Day: May 28, 2021

Tennessee Lawmakers Drafting Legislation to Prevent Traffickers, Cartels from Taking Migrant Children Under Guise of Sponsorship

Corinne Murdock

Tennessee legislators will draft legislation to increase transparency and establish protective measures for the sponsorship of unaccompanied migrant children. The federal government says that sponsors are “almost always a parent or close relative” – but that’s not always the case. Lawmakers’ urgency to increase transparency and establish protective measures for sponsorship heightened after it was revealed that Governor Bill Lee’s administration has continued licensing for a Chattanooga shelter without apparent provisions in place to protect the housed migrant children from traffickers and cartels. 

The Chattanooga shelter is run by the Baptiste Group, a Georgia-based national group that provides emergency shelter services for unaccompanied migrant children – usually for up to 30 days, excepting complications. Last May, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families contracted with the Baptiste Group for a conditional Residential Child Care Agency License in Chattanooga. The three-year contract, set to expire last August, anticipated nearly $7.5 million in costs to house up to 100 children.

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Carol Swain Commentary: Critical Race Theory Is a Cancer on Our Educational System

Admin

Critical race theory is the civil rights issue of our time. It eats away at our public, private, and Christian academies with its cancerous messages about white privilege, minority disadvantage, and perennial racism. Hardly a day goes by that I do not hear from parents and teachers about yet another school system where the cancerous roots of critical race theory have taken hold or begun to appear under the guise of “culturally competent teaching and learning” or “educational equity.” No matter what they call it, they cannot hide its poisonous effects. 

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Tennessee’s First Conservative Female Mentorship Group Launched Through United Women of Tennessee

Corinne Murdock

The United Women of Tennessee (UWTN) is gaining traction as a novel mentorship program for young conservative women statewide. UWTN started off with a bang: their first guest speaker was Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who discussed her book “The Mind of a Conservative Women.”

In an interview with The Tennessee Star, UWTN Founder Gloria Giorno explained that she couldn’t find groups connecting and empowering young women with conservative-leaning older women, opportunities, and education. Giorno said her goal is to show them that conservative women are educated and successful mothers, daughters, sisters, Christians who are able to work and have a family life, if they so choose. 

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Increased Number of Migrants from India and Haiti Attempting to Cross into the U.S.

Admin

An increasing number of migrants from India, Romania, Haiti and Cuba are attempting to enter the U.S. through the southern border, Axios reported Wednesday.

Migrants are reportedly flying to Central America since U.S. courts are backlogged with asylum cases preventing them from living or working in the country as their case is processed, according to Axios. Border officials encountered over 33,000 migrants from countries other than Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador attempting to enter the U.S. in April, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

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Jobless Claims Drop to 406,000, Yet Another Pandemic Low

Admin

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 406,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending May 15, when 444,000 new jobless claims were reported. Economists expected Thursday’s jobless claims number to come in at 425,000, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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Just Six Percent of Small Businesses Have Fully Recovered Pandemic Losses, Poll Shows

Admin

Just 6% of small businesses that were negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic have fully recovered their losses, a Job Creators Network survey showed.

The vast majority of U.S. small business owners continue to “claw their way out” of the hole caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the poll commissioned by small business advocacy group Job Creators Network (JCN) and shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. While 6% of small business owners that suffered losses related to the pandemic said they have recovered, 43% believed they would be fully recovered within six months.

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Commentary: The Real Significance of the Arizona Audit

Admin

A lot of people on both sides of the political aisle seem to be missing the whole point of the ongoing election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona.  

This process isn’t about “proving” fraud or overturning an election. Rather, it’s about determining what, if anything, went wrong with the election process in 2020 and providing a road map for further investigation. In other words, it’s about determining the right questions to ask as we work to restore confidence in our electoral process. 

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Commentary: New National ‘Report Card’ Shows Public Schools Are Failing in One Huge Way

Admin

Students often face punishment from parents when they get a bad report card. But what happens when our school system gets one?

The latest national “report card” is out, and it shows that our schools are failing Americans when it comes to science education. These most recent data come from the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment. 

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Conservative Group Sues Chicago Mayor for Racial Discrimination

Cooper Moran

Judicial Watch, a conservative legal foundation, joined The Daily Caller Foundation in a racial discrimination lawsuit against Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The lawsuit claims Lightfoot, a Democrat, refused his interview simply because he was a white reporter.

The lawsuit follows the Chicago mayor’s decision to only provide interviews to “black and brown journalists.” In a letter released defending the decision, Lightfoot claims she is protesting the “whiteness” of the journalism industry.

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Senators Blackburn and Hagerty Introduce Migrant Resettlement Transparency Act

Cooper Moran

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined Congressman Chuck Fleischmann in introducing the Migrant Resettlement Transparency Act.

If enacted, the legislation would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to consult with state and local officials regarding federally sanctioned migrant resettlement before the migrants are relocated to the specific area.

