Month: August 2022

President Joe Biden’s new abortion messaging strategy will focus on the impact new restrictions could have on men, according to Reuters.

The plan is part of Biden’s three-pronged abortion strategy, which includes tailored messaging, litigation and research on state-level abortion restrictions, Reuters reported. The White House will target men with messaging about how they’ll be financially impacted by abortion restrictions, particularly if their female relatives are unable to get abortions.

NIH-Funded Clinical Trials Failed to Comply with Federal Reporting Rule, Watchdog

The National Institutes of Health failed to insure that all clinical trials funded by the agency and required to be reported in 2019 and 2020 met federal requirements, according to an inspector general report released Tuesday.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General reviewed a total of 72 such trials from that period and found results were never submitted in 25, late in 12 and on time in 35.

Julie Kelly Commentary: It’s Inevitable, Trump Will Be Indicted

August 17, 2022August 16, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

A few days after federal agents stormed Donald Trump’s castle in Palm Beach last week, Judge Beryl Howell berated a man from Georgia for his involvement in the Capitol protest on January 6, 2021.

“Listening without question to political rhetoric that leads to serious offenses, criminal conduct, is not an excuse when you’re standing in a court of law,” Howell told Glen Simon, a Trump supporter who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on restricted grounds. “You’ve got to use your common sense and your own sense of who you are and how you’d like to conduct yourself as an American citizen before just blindly doing what a political figure says.”

Vast Majority of Illinois School Districts Have Opted Out of Radical Sex Ed Standards

The grassroots website Awake-Illinois is reporting that only 23 of 860 school districts in the state have decided to adopt radical sex education standards, based on a national model, while 536 districts have thus far opted out.

Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) signed SB 818 into law in August 2021, with his office claiming the standards are “voluntary” and will “emphasize health, safety, and inclusivity with age-appropriate resources.”

DOJ Admission It Over-Collected Evidence in Trump Raid Creates New Legal Drama

Three passports, Privileged documents. A file on a presidential pardon. As evidence surfaces about what FBI agents seized during the raid of former President Donald Trump’s estate in Mar-a-Lago, new questions about the real focus of the investigation and new avenues for legal challenges are bubbling to the surface.

John Solomon’s Statement Regarding Access to Trump Records at National Archives

Statement of Just the News founder John Solomon regarding access to National Archives materials from the Trump presidency:

There has been wild and irresponsible speculation in the news media about my authorization to view documents from the Trump presidency at the National Archives. While I have addressed this issue previously on the record with reporters and on my own news site, I am offering the following statement to reporters who seem to have missed or ignored my earlier reporting.

Trump Calls for Release of Full Affidavit Used for FBI’s Mar-a-Lago Raid

Former President Trump is calling for the full release of the affidavit submitted with the warrant allowing the FBI to raid his Mar-a-Lago estate – after the Justice Department asked the document to remain sealed.

“There is no way to justify the unannounced RAID of Mar-a-Lago, the home of the 45th President of the United States … by a very large number of gun toting FBI Agents, and the Department of ‘Justice’ but, in the interest of TRANSPARENCY, I call for the immediate release of the completely Unredacted Affidavit pertaining to this horrible and shocking BREAK-IN,” Trump wrote late Monday evening on his platform Truth Social.

Connecticut State Police Deal with 150 Drug Equipment Violations in 2020

Connecticut State Police law enforcement officers grappled with 150 drug equipment violations in 2020, according to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).

This equals 12 per month in 2020.

Cheney Loses Primary Re-Election Bid to Trump-Backed Hageman in Wyoming

August 16, 2022 Admin

Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney lost her bid Tuesday night for a fourth term, becoming the most high-profile Republican to vote to impeach former President Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and lose reelection this year.

Poll: Small Business Optimism Remains Near Record Lows

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 The Center Square

Small business optimism remains near record lows, as small business owners believe that inflation, supply chain problems and tax increases pose serious threats to small businesses, according to a Friday poll by the Job Creator’s Network Foundation (JCNF).

Poll: Americans More Worried About COVID, Less Confident in Vaccination

Newly released polling data shows Americans are more pessimistic about COVID-19.

Gallup released survey data Wednesday showing that 41% of Americans think the situation is improving, down from 63% who said the same in early May of this year.

