Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2022 is “gaslighting,” which it defined as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.”
Read the full storyMerriam-Webster’s 2022 Word of the Year: ‘Gaslighting’
Month: November 2022
Large Number of Criminal Juveniles Entering U.S. Through DACA: Report
Democrats and immigration activists have long claimed that amnesty for illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children wouldn’t include young people with a criminal history, but many of the juvenile beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) were affiliated with gangs and had arrest records when granted the program’s benefits, according to a new report.
Read the full storyOver Half of America’s Top Medical Schools Now Teach Critical Race Theory
Many of America’s top medical schools have implemented Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a part of their mandatory programs, according to the Critical Race Training in Education database.
Approximately 58 of the top 100 medical schools ranked by the U.S. News & World report include CRT in their courses and student training, according to the Critical Race Training in Education database. Of the top schools, 46 provide students and staff with resources by Robin DiAngelo, the author of “Nice Racism,” a book about how progressive white people perpetuate racial harm, and Ibram X. Kendi, the author of several books on antiracism including “Stamped.”
Read the full storyTennessee Approves $500 ‘Christmas Bonus’ for TANF Participants
Participants of Tennessee’s Families First Program will receive ‘extra support’ this holiday season, according to the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). On Monday, TDHS announced that all households enrolled in the state’s assistance program as of December 1st will receive a one-time additional payment of $500 on their existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards beginning on that same day.
Read the full storyMass General Brigham Speech Code Includes Blacklist on Care
A wealthy Massachusetts healthcare system that went on a controversial advertising spree to justify its encroachment on cheaper hospitals is now sending patients a different message: Watch your language.
“Words or actions that are disrespectful, racist, discriminatory, hostile, or harassing are not welcome” at Mass General Brigham (MGB), according to a “Patient Code of Conduct” imposed this fall after a year of development.
Read the full storyReport: Tennessee Is 31st highest in Average Retail Price for Electricity
Tennessee ranked 13th in total retail sales of electricity and was 31st in average retail price, according to new data from 2021 released recently by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The state also ranked 21st in summer megawatt capacity and was 11th in direct use.
Read the full storyArizona County Board Supervisors Say They Voted to Certify Election ‘Under Duress’
Two members of the Mohave County, Arizona, Board of Supervisors on Monday voted to certify the results of the November 8 midterm elections “under duress,” claiming he was forced to do so under threat of jail time.
“I vote ‘aye’ under duress. I found out today that I have no choice but to vote ‘Aye’ or I will be arrested and charged with a felony,” Gould said while casting his vote. “I don’t think that that is what the founders had in mind when they used the democratic process to elect our leaders.”
Read the full storyOhio Congresswoman Brown Pushing Bill to Expand Government Role in Healthcare
U.S. Representative Shontel Brown (D-OH-11) is leading a charge among members of Congress in favor of a measure to expand the federal government’s role in healthcare, particularly regarding mental-health-related comorbidities.
The Cleveland-area Democrat is cosponsoring her Mental and Physical Health Care Comorbidities Act with House colleague Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2). Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) has introduced a version of the legislation in his chamber.
Read the full storyOhio Lawmakers Look to Increase Penalties for Strangulation from a Misdemeanor to a Felony
Ohio lawmakers are working to pass a law that would help protect domestic violence survivors and make strangulation a felony in the state.
Senate Bill 90 introduced by co-sponsors State Senators Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), aims to prohibit impeding breathing or circulation of family members.
Read the full storySenator Marsha Blackburn Calls on Federal Government to ‘Get Serious’ about Enacting Her BOTS Act Legislation Amid Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco
Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is urging the federal government to ‘get serious’ about implementing her Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act after fans across the country were unable to acquire tickets to Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour.
Read the full storyOhio Governor DeWine Awards Another Round of Violent Crime Reduction Grants
Governor Mike DeWine announced that 24 local law enforcement agencies will receive a total of $11.7 million to help prevent and investigate incidents of violent crime including domestic violence, gun violence, and human trafficking.
The grants represent the 10th round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. Since the initiation of the program last year, Governor DeWine has awarded close to $70 million to 146 Ohio law enforcement agencies. Approximately $100 million will be awarded to local law enforcement agencies as part of the grant program in total.
