Month: July 2021

Former NYPD officer Eric Adams will be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City after updated vote tallies gave him a narrow lead over former city sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia.

Adams led Garcia 50.5% to 49.5% when the Associated Press called the race, a full point closer than last Wednesday’s results. The city’s Board of Elections the day before had mistakenly counted approximately 135,000 invalid ballots, though the original incorrect results mirrored those released Wednesday.

Biden EPA’s Web of Conflicts with Climate Groups Forces Ethics Waiver for One Official

The revolving door between climate change special interests and the Biden Environmental Protection Agency has swung open so often in recent months that the agency is being forced to grant an ethics waiver to one of its politically appointed lawyers allowing her to participate in cases involving a former client.

Cities in Red States Show Best Economic Recovery from the Pandemic

July 8, 2021July 7, 2021 The Center Square

As the country continues to climb back from more than a year of an economic downward spiral during the COVID-19 pandemic, cities in states with Republican-led governors that imposed fewer restrictions are experiencing a faster and more robust comeback.

A study by WalletHub ranked the top 180 cities in the country to determine where economic recovery is occurring.

Oil Reaches Highest Price in Six Years Amid Low Supply, Output

Oil prices climbed to a six-year high Tuesday as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia continue to tamp down on global output, The Wall Street Journal reported.

An OPEC meeting was called off Monday, the WSJ reported. It was the group’s third attempt to discuss surging prices and an increase in oil consumption amid an opening global economy.

Commentary: Republicans Troll Themselves into Accepting the Left’s War on Our Heritage

The House of Representatives voted last week to remove all Confederate-related statues from public view. Only 120 lawmakers—all Republicans—voted against the measure. One defender of the move was House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). He said it was a good idea because all the banished figures were Democrats.

Federal Judge Denies Injunction Request to Stop Georgia’s Voter Integrity Law

July 8, 2021July 7, 2021 Chris Butler

A U.S. District Judge on Wednesday denied one group’s request that he issue a preliminary injunction against certain sections of Georgia’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202. The Coalition for Good Governance requested the injunction for the July 13 runoff election for Georgia State House District 34.

Uptown Minneapolis Annual Art Fair Canceled Due to ‘Unanticipated Challenges’

July 8, 2021July 7, 2021 Hayley Feland

The Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis was canceled for 2021, because of “unanticipated challenges.” A statement from the executive director of the Uptown Association said that having the 2021 fair was “not something that we can feel comfortable with, for safety reasons and for our artists.” She cited dumpster fires and an increase in drag racing as some of the safety concerns.

Uncle of Girl Who Filmed Viral George Floyd Video Killed in Minneapolis Police Squad Car Crash

July 8, 2021July 7, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The uncle of Darnella Frazier, the Minneapolis teenager who was recently awarded an honorary Pulitzer for filming the viral video of the arrest of George Floyd, which led to his death at the hands of ex-Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, has died after a collision with police.

While officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) were pursuing a suspect in an armed robbery Tuesday morning, one officer’s squad car struck an unrelated vehicle.

Minnesota Representative Jim Hagedorn Diagnosed With Kidney Cancer Again

July 8, 2021July 7, 2021 Hayley Feland

Minnesota Representative Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-01) announced that he has kidney cancer again after having his cancerous kidney removed. In his official statement he said, “Be assured, I will continue to fight for America and serve the people of MN01 with the highest level of energy and enthusiasm.”

45th President Donald Trump at Press Conference Announcing Big Tech Lawsuit: ‘The Credibility of the Mainstream Media Is the Lowest It’s Ever Been’

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 Laura Baigert

The 45th President of the United States Donald Trump held a press conference Wednesday to announce his filing of a class action lawsuit against the big tech giants of Facebook, Google and Twitter and their CEOs for violations of the First Amendment.

“I stand before you this morning to announce a very important and beautiful, I think, development for our freedom and our freedom of speech. And, that goes for all Americans.”

