Month: April 2023

“They are truly family,” Katherine Warnock says of the cast members of “The Chosen.”

The cast of the popular streaming series “The Chosen” is back on set to film Season Four, and “what you see on screen is truly authentic behind the camera as well,” says Warnock, vice president of original content for “The Chosen.” Filming of the new season kicked off at the end of March.

Over 60 Members of Persecuted Chinese Church Saved, Bound for Texas

A persecuted Chinese Christian church has been freed from Thai prison and is bound for Texas, human rights advocates told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Friday.

Over 60 members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, is scheduled to arrive at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport late Friday evening, ending the church’s three year-long quest for asylum after fleeing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecution in 2019, Pastor Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, told the DCNF. Despite applying for asylum in Thailand in August, the members of the Mayflower Church were arrested last week for overstaying their visas, prompting international concern that the church might be deported back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and face persecution.

Speculation Grows Manchin Might Wage Third-Party Challenge to Biden

April 9, 2023 Just the News

Sen. Joe Manchin has been courting top-level political donors in recent weeks while remaining coy about running for another term representing West Virginia, stoking speculation he might wage a third-party challenge in the 2024 presidential race that could siphon Democrat votes from Joe Biden.

An adviser to major GOP donors told Just the News this week that Manchin recently spent time with some big name conservative funders.

Youngkin Seeking Changes to Bill Phasing Out Subminimum Wage

April 9, 2023April 8, 2023 The Center Square

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is recommending amendments to a bill that seeks to phase out subminimum wage employment for people with disabilities in Virginia in the coming years.

Employers who hold a “14(c)” certificate under the Fair Labor Standards Act do not have to follow federal minimum wage laws when it comes to employing individuals with disabilities. As of April, 10 providers in Virginia either held or applied for these certificates – seven of which are actively paying employees with disabilities a subminimum wage, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. In total, 310 individuals are reported as being paid subminimum wage in Virginia as of April.

Commentary: The Evolution of Easter Eggs

A lot of Easter traditions – including hot cross buns and lamb on Sunday – stem from medieval Christian or even earlier pagan beliefs. The chocolate Easter egg, however, is a more modern twist on tradition.

Chicken eggs have been eaten at Easter for centuries. Eggs have long symbolised rebirth and renewal, making them perfect to commemorate the story of Jesus’ resurrection as well as the arrival of spring.

Catholic College Fundraises to Cut Ties with ‘Intrusive,’ ‘Hostile’ Federal Government

A Catholic college is raising money to end its affiliation with the federal government and become financially independent, arguing the government has become “hostile to faith,” according to its website.

Belmont Abbey College (BAC), located in North Carolina, is operating a campaign called “Made True” that aims to raise $55 million to cut ties with the federal government and restore its purpose as a faith-based institution, its website reads. The money will “create innovative new financial structures and stewardship programs” with the intent of graduating students without debt as well as create public policy and health science programs that align with the college’s mission.

House GOP Subpoenas Banks Seeking Biden Family Financial Records

April 9, 2023 Just the News

The House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas to multiple banks seeking financial records relating to the Biden family amid its investigation into the first family’s business dealings.

The committee has ordered that Bank of America, Cathay Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and HSBC USA N.A. provide them with the relevant information, Fox News confirmed. They also issued a subpoena to Hunter Biden associated Mervyn Yan.

Commentary: The COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Church Attendance Habits

Will the churches be full this Easter?

Or did the COVID-19 pandemic, and the long time of closed churches, usher in a new era?

Proposed Biden Administration Rule Would Forbid Schools from Banning Trans Athletes to Compete

April 8, 2023April 7, 2023 Just the News

A proposed rule from the Biden administration would forbid states from enacting bans on transgender athletes being able to compete in sports that align with their gender identity.

“Every student should be able to have the full experience of attending school in America, including participating in athletics, free from discrimination,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.

Trump Indictment ‘Lowers the Bar’ for Other Prosecutions, Experts Say

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment of former President Donald Trump reduces the standard for other potential prosecutions, including of Trump himself, legal experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The indictment accuses Trump of falsifying business records “with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof,” related to allegations that he reimbursed his former lawyer Michael Cohen for hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, over an alleged affair she had with Trump. A variety of legal analysts have argued Bragg’s case is built on shaky ground, and experts who spoke to the DCNF suggested the indictment effectively makes it easier for other prosecutors to launch indictments themselves.

Gas Prices Steadily Rise, Biden Takes Fire

April 8, 2023 The Center Square

Gas prices continue to rise this week in the U.S., hitting the highest level in months.

