Neither Republicans nor Democrats have a clear edge with Catholic voters nearly four months before the pivotal midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and how much of President Biden’s agenda will get passed in the next two years, according to an in-depth new survey of American Catholics.
Read the full storyMonth: July 2022
Pro-Weed Florida Democrat’s Will Liquidate Cannabis Holdings After Public Scrutiny
Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried, who supports marijuana legalization, said Wednesday she is in the “process of liquidating” her pot company holdings after a Daily Caller News Foundation story on the matter.
Read the full storyArizona Committee Focuses on Affordable Housing
Increasing affordable housing in Arizona is the focus of the bipartisan Housing Supply Study Committee, which held its first meeting Tuesday at the state capitol.
The committee was created in order to, “review data on the scope of housing supply and access in Arizona, compile an overview of ways to address Arizona’s housing shortage and to mitigate its causes, and solicit ideas and opinions of industry and subject matter experts and the community on additional recommendations.”
Read the full story2022 McMinn Regional Job Fair Set for July 21st at Athens Regional Park
The McMinn County Economic Development Authority is hosting the 2022 McMinn Regional Job Fair at Athens Regional Park on July 21. The job fair will be held from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (EST) and will host over 20 regional employers with current job openings ready to hire.
Read the full storyBuyers Cancelling Home Sales at Highest Rate Since Beginning of Pandemic
A skyrocketing number of home sales are faltering throughout the U.S. housing economy, with experts pointing to slower housing markets and higher mortgage rates as the main drivers of the turnaround.
Read the full storyNashville Middle School Plagued with Resignations of More than Two Dozen Teachers
One Metro Nashville middle school has been plagued by continued resignations of more than two dozen teachers since the state of the 2021-2022 school year.
According to a report from WSMV, 29 teachers have left the school for various reasons, as many cited a chaotic work environment and a lack of communication from school leaders.
Read the full storyWinstead Friendly Super PAC Launches Attack Ad on Andy Ogles
A super PAC connected to Kurt Winstead’s campaign for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat launched an attack ad Friday against one of his opponents, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles.
A TV ad that is paid for and authorized by the Tennessee Conservatives PAC hit the Nashville airwaves on Friday.
Read the full storyTennessee Supreme Court Justice Biography Series: Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins
Friday, the application period was opened for Tennessee’s next Attorney General.
In a unique process unlike any other state, the position of Attorney General is not an elected office in Tennessee. Rather, the person who holds the position is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Read the full storyCommentary: Restoring Law and Order in America
On June 25, Joe Biden signed into law the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” a gun control bill that sailed through the U.S. Congress in reaction to recent mass shootings. With another high-profile mass shooting on July 4, many politicians are already wondering if the new law went far enough. But “mass shootings,” the overwhelming majority of which are perpetrated by well-armed inner city gangs, are just one tragic element of an overall breakdown of law and order in the United States. Restoring law and order is possible without resorting to radical, reactionary measures. We need to reinstate policies that worked in the past and will work again.
Read the full storyGovernor Brian Kemp Holds Notable Lead over Stacey Abrams, According to New Poll
Governor Brian Kemp holds a notable lead over Democrat Stacey Abrams, according to a new poll commissioned by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
The survey, which spoke to 1,197 likely Georgia voters, gave Kemp a 7-point edge over the Democrat in their rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial race.
Read the full storyBillionaire’s Project Gets $100 Million from Michigan Taxpayers
Michigan’s 2023 budget will give $100 million to a billionaire’s pet project but no tax relief to 10 million Michiganders despite $7 billion leftover in the state’s bank.
The Center Square reported earlier this month that the $77 billion budget gives $100 million for the Detroit Center for Innovation, a new research facility operated the University of Michigan.
Read the full storyMother of 10-Year-Old Rape Victim Defends Illegal Alien Charged with Raping Daughter
The mother of the 10-year-old girl who reportedly had an abortion in Indiana after a 27-year-old illegal alien raped her, is defending the man, stating, “Everything they are saying against him is a lie,” Telemundo reported Thursday.
