National News from The Georgia Star News

‘Return to Learn’ Tracker: 42 Percent of U.S. School Districts Are Providing Full In-Person Instruction

April 16, 2021April 15, 2021 The Center Square

About 42% of more than 8,500 public school districts in the country have returned to full in-person instruction, according to a “Return to Learn” tracker developed by the American Enterprise Institute and the College Crisis Initiative of Davidson College.

Iowa and Florida, which are fully reopened, are the only two states in which 100% of their school districts are providing in-person educational instruction, the analysis found. While Texas is also fully reopened, only 73% of its districts are providing full in-person instruction. Districts in states still under lockdown restrictions, like the District of Columbia and Hawaii, have no schools providing full in-person instruction, the analysis found.

Jobless Claims Drop to 576,000, Lowest Level Since March 2020

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

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 576,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a large decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending April 3, when 769,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 744,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Small Number of Vaccinated Adults Later Tested Positive for Coronavirus, CDC Says

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

About 5,800 individuals tested positive for coronavirus after receiving a complete dosage of the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The number of people who have reportedly contracted coronavirus after vaccination represent a tiny sliver of the nearly 77 million fully-vaccinated Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The CDC said that 396 people have required hospitalization and 74 people have died from the virus after they received a full coronavirus vaccine dosage, according to CNN.

Emails Show Involvement of Multiple Private Groups in Key Swing-State Cities During 2020 Election

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

Newly revealed emails show what appears to be an intensive effort by multiple private advocacy groups to manage numerous aspects of the 2020 election in several swing-state cities key to Biden’s 2020 election victory, shedding further light on the role private initiatives and private funding played in potentially influencing the outcome of that race.

The emails, obtained by the election integrity group the Amistad Project, show exchanges between city officials in several Wisconsin cities and members of the Center for Tech and Civil Life, a left-leaning election advocacy organization based out of Chicago.

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Ashli Babbitt Will Not Face Charges

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

The U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot 35-year-old Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt on January 6 will not face federal charges, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

An investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and the Civil Rights Division, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division (IAD) “determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution.”

U.S. Intel Chief: ‘Indications’ That China Is Attempting to Influence World Health Organization

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

Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, told lawmakers on Thursday that the intelligence community has seen “indications” that China is attempting to influence the World Health Organization’s assessment about the origins of the coronavirus.

“We’ve certainly seen indications that China is trying to influence the World Health Organization’s efforts in this area,” Haines told Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick during a House Intelligence Committee hearing.

Chauvin Avoids Testifying, Defense Rests in Dramatic Final Day of Murder Trial

April 16, 2021April 15, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

In dramatic final day of Derek Chauvin’s trial for second and third degree murder of George Floyd, Chauvin invoked his Fifth Amendment right remain silent during his own trial.

After a series of questions and answers between Chauvin and his attorney Eric Nelson, confirming for the court’s record that Chauvin understood his Fifth Amendment rights, and was exercising them on his own accord, the former Minneapolis Police officer decided he would not take the stand.

Pro-Life Groups Accuse FDA of ‘Ignoring the Science’ on at-Home Abortion Drugs

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Pro-life groups are accusing the Food and Drug Administration of “ignoring the science” by removing restrictions that prevented abortion drugs from being delivered by mail.

The national pro-life Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and its research and education arm, the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), said Tuesday that the FDA’s decision to remove restrictions on abortion drugs “ignores the risk of increased mortality and morbidity for women taking the abortion pill,” according to an SBA List press release.

CDC Recommends Halt in J&J Vaccinations After Six Young Women Develop Dangerous Blood Clots

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that they are recommending that the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine be halted after six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot were reported in the United States.

The dangerous clots developed about two weeks after the vaccine was administered in these patients—all of them women between the ages of 18 and 48, according to ABC News.

Newt Gingrich Commentary: The Crisis of American Civilization

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

We are now in a crisis of American civilization fully as dangerous and real as the crisis of the US Civil War or World War II.

During both those crises, if America had lost, it would have ceased to be America – and the cause of freedom around the world would have been dramatically weakened.

