August, 2021 | The Georgia Star News

Commentary: Afghanistan and America’s Ruling Class

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The sudden collapse of American power in Afghanistan has triggered the usual partisan blamestorming in Washington. Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) has blamed the Biden Administration. How clueless does a member of the Cheney family have to be to go around assigning blame for Afghanistan? Talking points from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) office show that their plan was to blame Donald Trump for everything. Biden went on TV and blamed Trump for the plan Biden abandoned, the Afghan people for being unwilling to fight, and the Good Humor Man for running out of chocolate chocolate chip.

There’s going to be a lot to sort out in the weeks and months to come regarding this catastrophe, and all the questions that have been asked are legitimate. Should we have been there in the first place? What was our mission? What does the outcome say about the competence of our military?

Georgia Elections Board Takes First Step Toward Taking over Fulton County

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Georgia’s Election Board moved Wednesday toward an eventual takeover of elections in the state’s most populous county, reacting to mounting evidence of incompetance and irregularities in the Atlanta area last November.

The board’s unanimous vote was made possible by provisions in the state’s sweeping new voting law passed earlier this year.

In the Face of Cancel Culture, Princeton Professor Offers Course on Lincoln’s Legacy

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

While schools like the University of Wisconsin Madison have considered canceling President Abraham Lincoln, one Princeton professor wants to preserve his legacy and help students learn more about the nation’s 16th president.

The Ivy League university will offer a course called “Abraham Lincoln’s Politics: Concepts, Conflict and Context” this semester taught by Professor Allen Guelzo, a Civil War historian and author. He also serves on the board of the Abraham Lincoln Association.

Watchdogs Sound Alarm as Ilhan Omar Continues to Evade Financial Disclosure of Reportedly Lucrative Book Deal

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Multiple watchdog groups said Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar may have violated federal law for failing to mention any income received from her critically-acclaimed 2020 memoir in her latest financial disclosure report filed on Friday.

Omar reportedly signed a deal worth up to $250,000 for her memoir, “This Is What America Looks Like,” in January 2019, around the same time she was sworn into Congress. Omar’s communications director said the House Ethics committee approved the book deal, but the Democratic lawmaker’s financial disclosures covering the calendar years 2018 and 2019 contain no mention of the book or any advance income received upon signing a deal.

The book was published in May 2020 to rave reviews by the press and Omar’s Democratic colleagues. The Atlantic dubbed it one of the best political books of the year, and numerous high profile Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, praised on the book.

Biden Attacks Tennessee Parents Who Protested Mask Mandates, Threatens Republican Governors Who Oppose Mask Mandates; Simultaneously, He Abandons Americans in Afghanistan

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Julie Carr

President Biden attacked Tennessee parents who protested mask mandates for the second time in less than a week in an address delivered at the White House on Wednesday afternoon.

Biden also threatened Republican governors around the country who have banned school board mask mandates, at the press conference, during which he took no questions. He did not address the unfolding military debacle in Afghanistan caused by his reckless decision to remove all American troops before American citizens in the country were evacuated. At present the Biden administration has abandoned thousands of Americans left behind enemy lines in the country which the Taliban overran earlier this month in a matter of days.

Commentary: Leave Our Kids Alone

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

In Alan Parker’s 1982 film, “Pink Floyd—The Wall,” a young boy’s reality turns into a nightmare. It’s post-war England, and the boy—now in his teens and fatherless—sits in a classroom tuning out his bland math lesson and composing poems instead. The teacher—a pedagogical sadist—mocks the boy, and then proceeds to mete out some good, old-fashioned corporal punishment. The boy winces, and overwhelmed with anxiety begins to see his world as an unbearable nightmare of human oppression.

Report: Terrorist Released by Obama in Exchange for Bowe Bergdahl Played Key Role in Taliban’s Return to Power

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

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

One of the five Taliban commanders who was released from Guantanamo Bay in 2014 by former president Barack Obama in exchange for Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl, is emerging as a key figure who helped the insurgents seize power in Afghanistan.

Khairullah Khairkhwa, along with the other freed detainees, used Qatar as a base to form a Taliban regime in exile, and eventually became an official negotiator for peace talks with the Biden regime, the New York Post reported.

Khairkhwa previously served as Spokesperson of the Taliban regime, Governor of the Kabul Province of the Taliban regime, and Minister of Internal Affairs of the Taliban regime, according to the United Nations National Security Council.

