Month: May 2022

Twitter is not in business to make a profit or to give people free speech, but to do “something that’s good for the planet,” a company employee can be heard saying in a secretly recorded video.

The new undercover footage from Project Veritas features Lead Client Partner Alex Martinez discussing the company’s authoritarian views on speech, and denigrating Tesla CEO Elon Musk as a “loony toon” with “special needs.”

Dr. Robert Malone: ‘Rotten to the Core’ FDA Knew COVID Vaccines Could Spur Viral Reactivation, but Said Nothing

healthcare worker with a mask and hairnet on

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was aware early on that the COVID vaccines could spur viral reactivation of diseases like the varicella-zoster virus (shingles) in some people, but chose not to disclose it, according to renowned vaccinologist and physician Dr. Robert Malone.

“They knew about the viral reactivation,” Malone declared during a recent panel discussion hosted by Del Bigtree with fellow Global COVID Summit physicians Dr. Ryan Cole, and Dr. Richard Urso.

Commentary: Hybrid Schools Are Finding Each Other and Joining Forces

In May the National Hybrid Schools Project at Kennesaw State University hosted the first Hybrid Schools Conference on campus. 175 people from over 30 states traveled to Kennesaw to meet and talk about their experiences with schools which meet a few days per week, and ask their families to homeschool the rest of the week.

Most of these schools around the country are small, hyper-local entities. They are tiny startups; excellent examples of communities coming together to solve hyper-local problems. Some belong to one of the few larger networks, but most are simply doing their own work, and have had little chance to meet other people who have started similar schools. Many were unaware that others like them even existed. Convening as many of these hybrid school educators as possible was the major purpose of this conference.

Biden Administration to Reverse Trump-Era Free Speech Rights in Education

The Biden Administration’s Department of Education (DOE) is making plans to reverse Title IX regulations that had been implemented by the Trump Administration to more greatly protect free speech rights in education.

The Daily Caller reports that the soon-to-be-unveiled rewrite by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), focusing on Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, will roll back the Trump-era rules dictating that public schools, from K-12 to college, must investigate claims of sexual misconduct in a fair an unbiased manner. The rules implemented by President Trump allowed greater rights to both the accused and the accuser in such cases, including the right to be represented by counsel, the ability to cross examine witnesses, and the presumption of innocence.

Virginia Congressman Celebrates Pause of Federal Government ‘Disinformation Board’

May 19, 2022May 18, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

A U.S. congressman from Virginia Wednesday celebrated the pause of the creation of a federal government “Disinformation Governance Board,” which was marred by controversy from its inception.

“Victory for free speech: the Biden Administration is not proceeding with its Ministry of Truth. As a cosponsor of [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23)]’s bill to defund the so-called DHS Disinformation Governance Board, I welcome this news. I will stay vigilant against threats to the First Amendment,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09).

Youngkin Announces Alternative Hiring Process for People with Disabilities

May 19, 2022May 18, 2022 Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced an alternative hiring process for people with disabilities; Youngkin’s Tuesday announcement said that reflects Virginia’s priorities for its workforce.

“This process is only the beginning of our strategy to demonstrate our commitment to individuals with differing abilities to improve the state workforce,” Secretary of Administration Margaret “Lyn” McDermid said. “It is one facet of a more comprehensive strategy, which includes accommodations, communication, education and awareness, compliance and retention of individuals with differing abilities.”

Company Focused on Viral Diagnostics and Treatment Expanding in New Prince William County Biotech Park

May 18, 2022May 17, 2022 Eric Burk

Virongy Biosciences, Inc., which develops anti-viral drugs and viral diagnostics, is expanding after recently relocating to the newly-opened Northern Virginia Bioscience Center in Prince William County. The $471,000 expansion may create up to 70 new jobs, and the company will use the site to develop diagnostics aimed at COVID-19 variants and other viruses. The announcement received praise from state and local officials.

“Prince William County has emerged as a hub for the life sciences industry, offering the infrastructure, R and D assets, and talent to attract and retain innovative biotech firms like Virongy,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a press release announcing the expansion.

Commentary: Democrats Deserve to Be Completely Destroyed in Upcoming Elections

The vital mission of everyone on the Republican-Right in the upcoming elections should be to demolish the Democrat Party and relegate it to the Smithsonian along with the relics of the Whig and Know Nothing parties.

