The attorney general and FBI director will have to approve counterintelligence investigations of future presidential campaigns, Attorney General William Barr said at a press conference Monday.
Read the full storyMonth: January 2020
IRS Punishes Yet Another Tennessee County with Expensive Fines
IRS officials have imposed a $32,236 penalty on Cocke County.
Read the full storyState Senator Kerry Roberts Weighs in on Governor Lee’s Refugee Stance and the Tennessee General Assembly
Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined in the studio during the program’s second hour by Senator Kerry Roberts of Tennessee.
Read the full storyCenter for Immigration Studies’ Don Barnett Explains Loopholes in Refugee Policy That Allow For More to be Resettled
On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy welcomed Don Barnett in the studio to talk about immigration and refugee policy and repercussions.
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Report: Melissa Smithson Discusses the Current Legal Status of the Nashville Fairgrounds
Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy welcomed in-studio guest Melissa Smithson, Chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party to the show. During the first segment, Smithson updated Leahy on the current depositions taking place in regard to the usage of the Nashville Fairgrounds. Specifically, she noted that light has been shone on how many of the board members were negligent and unknowledgeable of the law, which has allegedly led to manipulated land grab. Leahy: Just joining us now, making the fun of the party, Melissa Smithson, Chairman of the Republican Party in Davidson County. And an all-star panelist with The Tennessee Star Report. Good morning Melissa. Smithson: Good morning. Good morning gentlemen. Roberts: Good morning. It’s good to see you. I haven’t seen you since the campaign season. And I’ve never been on the radio with Melissa before I don’t think. Did we ever do a radio show before? Smithson: No. No. But I’m excited about today. Leahy: It’s a little snappy here. And we’re kind of pushing the edge. But that’s what we…
Read the full story‘Time for Other States to Step Up’: Texas AG Explains Why the State Isn’t Accepting Refugees
Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, defended his governor’s decision to not accept refugees in 2020, noting that Texas has done more for refugees than any other state.
Read the full storySanders Field Organizer: MAGA People Need to Be Reeducated in Gulags
An “anti-fascist” field organizer for the Bernie Sanders Campaign in Iowa was caught on tape saying that when Sanders becomes president of the United States “MAGA people” will have to be “reeducated” to learn “how to not be a f**king nazi” and that, in fact, is what the candidate’s proposal of free education for all is all about.
Read the full storyRussians Hacked Burisma: Report
Russian military hackers have successfully infiltrated Burisma, the Ukranian gas company that Hunter Biden worked for between 2014 and 2019.
Read the full storyNeil McCabe: Slow Moving Articles of Impeachment May Head to Senate by Next Week
In a weekly interview on The Tennessee Star Report Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast live Tuesday morning on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy welcomed One America News Network’s Washington Correspondent Neil McCabe to the program.
Read the full storyUS House Set to Vote Wednesday to Send Impeachment Charges to Senate
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House of Representatives will vote Wednesday to send official impeachment charges to the Senate, bringing the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s historical impeachment trial one step closer to reality.
Read the full storyOhio Gov DeWine’s Office Dodges Question on Resettlement of Refugees Australia Refused to Accept
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision on December 24 that would say yes to more refugees in Ohio would allow the federal government to resettle them from any country, including from an estimated 300 to 720 refugees from the Middle East that the government of Australia has refused to accept.
Read the full storyChronic Wasting Disease Discovered on Newaygo County Deer Farm
Chronic wasting disease has been found in three white-tailed deer from a Newaygo County deer farm, making it the fifth farm in Michigan to have been found carrying the disease.
Read the full storyHouse Passes Bill to Lift Michigan Stun Gun Ban
A bill that would allow Michigan residents to own and use stun guns passed the Michigan House of Representatives on Tuesday with bipartisan support.
Read the full storyWhitmer Task Force Recommends Sweeping Changes to Criminal Justice System, Including Three-Year Probation Cap
A Michigan task force established by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has recommended a number of sweeping changes to the state’s criminal justice system, including lowering probation terms and reclassifying most traffic offenses as civil infractions.
Read the full storyBill Proposal Would Let Ohio Police Pull Over Drivers for Distracted Driving
Ohio State Rep. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville) introduced a bill Monday that would let police pull over people who are using their phones or electronic devices while operating a vehicle. Currently, police can’t pull over people they see using their phones because it is a secondary offense. However, this bill would change that to a primary offense which would allow law enforcement to pull people over for distracted driving. “The number of drivers I see using their smartphones while driving continues to concern me, especially as they tend to drive erratically. This legislation will address the significant danger caused by drivers who drive under the influence of their electronic devices,” Rep. Lightbody said in a statement. Lightbody said constituent Sharon Montgomery approached her about this issue after Montgomery was in a “tragic” accident caused by distracted driving. Montgomery served on Governor Mike DeWine’s recent Task Force on Distracted Driving after becoming an expert on this topic. “More and more drivers are focused on electronic devices instead of traffic and vehicle operation, which puts us all at risk,” Montgomery said. “Representative Lightbody’s legislation will reduce that risk, and I am relieved that with her leadership, Ohio would join 37 other states…
Read the full storyRamsey County Unanimously Consents to More Refugees
Both of Minnesota’s most populous counties will officially continue to accept refugees.
