September 2021 - Page 9 of 11 - The Michigan Star

University Faculty Training Lists ‘Perfectionism,’ ‘Sense of Urgency’ As Indicators of ‘White Supremacy’

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Faculty and graduate students at Colorado University – Boulder were recently encouraged to reject “neoliberal” concepts of time, as well as to avoid “cultural norms of white supremacy” like “sense of urgency” and “individualism” in their classrooms.

The university’s Equitable Teaching Conference, hosted by the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning, convened instructors and graduate students for virtual sessions on how to use “equity-minded practices” in the classroom. Attendance at the conference was entirely voluntary; faculty and instructors were not required to participate.

Guinean President Ousted in Apparent Coup, Military Officer Says

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Military officers allegedly arrested the president of Guinea and threw out the country’s constitution on Sunday, CNN reported.

“We will no longer entrust politics to a man. We will entrust it to the people. We come only for that; it is the duty of a soldier, to save the country,” Guinean army officer Mamady Doumbouya said in a statement broadcasted Sunday, CNN reported.

The West African government, constitution and all other institutions are now dissolved, and every Guinean land and air border is closed to travel, Doumbouya said.

The University of Pittsburgh to Hire Professor of ‘Oppression’

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The University of Pittsburgh has posted a job listing for an assistant professor of “Structural Racism, Oppression, and Black Political Experiences” as part of a larger initiative to hire academics who work on issues of equity and inclusion.

The job listing states that “desirable research and teaching interests include, but are not limited to: race and ethnic politics, identity, democratic behavior, activism and collective action, representation, urban or local governance, health and healthcare policy, technology policy or algorithmic bias, environmental justice, ethnic or international conflict, migration, post-colonialism/post-imperialism.”

Feds Say California Too Expensive to Welcome Afghan Refugees

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 The Center Square

Hashoo Foundation (HF) is implementing a project for the Afghan Refugees residing in I-12 Islamabad who were deprived from the basic needs of life. Hashoo Foundation with the support of United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Gesellshaft Technische Zusamenarbeit (GTZ) has been able to establish two basic health units for males and females, initiate primary education system for the children and equip young people with some marketable skills such as tailoring, embroidery, motor winding and electrician.

by Cole Lauterbach Afghan refugees looking to resettle in the U.S. are being discouraged from picking California as a destination, despite the state having significant Afghan population centers. In the days after the U.S. announced it would resettle refugees fleeing a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, governors across the country…

Chinese-Owned TikTok Overtakes YouTube in US

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

After former President Donald J. Trump attempted to ban TikTok, a popular video streaming social network, the Chinese-owned company has overtaken Google-owned YouTube in popularity in the United States.

“App users in the UK and US are spending more time on TikTok than on YouTube, a new report suggests,” BBC reported. “Data from app monitoring firm App Annie indicates that average time per user spent on the apps is higher for TikTok, indicating high levels of engagement.”

European Union Health Agencies See ‘No Urgent Need’ for COVID-19 Boosters Among Fully Vaccinated

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The two leading European health agencies determined Thursday that COVID-19 booster shots are not necessary for fully vaccinated individuals who do not have compromised immune systems.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency issued a statement saying the current priority should be vaccinating all eligible individuals. Booster shots should be considered only for those with compromised immune systems.

The Political Time Bomb for Biden Inside the Latest Jobless Numbers

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Joe Biden walking with "American Jobs Plan" sign

While the unemployment rate for Americans dropped in August, there is a political time bomb buried in the statistics for President Joe Biden and a Democratic Party increasingly focused on equity: black joblessness shot up significantly.

In other words, the president who fondly boasts of a domestic policy promising to leave nobody behind has an economic recovery that is leaving a key Democratic constituency in worse shape.

“The rise in black unemployment in August is certainly troubling, considering their unemployment rates were already much higher than any other group,” Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said on Twitter.

COVID Vaccination Status Increasingly Determines Treatment Under American Legal System

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Are you vaccinated against COVID-19? The answer to that question may determine how the American legal system treats you, whether an inmate, party or even lawyer.

From custody fights and bail conditions to courthouse access and grooming privileges, vaccination status is playing an outsized role in courts and jails nationwide.

An Illinois judge provoked outrage a month ago by revoking a divorced mother’s visitation rights to her 11-year-old son after Rebecca Firlit told him she couldn’t get vaccinated because of adverse reactions.

