Month: August 2023

The American system does not require unanimity. In fact, its design presumes deep disagreement on matters of morality and policy.

This is why questions like religion are left to individual conscience, and why most policy is left to states or even smaller units, where the law’s touch will not be felt as harshly, because it reflects the more similar values of a smaller group. Finally, regardless of who has the reins of the federal government, the Constitution renders a great deal of substantive activity off limits, as exemplified by the Bill of Rights.

Author of New Book on Marxism in Schools Says U.S. in ‘National Danger’

Popular author and commentator Dr. James Lindsay joined Liz Collin on her podcast this week to discuss the deterioration of America’s education system over the last 30 years.

Lindsay’s new book, “The Marxification of Education,” examines the left’s “theft” of the education system. He has been touring the country and world speaking to audiences about this topic and will be in Minnesota Oct. 11 for an event hosted by the Child Protection League.

Border Encounters of Migrants with Suspected Terror Ties Jumped 15 Percent Last Month

August 23, 2023 Just the News

The number of migrants with suspected terror ties encountered at U.S. “land border ports of entry” increased 15% in one month, according to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

A total amount of individuals who appear on the terrorist watchlist caught at ports of entry jumped from 382 to 442 after CBP publicly released its July 2023 operational data. So far into fiscal year 2023, 70 have been caught at the southwest border and 372 have been caught at the northern border.

Music Spotlight: NEEDTOBREATHE

August 23, 2023 Bethany Bowman

When I saw the rock band NEEDTOBREATHE had new music coming, a bell went off. Weren’t they a band that my kids used to listen to? Indeed, they are.

NEEDTOBREATHE is an American rock band from Seneca, South Carolina. The band is composed of Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Seth Bolt (backing vocals, bass), Josh Lovelace (backing vocals, keys), Randall Harris (drums, percussion), and Tyler Burkum (guitar). I interviewed Lovelace to get more information on their band and their upcoming 9th album, CAVES.

Commentary: Compulsory Schooling Laws Have Got to Go

When Massachusetts passed the nation’s first compulsory school attendance law in 1852, parents were mandated to send their children to school under a legal threat of force. Today, that threat remains stronger than ever.

Prior to that law, and those that followed in all other US states over the subsequent decades, cities and towns were compelled to provide schooling for those who wanted it, but parents were under no obligation to use those schools. Many didn’t, choosing instead to send their children to private schools, church or charity schools, “dame schools” in their neighbor’s kitchen, apprenticeships for older children and teens, or to homeschool.

Arkansas Launches Investigation into New AP Course for ‘Critical Race Theory’ Content

The Arkansas Department of Education is investigating an Advanced Placement (AP) pilot course dedicated to African American studies for possible Critical Race Theory (CRT) content, according to The Associated Press.

Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva asked five school districts Monday to send in their course materials for the AP African American course, drafted by the College Board, an academic organization that administers and writes high school courses for college credit, so the state may evaluate whether the course complies with its CRT ban, according to the AP. Prior to the investigation, the five school districts announced that they would continue to teach the course despite the state saying that the course was not approved and would not count towards college credit.

Another Major Credit Agency Downgrades Several U.S. Banks

A major U.S. credit agency cut the ratings of multiple banks following a string of credit rating cuts due to factors like higher interest rates, according to an announcement from S&P Global.

S&P Global, one of the three major U.S. credit agencies, revised its ratings down for five regional U.S. banks after reviewing their risks related to funding, liquidity and asset quality, according to a S&P Global announcement. Moody’s, another top credit agency cut its ratings for ten U.S. banks earlier this month, according to Reuters.

Biden Admin to Green Light Another Massive Offshore Wind Farm amid Industry Troubles, Mounting Whale Deaths

The Biden administration is expected to officially approve a massive new offshore wind farm development off of the Rhode Island coast on Tuesday, despite reported economic troubles for other developers and mounting suspicion that East Coast offshore wind developments may be responsible for a surge in whale deaths, The Washington Post reported.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is set to approve the project, which will feature 65 turbines and be 15 nautical miles off the coast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, to become the fourth commercial wind development approved by the Biden administration off of the East Coast, according to the Post. Although government agencies have not identified any causal link between offshore wind construction and harm to whales, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has declared “unusual mortality events” for humpback whales and North Atlantic right whales since 2016 and 2017, respectively, a timeline which generally coincides with the beginning of offshore wind development off of the East Coast, according to NOAA’s website.

New Memos Undercut Biden-Ukraine Narrative Democrats Sold During 2019 Impeachment Scandal

August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 Just the News

Just weeks before then-Vice President Joe Biden took the opposite action in late 2015, a task force of State, Treasury and Justice Department officials declared that Ukraine had made adequate progress on anti-corruption reforms and deserved a new $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee, according to government memos that conflict with the narrative Democrats have sustained since the 2019 impeachment scandal.

