Voters Overwhelmingly Choose Republicans and Conservative Ballot Measures in Sumner County

In Sumner County, voters overwhelmingly approved conservative ballot measures and chose Republicans in the November 8 state-level elections as well as many municipal general elections, even though the latter are non-partisan.

With a total of 52,879 votes cast of 130,654 registered voters, the turnout was 40 percent, according to the unofficial results posted by the Sumner County Election Commission.

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Addresses Ticketmaster Complaints After Taylor Swift Debacle

After Tuesday’s debacle in which attempted presale ticket purchases for Taylor Swift’s latest tour crashed the Ticketmaster website, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti addressed the issue in a Wednesday press conference. 

Ticketmaster’s website crashed upon the release of Swift’s presale tickets, enraging customers. 

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Chattanooga Church Network Given Grant to Build Affordable Housing

Following the news that a large Pentecostal church organization held a ribbon cutting ceremony on 20 new affordable housing units in Memphis, the city of Chattanooga has struck a similar deal with a network of churches. 

“Kingdom Partners housing development group was selected by the city of Chattanooga for a grant of more than a million dollars to develop affordable housing units in Chattanooga,” according to reports. “The goal is push out 30 units over a two-year span with the help of churches and nonprofits in the area.”

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Knoxville Police Warn of Imposters Scamming Residents

The Knoxville Police Department (KPD) is warning residents that scammers pretending to be police officers are attempting to swindle cash out of the city’s residents. 

“The KPD recently received another report of a scam call where an unknown suspect claimed to be a Knoxville Police Department officer and successfully swindled money and financial information from unsuspecting victims,” KPD said in a Twitter announcement. “The scammer claimed to need financial information and/or money to assist in the resolution of a pending criminal case.” 

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Georgia Judge Strikes Down Heartbeat Abortion Ban

A county judge in Georgia struck down a section of state law Tuesday that had banned abortion when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically occurs at around six weeks, according to court documents.

Georgia passed the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act in 2019, two years before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Because the law was passed when standing precedent prohibited most abortion restrictions throughout the first six months of pregnancy as “unconstitutional,” Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney determined the 2019 law couldn’t be enforced.

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Connecticut Democrats Swept State and Congressional Races but Worry Their Candidates Underperformed in Cities

Unofficial results on the Connecticut Secretary of State’s website suggest Democrats beat back Republicans in state races and in the entire congressional delegation, but the state Democrat Party apparently registered concerns that Governor Ned Lamont (D) underperformed in Connecticut’s large cities, areas in which its candidates typically win easily.

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Ron DeSantis Responds to Trump Criticisms: ‘When You’re Getting Things Done, You Take Incoming Fire’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded Tuesday to criticisms from former President Donald Trump, telling a reporter, “When you’re getting things done, you take incoming fire.”

Trump has raised eyebrows by criticizing DeSantis, also rumored to be considering a 2024 run for president, calling the Republican governor “Ron DeSanctimonious,” and describing him as “an average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations.”

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New Legislation to Help Victims of Human Trafficking Scheduled for Hearing

A pair of bills to aid human trafficking victims are scheduled for hearings at the Ohio Statehouse this week, with support to be given by numerous groups of human rights activists.

“Human trafficking victims often are compelled by their traffickers into prostitution, soliciting, and a wide range of other offenses through no fault of their own. Convictions for these offenses prevent human trafficking victims from getting housing, jobs, or professional accreditation,” the Director of Abolition Ohio and Director of advocacy at the University of Dayton Human Rights Center Tony Talbott said.

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Minneapolis Fed Sued for Religious Discrimination Against Unvaccinated Officer

Rodney Maki, a former law enforcement officer, is suing the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis for religious discrimination after it denied his vaccine accommodation request.

“Because Maki’s sincerely held religious beliefs prevent him from becoming vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and because the Bank’s Policy was not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest, Maki is entitled to relief under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” the lawsuit claims.

