Media elite and an obscure comedian came together on Saturday night to dine at the annual White House Correspondents Association’s dinner, and to obsess over the 800 pound gorilla who wasn’t in the room. The dinner’s entertainment was Hasan Minhaj, a relatively unknown comedian who apparently appears on Comedy Central’s…
Read MoreMonth: April 2017
Can I Help You? It Depends…
The one question every Certified Personal Trainer should know the answer to in regards to a client is, “Can I help you?” I know for my company, Greek Physique™, LLC, the answer, quite frankly is, “It depends.” If you want to be a steroid-juiced, vein-popping bodybuilder, the answer is…
Read MoreFormer Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Among Evangelicals In Trump Administration
President Trump swept into office with a broad base of evangelical support and he has made sure that evangelicals find positions in his administration. Among them is former Republican governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue, who was sworn in as secretary of agriculture on Tuesday. A veterinarian by training, Perdue…
Read MoreCommentary: Ensuring Equity and Excellence in Education
Our members define our legislative priorities and advocacy efforts, and we make sure our professional learning activities align with our member needs. We invite you to attend Leader U on June 30, 2017, at MTSU.
Read MoreTexas House Passes Sanctuary City Ban With Stiff Penalty for Public Officials
The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that places a statewide ban on sanctuary cities and allows state officials to jail police chiefs and sheriffs who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The measure also lets police officers inquire about the immigration status of anyone they detain…
Read MoreHaslam’s Gas Tax Increase May Force Tennessee Lawmakers to Violate the Copeland Cap Amendment to State Constitution
Governor Haslam’s 2017-18 budget that incorporated IMPROVE Act and other spending promises now exceeds the constitutional budget growth limit established by the 1978 amendment to Article II, Section 24 of the Tennessee Constitution that states, “In no year shall the rate of growth of appropriations from state tax revenues exceed the estimated…
Read MoreFaith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, April 30
VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 30, Sunday Proverbs 4:18-23 18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not…
Read MorePresident Trump Snubs Media’s ‘Nerd Prom’ to Spend the Evening with Americans
President Trump held a raucous event to a capacity crowd in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Saturday evening while the media’s elite dined on elegant offerings of chicken or fish and awarded one another at the White House Correspondents’ dinner – nicknamed, “Nerd Prom” – back in Washington, D.C. “They are gathered…
Read MoreDepartment of Homeland Security Slapped With Lawsuit To Release Former Secretary Jeh Johnson’s Emails
Judicial Watch is suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for emails former Secretary Jeh Johnson and three other top agency officials sent or received from personal email accounts, the nonprofit government watchdog group announced Friday. The lawsuit was filed after DHS produced no records in response to a Dec.…
Read MorePence Christens New Attack Submarine, Urges Congress to Boost Defense Spending
Vice President Mike Pence marked the Trump administration’s 100th day Saturday by christening a new Virginia-class fast attack submarine and calling on Congress to meet President Trump’s request for an extra $30 billion for defense in a short-term spending bill. Mr. Pence christened the U.S.S. Indiana in a ceremony at…
Read MoreCalifornia Think Tank Issues Letter from ‘Current and Former Military University Faculty Members Alarmed by’ Mark Green Nomination as Army Secretary
“In response to President Donald Trump’s recent nomination of Tennessee State Senator Mark Green as Secretary of the Army, 21 current and former Faculty Members at Service Academies, War Colleges, and other Military Universities released a statement today warning that the appointment represents a ‘serious threat’ to the military’s core…
Read MoreDonald Trump Still Prepared to Quit NAFTA, But Says It Would Be ‘Shock to the System’
President Trump said Thursday that he is still prepared to quit the North American Free Trade Agreement but wanted to give Mexico and Canada a chance to renegotiate a deal that better benefits the U.S. He also said that pulling out of the deal now, which he was considering, would…
Read MoreElizabeth Warren Turns on Obama: ‘Troubled’ by His $400K Wall Street Speech
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she is “troubled” by former President Barack Obama’s decision to give a Wall Street speech for $400,000 this year. An interview between Ms. Warren and Sirius XM’s “Alter Family Politics” on Thursday addressed Mr. Obama’s upcoming conference talk run by Cantor Fitzgerald LP. The Democrat…
Read MoreCommentary: Planting the Roots of the Republic
Thomas Jefferson was not silent on the most effective manner to pass freedom to future generations depended on providing a quality education to our children. An educated citizenry is the roots that our republic is planted on.
