Day: February 5, 2022

A petition asking President Joe Biden to appoint Dr. Carol Swain, an accomplished professor of law and Yale University graduate, to be the next Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court has reached over 1,000 signatures in just one week.

“We, the undersigned, respectfully suggest – and fully support – Carol M. Swain, PhD as your nominee to serve as the next Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court,” the petition says.

Democratic-Led House Passes China Competition Bill with Funding for Chipmakers

The House passed a China competition bill on Friday intended to improve the country’s ability to produce semiconductors and make the nation less reliant on China.

White House Defends Spending as Federal Debt Tops $30 Trillion

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 RealClearWire

The national debt hit another milestone this week, and experts are warning that continuing to increase federal spending will have dangerous consequences.

The federal national debt has now topped $30 trillion, marking a sharp rise since 2001, when it was about $5 trillion. The federal government surpassed $20 trillion in debt less than five years ago.

Commentary: Big Tech Has Been Destroying Local News

close-up of a newspaper showing the "Classified" section

It’s no secret that local newspapers have been dying. Since 2004, the United States has lost a quarter of its newspapers — 70 dailies and over 2,000 weeklies. This has been devastating for communities across the country who depend on these newspapers to stay informed and engaged. There are many factors causing this decline, but one of the main culprits, especially as of late, has been Big Tech.

There’s a term to describe the actions of massive corporations manipulating the levers of state power to dominate their markets and pad their bottom lines at the expense of others. It’s crony capitalism. Under this system, crony capitalists flood Washington, DC with campaign contributions, pay-to-play experts, and legions of lobbyists to shape the laws and regulations that govern their industries.

Sound familiar? If you have observed Big Tech’s movements within the halls of power in our nation’s capital over the past decade, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s said that if you whisper “Section 230” to yourself three times while walking through the Capitol, a Big Tech-funded lobbyist will suddenly appear to explain why changing even one word in the arcane law might trigger the apocalypse.

Hillsdale College’s Assistant Vice Provost Kathleen O’Toole Discusses Barney Charter School Initiative Coming to Three Counties in Tennessee

February 5, 2022February 7, 2022 Julie Carr

Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Hillsdale College’s Assistant Vice Provost, Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, to the newsmaker line to explain the implementation of Barney Charter Schools making their way to three Tennessee counties.

Judge Lets Convicted Hunter Biden Business Partner Freely Roam Globe While Awaiting Sentencing

February 5, 2022February 7, 2022 Julie Carr

From Paul Manafort to the Jan. 6 defendants, federal prosecutors and courts routinely seize passports and impose travel restrictions on those charged with or convicted of crimes to eliminate any flight risk.

Caller Carl Weighs in on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Future, Olympic Comments, and the NFL Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed regular listener and caller Carl to the newsmakers line to weigh in on the fate of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, her Olympic statements, and the NFL racial discrimination lawsuit.

Three Republican Senators to Watch as Another Supreme Court Confirmation Approaches

For the first time since then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lowered the threshold to confirm a Supreme Court nominee from 60 votes to a simple majority, Democrats have a Senate majority.

Despite Democrats’ advantage being as slim as it can be in the 50-50 split chamber, their majority means that there is little Republicans can do to block anybody whom President Joe Biden nominates, assuming his party votes unanimously to confirm. Biden has also vowed to nominate a black woman, meaning his pick will likely be the first to ever serve on the Supreme Court.

Biden Admin Admits It Does Not Know How Many Illegals Have Been Deported

The Biden Administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) admitted in a recent letter that it has not been keeping track of the number of illegal aliens who have been deported after initially being released into the country.

As reported by Breitbart, the DHS on Biden’s watch has reinstated the controversial open-borders policy of “Catch and Release,” where illegals who are apprehended at the border are promptly released into the nation’s interior. Over the last year, this practice has seen at least one million illegals released into the country after initially being detained.

16 University of Pennsylvania Swimmers Say Trans Teammate Should Not Be Allowed to Compete

February 5, 2022February 7, 2022 Julie Carr

Sixteen women on the University of Pennsylvania swim team said their transgender teammate, Lia Thomas, should not be allowed to compete in the women’s category, The Washington Post reported.

The teammates sent a letter to the university and to Ivy League officials asking that they not take legal action against new NCAA rules which would block Thomas from competing in the 2022 championships, according to the Post. The women said they supported Thomas’s decision to live as a transgender woman, but they say “the biology of sex is a separate issue from someone’s gender identity.”

Crom’s Crommentary: The Continuous Grift of the Biden Administration and the Federal Government

Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary, where he lays out examples of the continuous grift of the federal government.

Freedom Convoy Switches to CloutHub After GoFundMe Ban

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Eric Burk

After GoFundMe banned Canada’s Freedom Convoy of truckers from using its service, CloutHub has stepped in to fill the void.

“There is no more important movement for freedom across the American continent right now than the Freedom Convoy 2022,” CloutHub founder Jeff Brain said in a press release. “We are proud to support the Canadian Truckers and will help support the other Trucker movements popping up around the world to fight against unlawful mandates. CloutHub is where the world connects and organizes to take on the issues they care about, including defending liberty and freedom.”

Richmond City Democratic Committee Votes to Censure Sen. Morrissey

The Richmond City Democratic Committee voted Thursday to censure Senator Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond) over threats Morrissey made to Petersburg NAACP President Lafayette Jefferson.

