August 20, 2020 | The Michigan Star

Steve Bannon Indicted Along with ‘We Build the Wall’ Founder Brian Kolfage and Others Over Alleged Crowdfunding Scheme

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 The Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon was arrested Thursday on charges that he and three others “orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of dollars” from donors to an online fundraising effort to build a southern border wall, making him the latest in a long list of Trump associates to be indicted or charged.

The “We Build The Wall” fundraiser was headed by men who pushed their close ties to President Trump and raised more than $25 million. They touted their effort to help the president realize his vision of a physical border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, especially after Trump’s effort to redirect millions in government funds, was held up through lawsuits by open-border activists.

New Unemployment Claims Surge Past a Million After One Week Drop Below Threshold

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

More than 1.1 million American workers filed new unemployment claims last week, a week after the number of claims dropped below the million mark for the first time since pandemic-related shutdowns were put in place in March.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 1,106,000 workers filed new claims on a seasonally adjusted basis in the week ending Aug. 15.

Michigan Joins Lawsuit Against U.S. Postal Service’s Changes

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

Michigan has joined a coalition of states that will be filing a lawsuit Tuesday against the federal government over recent changes to the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) operations.

The lawsuit argues that the changes proposed and already implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy are illegal and threaten the timely mail delivery.

Commentary: Democratic Voters Appear Disengaged with Joe Biden as DNC Ratings Disappoint

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

The first-night Democratic National Convention ratings were down almost 28 percent from their levels in 2016 in what can only be called a massive disappointment for former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in their bid to oust the incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

The ratings for CBS, NBC and ABC were down a combined 42 percent to 6.7 million from the 11.6 million who watched four years ago, according to the Hollywood Reporter. On cable news channels MSNBC, CNN and Fox News, the numbers were similarly down 16 percent to about 11.98 million viewers from the 14 million viewers of four years ago.

University of Minnesota Medical School Application Features Question About George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

The University of Minnesota Medical School application includes an optional question that asks students to share their “lessons learned” about “systemic racism” in the wake of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks’s deaths.

“Right now is a watershed moment in American history and this country’s reckoning with race, racism, racial injustice, and especially anti-black hatred,” the question on the application, obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, read.

Biden’s Plan to Increase Refugees Will ‘Overwhelm’ Cities, Trump Says

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

President Donald Trump criticized presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s plans to allow 125,000 refugees admittance to the U.S. on an annual basis during a speech in Minnesota on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

“He [Biden] would overwhelm Minnesota with refugees, from terror hotspots, depleting public services, burdening schools, and straining city budgets,” Trump said during a speech on a tarmac in Minnesota, the AP reported.

Prosecutors Seek Maximum Penalty Against Indiana Woman Who Pleaded Guilty to Helping ISIS: Report

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

Prosecutors say that a woman who pleaded guilty to providing financial support to the Islamic State should face the maximum penalty under law, according to a new report.

Samantha Elhassani of Lake County, Indiana, faces up to 10 years in prison as she was reportedly aware of her actions, court documents say, Fox 59 reported. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27.

One in Five Students May Defer Upcoming Academic Year, Axios Poll Shows

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

Over 20 percent of college students may defer the upcoming academic year, according to a recent Axios poll.

The deferment data comes as prominent universities across the country move from in-person to online classes in response to campus-wide outbreaks of the coronavirus. Of the 21% of students who may not return, most are working full-time in the interim, Axios reported. The statistic comes as 27% of students lost their summer internship, according to the poll.

Commentary: Trump’s EPA Can End an Obama-Era Cover-Up

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

On many regulatory issues, the Trump administration moved as fast as bureaucratically possible to overturn excesses of the Obama administration. On issues from labor rules to land use to consumer protection, Trump’s team did what they could to make regulations more fair and less far-reaching.

Baltimore Republican Candidate Grabs National Attention with Ad

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Ben Kolodny

To showcase the plight of Black citizens living in Democratic-run Baltimore, Republican congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik took a simple approach: a walk through Baltimore’s downtown.

In a two-and-a-half minute video, Klacik (pronounced “CLAY-sick”) showcased Baltimore’s run-down buildings, asked citizens their thoughts on defunding police, and explained many of the issues facing the city.

Apple Is the First American Company to be Valued at $2 Trillion

August 20, 2020August 19, 2020 The Associated Press

Apple is the first U.S. company to boast a market value of $2 trillion, just two years after it became the first to reach $1 trillion.

Apple shares have gained nearly 60% this year as the company overcame the shutdown of factories in China that produce the iPhone and the closure of its retail sales amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Michigan Announces 13 Commissioners to Redraw District Voting Lines

August 20, 2020August 19, 2020 Jordyn Pair

Michigan has announced the 13 citizens who will be in charge of redrawing Michigan’s congressional and legislative boundaries for the next decade, drawing their names in a random selection process on Monday.

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is made of four Democrats, four Republicans and four people not associated with either party.