TikTok’s Ties to Chinese Propaganda Machine Revealed

Three hundred employees at the parent company of ubiquitous social media app TikTok list Chinese state media outlets in their employment histories, a Forbes investigation of public LinkedIn profile information revealed Thursday.

The investigation may reveal Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ties to ByteDance, a Chinese technology company that operates several popular social media apps, through Chinese media organizations that generate CCP propaganda, according to Forbes. The profiles include 23 current directors of ByteDance responsible for “content partnerships, public affairs, corporate social responsibility and media cooperation,” and 15 who may still hold employment status with certain Chinese state-run media outlets, though it’s possible that the LinkedIn profiles were not updated after a change of job status.

Analysis: The Reason Big Oil Is Backing Dems’ Climate Bill

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 RealClearWire

Large oil and gas producers are lauding the Senate Democrats’ climate bill due to its green incentives and regulations on fossil fuels; however, smaller producers argue that the new taxes and fees included in the bill will kill their operations.

Big oil is hailing the $369 billion climate bill for its steps to regulate the fossil fuel industry and promote green energy, according to Bloomberg. However, smaller, independent oil and gas companies are arguing that the bill’s numerous, costly regulations will threaten their industry’s development, according to an industry letter that was sent Tuesday night to the House Ways & Means Committee.

Commentary: The FBI Is Now the ‘Federal Bureau of Intimidation’

Nothing symbolizes the decline of the American republic better than the weaponization of justice that we saw last week when the FBI raided the home of former President Trump.

And nothing better represents the divide that now exists between Democrats and Republicans than the fact that some people still have faith in the FBI.

Aren’t they paying attention? Heck, that’s like a citizen of the old Soviet Union saying they had faith in the KGB – yeah, to crush dissent and lock up opponents of the regime in a Siberian gulag.

Boston Children’s Hospital Gender Psychologist Asserts Many Children Know They Are Transgender ‘As Early as Seemingly from the Womb’

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

A psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Gender Multispecialty Service (GeMS) states in a video titled “Caring for Young Transgender Kids” that many children know they are transgender “as early as seemingly from the womb.”

“A good portion of children do know as early as seemingly from the womb,” says Kerry McGregor, PsyD in a Boston Children’s Hospital video from May 2021. “And they will usually express their gender identity as very young children, some as soon as they can talk. They may say phrases such as ‘I’m a girl,’ or ‘I’m a boy,’ or ‘I’m going to be a woman,’ ‘I’m going to be a mom.’”

Report: Michigan Among the Worst ‘Free Speech’ States in the Union

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 The Center Square

Three Midwestern states scored best in the nation in analysis of laws restricting speech about government. Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa outranked every other state by wide margins.

That’s the conclusion of a report issued by the Institute for Free Speech, a national nonprofit research facility that focuses on First Amendment rights. Wisconsin’s score of 86% out of a possible 100% was followed by Michigan (77%) and Iowa (75%).

To Avoid Sanctions, Countries Are Ditching the U.S. Dollar

Russia, China and other countries have escalated efforts to ditch transactions made with U.S. dollars in 2022, helping them bypass Western sanctions and keep their economies afloat.

Since Western countries levied heavy sanctions on Russia in punishment for its invasion of Ukraine, India has increased its imports of Russian coal and natural gas, paying in Chinese yuan, United Arab Emirates dirham, Hong Kong dollar, and euro, Reuters reported Wednesday. Turkey and Iran have also forged agreements with Russia to base bilateral commerce on the Russian ruble, an effort to divest from dependence on the “toxic” U.S. dollar while easing the effect of sanctions on the Russian economy.

Homicides Among Young African-Americans Soared in 2020, New Data Reveals

Recently released statistics by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed a massive increase in youth homicides in 2020, of which African-American youth made up the largest margin.

Youth homicides were up 47% across the nation, the CDC reported Monday. The homicide rate among African-American youth was nearly 15 times higher than that of white Americans and five times the rate of Hispanics. Between 2019 and 2020, the homicide rate for African-Americans between the ages of 15-19 increased by 37.38%, according to CDC data.

