Month: December 2020

Baltimore Police Department Say They Need 500 Additional Officers to Stem City-Wide Crime Spike

Michigan Star Staff

After another violent weekend with a number of homicides and shootings in the city, the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) called out Police Commissioner Michael Harrison Tuesday morning, saying more officers have left the department than have been hired during his tenure, leaving the police department 500 officers short.

WJZ reported there were seven non-fatal shootings and five murders over the weekend in Mayor Brandon Scott’s (D) Baltimore, and another fatal shooting in broad daylight Monday, bringing the homicide total to 325 so far this year.

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Commentary: The ‘Expert Consensus’ Favored Alcohol Prohibition, Too

Michigan Star Staff

Most people today regard America’s experiment with alcohol prohibition as a national embarrassment, rightly repealed in 1933. So it will be with the closures and lockdowns of 2020, someday. 

In 1920, however, to be for the repeal of the prohibition that was passed took courage. You were arguing against prevailing opinion backed by celebratory scientists and exalted social thinkers. What you were saying flew in the face of “expert consensus.”

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At 1PM Saturday, FBI Special Agent in Charge Says No Person or Persons of Interest Identified as Responsible for Christmas Morning Bombing

Admin

  During an early afternoon press conference in Nashville Saturday, authorities asserted that investigators had not identified a person or persons of interest in the Christmas morning bombing. Shortly before the press briefing, CBSNews.com reported that person of interest had been identified: “A law enforcement source told CBS News a…

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Six Officers Hailed as Heroes for Running Into Nashville Blast Site Prior to Explosion

Admin

Six Nashville police officers were hailed as heroes on Christmas Day after they rushed to evacuate a downtown area of the city prior to an explosion, a law enforcement official said.

“These officers didn’t care about themselves,” Metro Police Chief John Drake said, according to Fox 17. “They didn’t think about that. They cared about the citizens of Nashville. They went in and we’d be talking not about the debris that we have here but potential people.”

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Christmas Day Bombing in Nashville Prompts Curfew as Surrounding Buildings Still in Possible Danger

Chris Butler

Metro Nashville authorities have imposed a curfew on parts of downtown Nashville after a massive Christmas Day explosion damaged at least 41 businesses on Second Avenue and collapsed one building. Nashville Mayor John Cooper, Nashville Fire Chief William Swann, and Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake updated the public at a Friday evening press conference.

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Commentary: Teachable Union Moments

Michigan Star Staff

Lesson plans are a teacher’s daily guide for what students need to learn and how it will be taught. Because educators are always looking for new and interesting ways to engage kids, I have a few ideas that can be used to further student knowledge.

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CDC Says More Than a Million Americans Have Been Vaccinated for COVID-19

Michigan Star Staff

More than a million Americans have received the first round of vaccinations for the coronavirus as of Wednesday at 9 a.m., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced.

Over nine million coronavirus doses have been distributed and 1,008,025 doses have been administered, according to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.

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Four California Small Business Owners Share Their Struggles to Survive Under Lockdowns

Michigan Star Staff

California small businesses are crumbling under the weight of a new stay-at-home order and a lack of meaningful financial assistance. 

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a new region-based lockdown order for California on Dec. 3, forcing more California businesses to close their doors or severely limit operations. 

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Hungary Amends Constitution to Recognize Parents as Male and Female

Michigan Star Staff

In an effort to protect traditional Christian values amid the world’s rapidly evolving mores, lawmakers in Hungary amended the definition of family in its constitution last week to stipulate that a mother is a woman, and a father is a man, effectively banning adoption by same sex couples.  The ninth amendment to Hungary’s constitution now also “protects a child’s right to identify with their gender at birth,” and right to “an upbringing based on Hungary’s constitutional identity and Christian culture.”

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Walmart Fueled Opioid Epidemic by Filling Illegitimate Prescriptions Regularly, DOJ Lawsuit Alleges

Michigan Star Staff

The Department of Justice sued Walmart Tuesday alleging that the big-box retailer fueled the U.S. opioid epidemic by knowingly filling illegitimate prescriptions and with price-cutting techniques.

Walmart transformed its 5,000 in-store pharmacies into a leading network of opioid suppliers, the Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit alleged, according to a press release. In addition, Walmart allegedly didn’t heed warnings from its pharmacists that there was an insufficient screening process for questionable prescriptions.

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ICE Arrested More Than 150 Aliens in 10 Days

Michigan Star Staff

Over 150 aliens, including 117 who said they would voluntarily leave the U.S. were arrested during a 10-day enforcement period, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday.

