Author: Michigan Star Staff

Top Commentary: Commentary: Biden Gaslights America on the Economy

Major American Financial Institutions Withdraw from Global Climate Investment Organization in Blow to Green Agenda

Several of the largest asset managers in the U.S. are withdrawing from a major coalition of companies focused on advancing green investment strategies and climate-sensitive corporate management.

JPMorgan Asset Management (JMAM) and State Street Global Advisors will not be renewing membership in Climate Action 100+, a coalition of investors and asset managers with a combined $68 trillion under management that pushes corporations to reduce emissions and adopt climate risk disclosure practices, according to Financial Times. Climate Action 100+ and Ceres — a green shareholder activist group that co-founded the coalition — are currently under investigation by the House Judiciary Committee, which is alleging that the coalition’s advancement of progressive Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) policies may constitute non-competitive activity in violation of U.S. antitrust law.

Prominent Trans Surgeon Admits in Unearthed Video That Complications of Genital Surgery ‘Can Be Pretty Bad’

A prominent surgeon stated that the complications from vaginoplastic surgery that aims at removing male genitals and creating a vagina ‘can be pretty bad” and noted that there was “a growing number of programs throughout the world of gender affirmation, probably with a lack of training and not proper training,” according to the video of a presentation that the Daily Caller News Foundation obtained through a public records request.

“Complications can be pretty bad for vaginoplasty and the most-dreaded complication is to perforate the rectum while you are dissecting the vaginal cavity,” Dr. Alex Laungani, a Canadian surgeon, who has “expertise in trans surgical care,” said at an event sponsored by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

TSNN Featured: Fani Willis Claims She Repaid Nathan Wade for Luxurious Vacations in Undocumented Cash Transactions

Missouri Must Continue to Fund Planned Parenthood, State Supreme Court Rules

Missouri must continue to allow taxpayer dollars to flow to Planned Parenthood, the state’s supreme court ruled on Wednesday.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that a 2022 state budget measure cutting Planned Parenthood off from state funds was unconstitutional, according to court documents. The legal dispute stemmed from a line in the state’s 2022 budget, which allocated $0 in Medicaid funds for any healthcare organization that provides abortions or is affiliated with an abortion provider, the Missouri Independent reported.

Commentary: Biden Gaslights America on the Economy

Joe Biden is gaslighting America on the economy. His administration is trying to oversell what has underperformed for several reasons: First, the economy is the one issue that affects most Americans most significantly. Second, Biden is doing worse on virtually every other issue. Finally, time is short: the economy is about to get worse, and the election is close. The administration’s strategy is to get Americans to believe what they hear and doubt what they see.

Tech Companies Plan to Combat Use of Fake AI in Elections

As the threat of fake images and videos generated by artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially play a role in the coming 2024 elections and beyond, several tech companies have pledged to use their resources to combat misinformation as a result of such technology.

According to Politico, multiple companies are planning to cooperate through a so-called “Tech Accord” dictating several key goals and methods that will be used in the fight against false AI. The companies intend to expose and debunk any “deepfake” images or videos produced by AI, through various tactics such as watermarks and automatic detection technology.

More Investors Bet Inflation Is Here to Stay amid Disappointing Price Data

More investors are projecting a “no landing” scenario where inflation remains elevated but economic growth continues at its current levels following a disappointing inflation report on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Nearly one out of five fund managers polled by Bank of America predicted a “no landing” scenario as the most likely outcome in the next year, with concerns about such a scenario being intensified by a poor inflation reading that sent U.S. markets into a frenzy on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Tuesday’s consumer price index (CPI) report showed inflation decelerated in January to 3.1% year-over-year from 3.4% in the preceding month, higher than expectations of 2.9%.

Commentary: The 14th Amendment and the Bill of Rights Require Overturning the Colorado Decision

There are many reasons why the United States Supreme Court must overturn the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision holding that former President Trump is barred from the presidential ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which purports to prohibit a person who has engaged in “insurrection” from holding office.

Florida Man Facing Charges After Doing a Truck ‘Burnout’ over Rainbow Pride Crosswalk

A Florida teenager is facing felony criminal mischief and reckless driving charges in Palm Beach County after he allegedly damaged a crosswalk painted in bright rainbow “Pride” colors by performing a “burnout” over it in his pickup truck.

Dylan Brewer, 19, of Clearwater, is accused of damaging the LGBTQ mural in Delray Beach on the evening of Feb. 4, Local 10.com reported.

Eric Swalwell’s Campaign Keeps Living the High Life Despite His Mountain of Personal Debt

Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell’s reelection campaign continues to spend big on luxury goods and services despite the congressman himself being in significant debt, public records show.

