Month: July 2022

Beginning in the 1980s, the American economy underwent substantial changes. Just as the earlier age of industrialization had transformed a rural and agriculture economy into an urban one focused on manufacturing, the industrial age gave way to the information age, with a greater priority for tasks like management, information processing, and finance. The workforce and concentrations of wealth followed suit, with finance and high-tech companies displacing the old industrial giants with their assembly lines and armies of workers.

China Tried to Plant Spies Inside the Federal Reserve and Kidnap Economist, Congress Finds

China has carried out a sustained, decade-long economic espionage operation to infiltrate the U.S. Federal Reserve, according to a report released Tuesday by the Republican staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Chinese operatives have employed both bribery and coercion to garner influence with employees of the Federal Reserve system in attempts to get them to provide sensitive information about the U.S. economy to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the report shows. At least 13 individuals across eight of the Fed’s 12 locations were identified as persons of interest in the report for having ties with Chinese government institutions and talent recruitment programs.

Putin Promises to Keep the Gas Flowing to Europe – for Now

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would continue to supply Europe with natural gas, but warned that deliveries via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline could become constrained if sanctions prevent further maintenance on the pipeline, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Putin asserted that the pipeline’s owner, the Moscow-controlled energy firm Gazprom, will honor and fulfill its responsibilities to Europe in remarks that he made late Tuesday after his visit to Tehran, reported the WSJ. Putin’s comments come amid the reduced flow of natural gas into Europe due to sanctions and other supply chain disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden’s Military Purge: Unvaxxed Tennessee Army National Guard Officer Shares His Story

July 27, 2022July 26, 2022 Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Tennessee Army National Guard Capt. Mickey Shelton, who has applied for a religious exemption from the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, about his perspective on the purge of unvaccinated military personnel.

Jack Maxey: Hunter’s Laptop Reveals His Pre-COVID-19 Interest in Pandemic Tracker Metabiota

July 27, 2022July 26, 2022 Neil W. McCabe

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Navy veteran and businessman Jack Maxey about his uncovering of Hunter Biden’s 2014 support of the San Francisco-based pandemic tracking and predictive analytics company Metabiota. Maxey said he was tipped off about Hunter and Metabiota by an American military intelligence operative.

Consumer Confidence Falls for Third Straight Month amid Soaring Inflation

July 27, 2022July 26, 2022 The Center Square

A new survey of consumers reports a lack of confidence in the economy as inflation soars.

The latest Confidence Index, a product of nonprofit research group Conference Board, indicates consumers have lost faith in the economy’s future. A new index is published monthly.

Commentary: ‘Nixonian’ Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

The 1968 presidential election was my first. I voted for the erstwhile Republican, Richard M. Nixon. And because I wrote a college paper about my decision at the time, causing complete consternation for that professor, I still have a clear idea of why I did it. The choice was between Nixon and Democrat Hubert H. Humphrey. The other candidate on the ballot, George C. Wallace, was a populist with proven racist views and unpalatable.

Border State Officials and Residents Hammer Democrat Mayors Complaining About Migrant Busing

Several local officials and residents in southern border counties are questioning Democratic mayors’ complaints over illegal migrants being bused to their states by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“All I have to say is welcome to my world,” Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The property damage, the damaged fences, the broken water wells, the broken water lines, the theft of the vehicles, the criminal trespass and the burglaries, you name it they’re doing it.”

Judge Blocks Two Kentucky Pro-Life Laws with Claim That the Idea Life Begins at Conception Is ‘Distinctly Christian’

July 27, 2022July 26, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

A judge has temporarily blocked two Kentucky laws that would effectively ban abortion in nearly all circumstances, claiming the idea that life begins at conception is a “distinctly Christian” view and that the notion that a disproportionate number of abortions occurs among black women is suggestive of eugenics is “baseless.”

Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Mitch Perry sided with the abortion providers Friday, granting them a temporary injunction against the state enforcing its Human Life Protection Act and Heartbeat Law, referring to the measures as the Trigger Ban and Six Week Ban, respectively.

Former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax Says FBI Is Investigating Origins of Allegations That Derailed His Political Career

July 27, 2022July 26, 2022 Eric Burk

Former Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax says the FBI is investigating the origins of allegations of sexual assault that tainted Fairfax, potentially blocking him from becoming governor.

