The Pennsylvania Daily Star

March 28, 2023

As Pentagon Struggles to Fill Military Requests, Funding Goes to Diversity, Critical Race Theory

The Pentagon is increasingly struggling to fill the weapons and equipment requests for the war in Ukraine. At the same time, taxpayer funds are going to pay for ongoing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in the military, most recently one...

March 28, 2023

Pennsylvania State House Members Support State Police Funding Increase; Off-Budget Account Questioned

Pennsylvania’s House Appropriations Committee members signaled general agreement with Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget-increase goals for Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) on Monday, though some related issues remain contentious. Representatives questioned PSP Commissioner Christopher Paris, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Operations George...

March 27, 2023

Three Children Dead after Shooting at Private Tennessee Christian School, Hospital Official Says

Three children are dead after a gunman opened fire Monday at the Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tenn., according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson.

March 27, 2023

States, Counties Clash over ‘Zuckerbucks’-Like New Sources of Private Election Funding

As "Zuckerbucks" — the injection of private money into public election administration — make a comeback, states and municipalities are clashing over whether the funds should be accepted or banned. While many states and counties across the country have either...

March 27, 2023

Biden Administration Rules Out Removing the Cuban Regime from the List of ‘Sponsors of Terrorism’

The Joe Biden administration has no plans to remove the Cuban regime from the list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism," the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, said Thursday during a hearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee—House of Representatives (HFAC)....

March 27, 2023

Federal Regulator Acknowledges Danger to Wildlife Caused by Offshore Wind Farms

The federally-chartered regulator responsible for managing fisheries in the oceans of New England acknowledged that offshore wind farms could pose a threat to the local marine wildlife, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Thomas Nies,...

March 27, 2023

Pennsylvania GOP State Lawmaker Proposes Freight-Train Length Limit

A Republican Pennsylvania lawmaker is urging colleagues to cosponsor state-level legislation to limit a freight train’s length to no greater than 8,500 feet. State Representative Louis Schmitt, Jr. (R-Altoona) reasoned in a memorandum describing his proposal that the February 3...

March 27, 2023

Commentary: The Language of Politics and the Politics of Language

On his blog A Pilgrim in Narnia, Brenton Dickieson tells us that C.S. Lewis in his Studies in Words defined “verbicide” as the “murder of words.” Dickieson adds that “Lewis has some similar concerns as George Orwell in his ‘Politics and the English...

March 27, 2023

Biden Admin Opens Investigations into Multiple Universities for Allegedly Racist, Discriminatory Programs

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened federal investigations into four universities this week in response to complaints filed by medical watchdog Do No Harm (DNH), according to the organization. The OCR will investigate Wake Forest University...

March 27, 2023

2022 Was Bust for Many Pension Plan Investment Returns

Municipal pension plan investment returns were a "wild rollercoaster ride" in 2021 and 2022 with boom or bust results over that two-year period. Many cities reported record-setting returns in 2021 as high as 33.7% only to find negative returns in...

March 27, 2023

Commentary: The Difference Between Non-Profit and Not for Profit Companies

For Ask an Economist this week I have a question from Hal who asks, “What is the difference between a 'non-profit' and a ‘not for profit'?” In order to address this question, I think it’s important to discuss what separates...

March 27, 2023

Commentary: Informants Everywhere

After nine weeks of testimony from multiple government witnesses, including FBI agents, the Justice Department finally concluded its case-in-chief in the Proud Boys’ seditious conspiracy trial on Monday. Five Proud Boys, including the group’s leader, Enrique Tarrio, are accused of conspiring to...

March 26, 2023

Trump Decries Weaponized Probes against Political Figures: ‘Worse than Ballot Stuffing’

Former President Donald Trump is decrying the relentless investigations launched against him and his supporters, saying they are a form of political cheating worse than ballot stuffing. Trump assailed the chronic investigations he has faced for seven years during his...

March 26, 2023

REVIEW: New Book ‘Rise to Greatness’ Explores How a Kid from Queens Became One of History’s Most Influential Supreme Court Justices

Antonin Scalia was a budding textualist long before he transformed the Supreme Court, and the nation, with his unique legal approach, a new biography of his early life reveals. In the 1950s, the future Supreme Court Justice spent his mornings...

March 26, 2023

McConnell Released from Physical Therapy After Concussion, Broken Rib

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky left an inpatient rehab facility Saturday following physical therapy, CNN reported. McConnell, the senate minority leader, was hospitalized Mar. 9 after he tripped and fell during an event at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., suffering...

