Two Republican members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation both voted ‘No’ on foreign aid packages for Ukraine and Israel on Saturday.
Read the full storyCategory: News
Senate Approves Extension to FISA Section 702 Surveillance Powers
The Senate on Friday approved legislation to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to 2026.
The upper chamber approved the legislation in a 60-34 vote, which ran past the midnight deadline.
Read the full storyMontana Hit with Lawsuit over Sex-Change Policy for Birth Certificates, Driver’s Licenses
Two transgender people sued Montana on Thursday, challenging a state policy that bars residents from changing the sex designations on their birth certificates unless they meet certain criteria.
Jessica Kalarchik and an individual identified only as “Jane Doe” are listed as plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging a state policy that, they argue, makes it “impossible” for transgender people born in Montana to change their birth certificates. The policy, which was finalized in 2022, prohibits individuals from changing the gender on their birth certificate, unless their gender was listed incorrectly on the original certificate as a result of data error or misidentification, according to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).
Read the full storyNashville’s East Bank Development Moving Forward
Development on Nashville’s East Bank is moving forward as the area prepares for a new $2.1 billion Tennessee Titans stadium, set to open in 2027, and development in the area surrounding it.
Both the House and Senate will soon discuss companion bills to create an East Bank Development Authority board after Nashville’s Metro Council approved a deal to have Fallon Co. develop the initial 30 acres of Nashville-owned land in the development area.
Read the full storyKari Lake’s Attorneys Send Letter to Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer Regarding Settling His Defamation Lawsuit
Kari Lake agreed earlier this month to settle the defamation lawsuit against her filed by Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, citing the enormous cost it would take to go through a full trial. Her attorneys sent a letter on Monday to Richer’s attorneys regarding Richer’s proposed meet and confer terms, rejecting all three proposals from him, at times sarcastically.
Lake is running for the U.S. Senate and still fighting two election lawsuits, one over her loss in the gubernatorial race and another challenging the use of voting machine tabulators in elections. Richer filed a defamation lawsuit against her for stating that he intentionally sabotaged the 2022 election. Approximately 300,000 ballots in the 2022 election lacked a chain of custody, a class 2 misdemeanor, but the county has strenuously fought litigation efforts to allow Lake to inspect the ballot affidavit envelopes and other requests from her and voter integrity groups related to the election anomalies.
Read the full storyLaken Riley’s Illegal Alien Killer Was Released into U.S. Under Mayorkas’ Power of Parole, According to DHS File
The criminal illegal alien accused of killing Laken Riley was released into the U.S. in September of 2022 because the Department of Homeland Security lacked detention space, according to his immigration file.
Jose Ibarra, the Venezuelan national charged with murdering Riley in February, was released under DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ power of parole, which is only supposed to be used “when there is an urgent humanitarian need or a significant benefit to the public,” the Washington Times reported.
Read the full storyCommentary: Veteran Teacher Explains What’s Wrong with Traditional Schooling
For 19 years, I was a master of time. Down to the minute, I controlled time for others and used it to meet my and others’ ends, irrespective of the desires of those in front of me. In short, I was a public-school teacher, and controlling time was my talent. Although I and other adults often talked about helping students reach their potential and grow as learners, what we really did each day was control their time and force upon them ideas and subjects in which most of them had little to no interest.
What if there were a better way? A way to help each student learn the way he or she learns best, develop autonomy, explore passions, and take control of his or her own time? Thankfully, that way does exist in the form of alternative schools and learning programs that continue to increase in number each day.
Read the full storyPush Begins to Guarantee Free Speech on Ohio College Campuses
An Ohio lawmaker believes the state’s current political climate creates a negative environment for some speech on college campuses and wants to make sure staff and students are protected.
Rep. Adam Holmes, R-Nashport, said legislation prohibiting colleges and universities from requiring support of specific ideas or political movements is becoming increasingly necessary.
Read the full storyPriest Resigns from a Michigan Church After Protests over His Criticism of a Gay Author
A Catholic priest at a Michigan church resigned from his position following protests over his comments criticizing a gay author who read a book to preschool children.
LGBTQ activists held protests outside St. Joseph the Worker Church in Beal City, north of Lansing, following his remarks.
Read the full storyCobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale Announces Removal of Inappropriate Books from Media Centers
Cobb County School District (CCSD) Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced the removal of four books containing “lewd, “vulgar,” and “sexually explicit” content from school media centers in a Board of Education meeting Thursday night.
