November, 2021 | The Georgia Star News

U.S. Adds 531,000 Jobs in October, Exceeding Expectations

November 6, 2021November 5, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The U..S. economy recorded an increase of 531,000 jobs in October, and unemployment fell by 0.2% as the labor market recovers from the summer lows, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The number of unemployed people fell to 7.4 million, down from 7.7 million in September, according to the BLS report released Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones projected 450,000 jobs would be added in October.

While unemployment claims continue to fall, the country still struggles with labor shortages, supply chain issues and growing inflation. Job growth was widespread throughout the economy in October, with leisure and hospitality adding 164,000 jobs, professional and business adding 100,000 and manufacturing adding 60,000 jobs, according to the BLS report.

Commentary: Archimedes’ ‘Death Ray’ Is Possible but Impractical

November 6, 2021November 5, 2021 RealClearWire

Archimedes of Syracuse is generally regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians who ever lived. So revered was his wisdom and celebrated his legacy that legendary scholars who lived nearly two millennia after Archimedes’ death in 212 BC hailed him across the ages. Galileo called him “superhuman”. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz remarked that he spoiled genius itself. Christiaan Huygens said that Archimedes was “comparable to no one”.

Commentary: The Washington Post Finally Releases Sketchy Details That Raise Questions About the January 6 ‘Pipe Bombs’

November 6, 2021November 5, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Several storylines related to the events of January 6 have crumbled under closer scrutiny over the past 10 months: the “fire extinguisher” murder of Officer Brian Sicknick; the notion it was an “armed” insurrection and a grand “conspiracy” concocted by right-wing militias; claims that the building sustained $30 million in damages, and so on.

In the meantime, the Biden regime has attempted to cover up key aspects of that day, including the name of the officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt, which was only recently revealed. Justice Department lawyers continue to resist the release of 14,000 hours of surveillance video and the U.S. Capitol Police refuse to publish an 800-page internal investigation on officer misconduct as well as internal communications before and after the Capitol breach.

But a deep dive by the Washington Post, published last weekend, raises new questions about the alleged “pipe bombs” discovered just before Congress met on January 6 to certify the results of the 2020 Electoral College vote. Like so many supporting scenes, the veracity of the pipe bomb tale is in doubt after the Post revealed eyebrow-raising details about those involved.

As Dems’ Hope of Keeping Senate Dims, Vulnerable Warnock Hews to the Left, Links Election Reform to Racial Politics

November 6, 2021November 6, 2021 Bradley Vasoli

Even as the 2021 elections and President Joe Biden’s approval ratings make Democrats’ hope of keeping Senate control after next year seem less likely, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) has doubled down on his thoroughly leftist agenda.

In a tweet the day after Republicans swept statewide contests in the previously “blue” state of Virginia and nearly unseated Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in the even more Democratic state of New Jersey, Warnock is accusing Republicans of having “stood in the way of” voting rights.

Georgia Rep. Jody Hice Says Democrats’ Hypocrisy on Energy Issues Is Insane

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Chris Butler

Representative Jody Hice (R-GA-10) this week blasted President Joe Biden and other Democrats for asking the nation’s largest energy producers to reduce their energy production, all while energy prices continue to rise. Hice made his remarks during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing.

Commentary: Trump Is Nearing the Crossroads

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Left may not wish to admit it, but the fortunes of a once moribund Donald Trump of January 2021 have now largely recovered—even before the stunning gubernatorial victory of Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia.

How and why?

Texas Education Agency Opens Backdoor to ChiCom Surveillance of Students Through Virtual Tutorial Firm

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 Neil W. McCabe

The Texas Education Agency contracted with a virtual-tutorial marketing company through the end of the 2022-2023 school year that relies on tutorial services from VIPKids, the Beijing-based company backed by the Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent tied to surveillance and censorship. “We believe all students deserve equal access to rigorous…

The Daily Wire Files Lawsuit to Stop Biden Vaccine Mandate

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Cooper Moran

The Nashville-based media outlet The Daily Wire on Thursday filed a lawsuit with the goal of blocking President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.

The mandate would require companies with 100 or more workers to mandate the coronavirus vaccine or weekly testing for unvaccinated individuals.

Job Creators Network Suing Biden Administration over Vaccine Mandate

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Job Creators Network (JCN) Thursday announced a lawsuit against the Biden Administration just hours after the announcement that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all companies with 100 employees or more will take effect on January 4.

That mandate is expected to affect 84 million Americans.