The national enforcement operation, “Operation Broken Promise” found that 71% of the aliens arrested from Dec. 7 through Dec. 17 had criminal convictions or pending charges, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Madison Cawthorn Says He’s Contesting the Election, Will Fund Primary Opponents Against GOP Reps Who Don’t Speak Out

Michigan Star Staff

Incoming Republican North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn said at a Turning Point USA conference Monday that he will contest the election and fund primary opponents against GOP members not publicly urging “for fair, free and just elections.”

Cawthorn said the Constitution says “that state legislators are the only body that can change election law within their own states,” video of the conference shows. He said numerous governors and state secretaries in swing states have violated the law.

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ATF Withdraws Proposed Gun Regulation Manufacturers Say Would Cost Industry $2 Billion After Pressure from Lawmakers

Michigan Star Staff

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under pressure from dozens of congressmen, withdrew guidance on a proposed regulation that gun industry leaders warned would cost them billions.

The ATF’s decision to pull its regulation regarding pistol braces follows a cooperative effort from 90 House of Representatives members who demanded the regulatory agency cease its “alarming” determination that “could turn law-abiding gun owners into criminals overnight.”

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University of Kansas Study Admits Microaggression Training Doesn’t Work

Michigan Star Staff

A University of Kansas study found that microaggression training does not significantly affect behavior, but instead introduces a “catch-all label for anything that causes offense.”

University of Kansas professors Zak Foste and Jennifer Ng interviewed resident assistants at two universities to determine the efficacy of microaggression training, according to the school.

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Ivy League Uses Obama-Era Immigration Tweak to Broaden Work Visa Eligibility

Michigan Star Staff

The University of Pennsylvania reclassified its economics department as a STEM field making it the last Ivy League school to do so in the interest of helping international students receive longer work visas after graduation.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expanded the list of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses that would let graduates gain an optional practical training (OPT) extension. 

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Commentary: Why Do So Few Clergy Serve in Congress?

Michigan Star Staff

While campaigning for Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins – a former pastor – attacked her opponent, Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, for his views on abortion rights.

“There is no such thing as a pro-choice pastor,” Collins said of Warnock. “What you have is a lie from the bed of hell.”

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AG Nessel Hopeful a Buttigieg Cabinet Position Will Seal Line 5’s Fate

The Center Square
Pete Buttigieg

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Tuesday expressed her approval of former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg as a nominee to head up the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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44 Percent of People Say They’re Not Doing Christmas in Person Due to Coronavirus

Michigan Star Staff

A study found 44% of Americans said they’re not gathering for Christmas with their loved ones, a Civic Science infographic said.

More respondents in December reported canceling in-person Christmas than in October, the study’s infographic said. In October, 36% responded that they still planned in-person gatherings, but that number dropped to 30% just before the holiday.

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GOP Blocks Standalone $2,000 Stimulus Payments Bill, House to Vote on Proposal Monday

Michigan Star Staff

House Republicans blocked legislation Thursday that would have sent $2,000 in direct payments to Americans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

House Democratic and Republican leaders met early Thursday morning in a pro forma session and held a unanimous consent vote on the standalone direct payments proposal, according to CNBC. Republican leadership voted the measure down, sinking the effort, which required all lawmakers present to unanimously vote in favor for it to pass.

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Analysis Ranks Top U.S. Cities for Christmas

The Center Square

Two cities in North Carolina and two in California are in the top five among the best cities in the country for celebrating Christmas, according to a new study from WalletHub.

Durham, N.C., edged out San Jose, Calif., by less than one point to take the top spot with a cumulative score of 68.16, compared to 67.99. Honolulu, Hawaii, took third with 67.92 points, followed by Oakland, Calif., (67.09) and Raleigh, N.C. (67).

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UK, EU Leaders Reach Historic Brexit Deal After Months of Negotiations

Michigan Star Staff

The U.K. and the European Union agreed to a historic Brexit trade deal Thursday after months of tense negotiations and with just days left before the deadline, leaders from both sides announced.

The thousand-page trade agreement means that the U.K. can finally depart from the EU and sets up the framework for British-EU relations post-Brexit, according to The New York Times. The deal concluded more than four years of bitter Brexit negotiations after British citizens voted in favor of leaving the EU in June 2016.

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Federal Court Blocks California Church’s Bid for in-Person Worship On Christmas

Michigan Star Staff

A federal appeals court has denied a California church’s bid to hold in-person services for Christmas.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit declined to lift California’s coronavirus restrictions for the Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California in the Wednesday ruling. Under the restrictions issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom, churches in the state are not allowed to hold in-person services amid the pandemic.