Swalwell’s campaign spent more than $100,000 total on yacht services, luxury hotel stays, gourmet restaurants, tickets to sporting events and air travel in just the final three months of 2023, Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show. Swalwell himself had between $30,002 and $100,000 in credit card debt and more than $50,000 in student loans at the end of 2022, according to the most recent available congressional financial disclosures.

Commentary: Democrats are Hitting the Panic Button over Biden’s Mental Fitness

In 1979, when President Jimmy Carter delivered his infamous “malaise” speech in which he laid out all the daunting challenges facing our nation, the president said that America was suffering from a “crisis of confidence.”

Fast-forward 45 years and our country is once again facing a crisis of confidence, this time under the failed leadership of President Joe Biden.

Colorado Dems Introduce Bill Forcing Schools to Socially Transition Students Questioning ‘Gender Identity’

A bill to require public and charter schools in the state to socially “transition” children who request using a different name than their birth name is making its way through the Colorado legislature.

The bill, introduced in January, would require public schools and charter schools to use a child’s “preferred name” and label the refusal of a school to do so “discrimination.” It would also create a task force within the Colorado Department of Education to “provide recommendations” to schools on how to implement “non legal name changes” for children.

Decline in White Recruits Fueling the Military’s Worst-Ever Recruiting Crisis, Data Shows

February 14, 2024February 13, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

Each U.S. military service saw a notable decline in white recruits over the past five years, according to data obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, likely factoring into the military’s crippling recruiting crisis.

The Army, Navy and Air Force missed their recruiting objectives by historically large margins in fiscal year 2023, which ended on Sept. 30, as the broader American public has grown wary of military service, according to Department of Defense (DOD) statistics, officials and experts who spoke to the DCNF. Since 2018, however, the number of recruits from minority groups has remained steady — or, in some cases, increased — while the number of white recruits has declined, according to data on the demographics of new recruits obtained by the DCNF.

Analysis: ‘Next George Soros’ Recruits GOP Lobbyists for Influence

A company run by a liberal billionaire dubbed by some as the “next George Soros” employs former senior Republican staffers on Capitol Hill in what a watchdog group warns is an effort to sway GOP lawmakers to move to the left.

Arnold Ventures LLC is a private company founded by left-leaning philanthropists John Arnold and his wife Laura, who have a net worth of $3.3 billion, according to Forbes.

Yet Another Harvard University Official Accused of Plagiarism

An administrator of the Harvard Extension School (HES) was accused of plagiarism in an anonymous complaint sent to the school Friday, according to The Harvard Crimson.

Shirley Greene, an HES administrator who handles Title IX compliance, was accused of 42 instances of plagiarism in her 2008 dissertation, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by the Crimson. The allegations mark the latest plagiarism scandal to hit the university after a string of allegations against high-ranking university faculty members, including former Harvard President Claudine Gay.

Corporate America is Starting to Shy Away from Woke Business as Backlash Mounts

American companies are reversing the multiyear trend of hiring more employees in roles related to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues in an effort to increase profitability and address investor pushback, according to The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. companies shed 3,071 employees with positions related to ESG in December while only adding 2,897, continuing the trend that has been seen in half of the months in the last year of a net loss of ESG positions, according to the WSJ. The shift is in response to investors pulling their funds from companies heavily involved in ESG practices and placing their money in firms where they can get higher returns.

Commentary: Why Are Fewer Americans Celebrating Valentine’s Day?

Fewer Americans are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2024 than in years past.

America isn’t totally losing its love for the saccharine holiday, though. In fact, spending on Valentine’s Day gifts—for everyone from a significant other to one’s cat—has increased.

Commentary: The Meaning of Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is—oddly perhaps—a day I have long associated with bushfires, better known in the American hemisphere as wildfires.

I come from the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, where on Ash Wednesday in 1983, catastrophic bushfires, driven by 70-mph winds and fueled by years of drought-ravaged eucalyptus forest, tragically claimed 28 lives. In the neighboring state of Victoria, even more lives were lost under similar conditions. In total, 75 Australians perished and 3,000 homes were destroyed in what were the nation’s deadliest bushfires up to that point.

Greg Abbott: Texas Set to Build More Border Wall than Trump

February 11, 2024February 10, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

On Thursday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) claimed that the state of Texas is on track to build more wall along the southern border than was constructed during President Donald Trump’s first term.

As the New York Post reports, Abbott made his remarks during a press conference in Shelby Park, the territory that Texas state authorities seized from the Border Patrol and other federal agencies following Abbott’s declaration of an invasion.

