Author: Michigan Star Staff

In the years following the bitter Civil War, a former Union general took a holiday originated by former Confederates and helped spread it across the entire country.

The holiday was Memorial Day, an annual commemoration was born in the former Confederate States in 1866 and adopted by the United States in 1868. It is a holiday in which the nation honors its military dead.

Commentary: Latest Alito Flag ‘Scandal’ Shows How the Left Thinks being an American is Un-American

Appealing to heaven is “provocative,” says The New York Times.

The Times reported Wednesday that—gasp—Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito flew an “Appeal to Heaven” flag last year at his vacation home in New Jersey.

Study Finds Teen Marijuana Use Tied to Dramatic Increased Risk of Psychosis

A study published Wednesday found that teens who use cannabis are 11 times more likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, according to NBC News.

The study was led by researchers from the University of Toronto and examined teenage patients who used cannabis within the last year and those who did not, according to NBC News. When the study was further limited to teens who were sent to the emergency room or hospitalized, it showed a 27-fold increase in the likelihood of being diagnosed with psychotic illness.

CNN Sees Lowest Primetime Ratings in Three Decades

The cable news channel CNN has suffered its lowest primetime ratings since 1991, in yet another indication that traditional television news coverage, as well as increasingly left-wing media, has taken a massive hit to its viewership in recent years.

As reported by the New York Post, the week of May 13th through May 19th saw the channel’s 8 PM to 11 PM programming draw just 83,000 viewers in the most crucial demographic of viewers between the ages of 25 and 54. In that same time period, Fox News saw over 186,000 viewers in the same demographic and the same time slots. MSNBC came in second with 111,000 viewers.

Commentary: Deepfakes, Disinformation, Social Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence in the 2024 Election

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its integration within various sectors is moving at a speed that couldn’t have been imagined just a few years ago. As a result, the United States now stands on the brink of a new era of cybersecurity challenges. With AI technologies becoming increasingly sophisticated, the potential for their exploitation by malicious actors grows exponentially.

Because of this evolving threat, government agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), alongside private sector entities, must urgently work to harden America’s defenses to account for any soft spots that may be exploited. Failure to do so could have dire consequences on a multitude of levels, especially as we approach the upcoming U.S. presidential election, which is likely to be the first to contend with the profound implications of AI-driven cyber warfare.

Illegal Immigration Under Biden Has Contributed to Housing Shortage, Experts Say

The surge of illegal immigration under President Joe Biden has exacerbated an already costly housing market for average Americans by worsening a shelter shortage, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The U.S. currently has an estimated shortage of 4 million to 7 million homes as developers struggle to keep up with demand amid harsh financial conditions and burdensome regulatory processes, according to Pew Charitable Trusts. Average Americans looking for a home are being squeezed by rising housing costs due to inflation and elevated mortgage rates, but the recent influx of illegal immigrants is putting even more stress on the system by aggravating the current shortage of supply in the housing market at a rate that developers can’t keep up with, according to experts who spoke to the DCNF.

Rand Paul Says Fauci ‘Could Be Indicted’ for Deleting Records

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., contends there are grounds to prosecute Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in America, based on congressional testimony from a top aide to the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“The most important knowledge that we learned is that [Dr.] David Morens, 20-year assistant to Fauci, was purposely evading FOIA, which is the law. More than that, he was also destroying evidence,” Paul told The Daily Signal, referring to the Freedom of Information Act and Morens’ testimony Wednesday before a House select subcommittee.

Uvalde Victims’ Families Slap Meta with Lawsuit: Report

Family members of the victims of a mass shooting in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, filed a lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Instagram, Friday, according to multiple reports.

Two teachers and 19 children died in the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde before Border Patrol agents stormed the classroom and fatally shot the perpetrator. The lawsuit also targets Activision, the maker of the Call of Duty video game franchise, and Daniel Defense, which made the rifle used in the shooting, CBS News reported.

Commentary: Abortions Are on the Rise, Planned Parenthood Proudly Reports

A recent report from Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) shows that more women across the nation are getting abortions, an increase that continues despite the efforts of pro-lifers to prevent it.

The 2022–2023 Annual Report the nation’s largest abortion provider claims that the organization performed almost 400,000 abortions for that time period. That’s a 5 percent increase from the 380,000 reported for 2020 to 2021.