The woman, who claims to be the mother of the 10-year-old girl the Indianapolis Star reported to have been raped and then referred by an Ohio “child abuse doctor” to Indiana abortion activist Dr. Caitlin Bernard for an abortion, said she did not file criminal charges against Gerson Fuentes, 27, who was arrested and admitted he had raped the girl on at least two occasions when she was nine years of age.
Read the full storyPennsylvania House Forms Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Philadelphia Progressive Prosecutor
The Pennsylvania State House has created a bipartisan committee to investigate a crime spree in Philadelphia, the state’s largest city.
Part of the effort includes allowing the committee to subpoena witnesses and documents from the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a frontline figure in the national progressive prosecutor movement, according to the Epoch Times.
Read the full storyFlorida’s Capital City First to Approve Lobbying Ban for Convicted Felons
The Tallahassee City Commission voted on Wednesday unanimously to adopt a 10-year lobbying ban for anyone convicted of a felony related to bribery and honest services fraud. The ordinance will be drafted by the city attorney and brought back to the city commission at a later date.
According to information revealed at the meeting, Tallahassee will be the first major city in Florida to adopt a ban on lobbying by convicted felons.
Former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox and two others were indicted and are currently serving prison sentences for their actions.
More recently, former Tallahassee mayor and one-time Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was indicted by the federal government.
Read the full storyFormer President Donald Trump Postpones Arizona Rally Following Death of Ex-Wife
Former President Donald Trump postponed his scheduled rally in Arizona following the death of his ex-wife Ivana Trump.
According to a report from Fox News, Ivana Trump was found dead in her New York City apartment at the age of 73.
Read the full storyVirginia Department of Health Eliminates Guidance for COVID-19 Exposed Individuals to Quarantine from School
The Virginia Department of Health has eliminated a recommendation for asymptomatic COVID-19-exposed individuals in schools to quarantine. The updated COVID-19 guidance applies to K-12 education, child care, and camps, although individuals who test positive still need to isolate at home for at least five days.
“This revised guidance outlines that quarantine is no longer routinely recommended for asymptomatic individuals after exposure to COVID-19 infected individuals. In general masks are not routinely recommended in these settings, indoors or outdoors, except during isolation as specified below,” states the guidance, which applies to teachers, staff, and children.
Read the full storyWisconsin Senate Leader Warns Elections Commission over Ballot Curing
The top Republican in the Wisconsin Senate is warning the state’s Elections Commission about its new rule for filling out ballots.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, on Thursday said the Elections Commission needs to follow the state law on ballot curing.
Read the full storyArizona Planned Parenthood Demands Candidates Denounce Police Support in Order to Obtain Endorsement
Planned Parenthood Arizona’s political arm demands that candidates denounce the support of law enforcement groups in order to obtain the group’s endorsement.
According to a report from Axios, the group formally adopted a policy to require candidates to deny financial donations from law enforcement organizations and return any donations received.
Read the full story‘Rise in Fentanyl’: Minnesota Reports Record Overdose Deaths in 2021
Minnesota experienced a record number of drug overdoses in 2021, according to a Department of Health report released Thursday.
There were 1,286 overdose deaths reported to the Minnesota Department of Health last year, a 22% increase from 2020. This means an average of nearly four Minnesotans died every day from a drug overdose, the report says.
Read the full storyOhio Secretary of State Announces Board of Education Districts; Democrats Object
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) announced this week that the state Board of Education district boundaries will conform to the plan Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued in January, spurring objections from Democratic lawmakers.
Nineteen individuals sit on the state Board of Education, with 11 of them standing for election. Five of the elected seats are up in this fall’s general election and those wishing to run must file by August 10.
Alleged Illegal Alien Charged with Raping 10-Year-Old Girl Listed by Abortionist as Minor of Age ‘17’ on Report Form
A report form obtained by Fox News and reportedly filed by Indiana abortionist Dr. Caitlin Bernard reveals she listed the age of the alleged illegal alien charged with raping an Ohio 10-year-old as a minor of age 17, rather than his age of 27, as reported by police.