Read the full storyMaricopa County Board Supervisor Steve Gallardo Serving on Katie Hobbs Transition Team
Maricopa County District 5 Supervisor Steve Gallardo recently announced that he joined the transition team for Governor-Elect, Democrat Katie Hobbs as she prepares to take office in January.
“Honored to be part of Governor-Elect Hobbs transition team. I look forward to working with such a diverse group of Arizona leaders,” tweeted Gallardo.
Read the full storyPamunkey, Mattaponi Tribes Present Tribute in 345th Ceremony Since 1677 Treaty
Representatives of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribes presented Governor Glenn Youngkin with a tribute of deer and tribal gifts, the 345th time tribes have presented tribute to the Virginia governor since the 1677 signing of the Articles of Peace, later known as the Treaty of Middle Plantation.
“At this time we’re here honoring our treaty obligations that I am so proud that the Pamunkey and the Mattaponi have been able to continue for over three centuries doing this. It’s a great honor,” Pamunkey Chief Robert Gray said in the Wednesday ceremony. “And we also thank the Commonwealth of Virginia for what they’ve done for us over the years.”
Read the full storyDispute over Attorney General’s Race Could Prevent New Official from Being Named
Abe Hamadeh, the Republican Nominee for Attorney, has said he wants to see every vote cast in the Arizona 2022 General Election and filed a lawsuit against the State of Arizona to ensure that happens.
“Errors in our elections shouldn’t be treated as trivial. I want every legal voter who showed up on Election Day to have their voice heard – regardless how they voted,” Hamadeh said.
Read the full storyOhio Bill Looks to Require Dementia Training for Police and First Responders
In order to ensure Ohioans with dementia receive proper treatment lawmakers are working to pass a bill requiring police officers and first responders to be educated in effective communication tactics.
House Bill (HB) 23 sponsored by State Representatives Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Thomas West (D-Canton) aims to develop education and require specialized training for first responders addressing difficult situations for individuals with dementia.
Read the full storyReport: Georgia Could Generate Millions Through Sports Betting
Georgia is one of the largest markets without legalized sports betting, and the state could rival others that have already legalized such wagering.
While the state does not have sports wagering, it does have a lottery. Last week, the Georgia Lottery Corp. reported its most profitable first quarter since its start in 1993.
Read the full storyRepublican Derek Merrin Elected as New Speaker for the Ohio House of Representatives
State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) has been elected as the new Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 135th General Assembly as reported by a release from the Ohio House.
The GOP Caucus selected Merrin, a 36-year-old Realtor, and real estate investor as the House Republicans’ pick for speaker over two rivals. State Representative Bill Dean (R-Xenia) organized and led the leadership election. The caucus’ newly elected and returning members participated in the vote.
Read the full storyBig Weekend Early Voting Turnout Seems Hopeful for Warnock but Republicans See Strong Monday Rural Turnout
Georgia voters are turning out in high numbers for early voting in the runoff election between Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Herschel Walker. 181,711 voters turned out over the weekend, including 166,325 early-in-person voters according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office updated early Monday morning.
The election started last week in some counties that opted into earlier voting including Saturday, but all counties were required to begin early voting by Monday. Twitter pundits noted that many rural counties didn’t embrace the earlier start of voting, an apparent strategic blunder for Republicans who are trying to shift GOP voter culture to embrace early voting, placing Walker behind in the turnout battle. But Georgia Republicans expect their voters to make up for that with turnout going forward, reporting strong rural turnout on Monday.
Read the full story2A Groups Caution Against Gun Control Measures in Virginia after Shootings
After three football players were killed in a shooting at the University of Virginia and six people were killed in a shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, gun groups are cautioning against efforts to impose stricter gun control measures.
On November 13, three UVA football players were killed after a man allegedly opened fire in a bus after returning to the university from a class trip. A little more than a week later, six people were killed in a Walmart in Chesapeake after a man allegedly opened fire because of grievances against some Walmart employees.
Read the full storyReport: Pennsylvania Coal Ash Site Sixth-Most Polluted in the U.S
A former coal power plant in western Pennsylvania has one of the most contaminated coal ash sites in the nation.
