Month: March 2023

New Laws Mean Greater ‘Buying Power’ for People with Disabilities

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law a pair of bills Monday aimed at providing greater financial flexibility for individuals with developmental disabilities who receive waiver services – a move supporters say will translate to greater “buying power” for people with disabilities to invest in technology that allows them to live independently. 

Virginia currently offers several kinds of Disability Waivers – including Community Living, Family and Individual Supports, and Building Independence waivers – for individuals diagnosed with a developmental disability. The waivers offer long-term support for people with developmental disabilities and include access to services, including assistive technology and electronic home-based services. 

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Methodology and Motive Questions Surround Poll Showing DeSantis Ahead of Trump in Iowa

M.D. Kittle

Two polls showing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “running more competitively” against former President Donald Trump in first-in-the-nation nominating states Iowa and New Hampshire are missing some key data, raising questions about the validity of the surveys.

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Commentary: Congress Is Central in the Authorization to Impose a Central Bank Digital Currency

Admin
In God We Trust

“[W]e would not proceed with this without support from Congress, and I think that would ideally come in the form of an authorizing law, rather than us trying to interpret our law to enable this.”

That was Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in March 2021, noting the fact that when it comes a central bank digital currency – a more distinct possibility after several bank failures have swept across the global financial system – that Congress simply has not authorized such an undertaking.

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Victor Davis Hanson Commentary: The Megalomaniacs Running Radical Universities Are Blind to the Generations of Taxpayers That Built Them

Admin

The most recent shout-down debacle at Stanford’s law school, one of many such recent sordid episodes, prompts the question: “Who owns our universities?” 

The law students who are in residence for three years apparently assume they embody the university. And so, they believe they represent and speak for a score of diverse Stanford interests when they shout down federal Judge Kyle Duncan, as if he were an intruder into their own woke private domain. 

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Commentary: Why Not ‘America First?’

Admin

It’s challenging to say something original about the Ukraine war. It’s been debated now for more than a year, and it’s not over yet. But that’s bad news for those supporting the war. Most Americans’ interest in foreign policy matters is limited, and many expect quicker favorable results than are probably ever possible in war. A year of war in a far-off land – another war in another far-off land – is not something Americans are likely to support for long, especially if it’s led by a stumble-bum president who picks incompetents for cabinet secretaries, campaigned for a mentally challenged stroke victim, and may be compromised by his son’s business dealings. 

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Six Army Bases to be Renamed from Original Confederate Names

Admin

The dates have been revealed for when six United States Army bases will officially have their names changed due to a far-left campaign to rename any installations bearing Confederate names.

According to Axios, the six bases in question are: Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Pickett, Virginia; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Lee, Virginia; Fort Benning, Georgia; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The name changes come after Joe Biden created a federal Naming Commission, for the sole purpose of changing names of federal facilities, monuments, parks, and other territories that were originally named for Confederate figures; the campaign has been widely criticized as an effort to erase American history in the name of political correctness and “woke” racial justice politics.

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Future Meals Could Come from a 3D Printer, Researchers Say

Admin

Researchers are increasingly investigating 3D-printed food to boost global food production in a bid to combat climate-related food insecurity, Axios reported Friday.

Although the technology is still new, with research necessary for the technique to be scaled up for both industrial or home use, some researchers see 3D-printed food as a way to make nutritious food available and affordable for those who would otherwise lack access to healthy options, according to Axios. Printed food is already being used to make imitation meat cuts from soy protein and chickpeas at several restaurants and butchers in Europe, Reuters reported in October.

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Biden Admin Opens Investigations into Multiple Universities for Allegedly Racist, Discriminatory Programs

Admin

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened federal investigations into four universities this week in response to complaints filed by medical watchdog Do No Harm (DNH), according to the organization.

The OCR will investigate Wake Forest University (WFU), the University of Virginia (UVA), the University of Rochester (UR) and Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) for alleged civil rights violations, Do No Harm reported. Senior Fellow Mark Perry filed a joint complaint against WFU and UVA, alleging the institutions used school resources to partner with an organization whose activities violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, while Program Manager Laura Morgan violated complaints against UR and TJU for allegedly participating in programs that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Biden Administration Rules Out Removing the Cuban Regime from the List of ‘Sponsors of Terrorism’

ADN America
Miguel Diaz-Canel

The Joe Biden administration has no plans to remove the Cuban regime from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism,” the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, said Thursday during a hearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee—House of Representatives (HFAC).