“Tonight, I am announcing that four additional books are being removed after having gone through our very thorough district process: ‘It Ends with Us,’ ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ ‘Lucky,’ and ‘Thirteen Reasons Why.’ The review found all four of these books to contain lewd, vulgar, and sexually explicit and graphic content inappropriate for a public school,” Superintendent Ragsdale said during the meeting.
Read the full storyReport: Biden has Taken over 200 Actions Against U.S. Oil
President Joe Biden and his administration have taken over 200 actions against the U.S. oil and natural gas industry as energy prices have gone up, according to a new report.
“President Biden and Democrats have a plan for American energy: make it harder to produce and more expensive to purchase,” the Institute for Energy Research states in a new report. “Since Mr. Biden took office, his administration and its allies have taken over 200 actions deliberately designed to make it harder to produce energy here in America.”
Read the full storyMaine Becomes 17th State to Join Effort to Elect President by Popular Vote
Maine’s Democratic governor Janet Mills announced on Monday that her state will become the latest to join an effort to elect the president through popular vote instead of the electoral college.
A coalition of 16 states and Washington D.C., have agreed to send all of their electoral college votes to the candidate that wins the popular vote nationwide as part of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, according to the Associated Press, but the states will need to control 270 electoral college votes in order to implement the proposal. So far, with Maine, it has 209.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Discovery of Aliens Will Probably Be… Unsatisfying
There are a least a hundred billion stars in the Milky Way, our home galaxy. And there could be trillions of planets! That leaves a lot of potential real estate for extraterrestrials.
Let’s optimistically assume that we’ll one day find aliens. How might that happen? Maybe it will be like in the movies! They’ll visit Earth with their faster-than-light starships, hopefully coming in peace, like the Vulcans from Star Trek or the squid-like beings in Arrival.
Read the full storyCommentary: NPR Scandal Should Kill Taxpayer-Funded Broadcasting
“I don’t want any yes-men around me,” said Sam Goldwyn, the Hollywood producer famed for his movies and malapropisms. “I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job.” The brass at National Public Radio must have heard Sam, but they add a slight amendment. We want only “yes-men” (they/them) and will boot anyone who dares to dissent.
Lest there be any doubt, NPR just proved it by suspending, without pay, the staffer who exposed the pervasive problems there. He dared to write publicly that that National Public Radio was uniformly ideological, deeply committed to its strident left-wing views, and determined to exclude any alternatives. For saying that out loud, they cut off Uri Berliner’s paycheck for five days. It’s their way of saying, “Thank you for your feedback.” Q.E.D.
Read the full storyLetitia James Asks Judge to Block Trump’s $175 Million Bond from Civil Fraud Case
New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office has asked a judge on Friday to block a $175 million bond that former President Donald Trump secured to delay paying a larger punishment in his civil fraud case.
Trump was ordered to pay a combined $464 million, plus interest, earlier this year after Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump and his organization had inflated his net worth in order to get better tax and insurance benefits. The sum was later reduced to $175 million, which Trump posted.
Read the full storyHouse Dems Move to Strip Trump of Secret Service Protection, If Convicted
A group of House Democrats on Friday introduced legislation to strip former President Donald Trump of his Secret Service protection should he be convicted in one of the myriad criminal cases against him.
Trump is currently on trial in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case over allegedly falsifying business records. Trump has pleaded not guilty and contends that the case is part of broader political witch hunt against him. He also faces two separate federal indictments from special counsel Jack Smith and a fourth from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Read the full storyHouse Passes Bills Sending Foreign Aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, Package Headed to Senate
The House voted on Saturday to pass three foreign aid bills that will provide funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the full foreign aid package to the Senate to vote on.
Read the full storyDaily Wire Reporter Brent Scher on NewsGuard: ‘The Censoring of Disfavored News Should Not Be Something That is Acceptable in the U.S.’
Brent Scher, lead investigative reporter and editor at the Daily Wire, said NewsGuard’s censorship of “disfavored” news through its rating tool for media sites “should not be something that is acceptable in the U.S.”
Read the full storyJohnson Sets Up Ukraine Showdown Vote
The U.S. House is expected to vote on funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan this weekend, a controversial climax to months of battling in both chambers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has arranged the vote for this weekend, likely on Saturday, despite calls from many in his own party to abandon funding for Ukraine, which is set to receive about $60 billion in foreign aid in its war against Russia’s invasion if the measure passes this weekend.
