February 2022 - Page 7 of 9 - The Virginia Star

Commentary: Democrats Want to Destroy Your Children

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

No, this is not another Qanon or Pizzagate conspiracy theory. It’s a sober recitation of the facts and incidents that can support no other conclusion.

Let’s start with one important stage-setting fact: According to OpenSecrets.org two organizations account for practically all of the contributions made by teachers unions: The National Education Association (about $20 million in 2016) and the American Federation of Teachers (almost $12 million). Both groups — which compete for members, but also collaborate with each other through the NEA-AFT Partnership — are consistently among the organizations that contribute the most money to candidates and political groups. From 2004 to 2016, their donations grew from $4.3 million to more than $32 million — an all-time high.

Even more than most labor unions, they have little use for Republicans, giving Democrats at least 94 percent of the funds they contributed to candidates and parties since as far back as 1990, where the Open Secrets’ data begins. Go here for a detailed breakdown of teachers union political giving.

Biden Loosens Trump Tariffs on Solar Panels Despite Labor Unions’ Pleas

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

President Joe Biden loosened tariffs placed on solar panel imports by the Trump administration Friday, paving the way for Chinese companies to produce more panels for American consumers.

Biden issued a proclamation Friday morning, increasing the tariff-rate quota on solar equipment, or the amount of solar panel components Chinese manufacturers can send to the U.S. before receiving a penalty. The action means Chinese solar cell makers may send up to 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, double the previous amount of 2.5 GW, to the U.S. before being hit with a levy.

The White House action also exempts bifacial solar panels, or panels that absorb sunlight from both sides. Such panels, which are increasingly common, are often used in industry-scale projects and are believed to be the “future of the industry.”

‘Enormous Misunderstanding’: Peng Shuai Backtracks Sexual Assault Allegation in Controlled Interview

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai walked back her allegations of sexual assault against a former top official, calling it an “enormous misunderstanding” during a controlled interview on Monday with French newspaper L’Equipe.

“Sexual assault? I never said that anyone made me submit to a sexual assault,” Peng said in the interview with L’Equipe, delivered in front of a Chinese Olympic official, who translated her comments from Chinese, the AP reported. Interview questions were reportedly submitted in advance, and the format of the interview did not appear to permit follow-up questions.

“This post resulted in an enormous misunderstanding from the outside world,” Peng told L’Equipe, the AP reported. “My wish is that the meaning of this post no longer be skewed.”

Music Spotlight: Laci Kaye Booth

February 8, 2022February 8, 2022 Bethany Bowman

American Idol alum and CMT’s Next Women of Country member Laci Kaye Booth combines soulful, smooth vocals with honest, heartfelt lyrics that make the country crooner stand out in the crowded pool of aspiring artists.

Canadian Father Loses Custody of Children Due to Being Unvaccinated

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

In New Brunswick, Canada, a father of three lost custody of his children after a single judge ruled that his unvaccinated status was a danger to his children.

According to USA Today, the concerned father presented evidence to the judge that pointed out possible harmful effects of the Pfizer-BioTech vaccine, as proof that his concerns about taking the vaccine were valid. But Justice Nathalie Godbout, of the Court of Queen’s Bench, ruled against him by simply deferring to “public health officials” as being superior to his own research.

Commentary: Time Is Running Out for the COVID Coverups

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The Left has a word for misinformation that turns out to be true. They call it, “misinformation.” Over and over again, the tech giants, cheered on by power-drunk government officials, have censored and deplatformed people who have contradicted the official narrative regarding COVID and heavy-handed public health measures that restrict freedom with dubious health benefits.

Tellingly, the demands to censor Joe Rogan rarely identify the supposed “misinformation” he peddled. Even more tellingly, the censors totally fail to acknowledge that Rogan-promoted “conspiracy theories” have a better track record than many of the articles of faith his critics promoted.

Virginia Supreme Court Dismisses One of the Lawsuits Against Youngkin’s Mask Mandate Opt-Out Order

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Eric Burk

The Supreme Court of Virginia dismissed a lawsuit from Chesapeake parents challenging Governor Glenn Youngkin’s school mask mandate opt-out order. The Monday opinion found procedural problems with the lawsuit, which in an unusual move was filed directly with the Supreme Court instead of a lower court. It also found that state law used to support rigid mask mandates allows school boards flexibility, but warned that it was not offering an opinion on the legality of Youngkin’s underlying Executive Order Two.

