Day: May 12, 2022

TN-5 Candidate Beth Harwell Calls on Congress to Finish Trump’s Border Wall

Aaron Gulbransen

Former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives and candidate in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District Beth Harwell called on Congress to finish former President Donald Trump’s border wall.

Harwell said in a tweet, “Drugs & crime are pouring over our southern border as a result of the Biden Admin’s failed border policies. Open borders don’t work. For the safety of our border patrol agents & families, Congress must prioritize finishing Trump’s Wall & funding our law enforcement officers.”

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Federal Judge Smacks Down Starbuck’s Request for Injunction to Be Placed Back on TN-5 Ballot

Aaron Gulbransen

“On the basis of the foregoing, Starbuck’s Amended Motion for a Preliminary Injunction will be denied,” wrote District Court of the Middle District of Tennessee Chief Judge Waverly Crenshaw Judge Crenshaw as he denied Robby Starbuck’s request for an injunction which would have put him back on the ballot.

Judge Crenshaw appeared to telegraph this decision during oral arguments and the decisions points to the judge’s stated desire that the issue should be settled in state court.

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First Reading of Fiscal Year 2023 Budget and Grant Acceptances Highlight Metro Council Meeting Agenda

Aaron Gulbransen

The Metro Nashville Council agenda for the May 17 meeting is highlighted by the first reading of the budget as well as resolutions accepting grants from various agencies to address mental health, drug overdose, and tobacco issues.

The Tennessee Star previously reported that BL2022-1248, a bill on first reading, is the ordinance setting the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and is on the agenda.

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Commentary: Planned Parenthood Directs Women to Illegal Abortions

RealClearWire

Planned Parenthood is directing its patients to a service that guides women through the process of illegally importing abortion drugs into the United States. The information is communicated prominently on a landing page that links from the front page of the organization’s website. It’s all part of a broader plan by abortion activists to use the illegal trade of drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol to provide abortions in states where abortion will be banned if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

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GA-6 Republican Candidate Jake Evans Talks Meeting with Former President Trump and Receiving His Endorsement

Aaron Gulbransen

The Trump-endorsed candidate in the May 24 Republican primary for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District seat, Jake Evans, spoke with The Georgia Star News about the importance of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement and what it was like to meet with him.

“I believe firmly that the America First agenda delivered four of the best years that we’ve had in a very very long time, definitely since the Reagan era,” said Evans. “I believe in secure borders, protecting our law enforcement, less regulations, lower taxes – all of which President Trump did.”

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Wisconsin Republicans Question Governor’s Plan to Remove National Guard from Veterans Home

The Center Square

There’s finger pointing and some unanswered questions about why Wisconsin’s National Guard troops are leaving the Veterans Home at Union Grove.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, sent Gov. Tony Evers a letter Tuesday asking why the governor is sending the troops home when there continues to be a critical need for frontline workers at the facility.

“Despite the looming withdrawal of the [troops], we have seen no plan put in place to deal with the gap in critical services their departure will create,” Vos and Wanggaard wrote. “The National Guard has been providing necessary assistance to our veterans and the staff at the Veterans Home at Union Grove during this time of need.”

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Perdue Campaign Says ‘MAGA Surge Keeping Kemp Below the Threshold to Avoid a Runoff’

Aaron Gulbransen

The Trump-endorsed David Perdue for Georgia Governor campaign issued a statement on Wednesday that says Perdue is surging and Trump voters are turning out in an unprecedented way.

“Our Trump-endorsed campaign is experiencing a surge in early-voting MAGA voters that the public polls aren’t picking up. Our internal models show this MAGA surge keeping Kemp below the threshold to avoid a runoff, and our position is strengthening with each day of early voting,” said the campaign.

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Youngkin, Hogan Ask U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to Enforce Federal Law About Protesting in Front of Judge’s Residences; Federal Prosecutor Says, ‘We Are Aware of the Situation’

Eric Burk

Responding to protests in front of U.S. Supreme Court justices’ homes, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland citing U.S. code about protests to influence judges. They ask Garland to mobilize resources to help state and local law enforcement protect U.S. Supreme Court justices and enforce 18 U.S. Code Section 1507.

“Federal law prohibits picketing the home of a judge with the aim to influence the judge’s decision making process,” Youngkin and Hogan wrote, arguing that the protests are an effort to influence justices to change their minds after a draft opinion showed the Court was on the brink of reversing Roe v. Wade.

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J.D. Vance Blasts Tim Ryan over Silence Amid Harassment of Supreme Court Justices

Cooper Moran

J.D. Vance, the Republican nominee to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate, blasted his Democratic counterpart over his silence on the harassment of members of the Supreme Court by pro-abortion groups.

Since the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court that signaled the group supports overturning Roe v. Wade, protesters have flocked the homes of the Justices.

