Safeguard Our Schools’ Organizer Joanna Daniels Recaps Sumner County School Board Meeting

Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Safeguard our Schools and Free TN organizer and California refugee, Joanna Daniels to the newsmaker line to talk about why she moved to Tennesse and her impression of the state. Daniels also noted Tuesday night’s school board meeting which addressed BLM and pornographic books in elementary libraries.

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Term Sheet Sheds Light on Details of New $2.1B Tennessee Titans Stadium Deal

LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee

Members of the Metro Nashville City Council will be asked to approve a term sheet and legislation to enact a 1% hotel-motel tax starting Feb. 1 with its initial consideration of both to begin at the board’s Nov. 1 meeting.

The term sheet outlines plans for the projected $2.1 billion new stadium for the Titans, including the order of financing and how a fund that includes the hotel tax and sales tax at the stadium and outside the stadium can be used. The stadium is expected to be ready for the 2026 NFL preseason. The lease will be for the term of the bonds — about 30 years — with three five-year renewal options.

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Anti-Child Mutilation Protest in Nashville Draws Far-Left Counter Protestors

An anti-child mutilation protest of an estimated 1,000 people held on Friday afternoon in Nashville that featured a long list of Republican speakers and child rights activists also brought out a smaller group of far-left counter protesters.

“‘Gender-affirming care’ is neither affirming nor care,” says an invite to the rally. “In September, The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh unveiled an alarming report on the use of irreversible—and harmful puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and surgeries on healthy children at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. Children should be able to trust their doctors, but are instead at the mercy of a destructive ideology led by activists.”

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January 6 Committee Subpoenas Former President Donald Trump

The House January 6 select committee has subpoenaed former President Donald Trump as part of its ongoing investigation into the riot at the U.S. Capitol shortly before Trump left office in 2021. 

The committee in its subpoena of the Republican former president demanded that he turn over documents related to the inquiry by early next month and that he appear to testify before the committee on Nov. 14. 

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Bannon Sentenced to Four Months in Prison for Contempt of Congress Conviction, $6,500 Fine

The sentencing of ex-Trump White House political adviser Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress concluded Friday morning with four-month imprisonment and a $6,500 fine.

The judge overseeing the case said that while Bannon poses a “very small risk of recidivism with regard to congressional subpoenas,” there must be a deterrence for others to commit “similar crimes,” NBC News reported.

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Hamilton County School Board Member Not Backing Down Despite Calls for Her Resignation

A Hamilton County School Board member has fired back after a left-wing Hispanic group called for her job over comments she made regarding the explosion in growth in the school district’s Hispanic population. 

“We had about 8,000 Hispanic students last school year, and at last count the number was 8,671 this year,” Rhonda Thurman told The Chattanoogan in August, sparking the controversy. “They arrive every day at schools like Howard in groups of five or more. It is mind-boggling to me the burden it puts on the schools, the teachers and the taxpayers.”

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Tennessee Senator Blackburn Introduces Bipartisan Broadcast Transparency Legislation

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week announced she is cosponsoring a measure alongside Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to identify broadcasting content that foreign governments are underwriting. 

Called the Identifying Propaganda on Our Airwaves (IPA) Act, the bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to mandate that radio and television broadcast companies check foreign-media databases to ascertain non-American sources of programming and advertising. 

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New Documentary ‘The Real Anthony Fauci – the Movie’ Has 125,000 Viewers on First Day

A new documentary about the face of the COVID-19 pandemic response in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, received 125,000 views on its opening day Tuesday, according to a press release. 

The film, called The Real Anthony Fauci, is based on a book called The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

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‘Crazy’: CBP Say They Want to Remove Gov. Doug Ducey’s Stopgap Border Wall and Replace with ‘Mesh Fencing’

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it would be putting up a temporary barrier in areas “previously disrupted by other construction activities” beginning next year, according to a letter shared with the Arizona Sun Times. C.J. Karamargin, Communications Director for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), told the Sun Times this is not going to happen.