U.S. Trade Deficit Hits New Record as Inflation Grows and Supply Chain Issues Worsen

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. trade deficit hit a record high of $80.9 billion in September as exports fell sharply while imports increased amid supply chain problems and growing inflation.

The trade deficit of goods and services grew 11.2%, driven by demand for items like computers, electrical equipment and industrial supplies, the Commerce Department announced Thursday.

Jobless Claims Drop to 269,000, a Post COVID-19 Low

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans who filed for new unemployment claims decreased to 269,000 in the week ending Oct. 30 as the labor market continues to improve and the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday shows a 14,000 claim decrease compared to the week ending Oct. 23, when jobless claims dropped to 283,000. Thursday’s release marks the lowest number of initial claims since March 14, 2020, when the number of new jobless claims was 256,000.

Immigration Advocates in Biden Administration Were Totally Unprepared for Border Crisis, AP Says

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Immigration advocates working as advisers for the Biden administration were completely unprepared for the border crisis rolling back former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies would create, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

Supporters of immigration on the Biden administration’s transition team dismissed estimates predicting increased migration to the U.S. if Trump’s policies were repealed and instead tried to see how fast they could get rid of the practices, according to obtained internal documents and interviews conducted by the AP.

Federal Reserve Scales Back Bond Purchases as Inflation Rises

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it would begin scaling back its monthly bond purchases in November, marking the first step towards ending its pandemic stimulus as inflation surges.

The scaling of bond purchases, more commonly known as tapering, will start “later this month,” the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said in a statement. The Federal Reserve will reduce its purchases by $15 billion each month — $10 billion less in Treasury bonds and $5 billion less in mortgage-backed securities — from the current $120 billion figure.

Judge in Rittenhouse Trial Slams Media for ‘Totally Bizarre’ Statements About Case

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The judge presiding over the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse criticized the media’s “totally bizarre” coverage of the case on Wednesday.

Judge Bruce Schroeder made the comments as prosecutors attempted to play video footage from the night Rittenhouse allegedly shot three people, killing two of them, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a Black Lives Matter riot.

Commentary: The Migrant Surge at the Southern Border Fuels Massive American Fentanyl Overdoses

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 RealClearWire

On a September afternoon, Allyssia Solorio wondered why her energetic young brother hadn’t emerged from his bedroom in their Sacramento, Calif., home. When she opened his door, she saw 23-year-old Mikael leaning back on his bed with his legs dangling over the side. She rushed to her brother and shook him, but to no avail. He was dead. A counterfeit pharmaceutical pill laced with illicit fentanyl had killed him.

Mikael Tirado was one of an estimated 93,331 overdose fatalities in the United States last year – an all-time high. Nearly five times the murder rate, the deadly overdose toll was primarily caused by fentanyl, a highly lethal synthetic opioid. It’s manufactured mostly by Mexican cartels with ingredients imported from China, and then smuggled over the southwestern U.S. border. Fentanyl has been arriving in larger quantities each year since at least 2016.

Russian Analyst, Primary Source for Steele Dossier Charged with Repeatedly Lying to FBI

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Special Counsel John Durham on Thursday unsealed a federal grand jury indictment charging the primary source for the now-discredited Steele dossier with repeatedly lying to the FBI during the Russia collusion investigation that falsely tarred Donald Trump’s presidency.

The 39-page indictment alleges Russian analyst Igor Danchenko misled the FBI about his contacts with Russian government officials and a Democrat-connected public relations executive, falsehoods that materially affected the FBI’s investigation and its representations to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to get warrants targeting Trump’s campaign and one of its advisers.

Republican Truck Driver Who Spent $153 on Campaign Unseats Top Democrat in Stunning Upset

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Edward Durr, a Republican truck driver and political newcomer, officially unseated New Jersey Senate president Steve Sweeney.

Durr, who spent just $153 on his New Jersey State Senate campaign, was declared the winner Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported. Almost half of Durr’s campaign funds were reportedly spent at restaurant chain Dunkin’ Donuts, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

Fulton County Elections Director Is Resigning Following Criticism of Chronic Election Failures

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Fulton County, Ga. Registration and Elections Director Richard Barron is stepping down on Dec. 31, according to County Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts.

