Tennessee Woman Headed to Prison After Terror-Related Crimes

A Tennessee woman is headed to federal prison stemming from a conviction involving crimes related to aiding terrorist organizations. 

“A Sparta, Tennessee, woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Friday, to 66 months in prison to be followed by a term of supervised release of 15 years, for concealing material support and resources intended to be provided to a Foreign Terrorist Organization…” according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. 

Read the full story

Faith and Freedom Coalition Director Timothy Head Says Pro-Life Movement Is in ‘A Little Bit of Shock’ over Roe v. Wade Decision

Faith and Freedom Coalition Executive Director Timothy Head told The Tennessee Star he feels that the pro-life movement is still a little surprised about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

“There’s certainly an excitement and energy around this. In some ways I almost feel like the collective pro-life movement is still in a little bit of shock. A lot of people have been active in the movement since they were in elementary school, middle school, or their entire adult lives,” he said.

Read the full story

Nikki Fried Announces Support of a Reparations Bill in Florida If Elected Governor

During a campaign interview with hip-hop legend Luther Luke Campbell and others, Florida gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried said, if she was elected governor, she would support reparations legislation like the bill recently adopted in California.

Stephen Johnson, 100 Black Men of South Florida Past Chair and member of the Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board, told Fried that he could not find her position on reoperations in any of her campaign materials. Johnson then asked if signing a reparations task force legislation be something she would do if she became governor of Florida. 

Fried responded, “Yes, of course it would be. I think this are hard conversations to have but we have to have them.”

Fried then went on to discuss the Groveland Four, who were four young African American men falsely accused of raping 17-year-old girl and assaulting her husband on July 16, 1949, in Lake County, Florida. Fried was a member of the Florida Cabinet who joined in issuing posthumous pardons of the four men on Jan. 11, 2019.

Read the full story

Michigan Gov. Whitmer Signs $54 Billion Operating Budget

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a $54 billion operating budget that, combined with the 2023 education budget, reaches a record annual spending of $77 billion.

“Today, I am thrilled to sign my fourth balanced, bipartisan state budget that delivers on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to working families, was done on time, and does not raise taxes by a dime,” Whitmer said in a statement. “The budget will protect public health and public safety, expand mental health resources, grow Michigan’s economy and workforce, empower working families and communities, and pays down billions in debt.”

Read the full story

Court Rules Georgia Heartbeat Law May Take Effect

A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court ruled unanimously Wednesday that Georgia’s 2019 Heartbeat law that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected may take effect.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled the Georgia law (HB 481), known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act may proceed to take effect after a federal judge blocked it in a decision that found the law violated the right to abortion created by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade in 1973.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Lawmakers: Rule of Law, Not Elections Commission Guides Absentee Ballot Rules

The long battle between Republican lawmakers and Wisconsin’s Elections Commission is not showing any signs of ending.

The latest came Wednesday when the legislature’s Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules killed an emergency rule from the Elections Commission that would have allowed local election clerks to correct mistakes on voters’ absentee ballots, a process otherwise known as curing.

Read the full story

Doug Ducey Responds to East Coast Mayors Requesting Aid for Increase in Immigrants, ‘Welcome to Our World’

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) recently responded to statements made by mayors from Eastern America, including New York City’s (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams (D), who have requested help after an influx of immigrants from the Southern border.

“President Biden created the crisis at the border — he’s failed to respond to calls for action and refuses to even visit the border, so we’re bringing the issue a little closer to home for him,” Ducey tweeted.

Read the full story

Grassroots Ohio GOP Group Responds to Committeeman and Treasurer Johnson’s Injunction Against Opponent

As he runs for reelection in the August 2 special primary, Ohio Republican Party (ORP) Committeeman David Johnson is suing Rick Barron who is challenging his bid to continue representing the ORP’s 33rd District (Columbiana, Carroll and Mahoning counties). 