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Most Popular Christmas Cookies

Eric Burk

What’s the most popular Christmas cookie? The Virginia Star combed through several lists of cookies to get an idea of which were listed the most often. Many of the most popular cookies allow a lot of variation — bakers like to put their own creative spin on their cookies. Here’s our list:

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Favorite Christmas Songs by State

Jacob Taylor

Christmas Day has finally arrived and although many people’s plans may look quite different this year, there is one thing about the holiday season that can never be changed: catchy, calming and irresistible Christmas songs.

Whether a person listens to Christmas music all 365 days of the year or only starts once winter has set in, almost everybody has a favorite jingle that inevitably gets played more often around the holidays.

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Detroit Sues Black Lives Matter Members, Claims They Endangered ‘Lives of Police and the Public’

Michigan Star Staff

Officials in Detroit sued a prominent activist group and several Black Lives Matter demonstrators for damages following allegations of riots, violence and a “civil conspiracy” to defame local authorities.

The suit was filed against multiple individuals and an organization called Detroit Will Breathe, which indicates on its webpage that it plans to use “militant resistance” to enact “meaningful change” for people of color. City leaders allege that the group was part of a conspiracy to damage property, attack law enforcement and incite riot activity, the lawsuit read.

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Trump Vetoes Defense Spending Bill, Says It’s ‘Gift’ to China and Russia, Lacks Section 230 Reforms

Michigan Star Staff

President Trump on Wednesday followed through on his threat to veto the National Defense Authorization Act, calling it a “gift” to China and Russia that also lacks the reforms he sought to rescind legal liability shields for technology companies provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

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Commentary: Under Biden, the Term ‘Illegal Alien’ May Become Illegal

Michigan Star Staff

If you agreed with President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” approach to governance, then brace yourself, as all of it could soon be subject to dismantling if Joe Biden is successful in his bid for the presidency. The changes will be of both the macro and micro variety. Some that appear minor are actually very significant. One such example is the war on language, specifically the term “illegal alien.”

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Commentary: Charlie Brown’s Christmas Message to America

Michigan Star Staff

Parents and children across America breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced that “A Charlie Brown Christmas” would air on public television after all. This classic favorite seemed ready to disappear like everything else in 2020 when Apple TV obtained the rights and planned to air the program on its streaming service, instead of broadcast TV as has been done since 1965.

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New Jobless Claims Decrease to 803,000, Economists Expected 888,000

Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 803,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Dec. 12, in which there were 885,000 new jobless claims reported. Roughly 20.4 million Americans continue to collect unemployment benefits, according to the BLS report Thursday.

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Pfizer, U.S. Reach Deal for 100 Million Additional Coronavirus Vaccine Doses

Michigan Star Staff

The Trump Administration has purchased an additional 100 million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, the drugmaker announced Wednesday.

The new agreement means that Pfizer will supply 200 million doses to the United States, according to the company’s statement, which will be distributed through July 2021. Also included in the deal is the option to purchase an additional 400 million doses.

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Trump Authorizes Russiagate Special Counsel to Use Classified Information for Grand Jury Proceedings

Michigan Star Staff

President Donald Trump on Tuesday authorized the Department of Justice to use classified information in grand jury proceedings connected to a special counsel’s investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe.

In a memo released through the White House, Trump authorized the attorney general “to use classified information as he deems necessary in connection with his review, including in a grand jury or other proceeding.”

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Fauci: Americans Should Not to See Their Kids for Christmas

Michigan Star Staff

Dr Anthony Fauci has revealed that he and his wife won’t be spending time with their three adult children for Christmas this year and urged other Americans to do the same as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the U.S.

The nation’s alleged top infectious disease expert told The Washington Post it would mark the first Christmas not spent with his three daughters since they were born.

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer Announces State Assistance for Bars and Restaurants as State Commission Continues to Suspend Liquor Licenses

The Center Square

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday announced programs aimed at assisting the state’s restaurants and bars as well as families facing evictions.

The announcement came as the governor is facing mounting criticism over her administration’s penalizing businesses alleged to have violated epidemic orders imposed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

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Statement of The Star News Network Editorial Policy on Stories About Calls for Martial Law in the United States of America

Michigan Star Staff

It is the policy of The Star News Network that we will publish no stories about calls for martial law in the United States by public figures or private individuals at any of our online news websites, which currently consist of The Tennessee Star, The Ohio Star, The Michigan Star, The Minnesota Sun, The Georgia Star News, and The Virginia Star.

At the federal level, the imposition of martial law is exceedingly rare. It has only ever been imposed once by a sitting President, by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, and even in that instance martial law was only applicable to Confederate soldiers. 

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Georgia Voters Sue Fulton County, Allege Illegal Ballot Scanning Corresponding with Vote Spike

Corinne Murdock

A group of Georgia voters filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court earlier this week against the individual members of the Fulton County Board of Elections and individually against Richard Barron, Fulton County Elections Director. The lawsuit focused on the security footage presented by Trump’s legal team during the Georgia Senate hearing, popularized as the “suitcase ballots” video.