“Investigators have been given evidence of fabrication regarding the accusations and evidence regarding the orchestration of a lengthy smear campaign,” Fairfax said in a Tuesday statement. “For over three years, I have asked for this matter to be investigated because I knew the allegations were patently false and I knew that I would be exonerated.”

Youngkin Presents Virginia Values Veterans Certification to Walmart

July 26, 2022July 25, 2022 Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin presented a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certification to Walmart on Monday, commemorating national Hire a Veteran Day.

“The fabric of the Commonwealth I often refer to as the spirit of Virginia. And the spirit of Virginia is so much stronger with our veterans being so woven into that fabric,” Youngkin said. “So I want to thank our veterans first for loving our nation and for serving selflessly. I want to thank our veterans’ families, because when you serve, they serve. And finally, I want to thank Walmart.”

‘Queer All School Year’: Los Angeles School District Forces Gender Theory into Classroom

The largest public school district in California is teaching a curriculum promoting transgenderism and gender theory to children, according to public documents.

The Human Relations, Diversity and Equity department at Los Angeles Unified School District is using presentations, training programs and clubs to instruct K-12 students on gender identity, according to public documents, first reported by City Journal that include classroom instruction materials and district-sponsored event calendars. The “trans-affirming” curriculum first appeared during the 2020-2021 academic school year.

Nearly Half of Small Businesses Are in Hiring Freeze, Citing Inflation and Costs

July 26, 2022July 25, 2022 The Center Square

Nearly half of small business owners are not willing to hire because of labor costs and “skyrocketing inflation,” a newly released small business report shows.

The small business network Alignable released its July Hiring report which found that “45% of small businesses (SMBs) are halting their hiring, largely because they say they can’t afford to add staff.

Anti-Christian Bully Dan Savage’s ‘It Gets Better Project’ Sends $10K to 50 School Districts to Push Gender Ideology

July 26, 2022July 25, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

LGBTQ activist organization the It Gets Better Project has awarded $10,000 in grant funds to 50 school districts across the country to promote gender ideology.

The project was founded by LGBTQ activist Dan Savage as an organization that provides anti-bullying support for LGBTQ teens, but Savage has a history of bullying teens himself – particularly, those who identify as Christian.

Victor Davis Hanson Commentary: How to Erode the World’s Greatest Military

The U.S. Army has met only 40 percent of its 2022 recruiting goals.

In fact, all branches of the military are facing historic resistance to their current recruiting efforts. If some solution is not found quickly, the armed forces will radically shrink or be forced to lower standards—or both.

Commentary: America’s Future Is America First

The Biden administration promised to “Build Back Better,” but for ordinary Americans, this is a broken promise.

Every day, our nation’s citizens must make ends meet with gas and groceries they increasingly cannot afford, often seeking goods they cannot find. As Americans watch inflation hit a 40-year high, they see glimpses on television of the devastation in war-torn Europe and the trafficking of innocent children across America’s southern border.

Commentary: Reducing Patient Access to New Medications Is Progressives’ Latest Medicare Price Fixing Scheme

July 26, 2022July 25, 2022 RealClearWire

As negotiations on their tax and spending bill continue, Senate Democrats are working on a legislative proposal to have the government fix the prices of Medicare prescription medications. Though the details of the 190-page amendment differ in certain respects from earlier versions, the indisputable result would be the same: Reduced patient access to prescription drugs.

Like most giant regulatory schemes, the draft proposal is characteristically complex with numerous provisions, including detailed data collection, new mandates, tax penalties on drug manufacturers, free vaccines, and a cap on out-of-pocket costs. But the heart of the bill is the creation of a Drug Price Negotiation Program administered by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Report: U.S. Investigates Blacklisted Chinese Tech Giant over Concerns It May Be Spying on Missile Silos

The U.S. is investigating Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei for potential surveillance capabilities at cell towers near U.S. military bases and missile silos, according to Reuters.

Authorities are concerned that China could exploit Huawei communications equipment in the U.S. to gather sensitive data on military procedures and personnel, Reuters reported Thursday. The Commerce Department reportedly opened the investigation in 2021.