Former President Trump Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against Facebook, Google, and Twitter for Violation of His First Amendment Rights

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 Laura Baigert

BEDMINSTER, New Jersey – (The Star News Network Wire Service) – Former President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is filing a class action lawsuit against Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google and its CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey, for violating his First Amendment rights.

“Today, in conjunction with the America First Policy Institute, I’m filing as the lead class representative a class action lawsuit against Facebook, Google, and Twitter,” the former president said.

More Line 3 Protesters Arrested over the Weekend

Anti-Line 3 protests have continued as the project has been given a go-ahead by Minnesota government. Last weekend, 31 more protesters were arrested after they were blocking a highway and chaining themselves to equipment on an active work site.

Commentary: ‘The Truth’ vs. Objectivity in American Journalism Today

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 RealClearWire

Lately, the local ABC News affiliate in Washington, D.C., has been running promotional spots with the well-worn tagline “speaking truth to power.” That is an odd slogan for a media outlet that can certainly be counted among the powerful in the region. It also raises a question as to whether this local news department has truly discovered “the truth” and is devoting its broadcasts to sharing it with its viewers.

At least implicit in the use of the slogan is a recognition by the station that truth does indeed exist. Sadly, many in American journalism are increasingly denying the existence of objective truth and calling for an end of objectivity in journalism. As Stanford University communications professor emeritus Ted Glasser said recently, “Journalists need to be overt and candid advocates for social justice, and it’s hard to do that under the constraints of objectivity.” In other words, the task of a journalist is to push the progressive narrative forward, truth and objectivity be damned.

Glasser isn’t alone. Recently, in a speech at Washington State University, “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt also questioned the value of objectivity. “I think it’s become clearer that fairness is overrated,” he said. “The idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in.”

Commentary: China’s ‘One-Child Policy’ Left at Least One Million Bereaved Parents Childless and Alone in Old Age, with No One to Take Care of Them

Chinese child being held, peaking over shoulder of dad

A child’s death is devastating to all parents. But for Chinese parents, losing an only child can add financial ruin to emotional devastation.

That’s one conclusion of a research project on parental grief I’ve conducted in China since 2016.

From 1980 to 2015, the Chinese government limited couples to one child only. I have interviewed over 100 Chinese parents who started their families during this period and have since lost their only child – whether to illness, accident, suicide or murder. Having passed reproductive age at the time of their child’s death, these couples were unable to have another child.

Prominent Biden Allies Worked for Nonprofit with Ties to Chinese Communist Party

Top allies of Joe Biden have been revealed to have connections to a suspicious nonprofit organization that is closely linked to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.

The group in question is the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUCR), which is funded by such companies as Facebook and Disney. Among the most prominent figures in Biden’s circle who are known to have worked with this group are former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, who served as a director at the organization until May 2020, and became chairman of the group in January.

REVIEW: Brian Domitrovic Reveals the Monetary Genius of Arthur Laffer

July 7, 2021July 6, 2021 RealClearWire

In his classic 1992 book about the Ronald Reagan 1980s (and so much more), The Seven Fat Years, Robert Bartley described the great Arthur Laffer describing the universality of credit. It goes like this:

“Laffer would draw a tiny black box in the corner of a sheet of paper. ‘This is M-1,’ currency and checking deposits. A bigger box was M-2, including savings deposits. Still bigger ones included money-market funds, then various credit lines. Finally, the whole page was filled with a box called ‘unutilized trade credit’ – that is, whatever you can charge on the credit cards in your pocket. Do you really think, he asked, this little box controls all of the others? The money supply, he insisted, was ‘demand determined.’”

California Taxpayers to Pay $1.3 Billion to Enroll More Illegal Immigrants in Medicaid

California taxpayers will soon pay more in taxes to enroll more illegal immigrants in Medicaid, a plan that was part of a recently approved state budget. Younger illegal immigrants are already enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP and other federally funded programs.

Jeff Bezos Steps Down as CEO of Amazon

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos officially handed over the position of CEO to successor Andy Jassy on Monday, transitioning to the role of executive chair.

Bezos, whose stake in Amazon is worth roughly $180 billion according to the Associated Press, announced in a blog post his plans to step down from the chief executive officer position in February. Bezos said his new position as executive chair would allow him “to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives.”