Read MoreNashville Mayor Megan Barry To Speak At Muslim Community Day Luncheon
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will speak next week at the third annual Standing up for Justice and Muslim Community Day luncheon sponsored by the American Muslim Advisory Council. The event will be held May 6 at the Islamic Center of Tennessee in Antioch. A progressive Democrat, Barry speaks often about welcoming…
Read MoreFaith: Verse of the Day for Saturday, April 29
VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 29, Saturday John 15:5-7 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing 6 If you do not…
Read MoreRex Tillerson Plans Major Staff Cuts in State Department Restructuring
The State Department is planning to reduce staffing by thousands as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson moves forward with efforts to streamline the agency that conservative critics say has outgrown its core functions. As many as 2,300 foreign and civil service positions—about 9 percent of the Americans in State’s workforce…
Read MoreState Rep. Tillis Responds to ‘Group That is Calling Me A Liar’ for Supporting Gas Tax Increase ‘After I Had Said Publicly That I Could Not’
Constituents of State Rep. Rick Tillis (R-Lewisburg) have a message for him after he switched from a “no” vote on Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increasing IMPROVE Act to a “yes” vote. A red and white banner questioning his truthfulness was prominently displayed just below a large billboard by the side…
Read MoreGov. Haslam Joins Forces With Rhode Island’s Democratic Governor to Push Free College Tuition
“The Republican governor of Tennessee, a national leader in the push for tuition-free education, joined Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo on Thursday to support her push to launch such an initiative in Rhode Island,” WPRI reported yesterday: Raimondo’s proposal, Rhode Island’s Promise, is notably more expansive than Haslam’s – she wants…
Read MoreObama Appointees Still Running the Show at Trump’s VA
Obama-era appointees remain in top posts at the Department of Veterans Affairs three months into Donald Trump’s presidency. This includes disgraced former undersecretary for benefits Allison Hickey, who is now helping choose her successor, The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group has learned. Then-candidate Trump called the VA the “most…
Read MoreUnited Methodist Church In Turmoil Over LGBT Issues
The United Methodist Church appears once more to be on the verge of a split over LGBT issues. The mainline Protestant denomination, which has a large presence in Tennessee, has experienced internal divisions for years over homosexuality, but tensions are at a fever pitch with the elevation of the first…
Read MoreReport: ESPN’s Left-Wing Politics Are Driving Away Viewers
When ESPN fired over 100 employees Wednesday, it confirmed what many media observers have known for a long time: the sports giant’s business model is collapsing in slow motion. As cable subscribers defect to internet streaming services–ESPN has lost about 10 million subscribers in the last three years – the…
Read MoreStudents Demand Christian University Embrace ‘Gender Identity’ Theory
Seattle Pacific University (SPU) students held a protest last week against their Christian university’s decision to view sexuality through a biblical perspective. SPU Haven, a club acting as a safe space for gay students, put up posters against their university’s biblical views on human sexuality as a part of the…
Read MoreCongress Asked to Eliminate $270 Million a Year in Solar Subsidies
Conservative groups wrote a letter to Congress Tuesday asking lawmakers on the appropriations committee to eliminate a solar subsidy program worth $270 million. Conservatives want Congress to pull funding from the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative, citing recent investigations that found the program provided subsidies for rooftop solar power. The letter…
Read MoreNashville Church Program Seeks To Stop Teen Violence
A program called Gentlemen And Not Gangsters is working to prevent growing problems with teen violence in Nashville. The G.A.N.G. program is a joint effort between Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in North Nashville and Metro’s juvenile justice program. It was started by Marcus Campbell, a pastor at the…
Read MoreCommentary: Tax Reduction and Reform: President Trump Goes After The Swamp
