Month: July 2022

Paul Gosar Introduces Legislation Aiming to Punish Fentanyl Distributors with Death Penalty

Neil Jones

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) recently introduced House Rule (HR) 8228, which aims to punish those who distribute fentanyl, resulting in death, with the death penalty or life in prison.

“One of the many deeply troubling consequences of Joe Biden’s open border policies is the deadly flow of fentanyl across the southern border. Since Biden assumed office in January 2021, more than 1,000,000 pounds of illegal drugs have been seized, including 7,700 pounds of fentanyl in just the first five months of 2022. The overwhelming majority of fentanyl is smuggled across the border from Mexico,” Gosar said in a press release.

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Group Submits 753,759 Signatures for Abortions Rights Ballot Initiative

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A group says it has collected more than enough signatures to place a question on the Nov. 8 ballot of whether abortion rights will be enshrined into state law.

The group, Reproductive Freedom for all, says it submitted a record 753,759 signatures, an amount that exceeds the minimum required amount of 425,059 valid signatures. The group tweeted Monday morning: “This victory is YOUR victory. Countless petitions, countless volunteer hours, countless miles driven to get every last signature, and *we finally did it.* Now, we are even closer to codifying reproductive rights here in MI once and for all!”

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Asked to Verify Police Report of Biden Claim of 10-Year-Old Raped Girl Who Allegedly Left Ohio for Indiana to Obtain Abortion

Susan Berry, PhD

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) apparently continues to have little to say about the claim made by Joe Biden Friday that a 10-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and became pregnant traveled from Ohio to Indiana to obtain an abortion.

On Friday the Ohio Capital Journal led with the headline, “DeWine: No Comment on Abortion Ban that Forced a Child to Indiana,” and added, “Ohio governor signed ban, but will only say rape is wrong.”

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On the Heels of Roe v Wade Reversal, Minnesota County Judge Strikes Down to Many Abortion Restrictions

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A Ramsey County judge struck down several longstanding abortion restrictions in a Monday ruling, just two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. 

“The right to choose to have an abortion … would be meaningless without the right to access abortion care,” Judge Thomas Gilligan said in his ruling. Gilligan was appointed to the bench by former Gov. Mark Dayton in September 2014.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis Issues Executive Order Designed to Lower Costs of Prescription Drugs

Steve Stewart

On Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order (22-164) focused on lowering the costs of prescription drugs for Floridians by promoting transparency. The order will ensure reforms are in place to hold Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) accountable when managing prescription drug benefits for insurance companies. PBMs are third-party administrators of prescription drug programs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the executive order at a press conference at Cape Coral High School.

“This executive order is really probably the first time Florida as a state has taken action to ensure that we’re saving money for Floridians regarding the middlemen and what happens with the prescription drug programs,” DeSantis said. “I think it’s going to be very, very meaningful.”

“For far too long leaders have chosen the path of inaction, rather than action, and fallen victim to a pharmaceutical system driven by drug companies rather than consumers,” said Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Simone Marstiller. “Fortunately, Governor DeSantis leads with principle, always putting Floridians first and today’s actions will further this commitment by providing insight into the FDA’s review process and all agency health care contracts through the end of the decade.”

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Kemp Campaign Responds to Abrams’ Soros-Backed Fundraising Haul

Peter D'Abrosca

The reelection campaign for Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has responded after gubernatorial challenger Stacy Abrams raised $2.5 million from a George Soros-run Political Action Committee (PAC).

“Far-left radicals from across the country are bankrolling Stacey Abrams’ campaign to bring the failed agenda of D.C. Democrats to Georgia,” Tate Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Kemp campaign, told The Georgia Star News. “Abrams and her liberal allies can – and will – continue to outraise and outspend our campaign, but we will continue to run on Governor Kemp’s record of putting Georgians first and securing historic economic success for our state.”

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Rep. Tim Ryan Meets with Opposition from Ohio Farmers While Hosting Roundtable

Cooper Moran

Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), who is now running for U.S. Senate, was met with opposition to his policies when hosting a round table for Ohio farmers.

According to a report from The Record-Courier, Ryan attempted to preach bipartisan solutions to issues facing residents of the state. The event was connected to his official duties as a Congressman, not his senate campaign.

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Quang Nguyen Presents $2.4 Million to Support Veteran Housing in Yavapai County

Neil Jones

Arizona State Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-AZ-01) recently presented a ceremonial check for $2.4 million in state funding to support a housing project to assist homeless veterans.

“America’s veterans have given so much of themselves to protect our freedoms and way of life, it’s important that we do everything we can to support them,” Nguyen said in a press release. “This funding is going to help realize an amazing project for our veterans in Yavapai County, providing housing support and other critical services for those who have served and are in need.”

