Michael Patrick Leahy on Bannon’s WarRoom: Memphis Police Department Statement on Rumors Tyre Nichols Was Targeted for Personal Reasons Sounds Like A Non-Denial Denial

Thursday morning on WarRoom: Battleground, Stephen K. Bannon welcomed The Star News Network’s CEO and Editor and Chief, Michael Patrick Leahy to the show to discuss the Memphis Police Department’s lack of information surrounding the alleged murder of Tyre Nichols.

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Memphis Official: Investigators Are Looking Into Rumors of Tyre Nichols’ Relationship with Former Police Officer’s Wife

Investigators are looking into a rumored connection between Tyre Nichols and the wife of one of the former officer charged in his murder, the Shelby County District Attorney’s office now tells Newsweek. 

The revelation comes after a Memphis Police Department spokeswoman told The Tennessee Star there was no evidence to support rumors of Nichols’ involvement with the wife of ex-cop Demetrius Haley. 

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Utah Bans Gender Transition Surgeries, Puberty Blockers for Minors

Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) signed a bill last week prohibiting gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers for minors in most situations.

Cox signed the Transgender Medical Treatments and Procedures Amendments (SB 16), introduced by State Senator Mike Kennedy (R), a physician, which bans “permanent and life-altering” gender transition treatments for minors as well as puberty blockers for patients not already diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

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Watchdog Groups Call for Expanded Search for Biden Classified Documents

The FBI searched President Joe Biden’s Delaware beach home Wednesday amid the 46th president’s ongoing documents scandal. 

FBI officials said the search uncovered no new classified documents, but government watchdogs are calling on the Justice Department to widen its net amid concerns the Biden administration has been less than forthright about the records quest thus far. 

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Medical Group Pokes Holes in ‘Fatally Flawed’ Study Claiming to Prove Kids Benefit From Transgender Hormones

An organization of doctors, nurses, and health care professionals poked holes in a study claiming to prove the marginal benefits of cross-sex hormones for teenagers who persistently identify with the gender opposite their biological sex.

The group, Do No Harm, called the study “fatally flawed and borderline unscientific” in a report first provided to The Daily Signal. The report criticizes the study, “Psychosocial Functioning in Transgender Youth after 2 Years of Hormones,” led by Dr. Diane Chen at the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine in January.

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American Classical Education Submits Charter School Applications in Five Tennessee Counties

Wednesday marked the deadline for charter school applicants to submit their packages to local school boards in counties where they wish to establish a new charter school, and American Classical Education (ACE) has submitted applications in five Tennessee counties.

ACE board member and former Tennessee State Senator Dolores Gresham, who retired while serving as Senate Education Chair in 2020, told The Tennessee Star the charter school operator submitted paperwork to  Rutherford, Clarksville-Montgomery, Jackson-Madison, Maury, and Robertson Counties.

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Border 911 Conference in Phoenix Exposes How Bad Cartels, Human Trafficking and Fentanyl Have Become

The America Project (TAP) held a conference on border security Saturday in Phoenix at the Hershberger Theater. The Border 911 event featured leading experts on human trafficking, cartels, and drugs coming over the border, including former acting ICE Director Tom Homan, who also served as a Border Patrol agent in Phoenix.

Homan said, “Under President Trump, we had the most secure border in my lifetime.” He discussed all the progress Trump made, such as getting countries to accept illegal immigrants back, Title 42 restrictions, and implementing the Remain in Mexico program.

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Georgia Officials Roll Out Increased Penalties for Gang Crimes

Georgia Republicans formally rolled out legislation to increase penalties for those who recruit minors into gangs.

Senate Bill 44, introduced by state Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, also mandates minimum sentences for gang offenses currently on the books in Georgia. It would allow prosecutors and judges to consider lower sentences only in some situations, including where a defendant renders “substantial assistance” in identifying, arresting or convicting other gang members.

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Wisconsin’s Labor Force Participation Rate Lower than the Worst Days of the Pandemic

In his state of the state address last month, Gov. Tony Evers boasted about Wisconsin’s low unemployment rate. What the Democrat failed to mention is Wisconsin’s dismal labor participation rate, a number that underscores one of the biggest economic challenges facing Badger State businesses. 

“Our labor force participation rate is worse today than it was at the bottom point of COVID when our economy was shut down,” said Scott Manley, Executive Vice President of Government Relations for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. 

