Month: July 2022

Several Candidates for State House Call for Action to Help National Guard Soldiers Keep Their Jobs

Aaron Gulbransen

Several candidates for state house districts called on Governor Lee, Attorney General Slatery, and the General Assembly to take action in order to help the Tennessee National Guard soldiers who refused to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Gino Bulso, a candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives, District 61, released a statement supporting the members of the Tennessee Army National Guard, more than 500 of whom entered a no-pay status, along with the loss of their health insurance and life insurance benefits simply because they decided not to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Tennessee Joins Arizona and 10 Other AGs in Lawsuit Aimed to Cleanse Federal Regulations Hampering Washing Machines, Dishwashers

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Twelve attorneys general filed an opening brief Friday in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for changes made this year to energy and water efficiency standards for dishwashers and washing machines.

“These arbitrary washing machine regulations are unlawful, ineffective, and absolutely ridiculous,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, co-leader of a suit in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals against the DOE and Secretary Jennifer Granholm, said in a statement. “They should be hung out to dry as soon as possible.”

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Ned Ryun Commentary: You Can Bet Trump Will Be Back in 2024

Admin

We’re going to get a massive red wave this fall. The 2021 results in Virginia, out of control inflation, Joe Biden’s dismal approval ratings in recent polls (for perspective, Obama’s approval rating was 44.7 percent in October 2010, just before the midterm mauling Democrats got that year), soaring gas prices, and a porous southern border indicate that even places Biden won by 20 points in 2020 are in play this fall.

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GETTR CEO Jason Miller Discusses Musk’s Failed Twitter Takeover

Peter D'Abrosca

Claiming that Twitter was in “material breach” of its agreement to sell the microblogging platform to him, Elon Musk said in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that he does not intend to purchase Twitter, invoking a massive response in the tech space. 

“Today’s announcement that Elon Musk is abandoning his takeover of Twitter comes as no surprise to those of us who predicted the implosion for months,” GETTER CEO Jason Miller said in a statement. “But the lasting result of the failed acquisition will be permanent, and Musk deserves credit for further exposing the incurable, rotting, politically discriminatory culture inside the Blue Bird.”

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At Rally, Rep. Good Blasts Virginia Republicans for Negotiating on Abortion, Del. March Drafting Life-At Conception Legislation Amid Contentious 2023 Primary Battle

Eric Burk

RICHMOND, Virginia – Congressman Bob Good (R-VA-05) held a rally on the Virginia Capitol grounds on Saturday afternoon to pressure Republican lawmakers to pursue a from-conception abortion ban, about two weeks after Governor Glenn Youngkin and leading pro-life lobbyist organization The Family Foundation said that they’d push for a 15-week pain threshold bill, due to the politically difficult environment in the General Assembly.

“The timeline of abortion should not be negotiated, abortion should not be negotiated, it should be eliminated,” Good said in his speech. “I’m sorry to say Republicans here in Richmond are the worst negotiators of all. You want to play poker with these folks. They show you what’s in their cards, they tell you the highest bid, and then they fold anyway.”

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Arizona Attorney General Brnovich Urges Gov. Ducey to Declare an Invasion on the ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ Border

Rachel Alexander

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich issued a legal opinion in February declaring that Arizona has the constitutional authority to declare an invasion on its border with Mexico, but since Gov. Doug Ducey has not done so, Brnovich is now urging him to. In a letter sent to Ducey on July 6, Brnovich, who is now running for U.S. Senate, laid out the reasons why.

“This horrible situation is a ticking time bomb,” Brnovich said. “It’s just a question of when, and not if, the unspeakable will occur.” He went on, “[W]e have every indication that the border crisis will continue to escalate. If there is more that we as a state can and should do, it can be pursued with your declaration of an ‘invasion’ at our southern border.”

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NRSC Files FEC Complaint Against Senator Raphael Warnock Following Campaign Finance Allegations

Cooper Moran

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) filed an official complaint to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Senator Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) alleged misuse of campaign funds.

According to a report, the Georgia lawmaker took campaign money to cover the cost of a lawsuit that pertained to events that occurred before he became an elected official.

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Biden’s EPA Could Kneecap America’s Largest Natural Gas Exporter

Admin

The Biden administration is expanding restrictions on carbon emissions that could impact half the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity in the U.S.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expanding a rule under the U.S. Clean Air Act called the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Pollutants (NESHAP), which places restrictions on the emission of formaldehyde and benzene from stationary combustion turbines. Starting in August, the rule will now apply to two types of gas-fired turbines that were previously left out of the regulation, the EPA announced in February.