Now, the concerns and political ramifications for the Biden administration are starting to rise as well.

Prestigious Virginia High School Will Now Mark ‘Honors’ Courses on Transcripts After Pushback

April 8, 2023April 7, 2023 Admin

A prestigious high school will now be marking honors courses on students’ official transcripts used for college admissions after an education organization revealed the school was failing to do so, according to a school newsletter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

In January, Parents Defending Education (PDE) reported that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (TJHSST) was failing to note on students’ transcripts which classes were honors classes and carry an additional Grade Point Average weight of 0.5. TJHSST notified parents that transcripts would be altered in the fall to reflect honors and Advanced Placement courses, according to a Wednesday Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) newsletter.

Commentary: Once Again, Wages Are Rising Slower than Inflation

This week’s jobs report reveals the labor market is finally starting to crack under the weight of two years of Bidenflation and the resulting rapid increase in interest rates.

The economy created the fewest jobs last month than in any month in Biden’s presidency. The average weekly hours for employees also fell again.

Commentary: The GOP Has an Obligation to Protect Its Voters

One of the most startling gaps in the literature on the function of political parties is the lack of discussion about the most important reason they exist: to protect their voters from the abuses of government and the totalitarian temptations of the opposition party.

The formation of political parties grew from a need to organize people and get them to the polls around a set of ideas that could be put into practical action. As they originally functioned, there was a reciprocal relationship between citizens and parties. Yet, on a practical and self-interested level, the party had appeal for voters because of the benefits it bestowed on those who supported it.

States Are Pushing to Force Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs in Higher Education

As Republican-led states fight for laws to cut Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives on college campuses, other state legislatures are pushing to enshrine the programs into law, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.

At least 29 bills have been filed in 17 states to crack down on DEI programs, but states such as New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey are debating legislation that would do the opposite, the Chronicle reported. DEI has become a point of contention as state lawmakers grapple with the role the programs should have on campus, as Democrats argue that the programs help bolster diversity on campuses while Republicans challenge that they stoke division.

Former NCAA Swimmer, Activist Riley Gaines Was Assaulted After ‘Saving Women’s Sports’ Speech

April 7, 2023 Just the News

Former NCAA swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines was assaulted Thursday at San Francisco State University after giving a speech at a Turning Point USA and Leadership Institute event on the campus, her husband says. “She told me she was hit multiple times by a guy in a dress,” said husband Louis Baker, according to Fox News. “I was shaking. It made me that mad. It makes me sick to feel so helpless about it. She was under police protection and was still hit by a man wearing a dress.”

Colorado Authorities Arrest 19 Year-Old Transgender Suspect for Alleged Attempt to Commit School Shootings

April 7, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Colorado authorities have arrested a 19-year-old man who identifies as a woman for allegedly planning to shoot up multiple schools in the Colorado Springs area. The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed formal charges Thursday against William Whitworth, who calls himself “Lilly Whitworth,” who allegedly planned to shoot up multiple schools in the Academy School District 20 (ASD20), Fox 21 News reported.

‘At Least 40’ Undercover Informants Were Doing Surveillance on January 6, Defense Lawyer Says

April 7, 2023April 6, 2023 Virginia Star Staff

Law enforcement agencies had at least 40 undercover informants engaging in surveillance work among defendants on Jan. 6, defendant Dominic Pezzola’s lawyer Roger Roots said Wednesday.

A Proud Boys member, Pezzola is currently standing federal trial in Washington, D.C. with the group’s former national chairman Enrique Tarrio and members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl for allegedly conspiring to oppose the Jan. 2021 transfer of presidential power and related charges. The government admitted Tuesday that eight FBI confidential human sources were embedded among the Proud Boys on Jan. 6, Roots reported in a Wednesday court filing, saying the Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) agency appears to have had some 19 informants active at the time.

Idaho Governor Signed Bill Banning ‘Abortion Trafficking,’ First of Its Kind

Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a first-of-its-kind law banning “abortion trafficking” Wednesday, according to the legislation.

The new law, formerly House Bill 242, defines “abortion trafficking” as any adult with the intent “to conceal an abortion from the parents or guardian of a pregnant, unemancipated minor” or obtains “an abortion-inducing drug for the pregnant minor to use for an abortion by recruiting, harboring, or transporting the pregnant minor within this state,” according to the bill. The bill also allows the parents of the minor to sue anyone found guilty of providing an abortion to the child and whoever is found guilty faces from two to five years in prison.

Commentary: America’s ‘French Revolution’ Has Three Potential Outcomes and Two Are Bad

Crowd of people in the streets, protesting and Black Lives Matter movement

We are in a Jacobin Revolution of the sort that in 1793-94 nearly destroyed France. And things are getting scary.