“By allowing school boards to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended COVID-19 mitigation strategies ‘to the maximum extent practicable,’ SB 1303 necessarily gives the boards a degree of discretion to modify or even forgo those strategies as
they deem appropriate for their individual circumstances,” the court wrote. “With respect to implementing policies on student masking, that discretion persists even if EO 2’s masking exemption provisions are unlawful.”

Georgia Democratic Governor Candidate Abrams Criticized for Not Wearing COVID Mask among Students

February 7, 2022February 7, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Stacey Abrams without a mask in a crowd of young students

Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams is facing criticism for posing for photos with school children while not wearing a COVID-19 mask.

In now-deleted Twitter posts, Abrams is seen seated on the floor without a mask while several children on each side are each wearing one.

Abrams, a Georgia gubernatorial candidate and nationally known Democrat politician, like other fellow, high-profile party members is being accused of being hypocritical about the mask mandates that many elected Democrats across the country have required people to wear during the pandemic.

Abrams has championed more stringent masking policies in schools, according to CNN.

Trump Blasts Pence’s Claims About January 6: Vice Presidency Not an ‘Automatic Conveyor Belt for Old Crow Mitch McConnell to Get Biden Elected President’

February 7, 2022February 7, 2022 Michael Patrick Leahy

Former President Donald Trump released a blistering attack Friday afternoon on former Vice President Mike Pence’s claims earlier in the day about the January 6, 2021 Joint Session of Congress over which Pence presided at which Electoral College votes submitted by the states were counted.

In a speech before the Florida Chapter of the Federalist Society in Orlando on Friday, Pence asserted, “There are those in our party who believe that as the presiding officer over the joint session of Congress, I possessed unilateral authority to reject Electoral College votes. And I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to ‘overturn the election.’ President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election.” (emphasis added)

Virginia House Passes Bill to Make Parole Release More Difficult

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 The Center Square

Legislation that would make parole release for inmates more difficult passed the Virginia House of Delegates on Friday.

House Bill 435, sponsored by Del. Thomas Wright, R-Victoria, passed the chamber on strict partisan lines 52-48. The legislation was supported by the chamber’s Republicans and opposed by its Democrats.

Commentary: CNN and the Future of ‘Fake News’

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

CNN is dying. Its president, Jeff Zucker, was just fired. (Or, rather, he “resigned.”) The network’s viewership is plummeting, and fewer than 500,000 people on average tuned in last month. Advertisers don’t send their dollars there much anymore, and the “stars” the network once had either have been removed for cause or caught up in sex or other scandals.

Chris “Fredo” Cuomo threatened to burn the place down after getting fired last year. Why does the parent company—AT&T, a telephone megacompany—put up with it? CNN is a drag on the parent company’s earnings, a thorn in its side, and a hit on its reputation. Wouldn’t a rational actor cancel the network altogether or sell it off and be done with it? With $150 billion in debt, no wonder AT&T decided to sell the ailing network to the Discovery Network. AT&T will no doubt benefit from getting out of politics.

Crowdfunding Site GiveSendGo Restarts Canadian Trucker Fund Dropped by GoFundMe, Quickly Raises $1 Million

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The upstart crowdfunding website GiveSendGo on Saturday restarted a funding drive in support of the Canadian trucker protests, quickly raising a massive $1 million just hours after the fund was dropped by the larger platform GoFundMe.

GoFundMe had cancelled the funding drive after it had raised a whopping $10 million, claiming that the protest itself had turned into a violent “occupation” and that it violated the company’s terms of service.

Report Claims Unions Skirted Rules to Receive Paycheck Protection Program Loans

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 The Center Square

The Small Business Administration-administered Paycheck Protection Program paid out millions of dollars to ineligible unions, according to a new report released by the Freedom Foundation.

The Freedom Foundation investigated the SBA’s database of PPP loans, and concluded approximately 226 loans totaling $36.7 million were distributed to labor unions and affiliated organizations. The first round of PPP loans explicitly states such entities were ineligible for the government funds prior to March 11, 2021.

“The Small Business Administration knew as early as July 2020 that Paycheck Protection Program loans were being approved for unions that weren’t eligible to receive the funds,” Maxford Nelsen, Freedom Fund director of Labor Policy, told The Center Square.

Melinda Gates Will No Longer Give the Majority of Her Wealth to Gates Foundation

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Melinda Gates announced Wednesday that she is no longer giving the majority of her wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and will instead focus on spreading her money to other philanthropic projects, The Wall Street Journal first reported.

Gates made the decision after her divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in May 2021, the WSJ reported. The couple first pledged to donate most of their wealth to the joint Foundation in 2010.