Hunter Biden Memos Call into Question Congressional Testimony of Democrat Lobbying Firm

Hunter Biden memos on a laptop recovered by the FBI directly conflict with the congressional testimony of two key executives at a Democrat-connected firm who asserted they did not deal with the current president’s son while working for a Ukrainian energy firm where the younger Biden served on the board.

Nikole Hannah-Jones to Become Tenured Faculty Member at Howard University Following UNC Dispute

Nikole Hannah-Jones, whose commentary as part of The New York Time’s 1619 project, is joining the Howard University faculty, according to an announcement from the school on Tuesday morning.

Commentary: Mike Pence Twists into a Painful, Pointless Pretzel

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 RealClearWire

Mention that Mike Pence is trying to run for president in 2024 and people laugh — out loud. But he is. Even more hilarious is that the former vice president believes he can campaign and win as his own man.

After nearly five years of unshakable fealty to former President Trump, and five months after Trump sent a violent mob after him for failing to overturn the election, Pence has declared independence from Trump and his unconstitutional demands in some shockingly straight talk.

Minnesota Police Officer Shoots, Kills Person During ‘Altercation’

A police officer from Olivia, Minnesota shot and killed a suspect on Sunday morning after the person supposedly approached them with a weapon in an alleyway. The shooting happened around 2:00a.m. and the race of the people involved has not been specified. Police said that there was an “altercation” but no other details surrounding the death of the person have been given.

More Human Remains Found in Minneapolis

More human remains have been discovered in Minneapolis, this time near the Stone Arch Bridge. Crime Watch Minneapolis posted that, “Reportedly a major body part found.” Dismembered human remains were also discovered in mid-June by officials in several locations. According to reports, the head of the person was discovered on a park bench, after different human body parts were found scattered around Minneapolis all supposedly belonging to the same person.

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Says Laura Bishop’s Resignation Result of ‘Temper Tantrum’

The commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Laura Bishop, resigned Tuesday and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer-Labor Party called her resignation the result of a “temper tantrum.” Bishop resigned ahead of a vote that would have more than likely fired her. Bishop said in her resignation letter that, “For many, the agency can never go far enough in our protections, while at the same time, a segment of the Republican caucus will always believe the agency goes too far.”

Parents Fight Critical Race Theory as Teacher’s Union Commits Over $127k to Advance It

July 6, 2021July 16, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

The National Education Association (NEA), the largest labor and teachers’ union in the U.S., has voted to spread critical race theory as parents across the nation are fighting against it.

The union is preparing to commit $127,600 to advance critical race theory, according to the Epoch Times.

Supreme Court Decision Claims Minnesota County Officials Bullied Amish Over Religious Beliefs

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Supreme Court recently decided in favor of a Fillmore County Amish community after the county attempted to force the Amish to violate their religious beliefs by installing a septic system, after a lower court had previously ruled in favor of the county and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

According to the Court’s decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the county engaged in bullying tactics in an attempt to get the Swartzentruber Amish community to agree to its terms. Those tactics included “threats of reprisals and inspections of their homes and farms” and attacks on “the sincerity of the Amish’s faith.”

Minneapolis Contracts Year-Old Mental Health Group to Replace Police

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021 Hayley Feland

The city of Minneapolis has agreed to a contract with a mental health group that has only existed for one year, according to screenshots obtained from city websites. This group, Canopy Mental Health & Consulting, will be assisting with the city’s plan to replace and restructure the police. They are contracted to pay the group $6 million to provide 24/7 mental health services in “crisis response teams” for the next two years. According to WCCO, there is an option to extend the services for a third year if the cost does not exceed $3 million.

Commentary: As President Biden’s Deputy Secretary of Labor, Julie Su Would Take California’s Small-Business Nightmare National

Last Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on the nomination of Julie Su, California’s top labor official, to become President Joe Biden’s deputy secretary of labor.

Su’s confirmation vote will likely occur soon after the Independence Day Senate recess. That’s bad news.

