Hospital Network Blocked Clergy from Administering Rites Three Separate Times

On three occasions officials at MedStar Health System (MSHS) hospitals denied entrance to clergy to perform rites including infant baptism and end-of-life last rites, according to a Wednesday press release from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Complaints from a patient and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington led the OCR to push Washington D.C.-area MSHS hospital operator to allow clergy into its hospitals despite COVID-19 regulations.

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New Unemployment Claims Fall to 787,000, Lowest Level Since March

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 787,000 last week as the economy continues to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Oct. 10, in which there were 898,000 new jobless claims reported. Thursday’s figure was the lowest since March, according to CNBC.

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Democrats Considering Bill Forcing Taxpayer-Funded Abortions for 2021 Session

Virginia delegates are evaluating a potential bill for the 2021 regular session that would increase funding for abortions under Medicaid and require individual businesses to include abortions in their insurance plans. A House subcommittee met on Tuesday to discuss House Bill (HB) 1445 and hear public comment on the bill. Planned Parenthood and NARAL representatives offered comment, as well as the Virginia Society for Human Life President Olivia Turner.

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Commentary: Biden’s Top Five Job-Killing Policies

Under a Joe Biden presidency, millions of American workers would lose their jobs, families would struggle to pay higher taxes, and many would be forced into unions against their will.  At a time when millions of Americans are already struggling due to Covid-19 economic shutdowns, Biden’s job-killing policies would be a disaster.

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Appeals Court Rules North Carolina Absentee Ballots Postmarked By November 3 Are Valid If They Arrive Before November 12

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday, allowing it to count absentee ballots that arrive before Nov. 12 as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.

“All ballots must still be mailed on or before Election Day,” said Circuit Judge James Wynn in the court’s 12-3 ruling. “The change is simply an extension from three to nine days after Election Day for a timely ballot to be received and counted. That is all.”

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Amy Coney Barrett Has More Support Than Any Other Trump Supreme Court Nominee, Poll Shows

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has more support than either of President Donald Trump’s previous nominees, a poll released Wednesday found.

A Morning Consult poll released Wednesday found that 51% of voters said the Senate should confirm Barrett, numbers which have risen three percentage points from last week. The poll surveyed 1,994 voters between October 16 and October 18  with a 2-point margin of error.

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Reports: Biden’s Tax Plan Would Increase Taxes Across the Board, Estimates Vary by How Much

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s proposed tax increases of nearly $4 trillion over the next 10 years, if passed, “would be the highest in American history – indeed, in world history,” an analysis of his plan determined.

Lew Uhler, founder and chairman of the National Tax Limitation Committee and National Tax Limitation Foundation (NTLF), and Peter Ferrara a senior policy adviser to NTLF, made that conclusion in a new report published by The Hill.

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Joe Biden Denies That Hunter Profited off His Family Ties, Hunter Said the Exact Opposite Last Year

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said in an interview Tuesday that there was no basis “whatsoever” to say that his son, Hunter, has profited off of his family name, a claim which the younger Biden contradicted in an interview last year.

Joe Biden was asked in an interview with Wisconsin TV station WISN about comments from Sen. Ron Johnson, who asserted in a report that Hunter Biden has “profited off the Biden name” through his foreign business dealings.

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Houston Police Sgt. Killed By Repeat Offender After Soros-Funded D.A. Refused to Press Charges

A police sergeant in Houston, Texas was shot dead Tuesday morning by a suspect who was in police custody just two days earlier, but was allowed to go free when the Democrat district attorney refused to press charges.

HPD Sergeant Harold Preston had been with the Houston Police Department for 41-years and was due to retire at the end of the year, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter. The local pro-police paper is urging voters to oust the D.A., whose campaign for office was bankrolled by left-wing billionaire George Soros.

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Republicans Will Put PPP Funding Back on the Floor for a Vote Despite Democrats’ Efforts to Block It, Sen. Blackburn Says

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told CNBC’s SquawkBox on Wednesday that Republicans will try again to pass their bill that would provide PPP and vaccine funding despite Democrats’ attempts to block the efforts.

CNBC asked Blackburn if she would vote for a deal if the White House and the Treasury Department reached an agreement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12).

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Commentary: The Antifa Industry at Work

When, in 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama’s career as a community organizer was lampooned at the Republican National Convention, few understood what the words meant. Most sympathetic voices in the media stressed “community,” evoking images of soup kitchens, clinics, and shelters. Republicans had every reason to look more darkly at what this kind of work meant and, probably due to Obama’s race, were inclined to associate the candidate’s time “organizing” in Chicago with New York racial demagogues and shakedown-artists like Al Sharpton. 