Fox News reported Thursday evening Gerson Fuentes, 27, alleged to be an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, who was charged Wednesday in Ohio with rape of a minor under 13 years of age, was reported to be approximately 17 in the official Termination of Pregnancy Report (TPR) that gives the name of Bernard as the “physician performing termination.”
Read the full storyFeds at Virginia Port Seize Nearly $2 Million in Counterfeit Diabetic Socks
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Area Port of Norfolk-Newport News seized 118,566 pairs of “counterfeit cotton foot coverings” — diabetic socks worth about $1.9 million in retail if they were authentic.
CBP officers “certainly do not suffer from cold feet when it comes to enforcing intellectual property rights laws,” a CBP press release quipped.
Read the full storyChina’s Economy Craters as Severe Lockdowns Continue
China’s economy grew by just 0.4% year-over-year for the second quarter of 2022, according to data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Friday.
The figure underperformed analysts’ predictions of 1.0% growth, according to CNBC, and was the worst since the first quarter of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in China, The Wall Street Journal reported. The lackluster growth was a result of strict COVID-19 lockdowns designed to constrain a resurgent strain of the virus, particularly in the major financial hub of Shanghai, the WSJ added.
Read the full storyBombshells Undercut the ‘Big Lie:’ 21 Confirmed Illegalities, Irregularities from 2020 Election
Democrats and their allies in the traditional news media have coined the term the “Big Lie” to dismiss anyone who questions the conduct of the 2020 election.
But with each passing day, new irregularities, security vulnerabilities and illegalities are being unmasked by bombshell revelations from courts, legislators and other investigative bodies like the FBI and Homeland Security Department.
Read the full storyCommentary: Defeating the Democrats Is Not Enough
There is a real likelihood that the Republicans will win a big victory this fall.
However, defeating the Democrats because of their terrible performance will not be powerful or lasting. Republicans must defeat the Democrats because their values are wrong, and their policies simply can’t work.
Read the full storyJoe Manchin Drives a Stake Through Democrats’ Economic Package
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said that he will not back a bill that includes climate provisions and tax hikes, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Manchin informed Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that he would only back legislation that includes provisions to reduce the costs of prescription pharmaceuticals and a two-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies on Thursday, the WSJ reported. The Democrats are rushing to reach a consensus on the bill before the August recess when legislators from both parties will begin to concentrate completely on bids for re-election.
Read the full storyBiden Pursues More Foreign Oil Despite Invite from U.S. Producers
Prior to heading to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. energy industry invited President Joe Biden to visit American energy sites.
The Texas Oil and Gas Association, Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, and over 25 U.S. energy associations invited Biden and his cabinet members to visit U.S. energy facilities throughout the U.S.
Read the full storyCommentary: Trump’s Endorsement Record Shows the Pieces Line Up Ahead of 2024
Despite the best efforts of the mainstream media and establishment RINOs, President Donald Trump’s primary endorsement record in 2022 is stronger than ever before. With his support, many effective “America First” candidates line up for a solid and consequential Republican majority of patriotic populists that could make all the difference looking toward 2024.
Although there have been a small handful of setbacks in certain primary races, President Trump’s record is still much stronger than any other political figure in America today, with a 94% win rate among his endorsements in primary contests. With over 140 successful primary endorsements this year alone, some of the most important races have been decided entirely on Trump’s selection.
Read the full storyRandy Houser Announces Sixth Studio Album, ‘Note to Self’
NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Randy Houser has earned four Number One singles, including three consecutive hits: “How Country Feels,” “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight,” and “Goodnight Kiss.” “We Went” marked his fourth number one song. He has also had two Top 5 hits: “Boots On” and “Like A Cowboy.”