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National Pro-Life and Faith Organizations Endorse Kathy Barnette for Republican Nomination for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania

Susan Berry, PhD

The national pro-life organization the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and faith-based group CatholicVote have endorsed Kathy Barnette for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

“We are excited to endorse Kathy Barnette for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA List, in a statement. “Kathy is a courageous advocate for life who exposes the human cost of abortion. Her deeply compelling personal story ought to stir consciences across our nation, as she is proof that every child has dignity and deserves a chance and every mother deserves our support to choose life.”

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Report: Michigan Gov. Whitmer Breaks COVID Pay Promise

The Center Square

When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shut down most of Michigan’s economy in 2020, she promised to return 10% of her $159,300 annual salary to the state in solidarity with more than 1 million Michiganders either out of work or who were soon to be.

“I’m going to lead by example,” Whitmer said on April 20, 2020. “I know that times are tough and that we as a state are going to be confronting a tough budget as a result of the economic shutdown.”

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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Filed Against DeSantis over Reedy Creek Special Status Abolishment

Peter D'Abrosca

A lawsuit filed be residents of Orange and Osceola counties against Gov. Ron DeSantis in the wake of the Governor’s battle with Disney has been struck down. 

Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida Cecilia Maria Altonaga Tuesday issued her order summarily dismissing the lawsuit, which challenged DeSantis after he stripped Reedy Creek, home to Disney’s theme park, of its special status. 

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Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Pulls Out of Leftward-Drifting National Association of Attorneys General

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona Sun Times reported last week on rumors that Arizona Attorney General (AG) Mark Brnovich might withdraw from the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) due to its leftward drift, and he did this week. He became the fifth state attorney general to leave NAAG over its left-leaning agenda, an exodus that began with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall last year, followed by the AGs of Texas, Missouri, and Montana last week. 
“We are hereby notifying you that the Arizona Attorney General’s Office had decided to withdraw its membership from NAAG,” Brnovich said in a letter to NAAG President and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. “The Association is supposed to function as a nonpartisan forum but the speakers and topics presented at recent NAAG meetings indicate otherwise. We believe NAAG must take immediate steps to remedy this partisan permeation.”

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Davidson County Republican Party Vice Chair Bart Smith Promotes ‘High Steaks’ Fundraiser for School Board Candidate Kelli Phillips; Salutes U.S. Liberties Uncommon in His U.K. Homeland.

Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Davidson County Republican Party Vice Chair Bart Smith to the newsmakers line to discuss his background, why he immigrated to the United States and his upcoming High Steaks fundraiser for school board candidate Kelli Phillips.

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Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears Joins Lawsuit to Protect Race-Neutral College Admissions

Peter D'Abrosca

Virginia’s lieutenant governor has joined a brief of amici curiae in support of Students for Fair Admissions, Inc., v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc., v. University of North Carolina, et al, two high-profile cases involving alleged discrimination in the colleges’ admissions processes.

“It is time to end the policies of college selection based on race, which is counter to equal treatment under the law. University-sponsored and supported charter schools, the expansion of scholarships for low-income students, and improved student testing methods will help provide increased diversity at universities,” Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) said in a statement. “The right to a good education doesn’t come at the expense of denying another the right as well. We learn from history that we don’t learn from history. We are not about to deny educational rights to Asian children. Rather, we must ensure that all children have access to educational opportunities.”

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PA-6 Republican Candidate Guy Ciarrocchi Explains Why His Former Employer Endorsed Incumbent Democrat in 2020

Aaron Gulbransen

Pennsylvania Sixth Congressional District Republican candidate Guy Ciarrocchi spoke with The Pennsylvania Daily Star and explained why he is running against incumbent Democrat Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06) even though the board of directors of his previous employer, the Chester County Chamber, endorsed her for re-election in 2020.

Ciarrocchi served as Chester County Chamber CEO from January 2014 until September 18, 2021. In that role, he ran the day-to-day operations but did not have a vote in the endorsement process.

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DeSantis Sets Fundraising Record

Grant Holcomb

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) set a new 2022 gubernatorial campaign fundraising record. During April, DeSantis raised approximately $10.5 million. Around $2.3 million was raised by his reelection campaign and $8.2 million was raised by DeSantis’ political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis.

In total, DeSantis has raised over $113 million for the election cycle, which is over 10 times the amount of his next closest competitor, Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL-13).

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Pennsylvania Senate Candidate Barnette’s Wikipedia Article Pulled

Bradley Vasoli

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, this week removed its entry for Kathy Barnette, a U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, on the basis that she hasn’t established sufficient “notability.” 

A FOX News contributor, Barnette has over 140,500 Twitter followers as of Wednesday evening — a number that grew by about 2,000 throughout the day. She has over 40,000 Facebook followers and over 1,410 YouTube subscribers, numbers that are also both growing rapidly. She has been surging in the polls, coming within two percentage points of celebrity doctor and frontrunner Mehmet Oz in this week’s Trafalgar Group and Fox 29 surveys.