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Republicans Expected to Take Majority in Arizona Legislature, Senate Will Do Its Best to Work Under Potential Hobbs Administration

In the wake of the 2022 General Election, results project that both parts of the Arizona State Legislature will fall under a Republican majority, although it appears the governor’s seat will fall into the hands of Democrat Katie Hobbs. Kim Quintero, the spokesperson for the Senate Republican Caucus, said that while it is too early to know precisely how the Hobbs administration will change Arizona, Senate Republicans will do their best to continue bettering Arizona.

“Whatever the outcome, we will strive to work with a Hobbs administration as best we can for the betterment of all Arizonans. We have pressing issues to tackle such as our water shortage, border security, public safety, election integrity, education, transportation, and much more. We’re optimistic that we can still pass some good, common-sense policies with a governor who genuinely is in office to make Arizona a better place to live, work, play and raise a family. We’re hoping that will be the case with a Hobbs administration,” Quintero told the Sun Times via email.

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Commentary: Feds Had Informants in Proud Boys and Oath Keepers for January 6

If Republicans eke out a win in the House of Representatives—which now seems likely—GOP leaders have promised to investigate numerous government scandals, including the irredeemably corrupt Federal Bureau of Investigation. One path of inquiry is how the bureau manufactures data to promote the phony narrative that “domestic violent extremists,” i.e., supporters of Donald Trump, pose a security threat to the country.

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Advocate Warns About Consequences of Repealing Michigan’s Right-to-Work Law

Advocates for the right-to-work law in Michigan warn that repealing the law that has been in effect since 2013 would hurt the state economy.

For the first time since 1984, Democrats hold a trifecta in the Michigan state legislature with control of the House and Senate and the governor’s office. Democrats have talked about repealing the right-to-work law since it was passed in 2012.

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Ohio Attorney General Announces Preliminary Agreement with Walmart on Opioid Addiction Liability

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) announced on Tuesday that he and 15 other state attorneys general have negotiated a preliminary deal with the multinational retailer Walmart, from which Ohio would get $114 million for opioid recovery programs.

The $3.1 billion national agreement comes after Yost and other prosecutors sought accountability for what they characterize as the superstore’s failure to safely and securely dispense high-strength prescription pain relievers through its more than 5,100 pharmacies across America. Other state prosecutor’s offices who worked alongside him include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee and Texas.
The agreement comes after Yost and other prosecutors sought accountability for what they characterize as the superstore’s failure to safely and securely dispense high-strength prescription pain relievers through its more than 5,100 pharmacies across America. Other state prosecutor’s offices who worked alongside him include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee and Texas.

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Pennsylvania Committee Votes to Impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Krasner

Pennsylvania state representatives expect to vote Wednesday on whether to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D); a legislative panel voted to move the idea forward on Tuesday.

All 14 attending members of the state House of Representatives Judiciary Committee supported advancing an impeachment bill sponsored by Representative Martina White (R-Philadelphia). All eight Democrats present for the vote opposed the legislation. 

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Adjusted for Tax Relief, Virginia Revenue Up 8.3 Percent Year-to-Date

Virginia’s tax revenues four months into Fiscal Year 2023 are down 3.1 percent compared to Fiscal Year 2022, although when adjusted for timing and $250 tax rebates sent to Virginians, revenues are up 8.3 percent compared to the previous year, according to a presentation Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings prepared to share with legislators.

Adjusted for $88 million paid out in October as part of the rebates, Virginia’s October revenues hit a 10.3 percent year-over-year increase, ahead of forecasts.

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Kimberly Yee to Continue Work as Arizona State Treasurer Following Strong General Election Victory

Arizona voters have chosen to keep Republican incumbent Kimberly Yee in office as State Treasurer for another four years.

“I am so honored that you have elected me to serve another four years as your State Treasurer. I pledge to continue to live up to the trust Arizonans have placed in me to responsibly and prudently manage our state’s finances,” Yee tweeted upon her victory.

