Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed John Harris, founder of the Tennessee Firearms Association, in studio to weigh in on the recent mall shooting in Indiana that was cut short by a good samaritan and his Glock.
Read the full storyMonth: July 2022
National Political Editor Neil W. McCabe on His Recent Interview with Jack Maxey Discussing Hunter Biden’s Laptop Contents
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed The Tennessee Star’s national political editor Neil McCabe to the newsmaker line to discuss his recent interview with ex-Navy Officer Jack Maxey who has taken it upon himself to release a road map to Hunter Biden’s laptop content.
Read the full storyCrom’s Crommentary: Only Partisan Democrats and World Leaders Believe Joe Biden Is President
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 storyCrom Carmichael on Mike Pence’s Authority to Challenge 2020 Electoral Slate
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio to discuss an article addressing election integrity in past elections and the authority of Mike Pence in the 2020 presidential election.
Read the full storyYour Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast with Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren for Wednesday Night into Thursday
Star News Network Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren shares her Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast for Wednesday night and into Thursday.
Read the full storyiFixit to Invest $24.2 Million in Chattanooga, Creating 201 New Jobs
iFixit officials announced Monday that the company will establish its East Coast hub for distribution and innovation in Chattanooga. iFixit will invest $24.2 million and create 201 new jobs in Hamilton County over the next five years, according to a press release by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
Read the full storyTennessee State Representative Torrey Harris Arrested for Assault, Theft Charges
Tennessee State Representative Torrey Harris (D-Memphis) was arrested on Sunday on assault, domestic bodily injury, and theft of property charges.
An affidavit alleges the state lawmaker and an individual, who is identified as Harris’s ex-boyfriend, got into a physical altercation when Harris returned a dog.
Read the full storyWilliamson County Schools to Reconsider Charter Application for Founders Classical Academy
Williamson County Schools will reconsider a charter application by Founders Classical Academy on July 21.
Previously, the Board of Education denied the application of the proposed charter school, contending it did not meet certain standards.
Read the full storyTennessee Supreme Court Justice Biography Series: Justice Holly Kirby
As Tennessee prepares for its Supreme Court elections, which will be held on August 4, The Tennessee Star profiling each of the judges as part of a series.
Uniquely, Tennessee’s Supreme Court is charged with choosing the state’s next attorney general, who will replace outgoing Attorney General Herbert Slatery III.
Read the full storyCommentary: Joe Biden’s War on Fossil Fuels
Try as they might to mitigate the severe energy crisis plaguing the U.S., the Biden administration’s attempt to shore up supply is a few wellheads short of an oil rig.
With gasoline prices averaging over $4.60 per gallon and several electric grid operators warning of rolling blackouts, increasing the supply of America’s most critical energy sources is vital. Fossil fuels account for 80% of America’s energy usage, yet the administration is intent on curbing oil and gas supply, cutting gasoline refining capacity, and making it more challenging to meet rising electric demands.
Read the full storyFlorida AG Asks Biden to Classify Fentanyl as Weapon of Mass Destruction
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) called on President Joe Biden (D) to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction in a letter sent to the White House.
Read the full storyMichigan Communities Get $5 Million for Clean Drinking Water
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy awarded more than $5 million to help six communities improve drinking water systems.
The funding stems from a $4.8 billion bipartisan infrastructure plan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law earlier this year.
Read the full storyThree Virginia Congressmen Among 18 Votes Against Supporting Addition of Sweden, Finland to NATO
Virginia had the most representatives voting ‘Nay’ on Monday against a resolution supporting adding Sweden and Finland to NATO. The resolution passed with 394 votes in favor, just 18 votes against, all Republican, and 19 members not voting. Three of Virginia’s four Republican congressmen voted against the measure: Congressmen Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Bob Good (R-VA-05), and Ben Cline (R-VA-06), while Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) voted in favor.
In a press release, Griffith said that the Senate has the constitutional power to ratify adding the two countries to NATO, but not the House. He said that the resolution also calls for other NATO countries to support adding the two countries.