Biden’s Average Approval Falls Below 50 Percent for the First Time as President

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Joe Biden with black mask on, looking at papers in hand

President Joe Biden’s average approval rating has dipped below 50% for the first time since taking office.

His approval stands at 49.8% in FiveThirtyEight’s tracker and 49.4% in RealClearPolitics’ average. While Biden’s approval rating still is higher than the 44% and 46.8% who disapprove in each average, it has steadily declined since May 25.

Biden has been plagued with multiple challenges since late May, including the resurgence of coronavirus cases driven by the Delta variant and the sudden fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban. He has also been met with rising crime, growing concerns over inflation and a decades-high surge of migrants at the southern border.

University of Michigan Professor Says Math and Science Classes Are Racist

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Deborah Ball, a mathematics professor at the University of Michigan, argued in a podcast that the discipline inflicts racism against Black and Latino students.

On Jul 21, Ball appeared on an episode of the Ed Fix Podcast titled “Fighting Racism with Mathematics” to make her case.

Lawyer Suing Indiana University for COVID Vaccine Mandate Expanding Effort to ‘Four or Five States’

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The lawyer representing students challenging Indiana University’s COVID vaccine mandate has been “retained by students in other states to bring similar claims,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

Veteran litigator James Bopp told the John Solomon Reports podcast that he expects to file suit in another “four or five states in the next couple of weeks.”

Texas Supreme Court Rules That Democrats in Legislature Can Be Arrested to Compel Attendance

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Texas Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Texas Constitution authorizes the state’s House of Representatives to arrest members who flee in order to break the quorum required to vote.

The opinion states that “just as” Texas’ Constitution enables “‘quorum-breaking’ by a minority faction of the legislature, it likewise authorizes ‘quorum-forcing’ by the remaining members,” including by “arrest.”

“The legal question before this Court concerns only whether the Texas Constitution gives the House of Representatives the authority to physically compel the attendance of absent members. We conclude that it does, and we therefore direct the district court to withdraw the TRO,” wrote Justice Jimmy Blacklock on behalf of the state’s Supreme Court.

Feds: Vaccinated Americans Will Need Booster Shots

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 The Center Square

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that federal health experts now recommend vaccinated Americans receive a COVID booster shot.

The boosters will be widely distributed to the public after research indicated that the vaccine’s effectiveness declines over time.

Despite Resigning in Disgrace, Cuomo Stands to Collect Substantial Pension

August 19, 2021 The Center Square

A majority of New York lawmakers were ready to remove Gov. Andrew Cuomo from office over misconduct allegations, a removal that was only averted by his resignation. But despite the near-universal condemnation of his actions as governor, Cuomo still stands to earn a substantial pension from taxpayers for his time in office.

News reports this week indicate that Cuomo has filed for his pension as the date when he has promised to resign, Aug, 24, draws near.

Redistricting Lawsuit Filed, Democratic Groups Want Wisconsin Courts to Draw Maps Immediately

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 The Center Square

Less than 24 hours after the U.S. Census Bureau delivered Wisconsin’s 2020 Census numbers, a handful of voters have filed a lawsuit to toss out the state’s current political map, and have judges skip the legislature and draw new maps on their own.

The lawsuit will be heard in federal court in Madison. It argues that because of the Census data, the state’s current congressional and legislative maps are out of date, and cannot be used in any upcoming elections.

In Wisconsin, Madison and Dane Counties Reinstate Mask Mandates

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 The Center Square

Madison and Dane County residents will have to wear their masks once again.

The city and county’s joint public health office, Public Health Madison & Dane County, on Tuesday reinstated its indoor mask mandate.

Michigan’s Tlaib Rakes in Rental Income While Pushing Eviction Moratorium

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 The Center Square

Congresswoman and “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib, D-MI, is under fire for pushing to cancel rent during the COVID-19 pandemic while at the same time raking in up to $50,000 in rental income. Fox reported Tlaib’s 2020 financial disclosure.

Tlaib has built her brand as a fighter for the people, advocating for eviction moratoriums, saying landlords “prey on single moms” and insinuating landlords unfairly take money from vulnerable people.

Twitter Allows Taliban to Remain on Their Platform, Even as Other Tech Giants Ban Them

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

On Tuesday, Twitter admitted in a statement that they have no plans to ban the official accounts of the Taliban and its spokesmen, even after the radical Islamist group had seized control of the nation of Afghanistan over the weekend, as reported by the New York Post.