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Texas Offers $30 Million More to Local Law Enforcement for Border Security Efforts

The Center Square

An additional $30 million in Operation Lone Star (OLS) grant money is available to Texas cities and counties to enhance border security operations, the governor’s Public Safety Office (PSO) announced.

The announcement came two days after six county judges and sheriffs asked the governor to declare an invasion at the southern border, and to do more to help them thwart illegal activity in their counties after experiencing a surge of drug and human smuggling and other criminal activity resulting from the Biden administration’s border policies.

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CBP Chief Tries to Reassure the Rank-and-File as Agency Levels Charges Against ‘Whipgate’ Agents

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Chris Magnus promised discontented rank-and-file officials that the agency would always support them despite pursuing charges against agents involved in the now-debunked “whipgate” incident, an internal email obtained exclusively by The Daily Caller News Foundation showed.

When CBP personnel “do the right thing,” the agency “will always stand behind you,” Magnus wrote in the email before announcing the results of the investigation into the September incident that took place in Del Rio, Texas. During the incident, Border Patrol agents used reins to steer their horses and maneuver around migrants entering the United Sates at the Rio Grande, which prompted some Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates to falsely claim the agents whipped migrants.

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Arizona Will Soon Give Municipalities Limited Ways to Regulate Short-Term Rentals

The Center Square

Arizona – a popular vacation destination with thousands of short-term rental listings protected by legislation from most limitations – will soon allow cities to further regulate them. It will be up to cities to enact and enforce them.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed SB 1168 into law, allowing cities and towns to “govern short-term rentals via licenses or permits, notifications and liability insurance, as well as the ability to fine owners or management companies when their property occupants violate community ordinances,” his office said.

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Northern Virginia Town Adopts Gun Buyback Ordinance

The Center Square
An unloaded handgun sitting on the center console of a vehicle with the magazine clip next to it

A town in northern Virginia has adopted a gun buyback ordinance, which will allow residents to receive compensation for giving unwanted firearms to the town.

The Dumfries Town Council approved the gun buyback program at a meeting this week. The ordinance the council adopted authorizes the town manager to contract an individual or entity to manage the firearm buyback program. The contract would be administered by the police department.

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The Migrant Caravans Into the U.S. Are Largely Orchestrated by One Organization: Report

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The leader of recent migrant caravans has helped bring thousands of people through Mexico on a mission he says is driven by God, he told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Luis Rey Garcia Villagran told the DCNF that he’s directly helped 40,000 migrants cross into the United States through caravans he’s led since September 2021, believing it’s his duty to God. He’s done so through the work of his organization, the Center for Human Dignity.

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Commentary: Airlines Feel the Pinch as Boomer-age Pilots Refuse the Vax Mandate

Admin

Remember the mandate to fire anyone who wouldn’t be coerced into getting vaccinated craze that consumed much of the first year of the Biden presidency?

Joe Biden is really hoping that you won’t.

Airline disruptions and cancellations are part of the ongoing “supply chain” crisis which is playing havoc with the U.S. and world economy. Sure would be nice to have some of those pilots, flight attendants and ground crew back at the airports now, wouldn’t it?  United Airlines alone claimed that 2,200 workers who received religious or medical exemptions from the vaccine would be placed on administrative leave or put into roles which did not touch customers.

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Elaine Davis and Janet Testerman are Set to Face Off for Tennessee House District 18, Knox County’s Only Contested Republican Primary

Laura Baigert

With one-term Representative Eddie Mannis deciding not to run for another term, Tennessee House District 18 is the only one of Knox County’s seven state House districts that will have a contested Republican primary on the August 4 ballot.

Elaine Davis, Former Knox County Commissioner and former Vice Chair of the Knox County Republican Party will face off against Knoxville City Council member-at-large Janet Testerman in the district that lies mainly in West Knoxville and is now considered to be slightly more conservative after the recent redistricting that picked up a small portion of South Knox.

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Tennessee Supreme Court Opens Comments for Bar Association Requirements in Tennessee

Peter D'Abrosca

A women’s group is vying for the state of Tennessee to change its rules about admitting recently relocated lawyers to the State Bar Association, claiming that the current rules are not amenable to mothers who wish to work part-time. 

State Bar Associations often have agreements with other states allowing reciprocity for lawyers who relocate to be admitted to the Bar in their new state. 

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Biden Attempts to Undermine Supreme Court by Imposing Full Access to Abortion Nationwide With Executive Order

Susan Berry, PhD

Joe Biden attempted to undermine the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision two weeks ago in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization by signing an executive order Friday that seeks to impose abortion on demand on the nation.

