Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Wilson County, Tennessee Mayor Randall Hutto to the newsmakers line to discuss his background and answer the rumors of him being an establishment Republican.
Read the full storyMonth: March 2022
Crom’s Crommentary: ‘We’re Getting Very Close to the Point Where the Left Is Totally Absurd in Their Worldview’
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.
Read the full storyCommentary: Sweden—Once Mocked for Its COVID Strategy—Now Has One of the Lowest COVID Mortality Rates in Europe
Early in the coronavirus pandemic, I asked a simple question. Could Sweden’s laissez-faire approach to the coronavirus actually work?
Unlike its European neighbors and virtually all US states, the Swedes had opted to not shut down the economy. The country of 10 million people took what was at first described as “a lighter touch.”
Read the full storyGovernor Evers Approves $10 Million to Improve Maritime Infrastructure
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday approved $10 million in funding for infrastructure improvements at ports and harbors across the state.
In collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), the money seeks to encourage economic development.
Read the full storyIndependent Map Makers Get Orders from Ohio Redistricting Commission
Two independent map makers could have a first draft of state legislative maps to the Ohio Redistricting Commission by Thursday night, a day after getting their instructions.
The commission faces a Monday deadline to have new maps on the desk of Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who must have the maps to the Ohio Supreme Court by 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Read the full storyMichigan Judge Tosses Zuckerbucks Lawsuit over 2020 Election Funding
A Michigan judge has tossed a lawsuit alleging Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson illegally accepted private money to swing the 2020 presidential election in favor of President Joe Biden.
First filed in October 2020, the litigation claimed that then-Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg swung the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden by awarding millions of dollars to local governments in Democrat strongholds via his Chicago-based nonprofit the Center for Technology & Civic Life.
Read the full storyMore Than 1,000 Pennsylvania Workers Quit AFSCME Union in 2021
Pennsylvania public-sector unions cannot compel state workers to join a union, and many workers have exercised their right to leave in recent months.
Over a nine-month period in 2021, almost 1,200 workers left AFSCME Local 13, which represents state and local government workers in Pennsylvania, according to public records obtained by the Freedom Foundation, a group that educates workers about their right to leave government unions.
Read the full storyNew Legislation Targets Organized Retail Crime in Minnesota
A new piece of legislation proposed in the Minnesota State Legislature seeks to deter organized retail crime throughout the state.
S.F. 3487, introduced by Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), would establish a legal statute for the crime and details various levels of penalties.
Read the full storyConnecticut Bills Call for New Mental Health Treatment Techniques
Using psychedelics to treat mental health disorders is the focus of a bill that passed out of the Public Health Committee, Senate Democrats said.
House Bill 5396, which addresses access to mental and behavioral health services and medications, moved out of committee on Monday. The bills are sponsored by state Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, who serves a vice chairman of the committee.
House Bill 5275 also moved out of the committee; it addresses step therapy and prescription drugs for mental and behavioral health issues.
Read the full storyMiyares Chairs New PAC Aimed at Electing Conservative Prosecutors
Attorney General Jason Miyares is the honorary chairman of new PAC Protecting Americans Action Fund (PAAF), which is focused on supporting conservative prosecutors in races across the U.S. The new PAC is operated by GOPAC.
“As we thought about how we continue to have an impact and what at our core is making sure Americans have personal and economic security, because that’s the basis of American success, Americans having personal and economic security, there was a big area missing,” GOPAC Chairman David Avella said in a Thursday press conference. “That was making sure that we had prosecuting attorneys who are willing to enforce the law.
Read the full storyGeorgia Plans to Use Tax Dollars to Upgrade State-Owned Rail Lines
Georgia plans to spend about $10 million to upgrade state-owned rail lines to Class II standards, which officials said would better integrate the lines with the national rail network and allow faster speeds.
The funding is included in the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget Georgia lawmakers are considering. However, the funding isn’t enough for the state to completely overhaul the lines, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) spokesperson Natalie Dale told The Center Square.
Read the full storyArizona Legislature Approves Bill Vetting All Voters for Citizenship Before They Can Cast a Ballot
Arizona lawmakers approved new voter safeguards that supporters said will ensure only U.S. citizens can cast ballots.