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Florida State Senator Lofts Abortion Protection by Constitutional Amendment

Grant Holcomb

Florida State Sen. Jason Pizzo (D-Miami) floated the idea of protected abortion access by way of Florida’s constitutional amendment process. His tweet comes in the wake of the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade case last month by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling.

The ruling from SCOTUS did not institute a federal ban, but allowed individual states to determine their own stance on abortion access.

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Trump Refuses to Endorse GOP Senate Candidate in Crowded Race, Praises Greitens

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Former President Donald Trump is ruling out the idea of endorsing Republican Missouri Rep. Vicky Hartzler in her Senate bid and praised one of her “controversial” primary opponents.

Trump made the Hartzler comments Friday evening on Truth Social, his social media platform. He later joined One America News on Friday and called Eric Greitens, the former governor, “a little controversial” but “tough” and “smart.”

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Bannon Discusses Testifying for Jan. 6 Panel After Trump Agrees to Waive Executive Privilege

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Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who was held in criminal contempt for not testifying to the Jan. 6 Capitol committee, is now in talks with the Democrat-led panel about testifying after former President Donald Trump sent a letter agreeing to waive his executive privilege.

Trump wrote in a letter obtained Sunday by The Guardian to Bannon and his attorney, Robert Costello, explaining why he changed his mind regarding privilege.

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POLL: Most Democrats Do Not Want Biden to Run in 2024

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A majority of registered Democrats would like someone other than President Joe Biden to be their party’s nominee in 2024, according to a poll released Monday.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats responded that they would rather somebody else at the top of the ticket, with respondents citing the economy, inflation and President Biden’s age as major determinants for their opposition to his leading the party in 2024, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll. Biden fared particularly poorly with younger voters; 94% of Democrats under the age of 30 said they would prefer a different presidential nominee.

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Commentary: Conservative Americans Can No Longer Conduct Business – and Commerce – as Usual

RealClearWire

The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was a long-awaited victory for life. While Dobbs did not make abortion illegal, it did empower the residents of all 50 states to democratically determine abortion’s legal status through their elected representatives. Currently, 22 states provide or will soon provide protection for unborn children. The other 28 states place few or no limits on abortion. The abortion battle will now move to the ballot box in each state.

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‘We’ve Lost Several Hundred Jobs a Day’: Economist Finds Red Flags in Biden’s Positive Jobs Report

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Although Friday’s jobs report seemed like good news for a beleaguered economy and President Joe Biden, the report’s potential methodological issue as well as the economy’s negative growth indicate a recession is still on the horizon, according to an economist at The Heritage Foundation.

The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics’ job report for June, released on Friday, soothed some fears that the U.S. economy might be approaching a recession. However, negative GDP growth, rampant inflation and methodological issues within the report indicate that a recession is looming, according to E.J. Antoni, a research fellow for regional economics at The Heritage Foundation.

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Chinese Officials Will Soon Strap Electronic Monitoring Bracelets to COVID Patients

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Hong Kong’s Ministry of Health announced it will soon require COVID-19 patients to wear electronic monitors as the pandemic continues to spread throughout China, Chinese media reported Monday.

Beginning on Friday, Hong Kong will require COVID-19 patients in quarantine to wear electronic bracelets in order to prohibit them from visiting “high-risk” places, Lo Chung-mau, Hong Kong’s health minister told reporters, according to China’s i-Cable News. Lo is a cabinet member within the administration of Hong Kong’s new chief executive, John Lee, who allegedly won 99% of votes after enforcing Beijing’s National Security Law.

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Seven Whoppers Peddled by House Democrats’ Jan. 6 Committee

Admin

House Democrats’ Jan. 6 committee has showcased numerous false allegations over the course of its hearings and investigations that have since been debunked and, in some cases, withdrawn.

The committee, which is made up of Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans handpicked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has promoted inaccuracies and falsehoods regarding people and events in weaving its narrative about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, even refusing to back down from some of its allegations despite contradictory evidence.

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Sole Source of Biden Claim of 10-Year-Old Raped Girl Forced to Travel for Abortion Is Activist Abortionist

Susan Berry, PhD

Joe Biden’s claim that a 10-year-old girl had allegedly been raped and had to travel from Ohio to Indiana to obtain an abortion has failed to be substantiated by multiple news outlets.

In remarks justifying his executive order seeking to undermine the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Biden said Friday:

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Former Senate Senior Staffer: Senators Could Block Promotions for Military Officers Pushing Involuntary Separations of Unvaxxed Military Personnel

Neil W. McCabe

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Robby Stephany-Saunders, a former senior national security Senate staffer, about how senators have the power to block or delay promotions for military officers facilitating the involuntary separations of unvaccinated military personnel.