USDA Announces Racial Preferences in New ‘Climate Smart Agriculture’ Funding

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

This week’s Golden Horseshoe goes to the USDA for $50 million in “climate smart agriculture” grants the department will award preferentially in the name of “racial equity and justice” to “socially disadvantaged” racial and ethnic classes of farmers and ranchers, as well as to “historically underserved producers.”

Despite a recent court ruling against the department for a race-based loan forgiveness program, the USDA posted notice on Aug. 25 of a funding opportunity for a new program involving such preferences, Conservation Outreach: Racial Equity and Justice Conservation Cooperative Agreements.”

Commentary: Jacob Chansley Pleads Guilty to Obstruction, Remains in Jail

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Jacob Chansley, arguably the most iconic figure of the January 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol, today pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.

Chansley, 33, turned himself in to law enforcement and was arrested on January 9. A grand jury indicted Chansley two days later on six nonviolent counts including obstruction, civil disorder, and “parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.” The remaining counts will be dropped.

Judge Royce Lamberth accepted Chansely’s plea agreement with Joe Biden’s Justice Department, which continues to arrest and charge Americans for even minor involvement in the Capitol protest. Nearly 200 defendants face the obstruction charge, a felony added to mostly misdemeanor cases. (I explained the charge here in March.)

Biden Says He Respects Those Who Believe Life Begins at Conception, But Doesn’t Agree

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

President Joe Biden said Friday that though he respects Americans who believe life begins at conception, he does not agree with them.

The president discussed Texas’ Heartbeat Act, which the Supreme Court declined to block earlier this week, Friday morning with reporters. The law bans abortion after six weeks and allows “any person” to sue doctors, abortion clinics, or anyone who “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.”

Wisconsin Charter Schools Growing, Overcoming Law and Misperceptions

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 The Center Square

Wisconsin charter schools are on the rise despite legal hurdles and widespread myths.

First established in 1993, Wisconsin charter schools now number 235 with 14 schools listed as new since last year. That’s a 6% upward trend.

One of the schools listed as new is the Carmen Middle School of Science and Technology South Campus. The school was categorized as new because of a location move.

Studies Point to Varied Effects of Masking

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 Bradley Vasoli

Crowded street market with people wearing masks

New research published by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Bangladesh, which tracked mask-wearing among 340,000 Bangladeshi adults, indicates mask usage can considerably reduce the spread of symptomatic COVID-19.

Some medical professionals, however, remain uneasy about mask mandates in schools because of their possible impact on children’s learning and social health.

Chamber of Commerce Conference in Michigan to Require Coronavirus Vaccination, Offer Interaction ‘Comfort Level’ Wristbands

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021 Cooper Moran

Detroit Regional Chamber Conference in 2020

The Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce conference later this month will require attendees to be vaccinated and offer them interaction “comfort level” wristbands to wear.

The Chamber event, which will take place September 20-23 on Mackinac Island, will also require masking in certain areas, despite the vaccination mandate.

Americans Remain Hard Workers Even Through the Pandemic, Especially in Red States

September 6, 2021September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

With Labor Day upon us, it’s time to take a look at which are the hardest-working states in America, and why. It has been a year that daily and weekly work routines have dramatically changed for tens of millions of Americans.

Researchers for WalletHub, a personal finance website, have once again set out to determine which states are home to the hardest working Americans in their annual report. They compare the 50 states based on both direct and indirect work factors, and then apply 10 different metrics to reach an overall score to rank each state.

The direct work factors, according to WalletHub, include “average workweek hours, employment rate, the share of households where no adults work, the share of workers leaving vacation time unused, share of engaged workers, and idle youth.”

Report: Top Health Officials Tell White House to Pause Vaccine Booster Plan

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Top U.S. health officials told the White House pandemic coordinator on Thursday to scale back the Biden administration’s plan to administer the coronavirus booster shots to individuals in September, The New York Times reported.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey D. Zients that they need more time to collect and analyze the necessary data relating to the booster shots, The New York Times reported.

The doctors told Zients that their agencies might be able to determine whether to recommend boosters for recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the coming weeks, according to the Times.

The two doctors presented their argument to Zients at a meeting on Thursday. It is unclear how Zients responded to the news.

Commentary: Fundamentally Transforming America

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

“We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.”

