A group of 20 Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration over its migrant program that allows a set monthly amount of migrants to enter the U.S. from select countries. Texas, supported by 19 other states and America First Legal, filed the suit asserting that the Department of Homeland Security had effectively created a visa program without congressional approval \
Read the full storyDay: January 24, 2023
Epoch Times Reporter Lawrence Wilson Discusses the Decline in Big City Public School Enrollment
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed education reporter Lawrence Wilson for The Epoch Times to the newsmaker line to talk about the national decline of public-school enrollment and its financial repercussions in big cities.
Read the full storyAaron Gulbransen and TC Weber Discuss Literacy Testing and the Tennessee General Assembly’s Big Issues
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed education reporter for The Tennessee Star, TC Weber and official guest host, Aaron Gulbransen in studio to define literacy testing and discuss the Tennessee General Assembly’s big issues.
Read the full storyEducation Guru TC Weber Talks Chiefs for Change and Third Grade Retention Bill
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed education reporter for The Tennessee Star, TC Weber in studio to explain the group, Chiefs for Change and Tennessee’s third-grade retention bill.
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Education Reporter TC Weber Questions Bill Lee’s Education Priorities
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed education reporter for The Tennessee Star, TC Weber in studio to comment upon Bill Lee’s 2023 priorities absent of education and questions the whereabouts of Penny Schwinn.
Read the full storyHosts Leahy and Gulbransen Speculate Who Benefits from the Classified Documents Scandal
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen in studio to examine who would benefit from Biden’s classified document debacle and why.
Read the full storyFormer VP Pence Informs Congress He’s Discovered Documents in Indiana Home Marked Classified
Former Vice President Mike Pence informed Congress on Tuesday that his team has discovered document in his Indiana home that from his time in the Trump White House and marked as classified.
Read the full storyKari Lake’s Team Announces ‘More Evidence to Come’ after Arizona Gov. Hobbs Requests Case Dismissal
Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s team announced Monday that there’s more evidence to come regarding her election lawsuit soon after Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs requested the case be thrown out.
“Yesterday @katiehobbs filed to get our lawsuit thrown out,” the Kari Lake War Room tweeted. “Today, records revealed nearly a quarter of a million ballots were rejected on Election Day in Maricopa County in a race that came down to just 17K votes. She’s illegitimate & she knows it. More evidence to come.”
Read the full storyLocal Tennessee School Districts Navigating Changes in State Funding Formula
Tennesse’s school districts have started preparing their individual budgets for the 2023-2024 school year. They are doing it while contending with a new state funding formula and with limited guidance from the Tennessee Department of Education(TDOE). The change in formula completely alters how district allocations from the state are calculated. In the past, the state has provided calculations for local districts. This year, that too will change.
In notes obtained by The Tennessee Star from a call between the TDOE and the Superintendent Study Council, local officials were informed that the department will soon be sending out Data Verification Packets to districts that will include district-specific data from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 20-day reporting periods. Districts are required to report attendance counts at 20-day intervals throughout the year.
Read the full storyTaxpayer-Funded Study Concluding Teens on Puberty Blockers, Cross-Sex Hormones Have Improved Mental Health Draws Fire
A taxpayer-funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that drew the conclusion that teens who receive puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones have greater life satisfaction has come under fire.
The study, published at the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), states researchers from the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago sought to investigate the psychosocial functioning of 315 transgender and nonbinary young people, aged 12-20 years, over a period of two years after “gender-affirming hormones” (GAH), i.e., testosterone or estradiol, had been administered for gender dysphoria.
Read the full storySpotify Announces Hundreds Cut from Workforce
Audio streaming platform Spotify is laying off 6% of its staff, becoming the latest in a series of tech firms to make major cuts, the company announced Monday.
The cuts come less than a week after Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet both laid off more than 10,000 employees each as Big Tech firms cut costs following pandemic-related spending sprees. Spotify had roughly 9,800 employees through September 2022, so the company will likely cut less than 600 staffers Monday, according to Reuters.
Read the full storyPoll Finds Majority of Voters Want Congress to Investigate Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s questionable work leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic and his equally questionable actions in managing the pandemic have raised a lot of eyebrows.