Commentary: As a Husband and Father, I Endorse Harrison Butker’s Speech

In February, Harrison Butker kicked the longest field goal in Super Bowl history—a massive 57-yard three-pointer—to help carry the Kansas City Chiefs to a rollicking win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Recently, he’s made headlines again—this time, arguably, for far more profound reasons.

Biden Administration Seeks to Speed Up Backlog of Asylum Seekers in Blue Cities

The Biden Administration is facing growing pressure to more quickly resolve asylum cases that are putting a strain on Democratic cities, announcing a new process that will ostensibly help accomplish this goal.

According to Fox News, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) jointly announced the creation of a “Recent Arrivals (RA) Docket process,” aimed at processing asylum cases for single illegal alien adults at a faster pace.

Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Allowing Arizona Doctors to Perform Abortions in California

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday allowing Arizona doctors to become temporarily licensed in California to perform abortions should their state’s near-total ban on the procedure ever take effect.

California Senate Bill 233 passed the state legislature on May 23 in response to a recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling effectively banning abortion in the state. The Arizona ruling went into effect on April 9, but was quickly overturned by the state legislature.

Luxury Electric Vehicle Maker Becomes Latest in Industry to Announce Huge Layoffs

Electric vehicle (EV) maker Lucid Motors announced that the company would be laying off staff in a bid to lower expenses amid a slowdown in the market.

The layoffs will affect 6% of its workforce, equating to around 400 employees, and will trim from all employee levels, including leadership and mid-level management, according to a filing submitted Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Lucid is one of several EV makers to announce layoffs in recent months as consumers decline to adopt the product at the rate expected.

Commentary: A Tumultuous School Year Winds Down

As the school year nears completion, a quick look at recent developments shows an education system in turmoil. The unions are more political than ever, their demands are shameless, lawsuits against the establishment abound, and school choice is rapidly expanding.

Latest Polling Shows Third-Party Candidates Hurting Biden in Crucial Swing States

May 24, 2024May 23, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other third-party candidates appear to be hurting President Joe Biden — and boosting former President Donald Trump — when on the ballot in four key battleground states, a poll released Thursday found.

Trump’s leads grow against Biden among likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina when Kennedy, independent Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein are on the ballot, according to The Cook Political Report/BSG/GS Strategy Group survey. The margins between Trump and Biden don’t change in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in a five-way race, while the former president’s nine-point lead drops by one point in Nevada.

Commentary: 2024 Is America’s Last Chance to End the Obama-Biden Anti-American Revolution

May 24, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

President Joe Biden with former president Barack Obama

Given the realities of the past three years of the Biden Administration, this article expands on the thesis we have made in these pages that the American presidential election of 2024 will be the most important since 1860. That is not hyperbole, but a recognition of the grave conditions the American people face—these are matters of life and death for the country. Like in 1860, the election on November 5, 2024, will determine the course of history and whether or not the United States survives as a constitutional republic. While the deep roots of this crisis have been many decades in the making, the immediate causes are found in the Biden administration’s unconstitutional, illegal, reckless, and revolutionary actions against President Trump, his advisors, the leaders and supporters of the Make America Great Again movement—and ultimately the American people.

At root, this radical neo-Marxist revolution started under the Obama administration with the declaration to “fundamentally transform” America and has continued under the Biden administration, which has implemented and executed the tenets of that revolution across all aspects of the United States, our government and against the citizenry. This has taken many forms, but the most important has been, and continues to be, the permanent weaponization of government against political opponents to cause their defeat, to decapitate their political movement, and to coerce and demoralize their members and supporters so that there is no challenge to their power. The tactics employed against President Trump have been specifically designed by the totalitarian left to interfere in this presidential election by consuming his time and draining resources away from his campaign in this critically important election year. The raids, indictments, trials, and gag orders against a former president—and leading 2024 presidential candidate—demonstrate that these neo-Marxist totalitarians will violate the constitutional rights of the most prominent political figure in American politics in this century. The direct and stark implication is that if this can happen to Trump, then it can happen to all Americans.

Supreme Court Rules South Carolina Did Not Racially Gerrymander Congressional District Map

May 24, 2024May 23, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Thursday that a lower court “clearly erred” when it held that South Carolina racially gerrymandered its congressional district map.

The majority held that the “circumstantial evidence falls far short of showing that race, not partisan preferences, drove the districting process” behind the creation of the map.