A unanimous Republican caucus approved House Bill 2492 in the Senate, sending the legislation to Gov. Doug Ducey for consideration.
Read the full storyCommentary: America’s Domestic Politics Hampers Ability to End Ukraine War
In my past role as founder and CEO of Varsity Brands, I came across every old business adage in the book. Some were cheesy, some were over simplified, but many had wisdom as their foundation. One such phrase that’s commonly used is, and with which I struggled because of my compassion for my employees, is, “Don’t bring your problems from home into the office with you.”
There is a variation of that phrase that should be introduced to our political leaders in Washington, albeit a bit too late. Their version of the “leave it at the doorstep” rule needs to be, “Leave your domestic political problems at your shores when conducting foreign policy.”
Read the full storyFlorida Census Data Shows Trump Counties Gained 224,000 Residents While Biden Counties Lost Population
The most recent U.S. Census data release shows that Florida counties that voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential election gained 224,336 residents from July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021, while Florida counties that voted for Biden lost 13,140.
Late last year the U.S. Census reported that the largest net domestic migration gains from 2020 to 2021 occurred in Florida (220,890), Texas (170,307) and Arizona (93,026). The largest domestic migration losses were in California (-367,299), New York (-352,185) and Illinois (-122,460).
The latest U.S. Census report, released March 24, analyzed the population dynamics in each of the 3,143 U.S. counties.
The report shows that Florida (2) and Texas (5) have seven of the 10 counties in the U.S. with the greatest numeric growth in population.
An analysis of Florida counties reveal that 58 counties had population growth while, nine had population declines.
Read the full storyFlorida Judge Expected to Uphold Pro-Life Law
A Leon County, Fla. circuit judge, Angela Dempsey, is expected to uphold a 2015 Florida law requiring women seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours before going through the procedure. Dempsey indicated her decision earlier this week on Wednesday.
The order would be another indicator of a trend, nationally, of pro-life judicial and legislative victories. Even in predominately left-leaning states like Connecticut, its first ever March for Life garnered thousands of attendants.
Read the full storyMiami Herald Faces Backlash from Governor’s Office for False DeSantis Story
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office is hitting back after a newspaper article wrongly said that he had been disinvited from an event over his stances on immigration.
“Investment conference in Miami cancels DeSantis’ speech over ‘anti-immigrant’ views,” said a Thursday evening headline in The Miami Herald.
Read the full storyCommentary: Washington Doesn’t Want Peace in Ukraine
The United States is now overwhelmed with propaganda pushing for Americans to “stand with Ukraine” in its war with Russia. It is not enough to wish the people of Ukraine well. The media, Big Tech, and both political parties have made being a partisan of Ukraine some kind of moral duty. Those refusing to get swept up in anti-Russian hysteria can expect to be condemned as traitors and agents of Vladimir Putin.
Read the full storyUkrainian Refugees Find a Path into the U.S. via the Mexican Border
Thousands of Ukrainians and Russians who have fled the war and sanctions in their home countries are increasingly entering the United States via the southern border, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Read the full storyJanet Yellen Defends Sustainable Investing Craze That’s Trying to End U.S. Oil and Gas Drilling
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defended sustainable investing practices and climate change policies that have negatively impacted U.S. oil and gas drilling in an interview Friday.
“I don’t think that the ESG movement and the emphasis on climate change is creating the problems that we have,” Yellen told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday morning when asked if investors need to rethink their stance on fossil fuels. “If anything, the problem is that we haven’t moved as rapidly as we should have.”
Read the full storyJobless Claims Fall to Lowest Level in over 50 Years
The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 187,000 in the week ending March 19, the lowest level in over 50 years, the Department of Labor announced Thursday.
The Labor Department’s figure showed a decrease of 28,000 compared to the week ending March 12, when new claims numbered 215,000, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This week’s claims were well below the predictions of economists surveyed by Bloomberg, who estimated that new claims would total 210,000.
Read the full storyRedistricting: Governor Petitions Wisconsin Supreme Court to Accept SCOTUS Invite
Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the U.S. Supreme Court’s invitation to accept more evidence if it wishes to reconsider his state legislative maps.
