact, it actually dates back to the Progressive Era, a time of social and political reform that started over a hundred years ago. While eliminating some government corruption and granting suffrage for women were positive steps, the early 20th century movement ushered in an era of radical thought that has never left us. What follows are a few stand-out points of the far-left’s invasion into education.

“The purpose of a university should be to make a son as unlike his father as possible.” These radical words were uttered in 1909 by Woodrow Wilson as president of Princeton, four years before he became the 28th president of the U.S. (When Wilson won his election in 2012, socialist Eugene Debs received 6 percent of the vote.)

Taliban Will Announce Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, after President Hamid Karzai Flees Kabul

As Afghanistan descends into chaos, the Taliban announced on Sunday that they soon will declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The country went by that name under the previous Taiban regime.

Oregon Progressives Lower Academic Expectations for Minority Students in Name of ‘Equity’

Oregon’s high school graduation rate is on the rise. But maybe not for the right reasons.

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic prompted state guidelines that essentially mandated a no-fail policy for high school seniors whose course work became remote during the latter half of the 2020 school year. Now, state graduation rates will likely remain artificially inflated, thanks to a new law that will allow Oregon students to get their diplomas without proving proficiency in core academic skills.

Migrants Coming to America Illegally Say They’re Coming to the U.S. for a Variety of Reasons

MCALLEN, Texas — Some migrants who spoke to the DCNF said they were motivated to come to the U.S. by the Biden administration, while others cited death threats from “narcos” and disaster in their home countries.

“Suddenly, the situations during the previous years weren’t like this one. This year was much more difficult,” a Honduran migrant named Javier told the DCNF after illegally crossing into the U.S. near the Hidalgo Point of Entry early Tuesday morning.

Javier said increasing “crime and a lot of insecurity” including “extortions and death threats from the cartels” motivated him to leave Honduras. He said it took him a little over a month to reach the U.S.

Minorities Fleeing High-Tax, Democrat-Run States for High-Opportunity, Republican-Run Country

Data from the 2020 census confirms a population shift that reflects “the decade’s broad population shifts: slow growth in the Northeast and Midwest, and gains in the South and some Western states.”

The last decade’s interstate migration shift also indicated that states with higher taxes and less opportunities for job growth lost residents to lower tax states with more job opportunities.

Infrastructure Bill Features Per-Mile User Fee Pilot Program

The recently passed U.S. Senate infrastructure bill includes controversial provisions such as a vehicle per-mile user fee pilot program as the bill faces uncertainty in the U.S. House.

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes $550 billion of new spending, passed in the Senate on Tuesday by a 69-30 vote. The bill authorizes spending for improvements to roads, bridges, rail, transit and broadband, among other forms of infrastructure.

27 People Aboard Almost Fully Vaccinated Cruise Ship Test Positive for COVID

Aboard an almost fully vaccinated Carnival cruise ship, 27 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday just before arriving in Belize City, according to the Belize Tourism Board.

While crew members are 99.8% vaccinated, 26 of the positive cases were among them, the statement said. One passenger tested positive, as well, and 96.5% of guests have received the shot.

Newt Gingrich Commentary: The Woke Industrial Complex and a Crisis of American Identity

“Stakeholder capitalism” is the idea that companies should serve not only their shareholders but also other interests and society at large. This ideology, championed by America’s business and political leaders, promises a better, more diverse, and environmentally friendly world. Social justice is the purported goal.

In reality, this insidious force is an invitation for politics to infect business, creating a marriage between big business and big government that has the two working in concert. The result is a hybrid behemoth of immense power, capable of controlling our money, our voice, even our identity.

ICE Halted Deportation of Criminal Illegal Alien Due to Far-Left Activist’s Request

Internal emails from within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveal that the acting director went out of his way to block the deportation of an illegal alien with a criminal record after a request was made by a far-left “Abolish ICE” activist, as reported by Fox News.

The request was made by Tania Mattos, who serves as a policy director with the far-left pro-amnesty group Freedom for Immigrants. Mattos was an illegal alien herself before being granted amnesty by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and has publicly called for the abolition of ICE.

Hackers Steal over $600 Million in One of the Biggest Crypto-Heists Ever

Hackers stole over $600 million in digital assets Tuesday from users of cryptocurrency platform Poly Network in one of the largest digital token heists ever.