GOP Rep. Jordan: 14 FBI Whistleblowers Have Come Forward Since Trump Raid

Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan on Sunday told Fox News that 14 whistleblowers from within the FBI have come forward with concerns about the Department of Justice’s alleged political bias following the FBI’s raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last week.

“Fourteen FBI agents have come to our office as whistleblowers, and they are good people. There are lots of good people in the FBI. It’s the top that is the problem,” the Ohio Republican told the outlet. “Some of these good agents are coming to us, telling us … what’s going on… the political nature now of the Justice Department,” he added.

Trump’s Lead Widens over DeSantis in 2024 Primary After FBI Raid: Poll

Former President Trump’s lead has grown by 12 points over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a hypothetical 2024 Republican presidential primary, according to a survey conducted after the FBI raided the Trump’s Florida residence.

If the primary were held today, 58% of registered voters, according to the Morning Consult/Politico survey published Friday.

Commentary: It’s Time to Rediscover Our Roots as a Nation Founded as a Giant Middle Finger to Tyranny

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 The Center Square

Growing up in our house, Election Night was like the Super Bowl. We would stay up late into the night watching the returns. The 2020 election was no different. That night, I watched Donald Trump take state after state with ease. Then I watched as votes started to fluctuate, barely trickled in, and then, with only a handful of states to go, I watched as counting was halted altogether. A sinking feeling crept over me as I witnessed things I had never seen in my life.

New Rail Regulation Rule Proposal Has No ‘Plausible Safety Justification’

A new proposed rule change to expand railroad regulations without any safety justification “prioritizes politics over sound, data-driven safety policy,” industry experts argue. If implemented, they warn, increased regulatory burdens could drive up shipping costs when consumers already are grappling with 40-year-high inflationary price increases.

Commentary: East Germany Had Worse Pollution than West Germany

At a July public screening of the documentary Life Behind the Berlin Wall, viewers were informed that citizens of East Germany had to wait 12 to 17 years for a Trabi (the worst car in the world), while West Germans could go to a car dealership and drive away in their new cars the same day.

Bill Gates-Funded Scientist Claims Candy Is Healthier than Meat

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

A nutrition scientist who will soon be advising a White House conference on nutrition released a study last year claiming that candy such as Reese’s is actually healthier for people to eat than meat such as beef.

Connecticut Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Leora Levy: Sen. Richard Blumenthal ‘Laughs Off’ Concern over Biden’s Creation of 87,000 New IRS Agents to Target Americans

Connecticut GOP U.S. Senate candidate Leora Levy observed Senator Richard Blumenthal’s (D-CT) mockery of Americans expressing concern over Joe Biden’s creation of 87,000 new IRS Agents in his legislation that will increase taxes on middle-income Americans and will do nothing to reduce inflation.

“I think the IRS is going to target the highest income Americans,” Blumenthal minimized concern over the Inflation Reduction Act on CNN’s State of the Union recently. “As the saying goes, that’s where the money is. That’s where they’re going to look to collect. The idea that there’s going to be this army of IRS agents defending descending on the average American is just preposterous.”

DOJ Admits ‘Mistakenly’ Taking Trump’s Passports, Offers to Return Them

August 15, 2022August 15, 2022 Admin

In an acknowledgment the FBI over-collected evidence during the Mar-a-Lago raid, the Justice Department informed Donald Trump’s team Monday that agents seized the former president’s passports and are obligated to return them, Just the News has learned,

DOJ was making plans Monday evening to return the passports and have also alerted defense lawyers the FBI may have obtained materials covered by various privileges that will be returned in the next two weeks, two sources told Just the News.

Anti-ESG Fund Rakes in Millions After Two Days on the Market

Strive Asset Management’s anti-activist, energy exchange-traded fund (ETF) raked in over $60 million in funds in its first two days of trading, according to the company’s website.

Strive’s U.S. energy index fund ($DRLL), which invests heavily in fossil fuels in an effort to combat environmentally focused investing, launched Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and was one of the exchange’s largest launches of its kind, according to a company letter to investors. Strive hopes that the early success of the fund will help “unlock” value in the domestic energy sector by mandating firms to focus on “profits over politics,” according to the company’s website.

Commentary: It’s Time to Take Down the Cult of Climate Change for Good

When you look at climate alarmists, there are really only two options: they either don’t know what they’re talking about, or they’re lying.

