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Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Evening News Update – June 23, 2022
Day: June 23, 2022
Nashville Mayor John Cooper Declares July 31 ‘Ric Flair Day’
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Nashville Mayor John Cooper, in a news conference, declared July 31 ‘Ric Flair Day’ in honor of the 73 year-old 16 time world heavy champion professional wrestling legend and two time WWE Hall-of-Famers’ last match.
On July 31, the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair will enter the ring for the very last time. In honor of the occasion, Cooper also announced that the property at 500 Wedgewood Avenue for the weekend of July 29-31 will be known as the “Nashville FLAIRgrounds,” in conjunction with the three-day professional wrestling fanfest known as STARRCAST V.
Read the full storyTDOT Rolls Out Hotline for Motorists to Report Potholes
As part of the ongoing effort to battle potholes plaguing Tennessee’s roadways the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Wednesday announced a new hotline for drivers to report those potholes.
“We all know it’s been a terrible year for potholes and here at TDOT we are always looking for ways to improve our customer service,” said TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “For the citizens, this hotline will give them another convenient way to report maintenance problems on our interstates and state routes. For TDOT, this centralized way of receiving, processing, and tracking information will enhance our operations.”
Read the full storyTennessee House Leaders Ask Gov. Lee to Halt Vaccine Rollout for Children Under Five
Tennessee’s Republican House leaders this week penned a letter to Governor Bill Lee (R) asking him to halt the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of five.
“Governor, the COVID-19 emergency has long passed in Tennessee,” the letter, penned by State Rep. Jason Zachary (R-District 14), said. “Based on the data in the FDA’s own 66-page report, there is no concrete basis for amended emergency authorization to vaccinate small children.”
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Bill Lee Refuses to Comment as National Guard Members Plead for Their Jobs
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Governor Bill Lee refuses to comment as Tennessee National Guard members plead for their jobs.
Sources inside the Tennessee National Guard estimate there will be much as a 10 percent force reduction from soldiers who are about to be discharged on June 30 due to refusal to accept a COVID-19 vaccination and have called on the governor to take action to protect their jobs.
Read the full storyCommunity Outrage over ‘Franklin Pride’ and Mayor of Franklin’s Woke Proclamation
FRANKLIN, Tennessee – Gabrielle Hanson, who is a Franklin alderman-at-large, told The Tennessee Star that her office and the offices of her peers are being flooded with outraged complaints about the June 4 “Franklin Pride” event and Mayor Ken Moore’s woke proclamation that was read at the event that included drag queens and children.
“Our phones and emails have been blowing up,” Hanson said.
Read the full storyExclusive: Beth Harwell Describes What She Learned at U.S. Southern Border
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Tennessee 5th Congressional candidate and former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell shared with The Tennessee Star what she learned during her trip to the U.S. southern border.
Harwell visited to Naco, Arizona on May 26th to visit the wall and attain firsthand experience on the problems that arise on the southern border.
Read the full storyGallatin City Council Proposes De-Annexation of a Single Property, Eliminating the Owner as a Candidate for Gallatin City Council
The Gallatin City Council made a proposal at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening to de-annex the property of a resident who pulled a petition as a candidate in the November election for the Gallatin City Council earlier that same day.
De-annexing the property would effectively eliminate the owner from running in a city election.
Read the full storyOhio Rep. Jim Jordan Joins Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall in Video Detailing Alleged COVID Cover-Up
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) released a video Monday detailing why they believe White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci was involved with the Chinese government’s coronavirus cover up.
Both lawmakers have been working to uncover the origins of COVID-19 over the past two years.
Read the full storyExclusive: TN-5 Candidate Kurt Winstead Announces ‘Strong American Families Plan’
In an exclusive statement provided to The Tennessee Star, Kurt Winstead’s campaign in the Republican nomination contest for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District unveiled its “Strong American Families Plan.”
“Out of control gas prices and inflation, in addition to historic crime rates, are threatening American families. Joe Biden and the Democrats caused this problem. But conservative Republicans are going to be the ones to fix it,” said the retired general.
Read the full storyTennessee Lawmakers Call for Safe Return of Marine Who Attempted Suicide in Venezuelan Jail
Elected officials in Tennessee are calling for the safe return of a U.S. Marine who is jailed in Venezuela after that Marine attempted to take his own life over the weekend.
“The safe return of Matthew Heath must be the highest priority for the White House and State Department,” said Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03). “Our government and the Venezuelan government must come to an agreement to medically evacuate Matthew. His life is in danger, and we cannot delay.”
Read the full storyRep. John Rose, House Republicans Call for Legal Action Against Attacks on Pro-Life Groups
Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) and more than 120 other Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to respond to multiple attacks on pro-life groups across the country.