Read the full storyNonprofit Misused Taxpayer Dollars to Fly Migrants Around U.S., Dem Rep Alleges
A Texas lawmaker alleged Friday that a local nonprofit is misusing taxpayer funds through its purchase of airline tickets for migrants.
Catholic Charities of San Antonio is purchasing airline tickets for asylum-seekers in their care with federal grant money, Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar alleged. The allegation emerges as millions of federal taxpayer dollars continue to be doled out to nonprofit groups that are helping manage the border crisis under President Joe Biden.
Read the full storyApple Cooperates with Chinese Censorship Demands, Removes Popular Messaging Apps from Store
Tech behemoth Apple complied with an order from the Chinese government to remove popular messaging apps from the company’s app store in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Apple removed messaging platforms WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, as well as social media app Threads, from its Chinese App Store in compliance with an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, which cited national security concerns as the reason for the restrictions, according to the WSJ. China’s order follows a heated debate among U.S. lawmakers over whether to place restrictions on the Chinese Communist Party-linked app TikTok, with some parties calling for the app to either be sold to a non-Chinese entity or be banned in the U.S.
Read the full storyRep. Gosar Joins Two Other House Republicans in Supporting GOP Speaker Johnson’s Ouster
Rep. Paul Gosar on Friday joined two other House Republicans in supporting GOP Speaker Mike Johnson’s ouster.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion last month to vacate the speaker’s chair, and so far two other GOP lawmakers have joined the effort.
Read the full storyShelby County District Attorney’s Office Adds Additional Charges to 17-Year-Old Involved in Shootout That Killed Officer Joseph McKinney
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced his office is pursuing new charges against the 17-year old involved in last week’s shootout that killed Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney.
Read the full storyVirginia AG ‘Demands’ Biden Address ‘Missing Migrant Children Crisis’
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares wants the Biden administration to act on “the missing migrant children crisis,” claiming the administration ignores the problem.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Miyares raised concerns over the “welfare and safety” of unaccompanied minors that he argues are not being “prioritized” by the Biden administration.
Read the full storySouth Carolina Senate Poised to Consider 2024-25 Budget
South Carolina senators will soon consider a fiscal 2024-25 budget for the state, a plan that includes nearly $100 million to speed up a personal income tax reduction.
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee gave the thumbs up to its version of a state budget, H.5100, and a Capital Reserve Fund, H.5101, sending both to the full Senate for consideration.
Read the full storyOhio Secretary of State’s Office Launches Initiative to Prepare Election Officials for the November Election
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a new statewide initiative his office will facilitate to ensure election officials are “trained and prepared” for the November general election.
The Ready for November initiative will “offer a series of collaborative training opportunities between Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections and the Secretary of State’s elections, public integrity and communications staff,” according to LaRose’s office.
Read the full storyGeorgia House Republicans ‘Take Postmaster General DeJoy to Task’ for State’s ‘Mail Service Delivery Breakdowns’ in Joint Letter
Georgia House Republicans criticized Postmaster General Louis DeJoy of the United States Postal Service (USPS) for “mail service delivery breakdowns” in the Peach State, demanding answers in a joint letter on Monday.
A press release on Rep. Barry Loudermilk’s (R-GA-11)website says that in the letter, Georgia lawmakers “take Postmaster General DeJoy to task and describe the many frustrations constituents are facing with the delays in delivery and receipt of their mail…” and want “answers to several questions regarding the mail service delivery breakdowns.”
Read the full storyCommentary: President Biden Must Not Encourage Illegal Mass Migration from Haiti
“It’s better to be the United States’ enemy than its friend.” Foreign officials tell me this is their perception under the Biden Administration, which has a strange habit of appeasing our adversaries while holding our allies to impossible standards. It’s bad foreign policy, plain and simple. Moreover, it’s encouraging chaos in our region.
Just look at what’s happening in the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean nation is facing extraordinary migratory pressure from neighboring Haiti, which has all but collapsed into anarchy. President Luis Abinader has made it clear he will protect Dominican sovereignty by enforcing deportations. Yet the Biden Administration, influenced by radical left-wing groups like Amnesty International, is pushing him to accept three million Haitians at any moment.
Read the full storyCommentary: Biden Losing Support of Young Men Due to Border Crisis
The latest Harvard Youth Poll reveals President Joe Biden has lost significant ground with voters under thirty compared to four years ago, with a 20-point decline among young men. While young Americans give Biden low marks on foreign policy and economic issues including inflation, housing, and the job market, immigration is a leading factor in young people’s departure from Democrats.