Now, a majority of voters believe congress should investigate the former longtime medical adviser to the White House and head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, according to a new poll by Convention of States Action.
Read the full storyNashville Council, Sports Authority Awaiting Final Documents on New $2.2B Titans Stadium
The Metro Nashville Mayor’s Office is completing what its are calling the definitive documents for a new deal on a $2.2 billion Tennessee Titans stadium and plan to present the final documents to Metro’s council by March.
Before that begins, East Bank Stadium Committee Chair Bob Mendes sent a list of three questions to the mayor’s office following last week’s committee meeting asking for specifics on when the legislation will be filed, if legislation to rebuild Nashville’s Fairgrounds Speedway into a NASCAR cup-worthy track would come at the same time and specifics of when the capital spending on the Titans stadium project will occur.
Read the full storyThe Water Stays Off as Arizona Court Sides with the City of Scottsdale in Rio Verde Foothills Water Lawsuit
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joan Sinclair issued a ruling Friday in favor of the City of Scottsdale, blocking a stay request against the city cutting off water to the Rio Verde Foothills (RVF) area.
“The city remains confident in its legal position and continues to encourage Maricopa County – the elected local government for the residents of Rio Verde Foothills – to implement a solution on behalf of their constituents,” according to the city.
Read the full storyNew Law Waives State Sales and Use Tax on Some Farming Supplies and Equipment Purchases
The Tennessee Department of Revenue and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture has issued a public reminder noting that a new law that took effect in the new year made certain items tax-free for qualified farmers, timber harvesters, and nursery operators.
Read the full storyFree Market Think Tank Identifies Top Four Policy Issues Most Affecting Tennesseans in Its 2023 Agenda
The Beacon Center of Tennessee recently released its 2023 agenda focusing on the top four policy issues most affecting Tennesseans. The organization describes its ‘2023 Back to the Basics’ agenda as a “blueprint for restoring Tennesseans’ freedom.”
Read the full storyYoungkin Pitches His $1 Billion Tax Cut Package to Supporters at Rally
RICHMOND, Virginia — Governor Glenn Youngkin spoke at a small rally on Monday where he shot hoops with children and called for his supporters to pressure their legislators to support the tax relief package included in his budget amendment proposal.
“We can pay for this. We have an expected surplus. We’re projecting continued excess revenues. We can afford this and we can still invest in a record education budget. We can still invest in the transformation of our behavioral health system. We can still invest in law enforcement. We can still invest to make government work for you,” he said.
Read the full storyFairfield County Judge Denies State Request to Stop Columbus Gun Restrictions
Ohio’s plea for a preliminary injunction to stop the city of Columbus’ most recent gun control measures was denied by a court in Fairfield County.
According to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, the restrictions are now in place as of midnight on January 21st.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann Named Chairman of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
Tennessee U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) was recently named the Chairman of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee for the 118th Congress.
Read the full storyGeorgia U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde Reintroduces Legislation to Block Funding for Biden’s Pro-Abortion Executive Orders
Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) has reintroduced legislation to block funding and forbid agencies from implementing President Joe Biden’s Executive Orders 14076 and 14079. The two orders, issued in 2022, required the Department of Health and Human Services to research and advance access to reproductive healthcare services.
“As tens of thousands of proud pro-life Americans attend the March for Life in our nation’s capital today, I’m proud to stand for the sanctity of life by reintroducing legislation to block and defund President Biden’s pro-abortion executive orders,” Clyde said in a January 20 press release announcing the “Protect the UNBORN (Undo the Negligent Biden Orders Right Now) Act.”
Read the full storyMadison Schools Begin Gender Identity Week for Elementary Students
Elementary students in the Madison Metropolitan School District will be treated to a weeklong introduction to gender identity and sexual orientation curriculum as part of the so-called Welcoming Schools agenda. Parents in the district received an email last week advising them about this week’s lesson plan, part of the Health and Social Emotional Learning curriculum. Children will learn about “different identities, which include gender identity, sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation.”
Read the full storyCincinnati Ohio School Administrators Admit to Deceiving Parents and Teaching Critical Race Theory in Classrooms
Despite Republican State Senator Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula) re-introducing the Parental Education Freedom Act to empower parents to be the primary decision-makers regarding where and what type of education their children receive, an undercover investigation has revealed that school administrators in Cincinnati, Ohio have admitted to covertly indoctrinating students with Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classrooms.