Report: Amazon Censored Books on COVID Vaccine After Pressure from Biden White House

New internal emails from Amazon reveal that the tech giant ultimately censored books discussing the topic of Chinese Coronavirus vaccines after being pressured to do so by the Biden Administration.

As reported by the New York Post, the emails and other documents were released by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Monday in a series of posts on X, which Jordan referred to as “The Amazon Files.” The communications were obtained by a subpoena from the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which was established with the purpose of exposing abuse of federal powers to target political opponents, including collusion between the government and private sector entities such as Big Tech.

Actress Gina Carano to Sue Disney for Wrongful Termination

Gina Carano, the actress and former MMA fighter who was fired by The Walt Disney Company for expressing sympathy to conservative viewpoints, announced her intentions to sue the entertainment company for wrongful termination.

As Fox News reports, the actress had a starring role in the Disney series “The Mandalorian” prior to her firing, which came after she made a post on social media comparing the current persecution of conservative Americans to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany. In the post, Carano commented on how the first step towards oppression is to dehumanize a certain group of people so the broader population will feel no sympathy for them.

Americans Increasingly Turning Away from Political News as 2024 Election Nears

The American public is focusing less and less on political news in recent months, even as a crucial presidential election draws nearer.

According to Axios, Americans are instead turning back to consumption of non-political content such as sports and entertainment, indicating a decline in political interest that spiked in 2020 ahead of that year’s presidential race. While numerous events in 2020, such as the nationwide race riots and the lockdowns as the result of the Chinese Coronavirus, led to increased political engagement and culminated in record-high voter turnout, there have been fewer major events in the lead-up to 2024.

Commentary: Battles We Can Win Are on Family, Morality, and Education

In “Burke on Our Crisis of Character,” which appeared in the December 2023 issue of Chronicles, Bruce Frohnen notes, “The American Way was real, rooted in families whose rights trumped the demands of the state because families were more natural and fundamental than the state.” The following month in the same magazine, Stephen Baskerville reviews a collection of essays, Up from Conservatism, in which he briefly addresses the pernicious effects of government welfare on family life and fatherhood.

As is the case in nearly everything that the federal government touches, be it education, health care, or anything else, its policies in the last 50 years have severely damaged the American family. Given the additional harms done by government in the first quarter of the 21st century—trillions of dollars in wasted expenses, woefully ignorant public school graduates, divisions along the lines of race, politics, and gender, a diminished pride in our past, the attacks on our liberties—some people I know despair about the future. Others of us want to restore the good that has been lost but feel frustrated and even defeated by the immensity of the task. We vote, we grouse (as I am doing here), yet each day brings some new assault on the culture, some new governmental dictate or intrusion, and we just want to hunker down in the trenches hoping that this bombardment will end of its own accord.

Campaign Highlights Oreo’s Partnership with ‘Militant’ LGBTQ Group

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is taking aim at Oreo for partnering with an organization promoting a “militant LGBTQ agenda.”

The NLPC will release a video Wednesday that begins by citing the names of infamous books on gender and sexuality that have been marketed to young people in public libraries and schools.

Jack Smith Makes Another Push to Keep Documents Under Seal

Special Counsel Jack Smith asked Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday to reconsider her decision to unseal certain documents prosecutors wanted to keep from the public docket.

Cannon, who is overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump in Florida, ruled Tuesday that certain discovery material Smith wanted to keep under seal because it could impact the safety of potential witnesses would be disclosed out of the “strong presumption of public access in criminal proceedings.” Smith urged Cannon to reconsider her decision, arguing that she “applied the wrong legal standard and issued orders that, in practice, will expose witnesses and others to intolerable and needless risks.”

China’s Real Estate Collapse Infecting Troubled American Sectors

The crumbling Chinese real estate sector is starting to put properties around the world on the market at deep discounts, threatening debt-laden American commercial developers and the U.S. banks holding the loans, according to Bloomberg.

In a bid to pay off massive debts, Chinese real estate developers are having to offload a huge number of properties onto the global market, depressing prices even further for a sector that already has had borrowing cost hikes, causing a loss of $1 trillion in office property values, according to Bloomberg. The drop in property values hits American commercial real estate particularly hard due to the huge amount of debt the sector holds and the dwindling U.S. demand, with banks that hold the debt also fearing they may lose out on their investment.

Commentary: Good News for Trump, Bad News for Biden

Three recent polls signal hope for Republicans and disaster for Democrats.

Democrats enjoyed a moment of optimism when Quinnipiac reported on a Jan. 25-26 survey that President Joe Biden was beating President Donald Trump 50 percent to 44 percent. There was a sudden wave of stories about a Biden comeback.