That was the “composite character” David Garrow described in Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama, on the campaign back in 2008. By “we,” the composite character meant himself and running mate, Senator Joe Biden. In 2021, with the Delaware Democrat in the White House, an update on the transformation process is in order.

In 2008 the United States was already a democratic republic, in which the people had selected presidents as different as Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. After FDR’s New Deal and LBJ’s Great Society, the United States was already a top-heavy welfare state. Any fundamental transformation, therefore, would have to come through different channels.

Nikole Hannah-Jones Says Her Privately Funded School Program Won’t Teach Critical Race Theory

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The New York Times’ 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones said her free after-school literacy program in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, will teach black history, not critical race theory (CRT), the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.

The privately-funded “1619 Freedom School” headed by Hannah-Jones will be for students in the Waterloo Community School District in Iowa. The program’s goal is to “improve literacy skills and develop a love for reading through liberating instruction centered on Black American history,” according to the 1619 Freedom School website.

NFL to Allow Far-Left ‘Social Justice’ Phrases on Helmets for Upcoming Season

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

For the 2021 football season, the National Football League (NFL) will permit its players to display far-left propaganda on their outfits, and the league will even provide six different phrases for players to choose from for display on their helmets during games, as Fox News reports.

The six phrases that players can have emblazoned on their helmets are: “Black Lives Matter,” “End Racism,” “Stop Hate,” “Inspire Change,” “It Takes All Of Us,” and “Say Their Stories.” In addition, the league will allow home teams to have one of two phrases written across the end zones of their fields: “End Racism” or “It Takes All Of Us.”

Amazon Will Start Actively Looking for Content to Remove from Hosting Platform: Report

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Amazon is creating a team dedicated to actively locating content that violates its policies and removing it from its cloud hosting platform, Reuters reported.

The company’s cloud services division, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is set to hire several people to monitor and remove abusive, illegal, and violent content, a source familiar with the plans told Reuters. The team will also work with outside researchers to review and identify offending content, the source said.

AWS provides data storage, machine learning, and cloud web-hosting, among other services. The division attracted controversy earlier this year when it kicked social media app Parler off its cloud servers over allegations the app was used to coordinate the Jan. 6 riots inside the Capitol building.

DOJ Prepares Second Antitrust Suit Against Google over Digital Ads

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is readying an antitrust lawsuit against Google over its digital advertising practices, a source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

The lawsuit will be based on the ongoing DOJ investigation into allegations Google illegally maintains a monopoly in the digital advertising market, and could be filed as soon as December, the source told Bloomberg. Though the decision to file the complaint has yet to be finalized, the suit would be the DOJ’s second antitrust challenge against Google, following an October lawsuit which took aim at Google’s search business.

U.S. Postal Service Workers Are Having a Lot of Vehicle Accidents, but Not Reporting Them: Report

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The U.S. Postal Service had more than 144,000 vehicle crashes and more than 300,000 industrial accidents over the last five years, but most were not properly reported in the required tracking systems, according to a new investigative report by the service’s internal watchdog.

The report last week by the inspector general laid bare the extent of accidents — there were nearly $130 million in repairs since 2016 — as well as a laissez faire culture inside the Postal Service for ensuring required documentation for crashes and workplace accidents in the Employee Health and Safety and Solution for Enterprise Asset Management (SEAM) systems.

“Of the 147,192 nationwide accident repair-related work orders completed in SEAM, 108,126 (73 percent) did not have corresponding accident reports in EHS,” the report said. “Also, there were 23,301 (14 percent) accidents not reported in EHS within 24 hours of notification of the accident/injury.”

New Zealand Police Kill ‘ISIS-Inspired’ Terrorist After He Stabs Six People

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

New Zealand police shot and killed a terrorist inspired by ISIS after he stabbed and wounded six people in a grocery store Friday.

The man entered a supermarket in the city of Auckland on Friday afternoon and took a knife off the shelves, said Andrew Coster, Commissioner of Police for New Zealand. He began attacking shoppers, stabbing six people before police were able to respond.

Police Officers, Firefighters Sue Oregon Governor Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Police and firefighters are suing Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, arguing her vaccine mandate for state workers conflicts with the U.S. and state constitutions.

The lawsuit filed in Jefferson County by the Oregon Fraternal Order of Police and the Kinglsey Firefighters Association asks the judge seeks to block the state from enforcing Brown’s executive order requiring COVID-19 inoculations fir all executive branch employees.