BLM’s ‘Marxist’ Co-Founder Raked in $20,000 a Month as Chairwoman of Jail Reform Group

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation co-founder and executive director Patrisse Cullors, a self-identified “trained Marxist,” raked in upwards of $20,000 a month serving as the chairwoman of a Los Angeles jail reform group in 2019, according to campaign finance records reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Reform LA Jails disbursed a total of $191,000 to Cullors in 2019 through her consulting firm, Janaya and Patrisse Consulting, according to financial records submitted to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. The description for each of the seven reported payments to the Cullors’ firm that year read: “P. Cullors, Principal Officer, Business Owner.”

Officer Involved in Daunte Wright Shooting Charged with Second Degree Manslaughter

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Washington County Attorney Pete Orput announced Wednesday that the police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center will be charged with second degree manslaughter.

Kimberly Potter resigned from her post Tuesday after she shot and killed Wright during a struggle Sunday. She worked as a police officer for 26 years.

Gas, Other Consumer Prices Spike in First Quarter of 2021

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 The Center Square

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released data Tuesday showing a sharp increase in consumer prices, especially gasoline, as many Americans struggle to make ends meet.

March saw a 0.6% increase in consumer prices, the largest spike in nearly a decade. That increase can be attributed in large part to a rise in inflation.

As Capitol Defendants Rot in DC Jail, Portland Rioters Get Leniency

April 15, 2021April 14, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

While more than three dozen people charged with various offenses related to the January 6 protest on Capitol Hill now rot in solitary confinement in a D.C. jail, Joe Biden’s Justice Department is letting off the hook violent protestors involved in the ongoing siege of Portland.

Politico today reported federal prosecutors are seeking “deferred prosecution” for at least six people charged with disorderly conduct, attacking police officers, and interfering with law enforcement in that city last year. “Some lawyers attribute the government’s newfound willingness to resolve the Portland protest cases without criminal convictions to the arrival of President Joe Biden’s administration in January and to policy and personnel changes at the Justice Department,” Josh Gerstein wrote April 14. “Some of the assaults described in the Portland cases bear similarities to the Capitol violence.”

BLM Co-Founder’s Consulting Firm Goes Offline as Reports Expose Her Multimillion Dollar Real Estate Buying Spree

April 14, 2021April 13, 2021 Admin

The website for a consulting firm owned and operated by Black Lives Matter Global Network co-founder and executive director Patrisse Khan-Cullors went offline recently amid reports that she’s in the midst of a multimillion-dollar real estate buying spree.

The firm, Janaya and Patrisse Consulting, LLC, is named after Khan-Cullors and her spouse, Janaya Khan. The firm stated on its website, which the Daily Caller News Foundation reviewed on Friday, that it specialized in “Transforming Organizations One Strategic Planning Session at a Time.”

Khan-Cullors, a self-described “trained Marxist,” has purchased four homes across the U.S. since 2016 for a total of $3.2 million, according to the New York Post. Her latest acquirement came on March 30 with the purchase of a $1.4 million home in the Topanga Canyon neighborhood in Los Angeles through a corporate entity under her control, according to a celebrity real estate news site.

NCAA Signals That It May Pull Championships from States That Protect Women’s Sports

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

The NCAA signaled that it may pull championship games from places that stop biological males from competing in women’s sports.

The collegiate sports league released a statement on Monday reaffirming that it supports “the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports,” which is grounded in the value of “fair competition.”

“The NCAA has a long-standing policy that provides a more inclusive path for transgender participation in college sports,” continues the statement. “Our approach — which requires testosterone suppression treatment for transgender women to compete in women’s sports — embraces the evolving science on this issue and is anchored in participation policies of both the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.”

CNN Tech Director Caught on Video Admitting Network Engaged in Propaganda to Get Trump Voted Out

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

CNN’s technical director was caught on video admitting that the cable “news” network traffics in propaganda under the guise of journalism in order achieve a desired political outcome.