Almost 60 Percent of Americans Want TikTok Banned from App Stores: Poll

Following reports of Chinese officials accessing U.S. user data, nearly 60% of Americans want social media app TikTok removed from app stores, according to a recent survey.

Minneapolis Residents Resort to Crowdfunding to Pay for Neighborhood Policing

Residents in Minneapolis are crowdfunding to get off-duty police officers to patrol the streets as the city continues to experience staffing shortages and an uptick in violent crime.

The Minneapolis Safety Initiative (MSI), a nonprofit seeking to increase law and order, is raising money to “buyback officer patrols.” Funds that are raised through the volunteer-led initiative will be sent to the Minneapolis Police Department to get officers deployed for shifts that the officers would otherwise not be working, MSI says.

“Officers working a buyback shift patrol in MPD vehicles, respond to 911 calls, and deter criminals—just as they do in a normal shift,” according to MSI. “All people working on this initiative are volunteers. There are fees for payment processing but otherwise, all contributions will go directly to paying for MPD buyback officer patrols.”

Biden Administration Accused of Gaslighting Nation with ‘Soviet Level Propaganda’ After Attempting to Redefine Recession

by Debra Heine The White House is being accused of gaslighting the American people with “Soviet levels of propaganda” as Biden officials attempt to change the definition of recession amid economic data that shows the United States is entering into a recession. A recession is traditionally defined as two…

Cori Bush Refuses to Answer Whether Biden Should Run for President, Abruptly Ends Interview

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri abruptly ended an interview with a St. Louis reporter Monday after being asked about a possible re-election bid by President Joe Biden.

“Do you want to see Joe Biden run for a second term?” a reporter asked Bush in a video posted by Mark Maxwell, political editor for KSDK News on Twitter.

Virginia’s First Casino Earns $3.7 Million in First Week of Operating Temporary Site

July 26, 2022July 25, 2022 Eric Burk

The Hard Rock Bristol Casino’s temporary location earned $3.7 million in adjusted gross receipts (AGR) in its first few days, with a total of over $37.5 million played from July 5 through July 14. The casino had soft openings before opening to the public on Friday, July 8.

Virginia Lottery Deputy Director of Gaming Compliance Gina Smith highlighted the numbers and said the casino was crowded in its first days.

“I will tell you that Saturday, you could not even walk on the floor,” Smith told the Virginia Lottery Board on July 20.

Fairfax County School Employees Charged with Stealing More than 35,000 Laptops

July 25, 2022July 25, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

According to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD), three men have been arrested and charged in connection with a scheme to steal and sell laptops from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

A release from FCPD says Franque Minor II, 35, of Maryland and Mario Jones Jr., 21, of Woodbridge, Virginia, were arrested as part of an investigation that began in March, when FCPS notified authorities that several thousand laptops appeared to be missing.

Commentary: The Master of Politicizing Schools Says Education Is Too Politicized

July 25, 2022July 24, 2022 RealClearWire

Last week, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten tweeted the results of a poll of teachers showing “nearly 9 out of 10 respondents say schools have become too politicized.” As she put it, “AFT members were on the frontlines of the first wave of the pandemic, but in many ways the last year was even harder” due to “mask wars, culture wars, the war on truth, or the devastation in Uvalde.”

Big Oil Makes Big Bucks as Pump Prices Stay High

ExxonMobil’s quarterly fuel profits could reach as high as $4.4 billion in the second quarter as major refiners were set to collectively make $14 billion in profits, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Overall, ExxonMobil is projecting $18 billion in profit this quarter, its highest profit margin in 25 years. The projections come as average fuel prices remain elevated throughout the country, averaging well over $4 per gallon and up as much as $1.50 from this time last year, according to AAA data.

Western Bank HSBC Creates ‘Communist Unit’ in Order to Operate in China

Employees of HSBC Qianhai Securities, a London-based HSBC’s subsidiary in China, have formed a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cell, making HSBC the first foreign financial institution to have done so in an investment banking subsidiary in China, the Financial Times reported Thursday.

Commentary: New Cancer Diagnostics Are Being Misdiagnosed in Their Value

July 25, 2022July 24, 2022 RealClearWire

Various methods of cancer screening, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, have been highly beneficial to patients across the world by allowing more effective treatments to be applied earlier. The most recent innovations for diagnosing cancers include genomic blood tests that can detect more cancers at earlier stages than existing screens. If reimbursed and adopted widely, they offer a great potential advance in the war on cancer but unfounded critiques of them misdiagnose their value.