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Athens County GOP Will Not Comply with Ohio GOP Censure of State Rep Edwards for Disregarding Party Obligations and Voting for Speaker Stephens

Following the Ohio Republican censure of the 22 lawmakers who voted with Democrats last month to choose the new Speaker of the Ohio House, saying they had disregarded their obligations to the party and the public, the Athens County GOP has said that they will not comply with the state party’s censure of Representative Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville).

Edwards was among the 22 GOP representatives who joined forces with the Democrats to choose State Representative Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) as speaker. The choice came despite the Republican Caucus‘ previous selection in November of State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Moncolva) as the new speaker.

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Man Charged with Public Indecency After Using Women’s Changing Facilities in Xenia YMCA

A male stating he is a female has been charged with three counts of public indecency for using the women’s changing facilities at the Xenia YMCA. This comes just weeks after Green County prosecutor David Hayes requested an opinion from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost clarifying if Ohio civil rights law requires local governments to permit individuals to use public restrooms according to their stated gender identity rather than their biological sex.

Darren Glines was accused of three charges of public indecency at Xenia Municipal Court for instances that occurred in September, November, and a third time between November 2021 and 2022 and involved three young girls. The accusations are all misdemeanors in the fourth degree.

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Commentary: Curious That Greta Thunberg Won’t Stage Climate Protests in China

by David Blackmon   Climate change activist Greta Thunberg made news recently when she was arrested during a protest at a coal mining site near Lutzerath, Germany. The news did not come so much from her arrest by German police dressed up in riot gear, but by the obvious staging of the event with the full cooperation of the policemen and the press covering the event. Ms. Thunberg and the officers no doubt assumed video of all the obvious staging and repeated takes from different angles would not leak, but leak it did, revealing the phoniness of it all. Such staging of major “news” events is not really anything new, but it is revelatory of Thunberg’s real role as a crisis actor for the climate alarmist movement. It is a role she appears to have been raised by her parents to fulfill, but her staging choices raise some questions about her sincerity to the supposed cause. Put simply: Ms. Thunberg seems to aim her protests at the wrong targets. For example, why is it that the Thunberg campaign to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide has never traveled to China? China is, after all, the world’s biggest carbon emitter by far. Oxford Analytics recently published a chart,…

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Leon County Commissioner: The AP African American History Course Is ‘Trash’

Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor, a black Florida Democrat, said the AP African American Studies course is “trash,” siding with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in opposition to the class due to its focus on queer and feminist ideology.

Florida rejected the College Board AP course from the state’s curriculum last month because it was “filled with Critical Race Theory and other obvious violations of Florida law,” State Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. said.

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Michigan County Spurns $1.5 Million in Private Election Funding Amid Growing ‘Zuckerbucks’ Backlash

A clerk in Ottawa County, Mich., has declined a $1.5 million election grant from a nonprofit linked to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, citing qualms about accepting private funds for public election administration, as a growing number of states and localities across the nation are moving to refuse, restrict or ban so-called “Zuckerbucks.”

Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck announced Tuesday that he was removing the elections division of his office from consideration for funding by the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, after reporting in November that the county was a finalist in the network’s “Centers for Election Excellence” program.

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Pennsylvania Representative Proposes Expanding E-Verify

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is asking colleagues to support an expansion of the state’s mandate that contractors use the E-Verify system to ensure they only hire legal U.S. residents. 

State Representative Ryan Mackenzie (R-Macungie) this week began circulating a memorandum seeking co-sponsors for his upcoming legislation that would require all public contractors and subcontractors to use the federal government’s E-Verify website. Established in the late nineties and now run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the site lets employers avail themselves of it free of charge. The system cross-references information from workers’ Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 with preexisting government data to determine whether a hire is living in America legally. 

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Set to Hold Taxpayer-Funded, Out-of-State Summer Retreat

In June, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) principals are heading north to Louisville, Kentucky for a summer retreat, or as the Nashville school district likes to call it, Principal Splash. MNPS spokesman Sean Braisted tells The Tennessee Star that, “Principal Splash is an opportunity for tier-based and cluster-based planning and professional learning that also allows for peer bonding.”

While in Louisville, they’ll be put up by the district at the Galt House Hotel. As participants of the Splash, Braisted says, “Principals with Academies programs will stay two nights, and one night for remaining principals.” He goes on to tell The Star, “Group transportation will be provided by the district, and we are anticipating approximately 180 staff altogether. Transportation and meals are provided for MNPS personnel, but spouses are allowed to join and stay in the hotel if they so choose.”

