The Star News Network’s Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren shares her Middle Tennessee ‘Fresh Forecast’ for Thursday and Friday.
Read the full storyYour Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast with Daphne DeLoren for May 19, 2022
Day: May 19, 2022
Nashville Metro Council Considers First Reading of Fiscal Year 2023 Budget and Grant Acceptances at Latest Meeting
Nashville Metro Council considered the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and issues like grant acceptances at its latest meeting.
BL2022-1248, a bill on first reading, was the ordinance setting the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and is on the agenda. The full proposal can be viewed on the Metro Council website. It was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee.
Read the full storyOrtagus Moves On from TN-5 Race and Announces Involvement in Polaris National Security
Morgan Ortagus, a disqualified candidate in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat, announced to German-owned Politico her participation in an organization called Polaris National Security.
Politico reported, “Morgan Ortagus, the State Department’s chief spokesperson during the Trump administration, has launched a new group called Polaris National Security. The organization, chock-full of former Trump administration and campaign aides on staff and other Republicans on the advisory team, will have a 501(c)(4) and PAC arm.”
Read the full storyFive Star Food Service, Inc. Expanding Operations in Hamilton County
Five Star Food Service, Inc. officials announced Wednesday in a press release that the company will expand its headquarters operations in Hamilton County.
Read the full storyPolls: Majority of American Voters Want Abortion Restrictions
Two polls released this week have found most American voters want limits on abortion.
Results of a Trafalgar Group/Convention of States poll released Wednesday found 57.6 percent of American voters want abortion to be legal in only specific circumstances, while a Rasmussen Reports survey published Tuesday showed 67 percent of likely U.S. voters say abortion should not be legal past the first three months of pregnancy.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Abortion Wars Are Just Getting Started
The Supreme Court’s apparent decision to send the abortion issue back to the states may be a triumph for federalism and the concept of the separation of powers, but it is also a recipe for unyielding division. Abortion politics will become even more of a litmus test for tens of millions of pro-choice and pro-life voters at the local, state, and federal levels because their legislators will have far more power to shape policy. This, in turn, will further polarize our politics and empower the extremes because many voters will likely back candidates no matter their position on schools, crime, housing, jobs and debt, so long as they are the right kind of “pro.”
Read the full storyBurchett: Hospitalization of Infants Who Couldn’t Get Baby Formula ‘Absolutely Tragic’
A U.S. Congressman from Tennessee spoke out after news that two infants in Memphis were hospitalized because special baby formula they needed for medical conditions could not be found.
“Absolutely tragic,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) told The Tennessee Star. “This nationwide crisis is landing kids in the hospital, and it’s unacceptable this is happening here in the United States. All our economic might doesn’t mean a thing if we still can’t protect our children.”
Read the full storyConnecticut Republican Senators Find Governor’s Oversight of West Haven’s COVID Spending Inadequate
Gov. Ned Lamont (D) this week approved the Municipal Accountability Review Board’s (MARB) request to heighten state oversight of the city of West Haven which is alleged to have misspent COVID-19 relief money, but Republican lawmakers are arguing that the move falls short.
The state now deems West Haven a Tier IV municipality, subjecting it to the most rigorous financial scrutiny for which state law provides. This comes as a result of an audit MARB issued last month which detailed numerous fiscal-management problems the city has incurred. Earlier in April, a separate review by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management found that the city misused nearly four-fifths of over $1 million in funds it received as part of COVID response efforts.
Read the full storyBiden Reverses Course on Cuba Policy, Florida Officials Condemn
President Joe Biden (D) announced this week the United States will be loosening restrictions on Marxist countries, namely Cuba and Venezuela. Travel restrictions will be lightened to Cuba and flights will be authorized to Cuban cities outside of Havana and travel will be permitted for educational purposes.
In reaction, Florida Republicans and Democrats have condemned the actions saying that going soft on the dictatorial regimes will only embolden Castro and Maduro.
Read the full storyStudents Walk Out in Protest After Ohio School District Cancels ‘Diversity Day’
Students at an Ohio high school Wednesday walked out of class in protest of the local school board’s cancellation of “Diversity Day.”
Students at Turpin and Anderson High Schools, part of the Forest Hills School District, participated in the protest, according to footage from multiple news outlets.
Read the full storyDespite Campaign Promise from Whitmer, Michigan Roads Remain in Disrepair
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign slogan to “fix the damn roads” gained viral attention for the Michigan Democrat.
However, as she gears up to seek another term, the state is still burdened with infrastructure issues. Residents of the state are required to pay thousands of dollars annually to repair their vehicle due to poor road conditions, according to one study from the nonprofit organization, TRIP.
