New Loudoun County school a teachable moment

NEWS AND OPINION:

The Christian Broadcasting Network — that’s CBN for short — reports that Gary Hamrick, senior pastor of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia, is in the process of launching the Cornerstone Christian Academy, set to open in nearby Middleburg in 2023, with room for 500 elementary — and middle-school students.

The school itself will be located in Loudoun County, site of much discord over cultural, political and academic matters in recent years as local parents questioned the direction of public schools and took their grievances to the school board.

“The multimillion-dollar project is Hamrick’s response to what’s playing out in public school systems across the country. Loudoun is considered the face of the nation’s culture war, for more than a year, parents have railed against everything from sexual assault on campus to critical race theory and transgender policies,” CBN said.

Parents’ desires for more traditional education, combined with pushback against face-mask mandates on students during the pandemic, escalated the demand for an educational alternative.

“Loudoun County has been the subject of so much controversy. Pastor Gary knew there would be a demand locally. What he didn’t expect is to hear from parents in at least 27 states eager for their children to attend,” CBN reported.

The organizers were also “inundated with inquiries” from teachers as well.

“By the end of the week, we had over 2,500 students pre-registered. And I got over 450 emails from teachers wanting employment,” Mr. Hamrick told the network.

HOW TO FIX INFLATION

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association, and it is based in the nation’s capital. Here’s what president and CEO Matthew Shay has to say about the Consumer Price Index, which has risen to 9.1% in the latest report Wednesday.

Efforts by consumers to adjust their shopping patterns to counter this trend are not enough, he said.

“Modified behavior and changed spending patterns alone aren’t sufficient to help offset price increases that impact households. We need to support other policy measures that will lower costs, like the recent passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act for which we thank the administration and bipartisan congressional majorities for supporting,” Mr. Shay said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“In addition, we encourage the administration to act quickly and remove China tariffs that cost American families more than $1,200 annually. While these actions alone may not solve inflation, they will put much-needed dollars back into the pockets of consumers at a time when every dollar of cost savings is essential,” he continued.

“We know that talks are underway with administration officials and the Chinese government to remove these tariffs. Today’s inflation numbers reinforce that the time for talking is done and the time for decisive action is now,” Mr. Shay concluded.

ALONG THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

The season of political endorsements is underway. Candidates are on the campaign trail, and those who support them are speaking up.

That would include Mike Pompeo, former U.S. secretary of state, CIA director, Kansas lawmaker and Army officer. He has endorsed Sarah Palin in her effort to win Alaska’s at-large congressional seat.

“Sarah Palin is the America First fighter we need to stand up to the corrupt political establishment, fight back against the radical left’s destructive socialist agenda, protect our God-given freedoms, and unleash America’s economic potential,” Mr. Pompeo said in his written endorsement, shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Sarah knows that the solution to America’s energy needs will not come from Russia or Saudi Arabia; it’s right under our own feet. Like she told Joe Biden back in 2008, we just need to ‘Drill, baby, drill!’ Sarah is also a consistent and reliable champion for American values, including protecting the unborn, defending religious liberty, safeguarding our Second Amendment, and promoting law and order,” Mr. Pompeo continued.

Ms. Palin herself said in another statement, “Alaska’s proximity to Russia puts us on the front lines of national defense, our arctic territory grants America access to a region that is growing rapidly in strategic importance, and our immense reserves of natural resources allow our country to remain independent of foreign suppliers of energy and rare materials — as long as the federal government gets out of the way and allows us to responsibly develop our own resources.”

Mr. Pompeo, incidentally, has founded a political action committee called CAVPAC, short for the organization’s motto “Champion American Values.” Find it at CAVPAC.com.

MEANWHILE IN TEXAS

Fox News Channel’s Bill Melugin offered a live report Wednesday, documenting the arrival of an “absolutely enormous” single group of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S. border into Eagle Pass, Texas.

“Hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of people,” Mr. Melugin said in his description, which was accompanied by clear overhead videos from drone cameras.

“The Del Rio Sector where we are is absolutely getting hammered, averaging almost 2,000 illegal crossings every single day. As of Monday, the Border Patrol’s holding capacity was 200% over what the normal capacity should be,” he advised.

Mr. Melugin described what he witnessed as a “blatant” smuggling operation that took place in broad daylight, with temperatures as high as 108 degrees.

“This border crisis is not seasonal, it does not slow down in the heat, and the migrants are not listening to Vice President Kamala Harris when she says ‘do not come here.’ Most of all, when the administration says the border is closed — take a look at the videos and judge for yourself,” Mr. Melugin said.

POLL DU JOUR

• 10% of U.S. adults think that the Russian invasion of Ukraine “very likely” will lead to a war between the U.S. and Russia.

• 28% think it “somewhat likely” that the invasion will lead to a U.S.-Russia war.

• 27% think a war between the two nations is “not very likely.”

• 10% say a war between them is “not likely at all.”

• 7% say the U.S. is “already at war with Russia.”

• 19% are not sure about the issue.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted July 9-11.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.