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Lieutenant Governor’s Race Crowded with Hopefuls for Future Governor

Ten candidates have officially announced runs for the 2021 Virginia Lieutenant Governor (LG) primaries, and more are reported to be eyeing the seat. According to the Virginia Constitution, the LG’s primary role is the president of the Senate; however, he has no vote unless the Senate is tied.

Candidate and former Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Paul Goldman told The Virginia Star, “People are going to say, ‘If I get to be lieutenant governor, I’ll be the next governor in four years. That’s what they’re thinking. That’s what they’ve always thought.'”

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COVID Lockdowns a Boon for Virginia Lottery

The Virginia Lottery recorded $2.15 billion in sales during 2020, slightly lower than the 2019 figure, despite facing statewide shut downs in the spring and the growing economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Kevin Hall, executive director of the Virginia Lottery, gave a presentation Tuesday to members of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, providing updates on the current trend and forecast as well as the implementation of expanded gaming options coming to the state.

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Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales Joins Political Organization to Defund the Police and Shrink the Justice System

Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales is on the steering committee of “Our Black Party,” a political organization to defund the police. Morales has stated explicitly that she wants to defund the police and shrink the criminal justice system.
The Code of Virginia states that Commonwealth’s Attorneys are “a part of the department of law enforcement of the county or city in which [s]he is elected or appointed.” It is unclear whether Morales’s leadership within Our Black Party conflicts with her duties as a Commonwealth attorney.

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TRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for October 22

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).

It’s officially 12 days until the election on November 3 – and nine days until early voting in Virginia closes. President Trump meets Joe Biden in the final presidential debate TONIGHT. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Virginia is Friday.

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Staff Report: Governor Northam Signs New Laws to Support COVID-19 Response, Reform Policing

Governor Ralph Northam’s office announced Thursday the signing of eight COVID-19 response bills and three criminal justice reform bills. He also proposed amendments to three other bills related to healthcare, COVID-19 relief and criminal justice reform. Northam’s announcement is below:

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Candidate for Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, Bob Good Talks About His Ground Game and Having President Trump’s Back

Wednesday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredricks welcomed Virginia’s Fifth District congressional candidate Bob Good to the show to explain how he will always have President Trump’s back.

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Virginia Senate Gives Governor Power to Oust Police Officers

The Criminal Justice Services Board (CJSB) will have the responsibility of decertifying officers engaged in misconduct or criminally charged and implementing statewide conduct standards for law enforcement, if the Senate’s omnibus policing and reform legislation is signed into law.

Last Friday, the president of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates both signed the legislation, and on Wednesday the bill was communicated to Governor Ralph Northam for final approval.

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Bitter Biden-Curious Rep. Denver Riggleman Shocks Virginia GOP

A sitting Virginia GOP congressman, who lost his party’s nomination, stunned party leaders and supporters when he told CNN Monday he would consider voting for Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
            CNN Anchor Ana Cabrena: “Would you consider voting for Joe Biden?”
            Rep. Denver L. Riggleman III (R.-Va.): “I would consider it. I’m a free-thinking American.”

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William & Mary Reinstates Three Women’s Sports Teams After Threat of Title IX Lawsuit

William and Mary (W&M) announced Monday it is reinstating the women’s swimming, gymnastics and volleyball sports programs after a group of lawyers representing student-athletes on those teams threatened to sue the university in violation of Title IX compliance.

This all stems from the decision last month by former W&M athletics director Samantha Huge to cut seven sports teams at the end of the current academic year because of large budget deficits as a result of COVID-19.

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Commentary: Biden Plus Harris Equals California Everywhere, a Nightmare We Must Reject

Imagine a country where rolling blackouts are a common occurrence, where gasoline-powered cars are outlawed, and all new car sales must be electric by a date certain.  Imagine a country where borders are open, sanctuary cities and towns are everywhere, where people here illegally are celebrated with lots of free things like healthcare and housing, and wage-earners pay for it all.  Imagine a country where the radical Green New Deal is thrust upon us (out goes natural gas, oil and coal; in comes renewables; goodbye to your warm/cool home) and a nationwide absence of forestry management causes out-of-control fires that threaten homes and air quality.

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USA Today Delivers Presidential Endorsement for the First Time in Its History

USA Today endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden Tuesday, marking the paper’s first presidential endorsement in its 38-year history.

The endorsement acknowledged that over 90% of voters have already made up their minds and addressed the few remaining undecided voters as a result.

