Month: January 2024

Trafalgar group founder Robert Cahaly on Monday forecast a major victory for former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire ahead of the Tuesday primary election, contending that most supporters of Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis had rallied behind the former president following the latter dropping out of the race.

SCOTUS Sides with Open Borders Biden Admin, Clears the Way for Feds to Remove Razor Wire Barrier in Eagle Pass, Texas

January 22, 2024 The Center Square

A divided U.S. Supreme Court sided with President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday, clearing the way for federal authorities to remove razor wire installed in Eagle Pass along the U.S.-Mexico border by Texas law enforcement.

Republicans Recover Over 100 Files Deleted by January 6 Committee Days Before GOP Took Majority: Report

Forensic investigators hired by a Republican-led committee recovered more than 100 encrypted files that the Democratic-led House Jan. 6 Select Committee deleted days before the GOP took over the House majority, according to a new report released Monday.

New York, California, Other Blue States Succeed in Altering 2020 Census Numbers: Report

The Democrat-run states such as New York and Illinois are increasing 2020 census numbers after successfully asking for a review of the once-a-decade population survey that helps determine federal funding distribution as the states struggle with population losses.

There is One Administrator for Every Three Undergrads at University of Virginia, Analysis Finds

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 Virginia Star Staff

The University of Virginia employs one full-time administrator for every three undergraduates at the school, according to an analysis conducted by The College Fix.

This is roughly a 9.3 percent increase from the 2013-14 school year, according to the analysis, which used data provided by UVA to the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

Virginia U.S. Rep. Bob Good Formally Endorses Donald Trump for President

January 22, 2024 Tom Pappert

Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) formally endorsed former President Donald Trump in his third bid for the White House in his Monday appearance on The John Fredericks Show after previously endorsing Governor Ron DeSantis last May.

Analysis: Trump Widens Lead in New Hampshire Primary Polls After DeSantis Withdraws from GOP Presidential Race

As Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew from the presidential race on Sunday, leaving a two-way race between former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for the Republican nomination, new polling out shows a significant jump in favor of Trump in the New Hampshire’s Tuesday primary.

va Top Story: There is One Administrator for Every Three Undergrads at University of Virginia, Analysis Finds

Top Commentary: Roberts and Milei Put the Globalists in Davos on Notice

As Local Opposition to Wind and Solar Projects Grows, Some States Seek to Override Local Decisions

Legislatures in 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed some form of a carbon-free electricity goal, but many of these measures do not address the ancillary costs of making it happen.

Oregon Uses Artificial Intelligence to Flag Election ‘Misinformation,’ Raising Fresh Concerns About Censorship

The Oregon secretary of state’s office used artificial intelligence in the 2022 election that flagged election fraud concerns as mis-, dis-, and malinformation (MDM) and may use it again this year, similar to how Arizona monitored online election information. The effort is already facing a lawsuit.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Good Takes Shot at Speaker Johnson: ‘Don’t Assume You Have Our Votes’

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good is sending a warning to Speaker Mike Johnson on spending bills.

“Don’t assume you have our votes for the things that don’t matter, when you don’t want ‘em for things that do matter,” the Virginia Republican said on Friday, according to The Hill.

Man Who Allegedly Defrauded Elderly American Out of Thousands of Dollars Was in the U.S. Illegally

An Indian man who allegedly defrauded an elderly American out of $100,000 was in the United States illegally, the Daily Caller News Foundation has exclusively learned.

Abdul Waheed Mohammed, 31, entered the country on Dec. 12, 2019 in Chicago, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released him into the U.S. on parole in Feb. 2020, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told the DCNF. The accused faces charges of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a felony, and aiding, abetting, or advising grand theft, according to a local outlet.

TSNN Featured: Arizona Supreme Court Intervenes in Recorder’s Defamation Case Against Kari Lake; Puts Proceedings on Hold to Consider Early Appeal

Federal Secrets Spill on COVID Origins amid Rodent Research on Risks of Lab Mods, Vax in Pregnancy

The National Institutes of Health appears to be struggling to hide its dirty laundry on COVID-19 origins against a rash of leaks, congressional probes, and Freedom of Information Act requests, even when officials are determined to thwart sunlight.

The ongoing exposure of their communications and actions isn’t the only thing likely worrying federal scientists.

Roberts and Milei Put the Globalists in Davos on Notice

While globalists, heads of large corporations, and officials in international organizations may consider democracy more of a spectator sport than a representative political system embraced by countries around the world, at least they were willing to allow some competition into the ring this year. In addition to its usual list of drastically tired global elites such as John Kerry, Bill Gates, and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, The World Economic Forum decided to invite a handful of conservative leaders to its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland this past week. The opposition offered a reality check to those in desperate need of one, even if it wasn’t welcome. A couple of unabashed speakers even drew a little blood.