The Fulton County Election Board had voted in February to fire Barron following scathing criticism of his handling of the 2020 elections, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. However, the county’s commissioners overruled the electoral board’s decision, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Dire Consequences May Await Georgia If Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Mandates for Federal Contractors Go Through, Top Officials Warn

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Chris Butler

President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors could kill several Georgia jobs and even compromise the state’s food safety, Governor Brian Kemp and other state officials warned Wednesday.
Kemp — flanked by state attorney General Chris Carr and state Agricultural Commissioner Gary Black — alerted the public at a press conference at the Georgia State Capitol. Carr said Biden’s mandate is unconstitutional and he will sue to stop what he called the president’s overreach.

Commentary: Youngkin Shock Win in Virginia Vote of No Confidence in Biden, Portends Red Wave for GOP in Congress in 2022

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

This is one of the greatest votes of no confidence in the 21st Century.

Against the destructive policies of President Joe Biden, a torrent of spending that has brought back memories of the 1970s — surging inflation as the middle class are taxed their savings at the grocery store and then scenes of American defeat overseas in Afghanistan that stranded hundreds of Americans and thousands of American allies, who now suffer under the tyranny of the Taliban.

Private Payrolls Added 571,000 Jobs in October as Hiring Heats Up

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Private firms’ payrolls increased by 571,000 in October, far exceeding experts’ expectations as hiring throughout the country heats up, according to a major employment report.

The 571,000 jobs added is a slight increase from the 523,000 jobs added in September, the ADP National Employment Report showed. The Dow Jones estimate predicted companies would add 395,000 jobs in October, CNBC reported.

Biden Approval Rating Falls to 42 Percent

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 The Center Square

President Joe Biden’s approval rating has fallen to 42%, according to a new NBC News poll; his disapproval rating hit 54%, up 6 points from August.

The majority polled, 71%, including nearly half of registered Democrats, say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Republicans and Independents say the country is headed in the wrong direction, 93% and 70%, respectively, with 48% of Democrats saying the same.

Facebook to Shut Down Facial Recognition System, Delete Scans of One Billion People

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Facebook announced Tuesday it was shutting down its Face Recognition system and deleting the scans of over one billion people’s faces.

Jerome Pesenti, vice president of artificial intelligence at Facebook, announced the changes in a blog post Tuesday, citing the technology’s possible negative effects as well as regulatory uncertainty as reasons behind the decision.

Fauci Staffers Flagged Potential Gain-of-Function Research at Wuhan Lab in 2016, Records Reveal

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Admin

Two subordinates of Dr. Anthony Fauci raised concerns in May 2016 that a taxpayer-funded grant may include gain-of-function experiments on bat coronaviruses at a Wuhan lab, but dropped the issue after nonprofit group EcoHealth Alliance downplayed the concerns, documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.

National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Disease staffers Jenny Greer and Erik Stemmy told EcoHealth in a May 28, 2016, letter that a proposed grant “may include” gain of function research, according to documents obtained through a White Coat Waste Project information request. The letter requested EcoHealth provide its own “determination” as to whether its proposed experiments in Wuhan included gain of function research.

Biden’s Commerce Secretary Is Trying to Shield a $42 Billion Broadband Funding Program from Public Eyes

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo requested the inclusion of a provision in the bipartisan infrastructure bill shielding a $42 billion broadband funding program from public scrutiny, according to several people familiar with the matter.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion piece of legislation that passed the Senate in August with significant bipartisan support and currently awaits a vote in the House, sets aside $42 billion in broadband deployment grants to be given to states and administered through guidelines issued by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the Commerce Department.

Commentary: ‘Let’s Go, Brandon’ Is the Vaccine We Needed

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

When Donald Trump was president, he was compared frequently to Hitler. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told her Democratic colleagues that she wanted to see Trump “in prison.” Actor Robert De Niro said “F–k Trump” live on national television at the Tony Awards. The vulgar expression was met with enthusiastic applause. Fang-banging U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) compared Trump to Osama bin Laden.

These frequent expressions of irreverence and vulgarity from the Left not only were common but were celebrated when leveled at President Trump. After Biden was announced victor in the 2020 presidential election, comedian Kathy Griffin reposted the infamous photo of her holding a replica of Trump’s bloody severed head—a graphic image that had previously brought her career to a screeching halt when it was first published in 2017.

Environmentalists Are Making Putin Stronger Than Ever

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

U.S. environmental policies pushed by the Biden administration and aimed at dramatically curbing domestic fossil fuel production have given Russian President Vladimir Putin more power on the world stage.

