Rutherford County Parents Ask Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to Approve American Classical Academy Charter School Application

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission held a hearing in Murfreesboro Wednesday morning on the appeal by American Classical Academy Rutherford of the denial by the Rutherford County School Board earlier this year of their application to open a charter school in the county.

Twelve Rutherford County parents told TPCSC Chair Tom Griscom and TPCSC staff members in attendance they wanted the TPCSC to approve American Classical Academy Rutherford’s appeal, and grant the school a charter to begin operation in the fall of 2023, initially for grades K through 5.

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TBI’s Average Turnaround Time for Rape Kit Analysis Is 45 Weeks

According to data provided to The Tennessee Star by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the average time it takes for the state law enforcement agency to conduct analysis on sexual assault kits (SAKs) submitted to it by local law enforcement is 45 weeks. 

That figure accounts for SAKs that are reviewed by TBI’s Jackson crime lab. In its Nashville lab, TBI tests and analyzes SAKs in about 25 weeks. In its Knoxville lab, that figure is around 30 weeks. 

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Secretary of Finance: Virginia’s August Tax Revenues Up 5.4 Percent, Economic Indicators Mixed

August General Fund tax revenues rose about 5.4 percent compared to August 2021 when adjusted for an extra deposit day this year. That’s a good sign but Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings told legislators September’s data will be more significant for analysts and legislators who are trying to figure out what fiscal year 2023’s finances will look like.

“August collections exceeded projections, driven by employment and wage growth year-over-year,” Cummings said in a press release from the governor’s office.

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Candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive Backs Noncitizen Voting

Chris Ronayne, the Democratic candidate for Cuyahoga County executive, said in a public forum this week that he would support Ohio’s municipalities allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections.

The former Cleveland city administrator and former president of University Circle, Inc., a community-development corporation, explained to attendees at the Global Cleveland panel discussion at Jukebox that he believed cities can use their home-rule powers to adopt that election policy.

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Another Law Enforcement Group Endorses Kari Lake

Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee Wednesday announced that she has received an endorsement from yet another law enforcement organization. 

“I have been endorsed by the Maricopa County Deputies Law Enforcement Officer Association The McDLEA seeks to ‘promote the positive role of the law enforcement profession’ throughout the county. Our law enforcement officers will have my full support & I’m honored to have theirs,” Lake said on Twitter. 

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Grassroots Groups Pressure Arizona Officials to Follow 110 U.S. Counties and Not Use Voting Machines

Voters concerned about election fraud are increasing the pressure on public officials to take additional steps during elections this year to provide additional security, including counting ballots by hand instead of using electronic voting machines for tabulation. Arizona Corporation Commissioner Jim O’Connor sent all Arizona county election officials and sheriffs a letter on August 30 urging the change, and now grassroots organizations are following up with their own campaign.

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Arizona GOP Slams Maricopa County Attorney Candidate Julie Gunnigle for Anti-Police Stance

The Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) released a statement Tuesday slamming Maricopa County Attorney (MCA) candidate Julie Gunnigle for an “anti-cop attitude” and having staff members who have previously opposed police.

“Violent crime is on the rise across Arizona as a direct result of Democratic Leadership at the local and county level. Statistics and common-sense logic support a clear conclusion: Soft on crime messaging and coddling criminals DOES NOT WORK,” aid Arizona GOP Political Director Jeremiah Cota in a press release.

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Arizona Sees Record Number of Jobs in the State

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) revealed Monday that efforts to work with companies to bring jobs to Arizona have paid off, bringing in the most jobs seen by the organization in a single year.

“For the second year in a row, Arizona economic development efforts broke records. During the 12-month fiscal period that ended June 30, 2022, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) and local economic development agencies successfully worked with companies that committed to creating a projected 24,186 new Arizona jobs – a single year record. Those companies also committed to investing $10.75 billion in local communities,” according to the ACA.