YoungkinWatch: Virginia Democrat Files Bill Supporting Governor’s Plans for Washington Capitals, Wizards Sports Complex in Alexandria

January 22, 2024 Tom Pappert

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Richmond) filed SB 718 on Friday to form the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund to oversee the funding and eventual construction of the new sports complex to house the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards proposed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in December.

The Authority that would be created by Surovell’s bill would consist of nine members, including six appointed by Virginia’s governor and three appointed by elected leaders in Alexandria, Virginia, where the new complex is being contemplated.

Biden’s Green Energy Push Collides with Key Democrat Constituency: Native American Tribes

While President Joe Biden has made respect for tribal sovereignty a pillar of his administration, some Native Americans are saying that respect ends where Biden’s energy policy begins. The dynamic has created some tension between a Democrat president and one of his party’s key constituencies.

“It seems like they elevate the voices and are willing to consult with indigenous groups when the voice is supportive of their policy,” Nagruk Harcharek, president of the Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, told Just The News.

Health Insurance Premiums Cutting into Employees’ Wages

A new study reveals that rising health insurance premiums have been dramatically cutting into the pay that employees should be earning.

As Axios reports, the findings by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open determined that families with workplace health insurance may have lost as much as $125,000 in earnings over the last 30 years. This trend is especially impacting low-income employees.

Massachusetts Court Released Illegal Migrant Accused of Raping Disabled Person

A Massachusetts court released an illegal migrant from Haiti after he was accused of raping and assaulting a disabled person, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Wednesday.

The Dorchester District Court released the Haitian national on Nov. 8 with an electronic monitor after ICE asked to take him into custody, according to ICE. The accused entered the U.S. at a port of entry in December 2022 in Brownsville, Texas, “where he was deemed inadmissible and issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in Boston.”

Commentary: The ‘Republicans’ Supporting the ‘Prove It Act’ Lay the Groundwork for Crushing Carbon Tax on Americans

by Michael McKenna Last Thursday, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works reported legislation (the Prove It Act) that sets the stage and lays the foundation to impose a carbon dioxide tax on American families, workers, and consumers. This new energy tax was voted out of committee 14-5, with four Republicans…

Nikki Haley Scolds Crowd for Booing Climate Protesters Disrupting Campaign Event

A group of climate protesters interrupted a Nikki Haley campaign event in New Hampshire on Saturday night, prompting the former South Carolina governor to scold attendees for booing the activists, Politico reported.

Multiple young protesters disrupted a Haley campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire, holding up signs that read “Haley: Climate Criminal” and chanting “climate criminal,” according to a video of the incident. Haley told her supporters not to boo the protesters, who were escorted out, Politico reported.

Commentary: The Reason Some Diamond Brands So Expensive

January 22, 2024January 21, 2024 Virginia Star Staff

One of my first full-time jobs outside of college was working in the jewelry industry at Harry Winston in Manhattan. The experience I gained as a sales assistant, working at the historical house of Winston, expanded my understanding of the power of a brand.

The amount of money customers would spend on a Harry Winston diamond, while scoffing at what was down the street at Tiffany’s, seemed absurd. I was on a yearly salary of $35k, and people were dropping more than that amount on a tennis bracelet with less than 30 minutes of deliberation.

Thousands Converge for Snowy 2024 March for Life, Take on Reforging New Identity Post-Roe

January 21, 2024 Admin

The 2024 March for Life brought thousands into the streets of Washington D.C. on Friday amid driving wind and snow to show support for the unborn and address a pivotal question: After the overturn of Roe, where is the movement going?

DeSantis Drops Out of 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses Trump

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024 Just the News

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday dropped out of the 2024 Presidential race and endorsed former President Donald Trump.

Top Story: Home Sales in 2023 Were the Lowest in 28 Years as Affordability Crisis Plagued Americans

January 21, 2024 Admin

Home Sales in 2023 Were the Lowest in 28 Years as Affordability Crisis Plagued Americans

January 21, 2024January 20, 2024 Virginia Star Staff

Sales for existing homes, which make up a majority of the housing market, slumped to the lowest level since 1995 as rising prices and sky-rocketing mortgage rates increased unaffordability, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Existing home sales sank 1.0% in December compared to the previous month, falling 6.2% annually, with 4.09 million homes being sold for the year, according to a report from the NAR. The slump in sales follows a year of rising prices due to inflation, constrained supply and sky-high mortgage rates, which at one point neared 8%, suppressing demand and Americans’ ability to buy in the housing market.