This is no time for Republicans to squeak by at the polls. By heaping devastating defeats upon the Democrat Party, the GOP justifiably must treat this leftist force as a clear and present danger to the Republic. Everything the Democrat Party touches goes to hell. One would be hard-pressed to find a formerly GOP constituency where a Democrat win has made life better.

The Democrat Party of JFK, LBJ, and even Bill “Welfare Reform” Clinton is long gone. The Democrat Party of Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, AOC, and Gavin Newsom has nothing positive to offer and deserves to be voted into oblivion.

Sec. of Finance Cummings Says Virginia Recovery Lags Behind Other Southern States

May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 Eric Burk

Virginia’s April revenues were strong, largely thanks to a shift in the tax due date, Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. He said Virginia is under-performing in recovery after the start of the pandemic compared to some southern states. Cummings downplayed concerns about a…

Civil Rights Commissioner Warns Schools Touting Segregated Programs and Graduation Ceremonies They Are in Violation of Civil Rights Act

May 18, 2022May 17, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Peter Kirsanow has warned two schools that have announced programs or graduation exercises that intend to segregate students by race or other identifying feature they are in violation of the Civil Rights Act.

In recent letters to both California Polytechnic State University and Oakton Community College in Illinois, Kirsanow, writing as a single member of the commission, reminds the schools’ officials that they are “subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Trump-Endorsed Pennsylvania GOP Senate Hopeful Dr. Oz Reveals Family Secret Behind His Dual Citizenship

May 18, 2022May 17, 2022 Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, covered a Bristol, Pennsylvania, town hall held by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Senate GOP candidate endorsed by President Donald J. Trump, where the heart surgeon and former TV star addresses questions about his dual citizenship with Turkey.

Virginia Department of Education Hosting Public Engagement Sessions Amid Restart of Math Standards Review

May 18, 2022May 17, 2022 Eric Burk

The Virginia Department of Education is announcing six public engagement sessions in May and June as it restarts its review of the Mathematics Standards of Learning.

Virginia is required to update the standards every seven years, with the next review due to be completed in 2023. But Governor Glenn Youngkin aborted the effort begun in 2020 after the Mathematic Pathways proposal was widely criticized by Republicans, who said it would gut advanced math programs.

Tax Filings: Black Lives Matter Has over $42 Million in Assets

New tax filings from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reveal that the official Black Lives Matter organization ended the last fiscal year with at least $42 million in assets.

According to the Associated Press, the 63-page Form 990 shows that Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. peaked with over $90 million in donations in 2020, amid race riots that destroyed cities all across the country, which were largely orchestrated and led by BLM. Of that $90 million, the organization invested at least $32 million in stocks.

Commentary: Joe Biden Is Threatening Our Freedom of Movement

May 18, 2022May 17, 2022 RealClearWire

The federal gov’t and silicon valley are looking to clamp down on your freedom of movement. Your ability to move about as you please does not fit with their goals for the future of our world. Automotive-related freedoms, including access to fuel, allow us to be free to move without the permission of silicon valley and the federal government. Automotive freedoms are not only hobby related; they are essential to preventing yet another step along the road to serfdom at the hands of woke corporations and federal bureaucrats.

Commentary: Demons Have Captured the Naples United Church of Christ

It is hard to imagine how, other than through demonic influence, a Christian church and its pastor could come to be the force behind an effort to use the church and the public schools to recruit young people between the ages of 12 and 18 into a homosexual and transgender “pride conference.”

Florida’s Voice reported the event will feature a “drag show” as an “exploration of LGBTQ-related issues facing today’s youth.” Attendees are asked to enter their pronouns and the name of their school.

Majority of Americans Say They Are ‘Falling Behind’ Rising Cost of Living

May 18, 2022May 17, 2022 The Center Square

The majority of Americans feel they cannot keep up with the cost of living as inflation and the price of goods continue to rise, according to new polling data.

A poll from NBC News asked Americans, “Do you think that your family’s income is … going up faster than the cost of living, staying about even with the cost of living, or falling behind the cost of living?”

Court Blocks Biden Admin from Forcing Employers to Pay for Sex Changes That Violate Their Religious Beliefs

A federal district court temporarily blocked a Biden administration mandate that forced employers to pay for sex change surgeries against their religious beliefs, according to a court order.

District Judge Daniel Traynor of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, determined that the Christian Employers Alliance (CEA) will likely win its lawsuit, brought by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), and issued an order temporarily blocking the Biden mandate while the lawsuit moves forward, according to the court order.