As Hunter Biden Struggled with Burisma Fallout, His Father Moved to Fire Prosecutor Probing Firm

While most Americans were preparing for the November 2015 Thanksgiving holiday, top policy advisers to Joe Biden were scurrying to put the finishing touches on the then-vice president’s upcoming trip to Kyiv where he planned to deliver a momentous shock to the U.S.-Ukraine relationship.

Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Concerned About Situation at Border

August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 The Center Square

The vast majority of Americans are concerned about the situation at the U.S. border, according to new polling.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights, asked 2,500 registered voters, including 1,000 registered Democrats, 1,000 registered Republicans, and 500 independents: “How concerned are you about the situation at the border?”

Colonel Douglas Macgregor Tells Tucker Carlson About What Is Really Happening in Ukraine

August 22, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

In episode 18 of his newest production, “Tucker on Twitter,” former Fox News primetime host Tucker Carlson sat down with Colonel Douglas Macgregor, the former advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration.

Trump Co-Defendant John Eastman Turns Himself in to Fulton County Officials in 2020 Election Case

Attorney John Eastman turned himself in Tuesday to the Fulton County jail, records show, after he was indicted last week alongside former President Donald Trump and 17 other co-conspirators for their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

all Top Story: If Biden Declares Climate Emergency, Experts Worry How Wide the Scope of His Powers Would Be

August 22, 2023 Admin

01: Biden’s Basement

August 22, 2023 Admin

Top Commentary: Everyone Can Agree on Election Integrity

August 22, 2023 Admin

‘Anti-Racist’ Pioneer Ibram X. Kendi Hasn’t Published a New Paper in 4 Years

Boston University Professor Ibram Kendi has not published an academic paper in at least four years, according to his Google Scholar profile.

The professor, who popularized the term “anti-racism,” wrote at least two children’s books in the same period.

TSNN Featured Story: New Des Moines Register/NBC News Poll Shows Trump Well Ahead In Iowa, but Trump Pollster Says Lead Is Likely

August 22, 2023 Admin

If Biden Declares Climate Emergency, Experts Worry How Wide the Scope of His Powers Would Be

Last week, President Joe Biden said during an interview that his administration “already” declared a national emergency over climate change, before starting to clarify that he practically — not actually — had.

CNN called the statement “incorrect” but there is widespread speculation he will declare one soon. Citing anonymous White House sources, The Washington Post reported in July that Biden is considering whether to declare a national climate emergency in the coming weeks.

Commentary: Everyone Can Agree on Election Integrity

At first glance, some Americans could mistakenly conclude that election integrity safeguards are deeply unpopular. After all, liberal politicians and the mainstream media regularly denounce commonsense measures like photo ID laws and routine voter roll cleanups.

No matter what they claim or how loudly they claim it, these voices do not speak for the majority of Americans. As recent polling conducted by Honest Elections Project Action shows beyond all doubt, an overwhelming bipartisan majority of Americans embrace commonsense voting laws that make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.

America First Legal Demands Answers After Biden DOJ Intervenes in Virginia School District’s Adoption of Youngkin Trans Policies

America First Legal is demanding answers after the Justice Department under President Joe Biden intervened in a Virginia school district’s adoption of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policies that center parental rights in transgender issues.

“The Department of Justice seems to suggest that protecting the constitutional rights of parents and students will lead to ‘hate crimes,’” Ian Prior, senior adviser at America First Legal, told The Daily Signal in a written statement Monday. “Once again, we are witnessing the top law enforcement organization in the land come unglued from reality and unmoored from its core functions, all in the name of opposing anyone that doesn’t approve of its state-approved message.”

Massachusetts Pro-Family Group Warns Sex Is on School Calendar ‘All Year Long’

August 22, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

LGBTQ activists are seeking to ensure Massachusetts public schools are celebrating their agenda’s events throughout the academic year, Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) warns parents.

“Sex on the school calendar has become commonplace all over the nation,” a downloadable document from MFI states.

Company Behind Michigan Electric Vehicle Battery Plant Registered as Chinese Foreign Organization

The company responsible for a controversial electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan is registered under U.S. law as a foreign entity, filings show.

While the energy company Gotion, Inc. is based out of Fremont, Calif., Foreign Agents Registration Act documents filed by the corporation earlier this year show that it “is wholly owned and controlled” by Gotion High-Tech, which is based out of Hefei, a city in eastern China.