Music Spotlight: Ryan Curtis

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Bethany Bowman

Ryan Curtis is a gifted singer/songwriter whose newest debut solo album, ‘Rust Belt, Broken Heart’ is sure to strike a chord in the working man who has been there and done that.

Private Afghanistan Evacuation Team Criticizes Biden Administration Officials Who ‘Did Absolutely Nothing’ to Help Girls Escape Taliban

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The Biden administration ignored several pleas for help from an American evacuation team in the waning days of the Afghanistan withdrawal, emails reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.

The team had contacted senior officials in the administration to help evacuate people from Afghanistan before the U.S. withdrawal, according to emails obtained by the DCNF. They were working to get Americans and vulnerable Afghans out of the country, but it was a difficult task to do alone, according to the team.

Robert Stryk, who earlier spoke with the DCNF about his frustrations with the administration before Aug. 31, said Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer failed to act on his team’s desperate pleas for help in getting hundreds of girls out of Afghanistan as the U.S. withdrawal deadline approached.

Gingrich Commentary: Celebrating Labor Day

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

As Americans gather today to relax and enjoy Labor Day with their family and friends, it is a good time to reflect on what this traditional holiday means to working Americans in the 21st century.

The legislation which made Labor Day a national holiday was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland in 1894. It was created during a time of rapid industrialization and economic growth, as much of the United States shifted from an agricultural to industrial economy. This period of change created many challenges for working Americans as they had to learn new skills and work long hours.

The past year-and-a-half has also presented many challenges and changes for working Americans. The threat of a global pandemic reshaped work in ways we could not have imagined even a few years ago.

Pakistani Ambassador Doubts U.S. Intelligence Taliban Is Seeking ‘Retribution’ Against Afghans

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. said he does not believe the Taliban is seeking “retribution” against Afghans, contrary to American intelligence, according to emails obtained by Politico.

Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan said in exchanges between the U.S. and Pakistan that the Taliban “were not seeking retribution, and in fact were going home to home to assure Afghans that there will not be reprisals,” based on “ground observations,” Politico reported.

U.S. State Department official Ervin Massinga noted that “he has seen reporting to the contrary and hopes the Taliban do not seek revenge.”

China Bans Effeminate Men on TV to Promote ‘Revolutionary Culture’

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

China is banning effeminate men from appearing on television, the Chinese government announced Thursday.

Under a new directive issued by China’s National Radio and Television Administration, Chinese broadcasters must promote “excellent traditional culture, revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture,” according to a translation by the Associated Press. Additionally, broadcasters must “resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal aesthetics.”

Texas State Senator Debunks Myths About the New Heartbeat Act

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Abortion advocates who insist Texas’ Heartbeat Act places bounties on pregnant women’s heads are misrepresenting the legislation, Republican Texas state Sen. Brian Hughes told the Daily Caller News Foundation Friday.

“I want to be very clear,” Hughes said. “There are no claims against the mother. We want to make sure folks realize that … I read a couple of places saying the mothers would receive criminal penalties. There are no criminal penalties in this bill at all. It’s driven by private civil enforcement against the doctor and against people who aid and abet the doctor and in doing illegal abortions.”

Larry Elder Says He’ll Replace Senator Feinstein with Republican if He Wins California Recall Election

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Larry Elder said Friday that if he is elected California governor in the state recall of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, he will replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) with a Republican.

Elder told the “Mark Levin Show” that George Soros, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are getting involved in the California recall election because they’re concerned about the balance of power in the Senate.

Transgender Person Who Allegedly Exposed Himself at L.A. Spa Charged with Indecent Exposure

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The transgender individual who exposed himself in front of women and children at a California luxury spa earlier this year, has been charged with indecent exposure, the New York Post reported Thursday. Darren Agee Merager, 52, is a registered sex offender with two prior convictions of indecent exposure, according to the Post’s law-enforcement sources. Merager is also facing “six felony counts of indecent exposure over a separate locker room incident in December 2018,” according to the Post.

As American Greatness previously reported, several women complained last June, when the biological male allegedly exposed his penis at the Wi Spa in Los Angeles.

Viral video footage of the incident showed a woman angrily confronting a staff member of the spa about a naked man who had apparently exposed himself in an area reserved for females.