Read the full storyGeorgia Man Charged with Obtaining a Fraudulent $9.5 Million Paycheck Protection Program Loan
Federal authorities have charged a Marietta, Georgia man with obtaining a fraudulent $9.5 million Paycheck Protection Program loan.
Carl Delano Torjagbo, also known as Karl Lucius Delano, 42, faces bank fraud and money laundering charges. He was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker and remanded to custody.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Senate Race Remains Unresolved
Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary between celebrity surgeon Mehmet Oz and former hedge-fund chief executive officer Dave McCormick remains unresolved the day after voters went to the polls.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Oz leads McCormick by 1,610 votes out of more than 1.3 million votes cast for GOP Senate nominee in total. Oz has 410,822, or 31.29 percent of the vote while McCormick has 409,212 or 31.17 percent. The insurgent candidacy of veteran and political commentator Kathy Barnette gained 323,700 or 24.66 percent while four other candidates split the rest of the vote.
Read the full storyConnecticut Gas Prices Reach Record High
Connecticut gas prices have continued to climb and set a state record on Wednesday, averaging $4.65 per gallon and $6.44 per gallon for diesel.
For comparison, the average price throughout the state was $3.067 per gallon one year ago. Diesel sat at $3.230 per gallon.
Read the full storyGuy Ciarrocchi Likely to Be Declared Winner of PA-6 Republican Primary
Guy Ciarrocchi is likely to be declared the winner and Republican nominee in the primary for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District seat.
As of press time, Ciarrocchi holds a 2,224 vote lead over the second place candidate Steve Fanelli with under 2,000 votes remaining uncounted, according to The New York Times.
Read the full storyVirginia Congressman Celebrates Pause of Federal Government ‘Disinformation Board’
A U.S. congressman from Virginia Wednesday celebrated the pause of the creation of a federal government “Disinformation Governance Board,” which was marred by controversy from its inception.
“Victory for free speech: the Biden Administration is not proceeding with its Ministry of Truth. As a cosponsor of [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23)]’s bill to defund the so-called DHS Disinformation Governance Board, I welcome this news. I will stay vigilant against threats to the First Amendment,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09).
Read the full storyPennsylvania High School Teacher Charged with Alleged Sexual Relationship with Student
A judge issued a warrant for the arrest Friday of a Pennsylvania high school choral teacher who has been charged with allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student.
Police in New Wilmington Borough charged Olivia Lois Ortz, 26, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, with two counts of intercourse/sexual contact with a school student, and one count each of unlawful contact with a minor for sexual offenses and criminal use of a communication facility – all felony-level charges, New Castle News reported Monday.
Read the full storyCrom’s Crommentary: ‘Biden and the Left Wake Up Every Day and Say, I’m Going to Be Miserable, Angry, and Tear as Many of Our Institutions Apart as I Possibly Can’
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary.
Read the full storyReps. Wittman, Luria Concerned About Biden Administration’s 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan
Representatives Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) and Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) are concerned that the Biden administration’s FY 2023 spending plan and an associated 30-year shipbuilding plan will increase risk. In a Wednesday hearing of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, Wittman and Luria questioned officials about the impact of the administration’s budget.
Wittman, the subcommittee’s ranking member, also submitted a scathing written statement to the official record, criticizing the shipbuilding plan, saying he would reject an “anemic shipbuilding request,” that plans to retire vessels, seeks to not maintain the naval aviation plan, would “eviscerate our mine countermeasure warfighting capabilities,” “irreparably harm our nation’s ability to support future forcible entry options” by reducing amphibious forces, and would “waste significant taxpayer’s monies.”
Read the full storyYoungkin Announces Alternative Hiring Process for People with Disabilities
Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced an alternative hiring process for people with disabilities; Youngkin’s Tuesday announcement said that reflects Virginia’s priorities for its workforce.
“This process is only the beginning of our strategy to demonstrate our commitment to individuals with differing abilities to improve the state workforce,” Secretary of Administration Margaret “Lyn” McDermid said. “It is one facet of a more comprehensive strategy, which includes accommodations, communication, education and awareness, compliance and retention of individuals with differing abilities.”
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist Carol Swain Talks About the Buffalo Mass Shooting
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist, Dr. Carol M. Swain, to the newsmakers line to give her take on the Buffalo, New York shooting where Black people were shot.
Read the full storyBiggs Reacts to Record-Breaking April Migrant Surge
In a shocking revelation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Tuesday announced that it apprehended nearly 250,000 migrants entering the United States in April alone.
Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) discussed the news Tuesday night.
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star’s Neil W. McCabe Comments on Pennsylvania Primaries and the Effects of a Trump Endorsement
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed The Tennessee Star’s national political editor Neil McCabe to the newsmaker line to weigh in on Tuesday night’s primary races in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
Read the full storyRepublicans Criticize New University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor, Threaten University of Wisconsin Funding
Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are not happy with the new choice for chancellor at UW-Madison.
Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, who is the vice chairman of the Senate’s committee for universities and technical colleges, called Dr. Jennifer Mnookin a “ridiculous choice.”
Read the full storyTwitter Lead Client Partner Caught on Tape Slamming Free Speech and Describing Elon Musk as a ‘Looney Tune’ with ‘Special Needs’
Twitter is not in business to make a profit or to give people free speech, but to do “something that’s good for the planet,” a company employee can be heard saying in a secretly recorded video.
The new undercover footage from Project Veritas features Lead Client Partner Alex Martinez discussing the company’s authoritarian views on speech, and denigrating Tesla CEO Elon Musk as a “loony toon” with “special needs.”
Read the full storyFirst-Quarter Florida Tourism Continues Record Streak
In the first quarter of 2022, 36 million people visited the Sunshine State, a 39.6% percent increase from the same eriod last year, according to VISIT FLORIDA.
It’s the third consecutive quarter that overall visitation to Florida has surpassed pre-pandemic visitation levels.
Read the full storyDr. Robert Malone: ‘Rotten to the Core’ FDA Knew COVID Vaccines Could Spur Viral Reactivation, but Said Nothing
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was aware early on that the COVID vaccines could spur viral reactivation of diseases like the varicella-zoster virus (shingles) in some people, but chose not to disclose it, according to renowned vaccinologist and physician Dr. Robert Malone.
“They knew about the viral reactivation,” Malone declared during a recent panel discussion hosted by Del Bigtree with fellow Global COVID Summit physicians Dr. Ryan Cole, and Dr. Richard Urso.
Read the full storyCommentary: Hybrid Schools Are Finding Each Other and Joining Forces
In May the National Hybrid Schools Project at Kennesaw State University hosted the first Hybrid Schools Conference on campus. 175 people from over 30 states traveled to Kennesaw to meet and talk about their experiences with schools which meet a few days per week, and ask their families to homeschool the rest of the week.
Most of these schools around the country are small, hyper-local entities. They are tiny startups; excellent examples of communities coming together to solve hyper-local problems. Some belong to one of the few larger networks, but most are simply doing their own work, and have had little chance to meet other people who have started similar schools. Many were unaware that others like them even existed. Convening as many of these hybrid school educators as possible was the major purpose of this conference.
Read the full storyMaricopa County Wants Property Tax Rate Cut amid Skyrocketing Values
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has responded to the rising cost of goods and services with a property tax rate cut.
The board approved a tentative FY 2023 budget aiming to mitigate the impact of inflation in the county by using hundreds of millions of dollars in American Rescue Plan funds for financial assistance and resources to residents and businesses.
Read the full storyLawmaker Wants Ohio Voters to Decide Recreational Marijuana Use This Year
One lawmaker is continuing his push to allow Ohio voters to decide in November to legalize the recreational use of marijuana after a lawsuit settlement pushed a potential ballot initiative to 2023.
A citizens group working for a vote this year reached a settlement with state officials recently that will put the measure on the ballot next year. Also, the state agreed to accept more than 140,000 signatures the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has already collected.
Read the full storyBiden Administration to Reverse Trump-Era Free Speech Rights in Education
The Biden Administration’s Department of Education (DOE) is making plans to reverse Title IX regulations that had been implemented by the Trump Administration to more greatly protect free speech rights in education.
The Daily Caller reports that the soon-to-be-unveiled rewrite by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), focusing on Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, will roll back the Trump-era rules dictating that public schools, from K-12 to college, must investigate claims of sexual misconduct in a fair an unbiased manner. The rules implemented by President Trump allowed greater rights to both the accused and the accuser in such cases, including the right to be represented by counsel, the ability to cross examine witnesses, and the presumption of innocence.
Read the full storyMinnesota School Supports Students Who Kneel for National Anthem
A local high school softball team kneeled for the national anthem at a recent game, earning an understanding explanation from their school which said they were protesting for “social justice.”
Alpha News received a video of the Robbinsdale-Cooper girls softball team kneeling as the Star-Spangled Banner was played before a recent game. Only two of the fourteen players pictured remained standing for the national anthem.
Read the full story