House Republicans Demand Answers on NPR’s ‘Disinformation Team’ after ‘Misleading Reporting’

Georgia Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde led 13 of his House colleagues in a letter demanding answers from the president and CEO of National Public Radio (NPR) about the launch of its disinformation team given the taxpayer-funded outlet’s denial of the verified Hunter Biden laptop story, among other stories.

The Republicans said the details on the disinformation team were “vague, and the program itself is concerning given NPR’s proven track record of ironically spreading misinformation related to the 2020 election.”

Arizona Sheriff Establishes ‘Constitutional Sanctuaries’

In an era in which the federal government has identified conservatives as would-be domestic terrorists, many Americans are looking for sanctuaries where their constitutional rights will not be infringed.

Pinal County, Arizona, where Sheriff Mark Lamb has formed a civilian posse to act as a bulwark against tyrannical government encroachments, may be one such place.

Northern Virginia County Becomes Latest Jurisdiction to Limit Police Cooperation with ICE

July 25, 2022July 24, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

Arlington County is the latest local jurisdiction to prohibit law enforcement from communicating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement about illegal immigrants residing in the county.

The Northern Virginia county’s adoption of its new “Trust Policy” comes after the recent arrest of an illegal immigrant charged with raping and impregnating a 10-year-old girl in Ohio.

Commentary: Liberal Bias on Campus Does Not ‘Just Happen,’ and It Is Time to Call Out Those Individuals by Name

Higher education is suffering under the yoke of leftist ideology, progressive agendas, and liberal bias.

The situation will never change until those who disagree with prevailing leftist dogmas summon the courage to call out academics who have used their power to enable woke orthodoxies to dictate campus life.

Commentary: Solar Panel Programs Increase Your Electricity Bill

July 25, 2022July 24, 2022 RealClearWire

Why are electricity prices rising so fast?

Over the past quarter century, electricity prices across America have increased by an average of 1.8 percent per year, from $8.38 per kWh in 1994 to $13.01 in 2019. Then in January this year both Entergy and Mississippi Power increased their rates by $7.81 per month and $5.27 per month respectively, affecting over half a million Mississippi residents.

‘Free, Fair and Honest’: Former Trump Spokesperson Praises States’ New Election Laws

Former Trump spokesperson Hogan Gidley praised seven states for protecting election integrity in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Seven states are being praised by the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center For Election Integrity (CEI) in a new report for recent legislative efforts to prevent voter fraud. Hogan Gidley, director of the CEI, explained the importance of the report during an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Lee Zeldin Attacker Re-Arrested on Federal Assault Charge

The man who was released without bail after allegedly attacking New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin was re-arrested on a federal assault charge on Saturday, authorities stated.

David Jakubonis, 43, is accused of storming the stage of Zeldin’s campaign event Thursday evening during a campaign speech about bail reform in Perinton, N.Y.

D.C. Lobbyists Rake In Massive Profits as Americans Continue to Suffer

Federal lobbyists have made huge profits in the second quarter of 2022, according to financial disclosures reviewed by Politico, while many Americans continue to feel the effects of inflation and the ongoing energy crisis.

Of the top twenty lobbying firms by revenue, just two saw revenue decreases when compared with the first three months of the year, Politico reported. The lobbying boom was largely attributable to reconciliation negotiations between Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, as well hotly contested deliberations on whether to dole out subsidies to domestic semiconductor companies.

Utah School District Gives Parents Option to Identify Their Children as Transgender or Non-Binary

Parents in a Utah school district are being given the option to choose if their elementary-school-aged children are transgender or non-binary when registering their students for school, according to a screenshot obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Democrat-Led Cities Are Responding to Heat Waves by Hiring Climate Bureaucrats

Major cities across the U.S. are employing climate officials to help manage the response to “extreme heat” conditions, according to The Washington Post.

Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix have appointed “chief heat officers” to mitigate the effects of climate change and to protect the city’s low-income minority residents, whom they deem especially vulnerable to high temperatures, reported the Post. Currently, heat waves are sweeping across the U.S. with temperatures reaching up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit in states like Texas and Oklahoma, according to Yahoo News.

