Month: August 2020

Some Michigan parents may pay to drop off kids at daycare this fall in the same classroom kids would typically use for full-time in-person instruction.

Fraser Public Schools is offering virtual school with some small group, in-person learning options through Jan. 22, 2021.

Commentary: If Biden Wins, We Should All Go to the Unemployment Line Right Now Because It’s Will Be Very Long

“I would shut it down, I would listen to the scientists.”

That was former Vice President Joe Biden telling ABC News’ David Muir that if elected President in November, he is prepared to shut down the U.S. economy again to deal with the Chinese coronavirus.

Analysis: The Hard Facts on COVID-19 Science Denial

In a Washington Post op-ed titled “More Republican Casualties From Trump’s Coronavirus Denial,” columnist Jennifer Rubin claims that “red states”—specifically Texas, Arizona, and Arkansas—are “paying the price” for their “arrogant and reckless disregard of expert advice.”

In concert with Rubin, multitudes of reporters and commentators have declared that Republican governors have worsened the effects of Covid-19 by “denying science” and reopening “too early.” Meanwhile, they have praised Democratic governors, like Andrew Cuomo of NY and Phil Murphy of NJ, for their handling of the pandemic.

LA Sheriff Refuses to Surrender 25,000 Illegal Immigrant Detainees to ICE: Report

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has refused more than 25,000 requests to surrender illegal immigrants detained in its jails to immigration agents in the 2020 fiscal year, Fox News reported.

LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has blocked the transfer of illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to concerns over the conditions at ICE facilities and the possible impact on ongoing criminal investigations, Fox News reported.

Biden Campaign Privately Apologizes to Linda Sarsour for Condemning Her

Leaked audio has revealed that representatives of the Joe Biden campaign have privately apologized to Linda Sarsour and other Muslim activists after issuing a public condemnation of her, according to the New York Post.

Sarsour, a far-left Islamic activist with a long history of anti-Semitic and anti-American statements, was one of the speakers at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, speaking as part of the “Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly.” Following widespread backlash over Sarsour’s invitation to speak at the DNC, Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates released a statement declaring that “Joe Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel and a vehement opponent of anti-Semitism,” adding that “[Sarsour] has no role in the Biden campaign whatsoever.”

Day Two at GOP Convention: a First lady, a Pardon, Pompeo

August 26, 2020August 25, 2020 The Associated Press

The people closest to President Donald Trump — his family — were starring on the second night of the Republican National Convention as the GOP worked to reintroduce the president to American voters in the midst of the campaign and pandemic.

First lady Melania Trump was delivering Tuesday evening’s keynote address at the White House, while the president’s daughter Tiffany and son Eric were to be featured, too. Trump himself played a significant role throughout the night.

Police Union HQ Targeted at Portland Protest, 25 Arrested

August 26, 2020August 25, 2020 The Associated Press

Protesters repeatedly set fire late Monday night to a police union headquarters building and were repelled by officers spraying tear gas, officials said. Twenty-five people were arrested amid clashes that stretched into Tuesday morning.

People in a group of about 300 people hurled rocks and bottles at officers and set three fires to the sides of the building and one to an awning, police said. All the fires were put out.

Journalist Assaulted While Covering Minneapolis Protest: ‘It’s Not Going to Go Well for You’

A journalist for Alpha News was harassed and assaulted Monday night while covering a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Minneapolis.

Rebecca Brannon, an independent journalist who contributes video and photo stories for Alpha News, was identified by several agitators who recognized her from her coverage of previous events. The group then proceeded to follow Brannon as she walked to her car, shouted profanities at her, and eventually assaulted her.

Virginia Man Arrested on Charges of H-1B Visa Fraud Worth $21 Million

August 26, 2020August 26, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

A Sterling man was arrested last week on charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and for inducing aliens to come to the United States using fraudulently obtained H-1B visas, the Department of Justice said.

According to court documents, Ashish Sawhney, 48, allegedly used four corporations to orchestrate the improper submission of fraudulent applications for H-1B specialty-occupation work visas, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Two Michigan Residents Charged with Defrauding $1.8 Million in Unemployment Scam

August 26, 2020August 25, 2020 Jordyn Pair

Two Michigan residents have been charged in a criminal complaint for their alleged role in defrauding $1.8 million in unemployment benefits from the state.

Jermaine Rose, 41, is an employee of the State of Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency whose duties include processing and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims. Beginning in May, Rose allegedly used his employee access to authorize payment on hundreds of fraudulent claims, specifically overriding “fraud stops” on claims that had been flagged by the state computer system as potentially fraudulent.