“I think that goes well beyond the House’s jurisdiction,” Griffith said.
Read the full storyOhio GOP State Committeeman and Treasurer Johnson Denounced by Cousin in Re-Election Bid
Video footage of a rally in North Lima, Ohio, on Sunday shows Frederick “Sam” Johnson standing with Ohio Republican State Central Committee candidate Rick Barron and denouncing Barron’s opponent, Sam’s own cousin David Johnson.
David Johnson is the incumbent State Central Committeeman in the 33rd district (Columbiana and Mahoning counties) and also serves as Ohio Republican Party (ORP) treasurer. He and Barron will compete for the August 2 special primary committee seat.
Read the full storyGeorgia Officials Use Federal Grant to Create School Safety Website, Training for School Districts
Georgia authorities are using a federal grant to fund a new website to disseminate school safety resources and updated training to Georgia schools.
The Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency are using a Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence Grant to fund the new Georgia Center for School Safety website.
Read the full storyWisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Tim Michels Releases ‘Wisconsin First’ Economic Plan
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels released a new economic plan that, he contends, will put “Wisconsin first.”
The candidate, who received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, supported lower taxes and an increase in economic investments.
Read the full storyNew Report: Pennsylvania Suffers from ‘Myriad of Election Issues’
Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Chairman Seth Grove (R-York) released a report Tuesday detailing “a myriad of election issues” in the Keystone State.
Speaking to reporters at the Capitol Building, Grove reviewed his findings, including inconsistent vote-counting rules, ballot harvesting, fraud and administrative errors. The new report is the third he has issued concerning election problems since November 2020.
Read the full storyCampus Group in Pennsylvania Calls Surprise $1,800 Security Fee ‘Unfair and Irresponsible’
After an April 27 event held by the pro-free speech group Uncensored America at Pennsylvania State University, the campus group was hit with more than $1,800 in security fees from the school.
The event was a debate on the topic ‘Ukraine is Evil’, featuring Elijah Schaffer, a reporter for Blaze Media, and Steven “Destiny” Bonnell, a political YouTuber.
Read the full storyEndorsed Minnesota GOP Candidates Say Party Is Working Against Them
The Minnesota GOP cut off access to party data for at least four endorsed candidates over the weekend, hamstringing their campaigns just three weeks before the primaries.
Two of the four candidates, Natalie Barnes and Bret Bussman, beat out incumbent Republican senators for the party’s endorsement earlier this year.
Read the full storyArizona Restaurant Association Says Business Owners Face Struggles During Record Inflation
Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association (ARA), told The Arizona Sun Times on Tuesday that local businesses in the state are struggling under inflation.
“For us [the ARA], it’s really two-fold. It’s not only inflation and what that means to supply chain issues, but it’s also gas prices. There’s a direct correlation between restaurant frequency and the increase in gas prices,” Chucri said.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn Endorses Connecticut Republican Leora Levy for U.S. Senate
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has endorsed Connecticut Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Leora Levy.
“I am excited to endorse Leora Levy to be Connecticut’s next United States Senator,” Blackburn posted to social media. “She is a barrier breaking woman and the clear conservative choice to help us FIRE Democrats this November.”
Read the full storyOhio Congressional Candidate Matthew Diemer Suggested Americans Should Buy Electric Vehicles to Avoid Gas Prices
Ohio congressional candidate Matthew Diemer has routinely suggested that Americans, who are struggling to afford high gas prices, should simply purchase an electric vehicle to avoid gas prices.
Diemer has bragged about owning a Tesla, where the cheapest new model costs more than $45,000.
Read the full storyDeSantis Announces Civics Academy
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced Monday that $6.5 million was being designated to launch the Career Pathways for Public Service Initiative. The new program will prepare students for public service and a career in local or state government.