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Commentary: 4.4 Million Lose Unemployment Benefits Since August as Pelosi Puts Politics Above People

Small business relief, supporting 5.2 million small businesses and 50 million jobs, ran out on Aug. 8 and airlines ran out of money last month as massive layoffs have been ensuing.

In the meantime, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) continues to refuse a deal from President Donald Trump to extend these CARES Act programs — even if it means she loses a few seats in the House over it.

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Commentary: How Big Tech Masks COVID-19 Realities

Since the early stages of the coronavirus crisis, any viewpoint or research running afoul of the accepted doctrine conceived by the credentialed class has been censored.

Social media platforms, internet search engines, and other monopolistic guardians of information decided at the very beginning that they would determine which content would be available for public consumption; “false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations and local health authorities that could cause harm to people who believe them” would be subjected to Facebook’s reject button, according to a January 2020 statement released by the company.

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Debate Commission’s New Rule Designates Mic Mute Times for Thursday’s Debate

President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will have their microphones muted during Thursday’s debate when it is not their turn to speak, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday.

The rule was created in order to avoid the interruptions and crosstalk seen during the first presidential debate, according to The New York Times. The commission noted the campaigns might not be pleased and both Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Donald  Trump’s aides were informed of the rule on Monday.

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San Diego School Districts Abolish Grades to Combat Racism

In an effort to combat racial discrimination the San Diego Unified School District last week announced plans to abolish the traditional grading system, Fox News reports.

According to the data, black students received D or F grades 20 percent of the time and hispanic students received them 23 percent of the time, while white students received them 7 percent of the time and asian students received them 6 percent of the time from the first semester of the last school year, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

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$15 Federal Minimum Wage Would Cause More Than Two Million Job Losses

If a $15 an hour minimum wage were implemented nationwide, more than 2 million jobs would be lost, according to a new report published by the nonprofit Employment Policies Institute (EPI).

The authors of the report – Dr. David Macpherson, professor at Trinity University, and Dr. William Even, professor in the Farmer School of Business at Miami University – conducted a state-by-state economic impact analysis including the impact of coronavirus unemployment and state shutdown data. The report also provides demographic-level estimates of the impact of raising the federal minimum wage to $15, comparing employment effects by age, sex, race and ethnicity, occupation type, and industry.

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Spanberger and Freitas Square Off in Debate on COVID, Health Care and National Security

Incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Republican challenger state Del. Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) took part in their first debate Tuesday night, discussing a wide array of ongoing issues on the national and state levels.

The forum was moderated by Washington Week Managing Editor and a national political reporter for The Washington Post, Robert Costa, lasting a little less than an hour.

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Breitbart News Political Editor Matt Boyle Reviews the Biden Business Model and Their Culture of Corruption

Tuesday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredricks welcomed Breitbart News Political Editor Matt Boyle to the show to outline the culture of corruption surrounding Joe Biden, his family, and his outer orbit.

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Congressional Debate: Candidates Scott Taylor and Incumbent Elaine Luria Spar Over Stimulus Packages and Gun Control

Republican challenger Scott Taylor and incumbent Representative Elaine Luria (D-Virginia Beach) faced off Tuesday night in their first televised debate. The 2nd Congressional District race is currently a toss-up.
Political reporter Joe St. George served as the moderator. Questions featured were presented in three segments: from the moderator first, then viewers, and lastly from Taylor and Luria.

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Virginia Tech Cancels Spring Break

Virginia Tech announced that the Spring 2021 semester will continue with a combination of in-person, hybrid, and online classes. According to the Monday announcement, the school’s traditional week-long spring break will be replaced with five individual days off spread over several weeks to discourage students from traveling.

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TRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for October 21

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).

It’s officially 13 days until the election on November 3 – and 10 days until early voting in Virginia closes. President Trump meets Joe Biden in the final presidential debate TOMORROW NIGHT. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Virginia is Friday, October 23.

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Sen. Louise Lucas Does the Expungement Two-Step

Senator Louise Lucas is a patron for a bill that would expunge records of her current felony charges if passed.
Senate Bill 5043 originally was designed to expunge criminal records relating to marijuana possession and open container violations. The latest version of the bill is much more expanded. It covers 76 crimes – many of them felonies. 

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Follow the Richmond Money: Mayor’s Race Wide Open

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney blew away challengers Alexsis Rodgers and Kim Gray with September campaign fundraising. Data from The Virginia Public Access Project shows Stoney’s campaign reported $224,602, Rodgers reported $98,283, and Gray reported $83,455.