Pressed by radical pro-abortion leftists still reeling after the Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the White House has produced a “fact sheet” about the executive order it claims will “protect access to reproductive health care services” until Congress enshrines the tenets of Roe into federal law.

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Exclusive: Beth Harwell Says ‘Joe Biden is Destroying America’ in New TN-5 Campaign Ad

Aaron Gulbransen

In an exclusive obtained by The Tennessee Star, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell says that “Joe Biden is destroying America,” in her latest television ad for the August 4 Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

The ad begins with a voiceover from a narrator that says, “Chaos at the border, crime in our neighborhoods, runaway inflation – Joe Biden is destroying America.”

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Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Vetoes Budget Citing Negative Impact of Tax Increase

Aaron Gulbransen

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles sent a letter to Maury County Commission Chairman Don Morrow in which he vetoed the proposed Maury County budget for the next fiscal year citing the negative impact of the proposed tax increase as citizens deal with the Biden administration’s inflationary policies.

“I have spent a great deal of time reviewing the budget in context of the greater economic factors that are occurring in United States, from record fuel prices, inverted yield curve, collapse in commodities such as copper, and record low consumer sentiment just to name a few; some analysts are speculating that the impending recession could be worse than 2008,” said Ogles in his letter.

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Club for Growth-Affiliated Super PAC Launches $400K in TV and Radio Attack Ads Against Kurt Winstead and Beth Harwell in TN-5 Race

Aaron Gulbransen

On Friday, a Club for Growth-controlled federal super PAC, the School Freedom Fund PAC, launched a nearly $400,000 television and radio attack advertising blitz against Kurt Winstead and Beth Harwell in the August 4 Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

The ads attack Winstead’s Democrat voter and donor history as well as Harwell’s endorsement in the 2018 Tennessee governor’s race from a teacher’s association that endorsed in both the Republican and Democrat primaries.

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Commentary: Biden’s Border Policies Guarantee Death and Destruction

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It’s no secret that President Biden has been dismantling the U.S. immigration system since he took office. Under his all-but-named open-border policies, an estimated 794,112 illegal immigrants have escaped into the United States. The crisis is accelerating as roughly 476,000 such crossings have been in the first six months of 2022.

The “successful” crossings at the U.S. border will continue to skyrocket, as more immigrants attempt to enter, with agents encountering a record 239,416 migrants in May alone.

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Tennessee Identifies First Monkeypox Case

Peter D'Abrosca

Tennessee has identified its first case of Monkeypox, a rare affliction that can be deadly. 

“Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness. Although infection may begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion before the development of rash, many of the cases associated with the 2022 outbreak have reported very mild or no symptoms other than rash,” according to the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH).

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Harwell Scorches Liberal Prosecutors and Defund the Police Movement in Comments on Jose Alba Self Defense Situation

Aaron Gulbransen

TN-5 candidate and former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell castigated liberal prosecutors and the defund the police movement in comments that she made on the case of Jose Alba where he was charged with second-degree murder that even New York City Democrats said was a clear instance of self defense.

“It seems liberal prosecutors and district attorneys are more focused on cracking down on law abiding citizens than criminals.” Said Beth Harwell.

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Charlotte Board of Supervisors Approves Permit for Largest Solar Facility in Virginia (So Far)

Eric Burk

The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors approved a use permit for an 800 megawatt solar facility — the largest in Virginia so far, according to SoVaNow. That moves the Randolph Solar Project close to its sale from developer SolUnesco to Dominion Energy, which needs to reduce carbon emissions after the General Assembly passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020.

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Pennsylvania Senate Bill Would Give Voters Say in Abortion, Voter ID

The Center Square

A late-night Republican push for a constitutional amendment declaring no right to an abortion has caused controversy.

The resolution would also change elections to require voter ID, raise the voting age to 21, and allow gubernatorial candidates to pick their running mate for lieutenant governor, rather than have two separate races.

Senate Bill 106 would amend Article I of the Pennsylvania Constitution to read: “This Constitution does not grant the right to taxpayer-funded abortion or any other right relating to abortion.”

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‘Launch Michigan’ Wants an Extra $3.8B for Schools Statewide

The Center Square

A school advocacy group called Launch Michigan wants an additional $3.8 billion for Michigan schools disbursed statewide, funded by an undisclosed new tax.

The group released its report in June, prior to state lawmakers passing a 2023 $19.6 billion School Aid Fund, which includes record education spending of $21.3 billion, or 27% of the entire state budget for the year.

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Ohio Lawmakers Push Suing Men for Pregnancy, ‘Life Day’ after Roe Ruling

The Center Square

One Ohio senator wants women to be able to sue men for causing unintended pregnancy, while another wants the state to declare June 24 “Life Day,” all coming in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and the state’s now six-week ban on abortion.