Also in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, Johnson sued political action committees that support Barron, including the Mahoning, Carroll and Columbiana Ohio Republican Political Action Committees (PACs). These three grassroots organizations are affiliates of the Ohio Republican PAC which exists outside the ORP, also known as the Ohio Republican State Central Committee. 

Read the full story

Virginia Finished Fiscal Year 2022 with $1.94 Billion Surplus

Virginia’s Fiscal Year 2022 General Fund revenues finished with a $1.94 billion surplus, after finishing Fiscal Year 2021 with a $2.6 billion surplus, the largest in Virginia’s history.

“While I am pleased that our additional revenue can be reinvested in Virginia, the Commonwealth’s general fund revenue surplus confirms that Virginians have been overtaxed for way too long,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a Thursday evening announcement of the 2022 surplus.

Read the full story

Concerns Arise over Envelopes Containing Ballots Mailed to Maricopa County Voters That Reveal Political Party in Clear Window

Envelopes containing ballots sent to voters in Maricopa County last week contained a small square with clear plastic on the top left side revealing part of the ballot. The political party of the ballot can clearly be seen in the window, and in some cases, it appears individuals’ voter registration numbers as well. Concerns have been raised that renegade postal workers or election workers might throw Republican ballots out before they reach voters.

State Rep. Jacqueline Parker (R-Mesa) tweeted, “The post office doesn’t need to know this information. The Recorder’s office is being awfully cavalier & open with personal information in a time when people already don’t trust the mail or AZ’s voting systems.” 

Read the full story

Florida Republican Congressional Delegation Split on ‘Gay Marriage’ Vote

Earlier this week, Florida’s Republican Congressional Delegation were split on the passage of H.B. 8404 entitled the “Respect for Marriage” Act. The impetus for the bill is out of fear from left-leaning lawmakers that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) might overturn the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case which struck down marriage laws across the country in 2015.

Read the full story

Wall Street Is Freaking Out About One Major Recession Indicator

Wall Street investors and economists are sounding the alarm over a yield curve inversion, one of the most reliable indicators that a recession is coming, according to The New York Times.

The yield curve inversion, or when two-year bonds have a higher return than ten-year bonds, hit its largest spread yet on Wednesday, sending investors into a panic, according to the NYT. Economists and investors see this kind of inversion as a negative omen for the economy, and every recession in the U.S. in the last 50 years has been preceded by a yield curve inversion.

Read the full story

Joe Biden Hits New Low of 31 Percent Approval in New Quinnipiac Poll, Only 19 Percent of Hispanics Approve

Joe Biden has hit a new low in the latest Quinnipiac University National Poll, with a mere 31 percent of Americans approving of the job he’s doing, and 60 percent disapproving.

The new poll, released today, shows Biden with only 29 percent approval among white voters, and with an even lower approval rating of 19 percent among Hispanics. Most black voters approved of Biden’s job performance, giving him a 61 percent approval rating.

Read the full story

Commentary: Senior Biden Officials Are Entangled in Durham’s Criminal Russiagate Probe

Several individuals connected to a 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign plot to cast Donald Trump as a covert Kremlin collaborator are working in high-level jobs within the Biden administration – including at least two senior Biden appointees cited by Special Counsel John Durham in his “active (and) ongoing” criminal investigation of the scheme, according to recently filed court documents.

Read the full story

Most Companies Quiet on Abortion After Roe Overturned

Most U.S. companies aren’t making public statements about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade June 24 in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a Conference Board survey found.

Only 8% of U.S. companies have made public statements about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe, and another 2% plan to make a statement, according to the survey. Most companies in the survey had made public statements about social issues since 2020, with 61% addressing racial equality, 44% addressing LGBT issues, 40% addressing COVID-19 and vaccines and 30% addressing gender equality.