Big Business Wins Again: Biden Climate Rules Will Hurt Small Companies Most

America’s top financial regulator issued climate disclosure rules that are more burdensome for smaller companies than large companies, according to the agency’s own analysis.

While the rules would cost large corporations $640,000 at first and $530,000 in subsequent years, they would cost smaller publicly-traded companies $490,000 initially and $420,000 in following years, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said in its proposal. The regulator’s analysis suggests that smaller companies would feel a relatively larger financial burden as a result of the proposed disclosure rules.

More Illegal Aliens Crossed the Border in April Than Any Month in Modern History

In the month of April, at least 234,088 illegal aliens crossed the border into the United States, smashing all previous records for the highest monthly total of illegal border crossings in modern history.

As reported by the Washington Examiner, the over 234,000 figure comes from successful interceptions by border authorities, and thus does not account for so-called “gotaways” who evaded the Border Patrol. The numbers were reported by a court document obtained by the Examiner on Monday.

Rep. Cawthorn Loses North Carolina GOP House Primary, Concedes Race

May 18, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

North Carolina GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn on Tuesday night lost his bid for a second House term.

He conceded the race at about 10:25 p.m. Eastern time, according to several news outlets.

Poll: 64 Percent of Americans Say Being Transgender Not Healthy, 72 Percent Oppose Teaching Sexual Identity-Based Curriculum in Elementary School

May 17, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

A wide-ranging poll on the issues surrounding gender ideology and sexual identity has found nearly two-thirds of Americans believe transgenderism is not healthy, while 72 percent say schools should not teach elementary school-age children about sexual identity and sexual behavior.

Summit Ministries, which provides education and curriculum resources that promote a biblical worldview, and renowned polling firm McLaughlin and Associates released results of the national poll Tuesday, one that surveyed 1,000 likely general election voters nationwide between April 22-26.

MSNBC: Homeschooling a Racist ‘Evangelical War’ to Undermine Integration Policies

May 17, 2022May 16, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

An opinion author at MSNBC has condemned homeschooling as a racist tool of evangelical Christians seeking to undermine public schools and policies that promote integration.

“It should come as no surprise that evangelicals, fundamentalists and other religious conservatives have fought against public education since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education,” Anthea Butler wrote at MSNBC in a column published Thursday.

Arizona Gubernatorial Hopeful Kari Lake Discusses Her Candidacy and Her Path to the Governor’s Office

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022 Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Arizona Republican gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake on the grounds of the statehouse in Phoenix.

Exclusive: Adam Warner Releases ‘Reason to Redneck’ Lyric Video

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022 Bethany Bowman

Adam Warner hails from the farm country of southern Illinois, quite near to where my mother and her family lived. This area is so consumed by farming, specifically corn and soybeans, that you really do feel as if you are in the middle of nowhere.

Just like my mother and aunts, both of Warner’s grandmothers played piano and sang at church. His mother was involved in theater and singing as well. He was certainly not the only one in the family who did music but would be the only one who chose it as a career path.

Commentary: Democrats Show Their True Colors in Attempt to Intimidate and Coerce U.S. Supreme Court Justices

Following the leak of a draft United States Supreme Court ruling that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the country and our Commonwealth have seen Democrat extremism on full display. They have seen the release of a draft, pre-decisional document, which is itself a threat to the judicial process. They have also seen extreme pro-abortion activists gather outside the private residences of Supreme Court Justices in Virginia, threatening their safety and that of their families. These blatant acts of intimidation go far beyond legitimate political protest and should be condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Since Roe v. Wade was first decided in 1973, legal scholars on both the right and the left have held that the decision has no basis in Constitutional law and was wrongly decided. For liberals, Roe is merely a mechanism for leveraging the power of the federal judiciary to produce a preferred policy outcome. For conservatives, Roe is an affront to both an originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and basic human decency.

Victor Davis Hanson Commentary: The Cycles of Revolutions in Our Midst

We are witnessing a number of radical military, social, and political revolutions that are changing the United States—and the world—in fundamental ways that we still have not appreciated.

The taboo about never mentioning the first-strike use of nuclear weapons in a major conventional war is now apparently over. Vladimir Putin routinely threatens their use. Communist China hints at its growing nuclear capability and is hell-bent on rushing into production a huge new nuclear missile force. The world is defining nuclear incineration down.