Colorado High School Students Stage Walkout to Protest School Mask Requirement

September 6, 2021September 7, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

High school students in Douglas County, Colorado, staged protests Wednesday calling for the end of a classroom mask mandate, ABC 7 Denver reported.

Students from ThunderRidge High School walked out of class around 9:30 a.m. in protest of the classroom mask requirement, ABC 7 reported.

Afghan Refugees Undergo ‘Biometric and Biographic Vetting’ Before Coming to America

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Afghan refugees are subject to security and health screening performed by Department of Homeland Security officials before they’re evacuated to the U.S. or a third country for additional processing, a Biden administration senior official said.

Afghans must clear biometric and biographic vetting including iris scans, palm and voice prints and photographs before they’re evacuated from the country, CNN reported. The refugees are also tested for COVID-19 and offered vaccinations before they’re released, the senior official said in a background press call on Aug. 24.

“That [security screening] process involves biometric and biographic security screenings conducted by our intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals who are working quite literally around the clock to vet all of these Afghans before they’re allowed into the United States,” the Biden administration senior official said on the call.

School Had ‘No Such Record’ of Complaints About Antifa-Supporting Teacher, Superintendent Says

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The superintendent who will likely fire a pro-Antifa California teacher said his school district has not been able to find any reports from parents or students prior to a Project Veritas video catching him boasting about indoctrinating his students, Fox News reported.

Natomas Unified School District (NUSD) Superintendent Chris Evans asked any parent or teacher who had previously notified the school about the teacher, Gabriel Gipe, to reach out again, Fox News reported.

Michael Patrick Leahy on Narrative Journalism and Big Tech Alliances

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 JCarr

Thursday morning on Frist Principles with Phill Kline, host Kline welcomed The Star News Networks CEO and Editor in Chief Michael Patrick Leahy to the phone lines to discuss the changing landscape of journalism and Big Techs’ partnership with social media titans.

Federal Reserve Could Soon Lose Control of Inflation Like in 1960s, Economic Historian Says

September 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Prominent economic historian Niall Ferguson said current inflation could be in line with where it was in the 1960s during the period that preceded a decade of high consumer prices, CNBC reported.

“What is interesting about disasters is that one can lead to another,” Ferguson said in a Friday interview with CNBC. “You can go from a public health disaster to a fiscal, monetary and potentially inflationary disaster.”

During the 1960s, inflation stayed low before shooting up in the 1970s, according to government economic data. Consumer prices ultimately peaked in 1980 before rapidly declining.

Detroit Schools Reach New Contract with Union

September 6, 2021September 5, 2021 The Center Square

The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), Michigan’s largest public education system responsible for educating 51,000 children, has reached a new agreement with the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) Local 231 on a two-year successor contract before starting the ’21-22 school year.

DPSCD Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti and DFT President Terrance Martin agreed to terms on August 26, and DFT members ratified the agreement on September 1.

In August, the unit reached a safe reopening plan outlining the safety guidelines, additional hazards, and blended learning bonuses.

State Department Can’t Answer How U.S. Will Deal with Afghan Refugees Who Do Not Pass ‘Rigorous’ Security Screening

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The State Department would not reveal what the U.S. will do with Afghan refugees who are flagged for security reasons.

“I would rather not entertain a hypothetical,” Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said at a press briefing Thursday when asked what would happen to Afghan evacuees who fail the vetting process.

Commentary: Making ‘Allies’ of Terrorists Is as Disastrous as You Would Expect

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Taliban insurgents turn themselves in to Afghan National Security Forces at a forward operating base in Puza-i-Eshan

In the wake of the bungled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, many Americans may be wondering how the U.S. government found itself closely cooperating with, and even relying upon, an enemy with whom we were at war for 20 years.

The Taliban maintains its intention to enforce Sharia Law, harbors al-Qaeda, and includes a designated terrorist group among its organizations.

Yet the head of U.S. Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, praised the Taliban for their assistance with the U.S. evacuation, calling the jihadist group “actually very helpful.”

Psaki Refuses to Discuss ‘Leaked’ Transcript of Biden’s Phone Call with Former Afghan President

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday refused to discuss the transcript of a shocking phone conversation between Joe Biden and then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, even though she once called for more transparency regarding a phone call between President Trump and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky.