Since taking office, President Joe Biden has blocked domestic pipelines, ditched drilling projects, proposed sweeping regulations on the fossil fuel industry and attempted to ban oil and gas leases on federal lands while pledging to decarbonize the grid by 2035. But Biden has also turned to the Middle Eastern oil cartel the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia, asking the countries to increase their production of oil and natural gas respectively.

Music Spotlight: Juna N Joey

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Even though Juna and Joey Defeo are just 16 and 19 years old, they have been singing together for quite a while. They got their affinity for music from their grandparents. Their paternal grandfather was an opera singer in Italy and their maternal grandfather was in a country band who played “pretty much anything with strings.”

Georgia’s Changing Demographics Factored into Draft of New State House Districts, Speaker David Ralston Says

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) and other members of the state’s general assembly on Wednesday published a draft map of new state house districts for state legislators. Legislators will examine and consider the map during the 2021 Special Session.

Opponents of CRT, COVID Closures Win School Board Races Nationwide

November 3, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Early returns Tuesday night showed that critics of COVID-19 reopening policies and critical race theory made headway in school board elections nationwide.

Conservatives now have a majority of the Carroll Independent School District in the wealthy Dallas suburb of Southlake, where parents previously led an electoral revolt against a proposed racial equity curriculum this spring.

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Appeal of Ruling Forcing Hospitals to Perform Gender Transition Surgery

November 3, 2021November 3, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a case from a Catholic hospital challenging a ruling that forces it to sterilize patients through gender transition surgery.

Evan Minton, a patient seeking uterus removal surgery as part of the gender transition process, will be allowed to go forward with suing the Mercy San Juan Medical Center for canceling the surgery.

Minton seeks to compel the hospital to perform surgeries that directly contravene Catholic teachings, Dignity Health, which operates Mercy San Juan, told the court. The case “poses a profound threat to faith-based health care institutions’ ability to advance their healing ministries consistent with the teachings of their faith,” according to Dignity Health’s petition.

Commentary: The Wall Street Journal’s Shabby Rebuttal of Trump Settles Nothing

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

President Trump’s October 28 letter to the Wall Street Journal detailing some of his complaints about the 2020 election and the Journal’s editorial comment on it the following day clearly reveal the shortcomings of both sides of this argument. But the important thing to note is that there are two sides to the argument over the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election result.

The prolonged and intensive effort in which the Wall Street Journal has eagerly participated, to suppress and throttle the merest suggestion of illegitimacy surrounding the 2020 election result, has failed. It has always been understandable why there would be a great body of opinion that would wish to suppress any consideration of the question. It is a sobering and demoralizing thing to imagine that the vastly important process of choosing the president of the United States could possibly be an erroneous or even a fraudulent process.

Radical Left-Wing Billionaire Funding Hunter Biden Art Shows, Raising Ethical Concerns

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The latest round of art shows featuring paintings and other artwork by Hunter Biden are being funded by a radical far-left billionaire with a history of political activism, according to the Daily Caller.

An exhibition of Biden’s work took place on October 1st at the Milk Studios in Los Angeles; Milk Studios is owned by billionaire businessman Moishe Mana. Mana has repeatedly donated to the Democratic Party, and was also behind several vulgar art displays with political messages behind them, including an infamous nude sculpture of President Donald Trump.

Between 2015 and 2018, Mana donated over $115,000 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and various Democratic candidates around the country. He was a donor and strategist on the 2016 presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, and co-hosted a fundraiser for Clinton in the closing weeks of the election where he auctioned off artwork to support her bid for president. One of Mana’s most infamous stunts was his public offer of $2,000,000 to a charity of then-candidate Donald Trump’s choice if he released his tax returns.

Federal Judge Blocks Hospital System from Placing Unvaccinated Workers on Unpaid Leave

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

A federal judge blocked a Chicago-based hospital system from allegedly putting unvaccinated workers with religious exemptions on unpaid administrative leave.

According to the Epoch Times, more than a dozen workers at NorthShore hospital in Chicago filed a lawsuit arguing that the vaccine mandate was making them choose between their religion or their job.

NBC’s Ken Dilanian Reports Gun Dealer to Secret Service For Selling ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ AR-15 Safety Selectors

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

AR-15 Magazine that says "Let's Go Brandon"

An NBC reporter said Monday that he has contacted the Secret Service about a gun dealer’s anti-Biden weapons parts. As Joe Biden sinks in the polls, multiple gun dealers appear to be capitalizing on his unpopularity to sell weapons parts and ammunition.