The nation’s highest court on Wednesday reversed and remanded the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s March 3 decision to adopt Evers’ proposal, calling the first-term Democrat’s maps a racial gerrymander that violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
Read the full story‘Reducing Europe’s Dependency’: Biden Strikes Deal to Boost Gas Exports to Europe
President Joe Biden and his European counterparts struck a deal Friday to send more U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the European Union amid the ongoing global supply crunch.
The U.S. and European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, will form a joint task force with representation from both sides under the deal announced by Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Friday. The task force will seek to increase energy security for the EU and Ukraine in the run-up to next winter and the following winter while working to end European dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
Read the full storyMinnesota Hospitality Industry Lost $15 Billion During COVID Pandemic
The hospitality industry in Minnesota is projected to have lost $15 billion over the course of the COVID pandemic.
Results from a new survey — conducted by Hospitality Minnesota, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and Explore Minnesota Tourism — show that COVID lockdowns and restrictions played a role in reducing hospitality revenue “by an equivalent of up to 249 days.”
Read the full storyThe Biden Administration’s Ties to Ukraine Go Deeper Than Hunter and Burisma
A senior Biden administration official handling global energy policy recently held a high-level position at a Ukrainian state-run natural gas firm but resigned citing corruption.
Amos Hochstein, who President Joe Biden appointed to be the State Department’s top adviser for energy security over the summer of 2021, was a member of the energy company Naftogaz’s supervisory board. Hochstein took the position in 2017 after he said government officials persuaded him to accept the offer.
Read the full storyTennessee Bill Would Excuse Teachers from Using Students’ Gender Pronouns
A bill making its way through the Tennessee General Assembly would protect teachers who do not use specific gender pronouns preferred by their students.
SB 2777 “specifies that a teacher or other employee of a public school or [Local Education Association] is not required to refer to a student using the student’s preferred pronoun if the pronoun does not align with the student’s biological sex” and “insulates a teacher or other employee of a public school or LEA from civil liability and adverse employment action for referring to a student using the pronoun aligned with the student’s biological sex instead of the student’s preferred pronoun.”
Read the full storyTrump Suing Hillary Clinton, DNC over ‘Russia Collusion’ Narrative
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday sued former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several other Democrats on the grounds that they attempted to rig the 2016 presidential election by creating a false narrative that tied his campaign to Russia.
“President Trump is going on offense. He’s naming names,” Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington told “Just the News – Not Noise” hours after the lawsuit was first announced.
Read the full storyTennessee Becomes First State to Welcome, Assist Sick Ukrainian Children
Tennessee became the first state to welcome young Ukrainian hospital patients on Tuesday, as four children and their families arrived at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
The children, who are suffering from pediatric cancer, will receive treatment and “psychosocial therapy to address psychological, social, emotional and cultural needs.”
Read the full storyFayette, Hamblen, and Roane Counties Set to Hold Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection Service This Saturday
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) mobile household hazardous waste collection service will be in Fayette, Hamblen, and Roane counties this Saturday, March 26th, according to the department.
Read the full storyState Representative Dennis Powers Details HB2639 Regulating Big Tech Censorship
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Tennessee State Representative Dennis Powers to the newsmakers line to explain in further detail HB2639 and the regulation of Big Tech.
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist Roger Simon Comments on the New York Times’ Late Hunter Laptop Admission and Bill Barr’s Memoir
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Roger Simon in studio to discuss The New York Times sudden reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop, and the memoir of former Attorney General Bill Barr.
Read the full storyGeneral Assembly Three-Year Residency Requirement Legislation for Federal Candidates in Primaries on March 28 House Message Calendar
Tennessee legislation establishing three-year residency requirements for candidates in federal primaries is on the House message calendar for floor consideration on Monday, March 28.
According to Tennessee state House staff, the House message calendar is for bills that went over to the Senate, were non-concurred, and came back.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Real ‘Reset’ Is Coming
Joe Biden believes the Ukraine war will mark the start of a “new world order.”
In the middle of the COVID global pandemic, Klaus Schwab and global elites likewise announced a “Great Reset.”
Read the full storyGOP Majority Missouri Senate Passes Redistricting Plan Pushed by RINOs
The Missouri State Senate has passed a redistricting plan that keeps the current partisan makeup of the state’s eight congressional districts.