Virginia Unemployment Rate Had Largest Drop in a Year in June

July 25, 2022July 25, 2022 Eric Burk

Virginia’s unemployment had its largest drop in a year in June, down to a 2.8 percent unemployment rate, while labor participation stayed stable 63.8 percent.

Governor Glenn Youngkin highlighted the result in a Friday press release.

“The June unemployment rate dropping to 2.8 percent is promising news for Virginia’s economic health and is a welcome return to pre-pandemic unemployment levels,” Youngkin said. “In such a competitive labor market, we remain committed to expanding workforce development opportunities for Virginians. While the 94,000 job additions is promising, we must remain vigilant regarding the workforce participation rate, which does continue to lag. I am focused on increasing Virginia’s participation rate across the commonwealth.”

Youngkin Pushes Back on Call for Executive Action on Abortion

July 25, 2022July 24, 2022 Eric Burk

Delegate Dave LaRock (R-Loudoun) is suggesting that Governor Glenn Youngkin could condition funding for Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia on if their medical centers stop providing abortions, but Youngkin has said that he can’t do that.

At a recent rally at the Virginia Capitol, LaRock said, “Here’s what I’m asking him to do: direct UVA and VCU medical centers to immediately cease these abortion proceedings. He needs to direct that state grants and other funds will not be distributed to entities who in any way promote, facilitate, or engage in taking the life of pre-born babies. A number of measures have passed through the legislature to this effect, very often to be vetoed by a hostile governor.”

First Lady Youngkin Presents Third Spirit of Virginia Award to Equine Rescue

July 24, 2022July 23, 2022 Eric Burk

First Lady Suzanne Youngkin presented the third Spirit of Virginia aware to horse rescue nonprofit Hope’s Legacy on Thursday.

“Horses have a special place in my heart, and the work that animal rescues, like Hope’s Legacy, provide to God’s creatures surely inspires. It has been an honor meeting Maya and witnessing her care of these beautiful animals and interacting with these beautiful animals. Your selfless work exemplifies the true Spirit of Virginia,” Youngkin said in an announcement.

Commentary: Immigration Amendment Doesn’t Belong in National Defense Authorization Act

It’s National Defense Authorization Act time again, and as usual, Congress is trying to pack the must-pass bill chock-full of provisions and 1,230 amendments, most of which have no place in the bill and, worse, nothing to do with national defense.

This year, special interests are attempting to include dangerous and pricey provisions that would encourage, and throw more money at, illegal immigration and worsen the Biden border crisis.

Love and Theft Releases New EP, ‘Better Off’

July 24, 2022July 23, 2022 Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee- It’s been seven years since singers Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles, collectively known as country duo Love and Theft, released a record or EP.

Liles talked to me and told me that they are “back in action.”

Germany’s Ministry of Health: 1 in 5,000 Germans Have Suffered ‘Serious Side Effects’ from COVID Injections

After aggressively pushing the COVID vaccines on the people, Germany’s Ministry of Health admitted on Wednesday that one in five thousand Germans have suffered “serious side effects” after being injected with the genetic products.

The Germans tried to implement a mandatory COVID vaccination policy for the entire population earlier this year, and locked down the unvaccinated over the winter months, barring unvaccinated Germans from entering “restaurants, pubs, cinemas, gyms, cultural events, and non-essential shops.” The German federal parliament rejected the compulsory vaccine proposal in April, but not before over 76 percent of the German people were fully vaccinated.

Bannon Contempt Case May Open Door for GOP to Compel Hunter Biden Testimony

Reacting to the conviction of former White House adviser Steve Bannon on contempt charges Friday, Republicans and activists said Democrats were selectively enforcing the law and could expect a backlash should the GOP take the House in November.

Tea Party Patriots Action Honorary Chair Jenny Beth Martin told “Just the News, Not Noise” that the prosecution of Bannon could set a precedent of using congressional committees to go after political enemies.

‘Kills the American Dream’: Truckers Disrupt Port of Oakland to Protest Newsom’s Labor Law

Protests have disrupted shipping operations and supply chains at the Port of Oakland this week as truckers express their opposition to a new labor law that they say threatens their business model and way of life, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Commentary: Globalism and the Georgia Stones