The events have followed the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that signaled the group favors reversing Roe v. Wade.
Read the full storyBeacon Center of Tennessee Files Brief in Tennessee Supreme Court in Support of Attorney Denied Admission to State Bar
The Beacon Center of Tennessee filed a brief in the Tennessee Supreme Court supporting Violaine Panasci, an attorney who was denied admission to the Tennessee Bar.
Panasci was denied admission to the Tennessee Bar, according to Beacon, because she went “to the wrong law school.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Education in the Pursuit of Happiness
People should make decisions that result in their best life possible which should include intellectual and moral effort. The Declaration of Independence identified our national identity and the moral standard by which we would live as a nation. The Declaration of Independence was identified by Harry Jaffa as the soul of America, and the Constitution as its body.
The critical elements needed in society today are virtue and character. Aristotle warned that educating the mind without educating the heart is “no education at all.” Although Thomas Jefferson never explained the phrase “the pursuit of happiness” found in the Declaration of Independence, he used a concept put forth by both John Locke and George Mason.
Read the full storyEconomist: ‘When It Comes to Connecticut, Businesses Are Being Incentivized to Look Elsewhere’
LEGO Group’s decision to spend $1 billion to build a new factory near Richmond, Virginia, has led economy and industry experts to raise questions about the status of the Denmark company’s Connecticut headquarters.
The global toymaker announced at a press conference with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) its plans to build a new factory in Chesterfield, a move that would expand its production in the United States and create about 1,760 new jobs.
Read the full storyDefiant Kari Lake Says Arizona Won’t Enforce Unconstitutional Gun Laws After Controversial Vote
Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake struck a defiant tone Wednesday after 14 Senate Republicans crossed party lines and voted with Democrats on a gun control bill.
“Arizona is a Second Amendment sanctuary state, and Kari Lake will ensure it stays that way. Republicans in Washington repeatedly fail to understand that, on every single issue, any deal we make with Democrats is just the first step on a slippery slope,” a spokesman for Lake’s campaign told The Arizona Sun Times. “They don’t make deals, they just take whatever ground Republicans are willing to cede and then keep marching forward with their leftist agenda.”
Read the full storyFormer Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum Indicted by Feds
Former Tallahassee Mayor and Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has been indicted on multiple charges connected to campaign contribution fraud before and during his 2018 run for governor of Florida. Gillum lost to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida unsealed the 21-count indictment on Wednesday. One of Gillum’s closest advisers, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, also was charged in the 21-count indictment. Gillum, 42, and Lettman-Hicks, 53, were arrested on Wednesday and were scheduled to have their first appearance Wednesday afternoon at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee.
The 26-page indictment indicates that the Gillum investigation was part of the comprehensive corruption probe that used undercover agents to get close to some of Tallahassee’s biggest movers and shakers. Former Tallahassee Mayor and City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his associate Paige Carter-Smith, along with Tallahassee businessman J.T. Burnette were recently sentenced to prison as a result of the probe.
The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2019, defendants Gillum and Lettman-Hicks conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.
Read the full storyWisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Tim Michels Calls on Evers to Prepare for Unrest as Dobbs v. Jackson Decision Nears
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels called on Governor Tony Evers to prepare for possible unrest in the coming weeks.
The remarks are in response to the pending decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson, which focuses on the constitutional right of abortions.
Read the full storyPennsylvania House Committee Passes Bills to Move Presidential Primary, Allow Out-of-County Poll Watchers
Pennsylvania’s House State Government Committee on Wednesday passed a Senate bill to move the state’s presidential primary date and another measure to allow out-of-county poll watchers.
The first of the two bills was sponsored by Sen. John Gordner (R-Bloomsburg) and passed his chamber unanimously last December. And yet only two of the House panel’s 10 Democrats, Kristine Howard (D-Malvern) and Ben Sanchez (D-Abington), backed the legislation during Wednesday’s vote.
Read the full storyDetroit City Council Again Delays Vote on $60 Million Tax Break
The Detroit City Council postponed for a second time a vote on whether to give billionaire Dan Gilbert a $60 million tax break over 10 years after heavy resident pushback.
Gilbert, who Forbes says is worth $15.6 billion, says he needs taxpayers to fund a 10-year tax break to renovate real estate firm Bedrock’s Hudson building, which they claim will support 2,000 permanent jobs once finished.