Biden currently leads Trump by thirteen percentage points (50 percent to 37 percent) among registered voters under thirty in the Harvard Youth Poll, a slightly higher margin than he has led by in other recent polls that include young people as a subset.
Read the full storyBiden Admin Announces Massive Restrictions on Alaskan Oil Reserve and Hampers Key Mining Project in One Fell Swoop
The Biden administration moved to block oil and gas activity on millions of acres of Alaskan land and effectively rejected a road project needed to mine large reserves of copper in the state on Friday, Bloomberg News reported.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) finalized a plan that will restrict future oil leasing and development on about half of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), an area in the state’s north approximately the size of Indiana first designated by former President Warren Harding as an emergency source of fuel for the U.S. Navy, according to Bloomberg News. The DOI also moved to all but shoot down the Ambler Access Project, a previously-approved proposal for a mining company to build a 211-mile long road needed to mine copper reserves potentially worth billions of dollars.
Read the full storyTrump Gains on Biden with Young Voters: Poll
Former President Donald Trump has lowered President Joe Biden’s lead in support from people under 30 compared to four years ago, according to a poll released Thursday.
During the 2020 presidential election, Biden led Trump by 23% among support from young people under 30, and held a 30-point advantage among likely young voters. In the latest survey from the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, however, Trump came in just eight points behind Biden among young adults between the ages of 18 and 29, with Biden leading 45% to Trump’s 37%.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert on Maryland Transgender Teen Arrested for Planning Mass Shooting: Police Were ‘Proactive,’ Took Threat Seriously
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, discussed the latest developments surrounding a story out of Maryland where police arrested a transgender high school student for a 129-page manifesto that included plans for at least two school shootings.
On Friday, Pappert reported that the student, Andrea Ye, was arrested this week as police say she wrote the 129-page manifesto and shared it with a friend, who then notified police of the document.
Read the full storyCheryl Fritze Discusses Michigan Elementary School Lesson Designed to Teach Students About Pronouns
Cheryl Fritze, director of News Operations for Michigan News Source, explained how an elementary school in Michigan is teaching students about pronouns through a book called They She He Me: Free to Be!, a picture book about “busting gender stereotypes and assumptions one pronoun at a time.”
Read the full storyMan Sets Himself Ablaze Outside Trump Trial in Manhattan
A man set himself ablaze outside of former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Friday in New York City.
Read the full storyTennessee State Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson Joined Protesters Confronting Troopers at Capitol
Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) joined protesters engaged in a sit-in at the Tennessee Capitol after being removed from the House gallery and urged troopers not to make arrests.
Jones and Pearson reportedly “intervened” by stepping between protesters and troopers, according to NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams, who was apparently feet away from the Democrats during what he described as a “sit-in.”
Read the full storyTransgender Teen Arrested for Planning Mass Shooting at Maryland High School, Police Seize Manifesto
Police in Maryland confirmed on Friday that a transgender high school student was arrested after they claim she wrote a 129-page manifesto that included plans for at least two school shootings.
The Rockville Police Department (RPD) confirmed the Thursday arrest of Andrea Ye, who identifies as a transgender man, after a friend went to police with concerns over Ye’s manifesto.
Read the full storyBiden Vows to Block Foreign Acquisition of Iconic American Company
President Joe Biden promised on Wednesday to block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by a Japanese competitor in remarks to a crowd in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, made up of unionized steelworkers.
The Japanese Nippon Steel Corporation, the fourth-largest steel producer, first announced that it would be acquiring U.S. Steel in December for around $14.9 billion after turning down other offers, including from American steel company Cleveland Cliffs. The president, in his remarks, emphasized the importance of the American steel industry and called out China for subsidizing their own steel producers.
Read the full storyFormer D.C. National Guard Officials Criticize Pentagon Leadership in Assessment of J6 Response
Four former D.C. National Guard officials turned whistleblowers excoriated military leadership for their response to the January 6 riot at a hearing held by the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight Wednesday.
Based their firsthand accounts, they said that senior leadership failed to act decisively to authorize the deployment of the D.C. National Guard to the Capitol and subsequently crafted a misleading narrative about their actions that day to paper over the delays.
Read the full storyU.S. Potentially Facing New Era of High Interest Rates
The United States could be facing an era of prolonged high interest rates unlike anything seen in recent memory.