The dealers, according to NBC News’s “Fusion” Ken Dilanian, are “using a right-wing slogan widely understood as code for profanity” to mock Biden, and sell gun supplies.

That slogan—”Let’s Go Brandon”—”isn’t actually about supporting a guy named Brandon,” NPR explained in a hard-hitting investigative report this past weekend. The publicly-funded radio organization spilled the beans on what the phrase actually means: “it’s a euphemism that many people in conservative circles are using in place of saying, ‘F*** Joe Biden.’”

UPDATE: College Republicans Can Now Sell ‘Back the Blue’ Apparel, But Only to Members

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Campus Reform reported earlier this month on the denial of a “Back the Blue” shirt designed by the College Republicans chapter at Ohio Northern University.

ONU College Republicans president Madeline Markwood submitted a shirt design to the university’s Communications and Marketing Department with the pro-police phrase printed on the sleeve and a Thin Blue Line flag printed on the back.

The department denied Markwood’s submission because other schools have had to “retract and apologize” for similar initiatives.

‘America Is Back’: Biden Unveils Sweeping Oil, Gas Regulations That Would Cut Methane Emissions by 41 Million Tons

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Biden administration rolled out broad new regulations that it said will substantially reduce U.S. methane emissions within 15 years.

The sweeping regulations would cut methane emissions, which account for roughly 10% of the greenhouse gasses emitted by the U.S., by 41 million tons between 2023 and 2035, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Tuesday. Such a reduction is equivalent to 920 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the amount emitted by all cars and commercial aircraft in 2019.

“As global leaders convene at this pivotal moment in Glasgow for COP26, it is now abundantly clear that America is back and leading by example in confronting the climate crisis with bold ambition,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.

New Poll: 44 Percent of Democrats, Democratic-Leaning Independents Don’t Want Biden in 2024

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Apoll released Monday shows that 44% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents want a Democratic nominee other than President Biden to run for the White House in 2024.

The results come amid sinking job-approval ratings for Biden, including those in the new national poll, by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist.

The poll showed 44% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president and 49% disapprove. The numbers compare to 45% approve/46% disapprove in the group’s October poll.

‘What Were You Thinking?’: State National School Boards Association Members Slammed Letter to White House About Domestic Terrorist Parents

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

National School Boards Association meeting

State members of the National School Boards Association slammed the organization following its letter addressed to President Joe Biden’s administration that compared parental concern at school board meetings to actions of “domestic terrorists,” according to emails obtained by Parents Defending Education through a public records request.

Emails between Delaware, Florida and Ohio school board officials and National School Boards Association (NSBA) leadership showed the discontent its state members had with how the national organization handled the letter and the claims it made. The NSBA sent a letter on Sept. 29 that asked President Joe Biden’s administration to use federal legislation, such as the PATRIOT Act, to stop threats and violence in public schools toward school board members over actions that could be “the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”

On Oct. 10, Devin Sheehan, a regional director for the NSBA, sent a letter to executive directors to “compile any concerns, thoughts or recommendations” from its northeast region state board associations, according to the emails.

Commentary: Democrat Spending Bill Taxes the Rich and the Poor

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

“No one got everything they wanted, including me, but that’s what compromise is. That’s consensus. And that’s what I ran on.”

That was President Joe Biden on Oct. 28 unveiling his latest $1.75 trillion spending bill—watered down from $3.5 trillion after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) refused to budge on the topline number—that Congress is expected to vote on this week.

Pennsylvania Democratic Lawmaker Would Permit Voters to Fix Signatures on Mail-In Ballots

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Bradley Vasoli

A Pennsylvania legislator is in the process of introducing a package of election-reform bills, one of which would let voters adjust their signatures on their mail-in ballots when election officials identify problems with those signatures.

State Rep. Regina G. Young (D-Philadelphia) reasoned that it is common for an individual’s signature to vary over the years. County boards of elections nonetheless presently have the prerogative to void a mail-in ballot if the signature on that ballot fails to match the signature the county has on file for the voter.

Pennsylvania Republican Lawmaker: Election Integrity Belongs in the Workplace Too

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania state Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Abbottstown) believes the guarantee of free and fair elections with secret balloting belongs not only in contests for public office but in votes over labor representation.

This week, he announced plans to introduce an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution intended to cement that guarantee in the Keystone State in anticipation of federal legislation aiming to strengthen labor unions.