As part of Accuracy in Media’s investigation, numerous school administrators admitted that teachers are sneakily and covertly introducing CRT to their students unbeknownst to their parents and that they don’t plan to stop even if lawmakers pass legislation prohibiting this.
Read the full storyPenn Biden Center Inactive and Seemingly Leaderless for Nearly a Year
The Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy & Global Engagement, the University of Pennsylvania think tank of which President Joe Biden was once the de facto leader, has had no publicized activity for nearly a year and its future is uncertain.
Biden reportedly used the Washington, D.C.-based center as his main D.C. office for much of the time between the end of his vice presidency in 2017 and his presidential run in 2020. From 2017 to 2019, Biden received approximately $900,000 in salary for a Penn professorship that did not require him to teach regular classes.
Read the full storyTwin Cities Legislators Introduce Bill to Block Mining Facility in Northeast Minnesota
More than two dozen DFL legislators — nearly all from the suburbs — have signed onto a bill that would attempt to put permanent brakes on a highly contentious, planned copper-nickel mining facility near Ely that could bring upwards of 2,000 new jobs to northeast Minnesota.
Critics of what would be Minnesota’s first copper-nickel facility, proposed by Twin Metals, argue that copper-nickel mining in the area would irreversibly pollute the environment in the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Supporters have said that Twin Metals has demonstrated its plant will use the best available technology to mitigate and prevent such pollution. The project remains up in the air as Twin Metals has sued the Biden administration over lease rights to the project.
Read the full storyMichigan Mayor Blames Residents for Crime
After being sued for violating the First Amendment, Eastpointe Mayor Monique Owens spent 15 minutes at Tuesday’s council meeting airing her grievances against the public.
Owens complained that at a previous meeting, her daughter heard a member of the public criticizing her.
Read the full storyDeSantis-Appointed College Trustee Clashes with Officials Over Prayer
A New College of Florida (NCF) Board of Trustees member recently appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis clashed with board officials by requesting to open every meeting in prayer.
DeSantis appointed six new members to the NCF board of trustees earlier this month, a decision anticipated to move the college’s mission in a more conservative direction. Eddie Speir, one of the new appointees, announced on Twitter that he requested to begin every board meeting with prayer; however the request was denied by board chair Mary Ruiz and legal counsel David Smolker.
Read the full storyNew Arizona Department of Education Officials Face Massive Backlog of ESA Requests From Previous Administration
As a new administration takes over operations for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), led by Superintendent Tom Horne (R), it appears they are swamped with a massive backlog of Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) requests leftover by the former administration of Kathy Hoffman (D). Christine Accurso, an advocate for ESAs, is now the program’s executive director and is shacking up how the office tackles requests to deal with the backlog.
“Our team is processing expense requests in sections, by category so that we can get through them efficiently and effectively. In the past the requests were processed in the order they were received. We are working on new processes to use going forward, as we work through the backlog,” Accurso said in a statement emailed to The Arizona Sun Times.
Read the full storyVictor Davis Hanson Commentary: Identity Politics Absurdities and the Ridiculousness of Reparations
The last time racial reparations made the major news was on the eve of September 11, 2001 attacks. The loss of 3,000 Americans, which for a time fueled a new national unity, quickly dispelled the absurdities of the reparation movement, and turned our attention toward more existential issues.
Now the idea is back in vogue again. Here are 10 reasons why the nation’s—and especially California’s—discussions of reparatory payouts are dangerous in a multiracial state, and why reparations are not viable either in an insolvent state or a bankrupt nation at large.
Read the full storyEconomic Experts Weigh Youngkin’s Decision to Halt Virginia Ford Plant
Growth in plants connected to electric vehicles has roared across the country.
Not everyone, however, is quickly jumping in.
When Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said last week that he stopped efforts to establish a Ford Motors battery plant at a megasite in the state due to its Chinese partner, it was the first time University of Texas professor Nathan Jensen could recall a state rejecting an economic incentive deal for a battery plant.
Read the full storyPioneering Law Professor Offers Legal Strategy for Virginia Students Denied National Merit Award Notices
As Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares investigates potential civil rights violations in the widespread withholding of timely National Merit Scholar award notifications to students in suburban Washington, D.C., possibly on “equity” grounds, a local law professor known for public health crusades is floating a novel legal strategy for aggrieved students.