Read the full storyCommentary: Government Is the Biggest Obstacle to Educational Freedom
In Massachusetts where I live, average private school tuition hovers around $23,000. For secular private schools, the cost is typically much higher, with Boston-area private school tuition often exceeding $40,000. This price tag is way too high for most families to afford, but emerging microschools are typically a fraction of the cost of other private education options.
For example, the Wilder School is a new Acton Academy-affiliated microschool that costs about $12,000 a year, while Life Rediscovered, a new homeschool resource center offering up to five days a week of full-day, drop-off learning, costs about $10,000. Even established local microschools, such as Bay State Learning Center that was founded in 2014 and that I wrote about in Unschooled, have similar tuition costs and frequently offer financial aid or sliding scale tuition.
Read the full storyKari Lake Responds to Gov. Doug Ducey’s Criticism, Notes RINOs ‘Travel in Packs’ Citing Rival’s Pence, Christie Endorsements
Early ballots for Arizona’s primary election were mailed last week, prompting a flurry of last minute endorsements for candidates. Gov. Doug Ducey, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson in the gubernatorial race, and Ducey took it a step further, criticizing Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake during a CNN appearance, prompting a sharp response from Lake.
Lake, who is leading by a substantial amount in recent polls, has portrayed Robson and those endorsing her as RINOs. She told The Arizona Sun Times, “Doug Ducey, Chris Christie and Mike Pence are all herding around Karrin Taylor Robson. It turns out RINOs travel in packs.”
Read the full storyNew Connecticut Law Targets Vehicle Theft
A new Connecticut law will target the state’s motor vehicle theft issue, providing updated structure and procedure for law enforcement officials.
Public Act 22-115, which was approved on a bipartisan basis by the Connecticut General Assembly, takes aim at juveniles with a record at repeated theft attempts.
Read the full storyMusic/Author Spotlight: Alisa Childers
Earlier this year, my brother told me about Alisa Childers, who recently wrote a book about Christian apologetics. Not only that, she was a former member of the contemporary Christian music group ZOEgirl back in the early 2000s and she was married to someone with whom we attended college.
Read the full storyCommentary: Georgians Deserve a Lieutenant Governor with a Vision
Most of the time during campaigns, candidates lay out their visions for why they should be elected. But for Democrats in Georgia, that seems to be a difficult endeavor.
At a debate earlier this year, my opponent Charlie Bailey was asked point blank if there were any policy positions that he disagreed with Stacey Abrams on—to which he responded: “None that I can think of.” Let that sink in: A candidate running for statewide office in Georgia doesn’t have a single original policy position, agenda item, or vision of his own—so instead, he blindly swears allegiance to Stacey Abrams.
Read the full storyEconomist: 30 Percent Chance That U.S. Enters a Recession Within a Year’s Time
A Goldman Sachs economist says there is a 30% probability of the U.S. entering a recession within one year and 48% within two years.
Goldman Sachs Chief U.S. economist David Mericle outlined the probability of a recession at an event Tuesday and said that the likelihood of a recession would decrease if the U.S. had not entered one within two years.
Read the full storyLeft-Wing Activists Urge Big Tech to Censor Anti-Pedophile ‘Smear’
by Laurel Duggan Media Matters, a left-wing activist organization, is urging Twitter to censor the word “groomer,” which it characterizes as anti-LGBT. The term “groomer,” which describes an adult who befriends a child without proper boundaries in order to prime them for for sexual abuse, has been used by conservatives to criticize child drag events and lessons on sexuality and gender identity targeting young children. Media Matters argued that the word is being used to smear LGBT people as sexual predators and urged Twitter to crack down on the term. “This is one of the latest violent acts resulting from a right-wing smear campaign on social media that has driven nationwide harassment and violence against members of the LGBTQ community and their allies,” Media Matters researcher Mia Gingerich, who works in the organization’s LGBTQ Program, wrote in an article. “In the face of this targeted hate campaign, Twitter has failed to act to protect its users.” “The platform continues to allow content promoting the offensive and flagrantly false accusation that LGBTQ people are attempting to sexually exploit children — a conspiracy theory with deeply rooted anti-gay and anti-trans origins — to spread unchecked,” the article said. Reddit will now enforce their hate speech policy…
Read the full storyDemocrat Reps. Omar, Ocasio-Cortez Arrested During Supreme Court Abortion Protest
Several congressional Democrats, including Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were arrested Tuesday outside of the U.S. Supreme Court during an abortion-rights protest for allegedly blocking traffic.