After all, Su leads California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency, presiding over one of the most anti-small business regimes in the country. If confirmed as second-in-command at the Department of Labor, she would use her position to expand California’s war on small businesses nationwide. On behalf of their small business constituents, Senators must oppose Su’s confirmation.

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush Tweets Independence Day is Only ‘For White People’

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021 Cooper Moran

Progressive firebrand and Democratic lawmaker, Representative Cori Bush (D-MO-01) tweeted on Sunday that the only people who should celebrate Independence Day are “white people.”

“When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they’re referring to is for white people. This land is stolen land and Black people still aren’t free,” her full tweet read.

Amazon Demands Recusal of Federal Trade Commission Chair from Any Antitrust Investigations

Tech giant Amazon recently demanded that the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission be recused from any antitrust investigations into the company, according to the Daily Caller.

Amazon filed the petition with the FTC on Wednesday, accusing Chairwoman Lina Khan of being biased due to the fact that she “has, on numerous occasions, argued that Amazon is guilty of antitrust violations and should be broken up.” The petition continued by declaring that “these statements convey to any reasonable observer the clear impression that she has already made up her mind about many material facts relevant to Amazon’s antitrust culpability as well as about the ultimate issue of culpability itself.”

The FTC is already conducting several antitrust investigations, including against Amazon; their most recent efforts are focusing on Amazon’s possible acquisition of the film studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), a purchase of nearly $9 billion announced last month.

Law School Introduces Required Course on Race, ‘White Supremacy,’ and ‘Racial Hierarchy’

The Roger Williams University School of Law recently announced it will be requiring a course on race and law in the upcoming fall semester as part of its second-year curriculum.

“Race & the Foundations of American Law” had been taught as an elective in the spring, but will now be a requirement starting next semester after its initial pilot phase.

Over 100 Countries Agree to Back Global Minimum Corporate Tax

A view of the North entrance of the U.S. Treasury Building in Washington D.C.

A total of 130 nations representing more than 90 percent of global GDP have agreed to a global minimum corporate tax, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced Thursday.

The tax, proposed by Yellen and the Biden administration during the G7 conference, would establish a minimum corporate tax rate across all participating countries to prevent corporations from avoiding taxes by incorporating offshore, according to Barron’s. The plan is also intended to prevent countries from competitively lowering their tax rates to attract investment, according to a Treasury Department statement.

“For decades, the United States has participated in a self-defeating international tax competition, lowering our corporate tax rates only to watch other nations lower theirs in response,” Yellen said in the statement.

U.S. Group Connected to Wuhan Lab Is Stonewalling Congressional Investigation of Pandemic Origins, Committee Ranking Member Says

Months after its initial requests, a congressional committee investigating COVID-19’s origins is still awaiting answers from a U.S.-funded group that worked with a Wuhan lab considered a possible origin of COVID-19.

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee requested EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak answer questions about his group’s work with the Wuhan lab in a letter on April 16, and have still received no response, a committee aide confirmed Thursday.

Only the chair of the committee, Democrat Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., of New Jersey, can use subpoena power to require a witness’ attendance, testimony and related documents.

61 Percent of U.S. Counties now Second Amendment Sanctuaries: Analysis

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021 The Center Square

The majority of all U.S. counties have been designated as Second Amendment sanctuaries, according to an analysis by SanctuaryCounties.com.

As of June 20, there are 1,930 counties “protected by Second Amendment Sanctuary legislation at either the state or county level,” representing 61% of 3,141 counties and county equivalents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Texas was the 21st state to pass a constitutional carry bill, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law, and becomes effective Sept. 1. And while some state legislatures are not taking the same action, county officials have chosen to enact their own legislation. Roughly 1,137 counties “have taken it upon themselves to pass Second Amendment Sanctuary legislation and likely hundreds of cities, townships, boroughs, etc. have done so at their level as well,” the site states.