Commentary: States Lead a Happy Title IX Revolt

May 23, 2024May 22, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

American federalism is alive and well after all. On April 19, the Biden Education Department announced its disastrous new Title IX rule that guts due process and imposes gender ideology in educational institutions. Within days, however, officials from eight states publicly instructed their schools to ignore it. Then, within a week, 16 states sued the administration alongside nonprofit groups such as Parents Defending Education and several Louisiana school districts. Since then, the number of states suing has climbed to 26—more than half the states in the nation. Their court filings say the rule violates not only the United States Constitution and the federal Administrative Procedures Act but also Title IX itself. Game on!

While feminists weaponized Title IX to their hearts’ content in the Obama years, alleging a phony campus rape crisis to rationalize their kangaroo courts and to silence those questioning their power, the world is a different place under Biden. Feminists have met their match in American parents and and in red states—especially their education officials.

Illinois Recommends Bonuses to Colleges for Black, Hispanic Students

May 23, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

Illinois soon could give bonuses to universities for enrolling African American and Hispanic students under a proposal by a state government commission.

The recommendation by the Illinois Commission on Equitable Public University Funding aims to address “the historic inequities” in education “especially among students from low-income households, students of color, students from rural communities, and working adults,” according to a news release.

Commentary: Pharmacy Benefits Are Essential for Tennesseans’ Well-Being

May 23, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

In Tennessee, the battle to protect pharmacy benefits is not merely a matter of policy, but a battle to protect our country from unnecessary government overreach by the extreme Left. I am deeply troubled by recent attempts at the federal level that target pharmacy benefits and our free market – all in one swoop.

People across our state are already experiencing immense financial strain as they grapple with the soaring costs of inflation and prescriptions, and we need to advocate for policies that will effectively lower these prices through free market competition.

Alan Dershowitz Commentary: I Was Inside the Court When the Judge Closed Trump’s Trial — What I Saw Shocked Me

May 23, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

I have observed and participated in trials throughout the world. I have seen justice and injustice in China, Russia, Ukraine, England, France, Italy, Israel, as well as in nearly 40 of our 50 states.

But in my 60 years as a lawyer and law professor, I have never seen a spectacle such as the one I observed sitting in the front row of the courthouse yesterday.

Former GOP Republican Presidential Candidate Buys Activist Stake in Left-Wing Outlet

Former Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy purchased an activist stake in BuzzFeed, according to a May Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Ramaswamy purchased a 7.7% stake consisting of 2.7 million shares between March 14 and May 21 at costs ranging from $1.47 to $2.51 per share, according to the filing. The businessman asserted in the filing that he feels the company’s shares are “undervalued and represent an attractive investment opportunity.”

Northwestern University May Have Broken Federal Law by Failing to Report Crimes During Anti-Israel Protests

Northwestern University student protesters

Northwestern University may have violated a federal law by failing to report crimes on campus at least five times during recent anti-Israel protests.

Northwestern appears to have violated a U.S. law called the Clery Act by not taking and publishing police reports from students who say they were assaulted, battered, stolen from, or witnessed crimes committed by anti-Israel protesters on campus. Failure to do so would allow the university to report lower crime numbers and portray a false picture of campus safety.

Commentary: A Corrupt Establishment Demands a Loyalty Oath

A memo must have gone out. Because in several prominent newspapers, the same propaganda appeared at nearly the same time.

The Washington Post said, “Top Republicans, led by Trump, refuse to commit to accept 2024 election results.” The New York Times similarly intoned, “Leading Republicans have refused to say flatly that they will accept the outcome of the presidential election if Donald Trump loses.” Rolling Stone chastised a former presidential candidate: “Tim Scott Embraces Trump’s Election Denialism, Won’t Commit to Accept Results.”

Connecticut Released Illegal Immigrant Convicted of Killing Two Children Despite ICE Detainer

Connecticut law enforcement officials released an illegal immigrant convicted of killing two young children in a drunk driving accident, despite a detainer request lodged against him, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE agents apprehended Israel Alejandro Gonzalez-Arcinega, a 40-year-old Mexican national convicted of two counts of manslaughter, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and other crimes in Connecticut, the agency announced in a press release on Monday. ICE is blasting local officials in the state for releasing the noncitizen back into the community despite an immigration detainer placed on him.

Biden Admin Expresses ‘Official Condolences’ for Death of Iranian President Who Was Dubbed the ‘Butcher Of Tehran’

May 22, 2024May 21, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

The Biden administration on Monday expressed condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Raisi and several Iranian regime officials were killed in a helicopter crash in northern Iran over the weekend. Raisi, known as the “Butcher of Tehran,” oversaw aggressive foreign policies that increased tensions with the West and authoritarian domestic policies to repress and abuse the Iranian population, whom he was deeply unpopular with.