Commentary: President Biden’s Offshore Wind Venture Is Magical Thinking

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Last March, President Joe Biden announced a goal of building 30,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind generation by 2030. Doing so will “strengthen the domestic supply chain and create good-paying union jobs,” according to the White House. It’s all part of the president’s executive order to “build a new energy economy that will create millions of new jobs.”

Except the executive order won’t accomplish this, not least because it rests on an assumption that endless green energy subsidies will produce boundless economic growth.

Majority of Americans Say Their Finances Are Not Better Off Since Biden Took Office

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 The Center Square

A majority of Americans say they are not better off financially than they were a year ago, according to a new poll.

Gallup released the polling data Thursday showing that only 41% of Americans say they are financially better off than they were a year ago, when President Joe Biden took office.

Republican Lawmakers Investigating Biden ATF’s Database of Firearms Purchases

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

A coalition of three dozen Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives has vowed to investigate the Biden Administration’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), after it has been reported that the agency has been building up a database of as many legal firearms purchases as possible.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, the investigation will be led by Congressman Michael Cloud (R-Texas), and will be backed by 35 other Republicans. The probe will focus on the ATF’s efforts to “sweep up records of every gun sale in America,” the group declared in a letter announcing their investigation. The ATF’s database currently contains over 920 million transaction records involving the sale of firearms within the United States; such a database not only violates Americans’ privacy rights, but would also be in violation of federal law forbidding the federal government from maintaining any semblance of a national firearms registry.

Conservatives, Independent Voices Build Own Platforms to Counter Big Tech Censorship

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Conservatives took critics to heart when they said, “build your own platforms,” in the wake of digital censorship claims.

Twitter competitors like Gab, Parler and now GETTR offer a “safe space” for those frustrated by the former’s inconsistent rules. The video platform Rumble, active since 2013 but experiencing a massive boost over the past year, is a haven for voices like conservative talker Dan Bongino recently silenced by Google-owned YouTube. And GiveSendGo.com lets clients denied access to GoFundMe crowdfund without compromising their values.

Attorney General Paxton: Reports Suggesting Texas’ Operation Lone Star Is Unconstitutional Is ‘Fake News’

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 The Center Square

Multiple news reports suggesting that a Travis County judge ruled that Texas’ Operation Lone Star is unconstitutional is “fake news,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Office says.

To suggest the state’s border security measures are unconstitutional “is absolutely ludicrous and wrong,” Paxton told The Center Square.

Group ‘White Coats 4 Black Lives’ Aims to Dismantle Racism in Medicine and Dentistry, Issues ‘Racial Justice Report Card’

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

woman with microphone speaking to a crowd

On Jan. 26, the group “White Coats 4 Black Lives,” an organization with a mission to “dismantle racism in medicine and fight for the health of Black people,” gave the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine & Dentistry its “Racial Justice Report Card.”

The result was nine “F” grades based on campus activity and administration policies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Founded in 2014, White Coats 4 Black Lives has 75 chapters at universities across the nation and pushes the Black Lives Matter agenda within medical schools.

CDC Admits Natural Immunity Better Than Vaccines, While Hyping Perils for Unvaxed Kids

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Natural immunity from COVID-19 is broad and durable. The lowest risk group for COVID complications should get vaccines — and boosters, for those authorized — regardless of their health.

These statements came out of the CDC two days apart, illustrating the agency’s mixed messaging as ongoing research fails to show a meaningful effect on viral transmission from COVID interventions, especially in children.

Commentary: Can America Citizens Trust the U.S. Government?

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Do you trust the U.S. government? I don’t recommend it.

Consider what John Kirby, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said a couple of days ago at a press briefing. “We believe,” Kirby said, that Russia is planning to stage a fake attack by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces against Russian sovereign territory, or against Russian speaking people,” in order to justify an invasion of Ukraine. Kirby had lots of details: “We believe that Russia would produce a very graphic propaganda video, which would include corpses and actors that would be depicting mourners, and images of destroyed locations, as well as military equipment, at the hands of Ukraine or the West.”

Gosh. Should we be worried? Yes. But not necessarily for the reasons that Kirby and his puppet masters want you to be worried. The United States is sending troops and arms to aid Ukraine, so of course there needs to be an emergency to justify that action. John Kirby just outlined a scary scenario. But inquiring minds want to know: What’s his evidence for this dramatic claim?