Commentary: Avoid These Four Costly 401(k) Mistakes

As you near retirement, you must make smart choices with your 401(k) plan. This is especially important for baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964. For a secure retirement, avoiding mistakes and maximizing growth opportunities is crucial. Here are some common mistakes people make with 401(k) plans and solutions to improve retirement prospects.

Illegal Immigration ‘Surge’ Will Put ‘Downward Pressure’ on Wages for Years, CBO Says

February 9, 2024February 8, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the ongoing surge in immigration, both legal and illegal, will put “downward pressure” on inflation-adjusted wages through 2034, according to a recently released report.

The downward effect on real wages will continue until 2027, at which point it will “partially reverse,” with immigration still expected to cause average real wages to be lower in 2034 than they otherwise would be, according to CBO. CBO did predict some positive impacts of immigration, as well, such as increased GDP growth and an expanded labor force.

Mexico Dethrones China as America’s Main Source of Goods

Mexico supplied the United States with a higher volume of goods than China in 2023, according to annual data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) published on Wednesday.

The U.S. imported about $427.2 billion worth of goods from China, whereas imports from Mexico reached around $475.6 billion, according to the data. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China persist as America continues to impose sanctions and tariffs while the two countries engage in a race to develop artificial intelligence technology.

Commentary: The Absurd Democrat Border Con

In 2021, Joe Biden opened wide an inherited, secure southern border that had finally stopped mass illegal immigration.

When he overturned Donald Trump’s efforts, a planned flood of over 8 million illegal immigrants entered the U.S.

House Subcommittee Chairmen Pressure DC Mayor, Police to Preserve Aborted Baby Remains

The chairmen of two House of Representatives subcommittees are calling on D.C. authorities to preserve the remains of “The Five” aborted baby bodies.

“Our subcommittees are conducting oversight of the District of Columbia’s and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) enforcement of federal law,” Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government Chairman Chip Roy and Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Chairman Andy Biggs say in the letter, addressed to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department’s chief, Pamela Smith. Roy, a Republican, represents Texas. Biggs, also a Republican, represents Arizona.

Multiple ‘Drag Queens’ in the News This Week for Appalling Sex Crimes Against Children

The left’s favorite expression of gay pride has been in the news this week for all the wrong reasons. Multiple “Drag queens” and “transgender stars” have been arrested for appalling sex crimes against children.

The stories feature cross-dressing men who allegedly abused children in Oregon, Australia, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

U.S. Venture Capital Firms Invested Billions in Companies Linked to Chinese Military and Human Rights Abuses

Five American venture capital firms invested at least $3 billion in Chinese technology companies making products used in human rights abuses and aiding the Chinese military and government, according to an investigation from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

GGV Capital, GSR Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Walden International supplied funds to support the development of semiconductors that are being put to use by China’s military for research on equipment and weapons, according to the House Committee. The report follows findings by the Daily Caller News Foundation in October that several U.S. venture-capital firms were participating investors in CCP-backed start-up contests that supported China’s Thousand Talents plan, which aims to poach technology and researchers abroad.

American Billionaires Bankrolled Activist Crusade Against Natural Gas Hubs Before Biden Signed Off on Approval Pause

American billionaires bankrolled an activist campaign targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals that influenced the White House’s decision to pause new and pending approvals for the projects, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The philanthropic organizations of the Rockefeller family and Democratic megadonor Michael Bloomberg cumulatively provided millions of dollars to activists who pressured Biden administration officials to crack down on LNG export hubs over the past several years, according to the WSJ. The activists ultimately got their way on Jan. 26, when the White House announced that the administration would pause new project approvals as the Department of Energy (DOE) widens the scope of its reviews to include climate impacts of LNG export terminals alongside considerations like national security and economic benefits.

Big Corporations Try to Clean Up Their Act After Reports of Rampant Child Migrant Labor

February 8, 2024February 7, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

U.S. companies are conducting full-scale audits and shifting “focus” after multiple reports revealed child immigrants were working in increasingly dangerous conditions, according to The New York Times.

In 2023, the Department of Labor opened an investigation into companies like Lucky Charms and Cheetos after reports of immigrant children working in dangerous conditions while thousands of children have crossed over into the U.S. in the last several years. Many other companies, including McDonald’s, Whole Foods, Costco and more, have announced that they are conducting full audits to prevent migrant children from working in dangerous conditions, according to the NYT.

Washington State Considers ‘Strippers’ Bill of Rights’ for Adult Dancers

Washington state is considering a set of legislative proposals to provide adult dancers with compensation protections and mandatory security, the Associated Press reported.