Commentary: Big Tech Wants to Crush Your Entire World and Trap You in Virtual Hell

Apple’s recent ad for a new, thinner iPad featured a hydraulic press smashing everything the new gadget could supposedly replace: paints, musical instruments, a clay bust, arcade cabinets, record players, books.

The new iPad promises a future in which humanity has forgotten the whisper of the brush over the canvas, the vibration of a guitar string, the joy of finding a note tucked into an old used book, and the easy camaraderie of children cheering each other on as they take turns at a challenging arcade game. The craftsmanship that went into these objects is now obsolete. You don’t have to go anywhere, touch anything.

Major Pharmacy Chain Settles with Christian Nurse over Contraceptives Case

May 21, 2024May 21, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

CVS Health Corporation settled with nurse practitioner Robyn Strader after she sued the company after it stopped providing religious accommodations regarding “pregnancy prevention services.”

Strader said she had been granted a religious exemption for six years permitting her to not prescribe contraceptives, and filed the lawsuit in January 2023 after having been fired following the policy change in 2021, according to the press release. First Liberty Institute, which represented Strader, announced Monday that CVS had agreed to a settlement of which the terms “were not made public.”

Portland Could Sent Its Soros-Backed DA Packing After Crime Surge

Voters in Multnomah County, Oregon, which encompasses Portland and its surrounding area, could boot left-wing District Attorney Mike Schmidt on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Nathan Vasquez, a Republican-turned-independent who worksunder Schmidt, could oust the district attorney in the head-to-head nonpartisan primary if he secures over 50% of the vote. Schmidt would be the latest left-wing prosecutor, funded by groups linked to George Soros, to not secure another term after critics argued they were soft-on-crime.

Experts Divided on Biden’s New Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

President Joe Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan has legal experts divided, with some citing similar problems to his previous plan struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education Plan is an income-based student loan repayment plan that provides full loan forgiveness in certain cases.

Republicans Rip Biden Admin Use of ICE Program that ‘Failed’ to Properly Monitor Illegal Immigrants

A group of House Republicans is asking federal authorities for answers on a program meant to monitor illegal immigrants throughout the U.S., arguing it has failed to properly track enrollees and has essentially become a “social services scheme.”

Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, along with 15 other House Republicans, sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Executive Associate Director Daniel Bible a list of questions on how the agency is managing the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program in a Friday letter. The lawmakers asked for details on the number of available ICE detention beds, the rate of enrollees showing up to their removal proceedings and information on how these enrollees are supervised, among other questions.

Commentary: Hispanics Are Shaping A New Conservative Majority

A new conservative, America First movement is building–and leading the formation of this new governing philosophy are Hispanics yearning for the American Dream they came here to realize. They are shaping and leading a new conservative majority that builds on their shared values of faith, family, freedom, and work.

This rapid shift of Hispanics to the conservative movement has shaken the Left to its core, who for years pinned their political hopes on demographic destiny and the idea that the Hispanic community would be a permanent fixture of their base.

Commentary: More Defensive Gun Uses Undermine Government Claims About Armed Civilians

It should be painfully obvious to anyone paying attention that the Biden administration distrusts an armed civilian population and is willing to fudge the truth time and again to defend its untenable positions. But for those living blissfully unaware of the Biden administration’s animosity toward gun owners, it once again demonstrated its animosity in clear terms.

Earlier this month, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security accidentally said the quiet part out loud: It thinks that only the government really can be trusted with firearms, even when the government at issue is notoriously corrupt.

Commentary: The Disgrace and Fall of the American Elite Campus

Police controlling anti-Israel campus protest

Anti-Israel/pro-Hamas campus protests have engulfed hundreds of college campuses. But the more coastal, blue-state, and supposedly elite the campus was, the more furious the violence that sometimes followed these demonstrations.

Even rowdier and more vicious street analogs shut down key bridges, freeways, and religious services. Protestors often defaced hallowed American monuments, national cemeteries, and iconic buildings. Visa-holders were among the worst perpetrators, adding ingratitude to their criminality.

Federal Judge Blocks Biden ATF Rule Expanding Gun Background Checks

A federal judge temporarily blocked a background check rule issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Sunday night.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the rule covering background checks for firearms purchases April 10, claiming it was based on bipartisan legislation passed in the wake of a deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the rule until June 2.