Jerry Falwell Says He’s Resigned from Liberty University

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 The Associated Press

Jerry Falwell, Jr. announced his resignation Tuesday as head of evangelical Liberty University amid conflicting claims about a sexual relationship his wife had with a younger business partner.

Falwell’s exit marks a precipitous fall from power for one of the country’s most visible evangelical leaders and ardent supporters of President Donald Trump. The Lynchburg, Virginia, university was founded by Falwell’s late father, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr.

Whitmer Reportedly Lone Governor Preventing Big 10 Football

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 Jordyn Pair

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could be a “major roadblock” to the start of the Big 10 football season, according to Ohio State insider Jeff Snook.

The Spun reported that Snook is saying that Whitmer against University of Michigan playing football.

Operation Legend Puts Focus on Violent Crime, Not Politics

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 The Associated Press

At the small apartment where 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro was shot dead in his sleep, the sliding glass door is riddled with bullet holes. Glass is still strewn on the patio outside, the shards crunching under the feet of Attorney General William Barr and Police Chief Rick Smith as they visit the crime scene.

After the Kansas City boy was killed in June by a gunshot meant for somebody else, the Trump administration launched a nationwide crackdown on violent crime named in his honor. The Associated Press obtained access to briefings and law enforcement operations for an inside look at Operation Legend as Barr visited law enforcement officials in Detroit, Kansas City and Cleveland.

Commentary: The Pale Pastel Republicans for Socialism

The man was a walking political disaster.

He was “a minority of a minority” who “has been taking some extreme positions.” His positions were “so extreme that they would alter our country’s very economic and social structure and our place in the world to such a degree as to make our country’s place at home and abroad, as we know it, a thing of the past.” He was horrifyingly “foolhardy,” and a Republican Party in his hands was headed for a certain “crushing defeat … that could signal the beginning of the end of our party as an effective force in American political life.” The man was putting the GOP in “an impossible situation” because he was a “sure-loser in November” who held “extreme and too simple views.”

‘More Misinformation for the American Public’: Postmaster General Calls Congressman’s Accusations ‘Outrageous’

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy sparred with Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts over recent U.S. Postal Service policy changes at a congressional hearing Monday.

DeJoy, who appeared before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, called Lynch’s accusations “outrageous” after the congressman blamed DeJoy for reported slow downs in mail delivery. Lynch had also said recent changes to postal service policy were unprecedented and “embarrassing.”

To-Go Drinks an Elixir for Public, a Lifeline for Business

August 25, 2020 The Associated Press

The coronavirus is shaking up America’s liquor laws.

At least 33 states and the District of Columbia are temporarily allowing cocktails to-go during the pandemic. Only two — Florida and Mississippi — allowed them on a limited basis before coronavirus struck, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

Arrests Made After Looters Targeted Evacuated California Homes During Wildfires

More than a dozen people have been arrested for looting or planning on looting California homes that have been vacated by those fleeing wildfires, according to a Sunday report.

A total of 13 people have been apprehended as Californians continue to report looting cases, Sheriff Jim Hart told the Associated Press. Thousands have fled their homes in anticipation of wildfires spreading from south San Francisco, AP reported.

Tiktok to Fight Trump Over His Pending Order to Ban Its App

August 25, 2020 The Associated Press

Video app TikTok said it will wage a legal fight against the Trump Administration’s efforts to ban the popular, Chinese-owned service over national-security concerns.

TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, insisted Monday that it is not a national-security threat and that the government is acting without evidence or due process. The company said it will file suit against the government later Monday in federal court in California. A copy of the complaint could not be obtained.

Project Veritas Sues Oregon Calling Undercover Journalism Law Unconstitutional

August 25, 2020November 9, 2020 Ben Kolodny

Project Veritas (PV) and the Project Veritas Action Fund (PVA) have filed suit against the state of Oregon.

The lawsuit calls Oregon’s laws regarding undercover journalism “unconstitutional,” and says that the law prohibits journalists from “exercising their First Amendment rights to engage in undercover newsgathering.”

Texas A&M Professor and NASA Researcher Zhengdong Cheng Arrested for Alleged China Ties

Texas A&M professor and NASA researcher Zhengdong Cheng was arrested Sunday for alleged conspiracy, false statements, and wire fraud.

According to a United States Department of Justice press release, Cheng allegedly “willfully took steps to obscure his affiliations and collaboration with a Chinese University and at least one Chinese-owned company.”

First Lady Melania Trump Opens Student Art Exhibit on Women’s Suffrage

August 25, 2020 The Associated Press

Melania Trump is marking the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote with an art exhibit based on works by children from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The first lady called adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that granted women voting rights a “turning point” in the women’s rights movement.