The director, Charlie Chester, described in Part One of Project Veritas’ “CNN Exposed” series how the network used propaganda to benefit Joe Biden and get former President Trump voted out of office.

During a conversation with an undercover Project Veritas reporter, Chester also divulged that CNN plans to start hyping the climate change agenda as soon as the Covid-19 hysteria dies down, per CEO Jeff Zucker’s orders.

U.S. Supreme Court Overturns California’s Restrictions on In-Home Religious Activities

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 The Center Square

Group of people singing at a worship service

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled late Friday that California’s COVID-19 restrictions on in-home religious gatherings, limiting worship to families from a maximum of three households, could not continue.

In the 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court reversed a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling allowing California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s limits on people exercising their First Amendment rights to freely practice religion at home.

In its written order, the court noted that it was the fifth time it has “rejected the Ninth Circuit’s analysis of California’s COVID restrictions on religious exercise.”

Two White Translators Forced to Step Away from Translating Black-Authored Inauguration Poem

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

Several controversies have broken out in the past two months surrounding the foreign language translations of the poem read by Amanda Gorman at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Since February, two translators have been forced to step away from their position to translate the poem into Dutch and Catalan because of backlashes to the fact that they are both white.

Gorman, the poet who wrote “The Hill We Climb” for the inauguration, received immense fame for her work. The poem was planned to be translated into 16 languages and distributed internationally.

DeSantis and Doctors Accuse Media, Big Tech of Hiding Harm from COVID Restrictions

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

The media, academy and Big Tech are suppressing facts about the harms caused by COVID-19 lockdown policies, especially for younger generations, Gov. Ron DeSantis and public health experts said in a “roundtable discussion” on the novel coronavirus Monday.

These powerful American institutions are also misleading their audiences about the public health results from Florida’s open approach, which contrasted sharply with most states, they said.

The potential Republican presidential candidate hammered Google and its YouTube platform in particular for removing his earlier COVID-19 roundtable with the same doctors, branding it “misinformation.” Even some Florida news stations had their coverage removed.

Senator Josh Hawley Introduces Antitrust Legislation Aimed at Big Tech

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a new bill on Monday that would break up several large companies in the United States, with a particular focus on the Big Tech companies, as reported by the Daily Caller.

The bill is called the “Trust-Busting for the Twenty-First Century Act,” and aims to combat “anti-competitive big business” such as “Big Banks, Big Telecom, and Big Pharma.” In his press release announcing the new legislation, Hawley said that “a small group of woke mega-corporations control the products Americans can buy, the information Americans can receive, and the speech Americans can engage in.”

“These monopoly powers control our speech, our economy, our country,” Hawley continued, “and their control has only grown because Washington has aided and abetted their quest for endless power.”

Biden’s Cyber Nominee Is on Board of Think Tank Founded by Spygate Professor Stefan Halper

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

President Joe Biden’s pick for national cyber director is on the advisory board of an intelligence think tank co-founded by Stefan Halper, the longtime political operative who worked as a confidential human source for the FBI during its investigation into the Trump campaign.

Chris Inglis, the former deputy director of the National Security Agency, was nominated for the cyber role on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

“We are determined to protect America’s networks and to meet the growing challenge posed by our adversaries in cyberspace — and this is the team to do it,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in an announcement of the nomination.

16 States That Want to Ban Trans Surgeries for Minors

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

At least 16 states have taken action to ban doctors from performing transgender surgeries and procedures on minors.

Arkansas became the first state to ban the surgeries and procedures for minors when the legislature over rode Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the “Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act.”

Polling conducted by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation found that 57% of Americans oppose allowing minors with gender dysphoria to receive gender transition surgery, puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones.

Officer Identified, Looting Met with Heavy National Guard Presence in Brooklyn Center

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 Admin

The Brooklyn Center police officer responsible for shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright was identified Monday evening as agitators surrounded the local police station for a second straight night.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, officer Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, fired the fatal shot in Sunday’s incident. She is currently on administrative leave and a decision regarding her future with the Brooklyn Center Police Department is expected Tuesday.