Commentary: Congress Unveils Plan to Hold Entire Internet Hostage Annually to Extort Big Tech

Cathy McMorris Roberts anf Frank Pallone Jr

“It would require Big Tech and others to work with Congress over 18 months to evaluate and enact a new legal framework that will allow for free speech and innovation while also encouraging these companies to be good stewards of their platforms. Our bill gives Big Tech a choice: Work with Congress to ensure the internet is a safe, healthy place for good, or lose Section 230 protections entirely.”

That was House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) in a May 12 oped in the Wall Street Journal outlining their proposed draft legislation, the “Section 230 Sunset Act,” that would end Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protections on Dec. 31, 2025 for millions of interactive computer services, including websites, e-commerce stores and other small businesses.

Biden’s Signature Bills are Pumping Billions into Swing States as 2024 Elections Draw Near

President Joe Biden’s signature pieces of legislation are routing billions of dollars into swing states, but pundits are not convinced that the money will make much difference in November’s elections.

The bipartisan infrastructure law of 2021, the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have cumulatively routed billions of dollars to battleground states over the course of Biden’s first term. The Biden campaign is running swing state ads to promote the funding and projects that Biden’s legislative agenda has created, but state and national pundits told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the benefits are unlikely to be a decisive factor in states like Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Appeals Court: Parents Cannot Opt K-5 Children Out of Pro-LGBTQ Curriculum

On Wednesday, a federal appeals court ruled that parents in Maryland’s largest school district do not have the right to opt their children out of pro-LGBTQ curriculum in the K-5 grades.

As reported by Fox News, the 2-1 ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a previous decision by a lower court, which denied the parents a preliminary injunction based on their alleged failure to prove that the policy would constitute a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of religion.

Commentary: The New York Times Has a History of Being Fake News

The New York Times is widely regarded as the newspaper of record in the United States. Founded in 1851 to appeal to a cultured, intellectual readership rather than a mass audience, the Gray Lady has won a record-breaking 137 Pulitzer Prizes, including for its reporting on the infamous Pentagon Papers.

In times of sharp political polarization, however, the reputation of the Times, like many other outlets, has suffered significant damage. Arguably, much of this is self-inflicted, with the paper increasingly setting aside its iconic moniker “All the News That’s Fit to Print” in pursuit of activist journalism.

Americans are Getting Poorer While Prices Keep Going Up

Americans’ real weekly earnings dropped sharply in April and still remain well below their level when President Joe Biden first took office, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Real average weekly earnings fell to $1,191.93 in April, declining by 0.4% in the month and 4.8% compared to the start of Biden’s term in January 2021, according to data calculated by the Daily Caller News Foundation from the BLS. Prices have risen over 19% since Biden first took office and 3.4% in the last year, degrading the value of Americans’ wages.

Commentary: Solutions for America’s Unhealthy Economy

LinkedIn is the worst social media site in existence.

Engaging with literal pornbots on Twitter is less soul-sucking than reading the tone-deaf striver banalities and motivational tripe that festoon the place: “Here are five things I learned about peer-to-peer marketing after proposing to my girlfriend,” etc.

Commentary: The Hidden Benefits of Homeschool

These days, it’s almost common knowledge that homeschooled students have a better academic education, do better in college and careers, and are regarded as “smarter” than students from public schools. Homeschooling families typically gravitate toward this educational lifestyle to avoid the public school environment, to prioritize their faith and family values, to adjust to a more flexible and forgiving lifestyle, and to offer their children a better childhood than that found in public schools. Yes to all! These are wonderful reasons to choose homeschooling and should be widely shared and celebrated.

When my parents chose to homeschool me and my siblings, though, they had no idea how deep the effects would be. Academics is only one aspect of homeschooling. The family-centric, homeschool lifestyle offered us benefits that continue to shape my adult life and the life of my own family. Everyone should know the often completely hidden perks that homeschooling provides children long after they finish their high school coursework.

Commentary: More Public Charter Schools are Needed Nationwide

Parents, children, and supporters of school choice have cause to celebrate this National Charter Schools Week.

Charter schools earned the top two spots on a list of the best high schools in America, according to a recent report by U.S. News & World Report. And, of the top 100 public high schools, charter schools claimed 19 spots—10 in Arizona alone—despite accounting for only 8% of all public schools in the country.

Government of Peru Categorizes Transgender People as ‘Mentally Ill’