Lack of Drivers Is a ‘Reckoning’ for Uber, Executive Says

Ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft have been using incentives to make the gig economy more attractive in an attempt to recruit drivers as a shortage of drivers pushes prices up, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Incentives for drivers to return are an attempt to rectify rising fare prices and a lack of drivers in the market, but the labor scarcity isn’t supposed to end soon, the WSJ reported. Long term solutions might be needed in the gig-economy as a result.

“This is a moment of deep introspection and reflection for a company like ours to pause and say, ‘How do we make the proposition for drivers more attractive longer term?” Carrol Chang, Uber’s chief of driver operations for the U.S. and Canada told the WSJ. “It is absolutely a reckoning.”

Border Patrol’s Fentanyl Seizures Increase by 4,000 Percent Amid Crisis, Officials Say

Twitter post that states "Officers at #CBPLaredo remain at the forefront of border security operations to protect the public of lethal narcotics, as seen in this seizure of fentanyl worth $384K."

Border officials seized 4,000% more fentanyl in 2021 than in 2018 as the border crisis continues, NBC News reported Tuesday.

Cartels have taken advantage of increased federal resources allocated for migrant encounters to smuggle fentanyl into the U.S. between ports of entry, according to NBC News. Border officials have found 41 pounds of fentanyl in fiscal year 2021, compared with nine pounds in 2020, two pounds in 2019 and one pound in 2018.

“For the first time, we’re starting to see these tactics where fentanyl is being smuggled between ports of entry,” Chief Border Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez said, NBC News reported. “Cartels are very creative. They find ways to intimidate migrants and find ways to illegally have them transport that narcotic into the United States.”

America’s First Black Billionaire Calls for $14 Trillion in Reparations — and Wants His Own Check, Too

America’s first black billionaire proposed $14 trillion in reparations from the U.S. government, which he says is enough to close to black-white wealth gap, VICE reported.

Robert L. Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, owns several homes, leads an asset management firm and is the first black person to own a majority stake in an NBA team, but wants cash reparations himself, VICE reported. Along with the check Johnson wants an apology for racism, including slavery and Jim Crow laws, he told VICE in an interview.

He believes the new reparations are Critical Race Theory (CRT) in education, COVID-19 relief solely for black farmers, local reparations for housing in Evanston, Illinois and pledges from corporations the past year, following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

Commentary: Researchers Urge Americans to Focus on Loneliness Epidemic

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021 RealClearWire

Woman sitting in a chair, looking out the window, alone

As the pandemic recedes and Americans re-enter public life, the surgeon general and other public health experts are urging the country to focus on another national crisis, one that has lingered for decades and worsened in recent years: loneliness.

For many, pandemic-related lockdowns, social distancing, and physical isolation resulted in their most severe experiences of loneliness. Studies have shown that an uptick in loneliness and other mental health issues coincided with the pandemic, and that lockdown requirements almost certainly exacerbated pre-existing mental conditions. But for researchers who have studied loneliness, the recent increase is only one notable event in an extensive history.

Loneliness is not just a crisis in America, but also in Europe, Canada, Japan, China, Australia and, increasingly, South America and Africa. Loneliness also occurs regardless of race, class, culture, and religion. Even before the lockdowns, tens of millions of people throughout the world felt isolated.

Commentary: The U.S. Needs Measured Confrontation with China

With the election of Joe Biden, there is increasing pressure for the United States to accommodate the global ambitions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Such a policy will weaken the strategic position of the United States and embolden the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which seeks to transform the rules of international politics, and has demonstrated its willingness to employ coercive measures, including threats and open conflict, to achieve its aims.

As it has done for decades, and does so now with the Biden Administration, the CCP makes appeals for accommodation while emphasizing the need to turn away from more confrontational policies, like those most recently advanced by the Trump Administration. And as always, China’s words must be seen as tactical measures it deploys in pursuit of its objectives. Thus, it is only a matter of time before attempts to cooperate with China fail. However tempting, accommodation will not succeed for the stark reason that China does not want it.

Party Chairman Xi Jinping has made clear that what China seeks is world hegemony. And it is upon the pursuit of this hegemony that his power in the regime depends.