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Arizona Republicans, Others Sound Off on $40 Billion Ukraine Deal

Peter D'Abrosca

The few dissenters from the U.S. House of Representatives who opposed a bill sending $40 billion to Ukraine while inflations crushes Americans are expressing their displeasure over the bill’s passage. 

“Biden wants to send FORTY BILLION that has been taken from taxpayers to Ukraine while our borders remain wide open with historic crossings. This Regime prioritizes every other country before it even thinks about our own – this is the definition of America Last. I VOTE NO!” said Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), who was one of 57 Republicans to vote against the spending package. 

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Georgia Attorney General Candidate John Gordon Challenges Chris Carr on Uptick in Violent Crimes

Addison Basurto

ATLANTA, Georgia – Georgia Attorney General (AG) candidate John Gordon invited incumbent AG Chris Carr on Monday to participate in five debates on election fraud and violent crime rates before the primary election on May 24.

In a press release, Gordon stated, “John Gordon issues an invitation to AG Carr to address unprosecuted voter fraud, and the soaring rates of rape and murder.”

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Bullet Found on Sixth Floor of Attorney General’s Office; Deputy Attorney General Says ‘No Indication’ the Office or Employees Were Specifically Targeted

Eric Burk

Housekeepers for the Office of the Attorney General found a bullet on the sixth floor on Monday evening. Officers responding to the call found the bullet and a small hole in a window, according to Virginia Capitol Police spokesman Officer Joe Macenka. “There is no indication that this incident was targeted at the OAG specifically or any individual employee,” Chief Deputy Attorney General Chuck Slemp wrote to staff on Tuesday, noting that the Capitol police will provide additional patrols for the next few days and a greater presence at the building “for the foreseeable future.” The Office of the Attorney General didn’t provide a statement, but did share the email from Slemp. “I write this morning to notify our Richmond office that a single round from a firearm was shot into a window of the Barbara Johns Building. The round was located by housekeeping staff last night,” Slemp said. “Capitol Police were called to the Barbara Johns Building at 7:13 p.m. Monday for a report of a bullet that may have been fired into the building from outside,” Macenka told The Star. “Officers found a bullet in a sixth-floor office that also had a small round hole near the top…

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Connecticut Governor Signs Bill Limiting Isolated Confinement in Prisons, Jails

The Center Square

A new law setting limitations on isolated confinement for incarcerated individuals will take effect in Connecticut on July 1, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

The governor signed Public Act 22-18 into law on Tuesday. The new law sets criteria for the amount of time and the circumstances under which inmates at state prisons and jails can spend in isolation. The law also sets new requirements for when isolation can be used.

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The Biden Admin Is Using a ‘Backdoor’ to Force Through Green New Deal Reforms

Admin

Democrats are increasingly looking to force their climate agenda through the federal bureaucracy rather than go through Congress, experts said, due to lack of support for their environmental reforms.

The Biden administration has unveiled sweeping regulations affecting home appliances, building standards, fuel economy and government-backed projects including infrastructure during its first 15 months in power. Experts have slammed the myriad federal rules, saying they will lead to higher prices, hurt consumers amid soaring inflation and mainly serve as a backdoor for broad environmental restrictions.

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Commentary: Despite Rising Crime, Nation’s Capital Is at Forefront of Cities Pushing Leniency

RealClearWire

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “But she told me she was 16 years old.”

Under a new criminal code being considered by the District of Columbia city council, that statement would be what is called “an affirmative defense to liability” for an adult who has sex with a minor. Put more plainly, an adult accused of sexual activity with a minor could avoid culpability if found to have “reasonably” believed the child’s claim at the time to have reached the age of consent.

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Inflation Slowed in April, but Prices Continued Their Steady Increase

The Center Square

Inflation continued its steady rise in April, when the Consumer Price Index increased 8.3% over last year, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For the month, the CPI rose 0.3%. That’s down from the 1.2% spike in March, but higher than analysts expected. The 8.3% increase over last year remains near 40-year highs, the bureau reported.

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Trump’s 2022 Endorsement Record Now Stands at 58-1

Admin

Following the primaries in Nebraska and West Virginia, President Donald Trump’s record of primary endorsements in 2022 currently stands at 58 wins and just one loss.

As reported by Breitbart, Trump’s big victory on Tuesday came out of West Virginia, with Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.V.) defeating fellow Congressman David McKinley (R-W.V.) for the Republican nomination for the state’s new 2nd congressional district. As West Virginia was one of seven states that lost a seat in the 2020 census, the state’s 2nd and 3rd districts were combined into one, thus forcing both incumbents into a showdown against each other; the first matchup of its kind in 2022.

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Ohio Redistricting Commission Republicans Argue for Previously Tossed Maps

The Center Square

Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission want the state’s Supreme Court to put legal challenges to proposed district maps on hold until after the November general election.

The commission majority wants to use state legislative district maps already ruled unconstitutional to hold an Aug. 2 primary and the general election. It wants the court not to order the commission to draw new maps until after November.

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