“We do not plan to remove them from the list,” said the Secretary of State in response to a direct question about it made by Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar.

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Federal Regulator Acknowledges Danger to Wildlife Caused by Offshore Wind Farms

Admin

The federally-chartered regulator responsible for managing fisheries in the oceans of New England acknowledged that offshore wind farms could pose a threat to the local marine wildlife, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Thomas Nies, executive director of the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), noted the “concerning implications” of a study by researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, which found that the high voltage direct current (HVDC) power cables used by some offshore wind farms emitted magnetic fields that could hinder the ability of haddock larvae to navigate, according to a January 18 letter obtained by the DCNF. The negative impact on both the haddocks’ speed and ability to navigate could result in increased “predation” of affected fish.

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States, Counties Clash over ‘Zuckerbucks’-Like New Sources of Private Election Funding

Just the News

As “Zuckerbucks” — the injection of private money into public election administration — make a comeback, states and municipalities are clashing over whether the funds should be accepted or banned.

While many states and counties across the country have either restricted or banned the use of private money to fund public elections offices, a nonprofit with progressive Democrat ties that served as the key link in the 2020 Zuckerbucks funding chain is still finding loopholes in some counties as states seek to tighten up their laws.

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Bills Declaring Fentanyl a Terror Weapon, Increasing Jury Duty Pay, and more Among the Hundreds Gov Youngkin Signs into Law

The Center Square

Facing a Monday deadline to act on bills passed by the Virginia General Assembly, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed hundreds of bills into law this week. 

Lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly sent hundreds of bills to the governor’s desk during this legislative session.

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Commentary: The Language of Politics and the Politics of Language

Admin

On his blog A Pilgrim in Narnia, Brenton Dickieson tells us that C.S. Lewis in his Studies in Words defined “verbicide” as the “murder of words.” Dickieson adds that “Lewis has some similar concerns as George Orwell in his ‘Politics and the English Language.’ Words can be politicized or bent into the service of those who are peddling products or ideas.”

The 21st century has given us a multitude of these vampires, who—having sucked the original meanings out of certain nouns and verbs—then use the carcasses to sell certain ideologies or to confuse the rest of us. Here is a partial list of these zombie words.

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Commentary: Informants Everywhere

Admin

After nine weeks of testimony from multiple government witnesses, including FBI agents, the Justice Department finally concluded its case-in-chief in the Proud Boys’ seditious conspiracy trial on Monday.

Five Proud Boys, including the group’s leader, Enrique Tarrio, are accused of conspiring to “oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force” on January 6, 2021. It is Attorney General Merrick Garland’s most consequential case related to January 6; convictions will help build a similar case against Donald Trump largely based on his infamous “stand back and stand by” remark to the Proud Boys during an October 2020 presidential debate.

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Trump Decries Weaponized Probes against Political Figures: ‘Worse than Ballot Stuffing’

Just the News

Former President Donald Trump is decrying the relentless investigations launched against him and his supporters, saying they are a form of political cheating worse than ballot stuffing.

Trump assailed the chronic investigations he has faced for seven years during his first rally of the 2024 campaign season in Waco, Texas on Saturday night, and then in a subsequent post on his Truth Social platform.

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REVIEW: New Book ‘Rise to Greatness’ Explores How a Kid from Queens Became One of History’s Most Influential Supreme Court Justices

Admin

Antonin Scalia was a budding textualist long before he transformed the Supreme Court, and the nation, with his unique legal approach, a new biography of his early life reveals.

In the 1950s, the future Supreme Court Justice spent his mornings on the New York subway, commuting with his rifle to Xavier High School, a hybrid Jesuit-run Catholic school and military academy in Manhattan. His teacher’s response one day to a student’s sarcastic comment about “Hamlet” became a moment Scalia would never forget — and would refer to for the rest of his life as the Shakespeare Principle: “Mistah, when you read Shakespeah, Shakespeah’s not on trial; you ah,” Father Thomas Matthews said.

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McConnell Released from Physical Therapy After Concussion, Broken Rib

Admin

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky left an inpatient rehab facility Saturday following physical therapy, CNN reported.

McConnell, the senate minority leader, was hospitalized Mar. 9 after he tripped and fell during an event at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., suffering a concussion and a fractured rib. He will work from home on the advice of medical professionals, according to CNN.