In total, U.S. Capitol Police arrested 34 people, including 16 members of Congress.
Read the full storyInstructor Terminated for Harassing Conservative Student Loses Lawsuit
Former University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) graduate student and instructor Courtney Lawton recently lost her lawsuit against the Board of Regents, UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green, and then-NU President Hank Bounds.
She had sued the university after being removed from her teaching position for verbally harassing a student holding a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) sign in 2017.
Read the full storyCommentary: Justice Department Designates Obstruction as an Act of Terror
To hear federal prosecutors tell it, Guy Wesley Reffitt almost single-handedly organized and led a bloodthirsty mob to overtake Congress on January 6, 2021.
One of the first protesters arrested in the Justice Department’s “shock and awe” dragnet of Donald Trump supporters, Reffitt was immediately indicted on numerous offenses. He spent more than a year in the D.C. gulag set aside for Americans who protested Joe Biden’s election under pretrial detention orders sought by the Justice Department—and he was the first January 6 defendant to stand trial in a city that voted nearly 93 percent for Biden in 2020.
Read the full storyCalifornia School Board Plans to Open New Planned Parenthood on High School Campus
In California, the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District (NLMUSD) is drawing up plans to install a new Planned Parenthood clinic on a high school campus within the district.
Breitbart reports that the district is eyeing the John Glen High School, which is located in a district that’s 90 percent minority, with 80 percent of that percentage being Latino.
Read the full storyWisconsin Lawmakers Appear Ready to Override Wisconsin Elections Commission Once Again
It is going to be another scolding for the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
The Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules will meet on Wednesday to consider new rules for ballot curing.
Read the full storyFormer Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Now Says Department Should Not Exist
Betsy DeVos, who led the U.S. Department of Education under former President Donald Trump, now says the department should no longer exist, an assertion many Trump voters urged him to work to make a reality during his 2016 campaign.
“I personally think the Department of Education should not exist,” DeVos said Saturday during a Moms for Liberty education summit in Tampa, Florida.
Read the full storyMark Green Commemorates Anniversary of AMIA, Takes Issue with Iran Nuclear Deal Negotiations
U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-7) commemorated the anniversary of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) bombing in Argentina and took issue with the Biden administration’s negotiations on the Iran Nuclear Deal on Monday.
“We will never forget the 28th anniversary of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This heinous attack—carried out by Hezbollah with the support of Iran—took 85 victims and wounded hundreds more,” said Green in a tweet.
Read the full storySenator Blackburn Releases New Video Highlighting How Inflation Has Impacted Tennesseans
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a new video on Tuesday highlighting how inflation impacts Tennesseans.
“On the campaign trail, Joe Biden promised to cancel fossil fuels, and he’s following through on that promise. To make matters worse, he schemed with his fellow Democrats to force a $1.9 trillion spending package through Congress to fund scores of liberal pet projects. As a result, energy costs are through the roof, inflation is at a 41-year high, and gas is up 59.9%. Tennesseans have had enough. The key to lowering inflation is to stop this reckless spending,” said Senator Blackburn in a statement provided to The Tennessee Star.
Read the full storyTennessee Right to Life Announces 2022 Endorsees
The Tennessee Right to Life announced this week its list of endorsees for this year’s statewide elections.
“Tennessee Right to Life exists to promote public respect for the dignity of every human life especially those threatened by abortion, infanticide, partial-birth abortion, assisted suicide, or euthanasia,” according to the organization’s website. “TRL advocates the protection of human life without regard to age, handicap, condition or social position.”