Poly Network, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that allows users to trade digital currencies with one another, announced the hack Tuesday. Cybersecurity firm SlowMist, which investigated the hack, said the total value of assets stolen was $610 million.

Major Airline Forces 12-Year-Old Autistic Boy to Undergo COVID Test Despite Exemption

Employees of a major airline reportedly made an autistic boy with an exemption letter take a COVID-19 test before allowing him to board his flight, the BBC reported Thursday.

Ryanair employees forced Callum Hollingsworth, 12, who has autism as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to take a COVID-19 nasal swab test before being allowed to travel home to the U.K. from Spain last week, his mother Katie told the BBC. Callum had a letter from his doctor exempting him from testing, which the U.K.’s COVID-19 guidance recognizes.

Commentary: New York Gov. Cuomo’s Resignation Has Everything to Do with Democrats Maintaining the Loyalty of College-aged Women

Under the glare of a looming impeachment, precipitated by Attorney General Letitia James’ report of Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment of 11 women, Cuomo transformed before our eyes from beloved Emmy winner to “the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing.” And it all happened faster than you could say, “Cuomo is responsible for the deaths of more than 15,000 nursing home residents from COVID-19 because of his incompetent-at-best-and-criminal-at-worst handling of the pandemic.”

What happened? Why did the preventable, tragic deaths of 15,000 elderly New Yorkers not sink Cuomo, but the allegations of 11 women about sexual misconduct on his part did?

Old Dominion University Forgives Students Spring 2021 Outstanding Balance

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Eric Burk

Old Dominion University (ODU) is canceling any unpaid balance its students incurred in the spring 2021 semester. Vice President for Student Engagement and Enrollment Services Donald Stansberry said that an outstanding balance blocks students from receiving diplomas or registering for fall classes.

“Old Dominion is committed to helping our students reach their academic potential,” Stansberry said in a press release. “At a time when many families are facing financial stress because of the pandemic, these CARES Act funds will help eliminate significant roadblocks so students can continue on their academic journeys.”

Reporters Challenged ‘Natural Causes’ Ruling in Death of Capitol Police Officer Sicknick: Watchdog

Members of the media pressured officials when Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick’s autopsy contravened the popular narrative that he essentially was beaten to death during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch.

Journalists challenged the Washington, D.C. medical examiner’s office regarding its finding that Sicknick in fact died of natural causes, according to those records.

The watchdog organization acquired the records via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, a spokesperson confirmed. The records include emails from journalists asking about the autopsy report that was released some three months after Officer Sicknick died.

Youngkin Rails Against Northam/McAuliffe Mask Mandates at Southwest Virginia Rally

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Matthew Hall

Claytor Lake, Virginia- Republican nominee for Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin railed against the McAuliffe-Northam mask mandates at a rally in Pulaski County on Saturday. Youngkin sat down with The Virginia Star after his rally to discuss school mask mandates.

The Number of White People in America Has Declined for the First Time Since 1790

Crowd of people walking in New York City near the subway

The number of white people in the United States has dropped for the first time since 1790, according to new data from the 2020 Census.

Data from the 2020 count of people living in America shows that the country has become substantially more ethnically diverse, particularly in the under-18 category. Additionally, the country’s population grew 7.4% in the last ten years, a slower rate than any decade since the 1930s.

The numbers indicate that growth in the American population for the last decade has been driven by minority populations. While whites still make up a little less than 58% of the American population, that figure dropped below 60% for the first time since the census-taking began.

Commentary: The Biden Inflation Tax, Made Clear in One Chart

August 15, 2021August 14, 2021 RealClearWire

Joe Biden walking with "American Jobs Plan" sign

What is all this “Biden inflation tax” talk really about? What is the actual effect of inflation on the lives of real people?

Well, below is a chart that compares yearly wage and inflation rates for each month from 2017 through July of this year using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Wage rates are in blue and inflation (as measured by the consumer price index) is in red. When blue is on top, as it was during the entire Trump administration, workers’ wages are beating inflation and their standards of living are improving. When red is on top, they’re not.

While President Biden claims that it is “indisputable” that his jobs plan “is working,” this chart unequivocally shows that it is not, at least not for American workers. Rather, inflation is surging, more than wiping out any wage gains those workers might have experienced.