March 26, 2023

Trump Has Double DeSantis’ Support: Poll

Former President Donald Trump leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 GOP primary by a massive two-digit margin, doubling the support of DeSantis’ share, according to a poll released Friday. Trump tops a crowded field of Republican presidential contenders...

March 26, 2023

Hawaii Governor Signs Bills Blocking Penalties for Abortion

Hawaii will not cooperate with other states' civil or criminal investigations related to abortion under a new law signed by Gov. Josh Green. Senate Bill 1, also known as Act 2, prohibits the issuance of a subpoena in connection with...

March 26, 2023

New U.S. Border Data: 284 Suspected Terrorists Apprehended So Far in Fiscal 2023

Nearly 300 suspected terrorists have been apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. in the first few months of fiscal 2023 as 28 members of Congress formed a new caucus to address the crisis at the northern border, where record numbers...

March 26, 2023

Pennsylvania Colleges Still Unaffordable Despite Tuition Freeze

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education said this week its tuition freeze has done little to stave off enrollment declines, even as the costs at other institutions around them all climb. “We’re particularly expensive for students who we’re born...

March 26, 2023

Commentary: The ATF Expansion of the Gun Registry Turns Law-Abiding Gun Owners into Felons

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has followed through on their plan to turn millions of lawful gun owners into felons in the name of "public safety" by reclassifying pistols with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, effectively expanding the...

March 26, 2023

North Dakota Legislature Passes Bill That Makes Teachers Use Students’ Biological Pronouns

The North Dakota House approved a bill on Wednesday that would require teachers to refer to students using pronouns that correspond with their biological sex. In a 60-32 vote, the state house passed Senate Bill 2231, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Larry...

March 26, 2023

Poll: 73 Percent of Taxpayers Say Government Doesn’t Use Their Taxes Wisely

Ahead of Tax Day on April 18, 73% of taxpayers said the government doesn’t use their taxes wisely, a new survey found. A separate report found that red states have the better taxpayer return on investment. Wallethub's "Taxpayer Survey" found...

March 25, 2023

‘Race to the Bottom’: Legal Experts Fear Escalation Spiral Ahead of Possible Trump Indictment

Ahead of a prospective indictment of former President Donald Trump, legal experts and elected officeholders are warning that such an unprecedented move may spur a dangerous escalation spiral of retributive political prosecutions that undermine the nation's justice system. Trump announced...

March 25, 2023

Pennsylvania Chocolate Factory Explosion Leaves Five Dead and Six Missing

An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania killed at least five people, and authorities were searching Saturday for six missing workers. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency confirmed the number of deaths Saturday morning at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant...

March 25, 2023

Effort to Squash Biden Family Stories Long Predated Hunter Laptop, Newly Released Emails Reveal

Records newly released by the National Archives show efforts to suppress negative stories about the Biden family's business deals long predate the Hunter Biden laptop controversy, dating back to 2015 when an aide to then-Vice President Joe Biden boasted she got...

March 25, 2023

Utah Becomes First to Limit Teens’ Social Media Use with New Law

Utah passed legislation Thursday to require parental consent for children to use certain social media apps, becoming the first state in the country to limit teenagers’ social media usage. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed two bills into law that limits minors from...

March 25, 2023

Republicans Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, and Matt Gaetz Explain Why They Voted Against Parents Bill of Rights Act: ‘The Federal Government Should Not Be Involved in Education’

The U.S. House passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act Friday, with most House Republicans voting in favor of the bill that would require school districts to give parents access to their children’s curricula and reading lists, to inform parents...

March 25, 2023

Pennsylvania Court Dismisses GOP Lawsuit Against Ballot ‘Curing’ Policies

Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court on Thursday dismissed a Republican Party lawsuit seeking to prevent counties from “curing” mail-in ballots that contain mistakes. The GOP national and state committees who sued insisted state law does not outline procedures for local election boards...

March 25, 2023

Commentary: Parents’ Bill of Rights Is How Congress Can Help State School Reformers

The stunning success of conservative education reform across the country in the past few years is the result a moral fact: Parents are children’s primary educators. Until very recently, this was not disputed, let alone controversial. But lately, it has...

March 25, 2023

Huge Proportion of ‘Trans’ Adults Haven’t Medically Transitioned, Survey Finds

A recent Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation survey purporting to find that transitioning made life more satisfying for transgender adults additionally found that a huge proportion of sampled transgender people had not undergone any form of medical transition. Most — not...

