Missouri Paper Stands by Reporting After Sparring With Governor Over COVID Mask Mandates

Man on escalator with mask on

A Missouri newspaper is standing by its recent reporting on COVID-19 mask mandates after it drew criticism from Gov. Mike Parson (R).

“Our story — which included all documents and data supporting it — speaks for itself. We stand behind our reporting,” Editor-in-Chief of The Missouri Independent Jason Hancock told The Star News Network. 

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‘Woke’ Professor Fired After Mixing up Names of Black Students

A professor at Fordham University in the Bronx has been terminated after showing off his “woke” credentials to students in order to excuse himself from mixing up the names of two black students. 

“A former lecturer in the English Department, Christopher Trogan, was terminated by Fordham on Oct. 25 after a series of communications with students that stemmed from an incident where he confused the names of two Black students,” The Fordham Observer, the school’s newspaper, said. 

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Rep. Eric Swalwell Calls Parent Protestors ‘Looney Carnival Barkers’

Eric Swalwell

A California congressman is facing backlash for a series of tweets slamming unvaccinated Americans and parents who choose not to vaccinate their children.

“I’m losing my Covid patience [thread]. I’ve tried to reason with the unvaxxed. I’ve directed some to medical pros. I don’t judge but hear them out and steer them to facts. The unvaxxed love to say it’s about choice. But you know who doesn’t have a choice? My 3 kids under 5,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15)  said on Twitter. 

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Twitter Says New ‘Safety’ Rule Won’t Stop Users from Sharing Videos or Photos at Public Events

Twitter implemented a new safety initiative Tuesday that has caused confusion among many of its users. 

“In addition, you may not share private media, such as images or videos of private individuals, without their consent,” the company said in a blog post. “However, we recognise [sic] that there are instances where users may share images or videos of private individuals, who are not public figures, as part of a newsworthy event or to further public discourse on issues or events of public interest. In such cases, we may allow the media to remain on the platform.”

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New Twitter CEO: ‘Why Should I Distinguish Between White People and Racists’

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey stepped down Monday, only to be replaced by a new chief who immediately found himself in hot water for, of all things, an inflammatory tweet. 

“‘If they are not gonna make a distinction between muslims and extremists, then why should I distinguish between white people and racists,'” Twitter’s new CEO Parag Agrawal said in 2010 tweet. 

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Catholic University Responds to Claims of ‘Blasphemous’ George Floyd Painting

Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., has responded to several reports of a painting of George Floyd depicted as Jesus that hangs in its law school.

“The painting was put in place last February in a ceremony outside the law school’s Mary Mirror of Justice chapel. The press began covering it this week, leading to criticism on social media and a substantial number of emails and phone calls,” President John Garvey said in an open letter. “Some critics called the image blasphemous because they saw it as deifying or canonizing George Floyd. Some comments that we received were thoughtful and reasonable. Some were offensive and racist. Much of the criticism came from people unconnected to the University.”

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Students Petitioning Catholic University to Remove Painting Depicting George Floyd as Jesus

George Floyd memorial

Students at Catholic University of America (CUA) are now petitioning the administration to remove paintings depicting George Floyd as Jesus Christ from the school’s campus ministry office and from CUA’s law school.

“As students at the Catholic University of America, we believe that it is extremely grave that our university, the official university of the Catholic Church in North America, would cast another in the image of our Lord in this way, particularly for political purposes,” the Change.org petition says. “No political or social cause ever justifies depicting another in the place of Jesus Christ.”

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Student, Alumnus Speak Out Against Catholic University’s Paintings of George Floyd Depicted as Jesus

An outside shot of a large building, trees, blue sky

A student and an alumnus at Catholic University of America (CUA) told The Star News Network that they are unhappy with the school’s paintings that depict George Floyd as Jesus Christ. 

“George Floyd obviously didn’t deserve to die, but he’s not Jesus Christ,” Blayne Clegg, a junior at the school and President of the CUA College Republicans, told The Star. 

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Despite Evidence to the Contrary, GoFundMe Says it Doesn’t Host Legal Fundraisers for Alleged Violent Criminals

Person receiving large cardboard check from GoFundMe.

After Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges Friday stemming from his self-defense killing of two rioters and the injury of a third in August of 2020, a crowdfunding platform explained its decision to ban him raising money for his legal defense. 