The current Missouri delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives consists of six Republicans and two Democrats.
Read the full storyTennessee Department of Transportation Partners with Nonprofits to Establish Network of Litter Removal Devices to Clean the Tennessee River
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has teamed up with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB) and other partners to “establish a network of Seabin automated litter and debris removal devices across the Tennessee River watershed,” according to a press release by the department.
Read the full storyFormer Williamson County GOP Chair Omar Hamada Endorses Andy Ogles for TN-5
Former Williamson County Republican Chair Omar Hamada has endorsed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the GOP primary for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district seat.
Hamada had previously considered running for TN-5 himself, but had declared that he would not run if Ogles jumped in. Hamada told The Tennessee Star prior to Ogles’ official announcement that he was against running if Ogles ran because in his view, he did not want to split the conservative vote. “Basically, I think we are the old two true solid conservatives and I don’t want to split the vote and have a moderate win.”
Read the full storyWashington State School District Adopts Race-Based Student Discipline Policy
A Washington State school board has adopted a revised “culturally responsive” student discipline policy that weighs a student’s race before deciding on consequences for inappropriate behavior.
Conservative radio host Jason Rantz reported at MyNorthwest this week the Clover Park School Board adopted the new policy by a vote of 3-2 after contentious debate.
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist Clint Brewer on Who Will Take Over the U.S. House of Representatives
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in studio to discuss the talking points of both Democrats and Republicans in the race to take over the U.S. House.
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist Clint Brewer Reviews Tennessee’s 5th District Race Candidate Roster
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in studio to review the candidate lineup for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional race.
Read the full storyNewsGuard Still Gives Perfect Credibility Ratings to News Orgs That Spread Misinformation About Biden Laptop
Self-appointed news media truth arbiter NewsGuard has not downgraded any mainstream press organization’s trust rating, despite several of those outlets labeling the now-infamous Hunter Biden laptop story “disinformation” just before the 2020 election.
The Washington Post, USA Today and Politico were among the outlets to dismiss the story as possible disinformation, according to the Media Research Center.
Read the full storyConnecticut Senate Votes to Expand Absentee Voting
Connecticut’s Democrat-controlled Senate this week sent sent legislation to expand absentee voting to Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) desk.
The bill stops short of total no-excuse absentee voting—which the Connecticut Constitution prohibits—but significantly broadens the categories of those permitted to mail in their ballots. Not only will eligibility apply to those who are ill, disabled or serving actively in the Armed Forces, but it will also include those who are absent “from the town of such elector’s or person’s voting residence; [during all of the hours of voting].” (This component largely pertains to the many state residents who work in New York City.)
Read the full storyOhio Utility Lobbying Congress to Keep Russian Uranium Flowing for Nuclear Energy
After years of corrupt dealings between the Clinton family, the Biden family, and the administration of former President Barack Obama, all of which contributed to Russia’s near-total monopoly on uranium, one Ohio utility company needs to keep that Uranium flowing for its nuclear energy production.
The National Energy Institute (NEI), a trade group of U.S. nuclear power generation companies including Duke Energy Corp … and Exelon Corp … is lobbying the White House to keep the exemption on uranium imports from Russia, the sources said, according to a report in Reuters.
Read the full storyConnecticut Pro-Life Leader Whose Mother Chose Life: ‘The Place That Could Have Been My Graveyard Is Now My Battleground’
Pro-life leader Christina Bennett told the crowd rallying at Connecticut’s first-ever March for Life event Wednesday that, in 1981, she was minutes away from being aborted in Hartford, Connecticut, when a janitor urged her mother to reconsider her decision, and her mother ended up choosing life.
Bennett received resounding cheers when she said of Hartford, “The place that could have been my graveyard is now my battleground.”
Read the full storyMontgomery County, Pennsylvania Denies That Ballot Harvesting Occurred
A Montgomery County, Pennsylvania administrator this week responded to the local Republican Party’s allegations of “ballot harvesting,” insisting that video surveillance does not show that it occurred.
As The Pennsylvania Daily Star reported, Montgomery County Republican Committee (MCRC) Chair Liz Preate Havey addressed the county Board of Commissioners last Thursday regarding numerous election-integrity concerns. She mentioned video footage of a woman depositing handfuls of ballots into a drop box in Upper Dublin Township in the run-up to the 2021 general election. Such drop boxes have been in use in Pennsylvania for absentee-ballot delivery since 2020.