Read the full storySomali Democrat Planning Bid for Fifth District Calls Omar a ‘Disgrace’ to ‘Baffled’ Somali Community
Leila Shukri Adan, a Somali-American Democrat, plans to announce a campaign against Rep. Ilhan Omar in the coming days for the DFL nomination in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District. Adan recently published an op-ed at Powerline in response to Omar being named the “2019 anti-Semite of the year” by an organization called StopAntiSemitism.org. “It is with dismay that I read the article describing our congressional representative as the anti-Semite of the year. She brings unwanted attention and shame to the Fifth District by her views. Those of us in the Somali community see her words and deeds as a disgrace. She has put us on the map in all the wrong ways,” Adan writes in her article. According to Powerline’s Scott Johnson, Adan is expected to announce her candidacy “shortly” and wants it to be known “that Omar does not speak for the Fifth District’s Somali community.” “What mainstream media outlets do not know is that Omar is not representative of our community. She does not speak for us,” Adan continues, noting that Minneapolis’ Somali community includes “Somalis who claim Jewish ancestry.” “Somalis are not anti-Semitic and we continue to see the path Omar is on as a danger to…
Read the full storyMichigan DNR Approves Nearly $2 Million in Grant Funding to Improve Parks, Trails Across Michigan
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently approved nearly $2 million in grant funding to help improve parks, trails and facilities in 18 communities across the state.
Read the full storyTitle IX Complaints Go Up at Three Tennessee Universities, Report Shows
People at Tennessee Technological University, Tennessee State University, and the University of Tennessee lodged more Title IX discrimination complaints in 2019 than they did the prior year.
Read the full storyCommentary: A ‘Fair’ Senate Impeachment Trial Is Exactly What Democrats Are Afraid Of
On January 7, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wrote her Democratic colleagues to explain her strategy and to respond to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) announcement that he would not negotiate impeachment trial procedures with the House. Instead, McConnell simply plans to use the procedures employed in the Clinton impeachment
Read the full storyFBI Director Tells Surveillance Court He ‘Deeply Regrets’ Failures in Carter Page FISA Process
FBI Director Christopher Wray told the federal surveillance court in a letter Friday that he “deeply regrets” the bureau’s many errors in the process to obtain surveillance warrants on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
Read the full storyMegyn Kelly Advocates for ‘Proportionality in the #METOO Movement,’ Says She Doesn’t ‘Believe All Women’
Journalist Megyn Kelly advocated for “proportionality in the #MeToo movement,” saying she does not believe in the statement “believe all women.”
Read the full storyHours After Going Viral for Protesting ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ Australian Student Wilson Gavin Dies in Apparent Suicide
A gay man who went viral for protesting a drag queen story hour died Monday in an apparent suicide.
Read the full storyCommentary: President Trump Is Preserving Religious Freedom for Future Generations
President Trump’s unwavering defense of religious liberty and the sanctity of human life, as well as his recognition of the value of America’s Christian heritage, are why I’m a charter member of the Evangelicals for Trump coalition that was just launched in Miami.
Read the full storyFour More Tennessee Residents Charged with TennCare Fraud
Authorities have charged four additional people from around Tennessee with TennCare fraud, including people from Coffee, Hardeman, and Madison counties.
Read the full storyWhere the Top Democratic Candidates Stand on Health Care
Of all the public policy issues the top-tier Democratic presidential hopefuls have addressed, health care stands out as the one that separates them the most.
Read the full storyAttorney Jim Larew Gives Real Time Break Down on the Iowa Caucus Field and Current Polling Numbers
Live from music row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by longtime friend and ambassador to Iowa Democratic presidential field, Jim Larew.
Read the full storyEx-Treasury Department Official Pleads Guilty To Leaking Trump Associates’ Financial Documents To BuzzFeed
A former Treasury Department official pleaded guilty in federal court in New York City on Monday to leaking sensitive financial records of multiple Trump associates and figures in the Trump-Russia investigation to a reporter at BuzzFeed News.
Read the full storyMetro Councilman Steve Glover Discusses Budget Priorities and Public vs Charter Schools
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Leahy was joined in studio with metro councilman, with Steve Glover and all-star panelist Crom Carmichael.
Read the full storyExclusive: Former Rep. Mike Rogers Leads Group Calling On FCC to Move Quicker on 5G Tech
Former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers is heading up a group that is working to poke and prod the Federal Communications Commission into moving quicker on approving fifth generation development.
Read the full storyEight Industries Venezuela Nationalized (Besides Oil)
Venezuela has experienced one of the sharpest economic declines in modern history—rampant inflation, near-famine, and an exodus of millions of asylum seekers. Yet there remains disagreement over what caused it.
Many refuse to blame socialism, instead citing the collapse of oil prices, corruption, its abandonment of democracy, and other factors. If socialism did play a role, it was a small one, says Venezuelan writer Francisco Toro in the Washington Post, citing “a unique mix of circumstances, in which socialism is just one ingredient.”