Read the full story

Thousands of Virginian Servicemembers Eligible for Restitution, Debt Forgiveness After Alleged Fraud by Harris Jewelry

Some Virginian servicemembers are set to get restitution and debt forgiveness after Harris Jewelry allegedly targeted the military community with deceptive and fraudulent practices. Attorney General Jason Miyares announced a multi-state settlement that will provide up to about $1 million for 3,828 Virginians who received protection plans, and $1.7 million in debt forgiveness for 1,011 Virginians.

“Harris Jewelry targeted our military community, misleading, deceiving, and defrauding thousands of active duty servicemembers through their financing program. Our servicemembers are critical to the American experiment, dedicating their lives to the protection of our freedoms and way of life. I’m grateful we were able to reach an agreement and provide relief to thousands of Virginians,” Miyares said in a Wednesday press release.

Read the full story

Mark Gonsalves Challenges Opponent Lucy McBath on Bidenomics

Georgia 7th Congressional District Republican Nominee, Mark Gonsalves, recently confronted his general election opponent, former 6th Congressional District Representative Lucy McBath, on Twitter for her history of supporting Bidenomics.

Georgia 7th Congressional District Candidate Mark Gonsalves spoke with The Georgia Star News on Thursday.

“I understand economics and business and this inflationary environment we’re in is because the government has turned its back on good fiscal governance. They think that they can return our nation to Energy Dependance and tax and spend their way to prosperity. In the process because of their limitless spending, it’s created an incredible level of inflation we haven’t seen for 40 years,” Gonsalves said.

Read the full story

Copper Foil Manufacturer to Invest $430 Million in Richmond County Facility

A high-quality electrodeposited (ED) copper foil manufacturer Denkai America announced Wednesday in a joint statement with Governor Brian Kemp that it will invest $430 million in a Richmond County-based facility that will create 250 jobs over the next five years.

“As Georgia continues to lead in the emerging electric vehicle market & next-gen jobs, I’m proud to announce that Denkai America will invest $430M & create 250 new jobs over the next five years in Richmond County through its new manufacturing facility and North American Headquarters!” Kemp said. 

Read the full story

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Biography Series: Justice Roger Page

As Tennesseeans prepare to head to the polls on August 4, where they will vote on whether to retain the state’s five Supreme Court justices, The Tennessee Star is profiling each justice who currently sits on the bench.

Justice Roger Page was first appointed to the Court by former Governor Bill Haslem (R) in 2016. He is the Court’s newest member. In August of that year, Page was elected to serve a full term, until 2022. 

Read the full story

Newly Drawn House District 35 Republican Primary Includes a Former Registered Democrat and an Out-of-District Candidate

The Sumner and Trousdale County newly drawn Tennessee House District 35 Republican primary is a three-way race with one of the candidates being a registered Democrat in another state and another living out of the district.

The State House District 35 seat was held by conservative Republican Representative Jerry Sexton until the recent redistricting, which put Sexton in House District 10 currently held by Representative Rick Eldridge (R-Morristown). The new District 35 encompasses the portions of Sumner and Trousdale Counties that has been represented by Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster).

Read the full story

Study: One in Five New Tennesseans from California

As Tennessee experiences a massive influx of new residents from across the country, a study found that one state in particular is a popular feeder for the Volunteer State. 

“Our 2022 data shows that California is the largest contributor to Tennessee’s population increase,” according to a MoveBuddha study. “Nearly a quarter (22.14%) of all search queries for moves into Tennessee are from the Golden State.”

Read the full story

House Passes ‘Right to Contraception’ Bill Republicans Say Violates Religious Freedom

The Democrat-led House passed a bill Thursday, with the support of eight Republicans, that would create a federal right to access contraception, a measure that most Republicans say violates religious freedom.

The legislation (HR 8373), dubbed the Right to Contraception Act and sponsored by Rep. Kathy Manning (D- NC), passed by a vote of 228-195. The measure would guarantee a right to all contraceptive drugs and devices, as well as sterilization procedures, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Read the full story