Read the full storyMiyares Warns of Crackdown amid Proliferation of THC-Laced Products That Look Like Normal Snacks
RICHMOND, Virginia – Attorney General Jason Miyares said new regulations included in the budget will allow his office to crack down on the sale of “THC copycat” products — THC-infused edibles packaged to look like mainstream snacks. The announcement came after a warning from the FDA about the products, and after an April report from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office that several toddlers were taken to the emergency room after exposure apparently linked to Goldfish crackers laced with THC.
Read the full storyUPS to Invest $8.75 Million in Atlanta Organizations in ESG Effort
At the inaugural UPS Impact Summit, the shipping company announced they will invest $8.75 million in Atlanta companies in a pledge to advance “ESG [environmental, social and justice agenda], diversity, equity and economic empowerment.”
“UPS is a purpose-driven company. We move goods while also doing good — this is who we are in our hometown and in every community we serve,” UPS Chief Executive Officer Carol B. Tomé said. “I’m proud of our Foundation’s approach to driving social impact here in Atlanta and around the world.”
Read the full storyArizona Legislature Considering ‘Build Back Broke’ Type of Budget with Earmarks, Funding for School Social Workers, and Government Employee Pay Raises
The Arizona Legislature is rushing to pass a budget before the 2022 session ends in a few days on June 30, but some Republican legislators are balking at agreeing to vote for the 12 budget bills due to the amount of spending, $17.9 billion. State Sen. Michelle Ugenti (R-Scottsdale) tweeted on Monday, “Arizona’s version of @JoeBiden’s Build Back Broke (aka the legislature’s introduced budget) is not fiscally responsible. You cannot spend your way out of a looming recession.”
She objected to the budget adding an extra half a billion dollars. “I can’t think of anything more fiscally irresponsible than spending recklessly on member pet projects while Arizonans struggle to keep up with crushing inflation,” she tweeted. The Republican Liberty Caucus of Arizona called the budget “bloated and wasteful.”
Read the full storyFreedomWorks Set to Host Arizona U.S. Senate Candidate Forum, Launch New ‘Freedom Teams’ Program
FreedomWorks’ grassroots director Merissa Hamilton told The Arizona Sun Times the free-market-focused organization will launch a new program leading up to the general election that will “give the grassroots access to the tools that big organizations normally have and they would only get access to if they were a staff member of that big organization.”
“This is going to empower the grassroots in ways we’ve never had access to before, and anyone that wants to be able to be empowered within their local neighborhood, this is the time to join FreedomWorks and take action.”
Read the full storyTop Teachers’ Union Backs Democratic Senate Candidate John Fetterman
John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, was endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).
The top teachers’ union backed the Democrat, saying he is “exactly the kind of leader” they need in the nation’s capital.
Read the full storyCrom’s Crommentary: Increase of Crime and the Two Tiers of Justice
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.
Read the full storyJC Bowman of Professional Educators Discusses Change of BEP to TISA, Education Funding Creating Even More Bureaucracy
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the Executive Director & CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee, JC Bowman to explain the change of the Basic Education Program to the new TISA (Tennessee Investment and Student Achievement) and how it will create another level of bureaucracy.
Read the full storyStudents from Across the Nation Are Competing at SkillsUSA’s National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta This Week
This week, from June 20th-24th, students from across the United States are gathering at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for SkillsUSA’s 58th annual National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC).
Read the full storyDeSantis Awards Nearly $30 Million for Florida Communities
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) awarded more than $28.4 million in funding for economic growth and infrastructure to 23 Florida communities on Tuesday. The funding came through primarily two state grant funds that are designed to assist communities with development and disaster preparation.
Read the full storyVirginia Republicans Highlight Irony of Biden’s Call for a Gas Tax Suspension Less than a Week After Senate Kills Similar Youngkin Proposal
President Joe Biden is calling for a three-month suspension of the federal gas tax less than a week after Virginia Senate Democrats and one Republican killed Governor Glenn Youngkin’s efforts to enact a suspension of Virginia’s fuel tax. Virginia Republicans took to social media on Wednesday to react to Biden’s proposal. “Now, the White House is calling on states to move forward on gas tax suspensions – demonstrating that VA Senate Dems are out of step with everyday people and their own party,” Youngkin tweeted. “Gas prices are not sustainable for families in Virginia, and it is astonishing that Senate Democrats blocked my gas relief proposal three times and squandered the opportunity to do the right thing. Virginians deserved a better answer than ‘no.’” Biden’s proposal isn’t a done deal. Some federal Democrats have similar concerns Virginia Democrats had. They said the gas tax pays for highway maintenance and is a fairly small part of many people’s budgets, and worried that lowering the gas tax won’t change the supply problem that’s causing the prices to increase but would just enrich petroleum corporations. Some federal Republicans aren’t on board either. “President Biden said he was going to shut down American energy,…
Read the full storyPennsylvania’s Cities, Big and Small, Have Yet to Recover from the Pandemic’s Downturn
Comparing urban areas across America, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have struggled to recover since the pandemic, showing lackluster economic performance with job levels still below pre-pandemic times.
