Day: June 16, 2022

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

Burning American flags, taunting defenseless kittens, and perpetrating political terrorism: Most assume that all American politicians oppose things like this that are simply indefensible. But we all know that hasn’t always been the case. So, what must a politician do to show he opposes the indefensible today?

Study: Greater Likelihood of Youth Suicide in ‘Gender-Affirming’ States Allowing Minors Transgender Drugs Without Parental Consent

A study by the Heritage Foundation reveals a higher likelihood of youth suicide in states that allow minors to receive puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones without parental consent – an outcome that contradicts what the “gender-affirming” crowd is fear-mongering to parents.

Research has shown the vast majority of children who express signs of gender dysphoria experience a resolution of the problem without medical intervention, but Heritage Senior Research Fellow Jay Greene, Ph.D. notes in his study, released Tuesday, that data indicating adolescents with gender confusion suffer from a high rate of suicide have been “invoked” by LGBTQ activist organizations, media, and even the White House, “to assert that cross-sex medical interventions reduce the risk of suicide.”

Butch Eley Exits Department of Finance and Administration, Lands New Role as Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Kaitlin Housler

Butch Eley, who has been Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration (F&A) since 2020, has now been appointed Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Tennessee U.S. Representatives John Rose and Tim Burchett Continue to Criticize Biden over Inflation

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

Tennessee Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives John Rose and Tim Burchett continued their criticism on Wednesday of the Biden administration’s role in the current inflation crisis, dubbed in some circles as “Bidenflation.”

U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) tweeted, “Inflation is taxation — especially when it’s being fueled by reckless spending. The Biden Administration inherited one of the strongest economic recoveries of my life. It took fewer than two years for them to mess it up.”

Exclusive: TN-5 Candidate Beth Harwell Releases First TV Ad: ‘We Must Secure the Border’

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

In an exclusive release first obtained by The Tennessee Star, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell unveiled her first television ad for the August 4 Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

In the ad, Harwell calls on Congress to finish President Trump’s wall, fight for tougher penalties on criminals and ban sanctuary cities.

Caterpillar Announces Relocation of Global Headquarters from Illinois to Texas

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

Construction and mining equipment giant Caterpillar Inc. announced Tuesday it will move its global headquarters from its current location in Deerfield, Illinois, to the company’s existing office in Irving, Texas.

“We believe it’s in the best strategic interest of the company to make this move, which supports Caterpillar’s strategy for profitable growth as we help our customers build a better, more sustainable world,” said Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby in a press release.

Alliance for Free Citizens Denounces Department of Education’s ‘National Parents and Families Engagement Council’

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Kaitlin Housler

The Alliance for Free Citizens, a education-focused advocacy group, denounced a reported plan by President Joe Biden’s Department of Education to create the “National Parents and Families Engagement Council.”

According to a report from Fox News, the new organization will work to improve the relationship between parents and schools.

State Tax Revenues in May Exceeded Budgeted Estimates, per Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration

The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration announced Tuesday that overall May state tax revenues exceeded budgeted estimates. On an accrual basis, May is the tenth month in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

Father of Teen Slain at LeBron James’ School Fires Back After Claim That School Is ‘Safe’

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

The father of a teen who was beaten to death near basketball courts at the LeBron James Foundation’s I PROMISE School is speaking out about the school’s security after the school assured the public that the school is safe.

“It’s not safe. It’s not secure,” said Bill Liming, father of 17-year-old Ethan Liming. “The cameras are grossly insufficient. I mean, grossly insufficient for security.”

Florida School Districts Scramble to Implement Provisions of the Parental Rights in Education Legislation

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Steve Stewart

The recently passed Parental Rights in Education bill has Florida school districts scrambling to change policies and remove books that might violate the provisions of the legislation.

Notably, the Palm Beach Post reported that Palm Beach County school officials are ending the use of the “Genderbread Person” infographic. The infographic was used to explain the differences between anatomical sex, gender expression, gender identity, sexual attraction and romantic attraction.

Palm Beach Schools Superintendent Mike Burke said the infographic was “problematic because it gave the impression that we were targeting a younger audience” ……I’m not sure it was the most valuable piece of our curriculum.”

Part of the process in Palm Beach included sending questionnaires to teachers seeking information about materials used in classroom activities. If the questionnaire revealed potential violations, teachers were asked to send the material to school officials for review.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Advocates for ‘A Drag Queen for Every School’

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Eric Burk

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel advocated for “a drag queen for every school” while speaking at the Michigan Department of Civil Rights 2022 Civil Rights Summit, according to multiple sources.

Two different reporters, Craig Mauger for the Detroit News and Barbara Bellinger for Michigan Information and Research Service, noted the comments by one of the state’s top officials.