Potter mistakenly drew her handgun instead of her Taser when Wright resisted arrest, according to partial body camera video released Monday.

Conservative Clergy of Color ‘Correct Lies’ Biden, Abrams Telling About Georgia’s New Election Law

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Conservative Clergy of Color — a group of black pastors, priests and ministers — is running a full-page ad in the Atlanta Constitution Journal newspaper saying it’s “correcting the lies” President Biden and Georgia Democratic politician Stacey Abrams have told about the state’s new voting law.

“There’s nothing ‘racist’ about the Election Integrity Act, and it’s certainly not ‘Jim Crow 2.0.’ Your lies are now devastating minority small businesses in Atlanta following the MLB’s decision to move its All-Star Game to Denver, resulting in the loss of $100 million in business,” reads the ad. “Enough is enough.”

Exclusive: Alliance Defending Freedom Files Motion to Intervene in ‘Radical’ Lawsuit Attacking Religious Schools

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Football player kneeling, praying on bench seat

Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a motion to intervene in a “radical” lawsuit attacking the religious freedom of both religious colleges and students attending these schools, ADF senior counsel David Cortman told the Daily Caller News Foundation Monday.

Former and current students of evangelical colleges filed a lawsuit last week against the Department of Education asking that a Title IX law that gives exemptions to religious educational institutions be declared unconstitutional.

The law currently forbids educational institutions receiving federal funds to discriminate on the basis of sex but exempts religious groups if the law “would not be consistent with the religious tenets of such organization.”

Multiple Shooting Victims Reported at Knoxville, Tennessee High School, Police Say

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

by Andrew Trunsky Multiple shooting victims were reported at a Knoxville, Tennessee, high school Monday, the city’s police department said. One person was confirmed dead at the scene, and a police officer was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) said in a statement. The…

Poll: Support for School Choice Increases After COVID Shutdowns

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 The Center Square

Classroom full of kids, that are being read a book

After states shut down schools and forced families into virtual learning, parents and families found new ways to provide K-12 education to their children. While doing so, support for school choice options soared, a new poll from Real Clear Opinion Research found.

Among those surveyed, 71% said they support school choice, which is defined as giving parents the option to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school that best serves their needs. Across all racial and ethnic demographics, an overwhelming majority expressed support for school choice: Blacks (66%), Hispanic (68%), and Asian (66 percent).

These results “were the highest level of support ever recorded from major AFC national polling with a sample size above 800 voters,” the survey states.

More Riots Erupt After Police Shooting of Driver in Minnesota

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

More violent riots have broken out in a city in Minnesota just outside Minneapolis, following a police-involved shooting of a driver during a traffic stop, according to ABC News.

Although the full details of the incident have not yet been revealed, police pulled a car over in the early afternoon on Sunday after a traffic violation in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Shortly after pulling the car over, it was determined that the driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

According to Police Chief Tim Gannon’s official statement, “at one point, as officers were attempting to take the driver into custody, the driver re-entered the vehicle. One officer discharged their firearm, striking the driver.” The car then sped off for several blocks before crashing into another car. Officers and emergency personnel at the scene then “attempted life-saving measures…but the person died at the scene.”

Biden Picks Top Immigration Officials as Migrants Continue to Arrive at Southern Border

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

President Joe Biden announced two key immigration official nominations Monday as migrants continue to arrive at the southern border in record numbers.

Police Chief Chris Magnus of Tucson, Arizona, will be nominated to head Customs and Border Protection and immigrant rights advocate Ur Jaddou will be tapped to lead U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to a statement.

“They are highly-regarded and accomplished professionals with deep experience in their respective fields,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement, Bloomberg reported. “Together they will help advance the Department of Homeland Security’s mission to ensure the safety and security of the American people.”

Biden Admin Won’t Say How Much ‘Emergency’ Funding for Colleges Remains Unspent, Proposes Another $12 Billion Anyway

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Disclosure: The writer of this piece served as the U.S. Department of Education’s Press Secretary from summer 2019 through the end of the Trump administration and was involved in the announcement of the creation of the Education Stabilization Fund transparency portal.

Congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden enacted $40 billion in additional higher education relief funding without any public information on if, or how, the $21.2 billion allocated in December 2020 had been spent.

Even though colleges and universities were required to report their spending on January 28 and then again on February 8, the Department of Education’s Education Stabilization Fund transparency portal is still showing spending data as of Nov. 30 of last year.

Top BLM Activist Demands Investigation Following Co-Founder’s Multimillion Dollar Real Estate Buying Spree

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

A top Black Lives Matter activist called for an “independent investigation” into the group’s finances following a report that the group’s co-founder is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar real estate buying spree.

BLM Global Network Foundation co-founder and executive director Patrisse Khan-Cullors, a self-proclaimed “trained Marxist,” has purchased four homes across the U.S. since 2016 for a total of $3.2 million, according to the New York Post.

Khan-Cullors latest acquisition came on March 30 when she purchased a $1.4 million home in Los Angeles in the majority-white Topanga Canyon neighborhood. She purchased the home through a corporate entity under her control, according to Dirt, a celebrity real estate blog.

Officer in Minneapolis-Area Shooting Fired Fatal Shot after Mistaking Gun for Taser, Police Say

April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon described the officer involved shooting that led to the death of Daunte Wright as an “accidental discharge” during a Monday press conference.

Gannon played partial body-camera video from the Sunday incident, which shows a female officer threatening to deploy her Taser and expressing distress after shooting Wright, who was pulled over for a traffic violation around 2 p.m. Sunday.

Zuckerberg Group Gave Detroit $7.4 Million to ‘Dramatically’ Expand Vote in City Key to Biden Win

April 12, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Center for Tech and Civil Life (CTCL), a voter advocacy group funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, donated $7.4 million last year to Detroit to, among other things, “dramatically expand strategic voter education and outreach” in a blue city key to Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, according to memos obtained by Just the News under an open records request.

Detroit received three grants in 2020 from CTCL for $200,000, $3,512,000, and $3,724,450, according to the records released under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

How Georgia’s Voting Law Compares to Seven Blue, Purple States’ Laws

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Democrats have repeatedly denounced the new Georgia election integrity law that requires IDs for absentee ballots, but seldom criticize blue states that have comparable laws on their books—or in some cases, laws making it more difficult to vote than in Georgia.

“Overall, the Georgia law is pretty much in the mainstream and is not regressive or restrictive,” Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, told The Daily Signal. “The availability of absentee ballots and early voting is a lot more progressive than what’s in blue states.”

Here’s a look at how the new Georgia election law stacks up to voting laws in Democrat-leaning blue states.

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Attorneys General Plan to Create Legal Roadblocks for Biden Agenda

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Republican attorneys general are determined to mount numerous legal challenges against President Joe Biden, creating a formidable roadblock to the president’s agenda.

In less than three months since President Joe Biden was sworn into office, Republican states have waged war on his agenda, suing the administration on climate change, energy, immigration and taxation policy. But the conservative attorneys general who started filing the lawsuits in March said they aren’t done yet and expect to continue challenging the administration in court.

“We are sharpening the pencils and filling up the inkwells,” Louisiana Attorney General and former Republican Attorneys General Association Chairman Jeff Landry, who is leading two of the ongoing lawsuits against the Biden administration, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Biden’s ‘American Jobs’ Plan Could Cost Taxpayers about $666,000 per Job Created

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris

President Joe Biden’s proposed $2 trillion American Jobs Plan could end up costing taxpayers more than $666,666 per job created.

The Washington Post gave Biden “two Pinocchios” for saying the American Jobs Plan, his infrastructure and jobs proposal, will create 19 million jobs. Both Biden and his Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have made the 19 million jobs claim. The source of the statement is a Moody’s analysis, which CNN pointed out had estimated the U.S. economy would add about “16.3 million jobs over the same period if the infrastructure proposal does not get passed.”

Liberal Activists Pressure Justice Breyer to Retire Because He’s Against Court-Packing

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Liberal activists increased calls for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to step down Friday after he spoke out against packing the court.