Sen. Tina Maharath, D-Canal Winchester, used both the Supreme Court decision and the state’s new ban as her push to introduce Senate Bill 262 that would allow a civil action against any person causing an unintended pregnancy or any person aiding or abetting someone to have caused an unintended pregnancy.

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Signs Most Expansive School Choice Program in Nation

Susan Berry, PhD

Governor Doug Ducey (R) said Thursday Arizona is now the “top state for school choice” and the “first state in the nation to offer all families” school choice options.

Ducey signed into law House Bill 2853, which allows all K-12 students in Arizona to be eligible for scholarship funds so they may access the education setting that best fits their needs.

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Georgia House Speaker Calls on MLB to Award Atlanta All-Star Game After 2021 Cancelation

Peter D'Abrosca

Georgia’s House Speaker this week turned the heat up on Major League Baseball (MLB), which moved its All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver last year in protest of Georgia’s SB 202 election integrity law. 

“Earlier this week, I wrote to [MLB] Commissioner [Rob Manfred] and called on him to announce a future All-Star Game in Atlanta,” said Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-District 7). “Georgia’s Election Integrity Act made voting more accessible and secure. False claims to the contrary have been proven wrong. Time for him to make this right.”

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Settlement Forces Electric Companies out of Connecticut Market

The Center Square

A parent company and three additional electric companies will be exiting the market in Connecticut, Attorney General William Tong said.

A $3 million settlement, the attorney general announced, has been reached with Public Power to resolve litigation that the company did not publish next cycle rate information as required. The company also is to have alleged denying customers a chance to switch to another provider to avoid increased charges.

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America Rising PAC Slams Mark Kelly for Supporting a Gas Tax Holiday which Would Undermine Infrastructure Funding for Arizona

Neil Jones

The America Rising PAC (ARPAC) recently spoke with the Arizona Sun Times via email, criticizing Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for supporting a federal gas holiday that would ultimately, the say, undermine infrastructure funding for Arizona.

“This is another example of why Mark Kelly shouldn’t be sent back to Washington. Not only does his ineffective gas tax suspension undermine the one legislative accomplishment he’s writing home about – Arizona wouldn’t even need a gas tax holiday if it wasn’t for the Democrats’ anti-American energy agenda that drove gas prices to record-breaking levels in the first place,” said ARPAC Press Secretary Whitney Robertson.

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Youngkin Raises over $1.5 Million in Second Quarter

Eric Burk

The deadline for second quarter finance reports isn’t until July 15, but Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC has already reported $1.5 million in donations of $10,000 or more, which are required to be reported within three days of receipt, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. That exceeds his previous three predecessors by about $1 million at this point in their terms, even accounting for inflation.

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Mark Brnovich Announces Two Multistate Settlements with Four Pharmaceutical Companies for Their Roles in the Opioid Crisis

Neil Jones

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) recently announced two historic multistate settlements, totaling $26 billion, with four pharmaceutical companies over their roles in the opioid crisis.

“We are working to get these opioid abatement funds to local communities as quickly as possible,” Brnovich said in a press release. “They will help facilitate more effective treatment, education, and prevention as our state continues to tackle this heartbreaking crisis.”

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Arizona Republican Gubernatorial Primary Race Reveals Divide Between Moderates and Conservatives as Ducey Endorses Robson

Rachel Alexander

The race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination has intensified over the recent days, as key candidates and political players make their moves to influence the outcome of the upcoming primary election. Former Congressman Matt Salmon’s exit and subsequent endorsement of Karrin Taylor Robson was followed by Gov. Doug Ducey, who offered the Phoenix-area businesswoman a full-throated statement of support of his own.

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Elon Musk Cancels Bid to Buy Twitter

Admin
Twitter logo

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Friday announced that he was canceling plans to purchase social media giant Twitter, citing the company’s failure to produce information on fake accounts.

Musk sent a letter to Twitter’s board of directors on Friday announcing he would not acquire the company. He told the Securities and Exchange Commission that Twitter has “not complied with its contractual obligation,” according to the Associated Press.

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Google Offers to Break Up to Prevent Antitrust Lawsuit

Admin

Google has offered to break apart in a bid to avoid greater punishment for antitrust violations from federal regulators, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The tech giant has raised the prospect of separating a major business operation off from Google—the auctioning and placing of online advertisements—to form a separate entity also under the umbrella of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, people close to Google reportedly told the WSJ. It was unclear if the offer would satisfy the Department of Justice (DOJ), which declined to comment on the story, according to the WSJ.

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