Marines Describe ‘Sham’ Religious Vaccine Exemption Process

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The COVID-19 vaccine exemption process in the Marine Corps gives no consideration to the faiths of individual soldiers and could hamper military readiness, according to Marines fighting the Pentagon’s vaccine mandate on religious grounds who spoke to the Daily Caller News Foundation anonymously out of fear of retribution.

As of Friday, 95% of active duty members of the Marine Corps were fully vaccinated, and another 2% were partially vaccinated, Department of Defense (DOD) spokesperson Maj. Charlie Dietz told the DCNF. A total of 334 Marines have been separated with a vaccine refusal discharge code. The Marine Corps has received 3,538 religious exemption requests, and only three were approved, out of 3,414 requests that were processed.

The Secretary of Defense issued a memorandum on Aug. 24, requiring that all service members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a matter of readiness.

University Official Defends Decision to Accept Crypto Donations

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Chief Financial Officer of San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Campanile Foundation, David Fuhriman, spoke to Campus Reform about the school’s decision to accept Bitcoin and cryptocurrency donations.

Fuhriman noted the push to expand SDSU’s donor base, explained how the donated funds will be used, and expressed optimism for the asset class.

Trucker ‘Freedom Convoy’ Sparks More Controversy After GoFundMe Refunds $10 Million

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 The Center Square

A Canadian movement of truckers protesting the country’s vaccine mandate has inspired a similar protest in the U.S., with a convoy expected to arrive at the nation’s capital next month. That movement, though, sparked controversy beyond its protest this weekend after a run-in with the popular online fundraiser, GoFundMe.

GoFundMe announced it would refund more than $10 million in donations to donors of the “Freedom Convoy” online fundraiser after threats of a fraud investigation from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis threatened the investigation after GoFundMe reportedly froze the fundraising account Friday and said they would give the funds to another charity of Freedom Convoy’s choice.

Pro-Pedophilia Professor Relieved of On-Campus Duties, Being Kept Away from Students, Reports Say

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

State University of New York at Fredonia Professor Stephen Kershnar has been relieved of his on-campus duties and “will not have contact with students” pending an investigation by the school, according to the popular Twitter page LibsofTikTok.

On Feb. 1, LibsofTikTok posted video footage of the Kershnar claiming that there is a moral justification for having sex with children as young as one-year-old, comparing it to “willing” participation in kickball.

Analysis: China Is Weaponizing Woke Rhetoric Against the Biden Administration

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The Biden administration is experiencing an uptick of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spokesmen channeling left-wing talking points aimed at discrediting American institutions.

Seeking to denounce a key Department of Justice (DOJ) counterintelligence program billed to “identify priority Chinese trade theft cases,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, invoked its domestic critics during a recent Jan. 18 presser.

Top Republican Pushes Probes Into Biden Administration Ties to Green Energy Interests

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The top House Republican on a key oversight subcommittee has pushed a series of conflict-of-interest probes into the Biden administration over its ties to the renewable energy industry.

Republican South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, the ranking member on the Oversight Subcommittee on Environment, has probed leadership in the White House, Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demanding accountability for potential conflicts of interests since President Joe Biden took office more than a year ago. While committee Democrats haven’t cooperated with the investigations, Norman and Oversight Ranking Member James Comer have forged ahead.

“The people in the administrations have no regard for the office that they hold,” Norman told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview.

State Senators Petersen, Lewis Provide Path for Republicans to Pass Sexually Explicit Educational Materials Bill out of Virginia’s Democratic Senate

February 7, 2022February 6, 2022 Eric Burk

Two Democratic senators voted with Republicans in committee to advance Senator Siobhan Dunnavant’s (R-Henrico) SB 656 requiring Virginia public schools to notify parents about sexually explicit instructional material, allow parental review, and provide non-explicit alternatives. The bill instructs the Department of Education to create model policies; if passed, school boards would be required to pass similar policies.

“This is the opportunity for parents to have a conversation with their child,” Dunnavant said in the Senate Committee on Education and Health on Thursday.

Left-Wing Activists Tied to ‘Disinformation’ Group Are Working to Demonetize Conservative News Sites

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Activists linked to a left-wing disinformation network are pressuring advertisers to cut ties with conservative news sites.

Check My Ads, a group started by Sleeping Giants co-founder and activist Nandini Jammi and advertising consultant Claire Atkin, bills itself as “Adtech’s first watchdog” and claims to “cut disinformation off at the source.” The organization attempts to curb the spread of what it deems misleading or hateful content by pressuring advertisers and ad exchanges to sever business relationships with certain news and commentary sites.