Read the full storyAmash Says Trump’s Claim of Iran Planning ‘Imminent’ Attacks ‘Seems Totally Made Up’
Rep. Justin Amish (I-MI-03) said President Donald Trump’s claim that Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was planning “imminent” attacks on American assets “seems totally made up.”
Read the full storyTop House Democrat Dodges Repeatedly When Asked One Simple Question About Ocasio-Cortez
A top House Democrat repeatedly declined to say Sunday morning whether Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is good for the Democratic caucus.
Read the full storyOhio School District Says It Won’t Stop Student Athletes from Kneeling During Anthem
An Ohio school district announced over the weekend that it won’t stop student athletes protesting police brutality from kneeling during the national anthem.
Read the full storyMiSTEM Advisory Council Awards More Than $3 Million in Grants for STEM Education
More than $3 million in grant funding will be distributed between 16 regional organizations across Michigan to help improve educational programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Read the full storyMinnesota’s Senate Republicans Unveil 2020 Agenda, Includes Consideration of Red Flag Laws, Clean Energy Proposals
Minnesota Senate Republicans unveiled their “2020 Vision” agenda during a Monday press conference, highlighting their priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
Read the full storyMichigan Supreme Court Rules to Allow Cell Phones, Electronic Devices in Courts Statewide Starting May 1
The Michigan Supreme Court will allow cellphones, tablets and laptops in courtrooms across the state starting May 1.
Read the full storyOhio Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Whether Jury Must Consider Ability to Pay Fines
Darren Taylor, who was convicted of murder and other charges, is suing the state of Ohio because a trial court refused to waive his fees after doing an analysis of his current earnings from his prison job, but did not do an analysis of his ability to pay these fines in the future. Taylor, who is serving 36 years to life, will be in his 80s when he gets out of prison.
Read the full storyIndustry Report Touts Oil and Gas Contributions in Minnesota Economy
A new study by the American Petroleum Institute (API) credits Minnesota’s strong economy and job creation, in part, to the abundance of affordable fuels wrought by the country’s shale boom recognized through hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking.
Read the full storyFive More Tennessee Counties May Fight Gov. Bill Lee on Refugees
Elected officials in five Tennessee counties said Monday they are considering resolutions to tell Republican Gov. Bill Lee that, no, they do not want more refuges in their respective areas.
Read the full storyEXCLUSIVE: Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton on Upcoming Legislative Session and Hot Topics
As the 111th Tennessee General Assembly is set to enter its second session, newly elected Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton gave an exclusive interview to The Tennessee Star to discuss legislative priorities and current issues.
Read the full storyCommentary: With Mike Flynn, the Bad Guys Won and Made a Mockery the Justice System
America’s eyes turned to Iraq and Iran over the past few days as President Trump made a bold decision to take out one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and faced down the Iranian government and their proxies at MSNBC, CNN, the Democratic Congress and Hollywood.
Read the full storyGeorge Mason University Professor Calls College a ‘Racket,’ Blasts Diversity Hires
An economics professor at George Mason University is speaking out about the “racket” that he says is college, and blaming it on the “diversity people” who he says have flooded the university system with unnecessary and perpetually increasing expenses tied to a seemingly endless need for more and more diversity initiatives and faculty.
Read the full storyGOP Governors Push for Refugee Resettlement as Trump Lowers Acceptance Cap
Republican governors around the country are working closely with refugee resettlement NGOs and contractors to circumvent President Trump’s efforts to lower the amount of refugees admitted to the United States, according to a memo obtained by Breitbart.
Read the full storyService Provider to Drop Medicaid Coverage in Central and Southeast Ohio After Financial Losses
The service provider Paramount will be dropping its Medicaid coverage in central and southeast Ohio after facing financial losses. It will continue to provide Medicaid coverage in the west and the northeast.
Read the full storyDow Passes 29,000 for First Time in History Despite Jobs Report
The Dow Jones passed the 29,000 mark for the first time in history during early trading Friday following a record high opening of S&P.
Read the full storyTrump Administration Tells Supreme Court Not to Fast-Track Obamacare Challenge
The Trump administration told the Supreme Court there is no reason to fast-track its consideration of two petitions seeking review of a lower court decision that struck down the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.
Read the full storyJudge Rules Private Company’s Planned Border Wall in Texas Can Proceed
According to Fox News, “a federal judge lifted a temporary restraining order against a project to build a privately funded border wall next to the Rio Grande.” The judge also denied a separate request for a restraining order in a separate lawsuit filed by the National Butterfly Center against the builders.
Read the full storyDemocrat Who Spent Time in Federal Prison Wants Jim Cooper’s Congressional Seat
Nashville public defender Keeda Haynes — who also served time in federal prison — will challenge U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) for his seat in Congress.
Read the full storyDetroit Overtaxed Homeowners by $600 Million Due to Delayed Property Reevaluations
Detroit overtaxed homeowners more than $600 million because it didn’t reevaluate property values after the Great Recession until 2017.
Read the full story