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Trump Has Double DeSantis’ Support: Poll

Virginia Star Staff

Former President Donald Trump leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 GOP primary by a massive two-digit margin, doubling the support of DeSantis’ share, according to a poll released Friday.

Trump tops a crowded field of Republican presidential contenders at 50% – a 26-percentage point lead over the Florida governor – according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll. In a head-to-head matchup between the two frontrunners, the former president still wins against DeSantis, but by a slimmer margin of 56% to 44%.

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Hawaii Governor Signs Bills Blocking Penalties for Abortion

The Center Square

Hawaii will not cooperate with other states’ civil or criminal investigations related to abortion under a new law signed by Gov. Josh Green.

Senate Bill 1, also known as Act 2, prohibits the issuance of a subpoena in connection with an out-of-state or interstate investigation related to abortion and bans any agency from providing information or spending time or resources to further such an investigation.

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New U.S. Border Data: 284 Suspected Terrorists Apprehended So Far in Fiscal 2023

The Center Square

Nearly 300 suspected terrorists have been apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. in the first few months of fiscal 2023 as 28 members of Congress formed a new caucus to address the crisis at the northern border, where record numbers of foreign nationals continue to illegally enter from Canada.

The Northern Border Security Caucus, formed by U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pennsylvania, and Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, is expressing concerns about “the increased human and drug trafficking, along with the decrease in Border Patrol agents and lack of security, along the U.S.-Canada border.”

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Virginia to Offer Firearm Safety Device Tax Credit Under New Law

The Center Square

Virginia will offer a tax credit for the purchase of a firearm safety device, including gun safes and lock boxes, under a bill signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week. 

Under the tax credit, which takes effect in July and applies to taxable years 2023 through 2027, Virginians who purchase a gun safe, lock box or other device that can be used to store a firearm can be eligible for a tax credit of up to $300. The credits will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis in an aggregate amount of $5 million per taxable year. 

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Commentary: The ATF Expansion of the Gun Registry Turns Law-Abiding Gun Owners into Felons

Virginia Star Staff

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has followed through on their plan to turn millions of lawful gun owners into felons in the name of “public safety” by reclassifying pistols with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, effectively expanding the unconstitutional national gun registry.

Stabilizing braces are devices that can be attached to pistols to aid the user in balancing their arm. Originally created to help people with disabilities, the accessory is now more popular amongst mainstream shooters who use them to adapt pistols into guns that can be shot from the shoulder, which has been legal to do in the past. Now, there’s a big hoop to jump through if you don’t want to be hit with fines and/or jail time.

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North Dakota Legislature Passes Bill That Makes Teachers Use Students’ Biological Pronouns

Virginia Star Staff

The North Dakota House approved a bill on Wednesday that would require teachers to refer to students using pronouns that correspond with their biological sex.

In a 60-32 vote, the state house passed Senate Bill 2231, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Larry Luick and state Sen. Scott Meyer, which mandates that public school teachers must use a students’ biological sex pronouns unless parents give permission for them to do otherwise. The bill cleared the state senate in February and now heads to Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s desk.

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Poll: 73 Percent of Taxpayers Say Government Doesn’t Use Their Taxes Wisely

The Center Square

Ahead of Tax Day on April 18, 73% of taxpayers said the government doesn’t use their taxes wisely, a new survey found. A separate report found that red states have the better taxpayer return on investment.

Wallethub’s “Taxpayer Survey” found that 28% of respondents said charities would better spend their money; 26% said local governments would best spend their money, followed by state government (22%), the federal government (16%) and religious groups (13%).

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Commentary: More Work to be Done on Emergency Powers as Pandemic Wanes

Rachel Alexander

Most Americans are likely pleased that when they turn on their television, no longer are there talking heads and public health figures breathlessly discussing COVID-19 case counts and deaths. Broadly, the media as a whole is no longer incessantly reporting on the topic, and nationally, the federal public health emergency declared for the COVID-19 pandemic terminates on May 11. 

While the old signs of the pandemic have virtually vanished, Americans won’t forget what their governments did to them.

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‘Race to the Bottom’: Legal Experts Fear Escalation Spiral Ahead of Possible Trump Indictment

Just the News

Ahead of a prospective indictment of former President Donald Trump, legal experts and elected officeholders are warning that such an unprecedented move may spur a dangerous escalation spiral of retributive political prosecutions that undermine the nation’s justice system.