Federal Court Sides with Biden’s Eviction Moratorium, for Now

August 15, 2021August 14, 2021 The Center Square

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Friday against a challenge to President Joe Biden’s latest eviction moratorium.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich denied a request from the Alabama and Georgia association of Realtors to overturn an eviction moratorium from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 60-day order bans landlords from evicting tenants, even if they do not pay rent, citing concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

“About half of all housing providers are mom-and-pop operators, and without rental income, they cannot pay their own bills or maintain their properties,” National Association of Realtors President Charlie Oppler said. “NAR has always advocated the best solution for all parties was rental assistance paid directly to housing providers to cover the rent and utilities of any vulnerable tenants during the pandemic. No housing provider wants to evict a tenant and considers it only as a last resort.”

Senate Passes Amendment to Ban Federal Dollars from Funding Critical Race Theory in Schools

The Senate has approved an amendment to the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill that will ban the use of federal funds from being used to teach Critical Race Theory in schools.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced the “Stop CRT Act” in an effort to prevent tax dollars from being used to teach the controversial set of ideas in public school classrooms.

Illegal immigration, Drug Seizures Spike in July

August 15, 2021August 14, 2021 The Center Square

New federal reporting shows illegal immigration has continued to grow worse as the Biden administration increasingly takes heat for the crisis at the southern border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection released new immigration data that shows border agents encountered 212,672 undocumented migrants attempting to enter the country illegally in July, the highest number in more than two decades.

“The situation at the border is one of the toughest challenges we face,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. “It is complicated, changing, and involves vulnerable people at a time of a global pandemic.”

Migrants Who Entered the U.S. Illegally Say Crossing Legally Is Only for ‘Privileged People’

MCALLEN, Texas — Migrants who illegally crossed the border into the U.S. said immigrating legally is only an option for privileged people.

“We all don’t have the same capacity or the same opportunity,” a Honduran man who had just crossed into the U.S. illegally with a group into La Joya, Texas, told the Daily Caller News Foundation Saturday night. “Only privileged people can cross legally.”

Migrants may pay smugglers between $7,000 and $14,000 to enter the U.S. illegally, and the fee includes multiple tries if the person is deported from the U.S., Reuters reported. Becoming a U.S. citizen, however, takes years and can cost between $4,000 and $12,000 according to the Economic Times.

GOP Senators Put the National Institutes of Health on Notice for ‘Complete Disregard for Congressional Oversight’ Surrounding Risky Virus Research in China

The National Institutes of Health’s refusal to cooperate with congressional oversight on risky gain of function virus research in China is unacceptable, a group of seven Republican lawmakers wrote in a letter Thursday obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The lawmakers, led by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, railed against the agency’s director, Francis Collins, for blowing off their previous May 20 letter demanding answers to 17 questions related to gain of function research, noting that the NIH’s response to that request was nearly identical to the response provided to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who had asked a completely different set of questions about its funding of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Your refusal to provide detailed responses that fully address each oversight request is unacceptable,” the GOP lawmakers wrote to Collins on Thursday. “NIH’s lack of response to the May 20 letter shows a complete disregard for congressional oversight and transparency.”

Kerry’s Private Jet Emitted 30 Times More Carbon in 2021 Than Average Vehicle Does in a Year

The family jet of climate czar John Kerry has emitted 30 times more carbon so far in 2021 than the average vehicle in a year, Fox News reported.

The private jet emitted 138 metric tons of carbon between Jan. 10 and Aug. 6. It took off 20 times, according to flight data Fox News obtained, updating a previous count of 16 flights.

Commentary: How Progressives Rewrote American History

August 15, 2021August 14, 2021 RealClearWire

America’s Founders understood that political change is inevitable. They thought it must come about through constitutional mechanisms, with the consent of the governed, and must never infringe on the natural rights of citizens. Progressives – rejecting the idea that any rights, including the right of consent to government, are natural – accept no such limits. Progressivism insists that the principled American constitutionalism of fixed natural rights and limited and dispersed powers must be overturned and replaced by an organic, evolutionary model of the Constitution. Historical progress should be facilitated by experts dedicated to the expansion of the public sphere and political control – especially at the national level. As progressivism has grown into modern liberalism, the commitment to extra-constitutional “progress” is broadly shared across elite political, academic, legal, and religious circles. Politics is thus increasingly identified with a mix of activism, expertise, and the desire for “change.”