“Essentially, they’re [the CPB] asking that we re-open the gaps in the border barrier. Not gonna happen,” Karamargin said via the phone.

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Lake Announces She Will Declare Southern Border ‘Invasion’ on Day One as Governor

The Kari Lake campaign for governor continues its high-paced momentum, with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin joining her for a rally in Scottsdale just a day after newly independent Tulsi Gabbard showed up for Lake in Chandler. During his speech, Youngkin compared the transformation of his state switching to Republican control to Lake defeating her Democratic opponent Katie Hobbs. 

Speaking to the crowd of several hundred at headquarters of the ammunition company Dillon Precision, Lake received loud cheering when she declared, “I will declare an invasion on the border on day one when I get into office.” She went on, “I want us to be known as the Grand Canyon state, not the fentanyl cartel state.” 

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Exclusive: Tennessee Club for Growth Releases Lawmaker Scorecards

The Club For Growth Foundation will release a scorecard based on voting records of elected officials from 2021, the contents of which were exclusively shared with The Tennessee Star Thursday. 

“The Foundation conducted a comprehensive examination of each lawmaker’s record on votes related to pro-growth policies and computed an Economic Growth Score on a scale of 0 to 100. A score of 100 indicates the highest support for pro-growth policies,” according to the scorecard provided to The Star. “The Foundation’s study examined over 4,400 floor votes and, in the end, included 20 Tennessee House votes and 20 Tennessee Senate votes.”   

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Kari Lake Blasts Katie Hobbs for Only Showing Up to Office for 19 Days in the Past Six Months

Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake put her Democrat opponent Katie Hobbs on blast for only appearing in office for her current job as Secretary of State for 19 days in the past six months.

“Katie Hobbs failed to show up to her current job and failed to be interviewed in a debate format for the job she wants as Governor, yet expects a promotion anyway just like every other failed career politician. The facts are clear that Hobbs is not capable of properly administering this election. Election integrity is a bipartisan issue, and Katie Hobbs refusal to take her real job seriously is a threat to Democracy. The voters of Arizona cannot trust Katie Hobbs to run this election, and she should do the right thing by recusing herself immediately,” said the Kari Lake Campaign.

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Ohio Election Officials Warn Voters to Apply Enough Stamps to Absentee Ballots

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose requires that county boards of elections specify to voters how much postage is required to mail in an absentee ballot. However, the Secretary of State’s office does enumerate that it’s the voter’s responsibility to make sure that the ballot has enough postage required by federal law.

The required postage to return a ballot by mail can differ depending on the number of items on the ballot. The more items to vote for, the longer a ballot will be which means more weight which may require more stamps.

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Michigan Agrees to Spend $20 Million to Settle False Unemployment Fraud Cases

Part of the many woes plaguing Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency since before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic may be resolved but may cost state taxpayers $20 million.

The Michigan attorney general’s office announced Thursday the state has reached a tentative $20 million settlement to resolve a class-action suit against the UIA that claimed the agency falsely accused unemployment recipients of fraud and seized private property without due process.

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Fourth Minnesota County Issues Incorrect Ballots

Another county in the state of Minnesota has sent voters erroneous ballots, bringing the total number of affected counties to four.

In a filing with the Minnesota Supreme Court last Friday, Murray County Auditor-Treasurer Heidi Winter cited a “clerical error” as the reason why midterm general election ballots were distributed with outdated district numbers for the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives races.

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Virginia Receives First Payment in Big Pharma Opioid Settlement

Virginia has received $67.4 million, the first payment in a Johnson and Johnson settlement requiring its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals to stop selling opioids in the U.S.; the Commonwealth will receive about $99.3 million total from the company over nine years.

“I’m thrilled that the money from these record-breaking settlements is on its way. My consumer protection section worked tirelessly to ensure that Virginians received the most funding possible and received it as quickly as possible. This helps the Commonwealth and individual localities fight back against the opioid epidemic and reduce, prevent, and treat addiction,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a press release.