Commentary: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s Woke Capitalism Crusade Runs into Resistance

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 RealClearWire

Only a few years after “woke capitalism” was touted as the wave of the future, its supporters are getting a wakeup call of their own.

Just ask BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. The tone of his 2022 letter to CEOs is very different from his previous two, both of which pushed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment criteria and “stakeholder capitalism” relentlessly. As far as Fink was concerned, ESG, “sustainability,” and the agenda for what we have termed “woke capital” would dominate the markets for years, while he and his $10 trillion asset management behemoth would, in turn, dominate them. Fink was to be king of the stakeholder world.

Connecticut Gov. Lamont Proposes $336 Million in Tax Cuts

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 The Center Square

Gov. Ned Lamont said he is proposing a package of legislative proposals that would provide for $336 million in tax relief for state residents.

The governor announced the first package of tax aid comes as the state has a projected $1.48 billion surplus in its operating budget. The surplus, Lamont said, enables the tax cuts to be built into the budget and will ensure the state’s Rainy Day Fund remains strong.

RNC Formally Censures Cheney, Kinzinger over Trump Criticism, January 6 Committee Participation

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The Republican National Committee (RNC) officially voted Friday to censure Republican Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their continued criticism of former President Donald Trump and their participation in the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the Capitol riot.

The resolution passed during the RNC’s winter meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it passed unanimously.

The resolution alleged that the roles of Cheney and Kinzinger on the committee amounted to “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.” It also said that as a result, the RNC would “immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party,” calling their actions “destructive” to the House of Representatives and the country.

Tech Companies Struggle in Complicated Relationship with Communist China

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 The Center Square

A new report from Victims of Communism gives several American tech companies a failing grade for their “complicity” with China and its human rights violations, an ongoing controversy for tech companies which often rely on the nation’s cheaper labor and large market to pad their profits.

The report examines Amazon, Apple, Dell, Facebook, GE, Google, Intel, and Microsoft on a range of issues, including to what degree they partner with China’s surveillance state and human rights violations.

Commentary: Questions Remain About Who Was Financing the Creepy Porn Lawyer

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Did Hillary Clinton or the Democratic National Committee ever pay Michael Avenatti?

The question isn’t exactly new. It was at least hinted at as early as May 10, 2018. That day, Mark Penn, a former advisor to President Bill Clinton, published an op-ed in The Hill newspaper. At the time, the news was filled with the rantings of Avenatti, who gained his fame and notoriety representing former porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels was claiming she was paid to cover up an affair with Donald Trump before he was elected president.

Biden More Unprepared for Afghan Withdrawal Than Previously Known: Report

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The Biden administration was still unsure on basic parts of evacuation from Afghanistan hours before the Taliban seized control of Kabul, according to a leaked memo obtained by Axios.

Industry Groups Raise Questions After Study on Gas Stoves

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 The Center Square

Industry groups and others are pushing back after a study found gas stoves contribute more to global warming than previously thought at a time when some elected officials are considering policies to limit natural gas connections.

The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, found methane that leaks from natural gas stoves in U.S. homes has a climate impact equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from about 500,000 gas-powered cars.

The study also tested emissions from stoves in homes. A Stanford news release that accompanied the study raised concerns about indoor air quality because of the levels of nitrogen oxides.

Sixteen States File New Lawsuit Against Federal COVID Vaccination Mandate

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 The Center Square

Sixteen states again are challenging a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers who work at facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.

Friday’s filing in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana comes after the issuance of final guidance on the mandate from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), arguing the guidance is an action that is reviewable.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled by 5-4 vote Jan. 13 against the original Louisiana challenge to the mandate and a similar Missouri filing.

Jeff Bezos’ Ex-Wife Donates $130 Million to Organization Pushing Woke Education in Schools

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, is donating over $130 million to an organization that advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles to be taught in schools, Communities In Schools announced Thursday.

Communities In Schools, a national organization working to support student access to education and resources, announced the $133.5 million donation from Scott on Thursday. The investment is reportedly intended to broaden the efforts of the organization and expand its mission in schools across the country.

Commentary: Mirroring Communist China

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

In the intensifying great power contest between the United States and genocidal Communist China, it is imperative to devise a strategy for victory, not one for subservience and appeasement.

As Ronald Reagan proclaimed as he ended the myth of détente and commenced the drive for an irenic victory over the USSR’s evil empire: “We win, they lose.” Ultimately, through our nation and our allies’ perspicacious strategic and morally courageous policies, we won and the Soviets lost. (And all of this without so much as a “snowflake” of the “nuclear winter” the accommodating, appeasing domestic Left had virtually guaranteed would occur under the leadership of the “amiable dunce” and “nuclear cowboy,” “Ronald Ray-Gun.”)