Portsmouth City Council Votes Against Collective Bargaining

August 15, 2021August 14, 2021 Eric Burk

The Portsmouth City Council voted 5-2 against allowing collective bargaining for city employees. In a Tuesday Council meeting, some members said that although they would like to support unionizing efforts, the high cost of implementing collective bargaining didn’t make sense.

“It was something we had all hoped would be good for the city last year when the city council passed a resolution to move forward,” Council Member Lisa Lucas-Burke said. “After hearing the information from our CFO regarding the financial cost that would be associated, I think that until we get more information and more funding to be able to carry this out it’s going to be pretty difficult for us to carry that through. My heart was there to get collective bargaining for our unions, for the departments that were interested in it, but with the information that was since provided we have to respond to that in that manner.”

As Debate Rages over Masking Children, Experts Downplay Efficacy of Cloth Masks

August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Experts are increasingly disputing the overall efficacy of cloth face masks in fighting the spread of SARS-Cov-2, even as many insist that children must be forced to wear them when attending school in the fall.

Taylor Keeney Starts Campaign for Virginia’s 7th District Republican Nomination

August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 Matthew Hall

Taylor Thornley Keeney, a Richmond area PR executive and former appointee of Virginia Governor Bob McDonell’s administration, announced her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in July. The Goochland County resident sat down with The Virginia Star to discuss key federal issues and her campaign for Congress. Keeney is seeking the Republican nomination to take on Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) in the 2022 election cycle.

Commentary: Inflation Hits 5.3 Percent in July as $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Easily Passes with $3.5 Trillion Stimulus Expected in September

The unadjusted consumer price index as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics was 5.28 percent for the month of July, slightly lower than June at 5.32 percent, but still measuring the highest inflation on record since July 2008, when it hit nearly 5.5 percent.

The latest numbers come as Congress has easily passed another gargantuan $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending plan that included $550 billion of new spending. Interest rates have already reacted as 10-year treasuries came off a near-term low of 1.17 percent on Aug. 2 to 1.36 percent as of Aug. 12, slightly increasing inflation expectations.

The $1.2 trillion spendathon was just the latest in a long line of spending that has added $5.25 trillion to the national debt since Jan. 2020 in response to the Covid pandemic all the way to the current $28.5 trillion: the $2.2 trillion CARES Act and the $900 billion phase four under former President Donald Trump, and then the $1.9 trillion stimulus under President Joe Biden. It’s been a bipartisan affair.

American Academy of Pediatrics Claims Masks Have No Negative Effects on Children

August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 Cooper Moran

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Thursday argued in a series of tweets that masking in schools seemingly has no negative effects on children.

The medical organization dismissed parental concern over the issue as nonexistent, pledging to provide “real talk” about children wearing masks.

Supreme Court Denies Request for Injunction in IU Vaccine Mandate Case

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday denied the request for an emergency injunction to stop Indiana University’s vaccination mandate from going into effect.

Her decision, however, does not mark the end of the road for the eight IU students suing the university, or for their attorney, Jim Bopp.

Report: Biden’s 90-Day COVID Origins Probe Expected to Be A Dud

The intelligence community is unlikely to come to any definitive conclusions on the origins of COVID-19 as a result of its 90-day probe ordered by President Joe Biden in May, according to multiple reports.

The report is likely to show that officials are still divided over the two theories they started out with at the beginning of the probe, that COVID-19 either entered the human population through an accidental Wuhan lab leak or by jumping naturally from animals to humans, according to reports by CNN and McClatchy citing sources familiar with the assessment.

Eleven Senate Democrats Vote Against COVID Tests for Illegal Immigrants at the Southern Border

Eleven Senate Democrats on Thursday voted against a modest and commonsense amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution that requires illegal migrants apprehended on the southern border to be tested for COVID-19 before they are transported into the country.

The amendment, introduced by Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), a physician, establishes “a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to protecting migrants and local communities against COVID-19.” Under the provision, migrants will be quarantined and not transported from the border until they tested negative.

Commentary: As Race ‘Equity’ Advances in Health Care, Signs of a Chilling Effect on Dissent

August 14, 2021August 13, 2021 RealClearWire

by John Murawski The national movement to eradicate what activists call systemic racism and white privilege from medicine and health care has few public critics in the medical profession. A possible reason: Skeptics who have questioned these efforts have been subject to harsh Twitter campaigns, professional demotions and other…

Professor Calls America Failed Experiment: ‘Only for White People … Didn’t Work for Black People’

A Bryn Mawr College professor argues that America is “only for white people.”

