November 5, 2021 - The Virginia Star

Danville Approves Sales Tax Increase, Pittsylvania’s Sales Tax Increase Hangs in the Balance

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Eric Burk

Danville voters resoundingly approved a referendum for a one percent sales tax increase to pay for school renovation projects 60.43 percent to 39.57 percent according to unofficial results. But their neighbors in Pittsylvania County may have barely killed a similar proposal; the sales tax referendum is losing by just 44 votes out of 25,404 — 0.18 percent. Elections officials are still counting mail-in ballots, according to Pittsylvania County Schools (PCS) Superintendent Mark Jones.

He said elections officials think there are more than 44 outstanding ballots, and final results will be certified Friday.

Amherst County Grassroots Blocks Rosie’s Referendum with Under $9,000

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Eric Burk

Amherst County voters killed a proposal to bring a Rosie’s Gaming Emporium by the Colonial Downs Group, voting 54.06 percent to 45.94 percent of about 13,000 total votes, according to partial unofficial results. A couple of hours’ drive away, Emporia voters approved a similar proposal, 65.63 percent to 34.37 percent of about 2,000 total votes. The referenda were to approve pari-mutuel wagering, a slots-like gaming experience based on horse racing results.

Commentary: Trump Is Nearing the Crossroads

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The Left may not wish to admit it, but the fortunes of a once moribund Donald Trump of January 2021 have now largely recovered—even before the stunning gubernatorial victory of Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia.

How and why?

Texas Education Agency Opens Backdoor to ChiCom Surveillance of Students Through Virtual Tutorial Firm

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 Neil W. McCabe

The Texas Education Agency contracted with a virtual-tutorial marketing company through the end of the 2022-2023 school year that relies on tutorial services from VIPKids, the Beijing-based company backed by the Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent tied to surveillance and censorship. “We believe all students deserve equal access to rigorous…

The Daily Wire Files Lawsuit to Stop Biden Vaccine Mandate

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Cooper Moran

The Nashville-based media outlet The Daily Wire on Thursday filed a lawsuit with the goal of blocking President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.

The mandate would require companies with 100 or more workers to mandate the coronavirus vaccine or weekly testing for unvaccinated individuals.

Job Creators Network Suing Biden Administration over Vaccine Mandate

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Job Creators Network (JCN) Thursday announced a lawsuit against the Biden Administration just hours after the announcement that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all companies with 100 employees or more will take effect on January 4.

That mandate is expected to affect 84 million Americans.

U.S. Trade Deficit Hits New Record as Inflation Grows and Supply Chain Issues Worsen

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The U.S. trade deficit hit a record high of $80.9 billion in September as exports fell sharply while imports increased amid supply chain problems and growing inflation.

The trade deficit of goods and services grew 11.2%, driven by demand for items like computers, electrical equipment and industrial supplies, the Commerce Department announced Thursday.

Jobless Claims Drop to 269,000, a Post COVID-19 Low

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed for new unemployment claims decreased to 269,000 in the week ending Oct. 30 as the labor market continues to improve and the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday shows a 14,000 claim decrease compared to the week ending Oct. 23, when jobless claims dropped to 283,000. Thursday’s release marks the lowest number of initial claims since March 14, 2020, when the number of new jobless claims was 256,000.

Immigration Advocates in Biden Administration Were Totally Unprepared for Border Crisis, AP Says

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Immigration advocates working as advisers for the Biden administration were completely unprepared for the border crisis rolling back former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies would create, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

Supporters of immigration on the Biden administration’s transition team dismissed estimates predicting increased migration to the U.S. if Trump’s policies were repealed and instead tried to see how fast they could get rid of the practices, according to obtained internal documents and interviews conducted by the AP.

Federal Reserve Scales Back Bond Purchases as Inflation Rises

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it would begin scaling back its monthly bond purchases in November, marking the first step towards ending its pandemic stimulus as inflation surges.

The scaling of bond purchases, more commonly known as tapering, will start “later this month,” the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said in a statement. The Federal Reserve will reduce its purchases by $15 billion each month — $10 billion less in Treasury bonds and $5 billion less in mortgage-backed securities — from the current $120 billion figure.

Judge in Rittenhouse Trial Slams Media for ‘Totally Bizarre’ Statements About Case

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The judge presiding over the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse criticized the media’s “totally bizarre” coverage of the case on Wednesday.

Judge Bruce Schroeder made the comments as prosecutors attempted to play video footage from the night Rittenhouse allegedly shot three people, killing two of them, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a Black Lives Matter riot.

Commentary: The Migrant Surge at the Southern Border Fuels Massive American Fentanyl Overdoses

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 RealClearWire

On a September afternoon, Allyssia Solorio wondered why her energetic young brother hadn’t emerged from his bedroom in their Sacramento, Calif., home. When she opened his door, she saw 23-year-old Mikael leaning back on his bed with his legs dangling over the side. She rushed to her brother and shook him, but to no avail. He was dead. A counterfeit pharmaceutical pill laced with illicit fentanyl had killed him.

Mikael Tirado was one of an estimated 93,331 overdose fatalities in the United States last year – an all-time high. Nearly five times the murder rate, the deadly overdose toll was primarily caused by fentanyl, a highly lethal synthetic opioid. It’s manufactured mostly by Mexican cartels with ingredients imported from China, and then smuggled over the southwestern U.S. border. Fentanyl has been arriving in larger quantities each year since at least 2016.

Russian Analyst, Primary Source for Steele Dossier Charged with Repeatedly Lying to FBI

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Special Counsel John Durham on Thursday unsealed a federal grand jury indictment charging the primary source for the now-discredited Steele dossier with repeatedly lying to the FBI during the Russia collusion investigation that falsely tarred Donald Trump’s presidency.

The 39-page indictment alleges Russian analyst Igor Danchenko misled the FBI about his contacts with Russian government officials and a Democrat-connected public relations executive, falsehoods that materially affected the FBI’s investigation and its representations to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to get warrants targeting Trump’s campaign and one of its advisers.

Republican Truck Driver Who Spent $153 on Campaign Unseats Top Democrat in Stunning Upset

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Edward Durr, a Republican truck driver and political newcomer, officially unseated New Jersey Senate president Steve Sweeney.

Durr, who spent just $153 on his New Jersey State Senate campaign, was declared the winner Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported. Almost half of Durr’s campaign funds were reportedly spent at restaurant chain Dunkin’ Donuts, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

Fulton County Elections Director Is Resigning Following Criticism of Chronic Election Failures

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Fulton County, Ga. Registration and Elections Director Richard Barron is stepping down on Dec. 31, according to County Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts.

The Fulton County Election Board had voted in February to fire Barron following scathing criticism of his handling of the 2020 elections, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. However, the county’s commissioners overruled the electoral board’s decision, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.

AOC Complains Progressives Weren’t Invited to Help McAuliffe Campaign

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) complained on Instagram that the far-left wing of the party was not called in to help failed gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in Virginia.

“I know that Virginia was a huge bummer,” she said, “and honestly, if anything, I think the results show the limits of trying to run a a fully, 100 percent fully moderated campaign that does not excite, speak to, or energize a progressive base. And frankly, we weren’t really even invited to contribute on that race.”