That’s according to a new report, “Poisonous Coverup,” published by the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice. The environmental groups argue that, across America, “nearly all coal plant owners are ignoring key requirements and employing common tricks to avoid mandatory cleanup” of coal ash, a byproduct of burning coal that has various contaminants.
Read the full storyChairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Bill Gates Responds to Kelly Townsend’s Legislative Subpoena, Says Requested Information Will Come ‘Promptly’
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Chairman Bill Gates released his response to a subpoena submitted by State Sen. Kelly Townsend (R-Mesa) Sunday, which demanded information about the 2022 General Election. Gates insisted that the subpoena was not enforceable but is still allegedly committed to providing the requested information.
“To reiterate, although the Document does not meet the legal requirements of an enforceable legislative subpoena, the Board is committed to transparency in this election. We are reviewing your requests and collecting information which we will promptly provide to you,” said Gates.
Read the full storyWisconsin Congressman Calls TikTok ‘Digital Fentanyl’
A Wisconsin Republican congressman is amping-up the war of words against TikTok.
Congressman Mike Gallagher was on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures over the weekend, and talked about China and its influence over TikTok.
Read the full storyCommentary: The House GOP Majority Will Be at Least 221 Seats When All of the Counting is Done
There are just a few more results coming in from the 2022 Congressional midterms, and with just one more race to call — Republican John Duarte is narrowly leading Democrat Adam Gray by just 593 votes in California’s 13th Congressional District — House Republicans will take the gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives in January with either a 222 to 213 seat majority (nine seats) or a 221 to 214 seat majority (seven seats).
Read the full storyLeftists Blame War in Ukraine, Fossil Fuels, Deregulation of Electric Power for Connecticut’s 50 Percent Hike in Energy Costs
Democrat officials in Connecticut, the state’s electric power giants, and their allies in the media are blaming a 50 percent increase in electric prices this winter in the state on Russia’s war with Ukraine, a reliance on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, and the fact that Connecticut has a deregulated electricity market.
In a press release, dated November 17, state Attorney General William Tong (D) announced that, effective January 1, Eversource will double its rates from 12.05 cents to 24.2 cents per kWh, and United Illuminating will also double its rates from 10.6 cents to 22.5 cents per kWh.
Read the full storyControversial Energy Official Charged with Stealing Woman’s Luggage at Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport
Sam Brinton, one of the first “openly genderfluid individuals in federal government leadership,” was charged with felony theft last month after allegedly stealing a woman’s luggage at MSP Airport.
The MIT grad went viral earlier this year when he announced his new role as the deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the U.S. Department of Energy.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Administrative State Can Put a Bug in Your Phone
n the age of cellphones and the internet, consumers often face a simple choice: convenience or privacy? Do we let Big Tech have access to our private communications and free email accounts because it’s so easy?
Once you’ve said yes — and who among us has not? — it’s not a stretch to think that Big Data already has almost all your information, so why get picky at the next juncture?
Read the full storyMaricopa County Certifies Election Results Despite Legal Threats
Election results are being challenged in Maricopa County, but the results have been certified.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors met on Monday to certify the Canvass of the 2022 November General Election.
Read the full storyArizona County Refuses to Certify Election, Could Face Potential Lawsuit
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors in Arizona voted 2-1 to delay the certification of the 2022 election results Monday, which may result in a lawsuit from the state.
Arizona’s deadline for counties to certify election results is Nov. 28 and Cochise County may be sued for missing the deadline. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to have another meeting Friday and has demanded the state of Arizona prove that voter tabulation machines were certified for accuracy, local media reports.
Read the full storyPennsylvania County that Ran Out of Paper Ballots Doesn’t Certify Election
Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County has failed to certify the results of the Nov. 8 midterm elections by the Monday deadline.
The Board of Elections split 2-2 on certifying the results, with one abstention. The county attracted national attention after it ran out of paper ballots on Election Day. Two Republican board members opposed certification, while two Democrats backed it, and one Democrat abstained, the Epoch Times reported.
Read the full storyArizona Votes to Offer Illegal Immigrants In-State Tuition
Arizona voters approved a proposition which allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition costs.
Proposition 308 was passed with 51.2% approval and will “allow Arizona students, regardless of immigration status, to be eligible for financial aid at state universities and community colleges.”