The set of proposals, dubbed the “strippers’ bill of rights,” is the product of years of advocacy from Strippers Are Workers (SAW), an organization operating in Washington state, according to the AP. The group “fights to empower the dancers of Washington state so that they can strip safely, positively and lucratively” in order to “keep stripping low barrier entry and accessible to a marginalized and stigmatized group of people who seek upward mobility,” according to its website.

Commentary: This Has to Be the End of the Road for Mitch McConnell

Mitch McConnell has to be finished as the caucus leader for the Republicans in the Senate. Now. He has to resign, and if he won’t, then that caucus needs to get together and force him out.

Now. Not next week, not next month, not after this election cycle. Now.

Ford Lost Billions on EVs in 2023

Ford lost billions of dollars on its electric vehicle (EV) product lines last year, according to corporate documents.

The company lost $4.7 billion on EVs in 2023, a greater loss than the $4.5 billion the company expected it would lose in 2023 at mid-year, according to a summary of the company’s annual earnings. The company pointed to “an extremely competitive pricing environment” as a key reason for the losses.

Dems’ Black, Latino Advantage Has Massively Shrunk Under Biden, Polls Show

The Democratic Party has hemorrhaged black and Hispanic support over the course of President Joe Biden’s tenure, according to Gallup polling data published on Wednesday.

The substantial advantage that the Democratic Party previously held over Republicans in terms of black Americans in general and Hispanic Americans aged 18 to 29 has diminished by almost 20% in the last three years, according to Gallup. The Democratic Party now has a significantly smaller lead over the Republican Party with these demographics.

Chinese Solar Companies are Gearing Up to Cash in on Biden’s Signature Climate Bill

February 7, 2024February 6, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

Chinese solar manufacturers are building factories in the U.S. to reap American subsidies created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), President Joe Biden’s signature climate bill, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Companies based in China are responsible for about 25% of the 80 gigawatts in new solar manufacturing capacity announced in the U.S. since the IRA became law in August 2022 and established robust tax credit programs to incentivize domestic green energy production, according to the WSJ. Assuming that the factory construction and expected outputs announced by these China-based solar companies stay on schedule, they could reap a combined $1.4 billion worth of value from IRA subsidies each year.

Gender Doctor Says Parents Who Oppose Transitioning Their Kid Have ‘Mental Illness’

Psychologist Dr. Harriette Wimms told attendees at a medical training summit in 2022 that parents who do not affirm their child’s gender identity have a “mental illness,” according to audio obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The discussion took place at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH) 27th annual training symposium in Montreal, Canada, on Sept. 17, 2022. Wimms, clinical director for The Village Family Support Center of Baltimore, suggested in a WPATH lecture on autism that parents who don’t affirm their children’s decisions are “transphobic” and have a “mental illness,” according to audio obtained in a public records request.

DOJ Advised DC Medical Examiner to Dispose of Aborted Baby Bodies, Lawyer Says

February 7, 2024February 6, 2024 Michigan Star Staff

The Department of Justice reportedly advised the Washington, D.C. Medical Examiner to discard the remains of aborted preemie-sized babies, according to an attorney with the Thomas More Society.

Those baby remains are from an abortion clinic in Foggy Bottom, a neighborhood of D.C. Pro-life activists believe the baby bodies are evidence that a D.C. abortionist was performing illegal abortions, but for two years now, D.C. authorities have stonewalled any questions about the babies’ deaths.

Commentary: The Marxism Behind the Open Border

America’s illegal immigration problem created by President Joe Biden’s administration embodies an ideology and achieves a very specific purpose — one that receives nearly no mention because to note it would reveal the game. Illegal immigration is a classic Marxist redistributionist plot. In this case, what’s being redistributed is America’s wealth to third-world nationals with no discernible skills and no intention of becoming “American.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, acting on behalf of the Biden administration, worked tightly with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to craft a terrible piece of legislation meant to jam not only House Republicans (McConnell’s favored enemy) but the people the House members represent.

Biden State Department Funds Program to Create Army of 2,5000 ‘LGBTQI+ Allies’

President Joe Biden’s State Department paid a public university to train a cohort of “master trainers” in India who will then go on to train more than two thousand people to become “LGBTQI+ allies,” according to a government spending database.

Washington State University received (WSU) $15,000 from the State Department in July 2023 to hold a three-day workshop aimed at training 30 individuals with the goal of them eventually training 2,500 people to become “LGBTQI+ allies” and to develop a “better understanding of diversity and inclusion,” according to a federal spending database. The trainings took place in India between Sept. 25 and Sept. 27, according to the university website.

Commentary: The Right Needs to Use Public Policies That Promote Family Values