Comey Says He ‘Can’t Imagine’ He’s a Target of Durham Probe

Former FBI Director James Comey said Sunday that he has not had contact with the federal prosecutor investigating the bureau’s probe of the Trump campaign, but that he “can’t imagine” that he’s a target of a criminal inquiry.

“Given that I know what happened during 2016, which was a bunch of people trying to do the right thing consistent with the law, I’m not worried at all about that investigation of the investigation,” Comey said in an interview Sunday on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.”

Commentary: Turn to the Founders to Remind Ourselves of What We Stand to Lose

In just about 70 days, you and I will be called upon to decide the fate of the American Republic. Make no mistake, this is no ordinary election. American voters have not faced such a momentous choice since an earlier generation was presented with the Constitution and called upon to decide its fate. The vote to ratify the Constitution established a new regime, the amazingly successful American Republic, which showed the world new possibilities for liberty and prosperity and set a standard still unmatched by any country in the history of the world.

A vote for the Democratic Party this time is a vote for regime change as surely as the original vote for the Constitution was a vote for regime change.

Coalition Files Lawsuits to Stop Gov. Whitmer From Silencing Free Speech in Elections, Secretary of State Benson From Undermining Absentee Ballot Integrity

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

A coalition filed two lawsuits in Michigan on Monday, a federal case against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for allegedly silencing political speech, and a state suit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for reportedly circumventing state law protecting the right of Michiganders to have their vote properly counted.

The lawsuits were announced on a new website launched by the coalition: Got Freedom? The website is available here.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m Not Intimidated by Graffiti Attack on Church Hosting Me Sunday,’ Roger Stone Says

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 Neil W. McCabe

The legendary Republican operative, targeted Saturday night by vicious graffiti spray painted all over the outside of the Mount Juliet’s Global Vision Bible Church, to The Tennessee Star he is not afraid to show up to speak at the church Sunday as invited.

“First of all, it’s disgusting,” said Roger J. Stone, who has been a friend and political advisor to President Donald J. Trump for more than three decades. “The idea of attacking a house of worship? But, if people thought this would intimidate me and I would not witness for Christ, they really just don’t understand.”

President Trump Announces Plasma Treatment Authorized for COVID-19

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 The Associated Press

President Donald Trump announced Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients, in a move he called “a breakthrough,” one of his top health officials called “promising,” and other health experts said needs more study before it’s celebrated.

The announcement comes after days of White House officials suggesting there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.

Commentary: The Ruling Class Is Selling Out America

by Angela Kelley The ruling class is selling out America, and many of us either don’t want to hear about it or just don’t care. According to recently unearthed notes from a White House meeting shortly before inauguration day in January 2017, Vice President Joe Biden raised the idea of pursuing…

Opioids, Violence and the Supreme Court Largely Omitted from DNC Convention Speeches

Democrats focused on coronavirus, climate change, racial inequality and more during their party’s convention, but none pf the keynote speakers mentioned rising violence in cities across the country or the opioid epidemic during the primetime program.

The two issues have been worsening in part due to nationwide unrest and the pandemic, media reports and studies say. The Supreme Court — a large focus of the 2016 election — was also largely ignored.

Seattle Mayor to Veto City Council’s Cuts to Police, Budget

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 The Associated Press

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said Friday she will veto City Council-approved proposals that would include reducing the police department by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition.

The council’s proposals approved last week were supported by demonstrators who have marched in the city following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis but strongly opposed by the mayor and police Chief Carmen Best.

Golden State Killer Joseph James DeAngelo Apologizes at Sentencing for Victimizing 87 People

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 The Associated Press

Just before receiving multiple consecutive life sentences, Joseph James DeAngelo, the former California police officer who lived a double life as the murderous sociopath dubbed the Golden State Killer, broke his silence to tell a hushed courtroom filled with victims and their family members that he was “truly sorry” for the crimes.

It was such an unexpected moment that it brought gasps from those in the gallery, many of whom sat through an extraordinary four-day sentencing hearing filled with graphic and heart-wrenching testimony from dozens of victims. It also reinforced that nobody ever seemed to know what DeAngelo would do and who he was, which helps explain how he eluded detection for four decades while committing at least 13 killings and dozens of rapes.

FBI Agents Pushed for a FISA to Investigate Foreign Government Targeting Hillary Clinton

by Chuck Ross FBI agents in 2015 sought authorization to surveil foreign government operatives who sought to influence Hillary Clinton, but ultimately settled for a defensive briefing given to lawyers for the Democratic presidential candidate, according to documents released on Sunday. One FBI agent involved in the investigation asked…

U.S. Department of Education Opens Investigation of Fordham University Over Punishment of Student Austin Tong

The U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into Fordham University, about two months after student Austin Tong received notification from the New York City private college that his social media posts violated university policy and that he had been placed on probation.