That performance puts Pennsylvania’s two biggest cities about average in America, according to an analysis from the Brookings Institution on urban economic recovery since COVID-19.
Read the full storyOhio Policy Group Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision on School Tuition
An Ohio policy group called Tuesday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that states cannot deny students or families financial aid for attending religious schools a victory for the rights of families and students.
The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Carson v. Makin, a Maine case involving financial aid for students attending religious schools. The brief argued denying aid was a First Amendment violation.
Read the full storyU.S. Senate Reaches Agreement on Gun Control Bill
The U.S. Senate voted late Tuesday to advance a gun control bill with 14 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, joining Democrats to approve the measure.
The vote was reached after weeks of negotiating a bipartisan bill in response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in which a gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers.
Read the full storyCommentary: Vast Majority of Americans Disapprove Biden’s Handling of Economy
67 percent of Americans disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S. economy and 71 percent disapprove of his handling of inflation as gasoline prices continue hitting records at $5 a gallon, a recent Fox News poll taken mid-June found, even as Biden recently suggested a recession is not “inevitable”.
Read the full storyTwin Cities School Board Forces District to ‘Protect and Affirm’ LGBT Agenda
A school board in the Twin Cities area has passed a resolution forcing the district to go all-in on “policies, practices, and curricula” that “protect and affirm” the “LGBTQIA+” agenda.
At its meeting Tuesday evening, the Osseo Area School District Board of Education voted 4-2 in favor of its resolution to “acknowledge the value of the lives of our trans, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, queer, intersex, two-spirit, asexual, nonbinary, and gender-expansive scholars and staff.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Biden’s Relentless War on the Border Targets Law Enforcement, Not Illegals
President Joe Biden’s attack on America’s southern perimeter continues without mercy. Indeed, the U.S.–Mexico “border” is dissolving at a quickening pace.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 239,416 illegal aliens in May alone. This is yet another monthly record, as Biden becomes the Babe Ruth of border destruction.
Read the full storyAmerican Board of Internal Medicine Threatens to Revoke Medical Licenses from COVID Docs Peter McCullough and Pierre Kory
The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) is threatening to revoke the medical licenses of two leaders in the alternative medical response to the COVID pandemic—Drs. Peter McCullough, and Pierre Kory—for allegedly “providing false and inaccurate information to patients.”
Read the full storyWisconsin Gov. Evers Signs Price Gouging Order for Wisconsin Gas Stations
Wisconsin’s governor is warning gas stations in the state not to raise prices too high.
His new executive order, however, is unlikely to make gas any cheaper.
Read the full storyPoll: Majority of Republicans, Independents Fear Abuse of ‘Red Flag’ Laws
The majority of Republican and Independent voters think “red flag” gun laws that allow judges to confiscate individuals’ firearms can be abused for political reasons, according to a new poll.
Convention of States Action, along with the Trafalgar Group, released polling data Wednesday that shows that 72.2% of Republicans and 52.3% of Independents “believe that ‘red flag’ gun control laws that are designed to temporarily take guns away from individuals have the potential to be abused by local authorities and government officials to disarm their political opponents and/or citizens who disagree with them.”
Read the full storySix Major Cities to Surpass 2021 Totals of Violent Crime Halfway Through 2022
In six of America’s largest cities, the rate of violent crime is already well on track to surpass previous record highs reached in 2021, with six months still left to go in the year 2022.
As reported by Fox News, the cities of Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. are all seeing even greater numbers of violent crime than last year. The largest increase is in New York, the largest city in America, with a 25.8 percent spike in crime compared to the same time in 2021. Violent crime is generally described as including the acts of homicide, assault, robbery, and rape; homicides in particular have been on the rise, with a 30 percent increase from 2019 to 2020, followed by an additional 5 percent increase from 2020 to 2021.
Read the full storyAfter Arson at Tennessee Church, ‘Concerning’ Letters Lead to Amped-Up Security at Others
After a church in Chattanooga was burned to the ground last week, several others in the state have received “concerning” letters, according to one county sheriff’s office.
“The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office has received multiple reports of a very concerning letter being left on the front door of several local churches, a Masonic lodge, and at least one business,” the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office said Monday. “The letters did not speak about any direct threats, but it is being taken incredibly seriously because of the disturbing content. Because of the ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide any more details about the contents of the letters at this time.”
Read the full story