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Lawsuit Accuses Delegate Michael Mullin of Violating Separation of Powers

Delegate Michael Mullin (D-Newport News) is accused of violating the separation of powers by serving as an attorney in cases with justices he appoints. The lawsuit asks the court to “disqualify any judge(s) subject to review or reappointment” by Mullin, and to remove Mullin from prosecution of the case.

The suit contends that Mullin’s positions as both a Delegate in the House and an assistant attorney violates Articles III and IV of the Constitution of Virginia.

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Commentary: The Unapologetic Bias of the American Left Today

Some yearn for the ancient monopolistic days of network news, the adolescent years of public radio and TV, and the still reputable New York Times—when once upon a time the Left at least tried to mask their progressivism in sober and judicious liberal façades.

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CVS to Hire 15,000 Employees in Preparation for Flu Season, COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

CVS Health announced that it would bring on approximately 15,000 additional workers in preparation for the upcoming flu season and an expected rise in coronavirus cases before the distribution of an eventual vaccine.

The hirings will take place before the year’s end, the company said Monday in a statement. Though most of the positions are temporary, many could transition into full-time positions, CVS said.

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Virginia Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing Jury Trials With Judge Sentencing

Virginia lawmakers passed legislation Friday that allows those accused of a crime to receive a jury trial and a judge’s sentence, which proponents believe will reduce sentence lengths.

Under current law, a defendant must opt for a jury sentence if he or she requests a jury trial, which can often result in longer sentences than guidance normally would suggest. The law allows a judge to reduce the sentence, but this happens in only about 8.1% of cases.

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Ivy League Grapples With Decisions Surrounding Anti-Racism Training, Course Requirements

Ivy League schools are grappling with whether or not to implement mandatory antiracism and bias training programs. So far, the results have been mixed.

In a statement from the Board of Trustees released on July 1, Dartmouth College announced that it would “make implicit bias training mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff” as part of a “strong support for the growing movement across the nation to put an end to systemic and systematic racism.”

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New Research Shows Excess of Non-COVID Deaths Increased Over Course of Pandemic

New research from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) shows that excess, non-COVID-19 deaths increased over the course of the pandemic. The authors theorized that the pandemic caused “disruptions” that led to these deaths.

Non-COVID deaths accounted for over thirty percent of the overall excess deaths. The most significant non-COVID causes of death were heart disease, Alzheimer disease, and dementia. 

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Coalition of Churches Opposes Bristol Casino

Eight churches in Bristol, Virginia are fighting against a proposed $400 million Hard Rock casino; residents will vote on the referendum this November. The coalition cites studies claiming that casinos prey on gambling addicts and questions whether a casino would draw high numbers of tourists as claimed by supporters of the referendum. Proponents say the casino would bring Bristol $15-$20 million a year in taxes and over 2,000 jobs averaging salaries of $46,500.

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Violent Attacks on Trump Supporters Spike as Election Day Draws Near

As Election Day draws near, Democrats are lashing out violently at Trump supporters for the crime of expressing support for the president’s reelection in public. Just as they did throughout the 2016 election season and for many months after, left-wing agitators are engaging in political violence to terrorize and intimidate conservatives in the public square.

After President Trump’s rocky first year, the attacks against Trump supporters slowed down, but never completely went away. (A long list of attacks on Trump supporters since Sept. 2015 can be found here.)

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Commentary: Grifter Joe Biden Needs to Win the Election Before He and His Son are in the Clintons’ League

Last week’s New York Post stories revealed a web of corruption that began with Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, and ended by implicating the presidential candidate in regard to Burisma, the Ukrainian natural gas company, and CEFC, a Chinese energy company.

The Post’s revelations about Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, were derived from emails found on a laptop abandoned in 2019 at a computer repair shop owned by one John Paul “Mac” Isaac. The computer was seized by the FBI but only after Isaac had copied the hard drive. Trump lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani apparently obtained a copy from Isaac and shared its information with the Post.

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University Told Student Groups Not to Gather, but Allowed Black Lives Matter Protest

A free-speech group has repeatedly warned the University of South Florida about the unfairness and unconstitutionality of its coronavirus guidelines.

The Southeastern Legal Foundation has now sent three letters to the public university in Florida, warning it about problems with both its approaches to student gatherings and coronavirus tracking and reporting.

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Virginia Vote Counters: No Winners on Election Night

As November 3rd draws closer, general registrars and their staff in central Virginia are working extremely hard to get as many ballots counted as possible on election night, even though the results will not be official until Friday of that week.

On Monday, The Virginia Star spoke with registrars from Henrico, Hanover, New Kent and Goochland counties, and discussed the timing of ballot counts.

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