George Washington University’s John Banzhaf says Virginia courts this century have recognized a “somewhat obscure” class of legal claims known as “prima facie torts” that don’t depend on difficult-to-prove allegations such as intentional infliction of emotional distress or racial discrimination.
Read the full storyWisconsin Supreme Court Election Ads Hit the Airwaves
Campaign ads are headed back to TVs across Wisconsin ahead of the election for a seat on the State Supreme Court.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz’ campaign on Friday announced a $700,000 ad buy in the race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She’s one of four challengers trying to land the seat held by Justice Pat Roggensack, who has said she will not seek reelection.
Read the full storyFlorida Democrats Still in Disarray After DeSantis’ Massive Midterm Victory
Florida Democrats still have no clear leader or plan for the future two months after Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis swept the state in the November midterm elections, numerous lawmakers and leaders told The Washington Post.
DeSantis won his reelection by 19 points after winning his initial election by only 0.4 points in the former battleground state. There is no clear frontrunner to replace Manny Diaz, former Florida Democratic Party chair, following his recent resignation, and Democrats both within and outside Florida appear to be giving up on the third most populous state, according to the Post.
Read the full storyCommentary: What Many Wisconsin Citizens Hope Governor Evers Says in His State of the State Speech
On Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers will deliver his fifth State of the State speech before both chambers of the Legislature and the judiciary. Like many governors before him, a pronouncement that the state of the state is strong is all but to be expected. But is this truly the state of affairs in Wisconsin? Is state government serving the needs of its citizens and providing the services that we all expect? With a looming recession, is state government looking at how to help Wisconsinites — or at least not make things worse?
Here is what we hope the governor will say in his address.
Read the full storyArizona’s Democratic Attorney General Defends Maintaining Database Tracking International Money Transfers
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ is defending her administration’s decision to keep in place a money transfer surveillance program that paves the way for a growing number of law enforcement agencies across the country to keep tabs on the dealings of potentially illegal activity.
With the database originally set up nearly a decade ago under the stewardship of a Republican attorney general, the so-called Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC) act was billed as a voluntary agreement with Western Union aimed at combating drug trafficking that has now expanded to touch more than 600 law enforcement agencies.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Lawmakers Revive Bill to Rein in Regulatory Spending
Republicans lawmakers will again tackle regulatory reform and the separation of powers in the new legislative session.
Previous efforts made some progress, but failed to become law.
The latest attempt is proposed Senate Bill 188 that would require legislative approval of “economically significant regulations.”
Read the full storyNew ATF Rule Sets the Stage to Classify Legal Gun Owners as Criminals
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) recently implemented pistol brace final rule could classify millions of gun owners as felons should they fail to comply with the updated requirements, according to the gun rights advocacy groups.
The rule, announced in January, will void all previous guidance on pistols braces, opting to redefine “rifle” as any weapon “designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder,” forcing pistol brace owners, many disabled, to register their pistols as short barrel rifles (SBR) with the federal government. The ATF has allowed 120 days for gun owners with pistol braces to adjust the barrel longer than the required 16 inches, file a Form 1 to “make” the pistol a SBR, remove the brace, surrender the firearm or destroy the firearm.
Read the full storyLiberal Professor at Western Kentucky University Fired after Protesting His School’s DEI Dogma
Former Western Kentucky University English instructor Ryan Hall said he was fired after canceling his classes in protest of his school’s political bias to embrace and enforce diversity, equity and inclusion above free speech and academic freedom and discourse.
Hall, who describes himself as a liberal who has never voted for a conservative, said he risked his two-decade career in academia to defend the principles of classical liberalism the university “abandoned” in its pursuit of a DEI dogma.
Read the full storyElectricity Prices Jumped More than Double that of Inflation Last Year, Consumer Index Shows
Prices for electricity in the United States soared well above overall inflationary levels last year, putting an added squeeze on consumers already reeling from significantly inflated costs of most consumer goods.
The Consumer Price Index Summary released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics this month showed the 12-month average price of electricity last month jumping a whopping 14.3 percent, more than double the 6.5 percent of overall price increases.
Read the full story