During the phone call in question, Biden pressured Ghani to create the “perception” that the Taliban weren’t winning, “whether it’s true or not,” knowing that the insurgents had already taken over about half the country.

Progressives Renew Calls to Abolish Filibuster, Pack Supreme Court After Texas Abortion Decision

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Progressives renewed their calls to abolish the Senate filibuster and expand the Supreme Court after it did not block a Texas law restricting abortion access from going into effect.

“Republicans promised to overturn Roe v Wade, and they have,” New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote just after midnight Thursday, invoking the 1973 landmark Supreme Court case. “Democrats can either abolish the filibuster and expand the court, or do nothing as millions of peoples’ bodies, rights, and lives are sacrificed for far-right minority rule.”

Report: WHO Says Dementia Population Set to Increase 40 Percent by 2030

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The total number of people diagnosed with dementia will increase by over 40% by 2030, the World Health Organization predicted on Thursday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 55 million currently live with dementia, according to a recent report. The WHO expects that number to reach 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050.

Apple Delays Launch of Controversial Child Pornography Scanning Tool over Privacy Backlash

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

Apple is delaying the release of a software update that scans iPhones for child pornography after criticism suggested that the features violated user privacy, the tech giant announced Friday.

“Previously we announced plans for features intended to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them and to help limit the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material,” the company said in a statement posted to its website Friday. “Based on feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers, and others, we have decided to take additional time over the coming months to collect input and make improvements before releasing these critically important child safety features.”

Senate Judiciary Committee to Review Supreme Court’s ‘Abuse’ of Shadow Docket

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Supreme Court’s use of the so-called “shadow docket” — a method of issuing brief late-night rulings on key cases like the Texas abortion law.

“The Supreme Court must operate with the highest regard for judicial integrity in order to earn the public’s trust,” Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, who is also the Senate majority whip, said in a statement. “This anti-choice law is a devastating blow to Americans’ constitutional rights — and the Court allowed it to see the light of day without public deliberation or transparency.”

Commentary: Homeschooling Numbers Are Skyrocketing in Some Parts of the Country

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The numbers are startling. More parents are pulling their children out of school for homeschooling this fall, prompted in large part by school mask policies and ongoing virus concerns.

The homeschooling rate in the US doubled in 2020, and tripled from its pre-pandemic level, as parents sought other options when confronted with prolonged school closures.

Facebook’s WhatsApp Hit with $265 Million Fine for Violating Personal Data Laws

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

European Union regulators imposed a $265 million fine on Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp on Thursday for failing to adequately inform consumers what it did with their data.

The fine, issued by the Data Protection Commission (DPC), related to WhatsApp’s failure to provide consumers with certain information about how it shared their personal data with other Facebook-owned companies, according to the agency’s announcement. This omission by WhatsApp violated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU’s data protection and privacy law governing how tech companies collect and share user information.

Virginia Universities Start Kicking Out Unvaccinated Students

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 The Center Square

Some Virginia universities have started kicking out students who refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and other institutions may start following suit.

Virginia Tech disenrolled 134 students this week who did not receive the vaccine. Before that, the University of Virginia disenrolled 288 students, and William & Mary withdrew 42 students for the same reason. All three universities require students be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they receive a medical or religious exemption.

“Of the approximately 37,000 students enrolled at Virginia Tech, 134 students were not in compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement, meaning that they did not submit vaccination documentation or receive a medical or religious exemption,” a statement on Virginia Tech’s website read. “These students have been disenrolled. The university does not know whether any of these students were not planning to return for reasons unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.”

Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil Questions Why Biden Admin Shuttered Trump Era Contingency and Crisis Response Bureau Before Afghanistan Withdrawal

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Hayley Feland

Wisconsin Representative Bryan Steil (R-01-WI) is questioning why the Biden Administration shuttered the Trump era Contingency and Crisis Response (CCR) Bureau prior to withdrawing from Afghanistan. Steil co-wrote a letter to the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken with another Representative, saying that he believes that the decision to shut down the CCR made the Afghanistan situation worse.

Another Instance of FBI Anti-Trump Sentiments Rocks Whitmer Kidnap Plot Case

September 5, 2021September 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The FBI keeps getting in hot water when it comes to political expressions against former President Donald Trump.

The latest example came when it was disclosed that one of the lead FBI agents in the investigation into an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will be precluded from testifying at trial after he used an expletive to describe Trump.