When asked about maintaining such accounts, the statement released by Twitter mostly dodged the issue and deferred to basic platitudes about how the social media giant would “continue to proactively enforce” its rules, and would only ban tweets that include “glorification of violence, platform manipulation, and spam.”

Fulton County Voters Urge County Commission Not to Approve Contract with Group Allegedly Tied to Mark Zuckerberg

August 19, 2021August 18, 2021 Chris Butler

Several people on Wednesday urged members of the Fulton County Commission not to approve a nearly $600,000 contract with an Illinois-based group to review and assess the county’s voter registration and elections operations. County commissioners had not approved or rejected the proposed contract with this organization, The Elections Group, as of Wednesday evening.

Americans’ Allegiance to National Anthem Remains Strong Despite Protests, Poll Shows

August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Polling ahead of the 2021 NFL season indicates that, despite an increasingly political landscape for the sport and its fans, Americans overwhelmingly would prefer that the National Anthem continue to be the sole anthem played prior to games.

According to a recent poll conducted by Newt Gingrich’s American Majority Project in conjunction with McLaughlin & Associates, a total of 61% of Americans believe that “only” the American National Anthem should be played at NFL Games. That figure ticks up slightly to 64% among Republicans, and falls to 58% among Independents, while 11% of those polled said they don’t know.

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National Gingrich 360 Anthem X-tabs 8-3-21 .pdf
The poll was conducted in the wake of the NFL’s recent decision to play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” – often referred to as the black national anthem – before all games during the upcoming season, ahead of the playing of the American National Anthem. The song was initially introduced by the NFL when it was sung by Alicia Keys at the Super Bowl for the 2020-2021 season. The decision to play the song before each game is reportedly part of the league’s quarter-billion dollar investment in social justice messaging and initiatives.

School Board Recall Attempts Spike Amid Concerns About COVID Closures, Critical Race Theory

August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Group of young students at table, reading and wearing masks

School board recall efforts are sweeping the country, with many driven by parents claiming Critical Race Theory (CRT) is infecting schools, demanding schools reopen in person, and arguing that boards are consumed by virtue signaling.

According to Ballotpedia, 58 such efforts against 144 board members have taken place in 2021. Those are both all-time highs since it started tracking school board recall efforts in 2006, and far above the next highest year, 2010.

Only one school board member has been removed in 2021, however, while three resigned and seven were retained in elections. One is scheduled for a November recall vote in Kansas for upholding a mask mandate.

Democrats May Hand GOP a 2022 Election Gift: Hearings on Biden’s ‘Flawed’ Afghan Exit

August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

President Joe Biden is facing bipartisan backlash over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan ahead of the 2022 midterm elections as lawmakers from both parties call for an investigation into his administration’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal.

Democrats vowed “tough questions” Tuesday as they used words like “flawed,” “failures” and “horrifying” to describe the administration’s exit strategy and the scenes unfolding in Kabul.

The president, for his part, is not changing course and vows to complete a full withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan. But he now faces the specter of his own party investigating his team’s conduct and competence in the shadows of a 2022 election where control of Congress is up for grabs.

Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction Says 20 Year Effort is Marked by ‘Too Many Failures’

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Special IG for Afghanistan ReconstructionFollow Inspector General John F. Sopko Testifies before Congress

The special inspector general for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) is calling the two-decade effort to rebuild the country a failure. The August 2021 report details the areas in which the American effort to rebuild the country came up far short of the initial goal.

“The extraordinary costs were meant to serve a purpose – though the definition of that purpose evolved over time,” reads the 140-page report, alluding the United States’ changing goals in the region over the course of its 20-year military presence in Afghanistan.

“After 13 years of oversight, the cumulative list of systemic challenges SIGAR and other oversight bodies have identified is staggering,” reads the report.

Commentary: The Woke Road to Kabul

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

If stagflation, rising urban crime, and a weak Democratic president did not remind us enough of the 1970s, we now have our very own fall of Saigon.

To the astonishment of many naïve observers, especially those among the polite and orderly caretakers of America’s decline (for whom I suggest the acronym “POCAD”) now so foul misplaced atop our discredited foreign policy establishment, Afghanistan’s Taliban shrewdly—and predictably—waited until U.S. forces had nearly completed their withdrawal from the country before launching a massive offensive that has conquered almost all before it.