Brian Kemp to List Actions He’ll Take Against Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Mandate for Federal Contractors

November 3, 2021November 3, 2021 Chris Butler

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is scheduled to appear alongside the state’s attorney general and agriculture commissioner Wednesday to discuss how President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors violates the law and harms the state. This, according to a press release that member of Kemp’s staff emailed Tuesday. The press release called Biden’s mandate “unlawful” and suggested that state officials would file a lawsuit to fight it.

New Technology at Robins Air Force Base Will Boost the Military, Says Georgia Rep. Austin Scott

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Chris Butler

New robotics at Robins Air Force Base (AFB) in Houston County will improve productivity and better equip the military on future missions, said Representative Austin Scott (R-GA-08).

Robins AFB personnel, Scott said in June, provide critical capabilities to counter America’s adversaries in China, Russia, and Iran.

Commentary: Taking the Infrastructure Bill Hostage Didn’t Work

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 RealClearWire

Nancy Pelosi, AOC's mother and her all together

Back in August, New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait blessed the strategy of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to withhold their votes for the Senate’s bipartisan physical infrastructure plan until that bill was effectively linked to a bigger, broader, and surely partisan, measure investing in a range of items from climate protection to universal preschool. He argued that “ransoming the infrastructure bill” would turn the tables on the party’s moderates:

Historically, most partisan bills are shaped by the preferences of the members of Congress closest to the middle, and their colleagues on the political extreme simply have to go along with it. … This time, the left has real power. Progressives can credibly threaten to sink a priority that moderates care about more than they do.

Twice in the past two months, most recently last Thursday, the House progressives successfully executed this strategy, blocking attempts by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pass the bipartisan infrastructure legislation before an agreement is reached on the larger “Build Back Better” bill.

Votes on Build Back Better, Infrastructure Bill Delayed as Democrats Scramble to Reach Agreement on Lowering Drug Costs

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The House Rules Committee is no longer meeting Monday to markup Democrats’ spending package, meaning that the full House vote on it and the bipartisan infrastructure bill will be delayed past Tuesday, when Democratic leadership originally sought to pass the linked legislation.

An aide said Sunday that the committee would need “additional time to craft language and get final agreement with all parties involved,” telling Punchbowl News that “extensive progress” had been made, and that the House would vote “as early as possible this week.”

U.S. Announces $144 Million in Aid Money Will Go to Afghanistan

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. announced it will provide an additional $144 million in aid to Afghanistan as part of efforts to help citizens in the country in a statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday.

The assistance brings the total amount of aid to Afghanistan to $474 million in 2021, making the U.S. the top aid donor to the country out of any nation, the statement wrote.

Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Texas Heartbeat Act

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Pregnant woman holding ultrasound photo in front of stomach

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on the constitutionality of Texas’ Heartbeat Act.

The Texas law effectively bans most abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically occurs around 6 weeks after conception. The law is enforced through civil lawsuits against individuals who perform abortions illegally or who knowingly help women to get abortions after the baby has a heartbeat.

The private enforcement mechanism was a response to district attorneys stating their intent to not enforce any abortion bans, according to Republican Texas state Sen. Brian Hughes. While abortion bans are frequently blocked in court, Texas’ Heartbeat Act quickly resulted in a 50% decline in abortions performed in the state, according to The New York Times.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh questioned Texas about the prospect of other states creating laws with similar enforcement mechanisms to block constitutionally protected rights such as freedom of religion.

University of Pittsburgh Students Want to ‘Abolish’ Their Community’s Elementary Gifted Program

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Editorial Board of the University of Pittsburgh student paper recently published an article calling to get rid of the gifted program in surrounding schools.

“The gifted program segregates students — sometimes based on IQ tests conducted at an early age. The program is deeply flawed, encourages students to unnecessarily compete against each other academically and often ends up leaving behind students of color. It is time for Pittsburgh to follow New York’s example and eliminate the gifted program from local school districts,” claims the piece.

Los Angeles Sheriff Warns of Police Shortage over Vaccine Mandate

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The sheriff of Los Angeles County warned last week that there could be a massive exodus of police officers and other emergency workers over the city’s demand that all public employees take a coronavirus vaccine, as reported by Breitbart.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that the mandate could drive out as many as 20 or 30 percent of employees in the sheriff’s office. The vaccine mandate was passed by the city council in August, ordering that all public employees of the county submit their vaccination status in order to keep their jobs. Those who do not submit a vaccination status will be ordered to get the vaccine within 45 days or else be suspended from work for five days; they are then given another 30 days to comply, after which further action would be taken if they still refuse to get the vaccine.