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Florida’s DeSantis Seeks Tax Relief in Proposed $114 Billion Budget

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Tallahassee Wednesday to discuss his “Framework for Freedom” budget.

DeSantis’ proposed $114.8 billion budget contains some tax relief measures as the economy in the Sunshine State has performed far better than other states. Last year the state surplus was over $20 billion, and DeSantis stated that this money needs to go back to the people.

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Pennsylvania Governor Orders Refunds Licensing, Permitting Fees for Slow State Processing

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday the state will refund residents every time it delays processing applications for occupational licenses, certifications and permits.

“Under my administration, Pennsylvanians will have certainty,” he said. “They will know how long it will take for agencies to respond, and if an agency doesn’t live up to that promise, they deserve their money back.”

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Minnesota Democrats Celebrate New Law Enshrining Abortion at Anytime During Pregnancy

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) signed legislation Tuesday that has been condemned by the pro-life community as the most extreme abortion measure in the nation, one that creates a “fundamental right” to abortion at any time during pregnancy, and denies parents the right to know if their minor daughter undergoes an abortion.

Walz signed the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act to enshrine in state statute a “fundamental right” to abortion, without any restrictions, and to contraception, sterilization, fertility treatment.

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Rules Governing New School Funding Formula Pass Out of the Joint Government Operations Committee Meeting, Moves Toward Full Implementation

The rules governing Tennessee’s new K-12 education funding formula – Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) – took another step towards full adoption on Monday, passing out of the Tennessee General Assembly’s Joint Government Operations Committee with a positive review. On the State House side, the proposed rules passed by a majority, with only 5 “nay” votes. While on the State Senate side, things were much closer, with a 4-2 in favor.

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Republican Arizona State Legislature Moves Forward with Proposed Continuation Budget Despite Democrat Backlash

Republican Arizona state legislators of the House and Senate are moving forward with their previously proposed continuation budget, referred to as a “skinny budget,” which members call the financially responsible move to ensure state entities are funded and continue without issue.

“This is a budget that recognizes the political and economic realities in our state right now. It’s a responsible plan based on the budget funding approved last session with bipartisan support. It fully funds our state’s obligations and ensures that essential functions of state government will continue without interruption,” said State Representative David Livingston (R-Peoria).

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Sinema Leans on California to Join Colorado River Water Pact

As six states wait for California to join its Colorado River Basin water use agreement, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema called on the state to be willing to seal the deal.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado all agreed to work toward finding the best way to distribute the water source, which is facing drought conditions, but California was the missing signature.

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Virginia House of Delegates Passes Bill Eliminating Age Restriction for Military Benefit Tax Relief

Virginia may soon make younger veterans eligible for an income tax subtraction on military retirement pay under a bill that received bipartisan support in the House of Delegates Tuesday. 

House Bill 1436 received broad bipartisan support during a floor vote in the House Tuesday, passing out of the chamber in a 98-0 vote. The bill, authored by Del. John McGuire, R-Goochland, would remove the existing 55 and older age restriction for individuals eligible for a military benefits income tax subtraction. 

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Fed Hikes Interest Rates to Highest Levels in 15 Years

by John Hugh DeMastri   The Federal Reserve raised its target federal-funds interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday, the slowest in a series of eight hikes that began in March 2022. The hike brings the Fed’s target rate to a range between 4.5 percent and 4.75 percent, with the Fed continuing to slow its pace after six consecutive hikes of more than 0.5 percentage points, according to a Fed press release. While Fed officials have consistently said that they anticipated a pause after the target funds rate surpassed 5 percent, investors have increasingly expected that the Fed will change its tune by its next meeting — scheduled for May 2-3, 2023 —if inflation continues to drop, Bloomberg reported. The disconnect between the Fed and investor expectations has put Fed officials in a “difficult spot,” Will Luther, the director of the American Institute of Economic Research’s Sound Money Project, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Fed officials can either meet expectations where they are, which might mean they fail to bring down inflation as quickly as they would like, or surprise markets by delivering the projected rate hikes, which would bring down inflation but at the risk of a potentially severe recession.” Current…

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Commentary: The Government Wants Your Raincoat

Two recent proposals that the federal government are considering in the name of consumer safety have Uncle Sam coming after products millions of Americans use every day. While a potential gas stove ban has received several headlines in recent days, millions of Americans may not know that the government has also had a role in beginning the phasing out of a chemical that is a component in so many products that it will likely impact every American in the country.

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