by ConservativeHQ.com Staff Nothing embodies the Washington DC swamp better than the U.S. tax code: The Congressman and Senators who write it, the lobbyists who work to manipulate its arcane rules to benefit the inside few and the Internal Revenue Service that enforces it – or not – form one…
Read MoreTea Party Activist Ben Cunningham Championing Charter Amendment to Limit Metro Nashville’s Debt
Tea Party activist Ben Cunningham is leading an effort for a 2018 referendum that would limit Metro Nashville’s debt level, setting up a possible clash with regional plans for a $6 billion transit project. His proposed amendment to the Metro Nashville charter, the Nashville Debt Limit Charter Amendment, would also…
Read MoreFaith: Verse of the Day for Friday, April 28
VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 28, Friday Jeremiah 3:15 “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens
Read MoreSchool Voucher Bill Pushed To Next Year
Tennessee supporters of school vouchers will have to wait until next year for another shot at legislative approval. Rep. Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville) on Wednesday deferred his bill to next year. The proposed legislation was sponsored in the Senate by Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown). Vouchers allow students to attend private schools with taxpayer…
Read MorePortland, Oregon Parade Cancelled Amid Threats to Republicans
Protesters in Portland, Oregon, have gone from blocking streets and disrupting City Council meetings to threatening to rough up Republicans, and James Buchal is sick of it. The chairman of the Multnomah County Republican Party, Mr. Buchal accused city officials of kowtowing to “domestic terrorism” after an annual parade was…
Read MoreThe $250 Million Education Bill the Democrats Reportedly Want in Return for IMPROVE Act Support is Still Alive
Twenty-three of the 25 Democrats in the House voted for Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increasing IMPROVE Act last Wednesday, amid rumors of a $250 million deal made between Governor Haslam and House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) in a quid pro quo tradeoff: Democrats vote for the governor’s bill,…
Read MorePew Research: Number of Illegal Immigrants from Mexico Going Down, Number from Central America and Asia Going Up
The number of illegal immigrants from Mexico is down, while the number from Central America and Asia is increasing, according to a new Pew Research study. Overall there has been a slight decline in the total number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S, with the number in 2015 falling below…
Read MoreAl Gore’s New Group Demands $15 Trillion To Fight Global Warming
A group of executives who want to fight global warming have published a new report calling for countries to spend up to $600 billion a year over the next two decades to boost green energy deployment and energy efficiency equipment. The Energy Transitions Commission’s (ETC) report claims “additional investments of…
Read MoreNewt Gingrich to Sean Hannity: ‘Fascist Left’ Is Waging War Against Fox News
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told Fox News host Sean Hannity Monday night that the left is waging a “war” against the network in order to silence conservative voices. Mr. Hannity opened his show by decrying “liberal fascism” after he was publicly accused last week of sexual harassment by a…
Read MoreCommentary: Justice for All: Payroll Deductions
It is our belief that the state and most school districts in the state are violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by denying non-union teachers a benefit extended to the “similarly situated” union teacher.
Read MoreSiloam Health Chooses Not to Help Stop Female Genital Mutilation in Tennessee
Working in partnership with Catholic Charities’ TN Office for Refugees, Siloam Health Care Services, Inc., headquartered in Nashville, serves as the Statewide Refugee Screening Coordinator for Tennessee and provides the initial domestic medical screening for refugees resettling in Middle Tennessee. Siloam also contracts with Christ Community Health Center in Memphis,…
Read MoreBrad Paisley Promotes Love and War Album at Nashville’s SiriusXM Radio Studio
Sirius/XM On the Highway host, Storme Warren, interviewed Brad Paisley and revealed that country music’s first “visual album” arrives April 28 and will be a companion to the regular album which was released April 21st.