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New Study: COVID Vaccines for Young Adults up to 98 Times Worse than the Disease

A new pre-print study by nine health experts from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and other top universities found that COVID-19 boosters administered to young adults cause 18 to 98 serious adverse events for each COVID hospitalization prevented.

The study—posted Monday on The Social Science Research Network (SSRN)—concluded that mandatory booster vaccination in college is “ethically unjustifiable.” The paper is titled, “COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for Young Adults: A Risk-Benefit Assessment and Five Ethical Arguments against Mandates at Universities.”

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Major University Discriminates Against White and Asian Men, Lawsuit Alleges

A lawsuit filed Sept. 10 alleges that Texas A&M University’s hiring practices discriminate against white and Asian men applying for faculty positions.

Richard Lowery, an associated professor of finance at the University of Texas at Austin, filed a complaint to the Houston federal court saying the policies at Texas A&M prevented him from being hired at the university. Lowery alleges that the university uses “racial preferences” to determine its hires for faculty positions, favoring “underrepresented minorities” over white and Asian men.

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Google and IBM Reverse Course on Race-Based Fellowships Following Backlash

The tech companies Google and IBM are backing off of previous plans to severely limit the number of White and Asian students who will be allowed to serve in their fellowships, after critical reporting of the plans resulted in backlash.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, previous reporting on the planned affirmative action policies cited several lawyers and other legal experts saying the moves would be in violation of civil rights laws and would likely face challenges if implemented. The companies had planned to implement a race-based cap on the number of White and Asian students that each university could nominate for the fellowships, in order to artificially increase the number of black and Hispanic students admitted instead.

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Memphis School Board Member Keith Williams Urged to Resign Post as Head of District’s Largest Teachers’ Union

The chair of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) board is urging newly elected board member Keith Williams to leave his position as executive director of the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association, citing a potential conflict of interest.

MSCS Board Chair Michelle McKissack said that while Williams has been “a great voice for the teachers community,” he now “has to use that voice for all teachers, all students, and all families.” Chalkbeat reported.

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Memphis Science and History Museum Holding ‘Family Friendly’ Drag Show, Sparking Backlash

The Memphis Museum of Science and History is facing backlash after news emerged that it will hold a drag show for people of all ages on September 23. 

“Presenting the Museum of Science & History’s grand culmination of our Summer of Pride programming and a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, the FIRST EVER MoSH DRAG SHOW!,” says an advertisement on the museum’s website. “This historic show will star a diverse cast of performers featuring different styles, expressions, and identities, showcasing some of the infinite ways in which we can manifest the art of drag. After the show, we’ll kick off our intergenerational dance party, where everyone is invited to come together and dance the night away. Join us for a night of art, music, dance, and community at the museum.”

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Biden Department of Justice Won’t Reveal Plans to Intervene in 2022 Midterms

With less than two months to go before the November midterms, the Biden Administration is refusing to release its plan to interfere in the 2022 midterms, even though a document exists at the Department of Justice (DOJ) detailing such a plan.

As reported by Breitbart, the 15-page document allegedly lays out a strategy for a “voter access” policy that will expand some of the questionable election practices that were implemented in the 2020 election. The administration reportedly plans to coordinate this rollout with several far-left groups.

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Commentary: Communist China’s Plot for World Domination

Earlier this year, Ian Easton, a former China analyst with the Center for Naval Analyses and currently senior director at the Project 2049 Institute, a think tank that focuses on U.S. security interests in the Indo-Pacific region, wrote a book titled The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy. In his author’s note, Easton describes the book as an analysis of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “plan for world domination.” Easton contends that a close reading of President Xi Jinping’s speeches — some of them never before translated — reveals that that CCP is committed to spreading China’s communist totalitarian model of rule around the world.

Easton makes clear in the book that China’s goal of “world domination” does not envision Chinese armed forces conducting a long series of military invasions with “hordes of tanks, and fascist storm troopers swarming across the map” and “goose-stepping into fallen capital cities.” The CCP’s global strategy, he explains, “is much more sophisticated” than Hollywood visions or American novels of World War III. Instead, the CCP’s strategy involves “a protracted campaign of silent invasions to replicate on a global level what it sees as its own superior system.” The CCP’s geopolitical goal is a “totalitarian world order” led by China.