“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit raising money for the legal defense of an alleged violent crime,” GoFundMe, a popular online crowdfunding tool, said. 

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Rittenhouse Found Not Guilty on All Charges

Friday, a jury in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges. 

The jury deliberated on five charges against Rittenhouse, all related to Rittenhouse’s activity in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020. He killed two and wounded a third during riots over the death of Jacob Blake at the hands of police.

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Kamala Harris Acting President As Biden Has Medical Procedure

Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris will become the acting President of the United States while President Joe Biden has a colonoscopy at Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. 

That medical procedure requires Biden to take anesthesia, and warrants the brief transfer of power. 

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Mother of Raped Loudoun County Teen Blasts School District in First Interview Since Incident

In an interview with Daily Mail, the mother of the teenage girl who was raped in a bathroom at Stone Bridge High School in Loudoun County blasted the school district.

“This is not about politics,” said Jessica Smith. “This is about sexual assault and how we need to make changes in our schools in order to protect victims, get them the help they need sooner, and believe them. And don’t allow a perpetrator back into another school.”

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Old Dominion University Reverses Course, Places ‘Pro-Pedophilia’ Professor on Leave After Backlash

After defending its employee over the weekend, Old Dominion University (ODU) said Tuesday night that has placed Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology Allyn Walker on leave.

“Old Dominion University has placed Dr. Allyn Walker on administrative leave, effective immediately, from their position as assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice,” the school said in a statement. “Reactions to Dr. Walker’s research and book have led to concerns for their safety and that of the campus. Furthermore, the controversy over Dr. Walker’s research has disrupted the campus and community environment.”

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OSHA Suspends Vaccine Mandate After Emergency Temporary Standard Struck Down by Court

After The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday to keep its stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) emergency rule that would require employers of more than 100 employees to mandate COVID-19 vaccines in place, the federal agency says that it will no longer pursue private sector vaccine mandates at this time. 

“On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to stay OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, published on November 5, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 61402) (“ETS”),” OSHA said in a statement. “The court ordered that OSHA ‘take no steps to implement or enforce’ the ETS ‘until further court order.’ While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation.”

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Whistleblower Accuses FBI of Using Counterterrorism Tools Against Concerned Parents

On behalf of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) Tuesday sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland claiming that a whistleblower provided the committee with information that contradicts Garland’s own Oct. 21 testimony.

The National School Boards Association colluded with the White House before sending a September letter to President Joe Biden accusing parents who have protested Critical Race Theory (CRT) and other liberal agendas in public schools around the country of being “domestic terrorists,” terminology for which it later apologized. Subsequently, Garland sent out a memo ordering the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate those parents. 

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Judge Dismisses Weapons Charge Against Rittenhouse, Closing Arguments Delivered

Kyle Rittenhouse

In the high-profile trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of intentional homicide after killing two and wounding one during an August 25, 2020 riot in Kenosha, Judge Bruce Schroeder began Monday by dismissing a weapons charge against the 18-year-old defendant. 

Count six of the complaint, possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor, was dropped before closing arguments began. That was a lesser charge in the complaint – a misdemeanor punishable by up to nine months in prison. 

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Old Dominion University Responds to Accusations of Employing Pro-Pedophilia Professor

Professor Allyn Walker

Old Dominion University (ODU) released a statement Saturday clarifying its position on pedophilia, after one of its professors appeared to downplay child sex abuse in an interview with a non-profit that has been accused of promoting pedophilia. 

“Following recent social media activity and direct outreach to the institution, it is important to share that Old Dominion, as a caring and inclusive community, does not endorse or promote crimes against children or any form of criminal activity,” the school said in a statement. 

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Fifth Circuit: Challenge to Biden Vaccine Mandate ‘Virtually Certain to Succeed’ Based on Constitution and Law

woman with a hard hat and safety glasses on

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday to keep its stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) emergency rule that would require employers of more than 100 employees to mandate COVID-19 vaccines in place, determining that the private businesses challenging the rule were “very likely to win” their case.

The case is BST Holdings v. OSHA, No. 21-60845. BST Holdings, along with a host of other companies and several states, including Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi and Utah, sued President Joe Biden’s OSHA to halt the vaccine mandate.

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National School Boards Association Coordinated with White House on Letter Calling Parents ‘Domestic Terrorists’

A new timeline of events in the controversial National School Boards Association (NSBA) letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland shows that the NSBA was in contact with the White House before sending the letter to President Joe Biden.