Read MoreLegal Challenge in Hamilton County Targets Court Abuses in Fighting Criminal Charges on Appeal
By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM Gubernatorial candidate and free-range motorist Basil Marceaux will appear before a Hamilton County Circuit Court next week to argue in one of a series of criminal cases whose defense is sending shudders through the legal system. Mr. Marceaux, 64, of Soddy-Daisy,…
Read MoreLifeWay Research: More Than Half of Americans Have Read Little or None of the Bible
Many Americans say they own a Bible and have a positive view of it, but not many make a habit of reading it, a new LifeWay Research study has found. Church leaders have become increasingly worried about biblical literacy and the results show why. “Most Americans don’t know first-hand the overall…
Read MoreNashville Mayor Megan Barry Presents Plans for ‘Income Diversity Within Neighborhoods’ and Mass Transit in State of Metro Address
In her second State of Metro address Wednesday morning, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry presented a laundry list of big-spending plans that liberals will love and make conservatives reach for their Tums. The Democratic mayor called for paid family leave for Metro employees and “income diversity within neighborhoods” that are “transit-oriented.”…
Read MoreBullets Shatter Windows Next To A Prominent Global Warming Skeptic’s Office in Huntsville, Alabama
Shots were fired at the fourth floor of a science and technology center at the University of Alabama-Huntsville sometime over the weekend, hitting windows adjacent to climatologist John Christy’s office. No one was hurt, and university police have characterized the event as a “random shooting,” UAH spokesman Ray Garner told…
Read MoreProtesters Storm Heritage Foundation, Conservative Think Tank, in Washington, D.C.
Activists with the left-leaning protest group People’s Action stormed the Heritage Foundation’s lobby during an anti-budget March Tuesday. People’s Action organizers planned a secret protest at the Heritage Foundation and were able to storm the lobby of the right-wing think tank before security could lock the doors. Roughly 200 protesters…
Read MoreMovie Critical of Charter Schools and Vouchers Shown at Nashville Film Festival
A documentary taking a critical look at charter schools and vouchers was shown Tuesday evening at the Nashville Film Festival. “Backpack Full of Cash” was filmed partly in Nashville and features Metro Nashville school board member Amy Frogge, who attended Tuesday’s screening at the Regal Hollywood 27 at 100 Oaks.…
Read MoreCommentary: Helping Children Succeed
In America, our students are grouped by chronological age and progress together through the K-12 system. While this might make sense socially, it ignores a student’s readiness. Students who start off struggling from the very beginning often can get a better start on their formal education if retained. Being promoted with their peer group only makes sense if they can make adequate academic progress.
Read MoreBoss Doss Admits To TDOT Contract After Being Elected
For the first time, State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma), who is the House sponsor of Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” and is serving as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, admitted to having a contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) since he was elected in…
Read MoreFaith: Verse of the Day for Wednesday, April 26
VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 26, Wednesday Matthew 11:28-30 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,…
Read MoreImmigration Hawks Blast Border Wall Retreat
With the White House withdrawing from a demand for funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall, some of the nation’s fiercest immigration hawks are warning the president not to back away from his most recognizable campaign promise. Trump had requested a $1.4 billion down payment on the wall in a…
Read MoreNashville Mayor Megan Barry To Give State of Metro Address Wednesday
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will deliver her second State of Metro address Wednesday morning at Bridgestone Arena. The event is open to the public and will be streamed live. The Democratic mayor will present details of her budget proposal and is expected to mention the tentative $6 billion regional mass…
Read MoreLiberty Counsel Criticizes Florida Teacher’s LGBT Activism
Liberty Counsel has put a school district in Florida on notice that unless it stops the actions of a lesbian teacher promoting LGBT activism and discriminating against Christian students, the nonprofit group will pursue legal action. The high school math teacher in the Tampa area has placed LGBT rainbow stickers…
Read MoreConstitution Series: How and Why Thirteen States Ratified the Constitution: 1787 – 1790 (Part Two)
This is Part Two in the fourth of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. (You can read Part One of…
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