Forty-Eight Year Georgia State Rep Chosen as Ambassador to Bahamas

May 17, 2022May 16, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

After serving for nearly a half-century in the Georgia General Assembly, a former Democrat State House Representative has been appointed by President Joe Biden to become the United States Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

“Calvin Smyre has served for 48 years as an elected Representative in the Georgia State Assembly, and was Chairman of the Democratic Caucus within the Assembly for over a decade and still serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Caucus,” the White House said in an announcement of Calvin Smyre’s (D-District 135) appointment. “He is the ‘Dean’ of the Georgia House of Representatives and serves on the Appropriations, Rules, and Higher Education Committees. Smyre is President Emeritus of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), and a member of the National Conference of State Legislators.”

Commentary: Employer-Based Microschooling Could Be the Newest Workplace Perk

When Elon Musk created a small school for his children and some of his SpaceX employees on the company’s California campus, he created a spark that could just now be catching on in other workplaces across the country.

In a 2015 interview about the school, the billionaire inventor said: “The regular schools weren’t doing the things that I thought should be done. So I thought, well, let’s see what we can do.” A year earlier he had pulled his boys out of an elite private school in Los Angeles and launched Ad Astra, a project-based school with no grade levels, no mandatory classes, and an emergent curriculum.

NIH Director Confirms Agency Hid COVID Genes on Orders from the Chinese

On Wednesday, Lawrence Tabak, the acting director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), confirmed during congressional testimony that officials at the NIH deliberately withheld crucial information about early genomic sequences of the COVID-19 virus on the orders of Chinese scientists.

As reported by the New York Post, Tabak told the House Appropriations subcommittee that the agency “eliminated from public view” all the data from the location of the virus’s origin, Wuhan, while adding that researchers can still access the information through a “tape drive.”

21 U.S. Federal Agencies Are Analyzing the ‘Environmental Damage’ of Ukraine War

The federal government has assembled a 21-agency working group to study and assess the environmental impacts of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The “Interagency Working Group on Environmental Damage in Ukraine” — which was assembled by the Department of State and includes officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Department of Defense — has met weekly for about a month, Axios first reported Friday.

Commentary: The Huge Anchors of Container Ships Are Wrecking the Coastal Seafloor

May 17, 2022May 16, 2022 RealClearWire

by Ross Pomeroy In a study published May 7 to the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand observed and quantified the damage that anchoring container ships can do to coastal seafloors. Container ships are the behemoths of the seas. The largest are longer, wider, and heavier…

Anatomy of the American Baby Formula Shortage

At the outset of his presidency, Joe Biden promised competence by a bigger, better government. A few days ago, one of his loyal allies exposed a gross incompetence by federal officials on Biden’s watch that defied that promise and inflamed a baby formula shortage now panicking parents nationwide.

Rep. Rose DeLauro, D-Conn., a reliable liberal ally, unveiled documents showing the Biden Food and Drug Administration was alerted by a whistleblower last fall about potential contamination issues at the Abbott Nutrition baby formula factory in Michigan and failed for months to act aggressively.

Voters Increasingly Returning to In-Person Ballots over Mail

In many states across the country, voters appear to be returning to in-person voting for their top preference, after vote-by-mail was greatly increased and heavily promoted during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, many states, including key swing states, have seen massive drops in the number of requests for mail-in ballots. In Georgia, where nearly one million ballots were cast by mail in the primary elections in 2020, only about 85,000 voters have requested mail-in ballots for this year’s primary. Other states that saw similar declines include Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana.

Commentary: U.S. Faces Electricity Shortages Heading into Summer, as Grid Operators Warn of Limits of Green Energy

With more than 25 years of executive experience in the utility industry, people tend to listen when MISO CEO John Bear talks about energy.

And the message he’s sending about electricity shortages as Americans head into summer is clear.

Youngkin, Miyares Announce Violent Crime Task Force

May 17, 2022May 16, 2022 Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares announced a violent crime task force composed of officials from the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Criminal Justice Services, and the Virginia State Police. Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Bob Mosier will lead the task force alongside Chief Deputy Attorney General Chuck Slemp.

“There is a clear recognition of a violent crime crisis in Virginia and my administration is committed to joining with community leaders, law enforcement, and Virginians around solutions with the Violent Crime task force,” Youngkin said in the Monday announcement.

Virginia Scores Second, North Carolina First in Spring 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Rating

May 16, 2022May 15, 2022 Eric Burk

Virginia’s hospital network is second in the nation for safety, according to Leapfrog’s Spring 2022 ranking — down one place since Fall 2021. North Carolina moved up from second in the Fall 2021 ranking.