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At the Brink of Hurricane Season, Florida Insurance Companies Expect to Cancel over 50,000 Policies

Casey Owens

Less than a week from the start of hurricane season, an estimated 53,205 homeowners insurance policyholders in Florida will have their policies cancelled or nonrenewed after approval by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.

The Florida regulator approved Office of Insurance Regulation consent orders for three Florida-based insurance companies: Universal Insurance Co. of North America (UICNA), Southern Fidelity Insurance Co., and Gulfstream Property and Casualty.

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Trump’s Spiritual Advisor Criticizes Biden Policies

Cooper Moran

Paula White, President Trump’s spiritual advisor, took aim at President Joe Biden’s policies since taking office.

In an interview with Dr. Gina Loudon on the Real America’s Voice news network on Wednesday, Pastor White criticized the Biden Administration for enacting policies that are “totally out of alignment” with the Christian faith. Specifically, White pointed to Biden’s attempts to undo much of the progress made by the Trump administration in efforts to protect religious freedom and the right to life.

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Roundup: Democratic Lieutenant Governor Candidates Debate, Gubernatorial Candidates Spent Nearly $5.6 Million on TV/Radio

Eric Burk

The last day of voting in the Democratic primary is June 8, a week and a half away, but 53,562 people have already voted, exceeding total 2017 turnout of 35,390, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. As the final days of the campaigns approach, gubernatorial and attorney general candidates have had plenty of opportunities to define their public image. However, the six remaining candidates for the Democratic lieutenant governor nomination haven’t had as much time in the spotlight. On Tuesday, the candidates met for a debat

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30 Shots Fired in George Floyd Square on One Year Anniversary

Hayley Feland

In the middle of a gathering at George Floyd Square on May 25, 2021 commemorating the one year anniversary of the death of black man, George Floyd, while undergoing arrest by former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, 30 shots were fired, sending one victim to the hospital. 

The gunfire erupted on live television, as seen on the ABC News live stream. A voice can be heard yelling at people to get down.

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Ohio Bill Would Prevent Gun Seizures During Emergencies

Cooper Moran

Two Ohio state legislators have introduced a bill that would prevent state and local governments from attempting to seize guns or close gun stores or ranges during declared emergencies.

When introducing the proposal, State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) and State Representative Scott Wiggam (R-Wayne County) pointed to shutdowns of gun stores in Michigan throughout the coronavirus pandemic as the source of inspiration for the bill. 

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Parents Protest Implementation of Critical Race Theory at School Board Meeting

Hayley Feland

100 parents were reportedly in attendance at a school board meeting in Lakeville, Minnesota on Tuesday to speak out against Critical Race Theory being implemented.

Two concerned parents spoke at the meeting and protested the “indoctrination” of Critical Race Theory and said that Critical Race Theory is opposed to their Christian faith. The couple, Jim and Keisha, said that they were there to speak for the “millions of black Americans who disagree with the Black Lives Matter movement.” 

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82nd House District Candidate Cries Foul over Location and Time of Firehouse Primary

Matthew Hall
Kathy Owens and Anne Marie Tata

The 82nd House of Delegates District Republicans are holding a firehouse primary, and one candidate’s leveraging of the rules has her opponent crying foul. The seat, which is currently occupied by the Republican nominee for Attorney General, Delegate Jason Miyares (R-Virginia Beach), will allow Republicans to choose between Anne Marie Tata and Kathy Owens for the next Delegate from the 82nd District.

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Virginia Politicians Call for Action to Make Sure Unemployment Benefits Don’t Keep People from Getting Jobs

Eric Burk
bluecollar

Virginia politicians are calling on Governor Ralph Northam to take steps to make sure unemployment benefits aren’t preventing potential employees from returning to work. Senate Republicans want to use American Recovery Plan funds to create “Back-to-Work” bonuses to incentivize current unemployment recipients to re-enter the workforce. Congresswoman Elaine Luria (D-Virginia-02) is calling for better enforcement of unemployment benefit eligibility rules.

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Florida Delivers Record $765 Million Budget for Teachers

Peter D'Abrosca

Working with the legislature, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) delivered a record-setting $765 million budget for teachers in the Sunshine State.

“These investments include $550 million to continue elevating minimum teacher salaries, as well as $215 million to provide all of Florida’s eligible public school principals and teachers with $1,000 disaster relief payments,” a press release from the governor’s office said.

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Poll: Charlie Crist Leads Nikki Fried in 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Poll

Grant Holcomb

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-13) leads all Florida Democrats in the 2022 gubernatorial primary in a recently released St. Pete Polls survey. In the poll, Crist came away with 55 percent of respondents, while likely candidate and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried only drew 22 percent.

Only 11 percent of voters are supporting other candidates and 12 percent are undecided.

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Biden Administration Offers No Details to The Tennessee Star About Contracts for Transporting Migrant Children into Chattanooga

Corinne Murdock

The Biden Administration didn’t give The Tennessee Star any specifics about the unaccompanied migrant children being imported into the state. They didn’t disclose which companies they contracted to transport the children.

In response to a request for specifics concerning one of several midnight flights from earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) relayed to The Star the basic objectives of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).

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