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Bill Lee Comments Favorably Towards Special Session to Address 2024 RNC but Won’t Comment on Session for National Guardsmen

Aaron Gulbransen

Governor Bill Lee’s office commented favorably towards the idea of a special session in order to address issues relating to the 2024 Republican National Convention but as of press time refuses to comment on the idea of holding a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly in order to save the jobs of Tennessee National Guard soldiers who have refused the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Tennessee Star has reached out to Governor Lee’s office on multiple occasions on the issue of National Guard soldier firings and the idea of a special session. Governor Lee’s office refused comment at every inquiry.

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Attorney John Harris: ‘The Duties and Responsibilities of the Tennessee Attorney General Are Not in the State Constitution,’ But Are Defined by Statute

Julie Carr
John Harris

Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed John Harris, founder of the Tennessee Firearms Association, in studio to comment on the possibility of a violation of the national constitutional principles of separation of powers in regard to the selection of Tennessee’s state attorneys general.

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Americans for Prosperity Action Endorses State House Candidate Michelle Foreman

Cooper Moran

Americans for Prosperity Action, which is the political arm of the grassroots organization Americans for Prosperity, endorsed State House candidate Michelle Foreman. 

According to the group’s website, they back candidates that support policies that “foster economic growth and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, eliminate burdensome regulations that stifle innovation, drive down the cost of health care and improve the wellbeing of individuals.”

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Exclusive: Beth Harwell’s Campaign for TN-5 Releases ‘Back the Blue’ Plan

Aaron Gulbransen

In an exclusive statement obtained by The Tennessee Star on Sunday, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell’s campaign in the August 4 Republican primary contest for TN-5 announced her “Back the Blue” plan to support police and law enforcement.

Harwell’s six point plan calls for funding law enforcement officers and making sure they have the resources and training they need to fight crime.

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Exclusive: Mission America Foundation Announces Fundraising Effort for Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Who Refused COVID-19 Vaccine

Aaron Gulbransen

In an exclusive statement obtained by The Tennessee Star, the Mission America Foundation announced on Monday that they are beginning the effort to raise funds for Tennessee National Guard Soldiers who lost wages and jobs due to their refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“The Mission America Foundation and the Mission America PAC are proud to be joining forces to help in the effort led by Captain Mickey Shelton, Tennessee National Guard members, and their families to ensure that no TN Guard members are financially harmed or left without a job due to the mandate of the Biden Administration denying their right to medical freedoms from the COVID 19 vaccine,” said Mission America Foundation Chair Aaron Spradlin.

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Carrie Sheffield Commentary: Biden’s Dizzying Energy Policy Is Even Making Climate Warriors Scratch Their Heads

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You’d think after achieving $5 a gallon nationwide gas prices and gutting domestic oil and gas producers, America’s environmental extremists would be elated and emboldened. But President Joe Biden’s energy policy is so incoherent, even Green New Deal socialists are frustrated, according to reporting by Politico’s Zack Colman.

“The climate advocates who cheered President Joe Biden’s arrival at the White House last year are preparing to give up on Washington,” Colman writes. “Instead, environmentalists and many of their Democratic allies are starting to shift their focus to state capitals as the places to press for action on climate change — going back to a strategy that they employed with some success during the Trump era.”

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Kari Lake Calls Out Fellow Republican Karrin Taylor Robson as Only GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Who Says There Was Not Election Fraud in 2020

Rachel Alexander

Election fraud is an important issue to Republican voters, but one of the Republican candidates for governor does not believe there was any fraud in the 2020 presidential election. During the PBS GOP gubernatorial primary debate last week, Trump-endorsed Kari Lake asked for a show of hands from the other three candidates regarding whether the 2020 election was “corrupt” and “stolen.” Only Karrin Taylor Robson did not raise her hand.

Instead, Robson tried to duck the question, responding, “I’m not going to play your stunt.” Moderator Ted Simons asked the candidates to explain why they believed the election was “rigged, stolen, or whatever the phrase might be.” Lake expounded, “It was corrupt and stolen. I’ve looked at the evidence, we did a forensic audit.” 

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Ohio Democrats Seek Preservation of Records in Connection with FirstEnergy

Bradley Vasoli

Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) Chairwoman Elizabeth Walters last week filed a preliminary injunction seeking assurance that Gov. Mike DeWine (R) will preserve all records pertaining to House Bill 6 as an ODP lawsuit goes forward.

The legislation, which DeWine signed into law in July 2019, created a $1.3 billion bailout for the Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear-power plants operated by FirstEnergy Corp. Federal prosecutors have alleged that GOP former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and numerous other individuals, including erstwhile Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges, participated in a $61 million bribery scheme to effect the subsidies.