Speaking on the “Refuse Facism” podcast, Chanelle Wilson, assistant professor of education and director of Africana Studies at the women’s liberal arts college, said the country “didn’t work for black people.”

“Damn sure it didn’t work for indigenous people,” she continued. “It did not work for people of Mexican ancestry. It didn’t work for Asians, it didn’t work for Jewish people, it didn’t work for Japanese people. It didn’t work for Chinese people.”

Former President Trump Endorses Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin Swing District

August 14, 2021August 13, 2021 Cooper Moran

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday endorsed candidate Derrick Van Orden in an important Wisconsin swing district, representing the 3rd Congressional District of the state.

In a statement announcing the endorsement, Trump highlighted Van Orden’s record as a military veteran and praised the veteran’s stance on key issues.

Former President Trump Endorses Governor Bill Lee in Reelection Campaign

August 14, 2021August 13, 2021 Cooper Moran

Former President Donald Trump in a statement on Friday endorsed Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) in his campaign to seek a second term as Tennessee’s governor.

In the brief statement, Trump pointed out Lee’s record on a host of key issues, including support for law enforcement and border security.

Virginia Tourism Corporation Awards Grants to 64 Local Tourism Initiatives

August 14, 2021August 13, 2021 Eric Burk

The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) has awarded $861,080 in state funds to 64 Virginia local tourism initiatives through its Recovery Marketing Leverage Program (RMLP). The funds combine with local match funds of $2.2 million, helping recipients leverage their marketing budgets.

“The tourism and hospitality industries have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic,” Governor Ralph Northam said in the Thursday press release.

Fight for Schools PAC Has Enough Signatures for Recall Petition Against Loudoun School Board Member Ian Serotkin

August 14, 2021August 13, 2021 Eric Burk

A recall petition targeting Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) Board Member Ian Serotkin has 110 percent of the signatures needed, Fight for Schools PAC organizer Ian Prior said Friday. Recall petitions aimed at other school board members are also nearing target amounts. The PAC has 88 percent of signatures needed for the Denise Corbo petition, 75 percent of signatures needed for the Leslee King petition, 54 percent of signatures for the Atoosa Reaser petition, and 50 percent of signatures needed for the Brenda Sheridan petition.

Michigan School Charged Parents $400,000 for FOIA Compliance in CRT Battle

August 13, 2021August 13, 2021 The Center Square

A group of Michigan parents was asked to fork over approximately $400,000 by the Forest Hills Public Schools before the district would comply with a Freedom of Information Act request they had submitted. The district later lowered the cost to about $2,200.

The FOIA was sent to FHPS on May 11. The request sought “any and all writings” that used such words as equity, diversity and inclusion.

School Board Member Recalls Are Allowed in Virginia

August 13, 2021August 12, 2021 Eric Burk

Groups in Loudoun County and Fairfax County are attempting to recall school board members. They’re part of a national increase of school board recalls in 2021, according to Ballotpedia, which reports 58 recall efforts in 2021, targeting 144 officials. That’s up from a 2006 to 2020 average of 23 recalls.

Commentary: American Armageddon

Americans are growing angrier by the day in a way different from prior sagebrush revolts such as the 1960s Silent Majority or Tea Party furor of over a decade ago.

The rage at the current status quo this time is not just fueled by conservatives. For the first time in their lives, all Americans of all classes and races are starting to fear a self-created apocalypse that threatens their families’ safety and the American way of life.

Journalism Professor Deletes Tweet That Appeared to Advocate for Violence Against Rand Paul

University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism Professor Mike Wagner appeared to encourage Republican Senator Rand Paul’s neighbor to assault him in response to the libertarian politician’s comments on COVID mandates.

Rene Boucher, the senator’s Kentucky neighbor, attacked Paul in 2017, allegedly over a dispute about a pile of sticks. Boucher had to pay damages to Paul and served home confinement and time in jail, according to NBC News.

Commentary: Physics Professor Says ‘Chance of Life Originating on Its Own by Natural Processes Is Zero’

Physicist Eric Hedin was canceled before the term cancel culture was even coined.

He taught a very popular class at Ball State University for six years called “Boundaries of Science” before pressure from atheists in 2013 prompted campus leaders to cancel the course.

Biden Keeps Making the Same Dubious Jobs Claim