According to Axios, a number of major factors indicate that high interest rates could be the new norm in the U.S., including the movement of rates, the rate of inflation, and the recent outlook for the Federal Reserve’s policy in addressing these issues.
Read the full storyNashville Electric Service Installs More than 6,000 LED Streetlights in Davidson County
Nashville Electric Service (NES) has installed more than 6,000 LED streetlights throughout Music City this year as a result of a contract between the utility company and the city.
Read the full storyLeadership Institute Set to Host 2024 Learn Right National Education Summit in Nashville
The Leadership Institute will hold its 2024 Learn Right National Education Summit in Nashville on Friday and Saturday at the JW Marriott.
Read the full storyOhio BLM Activist Convicted for Stealing Donated Money to Facebook Page
A Toledo man was found guilty of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering by a jury after a six-day trial this week for stealing donated money to his Black Lives Matter (BLM) organization and using it for personal gain, according to the Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Read the full storyConnecticut Committee Advances Bill Proposing Increased Threshold for Felony Unemployment Insurance Fraud
Connecticut House Bill 2570, which proposes increasing the threshold for felony unemployment insurance fraud from $500 to $2000, advanced from the Joint Judiciary Committee on Apr. 5 by a vote of 24-13. The Joint Labor and Public Employees Committee approved the bill with a vote of 8-4 on Mar. 7. The bill is now pending consideration before the full Connecticut House.
Under current law, a fraudulent payment, benefit, or contribution is a class A misdemeanor if it amounts to $500 or less or a class D felony if it amounts to more than $500. The bill increases these thresholds to $2,000 or less for a class A misdemeanor and more than $2,000 for a class D felony.
Read the full storyFlorida to Teach Public School Students About Communism
Florida school students will receive instruction on the history of communism after a bill was signed into law on Wednesday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed that will require public schools to implement age-appropriate teaching lessons on the history of communism, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
Read the full storyArizona Democrat U.S. Senate Candidate Ruben Gallego Branded ‘Deadbeat Dad’ in New NRSC Commercial
The influential National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) labeled Arizona U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) a “deadbeat dad” in a commercial released less than one month after a court ordered some of his divorce records unsealed.
Ruben Gallego was branded a “deadbead dad” by the NRSC over his 2017 divorce from Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. The couple reportedly split just days before Christmas in 2016, with reports indicating it was Ruben Gallego who initiated the separation. Kate Gallego was nine months pregnant at the time.
Read the full storyReport: Wisconsin’s Finances in Best Shape in Decades
A new report says Wisconsin is in its best fiscal position in decades.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum released its latest report this week. It looks at the state’s debt, budget health, general fund reserves and what the future may hold for the state.
Read the full storyDemocrats Retake Michigan House
Michigan Democrats have regained the House after a Tuesday special election.
The wins give Democrats a 56-54 House majority from the victories of Peter Herzberg and Mai Xiong in the 13th and 25th state House districts.
Read the full storyOhio Affordable Housing Market Target of New Legislation
A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers wants to give taxpayer money to local communities that adopt pro-housing policies they say will create a healthier housing market.
Sponsors say the new bill introduced Tuesday would stabilize both home prices and rents and “revolutionize” how local governments approach housing supply by using state policy and resources to encourage innovation and access.
Read the full storyEllison Faces Scrutiny for Use of San Francisco Firm on Lawsuit Against Energy Companies
A trio of Republican lawmakers are asking Attorney General Keith Ellison to provide the public with more details on his office’s contract with a San Francisco-based law firm hired to aid in an ongoing climate change-related lawsuit against three major oil companies.
Sens. Mark Koran and Andrew Mathews, and Rep. Jim Nash sent Ellison a detailed letter last week that claims the law firm, Sher Edling, LLP, has received more than $13 million from special interest organizations outside of Minnesota to help fund its climate litigation efforts, including the one ongoing in Minnesota. And they want Ellison to provide the public with “a complete accounting of who is providing financial support for Sher Edling’s work on the Minnesota case.
Read the full storyYoungkin, Virginia Democrats Agree to Finish Budget in May Special Session
Governor Glenn Youngkin and Democratic leaders in the Virginia General Assembly confirmed on Wednesday they will release a budget in May and pass it during a special legislative session.
The governor’s office released a joint statement including Youngkin, Speaker of the House Don Scott (D-Portsmouth), Senate Finance Chair L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and House Appropriations Chair Luke Thorian (D-Dumfries) confirming they will continue work on a bipartisan budget that will ultimately be unveiled on May 13.
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