Outside Kabul’s precariously held airport, the capital has fallen. Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani fled the country and was within a matter of hours replaced by a Taliban mullah. U.S. diplomats destroyed the secret papers (and, reportedly, images of the American flag) while pusillanimously begging the new regime not to attack the embassy, over which the colors no longer fly. Taliban fighters are joyfully lounging in captured bases where they have won huge caches of American military hardware for use against their doomed countrymen, or to supply whatever other terrorist groups take refuge with them.

Retail Sales Dipped in July Amid Spiking Coronavirus Cases

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Retail sales in the U.S. declined in July as the number of coronavirus cases spiked, localities renewed some restrictions and businesses delayed their return to in-person work.

Sales dropped 1.1% in July compared to June and totaled $617.7 billion, according to the Census Bureau report released Tuesday. The decrease was driven mainly by declining used and new car sales, clothing purchases, building materials sales, sports goods sales and furniture purchases.

Economists expected retail sales to fall 0.3%, a relatively modest drop compared to the actual decline, CNBC reported. All major stock market indices declined between 0.5% and 0.8% on Tuesday morning following the worse-than-expected report.

Commentary: Climate Change Activists Misrepresent Extreme Weather Events

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 RealClearWire

The Pacific Northwest was hit with a record-shattering heat wave in June, with temperatures over 35 degrees higher than normal in some places. On June 28, Portland, Ore., reached 116 degrees. Late last week the region suffered another blast of hot weather, with a high in Portland of 103 degrees. The New York Times didn’t hesitate to pronounce the region’s bouts of extreme weather proof that the climate wasn’t just changing, but catastrophically so.

To make that claim, the Times relied on a “consortium of climate experts” that calls itself World Weather Attribution, a group organized not just to attribute extreme weather events to climate change, but to do so quickly. Within days of the June heat wave, the researchers released an analysis, declaring that the torrid spell “was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change.”

World Weather Attribution and its alarming report were trumpeted by Time magazine, touted by the NOAA website Climate.gov , and featured by CBS News, CNBC, Scientific American, CNN, the Washington Post, USAToday, and the New York Times, among others.

Former State Attorney General Adam Laxalt Launches Senate Bid in Nevada

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt launched a long-expected Senate bid Tuesday, becoming the highest-profile Republican to take on Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

“The radical left, rich elites, woke corporations, academia and the media, they’re taking over America,” Laxalt said in an announcement video likening them to Star Wars’ Galactic Empire.

Laxalt served as attorney general from 2015-2019. In 2018 he lost his bid for governor to Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak.

‘It’s Everywhere’: Migrants Say They’re Not Responsible for Spreading COVID-19

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Acting Executive Officer of the RGV U.S. Border Patrol Sector Oscar Escamilla, left, fields questions from tour participants as Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, right, leads a delegation of Congressional representatives on a tour of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Donna Processing Facility in Donna, Texas, May 7, 2021. Secretary Mayorkas updated the delegation on unaccompanied children arriving at our Southern Border as they viewed conditions at the facility. CBP Photo by Michael Battise

MCALLEN, Texas — Several illegal migrants told the Daily Caller News Foundation that they aren’t responsible for spreading COVID-19 in America.

Migrants who illegally crossed into the U.S. near the Hidalgo Point of Entry on Aug. 10 in a group of about 20 people said they weren’t worried about catching COVID-19 at any point in the journey to their final destinations in America.

“Everywhere people are getting infected,” a vaccinated man from Ecuador told the DCNF after illegally entering the U.S. near the same location on Aug. 7. “It’s honestly not that the migrants are bringing the virus. It’s everywhere.”

Former Soccer Player Hope Solo Says Megan Rapinoe Would ‘Bully’ Teammates into Kneeling for Anthem

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Hope Solo, the former goalie for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, said during an interview on Tuesday that her teammate Megan Rapinoe would resort to bullying tactics to coerce the other players into kneeling during the National Anthem, Fox News reports.

“I’ve seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way,” Solo said on the podcast “All of US: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Show.” However, Solo noted, “it’s our right as Americans to do it in whatever way we’re comfortable with,” before going on to describe the kneeling phenomenon as “very divisive.”

For this reason, Solo said she was relieved when the National Anthem was removed from the beginning of the game “to really remove that decision from athletes, because that’s very tough.”

Science on Mask Usage Indicates Scant Benefit

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Bradley Vasoli

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended that all schools require mask-wearing indoors by teachers and students, vaccinated or unvaccinated against COVID-19.