Read the full storyNational Science Foundation Gives Tens of Millions to Fight COVID ‘Disinformation,’ Populism
Government efforts to squelch purported misinformation and disinformation on the most contested subjects in American politics don’t stop with Cabinet-level agencies.
The National Science Foundation has awarded at least $39 million in grants and contracts in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 for projects that target misinformation or disinformation, frequently pertaining to COVID-19 and elections.
Read the full storyU.S. Bans Chinese Tech That Allegedly Lets China Spy on Military Sites
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Friday announced a ban on new imports of Chinese-owned telecommunications equipment, including the equipment suspected of surveilling sensitive U.S. military sites.
The new rules, prohibiting U.S. sales and imports of equipment from companies including Huawei and ZTE, are the first to be implemented on the grounds they pose “unacceptable risk to national security,” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said Friday. U.S. authorities have expressed concerns that Beijing could exploit the companies’ telecommunications installations across the country to collect data from U.S. sites, including nuclear and military sites in the U.S.
Read the full storyLawsuit Moves Forward from Professor Fired for Gender Ideology Criticism
A federal lawsuit against the University of Louisville for the demotion and dismissal of a professor who questioned transgenderism moved forward.
Professor Allan Josephson’s attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom argued his case the first week of November in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The university dismissed him in 2019 after several years of controversy stemming from his participation at a Heritage Foundation event on transgenderism.
Read the full storyGoldman Sachs Issues Stock Market Warning
U.S. investors are significantly underestimating the risk of a recession, potentially increasing the impact of a recession next year, economists at Goldman Sachs warned in a Monday research note, according to Bloomberg.
Researchers at Goldman estimate a 39 percent chance of a slowdown in U.S. growth, but risk assets only account for an 11 percent chance, Bloomberg reported. By underestimating the chance of a recession, investors are increasing their exposure to the effects of “recession scares” in 2023, the analysts warned.
Read the full storyYour Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast with Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren for Monday Night and Tuesday
Star News Network Chief Meteorologist Daphne DeLoren shares her Middle Tennessee Fresh Forecast for Monday night and Tuesday, November 28 and November 29.
Read the full storyTennessee State Representative Scott Cepicky Talks Retention and Statewide Listening Tour
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (R-TN-64) Scott Cepicky to the newsmaker line to discuss third-grade retention and what he’s hearing during his statewide listening tour from educators.
Read the full storyCrom’s Crommentary: Free Speech and the Right to Dissent
Monday 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 storyAuthor Carrie Gress of ‘End of Women’ and Creator of ‘Theology of Home’ Talks About the Role of Conservative Women in Society Today
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Carrie Gress to the newsmaker line who is the author of a new book entitled The End of Woman, to talk about the problems of conservative women in today’s society.
Read the full storyNew Study Ranks Nashville Roads as the Worst for Potholes in the Entire Country
A new study by QuoteWizard has ranked Nashville as having the worst pothole problem in the entire nation.
Read the full storyTwo Estonian Citizens Arrested for Alleged Involvement in $575 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud
The Department of Justice announced on Monday that two Estonian citizens were arrested on Sunday in Tallinn, Estonia on an 18-count indictment for alleged involvement in a $575 million cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
The two men, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, both 37 years old, allegedly defrauded hundreds of thousands of people out of money by convincing victims to enter into fraudulent equipment rental contracts with the defendants’ cryptocurrency mining service called HashFlare.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Next Health Commissioner Will Be Kentucky State Sen. Ralph Alvarado
Kentucky state Sen. Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester, will soon be heading to Tennessee.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Alvarado, a medical doctor and healthcare executive, will become the next commissioner of the state’s Department of Health. The move takes effect January 16.
Read the full storyReport: 41 Percent of Small Businesses Can’t Pay Rent in November
More than 40% of U.S. small business owners say they couldn’t pay rent on time or in full for the month of November, the highest this year.
The small business network group Alignable released the survey, which found that the hardship varies by industry. A notable 57% of beauty salons said they couldn’t make rent as well as 45% of gyms, 44% of retail and 44% of restaurants.
Read the full storyLabor Department Approves Investing Pensions in ‘Woke’ ESG-Only Funds
The U.S. Labor Department announced plans to allow pension fund managers to “consider climate change and other environmental, social and governance factors,” also known as ESG, when choosing investments.