Top Commentary: Inflated Grades, Increasing Graduation Rates, and Deflated Test Scores

January 21, 2024 Admin

Divide Among Elites and Rest of Country Widening Ahead of 2024 Election: Rasmussen

January 21, 2024 Just the News

The divide between the country’s “elite” and the rest of America is growing and it will have a substantial impact on the 2024 elections, according to a survey conducted by Scott Rasmussen and RMG Research, Inc.

The survey also found the most highly educated voters with advanced degrees are liberal-leaning and their policy positions are at odds with the rest of the electorate, which Rasmussen and conservative economist Steve Moore said during a briefing about the results on Friday.

Cloud Hangs over Commercial Real Estate as Trillions in Debt Set to Come Due

Commercial real estate is facing a mountain of debt that many borrowers could have trouble refinancing due to a rapid hike in interest rates and record vacancies, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Around $2.81 trillion in commercial real estate loans are set to expire through 2028, meaning borrowers would either have to pay the amount outright or refinance the debt with higher interest rates, according to data from market research group Trepp. Payments on commercial mortgages are typically only for interest while the loan is active, and when the loan reaches its expiration date, borrowers often refinance at current rates, but doing so would increase payments drastically in a time when commercial developers and property owners are strapped for cash, according to the WSJ.

TSNN Featured: Almost 40 Percent of New Hampshire Voters are Unaffiliated, Can Vote in GOP Primary and Possibly Skew Results

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024 Admin

Harvard Details Handling of Claudine Gay Plagiarism Controversy in New Congressional Report

Harvard University detailed its handling of the controversy surrounding former President Claudine Gay’s alleged plagiarism in a new report submitted to Congress on Friday.

Harvard’s report, which was submitted to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, details how a university subcommittee appointed an independent panel of “three of the country’s most prominent political scientists” that found “virtually no evidence of intentional claiming of findings that are not President Gay’s.” The independent panel did not review all accusations of plagiarism against Gay, only the 25 allegations flagged by the New York Post, 16 of which the panel said were “trivial,” used “commonly used language” or regarded a previous publication that “they devoted ‘less attention.’”

Commentary: Inflated Grades, Increasing Graduation Rates, and Deflated Test Scores

Grade inflation is rampant and has been so for many years. Back in 2011, an in-depth study by three Ivy League economists looked at how the quality of individual teachers affects their students over the long term. The paper, by Raj Chetty and John N. Friedman of Harvard and Jonah E. Rockoff of Columbia, tracked 2.5 million students over 20 years and, using a value-added approach, found that teachers who help students raise their standardized test scores have a lasting positive effect on those students’ lives beyond academics, including lower teenage pregnancy rates, greater college matriculation, and higher adult earnings. The authors of the study define “value added” as the average test-score gain for a teacher’s students “…adjusted for differences across classrooms in student characteristics such as prior scores.”

But to those who believe in equity über alles, quality is an afterthought, and many states are ditching any objective criteria for entry into the teaching field. In California, teachers traditionally have had to pass the ridiculously easy California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) to gain entry into the profession, but the test is now under fire.

Religious Freedom Advocates Demand Answers on State Department’s Exclusion of Nigeria, India from Persecution List

A group of international religious freedom experts are calling for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to testify before a congressional hearing about the State Department’s decision to exclude Nigeria and India from a list of nations with severe violations of religious freedom.

In a letter sent Wednesday, first obtained by The Daily Signal, more than 40 religious freedom experts and organizations pointed out that since 2009, more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria, and 18,000 churches and 2,500 Christian schools attacked. They also cited India, where they say that between 200 and 400 churches and 3,500 Christian homes have been attacked just since last May.

Commentary: Seven Ridiculous Examples of Government Waste in 2023

Almost nobody doubts that the federal government wastes a lot of money. Every day we hear stories of fraud, mismanagement, and misplaced priorities that cost taxpayers millions, and sometimes billions, of dollars.

But just how much money is wasted? In his annual Festivus report—named after the fictional Seinfeld holiday—Senator Rand Paul tallies up some of the most egregious examples of government waste from the year. The report for 2023 came out on December 22, and as usual, the stories spanned the range from hilarious to deeply disconcerting. In all, Paul identified $900 billion in government waste from 2023.

Poll Finds Americans Worried About National Debt

January 21, 2024 The Center Square

Americans are worried about the national debt, according to the results of a new poll.

Americans have the national debt crisis as one of their top concerns along with war, inflation and crime. Those polled think the overspending has a direct impact on their personal security and also has an impact on the security of the United States, according to a recent study commissioned by Main Street Economics, a nonprofit group designed to educate Americans on the nation’s debt crisis.

Commentary: No, Ladies, We Cannot Have It All