And many school districts are adopting that requirement, to the dismay of many parents.

Texas GOP Gov. Abbott Tests Positive for COVID-19

August 18, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Tuesday.

“Governor Greg Abbott today tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The governor has been testing daily, and today was the first positive test result,” said Office of the Governor Communications Director Mark Miner.

“Governor Abbott is in constant communication with his staff, agency heads, and government officials to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly and efficiently. The Governor will isolate in the Governor’s Mansion and continue to test daily. Governor Abbott is receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment,” the statement continued.

Tennessee’s and Georgia’s COVID-19 Policies Protected Lives and Also Minimized Damages to Both States’ Economies, Report Says

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 Chris Butler

During COVID-19, Georgia and Tennessee have both fared substantially better economically than Kentucky and Michigan with no significant increase in cases from reopening their economy. This, according to a report that members of the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee published this month. Beacon is a free market think tank.

Trump Ally Keys in on Voter Fraud as He Launches Campaign for Lieutenant Governor

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A State Senator from Georgia who is running to replace notoriously anti-Trump Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) has vowed to “expose all voter fraud,” making the issue of election integrity the cornerstone of his campaign.

“Let me ask you a simple question – if there wasn’t any cheating or fraud in the 2020 election, why every time we call for a full investigation, the Stacey Abrams and the Democrats respond like this,” State Sen. Burt Jones (R-District 25) said in a campaign launch video.

Commentary: Biden Is Out of Touch, Out of Town, and Soon He May Be Out of Time

August 17, 2021 Admin

In a hastily called news conference Monday afternoon President Joe Biden and his advisors tried to control the damage of this past weekend. But it may be too late. Biden not only lost Afghanistan, he lost credibility, and with that, the American people.

A defiant Biden said he did not regret his decision to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan, while acknowledging that the country’s collapse to the Taliban came much sooner than U.S. officials had anticipated.

Democrat Firebrand Senator Sheldon Whitehouse Compares Fall of Kabul to Saigon as Biden Admin Denies Connection

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

A Democratic senator compared the scene in Kabul as the U.S. rushed to evacuate embassy personnel and Afghan allies to the fall of Saigon in 1975 on Monday.

“Sad. My father was our next-to-last ambassador in Saigon, and our ambassador when ‘peace deal’ was negotiated in Laos,” tweeted Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. “How that all ended deserved more attention.”

Biden Acknowledges Afghanistan Collapse ‘Did Unfold More Quickly than We Anticipated’

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

President Biden acknowledged Monday the collapse of Afghanistan occurred “more quickly” than his administration anticipated.

“Truth is, this unfolded more quickly than we anticipated,” Biden said in a national TV address to Americans from the White House.

Commentary: The Great Parent Revolt

August 17, 2021 RealClearWire

As overreach in classrooms by progressive school administrators, nonprofits and the federal government has reached new heights, parents are stepping up to fight back.

Moms for Liberty, Informed Parents of California, EdFirstNC, NJ Parental Rights, No Left Turn in Education and Parents Against Critical Theory are just a few of the hundreds of new parent groups that have emerged across the country in recent months. Many parents have become education activists because of schools’ failure to bring children back into the classroom or their continued imposition of mask mandates.

College Students Giving Up on Their Degrees in Significant Numbers: Report

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

American colleges continue to face the consequences of COVID, as data show they experienced a significant decrease in returning students this past school year.

Many post-secondary education plans to take classes were canceled in 2020. In August of last year, the US Census Bureau conducted a survey which showed 29.4 percent of households with at least one prospective student had canceled their plans to take classes in the fall of 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic.

Pelosi Floats Passing Infrastructure and Budget Simultaneously as Moderates and Progressives Feud

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday floated the idea of passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget simultaneously in an attempt to balance moderates and progressives’ mutually exclusive demands.

Pelosi asked the House Rules Committee to look into the possibility after nine centrist Democrats vowed to block the budget if it came up for consideration before the infrastructure bill passed.

Three U.S. Representatives From Georgia and Tennessee Say Joe Biden Must Resign After Afghanistan Catastrophe

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Chris Butler

Three members of Congress who represent Georgia and Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives said Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden must resign from office. This, after Biden decided to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Exclusive: Erik Prince Blames Afghanistan Debacle on ‘Cosplay National Security Apparatus’ that Believes ‘Their Own BS’

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Neil W. McCabe

The Founder of the Blackwater private security firm and the author of a comprehensive plan to save Afghanistan by shifting the country’s security to private contractors and away from the American military told the Star News Network he warned U.S. diplomats the government of President Ashraf Ghani would fall before Labor Day.