The plaintiffs alleged that the group of workers seen on video illegally scanned thousands of mail-in ballots hidden underneath skirted tables. They also claimed that those ballots may be fraudulent. Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia (VOTERGA), a nonpartisan and non-profit election integrity coalition, organized the aggrieved voters into a group of plaintiffs.

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Emails Obtained by FBI Detail How Hunter Biden Landed Ukrainian Gas Gig in 2014

Admin

In the weeks before he landed a deal with a Ukrainian gas company in 2014, Hunter Biden strategized with his business partner on how to leverage an upcoming official trip to Kiev by his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, to clinch the lucrative arrangement, according to emails obtained a year ago by the FBI.

The communications reviewed by Just the News show that the younger Biden referred to his father as “my guy” and took credit for “adding value” because the vice president made comments to Ukrainian leaders about natural gas production that might benefit his new client.

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New York Times Bungles Attempted Hit Piece on The Star News Network and The Georgia Star News

Peter D'Abrosca

The New York Times bungled an attempted hit piece on The Star News Network and the Georgia Star News, and was forced to make several corrections within hours of the story’s publication on Tuesday.

The Times, however, failed to make all the factual corrections requested by Star News Digital Media, which owns and operates the Georgia Star News, part of its Star News Network.

“Misinformation ‘Superspreaders’ Target Georgia Senate Races,” said a hyperbolic headline in the once-serious “paper of record.”

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Tech Billionaire Who Bankrolled Numerous Disinformation Projects Linked to $620,000 Donation to Fusion GPS’s Legal Fund

Michigan Star Staff

An anti-Trump group funded heavily by Reid Hoffman, a liberal billionaire tech titan who’s bankrolled political disinformation peddlers, contributed $620,000 to a legal fund for Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm behind the controversial Steele dossier, financial filings show.

According to IRS filings, The group Integrity First for America (IFA) made the contribution in 2018 for the legal defense fund of Bean LLC, the holding company for Fusion GPS.

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Trump Threatens to Veto COVID-19 Relief Bill, Calls It a ‘Disgrace,’ Loaded with Foreign Aid

Michigan Star Staff

President Trump on Tuesday night threatened to veto a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill adopted by the U.S. House and Senate, calling it an unfocused “disgrace,” loaded with foreign aid and unrelated expenses that go far beyond a narrow focus on relief for pandemic-related pain.

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BioNTech CEO ‘Confident’ That Coronavirus Vaccine Is Effective Against New European Strain

Michigan Star Staff

The CEO of BioNTech, the German drug maker who partnered with Pfizer in developing the world’s first approved coronavirus vaccine, said that he was “confident” it will be effective against a mutated strain of the virus found in the United Kingdom.

“The likelihood that our vaccine works… is relatively high,” Uğur Şahin told reporters during a Tuesday press conference, explaining that the mutated strain still shares approximately 99% of the original strain’s spike protein.

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Giuliani: Arizona GOP Will Attempt to Certify Trump the Winner of 2020 Election on Wednesday

Michigan Star Staff

President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday morning that the Arizona legislature will attempt to pass a resolution this week demanding a joint session to certify President Trump as the winner of the 2020 election.

During an interview on Steve Bannon’s “War Room: Pandemic” podcast, Giuliani noted that Arizona lawmakers did not have the votes to declare Trump the winner on Monday, but was hopeful that they would be able to do it on Wednesday.

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Stacey Abrams Staffer Helping Biden Pick Justice Department Team

Michigan Star Staff

After winning the vote in the Electoral College last week, former Vice President Joe Biden said the election process “should be celebrated, not attacked.” 

Biden derided what he called “baseless claims about the legitimacy of the results” of the presidential election and said, “Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy, even if we find those results hard to accept.”

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Joe Biden Expected to Name Current Connecticut Education Commissioner to Lead Education Department

Michigan Star Staff

President-elect Joe Biden is poised to select Miguel Cardona, the current Connecticut education commissioner, to lead the Department of Education in his administration, CNN reported.

Miguel Cardona, who has served as head of the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) since August 2019, will be President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to lead the federal government’s education department, multiple sources told CNN. Cardona would be the latest Latino to receive a high-ranking position in the incoming Biden administration.

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Governor Newsom Announces California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Will Succeed Harris in the Senate

Michigan Star Staff

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that Alex Padilla, California’s Secretary of State, will succeed Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the Senate.

Padilla, 47, will be the first Latino senator in California’s history. His selection was first reported by The Los Angeles Times.

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