Read the full storyExclusive: Sen. Blackburn Discusses Fentanyl Crisis with TBI Special Agent
A U.S. senator from Tennessee sat down for a wide-ranging interview with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Drug Task Force Director to expose America’s deadly fentanyl crisis that is getting worse by the day.
“Thousands of people are on the march toward our southern border as we speak. What do they want? Biden’s welcome package – free phone, free plane ticket, and free baby formula,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “We know that among that group, drug dealers and smugglers are bringing across deadly amounts of fentanyl. I spoke with TBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Farmer to expose how this crisis is devastating our communities.”
Read the full story‘Not Woke’ Todd Pembroke Describes Contentious Meeting at Oliver Middle School Thursday Night
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed former national guardsman and MNPS school board candidate for district two, Tom Pembroke in studio to discuss Thursday night’s parent meeting regarding Oliver Middle Schools’ scheduled loss of teachers by years end.
Read the full storyPresident of Network of Enlighted Women Karin Lips Advocates for Part-Time Attorneys, No Longer Required to Take State Bar in Tennessee
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the founder of the (NeW) Network of Enlightened Women, Karen Lips to the newsmaker line to discuss the organization’s recent call for part-time attorneys not to continuously take the bar due to their part-time status and create a more family-friendly policy in the state of Tennessee and others.
Read the full storyCrom’s Crommentary: The Hypocrisy of AOC and the Left
Friday 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 storyYour Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast with Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren for Friday and the Weekend
Star News Network Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren shares her Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast for Friday and the weekend.
Read the full storyTennessee Right to Life Endorses Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson for Re-Election
Tennessee Right to Life endorsed State Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) in his race for re-election on Tuesday.
The organization cited “Johnson’s demonstrated commitment to defending all of Tennessee’s vulnerable unborn children” and said the endorsement is “based on record of shared commitment and dedication to pro-life cause” in a statement.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Feds Pile Up Vaccine ‘Adverse Event’ Reports as They Decry Scaremongering Elsewhere
Since the Food and Drug Administration authorized the first vaccines for COVID-19 in late 2020, the government and much of the media have insisted that the medicines developed in record time are safe and effective. Those who raised questions about them have been routinely dismissed as conspiracy theorists.
Read the full storyNashville Mayor John Cooper Announces Formation of the Youth Career Exploration and Alignment Opportunities Task Force
On Wednesday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced the formation of the Youth Career Exploration and Alignment Opportunities Task Force, according to a press release from Cooper’s office.
Read the full storyKroger Expected to Bring 180 Jobs to Nashville with New ‘Spoke’ Facility
Kroger Fulfillment Network, LLC officials announced Thursday that Kroger Co. will offer more Americans product delivery through the addition of a “spoke” facility in Nashville. The project is expected to bring 180 new jobs to Davidson County.
Read the full storyRep. Rose Slams Corporate ESG Policies in Congressional Testimony
A U.S. Congressman from Tennessee testified in front of the House Rules Committee, where he spoke against proposed government regulations regarding Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards that he says will negatively impact farmers.
“I’d like to support by urging support for my bipartisan amendment, number 631, cosponsored by the gentlelady from Michigan, Representative Alyssa Slotkin, to prohibit the Securities and Exchange Commission from enforcing any provision on its rule making on enhanced standardization of climate-related disclosures for investors that would directly or indirectly require farmers to submit climate-related information to public companies or the SEC,” said Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06).
Read the full storyAttorney on Proposed Charter Amendment 1: Forever Eliminates Citizens’ Ability to Amend the Metro Charter for Any Reason
The attorney behind 4GoodGovernment and its Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act, Jim Roberts, told The Tennessee Star that the proposed Amendment 1 to the Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County forever eliminates citizens’ ability to amend the charter for any reason.
Roberts is well-versed on the topic of Metro charter amendments, having successfully navigated the petition process for the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act (NTPA) twice, but a lawsuit by Metro government kept it from being put on the ballot.