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Rick Scott Announces Challenge to Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP Leader

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida will challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for his role in the upcoming leadership election, per a letter he wrote on Tuesday.

Scott’s office circulated a letter among GOP senators and senators-elect announcing his intention to run in the election, which will be held on Wednesday in the Old Senate Chamber, per Fox News. Though the contents of the letter have not yet been released, McKinley Davis, Scott’s spokesperson, later confirmed the plan to Axios.

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Texas Governor Declares Invasion at Border, Invokes Constitutional Powers in Historic Action

Frustrated by an unending crisis fueled by drug and human trafficking at the southern border, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday declared his state was under an invasion and invoked special powers granted under the U.S. and Texas constitutions.

Abbott’s decision came after three dozen counties in his state passed resolutions calling for the dramatic action. The Republican governor said the declaration allows him to send National Guard troops to the border, treat drug cartels as terrorist organization and to build his own border wall separate of the federal government.

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Navy Veteran Founds Classical Catholic School to Counter Woke Education

A Navy veteran who rejects the secularist and woke education agendas prevalent in public schools and some parochial schools launched a classical Catholic school in Maryland.

“We’re a military family,” Lt. Commander Ali Ghaffari, founder of Divine Mercy Academy in Pasadena, Maryland, explained to Fox & Friends Weekend Sunday. “We’ve traveled around the country seeing lots of schools, and we settled at the Naval Academy, that was my last tour.

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New Fiscal Year Starts with Record Number of Migrant Encounters at Southern Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered more than 230,000 migrants at the southern border in October, beginning fiscal year 2023 with a record surge, according to agency statistics released late Monday night.

Federal border authorities encountered 230,678 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in October, a 1.3% increase from the previous month, according to CBP. There was also a record number of migrants crossing the border in fiscal year 2022, with roughly 2.3 million migrants encounter

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FBI Had Up to Eight Informants in Proud Boys on January 6, Court Docs Show

The FBI had up to eight informants within the Proud Boys in the months surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, recent court filings suggest, according to The New York Times.

Defense attorneys for former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four members of the group, who are scheduled to stand trial in December for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to Jan. 6, filed court documents in the past several days revealing the informants’ presence in the Proud Boys’ ranks, the outlet reported. The defense contended that the prosecution had, until recently, improperly withheld some information the government received from the informants that was favorable to the accused.

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American Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Are Making Their Cars Weaker So More People Will Buy Them

In a bid to make electric vehicle (EV) prices more affordable, carmakers are switching to iron-based batteries that are weaker and more reliant on Chinese supply chains, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Transitioning to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells ultimately reduces the effective range of electric vehicles compared to more advanced cobalt and nickel-based cells, according to the WSJ. LFP cells, which are roughly 30% cheaper than their more effective counterparts, are more reliant on Chinese supplies, limiting carmakers’ ability to access tax breaks and other subsidies offered under the Inflation Reduction Act.

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Americans Can Expect Record-Setting Gas Prices over Thanksgiving

The average national gasoline price during Thanksgiving will be at its highest level since 2012, according to estimates from the fuel-saving app GasBuddy.

Thanksgiving gas prices on average will hit $3.68 per gallon, almost 30 cents higher than they were during 2021 and more than 20 cents higher than the previous record of $3.44 a gallon set in 2012, according to a GasBuddy news release. Gas prices have reached record highs in 2022 due to increased post-pandemic demand, fuel-refining constraints and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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WhistlePig and Brothers Osborne Release Limited Edition Whiskey

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – WhistlePig Whiskey and Grammy Award-winning country music duo and reigning CMA Duo of the Year Brothers Osborne are celebrating 100 for all, all for 100 this holiday season with the launch of their new whiskey collaboration. The WhistlePig PiggyBack Legends Series: Brothers Osborne Barrel is a single barrel, limited-edition 100% Rye Whiskey, created for and selected by John and TJ Osborne, to celebrate those who give 100% in the name of greatness.

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