BOOK REVIEW: Author Jerry Kammer Exposes the Left-Right Coalition to Undermine Immigration Reform

The Democrats’ 2020 choice for vice-president of the United States is Kamala Harris, a U.S. senator from California who has compared our courageous, underpaid, overworked, and often Latino, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the Ku Klux Klan. How did we get here exactly?

Let us look back and examine how immigration enforcement has been undermined for decades and then discuss what it means for the 2020 presidential election.

The Sunlight Foundation reports that between 2007 and 2012, 678 lobbying groups – including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Nursery and Landscape Association, the dairy industry, agribusiness, high-tech companies, major universities, the ACLU, the Service Employees International Union, the National Council of La Raza (now UnidosUS), and many other lobbyists – spent $1.5 billion to influence immigration policy.

Michigan State University Flip-Flops on In-Person Classes Two Weeks Before Semester Begins

Michigan State University (MSU), two weeks prior to the institution’s fall start date, announced on Tuesday that in-person learning has been cancelled for undergraduates and that students planning to live on campus may have to stay home.

“But given the current status of the virus in our country — particularly what we are seeing at other institutions as they re-populate their campus communities — it has become evident to me that, despite our best efforts and strong planning, it is unlikely we can prevent widespread transmission of COVID-19 between students if our undergraduates return to campus,” MSU president Samuel Stanley said in the announcement.

Business Leaders Call on Whitmer to Reopen Bowling Alleys, Gyms, and Movie Theaters

Four business groups sent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer a letter asking to reopen industries that have been closed for five months, although they’re open in certain parts of Michigan and surrounding states.

After five months with no revenue and continued fixed costs, some gyms, movie theaters and bowling alleys are on the brink of bankruptcy.

Commentary: Kamala Harris Won’t Motivate Minority Voters

Now that the Democrats have finally finished inflicting their excruciating “virtual convention” on us, it’s useful to consider what they inadvertently revealed about their biggest worry as the November election looms. Nowhere was that angst more obvious than in Wednesday’s soporific speech by Kamala Harris accepting the party’s vice presidential nomination. She began by invoking 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, failing to mention that it was passed and shepherded through the ratification process by the Republican Party, then segued to a desperate plea: “It’s not about Joe or me.… It’s about you … and getting out the vote.” Translation: “The Biden presidential campaign suffers from a deadly enthusiasm deficit.”

Commentary: The Practice of Schools Using Empty Classes for Expensive Day Care, and Charging Parents Twice Needs to End

Normally when a business shuts its doors, it doesn’t still get to charge its customers for a product they can no longer access. It certainly doesn’t get to charge its customers twice for the privilege.

Yet, that’s exactly what we’re seeing from some public school districts. They refuse to open their doors for in-person learning—citing safety risks—but they are able to open these same school buildings to charge overworked and tired parents for day care.

Police Officers Were Compared to Slave Owners and KKK Members in an Assignment Given at a Texas School

An assignment given to students at a Texas school included a political cartoon comparing police officers to slave owners and Klu Klux Klan members, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The cartoon reportedly depicted five scenes, allegedly starting with a slave ship officer who was kneeling on a black man’s neck and ended with a police officer kneeling on a black man’s neck with text saying “I can’t breathe,” the Star-tribune reported.

Feds Charge Former Green Beret with Espionage with Russia

August 23, 2020August 22, 2020 The Associated Press

A former Army Green Beret living in northern Virginia was arrested on Friday, charged with divulging military secrets about his unit’s activities in former Soviet republics during more than a decade of contacts with Russian intelligence.

Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, told Russian intelligence he considered himself a “son of Russia,” according to an indictment made public after his arrest.

The U.S. National Debt Has Exceeded the Total Value of the GDP

The U.S. national debt now exceeds the size of America’s total gross domestic product and the milestone may have been met as early as June, according to a Friday New York Times report.

America’s federal debt stands at around $26.6 trillion — an approximate $7 trillion increase since 2016, according to fiscal data from the Treasury Department. Total U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was just over $19.4 trillion at the end of June, according to a July 30 release from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

California Wildfires Some of Largest in State History

Lightning-sparked wildfires in Northern California exploded in size Friday to become some of the largest in state history, forcing thousands to flee and destroying hundreds of homes and other structures as reinforcements began arriving to help weary firefighters.

More than 12,000 firefighters aided by helicopters and air tankers are battling wildfires throughout California. Three groups of fires, called complexes, burning north, east and south of San Francisco have together scorched 991 square miles (2,566 square kilometers), destroyed more than 500 structures and killed five people.

Two Colleges Suspend Students for Gatherings That Broke Coronavirus Restrictions