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Gilbert Runs Hard Against Pelosi Speakership in Close Race for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District

When U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) came to Shaker Heights, OH this week to fundraise for Democratic 13th-District congressional candidate Emilia Sykes, Republican hopeful Madison Gesiotto Gilbert was happy to let constituents know about it.

This wasn’t the speaker’s first major show of support for Sykes; Pelosi cut her a $30,000 check via her campaign organization in July. When Pelosi flew east to support Sykes,  a state representative from Ohio’s 34th Legislative District who the National Republican Congressional Committee calls Pelosi’s “protégé,” Republican spokesperson Courtney Parella put out a statement saying, “Emilia Sykes is bought and paid for by Nancy Pelosi and would serve as a rubber stamp for Pelosi’s failed economic agenda.”

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Appalachian Commission Sends $7 Million for Workforce Projects in Pennsylvania

The Appalachian Regional Commission has announced almost $50 million in grants across the 13-state region, and Pennsylvania will receive $7 million to encourage economic growth.

Nine projects in Pennsylvania will receive about $50,000 to $1.5 million for workforce training, manufacturing, child care and feasibility studies for potential development.

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Report: Rushing to Carbon-Free Energy Will Cost Wisconsin $250 Billion by 2050

A new report says Gov. Tony Evers’ goal to get Wisconsin carbon-free by 2050 comes with a $250 billion price tag.

The Center of the American Experiment released its report on Wednesday. It explains that Gov. Evers’ pledge to move electric generation in the state completely away from coal and natural gas will drive energy prices in the state even higher.

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Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams on Why Abortion Is Necessary: ‘Having Children Is Why’ You’re Worried About Food and Gas Prices

Georgia Democrat gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams said Tuesday access to abortion is necessary because “having children is why you’re worried about your price for gas … how much food cost.”

“You can’t divorce being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy from the economic realities of having a child,” she told MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

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Ohio Employers Do Better than Most When Finding Employees

Ohio employers are faring much better than colleagues across the country when it comes to hiring employees, according to a new report released by the personal finance website WalletHub.

The report rated states based on the rate of job openings both in the latest month and the last 12 months to determine percentages of job openings. For example, Alaska, the state facing the most struggles, has an 11.9% job opening rate for the latest month and a 9.78% for the last 12 months.

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Florida Board of Education Policy Can Revoke Teachers’ Licenses for Teaching Gender Identity to 5-Year-Olds

The Florida Board of Education unanimously approved a series of policies Wednesday, including one that disciplines teachers who teach gender identity or sexual orientation to 5-year-olds.

Under the policy, teachers could have their license suspended or revoked if they break Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Parental Rights in Education Law, which prohibits lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten through third grade. The board also approved rules requiring schools to alert parents if a biological man will be using women’s bathrooms and locker rooms.

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Charlie Crist Campaign Manager Departs with Less than Three Weeks Until Election

Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist’s campaign manager has departed with less than three weeks until the election.

“Austin Durrer has departed the campaign to focus on a family matter,” Crist spokeswoman Samantha Ramirez said, according to Florida Politics. The campaign insists Durrer’s leaving is not the product of Crist’s sagging poll numbers. Sydney Throop will take over the role. Throop previously ran Crist’s congressional campaigns.

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Georgia Attorney General Candidates Offer Differing Solutions for Increasing Crime

A new report from WalletHub found that Atlanta experienced the 38th highest increase in the homicide rate of the 50 largest cities in the country.

The topic of crime in the state was a hot topic during this week’s Atlanta Press Club debate of the attorney general candidates: incumbent Republican Attorney General Chris Carr, Libertarian Martin Cowan and Sen. Jen Jordan, D-Atlanta.

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Virginia Tradesman and Contractor Applications and Licensing Exams Available in Spanish

The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) is now providing tradesman and contractor applications and licensing exams in Spanish, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.

“This is a big step towards addressing a critical need and creating opportunities for Spanish speaking Virginian’s to enter the workforce and start their own business,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said. “DPOR’s efforts will better serve the Hispanic and Latino community, which represents a large, diverse and vital part of the Commonwealth.”