The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association noted that Virginia is still improving, with 59.2 percent of the Commonwealth’s hospitals receiving an “A” grade in the latest ranking after 56.2 percent received the grade in the fall.

Buyers Need 40 Percent More Income to Buy a Home in Top Metro Areas: Report

May 16, 2022May 15, 2022 The Center Square

Demand for homes in certain areas of the country has caused supply to dwindle, prices to skyrocket and buyers needing nearly 50% more income than they would have last year to even enter top markets, according to a report by the real estate brokerage firm, Redfin.

“Housing is significantly less affordable than it was a year ago because the surge in housing costs has far outpaced the increase in wages, meaning many Americans are now priced out of homeownership,” Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr said.

Spanberger, Youngkin Respond to Baby Formula Shortage

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 Eric Burk

Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Governor Glenn Youngkin issued separate responses to a worsening baby formula shortage caused in part by supply chain problems and in part by a recall of product from major manufacturer Abbott Laboratories. After a February recall, the manufacturer’s Sturgis, Mi. plant has been closed during a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation.

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Spanberger issued separate press releases highlighting her concerns about the shortage and pressing the Biden administration for solutions. Spanberger is expected to face a serious GOP challenge for reelection this year.

Commentary: Cancel Yale Law School

If U.S. News and World Report’s ratings can be taken seriously, Yale is home to America’s top law school. Tuition at Yale Law School is just shy of $70,000 a year plus expenses for room, board, books, and sundries, though many students qualify for scholarships and generous financial assistance. A juris doctor degree from Yale opens a great many doors, but it is a fact that fewer Yale Law graduates go into Big Law than their peers from Harvard and other Ivies. Many go into government instead. It’s said that somewhere between 25 percent and 35 percent of all federal clerkships go to Yale Law grads.

But what exactly does a three-year, $210,000 (plus) Yale Law School education purchase? In particular, what does a Yale Law education look like?

Music Spotlight: Restless Road

May 16, 2022May 15, 2022 Bethany Bowman

When I heard “Growing Old With You” by Restless Road on the radio, I was not familiar with the group, but their song really resonated with me. When I was given the chance to feature them in my column, I jumped at it.

Restless Road is comprised of Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols, and Colton Pack who did not grow up together and are actually from three different states. Beeken is from Iowa, Nichols is from Alabama and Pack is from West Virginia. Almost nine years ago, Pack and Beeken were on a show called The X Factor. (The third member, Andrew Scholz, would eventually be replaced with Nichols.) They started the band on that TV show. They met Kane Brown on that show as well.

Commentary: Sports Stadiums Don’t Create New Jobs and Tax Revenues

Over the last few weeks, rumors have been circulating that the Kansas City Chiefs are considering moving from Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas.

CNN and MSNBC See Ratings Continue to Drop

As of Friday, the cable news networks CNN and MSNBC saw significantly lower ratings than their competitors, including the dominant cable news channel, Fox.

According to the Daily Caller, CNN scored the lowest overall, with roughly 511,000 daytime viewers on average, and 545,000 primetime viewers. MSNBC saw about 753,000 daytime viewers and 1 million primetime viewers. Fox, by comparison, had over 1.72 million total viewers.

Jerome Powell Confirmed for Second Term as Federal Reserve Chair

The Senate voted 80-19 on Thursday to confirm Jerome Powell to a second term as Federal Reserve chair, even as inflation has hit record highs under his watch.

The 19 “Nay” votes came from 13 Republicans and 5 Democrats and included a range of Senators from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

AG Garland Pointedly Refuses to Say If He Would Prosecute Protesters Outside Justices’ Homes

Attorney General Merrick Garland is pointedly refusing to say if he’s open to prosecuting protesters who demonstrate outside of Supreme Court justices’ homes, which a growing number of office-holders are urging him to do.

Republican Governors Larry Hogan of Maryland and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and members of Congress want Garland to uphold federal law that prohibits actions to intimidate judges at their private residences.

Small Businesses Struggle to Survive in Biden’s Economy: Poll

Small business owners are increasingly pessimistic about U.S. economic conditions and overwhelmingly support an expansion of domestic fossil fuel infrastructure, the latest polling data showed.

Just 27% of small business owners agreed the economy was in “good” or “excellent” condition, according to a Job Creators Network Foundation poll released Friday and shared with The Daily Caller News Foundation. The figure represented the lowest rating of the current economic situation among small business owners since the group began the poll a year ago.

Two Top Twitter Managers Fired Ahead of Musk Purchase