“I told a number of ambassadors in the region there; they should expect a collapse of Kabul by Labor Day, and I said that back in April, based on when the U.S. air pressure, when the Air Force really stopped bombing, when that threat largely disappears, then the Taliban would be able to group and mass as they have done, and then they start blowing up cities,” said Erik Prince, the Navy SEAL veteran and national security entrepreneur.

Commentary: The One Hundred Year Road to Critical Race Theory

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

While critical race theory has rightfully garnered much attention of late, it is simply the latest step in advancing what is known as cultural Marxism. Many people lay the origins of America’s left turn to the 1960s, but in fact, it actually dates back to the Progressive Era, a time of social and political reform that started over a hundred years ago. While eliminating some government corruption and granting suffrage for women were positive steps, the early 20th century movement ushered in an era of radical thought that has never left us. What follows are a few stand-out points of the far-left’s invasion into education.

“The purpose of a university should be to make a son as unlike his father as possible.” These radical words were uttered in 1909 by Woodrow Wilson as president of Princeton, four years before he became the 28th president of the U.S. (When Wilson won his election in 2012, socialist Eugene Debs received 6 percent of the vote.)

Taliban Will Announce Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, after President Hamid Karzai Flees Kabul

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

As Afghanistan descends into chaos, the Taliban announced on Sunday that they soon will declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The country went by that name under the previous Taiban regime.

Oregon Progressives Lower Academic Expectations for Minority Students in Name of ‘Equity’

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Oregon’s high school graduation rate is on the rise. But maybe not for the right reasons.

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic prompted state guidelines that essentially mandated a no-fail policy for high school seniors whose course work became remote during the latter half of the 2020 school year. Now, state graduation rates will likely remain artificially inflated, thanks to a new law that will allow Oregon students to get their diplomas without proving proficiency in core academic skills.

Migrants Coming to America Illegally Say They’re Coming to the U.S. for a Variety of Reasons

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

MCALLEN, Texas — Some migrants who spoke to the DCNF said they were motivated to come to the U.S. by the Biden administration, while others cited death threats from “narcos” and disaster in their home countries.

“Suddenly, the situations during the previous years weren’t like this one. This year was much more difficult,” a Honduran migrant named Javier told the DCNF after illegally crossing into the U.S. near the Hidalgo Point of Entry early Tuesday morning.

Javier said increasing “crime and a lot of insecurity” including “extortions and death threats from the cartels” motivated him to leave Honduras. He said it took him a little over a month to reach the U.S.

Minorities Fleeing High-Tax, Democrat-Run States for High-Opportunity, Republican-Run Country

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Data from the 2020 census confirms a population shift that reflects “the decade’s broad population shifts: slow growth in the Northeast and Midwest, and gains in the South and some Western states.”

The last decade’s interstate migration shift also indicated that states with higher taxes and less opportunities for job growth lost residents to lower tax states with more job opportunities.

Infrastructure Bill Features Per-Mile User Fee Pilot Program

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The recently passed U.S. Senate infrastructure bill includes controversial provisions such as a vehicle per-mile user fee pilot program as the bill faces uncertainty in the U.S. House.

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes $550 billion of new spending, passed in the Senate on Tuesday by a 69-30 vote. The bill authorizes spending for improvements to roads, bridges, rail, transit and broadband, among other forms of infrastructure.

27 People Aboard Almost Fully Vaccinated Cruise Ship Test Positive for COVID

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Aboard an almost fully vaccinated Carnival cruise ship, 27 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday just before arriving in Belize City, according to the Belize Tourism Board.

While crew members are 99.8% vaccinated, 26 of the positive cases were among them, the statement said. One passenger tested positive, as well, and 96.5% of guests have received the shot.

Newt Gingrich Commentary: The Woke Industrial Complex and a Crisis of American Identity

August 16, 2021August 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

“Stakeholder capitalism” is the idea that companies should serve not only their shareholders but also other interests and society at large. This ideology, championed by America’s business and political leaders, promises a better, more diverse, and environmentally friendly world. Social justice is the purported goal.

In reality, this insidious force is an invitation for politics to infect business, creating a marriage between big business and big government that has the two working in concert. The result is a hybrid behemoth of immense power, capable of controlling our money, our voice, even our identity.