Emails obtained by a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from the group called Parents Defending Education request show that NSBA President Viola Garcia sent a memo to state NSBA chapters on October 12 describing its work against parents who were protesting at school board meetings nationwide. Some of those protests regarded mask mandates and liberal activism within schools.

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Old Dominion Professor Battling to ‘Destigmatize’ Pedophilia

A transgender assistant professor of sociology and criminology at Old Dominion University (ODU) has been making the media rounds advocating in support of pedophilia, or what he calls “minor attraction,” according to a report from earlier this week. 

Allyn Walker is a transgender female – a biological male – who identifies as “non-binary.” Walker also teaches at ODU. 

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Loudoun County Public Schools, Superintendent Zeigler Won’t Commit to Supporting School Board Member Sheridan in Recall Battle

After Tuesday’s recall petition filed against Loudoun County School Board (LCSB) Chair Brenda Sheridan, who represents the Sterling district, Loudoun County Public Schools remained noncommittal in the recall fight. 

Notably, embattled LCPS Superintendent Scott Ziegler, who has refused to resign in the wake of a coverup of a 14-year-old girl’s rape by a biological boy wearing a dress, will not take a position on the recall efforts. 

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California Gov. Newsom’s Office Denies Adverse Effect from Booster, Cops to Attending Oil Heiress’s Wedding

The Star News Network, acting on a tip from a source who attended Ivy Getty’s Saturday wedding in San Francisco, spoke to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office about his recent disappearance from public life, rumored to be connected to an adverse effect of his COVID-19 booster shot.

According to The Star’s tipster, Newsom, who confirmed that he was in attendance at Getty’s wedding, told another wedding attendee that he had a negative health reaction to his booster shot.

Tuesday, Newsom’s office denied that the governor experienced any problems from his booster shot.

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Fairfax County Schools to Survey 12-Year-Olds About Sex Lives

A shocking report says that the Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools will team up to administer a survey asking children as young as 12 about their sex lives.

“Eighth, tenth, and 12th-grade students in Fairfax County will have the option of participating in the 2021 Fairfax County Youth Survey,” WJLA reported.

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Only Two Prominent Dems Think McAuliffe Was Too ‘Woke’ for Virginia

AOC and James Carville

Many Democrats have claimed failed gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s lost Tuesday’s election because he failed to appeal to the party’s progressive wing. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), for example, said the campaign was not progressive enough, and complained that the progressive wing of the party was left out of McAuliffe’s bid for the governorship.

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Job Creators Network Suing Biden Administration over Vaccine Mandate

The Job Creators Network (JCN) Thursday announced a lawsuit against the Biden Administration just hours after the announcement that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all companies with 100 employees or more will take effect on January 4. 

That mandate is expected to affect 84 million Americans.

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AOC Complains Progressives Weren’t Invited to Help McAuliffe Campaign

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) complained on Instagram that the far-left wing of the party was not called in to help failed gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in Virginia. 

“I know that Virginia was a huge bummer,” she said, “and honestly, if anything, I think the results show the limits of trying to run a a fully, 100 percent fully moderated campaign that does not excite, speak to, or energize a progressive base. And frankly, we weren’t really even invited to contribute on that race.” 

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McAuliffe Concedes with Progressive Message for Future of Virginia Democrats

Failed gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe conceded his loss to Virginia’s Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin Wednesday morning, striking a distinctly more progressive tone than he used on the campaign trail. 

In a statement, McAuliffe said the following: 

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Republicans Ready to Fight if Democrats Cheat in Virginia Gubernatorial Election

Should there be indications of widespread Democrat voter fraud in Tuesday’s election, Republicans are ready to battle on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin in Virginia. 

Sources within a coordinated effort to get out the vote and secure election integrity in Virginia shared details on their efforts with The Virginia Star. 

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Judge Tosses Virginia Election Integrity Lawsuit

Late last week, a judge on the Virginia Circuit Court for Fairfax County threw out a lawsuit by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), which was levied against Fairfax County Board of Elections and the Fairfax County General Registrar.

“The lawsuit was dismissed because our client, the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, lacked standing, so the merits of the case were never heard. It is a shame that an election will take place with the largest county in Virginia breaking the law,” Lauren Bowman, the spokeswoman for PILF, told The Virginia Star. “The good news is other counties in Virginia are following all election rules and guidelines. Fighting lawlessness discourages more lawlessness.”