Virginia’s May Revenues Exceed May 2021

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday that Virginia’s May revenue reports are 9.9 percent higher than May 2021. That’s good news for the governor, who is imminently expected to release amendments to the budget already passed by the General Assembly. Legislators will return Friday to vote on Youngkin’s changes.

“This report confirms that the time is now to deliver meaningful tax cuts to Virginia families who are getting crushed by five dollar gas and record-high inflation,” Youngkin said in a press release

Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Defends Kiel School Questions from Claims of Bullying

Asking questions is not bullying, and pointing out the law does not constitute creating chaos.

And no one supported the threats made against Kiel Schools.

Michigan Gov. Whitmer OKs 17-Year-Olds Serving Alcohol, Swim-Up Bars

June 16, 2022June 16, 2022 Bradley Vasoli

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed nine bills, including specific pieces of legislation that allow 17-year-olds serve alcohol under certain conditions, increase carnival safety requirements, and legalize swim-up bars.

“While these bills continue our record of bipartisan collaboration, Michiganders are counting on us to continue growing Michigan’s economy, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering cost for working families who are facing rising prices at the grocery store and the gas pump,” Whitmer said in a statement.

Veteran Dave Galluch, in Pennsylvania 5th Congressional District Run, Seeks Restoration of ‘Time-Honored Traditions in American Leadership’

Republicans very recently used to dominate the locale composing much of Pennsylvania’s Fifth Congressional District. Geographically overlapping with much of the erstwhile Seventh District (nixed four years ago by the state Supreme Court), the Delaware-County-based territory had Republican Pat Meehan as its U.S. representative from 2011 to 2018. Before Meehan’s predecessor Joe Sestak (D) won the seat for two two-year terms, GOP Congressman Curt Weldon held it for two decades.

The district today is, well, different: Republicans’ old stronghold of Delaware County has flipped Democratic (though the GOP still fares well in some municipalities). And anyone waging a general-election campaign against Democratic Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon must also make inroads in south Philadelphia, Lower Merion, Upper Merion, Narberth, Bridgeport and Norristown — all places where “blue” voters have long outnumbered “red” ones.

Lawsuit Challenges Walz’s Adoption of Clean Car Rules

Minnesota car dealers are suing a state agency over its adoption of a rule requiring automakers to supply the market with more low- and zero-emission vehicles.

On behalf of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association (MADA), the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) has filed a lawsuit against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) with the state’s court of appeals.

Congressman Tom Tiffany Calls on the DOJ to Take Action on Crime

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Addison Basurto

Congressman Tom Tiffany (R-WI-07) called on the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice to take action to limit crime in Wisconsin and across the country.

According to a letter from Tiffany and six other letters, the federal government may need to “pick up the slack” from local prosecutors that are refusing to try certain cases or are reducing recommended sentences.

Brian Kemp Denounces Stacey Abrams’ Calls for More Government Mandates

Governor Brian Kemp condemned Stacey Abrams on Monday for her support for increased government involvement in the lives of Georgians.

“Stacey Abrams wants longer lockdowns, more government mandates, and higher taxes. Not on my watch! Join the fight for the soul of our state,” the governor said. “When Georgia was the first state to re-open, Stacey Abrams campaigned for longer lockdowns.”

Arizona Democrats Call for Permanent Solution on 10th DACA Anniversary

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

On the tenth anniversary of the implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a law that gives illegal aliens who were brought to America as children immunity from deportation, Arizona’s Democrats are calling for a permanent solution.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of #DACA, said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03). “It’s a reminder that we have a moral obligation to protect Dreamers in AZ and across the nation. We must guarantee certainty for those who have known no other home but this one.”

Congressman Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee’s 3rd District: ‘It’s a Disaster, and We’ve Got to Take This Country Back’ in November Midterm Elections

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Congressman Chuck Fleishmann (R-TN-03) to the newsmaker line to talk about what it’s like playing on the Congressional Baseball Team and the need for Republicans to take back the House and Senate in November midterms.

LEGO Group Plans to Expand Production to U.S. with Virginia Factory

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Eric Burk

The LEGO Group announced plans to build a $1 billion factory in Chesterfield, Virginia, expanding the company’s production to the U.S. The company held a Wednesday press conference with Governor Glenn Youngkin, and executives are highlighting the 1,760 new jobs expected from the factory and an onsite solar plant that will provide all the energy needed by the factory.

Crom’s Crommentary: ‘Dramatic Cut in Spending and Regulations’ Is the Only Way Out of U.S.’s $30 Trillion, Catch-22 Deficit

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary.

Thales Academy Head Administrator Rachael Bradley: Enrollment Doubles After Two Years, Upcoming Campus Expansion to Provide K-12 Experience

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Thales Academy Franklin’s Principal, Rachael Bradley to discuss the rapid growth and success of the school and plans for campus expansion.