Trump announced last week that he expected to be arrested imminently. While that arrest has not yet occurred, the prospect of a Trump indictment looms large as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg continues his investigation into an alleged 2016 hush money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

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Effort to Squash Biden Family Stories Long Predated Hunter Laptop, Newly Released Emails Reveal

Just the News

Records newly released by the National Archives show efforts to suppress negative stories about the Biden family’s business deals long predate the Hunter Biden laptop controversy, dating back to 2015 when an aide to then-Vice President Joe Biden boasted she got a reporter to “only use” negative information “if her editors hold a gun to her head.”

The emails come from the Obama administration archives and were forced into the public through litigation by the America First Legal nonprofit public interest law firm. They chronicle efforts by Biden’s then-aides in the vice president’s office to suppress stories about Huter Biden’s relationship with the Ukraine energy compamy Burisma Holdings during a Biden trip to Ukraine in December 2015.

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Utah Becomes First to Limit Teens’ Social Media Use with New Law

Virginia Star Staff

Utah passed legislation Thursday to require parental consent for children to use certain social media apps, becoming the first state in the country to limit teenagers’ social media usage.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed two bills into law that limits minors from using social media apps like TikTok, requiring parental consent for those under 18. Minors are prohibited from using these platforms between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., and are subjected to age verification prior to social media use.

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Republicans Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, and Matt Gaetz Explain Why They Voted Against Parents Bill of Rights Act: ‘The Federal Government Should Not Be Involved in Education’

Susan Berry, PhD

The U.S. House passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act Friday, with most House Republicans voting in favor of the bill that would require school districts to give parents access to their children’s curricula and reading lists, to inform parents of any violence occurring on campus, and to notify parents if their child is sharing a bathroom or locker room with a student of the opposite biological sex.

The measure passed by a vote of 213-208, with five Republicans voting no. Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY-17); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01); Ken Buck (R-CO-04); and Matt Rosendale (R-MT-02) all voted against the legislation.

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Virginia County Board Members Give Themselves Massive Raise amid Inflation, Tax Hikes, Cop Shortage

Just the News

The majority of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors formally voted to give members of the board salary increases of up to 38%, while residents of the county, located just outside of Washington, D.C., grapple with rising real estate and vehicle personal property tax assessments, resulting in higher tax bills.

The county is also dealing with a shortage of about 200 police officers in the midst of a crime surge. According to WJLA, a Washington, D.C. area local ABC station, there has been an increase of major crime incidents throughout the county. 

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Commentary: Parents’ Bill of Rights Is How Congress Can Help State School Reformers

Virginia Star Staff

The stunning success of conservative education reform across the country in the past few years is the result a moral fact: Parents are children’s primary educators. Until very recently, this was not disputed, let alone controversial.  

But lately, it has become clear that progressive elites who run teachers unions and school boards, the Democratic Party, and the corporate media no longer share this view. Their contempt for parents’ rights has fueled a long train of abuses, from racist curricula to a war on girls sports and bathrooms to darker episodes of criminal cover-ups and student grooming. 

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Huge Proportion of ‘Trans’ Adults Haven’t Medically Transitioned, Survey Finds

Virginia Star Staff

A recent Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation survey purporting to find that transitioning made life more satisfying for transgender adults additionally found that a huge proportion of sampled transgender people had not undergone any form of medical transition.

Most — not all — of the transgender participants had socially transitioned, but fewer than one third had ever undergone puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, and only one in six had undergone any type of surgery to present as the opposite sex, according to the survey. Additionally, the survey’s definition of transgender included many individuals who didn’t identify as either gender, and most transgender respondents didn’t consistently present as the opposite sex, the survey found.

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Border Patrol Busts Stash House Full of Illegal Migrants in Northern Border State

Virginia Star Staff

Border Patrol agents in Maine busted a stash house full of illegal migrants Tuesday, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statement.

Authorities found 17 illegal migrants from Nicaragua and Guatemala in a house located in Lisbon, Maine, according to CBP. The incident comes amid a surge in illegal migration at the northern border, where Border Patrol apprehended more than 2,800 illegal migrants between October 2022 and February 2023, according to agency data.

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Commentary: DeSantis Staff Need Not Apply for the Trump Campaign

RealClearWire

As Ron DeSantis emerges as a prospective rival for the Republican nomination, Donald Trump’s campaign has put word out that anyone who works for the Florida governor will be blackballed.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the edict, Justin Caporale, who helps lead the advance team for the former president, has said that anyone who staffed a recent DeSantis book tour will be considered “persona non grata.” A top Trump ally was more comprehensive, telling RealClearPolitics that the prohibition would apply to more than just the junior aides tasked with setting up folding chairs and hanging banners.