March 25, 2023

Border Patrol Busts Stash House Full of Illegal Migrants in Northern Border State

Border Patrol agents in Maine busted a stash house full of illegal migrants Tuesday, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statement. Authorities found 17 illegal migrants from Nicaragua and Guatemala in a house located in Lisbon, Maine, according to...

March 25, 2023

Commentary: DeSantis Staff Need Not Apply for the Trump Campaign

As Ron DeSantis emerges as a prospective rival for the Republican nomination, Donald Trump's campaign has put word out that anyone who works for the Florida governor will be blackballed. According to sources with direct knowledge of the edict, Justin...

March 25, 2023

House Passes Legislation to Give Parents More Say in Their Kids’ Education

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a piece of legislation on Friday aimed at giving parents more of a say in school curriculum and more control in their children’s education. In a 213 – 208 vote, the House approved the Parents Bill of...

March 24, 2023

Sen. Rand Paul on Child COVID Vaccines: ‘Risks of the Vaccine Are Greater than Risks of the Disease’

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Thursday he would not have his own children receive the COVID vaccines because of the risk of heart inflammation associated with them. “I, frankly, wouldn’t vaccinate my children for COVID,” Paul, an ophthalmologist, told The...

March 24, 2023

Pennsylvania Representatives Drafting Measure to Enhance Railroad Safety Rules

Two Pennsylvania state lawmakers representing areas affected by the February train derailment less than a mile beyond the Ohio border are drafting legislation to enhance railroad-safety rules. The emerging bill by Representatives Jim Marshall (R-Beaver Falls) and Rob Matzie (D-Ambridge)...

March 24, 2023

Biden’s Approval Rating Sinks Towards Lowest Point of His Presidency: Poll

President Joe Biden’s approval rating plummets towards the lowest point of his presidency on Thursday, according to a new poll. The president’s approval sank to 38% this month, nearly reaching the lowest point he has received in office where he...

March 24, 2023

Biden Reaches New Illegal Migrant Expulsion Deal with Canada amid Northern Border Surge: Report

President Joe Biden and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, have brokered a deal to address the illegal migrant surge at the U.S. northern border, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. The deal would allow federal authorities in the U.S. to...

March 24, 2023

GOP Bill Would Make Abortionists Report Victims of Trafficking

Republican North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd is leading lawmakers in introducing the Stopping Traffickers and Their Accomplices Act. The legislation, co-sponsored by Republican senators Josh Hawley of Missouri, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Rick Scott of Florida, would require abortionists and abortion...

March 24, 2023

Oklahoma Supreme Court Allows ‘Life of Mother’ Exception to State Law Prohibiting Most Abortions

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld part of the state’s ban on most abortions from the time of fertilization, ruling the state Constitution protects only a “limited right to terminate a pregnancy” in the case of saving the life of...

March 24, 2023

Mastriano Proposes Bill for Pennsylvania School Curriculum Transparency

Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) this week announced he is introducing legislation requiring public K-12 schools to post their curricula online. Should the policy become law, school districts and charter institutions must provide public web access to syllabi for...

March 24, 2023

Commentary: America’s Southern Border Invasion

By almost any significant metric, this is not America’s finest hour. We do not appear to be respected or feared economically, militarily, or in any other way by rival nations. Americans do not feel confident about the future, and we...

March 24, 2023

Country Radio Seminar 2023 Recap

NASHVILLE, Tennessee-Country Radio Seminar (CRS) is an annual convention designed to educate and promote exchanging ideas and business practices in the country music industry, specifically emphasizing issues relevant to country radio. CRS 2023 was held at the Omni Nashville Hotel...

March 24, 2023

Commentary: Questions Without Answers About Ukraine

Ukrainians, and many Europeans and Americans, are defining an envisioned Ukrainian victory as the complete expulsion of all Russians from its 2013 borders. Or, as a Ukrainian national security chief put it, the war ends with Ukrainian tanks in Red...

March 23, 2023

TikTok CEO Dodges on Whether Company Will Cease ‘Spying’ on Americans

TikTok CEO Shou Chew dodged questions Thursday about whether tactics by parent company ByteDance used to “spy” on American journalists could be used to target more Americans. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington questioned Chew on reporting...

March 23, 2023

House Judiciary Committee: ‘No Legitimate Basis’ for Biden Administration to Target Parents Protesting School Boards

The latest report by the House Judiciary Committee declares that there was “no legitimate basis” for the Biden Administration’s efforts to label parents protesting at school board meetings as domestic terrorists and place them under federal investigation. As reported by Fox...