In an announcement about the final rule last week, the agency criticized the Trump administration, stating, “the department concluded that two rules issued in 2020 … unnecessarily restrained plan fiduciaries’ ability to weigh environmental, social and governance factors when choosing investments, even when those factors would benefit plan participants financially.”
Read the full storyApparel Company Plans $87 Million Facility in Georgia, but Officials Silent on Incentives
by T.A. DeFeo A global apparel company plans to spend $87 million on a Bryan County manufacturing and distribution facility. Jersey City, New Jersey-based Komar Brands, a company established in 1908 and whose portfolio includes “owned, licensed, and private-label brands,” plans to create 294 new jobs as a part of the project. The company plans to build its new facility at the 1,100-acre Interstate Centre 3 development located along U.S. Route 280 and Interstate 16 between Savannah and Statesboro. Jessica Atwell, a Georgia Department of Economic Development communications specialist, told The Center Square that the project is “still active.” The designation allows state officials to decline to release details about tax incentives the state offered to entice a company to locate in Georgia. “We are looking forward to breaking ground in the very near future and appreciate all the assistance and cooperation to make this project come to fruition,” Charlie Komar, president and CEO of Komar Brands, said in an announcement. According to the Development Authority of Bryan County and state officials, Interstate Centre 3 is in a “Military Zone,” a designation that means companies don’t have to create as many jobs to qualify for Job Tax Credits. The…
Read the full storyHighest Natural Gas Price Since 2010 Drives a Spike in Pennsylvania Home Energy Costs
Natural gas prices are hitting levels not seen for more than a decade, and electric bills will go up across the commonwealth – though not equally.
Natural gas spot prices will hit $6.09 per million British thermal units for the winter, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which is “the highest real price since winter 2009-10.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Congress Needs to Investigate Whitmer Kidnapping Hoax
A federal judge next month is scheduled to sentence two men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer from her lakeside cottage in the fall of 2020. Adam Fox, the alleged ringleader, and Barry Croft, Jr. face years in prison.
During the first trial in April, Fox and Croft received a hung jury while two co-defendants were acquitted on all charges based on extensive evidence of FBI entrapment. A jury found Fox and Croft guilty after a second trial in August thanks to the same judge putting his thumb—body?—on the scale in favor of the government.
Read the full storyFranklin County, Ohio Court Soon to Decide Whether to Continue Voucher Case
In the next few weeks, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page (D) is poised to decide whether a lawsuit against Ohio’s private-school choice program will go forward.
Litigation against private school choice in the Buckeye State has been in the works since last year when dozens of school districts under the aegis of Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding posited that the state’s EdChoice program harms the state’s ability to properly fund its public schools. The districts suing the state, which now number more than 130, filed their action in January.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee’s Voucher Program Clears Another Legal Hurdle
Tennessee’s Education Savings Account (ESA) plan, often portrayed as a voucher program, won another legal challenge filed by opponents of the controversial legislation that targets Memphis and Nashville schools. A three-judge panel appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court and made up of Chancellor Anne Martin, Judge Tammy Harrington, and Judge Valerie Smith, has ruled that the parties challenging the legislation have no legal standing. As a result, all challenges are dismissed.
This action, at least temporarily, removes all legal hurdles facing the 2019 Education Savings Account law. The law provides money for families to offset private school tuition, should they choose to pursue that option due to inadequate traditional school options.
Read the full storyPopular Stop on Century-Old Hiking Trail Undergoes Name Change to ‘Finally Right that Wrong’
A popular stop for day hikers and backpackers in Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park is undergoing a name change, according to a press release by the National Park Service (NPS).
Read the full storyOhio Bill Aims to Permit Use of Ivermectin and Alternative COVID-19 Drugs
A bill in support of the use of alternative COVID-19 treatments received its first hearing in Lame-duck session at the Ohio Statehouse.
House Bill (HB) 631 sponsored by State Representative Kris Jordan (R-Ostrander), named the COVID-19 Health Care Professional-Patient Relationship Protection Act, aims to protect the use of doctor-patient relationships in Ohio by codifying the authority for healthcare professionals to administer alternative drug therapies for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 or one of its variants.
Read the full story