Read the full storyWisconsin Gov. Evers Warns That If Republican Wins in November, GOP Could Overturn State Elections
Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wis.) warned supporters this week if he is not re-elected this November, oversight of elections in his state could be at risk of being turned over to state lawmakers.
“We will see elections change to the point where the Legislature makes the final decision and that should scare the living crap out of everybody in this room,” said Evers at a campaign stop in the capital city of Madison.
Read the full storyIllegal Alien Living in Columbus, Ohio Charged with Raping and Impregnating 10-Year-Old Girl
An illegal alien from Guatemala who has lived in Columbus, Ohio, for the past seven years has been arrested and charged with raping and impregnating a 10-year-old girl.
The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday Gerson Fuentes, 27, who has been working in a café, confessed to raping the child on at least two occasions and has been charged with rape, a first degree felony in Ohio.
Read the full storyLine 5 Expected to Emerge as Major Michigan Campaign Issue
Republican gubernatorial candidates support Line 5 as it exists and champion the proposed $500 million tunnel to house the pipeline 100-feet beneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Their Democrat opponent, incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, has been attempting to shut down the pipeline as well as prevent construction of the five-mile conduit, which would be buried beneath the lakebed of the Straits.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Department of State Sues Counties to Count Undated Ballots
Pennsylvania’s Department of State this week filed a lawsuit against three counties, all controlled by Republicans, to count undated absentee ballots.
Acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman (D) wants Berks, Fayette and Lancaster counties to follow the rest of the state in counting votes delivered in undated envelopes toward the official tallies for candidates nominated in May 17’s primaries. A Pennsylvania law requiring absentee and mail-in voters to date their ballot envelope has underwent significant court scrutiny over the last two years.
Read the full storyRep. Beyer, Sen. Kaine Move to Rename Arlington House Lee Memorial; GOP Opponent Lipsman Says Beyer Is Focusing on the Wrong Issues
Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) have introduced legislation to rename the “Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial” to “the Arlington House National Historic Site.”
“As our country and our Commonwealth grapple with the history of racism and slavery and engage in a long-overdue reexamination of public symbols, we have an opportunity to make it clear that we do not revere Confederate leaders or condone the enslavement of human beings,” Beyer said in a press release.
Read the full storyAndy Biggs Demands Oversight Committee Hold Hearings to Investigate Claims Made in the ‘2000 Mules’ Film
Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) recently sent a letter to the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12), demanding an immediate hearing to investigate the claims made in the documentary 2000 Mules.
“As the chairwoman of the House’s oversight committee, Congresswoman Maloney has an obligation to hold an immediate hearing to further determine the veracity of these claims,” Biggs said in a press release. “The film exposes serious, potentially illegal activity related to the 2020 election. The committee should investigate these allegations to ensure the integrity of our elections.”
Read the full storyDeSantis, Newsom Trade Jabs
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) have traded jabs over the last couple of weeks, most recently culminating in Newsom pushing back against DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw.
Pushaw said that opponents to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill were “groomers,” to which Newsom took offense.
Read the full storyConnecticut Online Casino Gaming Up and Running
Live online casino gaming is up and running in Connecticut.
Gov. Ned Lamont said Evolution Gaming Studio is now operating in the state. The company is offering live dealer games on FanDuel and DraftKings iCasino on a limited basis for blackjack and roulette through a soft launch that transitions to full gaming at 11 a.m. Monday.
Read the full storyMinneapolis Democrat Says July 4th Madness Captured the ‘Deterioration of Civility’
The pool deck of a luxury apartment building at the foot of the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis served as a recording studio of sorts on the 4th of July as some residents captured the chaos below.
Read the full storyFormer Clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas to Be Sworn in as the New Georgia Supreme Court Justice Next Week
Georgia is set to swear in its news Supreme Court Justice next week.
“The Honorable Andrew A. Pinson will be sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia on Wednesday, July 20, at 1 p.m.,” said a release from the state Supreme Court’s website. “Gov. Brian Kemp will administer the oath of office in the House Chamber of the State Capitol Building.”
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