The Democratic Party vanished sometime in 2020.

Commentary: The Border Isn’t Just a Crisis, It’s Also a Grift

There was a time not long ago when Americans would read news stories about obscene levels of corruption in other countries and feel justified in a sense of superiority. Things might not be perfect here, but at least we weren’t that bad. No more. We have now reached the point here where it is that bad. We have surrendered the right to look down our noses at any other country.
One of the most glaring examples of this today can be found in the crisis raging at the U.S.-Mexico border. There have been endless videos of hordes of migrants traversing the Rio Grande and walking into the United States, but that is just a part of the total picture.

Feds Create Race, Gender Speech Codes for Scientists to Direct Report Language

April 7, 2023 The Center Square

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal and science technology office, has made race and gender speech codes for its scientists a top priority.

The guidance, for example, tells federal employees not to use the words “blacklist” or “whitelist” because of the racial connotations and also cautions against “using terms that assign a gender to inanimate objects, such as male/female connectors.”

Influx of Migrants Bused to NYC Forces City to Cut Costs

Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams has notified the majority of city agencies that they must make additional budget cuts following an unprecedented wave of migration, according to a letter distributed across the administration Tuesday and obtained by Politico.

The letter dictated that bureaus only have 10 days to cut their budgets by 4% for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, according to Politico. The administration “has faced an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers into the city’s social service network” as well as numerous other expensive programs.

Property Taxes Climb 3.6 Percent Across U.S. to $339.8 Billion

April 7, 2023 The Center Square

Property taxes levied on single-family homes in the United States increased 3.6 percent to $339.8 billion in 2022, according to a new report from a real estate data firm.

That’s up from $328 billion in 2021. The 2022 increase was more than double the 1.6 percent growth in 2021, but smaller than the 5.4 percent increase in 2020, according to the report from ATTOM, a property data provider.

Music Spotlight: Jake Worthington

April 7, 2023 Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Jake Worthington first wowed America in 2014 as a teen from LaPorte, Texas, when he became a finalist on NBC’s The Voice. Fast forward ten years, and the traditionally influenced country artist has put out a lot of music but is just now releasing his debut album.

He recently signed with Big Loud Records and fitted in perfectly with current country heavyweights like Hardy, Morgan Wallen, Larry Fleet, and Lauren Alaina.

Washington State Spends Nearly $1.3 Million to Stockpile Three-Year Supply of Abortion Pills

April 7, 2023 The Center Square

Washington state has stocked up on a key abortion drug in case the drug becomes much more difficult to access, pending the outcome of a federal lawsuit brought by anti-abortion groups.

The drug in question is mifepristone, the first pill in a two-drug medication abortion regimen that has been used for more than two decades.

Judge Halts Biden Admin Program That Required 2-Year-Olds to Wear Masks

young girl getting face mask put on her face

A Texas federal judge halted the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) program that required children as young as 2 years old to wear masks.

Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas ruled that the HHS lacked the authority to mandate masks and the COVID-19 vaccine for any Head Start program staff and volunteers. Under Hendrix’s ruling, the HHS cannot enforce either mandate nationwide in its Head Start program, a federal early education program for low income families with children as old as 5 years old.

Rep. Jim Jordan Subpoenas Former Manhattan Prosecutor in First Strike Against Office Prosecuting Trump

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on Thursday subpoenaed a former Manhattan prosecutor who openly campaigned to criminally charge Donald Trump in the first significant strike at the office that brought the historic indictment against the former president this week.

Jordan’s subpoena to former Special Assistant District Attorney Mark Pomerantz comes just days after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg pointedly declined to provide documents and testimony to Jordan’s committee, calling it an interference in his investigation.

New Study Challenges Supposed Benefits of ‘Social Transition’ for Kids Who Think They’re Trans

April 6, 2023April 5, 2023 Virginia Star Staff

A new study out of the U.K. found no significant difference in mental health outcomes between gender dysphoric children who did and did not undergo social transition, the process of changing one’s name, pronouns and clothes to present as the opposite sex.

Therapists often advise social transition as the first course of action for children who believe they’re transgender, viewing the intervention as a harmless and reversible way to explore one’s gender identity while alleviating the anguish of gender dysphoria. There were no significant differences in pathological indicators such as mood disorders, anxiety and suicide attempts between gender dysphoric adolescents who did and didn’t socially transition in the new study, which was published Tuesday in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

DOJ Won’t Make Inmates Sent Home During COVID Go Back to Prison

Thousands of inmates sent home during the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to complete the rest of their sentences there as long as they remain compliant, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday.