Commentary: The Left Uses Barriers to Advance Their Agenda

The subject of barriers came up in an unintentionally comical way a few weeks ago, during former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Paula Scanlon’s testimony before Congress.

As Campus Reform reported, Scanlon testified that she and her teammates were “forced to undress in the presence of a 6-4 biological male with fully intact male genitalia 18 times a week”—a reference, of course, to Will “Lia” Thomas.

National Pro-Life Group Creates ‘Abortion Distortion’ Animated Videos to Confront Pro-Abortion Talking Points

August 22, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The late founder of national pro-life organization Life Dynamics created his group’s new animated videos to serve as a tool for every pro-lifer, regardless of age, to help them engage with common pro-abortion talking points.

Pro-life leader Marcus “Mark” Crutcher, who died in March, wanted to address the issue of how to help pro-lifers engage in responding to common pro-abortion talking points, said a press statement Thursday announcing the release of Crutcher’s “Abortion Distortion” videos.

Expert: Public Transit Unlikely to Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels

August 22, 2023 The Center Square

Public transit ridership has fallen since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic leading one expert to question if rates will ever return to pre-pandemic levels.

A recent report by the American Public Transportation Association shows that total transit ridership in the United States stalled for the second time since the first quarter of 2021. Ridership grew for six of the seven quarters from the first quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022. But there was a slight dip in the first quarter of 2023.

House Conservatives Say Any Spending Bill Must Address Border Security, DOJ Weaponization

The House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers in the House, outlined Monday what conditions would need to be met for them to vote for a new spending bill.

The group is calling for spending bills to include provisions on border security, the “unprecedented weaponization” of the Justice Department and FBI, and the Pentagon’s “cancerous woke polices.” The lawmakers also oppose “any blank check for Ukraine in any supplemental appropriations bill.”

Artificial Intelligence Poses a Significant Threat to Online Security with Ability to Capture Passwords and Keystrokes

August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 Just the News

More than two-thirds of Americans are worried about the negative effects of artificial intelligence (AI), while 61 percent believe it could “threaten civilization,” according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Whether or not AI will actually threaten the physical wellbeing of humans remains to be seen, but it’s already posing a number of other significant threats.

Survey of Businesses Shows Temp Hiring Hits New High While Full Time Hires Plummet

August 22, 2023 The Center Square

Facing labor shortages and challenges to find new revenue streams, small businesses appear to be hiring mostly temporary workers.

Alignable, a small business networking website, shows temporary hiring hit a new high this summer while full time hires have plummeted.

Army Launches Second Phase of Brand Reboot Focused on ‘Relatability’

The Army released the second wave of promotional videos in its rebranding campaign Monday intended to boost its “relatability” to a diverse array of Americans amid persistent recruiting problems, according to Defense One.

The Army revived its 1980s slogan “Be All You Can Be” in March in hopes of attracting a new generation of future soldiers as recruiting fell 25 percent short of its goals in 2022 and is expected to mirror the shortfall in 2023. The “First Steps” series is meant to appeal to Gen Z’s desire for genuine engagement and emphasize knowledge, culture and trust, Ignatios Mavridis, the acting chief of Army Enterprise Marketing, told Defense One.

Feds Urged Biden to Give Aid to Ukraine Before He Held Back to Force Burisma Prosecutor’s Firing

August 21, 2023August 21, 2023 Just the News

Just weeks before then-Vice President Joe Biden took the opposite action in late 2015, a task force of State, Treasury, and Justice Department officials declared that Ukraine had made adequate progress on anti-corruption reforms and deserved a new $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee, according to government memos that conflict with the narrative Democrats have sustained since the 2019 impeachment scandal.

Georgia Judge Reveals Donald Trump’s Bail, Release Conditions

August 21, 2023 Admin

A Georgia judge revealed Monday that former President Donald Trump’s bond would be set at $200,000.

Vivek Ramaswamy Picks Up Endorsement from First Statewide Iowa Official

August 21, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy picked up the endorsement of Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith this week, his campaign announced. Smith is the first statewide official to endorse any candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

VA-IA-NH Top Story: Biden’s CBP Phone App a ‘Boon for Alien Smugglers’ as Migrant Encounters Surge

August 21, 2023 Admin

Top Commentary: Uniparty’s Plan to Save ‘Our Democracy’ Unfolds

August 21, 2023 Admin

Researchers Flay Medical Journals for COVID ‘Misinformation’ Claims

August 21, 2023 Just the News

Three and a half years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, American medical journals are still calling out what they consider commonly shared misinformation on vaccines, masks, transmission and viral origins, sometimes promoted by health professionals.

Yet voluminous research and real-world experiences over that span suggest the journals themselves are promoting outdated, unsupported or exaggerated COVID claims, if not outright misinformation.

