Day: July 29, 2020

Mysterious Seeds Arriving Across the U.S. and U.K.

Ben Kolodny

Unidentified seeds, seemingly from China, have arrived unsolicited across the country. Agricultural officials are asking residents not to plant these seeds. Stating that they may be from invasive, destructive, or otherwise dangerous plants. Officials in at least 27 states have reported unsolicited packages of seeds delivered to residents. Similar packages have begun arriving throughout the U.K.

Jane Rupp, a Better Business Bureau representative, believes that these shipments could be part of a brushing scam, where online sellers ship large quantities of cheap merchandise to increase their overall ratings and visibility by creating fake reviews in the recipients name, reports Fox. Similar cases were reported in late 2019 with Americans receiving unordered, low cost, and even empty packages.

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Commentary: Joe Biden Is a Clear and Present Danger to the American Way of Life

Michigan Star Staff

A Biden presidency would be a disaster for everyday Americans. If given the chance, Joe Biden will endanger your family’s security, infringe upon your rights, increase your cost of living, lower your home’s value, and hurt your 401(k) – all while killing countless jobs.

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Barr Says Unrest Not Linked to Floyd, Defends Feds’ Response

The Associated Press

Attorney General William Barr defended the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America, saying on Tuesday “violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests” sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Barr told members of the House Judiciary Committee at a much-anticipated election year hearing the violence taking place in Portland, Oregon, and other cities is disconnected from Floyd’s killing, which he called a “horrible” event that prompted a necessary national reckoning on the relationship between the Black community and law enforcement.

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Spotlight on Four Big Tech CEOs Testifying in Competition Probe

The Associated Press

They command corporations with gold-plated brands, millions or even billions of customers, and a combined value greater than the entire German economy. One of them is the world’s richest individual; another is the fourth-ranked billionaire. Their industry has transformed society, linked people around the globe, mined and commercialized users’ personal data, and infuriated critics on both the left and right over speech.

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Biden’s Notes: ‘Do Not Hold Grudges’ Against Kamala Harris

The Associated Press

Joe Biden was uncharacteristically tight-lipped on Tuesday about the final stretch of his search for a vice president. But the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee seemed prepared to talk about at least one leading contender: California Sen. Kamala Harris.

As he took questions from reporters on Tuesday, Biden held notes that were captured by an Associated Press photographer. Harris’ name was scrawled across the top, followed by five talking points.

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Air Travel Not Expected to Recover Until 2024

The Associated Press

Global air travel is recovering more slowly than expected and it will take until 2024 to return to pre-pandemic levels, the trade association for the airline industry said Tuesday.

The International Air Transport Association pushed back its prediction by one year due to the slow containment of the outbreak in the U.S. and in developing countries.

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‘Egregious’: Democratic Mayors Ask Congress to Restrict to Restrict Deployment of Federal Officers to Quell Riots

Michigan Star Staff

Democratic mayors wrote to Congress Monday, asking for limitations on the Trump administration deployment of “unidentified federal officers” to their cities to calm protests, according to a letter posted on Twitter.

The mayors requested that federal agents be required to present identification except “on an undercover mission authorized by the local U.S. Attorney,” according to the letter Wheeler posted on Twitter. Six Democratic mayors, including Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland and Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago signed the letter.

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Commentary: Reckoning with the Riots

Michigan Star Staff

The showdown is coming over urban violence in America. The continuing rioting and destruction erupting in new cities every few days is almost certain to provide yet another profound demarcation of opinion over how to govern the United States and address the problems that have so stirred the country since the killing of African American George Floyd by a white Minneapolis policeman on May 25. America’s toleration of a completely unjustifiable level of general violence compared to anything in its past demonstrates considerable progress in civility and restraint in the past 50 years.

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Without ‘Sea Changes,’ Democratic Platform Alliance with Black Lives Matter Is ‘Naught,’ Co-Founder Says

Michigan Star Staff

The Democratic platform needs to strongly address police brutality and racial justice, a Black Lives Matter co-founder told the Democratic National Committee Monday, Axios reported.

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors wants the party to be a political force to match the current movement and are focused on policy change, Axios reported.

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White House Petition to Investigate Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Unfounded Conspiracy Theory Reaches 600,000 Signatures

Michigan Star Staff

Over half a million people have signed a White House petition calling for an investigation into a conspiracy theory involving Bill and Melinda Gates.

Created by “C.S.” on April 10, the petition demands that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation be investigated for medical malpractice and crimes against humanity. There is no evidence to support these claims. The petition has 621,609 signatures as of Monday evening.

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Sen. Peters Asks FEMA to Help Fund Michigan Coronavirus School Response

Jordyn Pair

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday asking the agency to help fund schools in Michigan as they prepare to open during the coronavirus.

In the letter, Peters pushed FEMA to allow schools in Michigan and nationwide to access to funding from the Disaster Relief Fund to help pay for public safety trainings, adapting classrooms and acquiring personal protective equipment for students and staff.

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