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McAuliffe Campaign Closes with Gaffes, Scandal

Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s campaign for Virginia governor, which has endured more than a month of scandal leading up to Tuesday’s election, remained true to form during the final weekend of the race.

McAuliffe spokesperson Christina Freundlich accidentally looped in a Fox News reporter on what was supposed to be an internal campaign email. Fox had reached out to McAuliffe’s campaign for comment about why it had retained Marc Elias, a known election litigator, for $60,000. Ostensibly, the hire was for the purpose of litigating the results of the election should McAuliffe lose.

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Joy Reid Says Youngkin ‘Poster Child’ for ‘Banning Books

MSNBC host Joy Reid, steadily losing viewership since former President Donald J. Trump exited the White House, has found a new boogeyman in Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin.

The homophobic former blogger set her sights on Younkin during Thursday night’s episode of “The ReidOut.”

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‘Will Your Daughter be Next?’ Brutal Ad Targets McAuliffe After Alleged Loudoun County Rape Coverup

An ad launched by the American Principles Project, which describes itself as “the premier national organization engaging directly in campaigns and advocacy on behalf of the family,” blasts Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in connection with the rape of a girl in Loudoun County. 

“In Loudoun County, Virginia a 15-year-old girl was brutally raped by a male student wearing a dress in the girl’s bathroom,” the ad says. “Democrats covered it up. A few weeks later, the same male student raped a 14-year-old girl.”

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Group’s Anti-McAuliffe Ad Barred from Airing on Virginia TV

The conservative group Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) said earlier this week that an ad attacking Democrat Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe was deemed too explicit for television in Virginia. 

“Numerous Virginia high schools’ libraries included books with pornographic content. IWV created an ad to raise awareness about this issue—but the ad was REJECTED as too explicit to run during the 11 p.m. hour on TV in Virginia,” Kelsey Bolar, the group’s Senior Policy Analyst, said on Twitter.

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Virginia School Boards Association Silent After Ohio Counterpart Cuts Ties with National Group

After the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) made waves Tuesday morning by officially cutting ties with the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) remains silent. 

Asked if they would follow suit, the VSBA did not return The Virginia Star’s comment request. 

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McAuliffe Campaign Brings Out ‘Big Guns’ in Final Weeks

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, seeking his second non-consecutive term Virginia’s Governor, has been campaigning with powerful Democrat Party allies during the final stretch of his campaign against Republican Glenn Youngkin. 

President Joe Biden will campaign for McAuliffe this week in northern Virginia, a typical stronghold for Democrat. Biden previously stumped for McAuliffe on July 22. 

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Attorney General Garland Denies Knowledge of Claims that Zuckerberg ‘Bought’ 2020 Election

During Wednesday’s hours-long grilling of Attorney General Merrick Garland by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, which mainly focused on the events of January 6 and Garland’s directive to investigate parents who speak School Board meetings, one critical question went almost unnoticed. 

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) questioned Garland about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s $400 million spending spree during the 2020 election. The money was allocated through Zuckerberg-funded non-profits the Center for Tech and Civic Life, described by Influence Watch as an “organization [that] pushes for left-of-center voting policies and election administration,” and the Center for Election Innovation and Research. 

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Exclusive: Loudoun County Superintendent Not Planning to Resign After More Details Emerge in Alleged Rape Coverup

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and the communications office for Loudoun County Superintendent Scott Ziegler ignored The Virginia Star’s comment requests Friday, as more evidence emerged that the district covered up the alleged rape of a teenaged girl. 

WTOP reported Thursday that Ziegler sent an email to the Loudoun County School Board (LCSB) on May 28, the day when a male student in a skirt allegedly raped a ninth-grade girl in the bathroom at Stone Bridge High School.

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Lawsuit Filed Against Fairfax County over Absentee and Mail-In Ballots

An election integrity group has filed a lawsuit and motion for an injunction against members of the Fairfax County Board of Elections and the Fairfax County General Registrar.

“The case is brought on behalf of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, a local organization that promotes election integrity,” the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) said in a press release. “The lawsuit explains that Fairfax County is violating Virginia law by accepting and approving applications for absentee and mail-in ballots that do not include the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number, as required under Virginia statues.”