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Crist Calls Florida GOP Gubernatorial Opponent ‘DeSatan’ in Surfaced Video

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist appears to have compared himself to Jesus Christ and Gov. Ron DeSantis to Satan at a campaign event in which he spoke about “decency.”

A video of the comments that was published on several social media channels surfaced from a volunteer kick-off event hosted by Pinellas County Democrats in March.

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Youngkin, Wittman, Luria Attend Reagan Institute Roundtable on Domestic Manufacturing Competitiveness

The Ronald Reagan Institute held a round table hosted by Governor Glenn Youngkin and Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), and attended by others including Representative Elaine Luria (D-VA-02). The Monday event held at Mount Vernon is part of the organization’s national effort to dialogue with business leaders and elected officials about a report from its Task Force on Manufacturing Competitiveness.

On Monday evening Youngkin said in a statement, “The Commonwealth of Virginia holds a vital role in bolstering U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and it’s a key priority of my administration. I want to thank the officials and legislators who worked on the Reagan Task Force report and convened today to address our workforce shortages, industrial capacity, supply chain resilience, address any deficiencies and brainstorm solutions for the betterment of the Commonwealth. Virginia is home to important defense contractors and more have moved their headquarters to the Commonwealth in the last year. Together, we can grow the Commonwealth’s defense economy and enhance Virginia’s defense manufacturing capabilities.”

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Pennsylvania Supreme Court Won’t Fast-Track Hearing for Proposed Abortion Amendment

Pro-lifers and scored a momentary win this week as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided against bypassing the Commonwealth Court and hearing a case against a proposed constitutional amendment. 

The Pennsylvania Family Institute and the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia were among organizations that filed amicus briefs with the majority-Democrat Supreme Court urging it to make Governor Tom Wolf (D) first take his case to the Republican-controlled lower court. In that forum, judges will rule on the validity of a proposed amendment stating that the commonwealth does not confer a constitutional right to abortion.

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Ohio Senate Candidate Ryan: ‘Kill and Confront’ GOP’s MAGA Wing

On Tuesday, speaking to Joe Scarborough and his “Morning Joe” panel on MSNBC, Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan made a dramatic statement regarding how he wants to deal with members of the Republican Party he regards as “extremist.” 

“We’ve got to kill and confront that movement,” Ryan said of a group he termed “the extremists that we’re dealing with every single day,” strongly implying he meant supporters of former President Donald Trump, or the “Make America Great Again” [MAGA] movement. The candidate, a who represents Ohio’s 13th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, faces attorney, author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance — an outspoken MAGA candidate — in the November election. 

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Benson’s Argument in Zuck Bucks Lawsuit ‘Wrong,’ Says Attorney Representing Voters

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is “wrong” in claiming that she bears no responsibility for Michigan election officials accepting millions in grants from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to underwrite the cost of the 2020 general election, an attorney representing voters in a lawsuit naming Benson says.

“Evidence confirms that Benson was aware of this private funding scheme and even encouraged election officials to participate,” Mark “Thor” Hearne, special counsel with the Thomas More Society, told Great Lakes Wire.

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91 Percent of Warnock’s Staff Could Be Eligible to Receive Up to $490,000 in Loan Forgiveness

The vast majority of Hill staff could fall under President Joe Biden’s qualification threshold for his loan forgiveness plan, making them eligible to receive a minimum of $10,000 in debt repayment. According to salary data, nearly 91% of Sen. Raphael Warnock’s staff could qualify.

This percentage is merely an estimation as there are several unknown factors, including whether or not the staffers went to college, if they took out loans, if they still have loans or if they had a full-ride scholarship, as well as the total household income of Hill staffers.