Breyer spoke with Harvard Law School Students earlier this week and warned them that packing the court could negatively affect the United States rule of law.

“Proposals have been recently made to increase the number of Supreme Court justices. I’m sure that others will discuss related political arguments,” he said, Fox News reported. “This lecture reflects my own effort to be certain that those who are going to debate these questions … also consider an important institutional point. Consider it. Namely, how would court packing reflect and affect the rule of law itself?”

Illegal Immigrants Repeatedly Denied COVID-19 Vaccine in Florida: Report

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Undocumented immigrants in Florida have been routinely denied access to the COVID-19 vaccine, the Miami Herald reported Thursday.

A valid Florida driver’s license or government-issued I.D., utility bill or rental agreement is required to receive the vaccine, the Herald reported. Other undocumented immigrants who worked as essential workers across the U.S. haven’t been able to receive the vaccine, though some local governments are advocating for other proofs of residency so they will have access.

“What we feel is that they don’t want immigrants vaccinated,” Doris Mejia, an undocumented immigrant living in Florida told the Herald. “They see us as less, yet we work the most.”

TikTok Permanently Blacklists PragerU

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Prager University, founded by radio host Dennis Prager, has been permanently blacklisted from Chinese-owned social media app TikTok.

“Tik Tok has permanently banned PragerU from its platform for ‘multiple violations’ of their community guidelines,” PragerU wrote in a tweet on Thursday. “This is blatant censorship.” The organization started a petition over TikTok’s blacklisting.

State Redistricting Deadlines in 2021, 2022, and 2023

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 The Center Square

The U.S. Census Bureau announced in February that it would deliver the detailed datasets needed for redistricting to the states by Sep. 30, 2021, after the original April 1, 2021, deadline. Some states’ own redistricting deadlines predate the Census Bureau’s projected data delivery date, prompting states to consider postponements or alternative data sources.

State redistricting deadlines generally take one of three forms:

Constitutional deadlines are set out explicitly in state constitutions. Altering these deadlines typically requires either a constitutional amendment or a court order.
Statutory deadlines are set by state legislatures. They are subject to change at the legislature’s discretion.
Redistricting deadlines can also be inferred from candidate filing deadlines. For example, if a state sets its filing deadline for congressional candidates for Feb. 1, 2022, it can be inferred that the congressional maps must be fixed by that point.

Kansas Senate Majority Leader Led Police on Drunken Chase, Called Officer ‘Donut Boy,’ Officials Say

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Kansas Senate Majority Leader Gene Sullentrop led police on a drunken 10-minute highway chase in March that caused other cars to nearly collide, according to court documents.

When a patrol officer finally pulled the SUV over, Sullentrop, a Republican, underwent a blood test that eventually showed him at over twice the legal limit, according to a Shawnee County affidavit released Thursday. As they waited for the test’s results, he allegedly lashed out at police with threats and insults.

“All for going the wrong way,” Sullentrop told the officer who pulled him over, according to the affidavit. “Donut boy.”

Portland City Council: $1.4 Million for ‘Unarmed’ Patrols to Combat Gun Violence

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Portland, Oregon’s City Council approved $1.4 million to go toward the hiring of “unarmed” park rangers for around-the-clock foot patrols, Breitbart reports.

KGW reports there will be “two dozen” such patrols. The money for the “unarmed” patrols is part of a larger $6 million plan, none of which will go to the Portland Police Bureau. “$4.1 million will be earmarked for community groups that work in the neighborhoods hardest-hit by gunfire.”

The Associated Press quoted Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s (D) opinion on the approved funding: “We agree that the immediate spike in gun violence is a public health threat that requires a public health response that invests in community-based organizations working to change the conditions and environments that foster violence.”

D.C. Coroner Rules Ashli Babbitt’s Death a Homicide

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The Washington D.C. Medical Examiner’s office has ruled Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt’s death as a homicide, American Greatness learned on Wednesday. Babbitt, an Air Force veteran and small business owner, was shot dead inside the U.S. Capitol by a law enforcement officer on January 6.