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Exclusive: Loudoun County Superintendent Not Planning to Resign After More Details Emerge in Alleged Rape Coverup

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and the communications office for Loudoun County Superintendent Scott Ziegler ignored The Virginia Star’s comment requests Friday, as more evidence emerged that the district covered up the alleged rape of a teenaged girl. 

WTOP reported Thursday that Ziegler sent an email to the Loudoun County School Board (LCSB) on May 28, the day when a male student in a skirt allegedly raped a ninth-grade girl in the bathroom at Stone Bridge High School.

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Richmond Public Schools Taking Whole Week Off for Teachers’ Mental Health

Citing teacher burnout, Richmond Public Schools (RPS) has decided to take an entire week off at the beginning of November. 

During that week, students were already set to have three days off: Nov. 2 for Election Day, Nov. 4 for Diwali, a Hindu holiday and Nov. 5 for parent/teacher conferences, according to a letter sent to the RPS community by Superintendent Jason Kamras. 

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Education Group Launches Million Dollar Ad Campaign Against Virginia Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate McAuliffe

Free to Learn Action, an advocacy group intent on removing politics from the classroom in America’s public schools, launched a one million dollar ad campaign against Virginia’s Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe Thursday.

“The ad highlights the devastating consequences of allowing partisan political agendas to seep into schools while also undermining parents’ roles in their child’s education,” the organization said in an email. 

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GETTR CEO Jason Miller Welcomes Trump to Social Media World

Despite former President Donald J. Trump’s Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) announcing plans to become a rival of newly-launched social media site GETTR, the CEO of the latter firm welcomed Trump into the social media space.

“Congratulations to President Trump for re-entering the social media fray! Now Facebook and Twitter will lose even more market share. President Trump has always been a great deal-maker, but we just couldn’t come to terms on a deal,” Miller said in a Wednesday statement. “And get ready for the new platform features GETTR has on the way: live-streaming, GVision short videos and our GETTR Pay payments system capabilities. Exciting new additions that will provide our global customer base an even better user experience. Let the downloads begin!”

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Youngkin Campaign on Offense After McAuliffe Exits Interview When Asked About Critical Race Theory

In the ever-tightening race for Virginia’s governor’s mansion, one candidate appeared to let the pressure boil over.

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), running for his second non-consecutive term in office, exited an unfinished interview with WJLA-TV’s Nick Minock after scolding the reporter.

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Facebook Fined Nearly $70 Million After Ignoring UK Government Orders

Facebook’s seemingly-unending stream of bad publicity continued this week, when it was fined nearly $70 million by the United Kingdom for what is being described as a deliberate lack of compliance into an anti-trust investigation. 

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating Facebook’s acquisition of Giphy for nearly a year, and ordered the company to produce information “required information related to an initial enforcement order (IEO) placed on it by the watchdog, despite repeated requests for it to do so,” according to TechCrunch. 

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Virginia’s Gubernatorial Hopeful Youngkin Campaign Responds to Stacey Abrams Campaigning for McAuliffe

The campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin blasted its Democrat opponent Terry McAuliffe for campaigning with failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. 

“Terry McAuliffe said he was proud to be endorsed by radical ‘defund the police’ groups, and now he’s campaigning with the radical Stacey Abrams, who said the election was stolen from her, compared law enforcement officers to terrorists, opposed enforcing our immigration laws, and supported defunding the police,” Youngkin spokesperson Macauley Porter told The Virginia Star. “Virginians are seeing that Terry McAuliffe is too extreme for Virginia and will reject his anti-police, liberal agenda at the polls.”

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Despite Soft-on-Crime Approach, Progressive Prosecutor Wanted to Throw Loudoun County Dad in Jail for Disorderly Conduct

A Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney, known for her soft-on-crime approach to prosecuting, reportedly want to throw Scott Smith in jail for two misdemeanors after he was arrested at a June 22 Loudoun County School Board (LCSB) meeting. 

Smith, who was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, was protesting anti-transgender bathroom policies in the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS).

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Virginia ACLU Insists Trans Kids ‘Not a Threat’, Dodges Questions on Loudoun County Scandal

The Virginia American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Wednesday insisted that transgender students are “not a threat,” amid the bombshell report that a ninth-grade girl in Loudoun County was allegedly raped by a transgender girl – biologically male – in the bathroom at Stone Bridge High School.

“TRANS KIDS ARE NOT A THREAT,” the group said nine times in one tweet.

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