November 18, 2022 - The Minnesota Sun

Classroom Whiteboard Describes ‘White’ Girls and Boys as ‘Not Intelligent,’ ‘School Shooter,’ ‘Racist’

November 18, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

An Oregon school district superintendent has dismissed the concerns of parents and students that a high school English teacher’s whiteboard containing insulting descriptors of white girls and boys was simply part of a class discussion about “untrue stereotypes” and “implicit bias.”

“This week in the Scappoose School District, a photograph was shared out of context of a robust lesson in a high school English class,” wrote Scappoose Superintendent Tim Porter. “In order to ensure transparency and support for teachers and students in our district, we wanted to provide accurate information about what happens in our classrooms when we teach about topics like stereotypes and ‘implicit bias.’”

Jan Malcolm, Three Others to Depart Walz Administration

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Four members of Gov. Tim Walz’s cabinet won’t seek reappointment during his second term, including Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Education Commissioner Heather Mueller.

Both faced criticism from Republicans for their handling of two major crises on Walz’s watch: the COVID-19 pandemic and the Feeding Our Future scandal.

Commentary: Republicans Need to Change Strategies After Disappointing Midterm Results

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Who or what was responsible for the Republican nationwide collapse in the midterms? After all, pundits, politicos, and pollsters all predicted a “red tsunami.”

Moreover, the average loss of any president in his first midterm is 25 House seats. And when his approval sinks to or below 43 percent—in the fashion of Joe Biden—the loss, on average, expands to over 40 seats.

Waukesha Parade Killer Sentenced to Life Without Parole

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Judge Jennifer Dorow sentenced the Waukesha, Wisconsin, parade massacre’s perpetrator Darrell Brooks to life in prison without the possibility of parole Wednesday, following weeks of trial proceedings marked by his repeated courtroom interruptions.

A jury convicted Brooks Oct. 26 of six counts of first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon, necessitating a sentence of life imprisonment under Wisconsin law. He was found guilty of 70 other counts as well.

New Report Reveals Why the Afghan Government Collapsed Within 10 Days

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Afghanistan’s government failed to recognize that the U.S. intended to withdraw, one of several reasons it collapsed 10 days after the Taliban takeover and two weeks before the U.S. military exit on Aug. 30, 2021, Congress’ Afghanistan watchdog revealed Wednesday.

After the fall of Kabul, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform directed the Special Investigator General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to produce a report pinning down the reasons for the Afghan government’s dissolution, including why 20 years of U.S. state building efforts failed to produce a viable democratic government in Afghanistan. In the report, dated Nov. 15, SIGAR found that not only was the Afghan government underequipped to function on its own and dominated by a strongman, but that the U.S. negligence virtually guaranteed the Taliban a victory.

Nancy Pelosi Steps Down as House Democrat Leader

November 18, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would not seek reelection as Democratic House leader Thursday, but will remain as a member of Congress.

Pelosi, 82, who held the position since 2019 and previously stated would only hold the position for four years, opted to step down, but will remain as a backbencher to guide the next Democratic leader, according to her Thursday speech. On Sunday, a spokesperson for Pelosi denied claims that she was stepping down, as she was still considering her options, but indicated that attack on her husband would be a deciding factor, despite Democrats, including President Joe Biden, asking her to consider running.

Abbott Expanding Operation Lone Star in Effort to Secure Southern Border

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 The Center Square

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expanding Operation Lone Star in an effort to further secure the state’s southern border with Mexico.

Abbott, who has been critical of President Joe Biden’s open border policies, sent a letter to Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and Texas Military Department Adjutant General Thomas Suelzer in which he said, “Until Congress acts or the Biden Administration does its constitutionally required job, Texas Guardsmen and Troopers must bear the burden of securing the border.”

Democrats Shoot Down Bill to Increase Transparency About Long Veteran Affairs Wait Times

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

House Democrats voted against a bill intended to increase transparency into the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) wait time calculations at a committee markup Wednesday, as complaints mount that the VA is fudging data.

The proposed amendment from Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona would have required the VA to hand over documents relating to wait time calculations after the VA’s internal watchdog found in April that the department may be manipulating patient data to conceal the duration veterans have to wait before receiving medical care at VA facilities. The Democratic majority on the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) gave it an unfavorable recommendation Wednesday, effectively nullifying it before Congress, Fox News first reported.

Holiday Organization and Wellness Tips from The Home Edit

November 18, 2022November 29, 2022 Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee –I interviewed Netflix’s dynamic duo Clea and Joanna, from the Emmy-nominated show Get Organized with The Home Edit, to get their organization and wellness tips for the upcoming holiday season. And even though Clea is in the process of finishing her cancer treatment at Vanderbilt, they were gracious enough to speak to me for a few minutes.

The Home Edit was founded in 2015 by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin in Nashville, Tennessee. Brought together by a mutual friend, it was friendship at first text, and a business partnership immediately thereafter.

Republicans Announce Investigation into Joe Biden, Allege He Was Directly ‘Involved’ with Hunter’s Dealings

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

House Republicans announced they were launching an investigation into President Joe Biden at a press conference Thursday, alleging that the elder Biden was “involved” in his son Hunter’s overseas business dealings.

Republican Reps. James Comer of Kentucky and Jim Jordan of Ohio, citing unnamed whistleblowers, alleged that Joe Biden was the “chairman of the board” of the Biden family empire and oversaw Hunter’s business activity, claiming to find evidence of conspiracy to defraud the United States and money laundering. Hunter Biden currently holds a minority stake in a Chinese private equity firm responsible for investing in a previously sanctioned technology company that committed human rights violations against Uyghurs, and the new accusations point to involvement in the energy industry.

Commentary: GOP Botched Early-Voting Ground Game

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 RealClearWire

Two days before Brian Kemp bested Stacey Abrams by more than seven percentage points in their closely watched rematch, the Georgia governor did something unusual for a Republican candidate in the 2022 midterms: He expressed confidence about where he stood and cited early voting as a top reason.

“We’ve also had record turnout for early voting, which ended this Friday. It’s been an incredible turnout, and we feel good about things,” Kemp told Trey Gowdy, the former congressman and host of Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America.”