The “Little Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf’”-like cries of “existential threats” brought on by climate change would be hilarious, if it wasn’t for the disastrous impact from misguided actions to “fix” the problem. However, the fable about a youngster fabricating an emergency time and again isn’t that far off from today’s climate-change evangelists; they both need to recognize their stories are quickly losing credibility.

Teachers’ Union Suggests Summer Reading About Kneeling for the National Anthem

August 15, 2022August 14, 2022 The Center Square

The country’s largest teachers’ union suggested a book about kneeling for the national anthem as part of its August 2022 summer reading list, according to its website.

The National Education Association (NEA) listed the book “Why We Fly” by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal, which features marijuana use and tells of two girls on the cheerleading squad who take a knee for the national anthem after being inspired by a football star protesting in the media, according to the website. Discussion questions and related resources on athlete activism are also provided by the NEA to pair with the reading.

Unclaimed Property Becomes Revenue for Some States

Some states are making money from unclaimed property that people may not know the states have.

South Dakota is one of the few states that send profits from abandoned property to their general budget. About 3% of the state’s general fund revenues come from unclaimed property, according to state budget officials. Some states, including Wyoming and Wisconsin, hold on to the property indefinitely.

Al Franken Endorses Liz Cheney, Quips It Will ‘Carry a Lot of Weight’ with Wyoming GOP

Former Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken endorsed Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney for reelection ahead of the primary this week.

“I’ve decided to endorse @RepLizCheney for the Republican nomination for the House seat In Wyoming it’s my first time endorsing in a GOP primary. But I think Al Franken’s support will carry a lot of weight with WY Republicans,” the former senator wrote Saturday in a tweet that garnered more than 100,000 likes, 12,000 retweets and 14,000 comments.

Commentary: China Is Infiltrating Kids’ Video Games with Propaganda and Spyware

While many are rightfully concerned about the growing influence of video-based social media platform TikTok and the Chinese government’s ability to harvest incredible amounts of user data from it, China’s largest social media and video game studio, Tencent, has quietly been acquiring a commanding stake in the most popular video game companies around the world, and no one has seemed to notice.

Ashley Judd Found Mother Alive After She Shot Herself, Court Papers Say

Ashley Judd found her mother, Naomi Judd, alive after she shot herself, according to a court filing from the family as part of an effort to stop documents from being released about Naomi’s death.

Judd’s husband, Larry Strickland, and her daughters Ashley and Wynonna Judd filed a petition on Friday in Williamson County Chancery Court in Tennessee. The family argued that records from Judd’s death investigation would cause “significant trauma and irreparable harm” if they are released, according to The Tennessean.

The family asked for all video and audio evidence as well as personal medical information and police reports to be kept private.

Commentary: A Decentralized Education System Keeps Hubris in Check

by Kerry McDonald While the past two years have been characterized in many ways by top-down policy approaches and greater centralization of power, there have also been positive signs of decentralization and bottom-up solutions. This has been particularly true in education, as parents seek new learning options for their…

Four Alleged Cartel Members Charged with Sending Money to China for Fentanyl Production

Four alleged cartel members were charged in connection with an international money laundering operation that involved sending funds to China to produce fentanyl.

The four New Jersey men, William Panzera, 49, Thomas Padovano, 48, Bartholomew Padovano, 71, and Sean Tighe, 46, were indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey Wednesday, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

West Point Cadets COVID Vax Religious Exemptions Denied En Masse, Given One Day to Respond

West Point Military Academy cadets were denied their Religious Accommodation Request appeals to the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate en masse on Wednesday but were not informed until Friday afternoon, when they were given 24 hours to respond, according to attorney R. Davis Younts.

A Developmental Counseling Form that was given to a cadet notes that the religious objector’s RAR appeal was denied on Wednesday and the date that cadet received counseling regarding the vaccine mandate was Friday. The form says that the objector has until 4 p.m. on Saturday to make a plan to receive the vaccine.

MSNBC Contributor, Ex-Spy Chief Hint Trump Deserves Execution over Classified Records Dispute

August 15, 2022August 14, 2022 RealClearWire

Amid published reports that former President Trump is improperly holding classified papers, including nuclear documents, at his Florida compound, MSNBC contributor Michael Beschloss and former CIA Director Michael Hayden are intimating via social media that Trump should be executed.