Read the full storyChattanooga Fire Department Conducting Maritime Training Exercise with Coast Guard
The Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD) Monday announced that it will be conducting maritime readiness training this week.
“If you see flashing lights and first responders at the Riverpark and on the Tennessee River on Tuesday (7/19/22), don’t be alarmed,” CFD said Monday. “It’s part of a big joint training event coordinated by the US Coast Guard & involving many different agencies, including the [Chattanooga Fire Department].”
Read the full storyDOJ, Envigo Settlement Ends Beagle-Breeding-for-Testing at Cumberland Facility; ‘Huge Win for Humanity,’ Says Sen. Boysko
Envigo and DOJ officials announced a settlement in the government’s lawsuit against the Cumberland beagle-breeder-for-medical-testing; 4,000 beagles will be relinquished to the Humane Society of the United States and Envigo will be permanently prohibited from engaging in activity at the facility requiring an Animal Welfare Act license.
“This settlement brings to an end the needless suffering caused by Envigo’s blatant violations of animal welfare laws at this facility,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) said in a Monday press release. “We will continue to vigorously enforce animal welfare laws to ensure that animals are provided the humane care that they are legally owed and deserve.”
Read the full storyState Executive Committee Candidate Lulu Elam Calls for Elimination of Vouching Option in Tennessee Republican Party Bylaws
Lulu Elam, a candidate for Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) State Executive Committee in Davidson County, expressed her concern on Tuesday over her opponent’s reluctance to support the elimination of “vouching” as an option for candidates in Tennessee seeking to qualify as a bona fide Republican.
Current TRP bylaws require prospective candidates to vote in three of four successive statewide primary elections prior to becoming a Republican candidate.
Read the full storySources Say Recruitment Effort Underway to Persuade Former Bill Lee Chief Counsel Lang Wiseman to Apply for Attorney General Vacancy
Several sources familiar with the on goings at the Tennessee Capitol told The Tennessee Star that a recruitment effort has started in an attempt to persuade former Deputy to the Governor and Chief Counsel Lang Wiseman to seek the position of attorney general. This development comes in the wake of news regarding Governor Bill Lee’s Chief Operating Officer Brandon Gibson, who is making it known that her interest in applying for the attorney general job has waned.
Read the full storyMaury County Mayor Andy Ogles Skips County Budget Veto Override Vote
Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles skipped the Maury County Commission meeting on Monday evening where a vote was held to override his veto of the county budget.
Ogles’ veto was reportedly overridden by a vote of 17 in favor of the override, with two against, and three abstaining.
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Evening News Update – July 19, 2022
Watch The Tennessee Star Evening News Update with Michael Patrick Leahy weekdays at 5pm and on demand.
Read the full storyYour Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast with Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren for Tuesday Night and Wednesday
Star News Network Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren shares her Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast for Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Read the full storyJames Madison Performer Gives His Take on ‘Parity’ at Montpelier
Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed John Douglas Hall, a historical performer of “Father of the Constitution” James Madison about the changes at the museum at the president’s home, Montpelier.
Read the full storyGulbransen Joins Host Leahy to Talk Tennessee AG Selection Process and Call for Governor Lee’s Pick, Gibson to State Her Case
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen in-studio to talk about the AG selection in the state of Tennessee and the unanswered calls for comment by Governor Lee’s alleged pick for new AG, Brandon Gibson. Leahy and Gulbransen later called for Gibson to come on the show and state her case.
Read the full storySouth Central GOP Vice Chair Raphaela Keohane Describes Why Charter Amendment 1 Is Bad for Registered Davidson County Voters
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed grassroots activist and Vice Chair of the South central region of Davidson County Republican chapter Raphaela Keohane in the studio to talk about how bad the Amendment One initiative is for registered voters in the county.
Read the full storyHosts Leahy and Gulbransen Question Whether TN-5 Candidate Kurt Winstead Is Propping Up Cash on Hand
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen in-studio to speculate whether or not TN5 candidate Kurt Winstead’s campaign is propping up cash on hand based on recent financial reporting.
Read the full story