Jobs Report Beats Expectations Despite Surging Omicron Cases

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

The U.S. economy recorded an increase of 467,000 jobs in January while unemployment increased to 4.0%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced Friday.

Total non-farm payroll employment increased to 467,00 in January, according to the BLS, and the number of unemployed Americans increased to 6.5 million. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal projected the economy to have added 150,000 jobs in January and unemployment to have fallen to 3.9%.

Arlington Judge Blocks Enforcement of Virginia Gov. Youngkin Mask Opt-Out Order

February 6, 2022February 5, 2022 Eric Burk

After oral arguments on Wednesday, Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo granted a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s school mask mandate opt-out Executive Order Two. In the opinion issued Friday, DiMatteo declined to decide on the validity of Youngkin’s mask policy, but found that the lawsuit is likely to succeed on the merits, thanks to state law.

“The efficacy of the Governor’s school mask policy contained in EO2 does not bear upon whether he has the authority to issue it,” DiMatteo said in the opinion.

Bannon Bombshell: New Filing Accuses Feds of Snooping on One of His Defense Lawyers

February 5, 2022 Admin

The legal team for former Trump adviser Steve Bannon leveled explosive charges Friday night, accusing federal prosecutors of snooping on one of his defense lawyers and the FBI of misleading the grand jury through omissions.

In a motion filed in U.S. District Court where Bannon is charged with contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena for the Jan. committee, lawyers disclosed evidence the Justice Department and phone carriers turned over to them show prosecutors obtained phone and email records for defense lawyer Robert J. Costello.

Delegate Cordoza Says He Was Denied Entry to Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Showing Caucus Not About Being Black, but Being Leftist

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Eric Burk

Freshman Delegate A.C. Cordoza (R-Hampton) said in a Thursday speech in the House of Delegates that the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC) wouldn’t allow him to join due to political differences, but VLBC Chair Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico) told The Virginia Star that it was due to concern over Cordoza’s motives.

“When I came to this assembly, I expected to be welcomed with open arms by my brothers and sisters in the Legislative Black Caucus. Instead, I was rejected by a vote. While I’m sure a few of my brothers and sisters voted for me to join them, the majority did not,” Cordoza said in his speech. “This was disheartening but not shocking. The questionnaire for entry had little to do with being black, and had more to do with being leftist.”

Virginia Attorney General Miyares: Loudoun County School’s Trespassing Threat for Ignoring Mask Rules ‘Astonishing’

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares joined radio host Jeff Katz of The Jeff Katz Show on WRVA, where he expressed his dismay about Loudoun County Public Schools’ (LCPS) current mask mandate policy.

“I’ve gotta admit, that was a pretty astonishing even coming from the Loudoun County administrators,” Miyares said.

Schweizer: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Other Wall Street Leaders Partner with Chinese Coal, Military Enterprises

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Neil W. McCabe

The investigative journalist and author of Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win told The Star News Network the titans of capitalism on Wall Street are now the partners of the Chinese Communist Party.

“What China wants from Wall Street is access to Western capital with no questions asked, and unfortunately the biggest fans on Wall Street are prepared to give it to them,” said Peter Schweizer, who is the president and founder of the Government Accountability Institute and the host of The Drill Down podcast.

Commentary: Educational Elites Have Awakened a Sleeping Tiger

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 RealClearWire

Perhaps predictably, many public schools kicked off 2022 by switching back to remote learning — or canceling classes altogether — leaving frustrated parents across the country frantically searching for more consistent schooling options.

These past two school years of remote and hybrid learning, forced masking, and an intensified culture of unpredictability has pushed teachers, administrators, students, and parents to very edge. What began as a temporary interruption to student learning has become a vicious cycle of confusion, inconsistency and lost educational time.

Democratic-Led House Passes China Competition Bill with Funding for Chipmakers

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 The Center Square

The House passed a China competition bill on Friday intended to improve the country’s ability to produce semiconductors and make the nation less reliant on China.

White House Defends Spending as Federal Debt Tops $30 Trillion

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 The Center Square

The national debt hit another milestone this week, and experts are warning that continuing to increase federal spending will have dangerous consequences.

The federal national debt has now topped $30 trillion, marking a sharp rise since 2001, when it was about $5 trillion. The federal government surpassed $20 trillion in debt less than five years ago.