Arizona State University Debuts New Degree in Social Justice Activism

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Arizona State University (ASU) debuted a new undergraduate degree geared toward social justice activism, called community development. The course description describes education on the basics of activism, citing concepts like diversity, inclusivity, sustainability, equity, and social and environmental justice. If students enjoy studying community development, they may also earn a graduate degree in it.

“The BA program in community development equips students with tools to collaborate with, empower and educate diverse community constituents by drawing on grassroots and inclusive frameworks such as sustainable development, social and environmental justice, participatory democracy, social and economic equity and social accounting,” reads the course description.

Minnesota Law Enforcement Coalitions Sue to Changes to Deadly Force Law

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021 Hayley Feland

Several large law enforcement coalitions are suing the state after changes were made to Minnesota’s deadly force laws. The organizations based the lawsuit on the idea that the changes “violates officers’ rights to self-defense and unconstitutionally compels officers to forfeit their rights to refuse to testify against themselves in deadly force cases.”

Allen West to Challenge Abbott in Texas Governor’s GOP Primary Next Year

July 5, 2021July 16, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Allen West, a retired Army officer, former congressman and Texas GOP chairman, used Independence Day to launch a Republican primary challenge to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

West released a YouTube video and made an appearance at Sojourn Church in Carrollton, Texas, to announce his 2022 bid, saying he was focused on illegal immigration, the Democrat assault on energy resources and human trafficking.

Left-Wing Politicians Push Claim That Chauvin Sentence Is Not ‘True Justice’

Screen cap in Hennepin County on Chauvin case

A slew of left-wing politicians and activists continue to push the rhetoric that Derek Chauvin’s sentence does not show justice, but only “accountability.”

Chauvin was sentenced to 22½ years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. In April, a jury found him guilty on all charges, which included second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

Following his sentencing Friday, Rep. Ilhan Omar released a statement implying that the U.S. justice system does not promote “true justice.”

Commentary: It is Time to Fight for the Rights of Independent Businesses

July 5, 2021July 16, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

As a very young man, I was fortunate enough to start my own company out of my apartment using a small amount of investment capital from friends and family. Over time, that business grew to have over 6,000 employees and revenues in excess of $2 billion. Over nearly a 40-year span, my team and I built what some would consider a remarkable track record, as measured by both sales and profits.

Because of my experience growing that business, I feel a special kinship with small, privately owned businesses and their owners. I also come from a middle-class background, one that shaped me into the person I am today. It is through both the lens of entrepreneur and member of the middle-class that I look through when reflecting upon this Independence Day.

Workers’ Coronavirus Fears Hit Pandemic Low

U.S. workers’ fear of contracting coronavirus while on the job has hit a pandemic low as the economy continues its steady recovery.

The number of Americans not working due to their fear of getting the virus while at their job dipped to 3.05 million by the end of June, according to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey released Wednesday. The figure hit its peak in July 2020 when 6.24 million unemployed Americans reported not looking for a job due to coronavirus fears, Axios reported.

“People are feeling safer about returning to work, which should help businesses staff-up to meet the tremendous demand we’re seeing right now,” Wells Fargo senior economist Sarah House told Axios.

Republicans Embrace Immigration Restriction with Trump Border Visit

With President Donald Trump paying his first visit to the southern border since leaving the White House, numerous Republicans in Congress and various state offices solidified their support for his agenda of immigration hawkishness, as reported by Politico.

President Trump had been invited to the border by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas), and after weeks of preparation, the president finally made his visit on Wednesday. Governor Abbott, in his introduction of the president, pointed out that he had done “more to secure the border than anybody and any president ever has.”

State Department Will Let People Choose Their Gender on Passports

The State Department will allow people to choose their gender on passports, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Wednesday.

The State Department will let people “self-select their gender as ‘M’ or ‘F’” and will waive the required medical certification for individuals whose gender on their citizenship or ID doesn’t match their “self-selected gender,” Blinken said.

Blinken also said his department was also working toward adding “non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons” gender markers for passport applicants.

Big Tech Cracks Down on Robert Malone, mRNA Vaccine Pioneer Who Warns About Their Risks