Day: June 1, 2022

Pedestrian Deaths Increase in Georgia and Officials Blame Speeding and Distracted Driving

The Center Square

Georgia is increasingly dangerous for pedestrians, and a new analysis revealed the state outpaces the increase nationally.

In 2021, the number of pedestrian traffic fatalities in The Peach State increased by 45.6% from 2019 and 23.8% from 2020, according to an analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association. But it’s not just a Georgia problem; the organization’s review found that the 7,485 pedestrian traffic deaths nationwide in 2021 was a 16.7% increase from 2019 and an 11.5% increase from 2020.

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Flash Cards Depicting Pregnant Man Used for Teaching Colors in North Carolina Preschool Classroom

Susan Berry, PhD

A North Carolina state representative responded to an email from a constituent alerting her to the use of LGBTQ-themed flash cards, including a card with the depiction of a pregnant man, to teach colors to preschool children in an elementary school in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS).

Upon receiving an email containing the flash card, apparently from “Progress Pride Flag Rainbow Families Flash Cards,” that depicted a pregnant man,” state Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake) contacted the principal at Ballantine Elementary School in Wake County, noted a press release from North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland).

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‘Brazen Crime of Hate’: Catholic Church’s 19th-Century Tabernacle Stolen, Eucharist Strewn on Altar, Statues Beheaded

Susan Berry, PhD

A Roman Catholic Church in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, New York, was desecrated over the weekend when its antique tabernacle was cut out of its metal casing, its consecrated hosts scattered indiscriminately about the altar, and the angel statues that flanked it beheaded.

The Diocese of Brooklyn called the desecration of St. Augustine Church “a brazen crime of disrespect and hate.”

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Commentary: No, Senate Republicans, the FBI Does Not Deserve a Raise

Georgia Star News Staff

The day before FBI Director Christopher Wray explained to a Senate appropriations subcommittee why his department deserves a $527.8 million raise in 2023, his agents were credited with foiling an ISIS-linked plot to assassinate George W. Bush. An Iraqi national was arrested on May 25 and charged with attempting to smuggle four other Iraqis into the United States then “murder” the former president in retaliation for the war in Iraq. (I will address the sketchiness of this story in a separate column.)

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Buckhead Public Safety Task Force Issues Final Report, Plan to Halt Crime

Addison Basurto

The Buckhead Public Safety Task Force (Legislative Reference No. 22-R-3001) issued its final report on Friday, with recommendations and a plan to curb crime in the northernmost Atlanta district, wherein the city stated a new police precinct will open up in June.

“Task Force participants were able to hear from a broad spectrum of public safety stakeholders, and I look forward to seeing that expertise translated into a meaningful action plan,” said District 7 Council member Howard Shook.

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Poll: Most Americans Blame Biden for Rampant Inflation

Georgia Star News Staff

Most Americans believe President Joe Biden’s policies are the leading contributor to inflation in the U.S., a recent poll found.

The poll, conducted by the Trafalgar Group and the Convention of States Action from May 25 – 29, asked respondents to choose whether they believed Biden’s policies and spending or the war between Russia and Ukraine contributed more to inflation. The survey found that 59.9% of respondents blamed Biden’s policies and spending for inflation, compared to 31.6% who blamed the war between Russia and Ukraine and 8.5% who were unsure.

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‘Unprecedented Level of Federal Overreach’: 16 Governors Urge Biden to Rescind Costly Wall Street Climate Rules

Georgia Star News Staff

A coalition of 16 Republican governors sent a letter Tuesday to President Joe Biden, urging him to rescind a proposal introducing a series of climate requirements for companies.

The recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposal, which forces publicly-traded companies to share so-called climate change risks and greenhouse gas emissions, would harm businesses and investors by adding high compliance costs, the governors argued in the letter addressed to both Biden and SEC Chairman Gary Gensler. The climate disclosure rule, they added, would also represent an overstepping of the SEC’s authority.

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Whisteblower’s Lawyer: Pfizer Got Away with Vaccine Fraud Because Government Was Co-Conspirator

Georgia Star News Staff

Pfizer has asked a U.S. court to throw out a whistleblower’s lawsuit on the basis that the company can’t be guilty of fraud, abuse, and protocol violations in its COVID Vaccine clinical trials because its contract with the U.S. government allowed them to skirt regulations and federal laws that typically apply to government contracts.

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Atlanta Police Detail Summer Safety Plan for City

Peter D'Abrosca

Atlanta’s Mayor and newly-promoted Interim Police Chief held a press conference Tuesday to detail a plan to handle an expected uptick in crime in the city this summer. 

“We invited you here today to discuss the city’s collective Summer Safety Plan to keep our residents, visitors and business community safe over the next few months,” Mayor Andre Dickens (D) said. “Historically and across the nation, we know that data has shown a reliable uptick in crime during the summer months for a variety of reasons. This is why we’re standing here today to update you on our holistic approach to keep our community safe.” 

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