Democrats Coalescing Around Charlie Crist

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Grant Holcomb

In the last week, Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) and 2022 gubernatorial hopeful received endorsements from numerous high-profile officials and groups. The string of endorsements shows a likely narrowing-down of choices in what has been a year-long battle for top dog in the 2022 gubernatorial Democrat primary.

Ohio Democrat Marcy Kaptur Touted Eviction Moratorium, Tried to Evict Two Tenants

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

40-year Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) promoted her involvement in legislation establishing a nationwide tenant eviction moratorium, yet attempted to evict to tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the evictions was requested strictly for the reason of not paying rent.

Phoenix Detective Hospitalized After Being Ambushed, Shot

A detective with the Phoenix Police Department was hospitalized after being ambushed and shot by two individuals, according to the law enforcement office.

Two men, identified as Ahmani Gordon and Aaron Ware, approached the car from both sides of the vehicle and fired shots at the officer. One stood on the passenger side and the other in front of the vehicle, reportedly firing more than a dozen shots at the vehicle.

Fed Increases Interest Rates by Three-Quarters Percentage Point, amid Recession Fears

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point.

The move is a part of the bank’s strategy to aggressively combat record-high inflation rates that show no sign of slowing down.

Ohio Supreme Court to Hear Municipal Income Tax Case

The Ohio Supreme Court will hear a case challenging the state’s municipal income tax code that allowed cities to levy taxes on workers who did not live or work in those communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court agreed to hear The Buckeye Institute’s case of Schaad v. Adler, one of five the Columbus-based policy group filed relating municipal income tax collection.

Herschel Walker’s Campaign Acknowledges Existence of Second Son

The campaign for Georgia GOP Senate nominee Herschel Walker has acknowledged the candidate and former football star is the father of two sons.

The acknowledgement follows a report published Tuesday by the Daily Beast on the matter.

Arizona Will Soon Prohibit Warrantless Police Searching of Painkiller Medical Records

Arizona law will limit police access to Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (CSPMP) data.

Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law that will require law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to provide a valid search warrant to access Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (CSPMP) data from the State Board of Pharmacy (Board).

One Out of Every Five Pregnancies Aborted in 2020

A new report reveals how the rate of abortions in the United States has risen significantly in recent years, with as many as 20 percent of all pregnancies being terminated in the year 2020 alone.

As reported by the Associated Press, the figures come from a study by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, which revealed at least 930,000 total abortions in the United States in 2020. In 2017, the total number of nationwide abortions was about 862,000, which was the lowest amount of abortions since the controversial ruling in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in 1973.

Analysis: No Objective Evidence the Federal ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Saved Lives

“For the children we can save,” declared President Biden on June 2, “we should reinstate the assault weapons ban and high-capacity magazines that we passed in 1994.” To support this claim, Biden alleged:

And in the 10 years it was law, mass shootings went down. But after Republicans let the law expire in 2004 and those weapons were allowed to be sold again, mass shootings tripled. Those are the facts.

Pennsylvania Per-Student Spending Hits All-Time High of $19,900

Pennsylvania’s above-estimate tax revenues have been a boon for its public education system – per-pupil spending hit an all-time high, according to an analysis from the Commonwealth Foundation.

In 2020-21, school district spending per student reached $19,900, new data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education noted.

Virginia Dem Introduces Bill to Hit Gun Buyers Where It Hurts

Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer introduced a bill Tuesday that would levy a 1,000% tax on select semi-automatic rifles and certain ammunition magazines in response to recent mass shootings.

The proposed legislation is intended to limit the number of weapons present in American communities, including AR-15s and high-capacity magazines, Breyer said when he announced the proposal earlier this month. The bill also applies to large-capacity ammunition feeding devices.

Republican Attorneys General, 26 of 27, Challenge New Sex-Based Discrimination Federal Guidance

Half of the state attorneys general in the country want the Biden administration to walk back new federal guidance on sex-based discrimination for schools and other organizations that receive federal money for food programs.

The AGs, 26 of the 27 Republicans in those offices across the country, claim in a letter to President Biden the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidance means states, local agencies and programs that receive federal food dollars through the Food and Nutrition Act and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program could lose funding if they don’t comply, including in hiring practices.

Commentary: Biden Is Sleepwalking U.S. into Nuclear War with Russia

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin participate in a tete-a-tete during a U.S.-Russia Summit on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at the Villa La Grange in Geneva. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Since Russia initiated its brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, the West has responded with a hearty bellow of “Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!” Since February 24, NATO has poured nearly all its otherwise limited surplus of weapons and diplomatic capital—as well as economic capital, especially from the United States—into propping up the Ukrainian resistance front. Due to this unprecedented level of support for Ukraine, Kiev’s forces have successfully rebuffed a Russian invasion of their historic capital and shifted the fighting over to the Russian-controlled eastern portion and the contested southern area of Ukraine.

Retail Sales Fall in May as Prices Continue to Rise