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Linking Ohio Courts, Law Enforcement Will Protect Public: Gov. DeWine

The Center Square

Law enforcement agencies and courts throughout Ohio can now be part of a new statewide criminal justice database that Gov. Mike DeWine believes will lead to better public protection and help stop the illegal purchase of firearms.

DeWine said Ohio’s new eWarrants system, which he officially announced the launch of late Wednesday, should improve the accuracy of state and federal background checks and streamline the process to fire warrants and protection orders.

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Georgia State Lawmaker Pitches Private Company’s Casting Call for Films to Be Made in Savannah

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A state lawmaker is helping a private company find actors and actresses during an open casting call event for a trio of Savannah-based film projects.

On Tuesday, the Georgia Media Services Office distributed a media advisory on behalf of Rep. Carl Gilliard, D-Savannah. Gilliard is partnering with Bill Marinella Casting to potentially cast actors and actresses in roles on “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Cave Dweller” and “Pax.”

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Gino Bulso Campaign Releases Poll Results Showing Large Lead in House District 61 Race

Aaron Gulbransen

Gino Bulso’s campaign in the August 4 Republican primary for House District 61 released poll results to The Tennessee Star on Sunday which show that he has a nearly 30 percent lead over his opponent.

“The international, awarding winning political polling firm Cygnal has just released the results of its poll, conducted June 16-21 that shows conservative candidate Gino Bulso with a commanding lead over Republican primary opponent Bob Ravener in the state house race for District 61 in Williamson County. Bulso currently leads the
race 46.3% to 17%, with 36.8% still undecided,” said Bulso’s campaign in a statement.

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Youngkin Appears on ‘Face the Nation’ Amid Wave of National Speculation About 2024 Presidential Run

Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin discussed a 15-week abortion ban, inherently divisive concepts, the U.S. Supreme Court, same-sex marriage, the 2020 elections, and a potential 2024 presidential campaign in a Sunday appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation after Vice President Kamala Harris’ interview aired on the show. That’s part of a recent wave of national media focusing on Youngkin with speculation about 2024, and comes the day after he spoke to the Nebraska GOP convention.

At the end of the interview, host Robert Costa asked Youngkin if he was mulling a presidential run.

“That’s not a decision that we have even begun to undertake. The reality of course is I’ve been in- I’ve been governor of Virginia for six months, we’ve got an extraordinary amount done. $4 billion tax cuts, a record budget for education, $400 million into law enforcement to raise salaries and keep our community safe. This is where I’m focused,” Youngkin said.

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Richmond Police Thwart Terrorist Plot by Men in U.S. Illegally

The Center Square

The Richmond Police Department thwarted a mass shooting of Virginians on July 4 by two men who were in the U.S. illegally. Their plans, which were unknown to the Department of Homeland Security – the agency tasked with preventing terrorist attacks – were thwarted by an anonymous tipster who called the police.

Republican Gov. Glen Youngkin called the tipster a “hero.”

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Amid Biden DOJ Deprioritization of Beijing’s IP Theft, Blinken Set to Meet Chinese Counterpart

Admin

When Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the Indonesian island of Bali on Saturday, the FBI will likely be in the process of launching a new probe into Chinese espionage against the U.S. — if it hadn’t already done so earlier in the day.

That’s based on an estimate by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who on Wednesday said his agency opens counterintelligence investigations into China roughly every 12 hours.

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Biden Admin Funnels Taxpayer Dollars into ‘Programming Curriculum’ for Transgender Inmates

Admin

The Department of Justice invested almost $1.5 million of taxpayer dollars into a “transgender programming curriculum” focused on transgender inmates’ needs.

The curriculum is designed to help transgender inmates with their gender “identity,” sexual health and safety, according to a summary of the government contract. Though it’s unclear if the curriculum has been implemented, the program could be available for up to 1,200 transgender inmates, according to Justice Department estimates.

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Inspector General: ‘DHS Could Do More to Address Threats of Domestic Terrorism’

The Center Square
Alejandro Mayorkas

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security “could do more to address the threats of domestic terrorism,” the Office of Inspector General concluded in a newly published report. The findings come after DHS has acknowledged that at least 50 people on the terrorist watch list have entered the U.S. illegally through the southern border since President Joe Biden has been in office.

The OIG found that DHS doesn’t have “staff dedicated to long term oversight and coordination of its efforts to combat domestic terrorism” and unless it puts in place “a cohesive long-term approach,” the agency charged with preventing terrorism “may not be able to proactively prevent and protect the Nation from this evolving threat.”

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