Category: News

The United States Census is planning to introduce questions on gender identity and sexual orientation for the first time in its history, according to The Associated Press.

The questions will be sent to 480,000 households and can be answered online, by mail, via phone or during in-person interviews, with only half expected to respond, according to the AP. If approved, the bureau plans to include them in its annual American Community Survey and will ask respondents about their sex assigned at birth and their sexual orientation.

US Navy’s STEM ‘Equity’ Program Prioritized Candidates, Internships Based on Race, Docs Show

February 17, 2024 The Center Square

The U.S. Navy approved more than $750,000 for a project that, while purporting to “equitably” increase the number of students interested in serving in the Navy’s STEM fields, prioritized recruiting underrepresented minority students, documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.

The University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) proposed a way to encourage students to pursue degrees in fields of science, technology, economics and math (STEM) amid pressures for the U.S. military to out-compete adversaries in technological development, according to the since-approved application obtained by the Functional Government Initiative through a records request and provided to the DCNF. Although the project was framed as providing an opportunity for all students to break into the STEM fields based on the students’ qualifications, the Navy granted a budget extension to include 75 scholarships for underrepresented minority students and gave them first selection for the few on-campus paid research internships created through the program.

Q1 2024: Most Illegal Border Crossers Apprehended at Northern Border in U.S. History

In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, more foreign nationals were apprehended illegally entering the northern border than at any time in U.S. history.

They totaled 60,602, according to new data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Commentary: Progressive Policies are Designed for Civilizational Suicide

February 17, 2024February 16, 2024 The Center Square

We all understand, in the timeless words of the poet Robert Burns, that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Most Americans are accustomed to assessing the various failed initiatives of our country’s leaders as well-intended actions that turned out badly. The Vietnam, Afghan, and Iraq wars, the 2008 financial meltdown, and the COVID pandemic overreaction, all in hindsight, can be viewed as simply the unfolding of human stupidity in the contingency of time.

In accordance, it is understandable that many are inclined to believe that our country’s current serious problems are, once again, merely the failed result of well-intentioned policies. But what if, we ask, seemingly fumbled programs were intended to be the initial throes of civilizational suicide? What if apparent missteps were actually directed at the purposeful destruction of a prosperous, free, safe, and secure society?

Michigan Petition Drive Aims to Repeal State Control over Large Wind, Solar Farms

A voter-led petition seeks to repeal a Michigan law that allowed the state to seize local control of large-scale wind and solar projects.

The Michigan Farm Bureau and the Michigan Townships Association say Public Act 233 of 2023 strips local siting authority in 1,240 townships and gives it to the Michigan Public Service Commission – three people appointed by the governor.

Tea Party Poll Shows 86 Percent of People Believe only U.S. Citizens Should Vote in Elections

February 17, 2024 Just the News

A recent poll conducted by McLaughlin & Associates shows that 86% of voters want only U.S. citizens to be allowed to vote in elections.

The poll was conducted in late January and released by the group Tea Party Patriots Action.

Commentary: Congress Must Fight Modern Day Slavery

February 16, 2024 Just the News

On February 13, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act with a vote of 414-11. The bipartisan legislation, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), will reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 – which expired in 2021 – and provide approximately $1 billion in funding over five years for programs that combat the scourge of human trafficking.

Among the measures included in the comprehensive legislation are educational grants to provide situational awareness training and prevention for elementary and secondary students; funding reauthorization for the International Megan’s Law and Angel Watch programs; and authorization for programs that support survivors’ employment, housing, and education.

Rep. Andy Ogles Accuses House Intel Chair Turner of ‘Breach of Trust’ over Cryptic Threat Statement

A Republican congressman blasted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, one of his GOP colleagues, for a public statement he made on Wednesday related to an undisclosed national security treat.

Judge Orders Trump to Pay More than $350 Million in Civil Fraud Case

February 16, 2024 Just the News

Judge Arthur Engoron ordered former President Donald Trump to pay roughly $355 million as part of a civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, CNN reported.

Department of Homeland Security Admitted in Emails It Fails to Track Illegal Immigrants Released into U.S. Interior

February 16, 2024February 15, 2024 Just the News

Newly uncovered emails between Department of Homeland Security officials and journalists show the agency tasked with protecting U.S. border and domestic security admitted it is not tracking illegal immigrants after they were released from federal custody into the interior of the country.

In the emails obtained by the watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust in a Freedom of Information Act request, one DHS official told a Washington Post reporter off the record he could not say how many immigrants are settling in Northern states via border state busing programs because the agency does not track those released from their custody.

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).

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

February 16, 2024 RealClearWire

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.

Commentary: Biden Staffer Who Mishandled China, Iran Secrets Retains High-Security Pentagon Job

While Special Counsel Robert K. Hur has raised the issue of mental deterioration in explaining why he declined to prosecute 81-year-old Joe Biden for illegal retention and sharing of classified documents, the president chose another rationale to declare himself not culpable: He shifted the blame to the staffers who boxed up his records as he left the vice president’s office in 2017.