The Washington Post has reported that the FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound on Monday in order to retrieve “nuclear documents” they believed were improperly stored there.

Commentary: Non-College-Educated Taxpayers May Soon Be Responsible for Billions in College Debt

Most Americans have been conditioned to accept some level of incompetence and inefficiency from government – but not to the extent that federal employees paid by our tax dollars simply admit that they are fundamentally incapable of doing their jobs. Yet shockingly, this is what we are now witnessing with the Department of Education’s failed and convoluted attempt to process claims for student loan cancellation.

Biden Admin Investigates College’s Doctoral Program Only for Black Students

August 15, 2022August 14, 2022 The Center Square

The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) plans to investigate the University of Utah for a doctoral program available only to black students, according to an OCR letter.

University of Michigan-Flint professor Mark Perry filed a complaint against the University of Utah regarding its African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative alleging the program, which only allows black students, violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national orientation, according to the July 26 OCR letter. The OCR confirmed they will investigate the university in a letter to Perry.

Mortgage Rates Increase Last Week Alongside a Rise in Refinancing

Mortgage rates increased last week, leading to an uptick in the refinance rate.

According to the latest weekly survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage rates increased last week after dropping for two consecutive weeks.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Files Articles of Impeachment Against Merrick Garland

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday announced that she had filed articles of impeachment against Attorney General Merrick Garland following the FBI’s Monday raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Coal Plants Help States to Prevent Blackouts as Green Transition Falters

Coal-fired power plants in several states are delaying planned shutdowns in order to avoid blackouts and energy shortages as the delayed development of renewable energy sources is leaving gaps in states’ power grids amid high energy demand.

Commentary: When America Needs More Border Patrol, the Swamp Hires More IRS Agents

To know what our elected officials truly prioritize, it is important to ignore their teleprompter-fed rhetoric and focus on their actions. As Deep Throat once told Bob Woodward in a dark, underground parking garage, “Follow the money.”

At this point, it would take a certain kind of partisan dead-ender to deny our nation faces an immigration crisis. Too many years of our leaders refusing to enforce our immigration laws, combined with the current White House’s blatant contempt for those laws, have brought us to a point of critical mass where the country cannot withstand much more.

Poll: January 6 Hearings Not Impacting Public Opinion

Large group of people storming Washington D.C. in protest on January 6.

The House Jan. 6 committee hearings have not affected public opinion about the U.S. Capitol riot or former President Donald Trump, and, in fact, fewer people now view Trump as responsible for the incident, according to a Monmouth University poll.

Commentary: Biden’s Title IX Rules Revision Will Cause More College Chaos

We all know how the Biden administration, on Day One, reversed two of the most successful Trump initiatives — energy independence and border control — turning with executive orders both areas into the twin disasters that have become part of our daily lives.

FBI Likely Briefed White House Before Mar-a-Lago Raid, Ex-FBI Agents Say

The top levels of the Biden administration, including the White House and officials leading the Department of Justice (DOJ), were likely aware of the Mar-a-Lago raid and may have even moved the warrant forward, two retired FBI agents told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Former President Donald Trump announced Monday night that the FBI raided his Florida home, while the Department of Justice (DOJ) had an ongoing investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents after 15 boxes of White House documents ended up at Mar-a-Lago, according to The Washington Post.

House Incumbents on Track for Highest Number of Primary Losses in Decades

The 2022 midterms have seen an unusually high number of incumbents lose their primaries, with several more primaries still left to go that could potentially raise the final number to a 30-year high.

Axios reports that thus far, 11 House incumbents – seven Republicans and four Democrats – have lost their primaries. The high number of primary losses is due to a number of factors, including the effects of redistricting after the 2020 census, as well as a major political realignment within both parties away from so-called moderates and in favor of more hardline, grassroots candidates.

Analysis: The Inflation Reduction Act Farce

In a major reversal, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D–WV) struck a deal with Senator Chuck Schumer (D–NY) to enact a major climate, entitlement, and tax bill. This legislation has been praised by President Biden, Al Gore, and other proponents of highly progressive policies.

Commentary: The Real Job Crisis in Connecticut