In a press release to American Greatness, D.C. Chief Medical Examiner Francisco J. Diaz, M.D., revealed the cause and manner of death of four individuals who died during or after the Capitol riot.

Diaz determined that Babbitt, 35, died as a result of a gunshot wound to her left anterior shoulder, and called the manner of her death a “homicide.”

Music Spotlight: Jason Charles Miller

April 12, 2021April 11, 2021 Bethany Bowman

Agents send me music to preview. Sometimes I get quite a few in one day. When Aristo PR sent me songs from Jason Charles Miller’s From the Wreckage, Part 1 Album, I thought, “This is good, really good.”

Although metal fans will know, I was not familiar with Miller from the rock band, Godhead. But this new music wasn’t metal at all. It was more like a mashup between Lynryd Skynyrd meets Americana. It was both fresh and familiar at the same time. And it was different than most of the music that is pitched to me.

Georgia to Lift All COVID-19 Restrictions

April 11, 2021April 10, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced on Wednesday that Georgia is lifting all COVID-19 restrictions.

“We know hard-working Georgians cannot endure another year like that last. That is why beginning tomorrow we are loosening the remaining restrictions on our economy here in Georgia,” Kemp said in a video statement Wednesday.

Starting from Thursday, Georgia businesses will no longer be required to enforce social distancing, the ban on gatherings will be eliminated and the ability for authorities to shut down businesses that violate restrictions will be taken away, according to The Hill.

Wyoming Governor Signs Born Alive Act

April 11, 2021April 10, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Republican Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has signed the Born Alive Act into law, legislation that requires doctors to care for babies born alive in botched abortions.

Senate File 34, which passed the Wyoming House 48-11, requires doctors to use “commonly accepted means of care” for “the treatment of any infant born alive.”

“Any physician performing an abortion shall take medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of an infant born alive,” the legislation said. It will go into effect in July.

NBA Engaged in ‘Ongoing Business Discussions’ with a Chinese-Run Propaganda Network

April 11, 2021April 10, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The National Basketball Association (NBA) confirmed in a letter to a member of Congress that it is in the midst of “ongoing business discussions” with a television network that is operated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.

In a letter sent to Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on March 30th, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum explained that the organization is negotiating with China Central Television (CCTV), which is the leading television network for CCP propaganda. Although the NBA has not yet finalized a deal for the 2021, Tatum said that an “active role” is being played in the negotiations by Michael Ma, the CEO of NBA China, whose father once served as a lead executive for CCTV’s sports division.

CCTV specializes in airing pro-CCP propaganda, including forced confessions of political dissidents such as journalists and human rights activists, while also negatively covering the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong by comparing them to the Islamic terror group ISIS. It has also described Chinese-run concentration camps for Uyghur Muslims as “vocational centers.”

Biden’s Nominee to Lead ATF Pushed Dubious Claim About Waco Siege to Call for Blanket Ban on Assault Rifles

April 11, 2021April 10, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The gun control activist who President Joe Biden is expected to nominate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) claimed last year that members of the Branch Davidian sect shot down two helicopters during a standoff with federal agents in Waco in 1993.

David Chipman, the expected nominee, posted the comments as part of a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” event. He also called for tighter gun control measures, including restricting gun sales only to licensed gun stores and a ban on the manufacture and sale of so-called assault rifles.

Biden is expected to announce Chipman’s nomination on Thursday during an event where he will lay out a series of executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence.

Violent Crimes Spike in Cities That Defunded Law Enforcement; Burned-Out Police Leaving in Droves

April 11, 2021April 11, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Group of police officers with cars stopped, one holding a gun

Crime is skyrocketing in cities where police departments have been defunded, crime statistics show.

Since career criminal George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis, last summer, many liberal city councils have voted to “defund” their police departments, allocating or redirecting municipal funds away from their police bureaus to other government agencies that serve “the community.”

More than 20 major cities have slashed their police budgets in some form, though the circumstances vary, according to Fox News.