A final DOJ rule released Tuesday clarifies that inmates placed on home confinement under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will not be automatically sent back to prison when the Biden administration lifts the public health emergency, though the Bureau of Prisons retains discretion to impose sanctions on or return inmates who commit infractions. After multiple extensions, the Biden administration announced in January it would allow the public health emergency to expire on May 11.

North Carolina to Have GOP Supermajority in Legislature as Democrat Expected to Switch Parties

April 6, 2023 Just the News

North Carolina Republicans are slated to have a supermajority in the General Assembly if state Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat, switches parties as expected Wednesday.

Cotham is slated to announce her decision to join the GOP during a press conference, according to Axios. Republicans are one seat away from having the supermajority, and the switch would give the party more power to override any vetos from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Says President Joe Biden Should Pardon Former President Donald Trump

April 6, 2023 M.D. Kittle

Highly partisan Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is setting a “dangerous precedent” that will likely lead to more “politically targeted prosecutions,” GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy writes in a new op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal.

If President Joe Biden wants to avoid this danger and truly unify the country, he will pardon his predecessor and potential challenger in 2024, Donald Trump.

Illegal Entries at U.S. Northern Border Continue to Surge

April 6, 2023 The Center Square

Temporary processing facilities in Donna, Texas, safely processes family units and unaccompanied alien children (UACs) encountered and in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol March 17, 2021. The facility will bolster processing capacity in the RGV while the permanent Centralized Processing Center in McAllen is renovated. CBP Photo by Jaime Rodriguez Sr.

Federal agents patrolling the U.S.-Canadian border in Vermont, upstate New York and New Hampshire continue to apprehend record numbers of foreign nationals illegally entering the U.S. from Canada.

Last month, Border Patrol agents reported 816 apprehensions and 371 gotaways, according to preliminary data obtained by a Border Patrol agent on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The data only represents Border Patrol data and excludes Office of Field Operations data, meaning the numbers are likely higher. Agents also reported 19 people they identified who illegally entered the U.S. but turned back to Canada.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Will Challenge Biden in 2024

April 6, 2023 Just the News

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024.

The son of late presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, the younger bearer of the name has attracted attention for his opposition to COVID-19 lockdown measures and has been a long-time advocate against vaccinations more broadly.

Transgender EMT Who Claims Sex Is Not Binary Stumped by Matt Walsh’s Common-Sense Question

April 6, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A transgender emergency medical technician (EMT) who attempted to use his medical training to rationalize that sex is not binary was confounded when author and journalist Matt Walsh asked him how he would deal with a patient with a penis who claimed to be having a miscarriage.

Virginia Gov. Youngkin to Visit Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea

April 6, 2023April 5, 2023 The Center Square

Amid speculation that he could be weighing a potential presidential run in 2024, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will travel to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea as part of his first intentional trade mission as governor later this month, his office announced Tuesday.

While overseas, the governor is slated to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, as well as other government officials, business associations, company executives and global industry leaders, according to Youngkin’s office. The trip is scheduled for April 24 through April 29.

Commentary: Prosecute Alvin Bragg

It’s Jim Crow Alabama. In an old plantation town, a young black man—a sharecropper’s son—wants change. He walks up great steps of the county courthouse to dead silence. Proudly he marches under the glare of a puff-chested man chewing on a piece of straw. Stoically, that young man arrives at the counter of the county clerk, and there drops his petition to make it official: He’s to run for mayor.

The straw-chewing man, the town’s current mayor—with thumbs hooked into his silver-plated belt and a hard face shadowed by a cowboy hat—resolves to stop him. So he calls central casting for an evil Southern sheriff.

Commentary: Climate Alarmism Killed Real Environmentalism

The environmentalist movement is a political weapon. It unites the most powerful special interests in the world behind an agenda that will further centralize power and wealth, eliminate any hope of financial independence for the vast majority of people, and transition previously free and independent nations into managed, sham democracies that have lost their sovereign agency.

The overwhelming theme of environmentalism today, designed to obscure its true agenda, is the alleged “climate crisis.”

Kansas Legislature Approves Bill That Would Bar Biological Men from Women’s Bathroom

The Kansas Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would prohibit biological males from using the women’s bathroom.

In a 28-12 vote, the state Senate approved Senate Bill 180, which would require individuals to use any public bathrooms and locker rooms on the basis of biological sex rather than gender identity. The state House passed the legislation in March and the bill now heads to Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk.

Johnson & Johnson Shells Out Nearly $9 Billion to Settle Cancer Allegations