RCDC member Jimmie Lee Jarvis made the motion to censure the senator. “I was very upset to read, and then hear, Sen. Morrissey’s appalling and repeated threats of violence against a constituent, Mr. Jefferson,” Jarvis said according to The Virginia Scope.

Georgia Legislators Set to Discuss New Election Reform Bill Regarding Ballot Inspection

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Chris Butler

A new bill making its way through the Georgia General Assembly would, if enacted into law, remove provisions that keep election ballots and other election documents under seal — but only under certain conditions. The main sponsor, Representative Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) did not return The Georgia Star News’ requests for comment Friday.

Virginia Attorney General Miyares: Loudoun County School’s Trespassing Threat for Ignoring Mask Rules ‘Astonishing’

Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares joined radio host Jeff Katz of The Jeff Katz Show on WRVA, where he expressed his dismay about Loudoun County Public Schools’ (LCPS) current mask mandate policy.

“I’ve gotta admit, that was a pretty astonishing even coming from the Loudoun County administrators,” Miyares said.

Gwinnett County School Board Chair Has History of TikTok Critical Race Theory Activism

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Grant Holcomb

The chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) School Board has a long history of using Critical Race Theory (CRT) talking points on her TikTok page.

“I want to first acknowledge the land of the indigenous people,” Dr. Tarese Johnson said in a TikTok video last October. “I want to say to you all that Gwinnett County is the land of the Muskogee Creek and the [inaudible] Cherokee people.”

Florida State Senate Approves Memorial to Increase National Guard Personnel

Currently operating under personnel totals appropriate to Florida’s population in 1958, a memorial passed by the Florida Senate would ask the federal government to consider increasing the size of the Florida National Guard.

SM 826 sponsored by State Sen. Tom Wright (R-FL-14) would “impel the United States National Guard Bureau to examine the resource allocations of the Florida National Guard and allow an increase in its force structure.”

DeSantis Proposes $100 Million for Cancer Research

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Grant Holcomb

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has announced recommendations for Florida to invest $100 million in cancer research. However, Florida lawmakers have proposed healthcare budgets that do not meet the $100 million threshold.

Petition to Ban Ohio Vaccination Mandates Turned Away for Third Time

Another attempt by a grassroots group to create an Ohio law that would ban vaccination mandates was turned away by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Yost rejected the summary of a petition for the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act, a proposed statue that would require the state to protect the privacy and freedom of Ohioans to abstain from vaccinations or gene therapy without being discriminated against.

Club for Growth Endorses Blake Masters in Arizona U.S. Senate Race

Arizona Republican Blake Masters picked up an endorsement on Thursday from the Club for Growth PAC, an outside group that supports conservatives in key elections across the country.

The support from the group will likely provide Masters outside funding in an attempt to defeat his GOP contender and, potentially, Democrat Senator Mark Kelly.

Flint Schools Gave $22,500 COVID Bonuses Before Shifting Indefinitely to Remote Learning

Flint Public School staff members got a $22,500 COVID bonus with federal money intended “to safely reopen” schools before the school in January shifted indefinitely to online learning, citing COVID.

The move forced more than 3,500 students – a majority of them Black kids – back into virtual learning, despite bleak past results and at least $99 million of federal money the U.S. Department of Education expressly designated “to reopen K-12 schools safely.”

Wisconsin Republicans Look at Constitutional Ban on Zuckerbucks

February 5, 2022February 8, 2022 Hayley Feland

The latest attempt to close one of the loopholes from the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin would use the state’s constitution.

Rep. Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, is proposing a constitutional amendment that would ban private donations for election operations in the state.

Minnesota Democratic Politicians Respond to Death of Amir Locke

Several Minnesota officials have responded to the death of Amir Locke at the hands of Minneapolis Police earlier this week. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, “Amir Locke’s life mattered. He was only 22 years old and had his whole life ahead of him. His family and friends must now live the rest of their lives without him.”

Governor Kemp Announces $5.6 Million in Grants for Law Enforcement Training Program

February 5, 2022February 4, 2022 Eric Burk

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Friday announced new grants for training for law enforcement officers, totaling more than $5 million.

The grants were dished out to state and local law enforcement agencies across Georgia, with the highest individual award, totaling approximately $1 million, given to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.

Delegate Cordoza Says He Was Denied Entry to Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Showing Caucus Not About Being Black, but Being Leftist

Freshman Delegate A.C. Cordoza (R-Hampton) said in a Thursday speech in the House of Delegates that the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC) wouldn’t allow him to join due to political differences, but VLBC Chair Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico) told The Virginia Star that it was due to concern over Cordoza’s motives.

“When I came to this assembly, I expected to be welcomed with open arms by my brothers and sisters in the Legislative Black Caucus. Instead, I was rejected by a vote. While I’m sure a few of my brothers and sisters voted for me to join them, the majority did not,” Cordoza said in his speech. “This was disheartening but not shocking. The questionnaire for entry had little to do with being black, and had more to do with being leftist.”

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Vetoes Bill to Ban Critical Race Theory

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Friday vetoed a bill passed by the Wisconsin state legislature that would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools in the state.

In his reasoning for rejecting the potential law, the Democrat called the measure “censorship.”

Michigan Senator Jim Runestad Questions Whitmer’s Donation to Democrat Causes with Excess Campaign Funds