Biden’s CBP Phone App a ‘Boon for Alien Smugglers’ as Migrant Encounters Surge

August 21, 2023 Just the News

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection smartphone app known as “CBP One” is “facilitating illegal immigration” and has become a “boon for alien smugglers” as migrant encounters surge at the border, according to an immigration policy expert.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, noted that the app was initially being developed during the Trump administration as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among workers who were linked to companies doing business at the border. CBP rolled out the app in January 2023 for migrant asylum appointments and expanded it in May.

Ivy League University Offers Seminar on ‘Fatness, Queerness and Family’

A freshman seminar this fall at Cornell University is focused on how queer, trans, black, indigenous and people of color experience care through food, according to their website.

The seminar titled “Have You Eaten Yet? QTBIPOC Care” aims to use written texts and popular media such as “Lizzo’s music videos” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” to analyze how queer, trans, black, indigenous and people of color give, receive and experience care through food, according to the course listing. The seminar is offered through the Cornell Department of Performing and Media Arts by Ariel Dela Cruz, who is a Ph.D. student whose expertise is in “queer studies, trans studies, Filipinx diasporic studies, performance, and care work,” according to her bio.

California Doctors Sue to Stop Mandated ‘Implicit Bias Training’

A medical nonprofit and two California doctors are suing the state medical board to block a law requiring mandatory implicit bias training in continuing medical education.

“Under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the government cannot compel speakers to engage in discussions on subjects they prefer to remain silent about,” the suit argued.

TSNN Featured Story: Wisconsin Lawmaker and Iraq War Veteran Remembers Disastrous Fall of Kabul, Even As Biden, Media Bury the Anniversary

August 21, 2023 Admin

Commentary: Uniparty’s Plan to ‘Save Our Democracy’ Unfolds

The fish are plentiful today. There’s Hunter Biden and his various lies: about the sources of his prodigious income, his payment (that is, non-payment) of taxes, drugs, guns, child support, laptops and prostitutes. There’s Joe Biden and his lies, the sources of his prodigious income, and—the latest—his use of pseudonymous email accounts when writing to Hunter and Hunter’s business partners to discuss the weather—or was it the whether and how to siphon 20 million of the crispest into virtually untraceable bank accounts?

There’s the seemingly endless series of indictments directed at Donald Trump. The latest new there, if I am up to date, is that he told people to watch election returns on One America News Network. Clearly part of a RICO conspiracy. Someone whose math is sharper than mine calculated that President Trump is potentially on the hook for 450 years in the slammer for . . . well, his torts are mostly in the eye of the beholder.

The Center Square Parent Acquires Government Streaming Service

August 21, 2023 The Center Square

Franklin News Foundation, the nonprofit, nonpartisan news-media organization that publishes The Center Square newswire service, announced Friday it has acquired Advanced Digital Media, operators of BlueRoomStream.com.

ADM live streams unedited coverage of countless government proceedings across the state of Illinois, such as legislative hearings and other taxpayer-funded government activities, news conferences involving elected officials and other newsmakers, and more. Through Blue Room Stream, it makes the live streams available to subscribers including both in-state and national broadcast media partners.

Commentary: Country Music Speaks for Everyday Americans

Taylor Swift may be the hottest ticket this summer, but her listeners don’t share her country roots. That space has been captured by a series of anthems singing the blue-collar blues, songs that are a lot closer to—and a lot more correct—about what is bugging everyday Americans.

American music has always been an echo chamber for popular culture. The Jazz Age was a rebellious response to the high-brow Victorian Gilded Age. Rock ’n’ roll was the rallying cry of baby boomers.

Lab-Grown Meat Industry Increases Lobbying Efforts Ahead of Farm Bill

A new farm bill is facing opposition from a growing industry of artificial meat, which is employing many lobbyists to try to persuade lawmakers to give more government funding to this new industry.

As Politico reports, the market for “meat” grown in a lab is limited, with such food only being available at niche restaurants in San Francisco, California and Washington, D.C. But these companies are now employing a coalition of lobbyists and trade groups, as well as a new spending campaign, as Congress begins negotiations for the 2023 farm appropriations bill.

International Chess Federation Bars Transgender Women from Women’s Only Events

August 21, 2023 Just the News

The International Chess Federation has barred transgender individuals who are biological men from competing in its women’s only events pending “further analysis.”

The decision will not affect the open play tournaments, CNN reported. The majority of FIDE’s events are open play, while only a handful of events are exclusive to women.

Federal Judge Rules AI-Generated Art Cannot Be Copyrighted: ‘Approaching New Frontiers’