Read the full storyFlorida Cabinet Considering Purchasing More Conservation Land
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the rest of the Florida Cabinet are considering purchasing up to $40 million worth of land deals for conservation purposes. The cabinet consists of Florida’s statewide executive officials: Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D), and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (R).
Read the full storyMichigan Gov. Whitmer, Lawmakers Strike $4.8 Billion Spending Deal for Water, Broadband, Housing
Michigan lawmakers struck a $4.8 billion spending deal later than 10 p.m. on Wednesday with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“These are tough times for families, small businesses, and communities, and this bipartisan supplemental will help grow our economy, create jobs, and invest in every region of our state,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I look forward to signing this supplemental when it reaches my desk and continuing in this spirit of collaboration to pass another balanced, bipartisan budget that delivers on the kitchen-table issues.”
Read the full storyState Sen. Townsend Subpoenas Maricopa County Supervisors to Testify Why County Is Obstructing Attorney General Brnovich’s 2020 Election Investigation
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has been investigating the results of the Arizona Senate’s independent audit of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County but, similar to what the Arizona Senate experienced previously, has been thwarted by the Maricopa County Supervisors’ (BOS) refusal to turn over evidence. Due to the obstruction, State Senator Kelly Townsend (R-Apache Junction), issued a legislative subpoena to the BOS demanding their testimony on Monday, to explain their reasons for delaying the production of documents, and what they intend to do to rectify the situation.
Townsend stated, “Throughout this process, we have been dismayed at the level of obstruction, obfuscation, malfeasance and nonfeasance seen throughout the inquiry. The claim that there is not a ‘shred of evidence’ regarding irregularities in the election is patently false, but hard not to believe by the general public when so much is being hidden from their view.”
Read the full storyYoungkin Calls for Special Session to Begin April 4, Pressures Budget Negotiators with $150,000 March Madness TV Ad
Governor Glenn Youngkin is calling the General Assembly to convene for a special session on April 4 to finish work on the budget and other bills that were carried over at the end of the recent session. “Today I am calling back lawmakers to Richmond to finish their work. Between high gas prices and rising inflation, Virginians are more squeezed than ever and the General Assembly can deliver much needed tax relief to struggling Virginia families,” Youngkin said in a press release. “Together, we can produce the biggest tax cut in the history of the Commonwealth at a time when Virginians need it the most and also make record investments in our education, law enforcement and behavioral health system, among other important priorities. Let’s get back to work.” When the General Assembly adjourned two weeks ago, there was a divide between House Republicans who supported Youngkin’s priority on tax relief, and Senate Democrats who included some pared-back tax relief proposals amid concerns that Virginia’s current strong financial situation might not last. Youngkin has spent the time publicly calling for a gas tax holiday and continuing to push for his other tax relief measures, while money legislators from both chambers have…
Read the full storyGeorgia Lt. Gov. Duncan’s Advocacy Group Launches Anti-Trump Ad Ahead of Former President’s Saturday Rally
Just days before former President Donald Trump is slated to hold a rally in Georgia, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) launched a statewide ad bashing the Trump and the direction of the GOP.
“Inflation at a 40-year high, open borders, national security threats – but some politicians would rather talk about conspiracy theories and past losses, letting liberal extremists take us in the wrong direction, a mistake our country simply can’t afford,” the ad begins.
Read the full storySt. Paul Refuses to Drop Mask Mandate for Students
St. Paul Public Schools voted this week against a resolution that would make masks optional for students and faculty.
St. Paul is one of a few school districts in the state to still have a mask mandate in place — Minneapolis Public Schools is another district that has yet to drop its mandate. Nationally, liberal strongholds like New York City and Portland have dropped their mask mandates for schools.
Read the full storyBiden Demands Mehmet Oz, Herschel Walker Resign from Presidential Council
President Joe Biden has demanded the resignation of Dr. Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker, appointees from former President Donald Trump and candidates for the U.S. Senate, from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
If either of the individuals refuses to resign, the letter threatens termination. However, despite the threat, both candidates have pledged to not back down.
Read the full story