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House Passes Legislation to Give Parents More Say in Their Kids’ Education

Virginia Star Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a piece of legislation on Friday aimed at giving parents more of a say in school curriculum and more control in their children’s education.

In a 213 – 208 vote, the House approved the Parents Bill of Rights, which would require school districts to annually post their curriculum online, allowing parents to review the materials. The bill, considered the “Politics over Parents Act” by Democratic politicians, moves to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it is unlikely to pass.

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Sen. Rand Paul on Child COVID Vaccines: ‘Risks of the Vaccine Are Greater than Risks of the Disease’

Susan Berry, PhD

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Thursday he would not have his own children receive the COVID vaccines because of the risk of heart inflammation associated with them. “I, frankly, wouldn’t vaccinate my children for COVID,” Paul, an ophthalmologist, told The Hill’s Rising. “I think the risks of the vaccine are greater than the risks of the disease. The risks of the disease are almost non-existent.”

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Biden Reaches New Illegal Migrant Expulsion Deal with Canada amid Northern Border Surge: Report

Virginia Star Staff

President Joe Biden and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, have brokered a deal to address the illegal migrant surge at the U.S. northern border, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

The deal would allow federal authorities in the U.S. to return illegal migrants to Canada within 14 days of crossing, according to the Los Angeles Times, which cited internal documents and a source familiar with the discussions. The plan is set to soon take effect in an effort to “reduce incentives” for migrants to come into the U.S. illegally.

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Biden’s Approval Rating Sinks Towards Lowest Point of His Presidency: Poll

Virginia Star Staff

President Joe Biden’s approval rating plummets towards the lowest point of his presidency on Thursday, according to a new poll.

The president’s approval sank to 38% this month, nearly reaching the lowest point he has received in office where he received a 36% rating in July 2022, an AP/NORC poll found. Biden‘s March approval has dropped from a 45% rating since February and 41% in January.

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GOP Bill Would Make Abortionists Report Victims of Trafficking

Virginia Star Staff

Republican North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd is leading lawmakers in introducing the Stopping Traffickers and Their Accomplices Act.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Republican senators Josh Hawley of Missouri, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Rick Scott of Florida, would require abortionists and abortion providers to file reports with the National Human Trafficking Hotline if they question whether a woman is a victim of human trafficking.

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Oklahoma Supreme Court Allows ‘Life of Mother’ Exception to State Law Prohibiting Most Abortions

Susan Berry, PhD

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld part of the state’s ban on most abortions from the time of fertilization, ruling the state Constitution protects only a “limited right to terminate a pregnancy” in the case of saving the life of the mother.

The state Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, held on Tuesday “the Oklahoma Constitution creates an inherent right of a pregnant woman to terminate a pregnancy when necessary to preserve her life.”

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Lawmakers, Advocates Concerned About Youngkin’s Restoration of Rights Policy

The Center Square

Virginia lawmakers and advocates are raising concern about new policy changes regarding the state’s restoration of rights process, and arguing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration has lacked transparency by not disclosing the criteria by which a person convicted of a felony has their civil rights restored. 

Youngkin’s administration has made changes to state policy pertaining to how someone convicted of a felony in Virginia has their rights restored. Specifically, Youngkin’s administration is moving away from policy followed by previous administrations of automatically reviewing and restoring the rights of some formerly incarcerated felons. 

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Commentary: America’s Southern Border Invasion

Virginia Star Staff

By almost any significant metric, this is not America’s finest hour. We do not appear to be respected or feared economically, militarily, or in any other way by rival nations. Americans do not feel confident about the future, and we are seemingly more polarized along partisan lines than ever before.

Adding to our collective sense of dread is the sight of our nation’s geographic integrity slipping away. Almost daily we see untold numbers of foreign nationals trampling what used to be our southern border, demanding rights and privileges that previously were reserved for citizens and legal residents.

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TikTok CEO Dodges on Whether Company Will Cease ‘Spying’ on Americans

Virginia Star Staff

TikTok CEO Shou Chew dodged questions Thursday about whether tactics by parent company ByteDance used to “spy” on American journalists could be used to target more Americans.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington questioned Chew on reporting by Forbes that staff at ByteDance used TikTok data last year to surveil journalists who were covering the company, gaining access to their IP addresses to track whether they had been in proximity to ByteDance employees.

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