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Wisconsin Senator Blasts CDC’s Rochelle Walensky Not Publicizing Adverse Vaccine Effects

Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson condemned Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky for failing to substantively respond to inquiries into the agency’s monitoring of adverse COVID-19 vaccine effects.

Johnson initially wrote to Walensky in both June and July asking as to the agency’s methods for monitoring vaccine side effects. He received a reply on Sept. 2 in which Walensky largely discussed the use of the data mining method the CDC employed. She said the CDC used Empirical Bayesian (EB) data mining as its primary method and only used the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) to verify EB results.

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Senate GOP Report: Minnesota Department of Education Failed to Follow Law in Feeding Our Future Oversight

A new report issued Monday by Republicans on the Senate Education Committee claims the Minnesota Department of Education failed to follow state and federal law in its management of federal meals programs. 

The report says agency leadership “either did not know how to responsibly manage [Food and Nutrition Service] programs or found the faithful execution of those duties burdensome and optional.”

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Lawsuit Filed Against Arizona Department of Education over LGBTQ Chat Rooms for Youths

An Arizona citizen, Peggy McClain, recently filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Superintendent Kathy Hoffman because of LGBTQ-focused chat rooms available on the ADE website where youths can speak to adults about sex and gender identity.

“She’s [Hoffman] in an office to protect children and to guide children and to make children better and she’s putting them in grave danger,” McClain said to the Arizona Sun Times via the phone.

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City of Phoenix Announces Hiring of First Public Health Advisor

Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton Announced Monday that Nicole Dupuis-Witt would become the City’s first Public Health Advisor on the leadership team beginning October 17.

“The addition of public health expertise to our leadership team strengthens our ability to address public health needs across the City,” said Barton. “Public health is a central tenant to many of the City’s top priorities including heat response and mitigation, housing and homelessness, food systems, senior services, transportation and more. I am confident that Nicole’s experience and data-driven approach will further position Phoenix as a resilient and prosperous place to live, work and play.”

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State Rep. David Cook Expresses Support for Mining Projects in Arizona

Arizona State Rep. David Cook (R-Globe) sent a statement to the U.S. Forest Service Monday, sharing his full support for mineral exploration and mining projects in rural Arizona.

“Mining in Arizona creates not only much needed jobs for our rural communities but a wealth for the Arizona and National Economy,” Cook said in his letter to the Forest Service. “We need to continue producing natural resources in this state for our nation’s security since as a nation we are not energy independent but rather dependent on others, which results in higher costs to citizens.”

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Republican Ohio Lawmakers Unveil New Website for Regulatory Transparency

Two Ohio Republican state lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled the new Cut Red Tape Ohio website, which they say will serve to make the state’s regulatory process more transparent. 

The site, developed in consultation with business leaders and the legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR), came about via Senate Bill 9 which instructs state agencies to end three of every 10 state regulations over the next three years. State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and state Representative Jamie Callender (R-Concord), respectively chair and vice chair of JCARR, announced the site’s arrival online. 

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Pennsylvania House Votes Overwhelmingly to Hold Krasner in Contempt

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 162 to 38 on Tuesday to hold Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) in contempt for failing to comply with a committee subpoena. 

The vote came just hours after Pennsylvania’s House Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order voted to recommend holding Krasner in contempt. Panel members have asked the prosecutor’s office to provide them with various documents including grand-jury records concerning the upcoming homicide trial of former police officer Ryan Pownall who shot and killed 30-year-old illegal-firearm carrier David Jones during a foot chase in 2018. Krasner balked at the committee’s request and is suing in Commonwealth Court to nullify it. 

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Ohio Teachers Permitted Right to Concealed Carry in the Classroom

House Bill 99 went into effect on Monday, allowing Ohio teachers to carry firearms into their classrooms.

State Representative Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.) spearheaded the measure, which focuses on school gun and safety training. “We are doing something to help protect the lives of our children and staff at schools here in Ohio,” Hall said during the bill’s signing ceremony in June.

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