At a press conference hastily assembled after the report’s release, Biden said he assumed his aides had shipped “all” the documents to the National Archives in College Park, Md. “I wish I had paid more attention to how the documents were being moved and where,” he said. “I thought they were being moved to the Archives. I thought all of it was being moved [there].”

New York Judge Sets March 25 Trial Date for Trump ‘Hush Money’ Case, Denies Motion to Dismiss

February 16, 2024 Just the News

Former President Donald Trump is set to go to trial on March 25 in New York on charges related to his alleged role in a hush money scandal before the 2016 election after a judge on Thursday denied his motions to dismiss.

Judge Juan M. Merchan denied Trump’s motions to dismiss and said jury selection in the trial will begin March 25, per The New York Times.

Tech Companies Plan to Combat Use of Fake AI in Elections

February 15, 2024 Peter D'Abrosca

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.

NewsGuard Attacks Tucker Carlson over Putin Interview

NewsGuard, the far-left, self-appointed arbiter of internet truth, released a blog post criticizing Tucker Carlson for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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

February 15, 2024 TPappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade both testified Thursday in the first day of proceedings to determine if she should be removed from the prosecution due to their previously undisclosed romantic relationship.

GOP Rep Demands Inquiry into House Intel Committee Chair After Warning of Security Threat

February 15, 2024 Admin

A Republican congressman has demanded an inquiry into the GOP chairman of the House Intelligence Committee for allegedly compromising national security after he made a public statement about highly classified information.

Nearly 243,000 Illegal Border Crossers Reported in January

February 15, 2024February 14, 2024 The Center Square

There were nearly 243,000 illegal border crossers reported in January nationwide, according to new data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

They include 176,205 illegal border crossers along the southwest border. The majority, 124,220, were apprehended between ports of entry.

DHS Secretary Mayorkas Personally Denied RFK Jr.’s Secret Service Request, Documents Show

February 15, 2024 Just the News

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas personally denied Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request for a Secret Service detail to protect him as a presidential candidate, records show.

Judicial Watch, a conservative legal watchdog, released the records regarding Kennedy’s request Tuesday after obtaining the documents through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

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’

February 15, 2024 Just the News

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.

Impeachment Evidence Counters Biden’s Claims, Shows He Met with Many of Son’s Major Foreign Clients

From emails and photos to sworn testimony and FBI documents, the House impeachment inquiry has meticulously established that Joe Biden met in person with many of his son’s large foreign clients, including Russian, Chinese and Ukrainian business executives.

That evidence mounts as lawmakers try to debunk the president’s claims he had nothing to do with his family’s business.

One Dead, Nine Wounded in Shooting After Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Victory Parade

February 14, 2024 Just the News

A shooting after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday resulting in one dead and nine wounded, with authorities stating that two armed individuals are in custody.

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.

Consumer Prices Rose More than Expected Last Month

February 14, 2024 The Center Square

Prices rose more than expected in January, according to newly released federal inflation data.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday released its Consumer Price Index, a key marker of inflation, which reported that prices rose 0.3% last month.

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

February 14, 2024 RealClearWire

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.

Commentary: The Establishment Still Doesn’t Get Trump

A few weeks ago, a “Morning Joe” panel concluded that if Donald Trump were to become the Republican nominee (spoiler alert: he will), Republicans will lose in the fall. This is by no means a unique sentiment – former House Speaker Paul Ryan expressing this idea here, journalist Bernard Goldberg wondering if Trump is trying to lose here, and so forth.

As I read these analyses, I wonder if I’ve somehow been transported back to 2016, when such takes were de rigueur. Here in 2024, we know that Donald Trump won in 2016 and came close to winning in 2020. He carried Republican senators across the finish line in both years, and the GOP gained House seats in 2020, much to the surprise of most election analysts. And, at a comparable time in the campaign cycle when he trailed Hillary Clinton by 4.5 points in the RCP Average and Joe Biden by 5.6 points, Trump actually leads Biden by 1.9 points in national polling.

Whitmer’s Proposed 2025 Budget Carries 1,288 Percent Trash Fee Hike Increase

February 14, 2024February 13, 2024 The Center Square

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the proposed 2025 budget wouldn’t raise taxes but it would dump a 1,200% increase in trash fees onto local taxpayers.

The budget aims to raise the landfill tipping fee rate for state landfills from 36 cents to $5 per ton – a 1,288% increase.

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?

February 14, 2024 RealClearWire

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: Medicine Now Diagnoses the Non-White ‘Oppressed’ with an Oppressive Case of ‘Weathering’

In 1986, an upstart public health researcher named Arline Geronimus challenged the conventional wisdom that condemned the alarming rise of inner-city teen pregnancies. While activist minister Jesse Jackson and health care leaders were decrying the crisis of “babies having babies” as a ghetto pathology, Geronimus contended that teenage pregnancy was a rational response to urban poverty where low-income black people have fewer healthy years before the onset of heart problems, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

Although Geronimus’ claims gained little traction at the time, the concept she pioneered – “weathering” – eventually became a foundation for the social justice ideology that is now upending medicine and social policy. She has stated in interviews and in her writings that the term “weathering” was intended to evoke the idea of erosion and resilience.

Commentary: The Meaning of Ash Wednesday