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Music Spotlight: Mackenzie Carpenter

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Those who follow my column know I find a lot of my new artists from the Song Suffragettes or SiriusXM’s The Highway. On The Highway, They feature new artists who are often named as their “Highway Finds.” And while I’m not always crazy about every new musician they feature, when I heard Mackenzie Carpenter’s “Can’t Nobody” a few months back, it was love at first listen.

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Coast Guard Illegally Denied Hundreds of Vaccine Exemptions, Attorneys Say

The U.S. Coast Guard’s alleged use of an automated system to deny religious waivers to as many as 1,231 servicemembers would be in violation of the law, attorneys told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday.

Leaders from each of the military branches, including the Coast Guard, are required to individually review vaccine exemption requests, legal experts who have worked on military vaccine exemption cases told the DCNF. An investigation by members of the House Oversight Committee found that the Coast Guard used a computer-based tool defaulted to issue mass denials of religious accommodations, Fox News first reported Tuesday, a practice that is in “clear” violation of federal law, attorneys said.

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Superintendent Balow Asks Board of Education for More Time on History Standards to Include More Input, Including from Conservative Organizations

RICHMOND, Virginia – Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow said the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs more time to prepare updated drafts for review of new Historical and Social Sciences Standards and accompanying curriculum frameworks. That’s another delay in approval and implementation of the standards after Balow first asked for more time in August.

“Since the September Board meeting, new board members have raised important concerns and questions about the draft standards. Additionally, we sought reviews by individuals and entities, whose voices had not yet been heard. Meanwhile, VDOE staff has worked diligently, to correct errors, remove repetition, reorder guidance, and edit language so that parents, educators, and students can understand and use the standards document,” Balow said in a Monday memo to the board.

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White House Refuses to Address Arrests of Pro-Lifers amid Attacks on Pregnancy Resource Centers

President Joe Biden’s administration is refusing to address why it’s focusing efforts on arresting pro-life activists amid national outcry over dozens of attacks on pro-life centers and churches.

At least 86 Catholic churches and 74 pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations have been attacked since the May leak of the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, according to a Catholic Vote tracker. Many of these buildings have been vandalized with threats such as “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”

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Skrmetti and 18 Other State Attorneys General Probe Major Banks over ESG Policies

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) on Wednesday announced he is leading a coalition of 19 states in a probe of six major banks over environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing policies and involvement with the United Nations’ Net-Zero Banking Alliance.

The states are investigating Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, all of which are Net-Zero Banking Alliance members and are required to set emissions reductions targets to net zero by 2050.

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Biden Throws Support Behind Universal, Federally Funded Abortion Leave

President Joe Biden expressed support for federally-funded leave and childcare services for women seeking abortions in a NowThis video airing Sunday, according to Axios.

Biden told NowThis he supports paying women who undergo abortions for childcare and travel expenses, according to Axios. A reporter had asked him whether he supported a federally-funded version of the efforts private companies are taking to financially support women who want abortions.

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House GOP Set to Investigate PayPal for Its Plan to Fine Users for ‘Misinformation’

House Republicans are likely to launch an investigation of PayPal for a now-retracted policy that would fine users up to $2,500 for spreading “misinformation” or posting content that it deemed “objectionable,” per a letter sent to PayPal Tuesday.

The letter demanded that PayPal send House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee and Financial Services Committee written answers to 15 questions about the circumstances surrounding the “Acceptable Use Policy,” which was published by PayPal on Oct. 8. The questions demand PayPal to name those who drafted the policy, who had the authority to approve it, and whether PayPal had coordinated with the Biden administration regarding it.

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Commentary: America’s Schools Warm to Climate Activism

Public school districts are adopting curricula on climate change from well-funded progressive groups casting the issue as a threat to life on the planet that students should respond to through activism. 

As of fall 2020, 29 states and the District of Columbia have adopted standards that require science classes to teach human-caused climate change as a peril beyond dispute, according to K12 Climate Action,  a group that is part of the progressive Aspen Institute. 

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