The University of Wisconsin System recently commissioned a study to examine students’ views on free speech issues. Roughly 10,500 students across 13 campuses responded. The survey offers numerous findings—some good, some bad—that merit deep consideration. One finding, however, is abundantly clear. There are two very different college experiences based on students’ views. Right-leaning students report that they are silenced, are pressured to agree with instructors, and face unwelcoming environments. Left-leaning students, on the other hand, enjoy a friendlier environment with fewer obstacles. These results call for significant institutional reforms.
Read the full storyMonth: February 2023
Fatherless Children, Dangerous Cities: Numbers Confirm Deep Roots of Urban Crime Epidemic
As Just the News recently reported, the U.S. is now home to 11 of the top 50 most dangerous cities in the world. All 11, as the piece noted, are governed by Democratic mayors. All 11 also have Democratic district attorneys.
Permissive criminal justice policies are widely thought to be large factors driving such grim statistics. Dig a little deeper, however, and an even more important cause of the crime epidemic plaguing blue cities comes into sharp focus: Many of these cities are also home to a staggering percentage of single-parent households, the great majority of which are headed by single mothers.
Read the full storyTDOE Releases Annual Educator Survey Revealing Growing Teacher Dissatisfaction
The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) released on Friday key findings and responses from the 2022 Tennessee Educator Survey (TES). Survey results reveal that in every category measured, teachers are more dissatisfied this year than last year.
In 2021, 91 percent of teachers reported being generally satisfied. In 2022, that number has declined to 87 percent.
Read the full storySimon Conway Guest Host Matt Kittle Talks to Kari Lake About Upcoming Event in Iowa and America First Policies
Live from Des Moines Tuesday morning on The Simon Conway Show with Matt Kittle – broadcast on Des Moines, Iowa’s, 1040 WHO (4p-7p weekdays) or in the Quad Cities on 1420 WOC (4p-6m weekdays) – host Kittle welcomed former Arizona Governor candidate Kari Lake to the show to promote her upcoming event in Iowa and America First policies.
Read the full storyOhio GOP Chairman Triantafilou Releases Statement Prior to President Biden’s State of the Union Address
Alex Triantafilou, the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, made a statement on Tuesday prior to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Triantafilou stated in a news release that “anything short of an apology during tonight’s State of the Union will be unacceptable to working Ohio families.”
At nine o’clock Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, will give the annual address before a joint session of Congress.
Read the full story‘Trans Lives Matter’ Activists Occupy Oklahoma Capitol Building to Protest Protecting Minor Children from Life-Altering Transgender Drugs and Surgeries
About 150 transgender rights activists occupied the Oklahoma Capitol building Monday to protest Republican-led proposed legislation that would protect minor children and teens from life-altering hormone drugs and surgeries, the consequences of which they may not fully comprehend until they are adults.
The protesters, many from LGBTQ activist groups Oklahomans for Equality and Freedom Oklahoma, descended upon the Capitol building and into the rotunda where they proceeded to chant loudly.
Read the full storyCommunity Tortured by Prostitutes Soliciting Sex Outside California Catholic Elementary School
Parents and parish school officials in East Oakland, California, are desperate for police assistance as scantily-clad young prostitutes solicit sex along the sidewalk of St. Anthony’s K-8 elementary school.
Read the full storyKari Lake Headed to Iowa for Political Events, Raising National Profile
Former GOP Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is heading this week to her home state of Iowa, where she plans to attend two upcoming political events and talk about her signature issue.
Read the full storyChinese Nationals Have Bought Thousands of Acres of Strategically Located U.S. Farmland
Ownership of U.S. farmland by Chinese nationals has risen significantly in the last decade and amounted to 338,000 acres as of 2020, according to U.S. Agriculture Department data.
Since 2010, Chinese nationals have reportedly purchased an additional 75,000 acres of U.S. farmland, according to U.S. Agriculture Department data obtained by the WSJ. Although amounting to less than 1% of all U.S. agricultural land held by foreign citizens, ownership of U.S. farmland by Chinese nationals has received increased scrutiny in recent years following warnings from U.S. government officials claiming that the Chinese government may seek to use land for military and espionage purposes, according to the WSJ.
Read the full storyGoogle Debuts ‘Bard,’ an AI Competitor to ChatGPT
Big Tech giant Google on Monday announced Bard, the company’s new artificial intelligence product, in a bid to compete with ChatGPT.
“We’ve been working on an experimental conversational AI service, powered by LaMDA, that we’re calling Bard,” reads a blog post from the company. “And today, we’re taking another step forward by opening it up to trusted testers ahead of making it more widely available to the public in the coming weeks.
Read the full storyPopular AI Less Likely to Flag ‘Hateful Content’ That Targets Whites, Republicans, Men, Research Finds
OpenAI, the company behind the headline-grabbing artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, has an automated content moderation system designed to flag hateful speech, but the software treats speech differently depending on which demographic groups are insulted, according to a study conducted by research scientist David Rozado.
The content moderation system used in ChatGPT and other OpenAI products is designed to detect and block hate, threats, self-harm and sexual comments about minors, according to Rozado. The researcher fed various prompts to ChatGPT involving negative adjectives ascribed to various demographic groups based on race, gender, religion and various other markers and found that the software favors some demographic groups over others.
Read the full storyOhio U.S. Rep. Joyce Proposes End to Head Start Vaccine Requirement
U.S. Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH-14) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1) are seeking an end to the COVID-19-vaccine mandate affecting workers at Head Start facilities.
The federal Head Start program was founded in 1965 and provides numerous early-learning, wellness and parenting-support services to families with children ages five and younger who receive public assistance or have incomes below the poverty line. The program serves more than 800,000 children nationwide including 33,241 in Ohio and roughly 1,500 in Joyce’s district.
Read the full storyProposed Georgia Legislation Would Lessen Licensing Requirements, Proponents Say
Proponents say a pair of proposed bills would cut down on the red tape facing providers of services that require occupational licenses.
House Bill 155 would provide a pathway for the spouses of firefighters, health care providers and law enforcement officers who move to Georgia to immediately secure an occupational license if they hold a license in their previous state of residence and are in good standing.
Read the full storyToledo and Cleveland School Administrators Admit to Deceiving Parents and Promoting Critical Race Theory in Ohio 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 revealed that school administrators in both Toledo and Cleveland, Ohio are deceiving parents and teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom.
As part of Accuracy in Media’s investigation, numerous school administrators acknowledged that teachers discreetly and subtly introduce CRT to their students without the parents’ knowledge, and that they have no plans to stop even if politicians approve legislation outlawing this practice.
Read the full storyMichigan Bill Aims to Ease Substitute Teaching Requirements
A bill introduced in Lansing aims to make it easier for Michigan schools to hire substitute teachers.
State Rep. Brad Paquette, R-Niles, introduced House Bill 4038, which aims to allow a district employee to substitute teach under certain conditions, without having 60 college credits.
Read the full storyNew Bills Coming from Republican State Senators Seek to Give Greater Protection to Arizona Children and Victims of Abuse
Three new Senate Bills (SB) have been introduced between State Senators Sine Kerr (R-Buckeye) and Janae Shamp (R-Suprise), which aim to provide more protections to children and victims of abuse. Kayleigh Kozak, the Arizonan behind the state’s new “Kayleigh’s Law,” called on residents to support these bills’ passage.
“Prioritize protecting children, victims and our communities,” Kozak shared. “Attend the Arizona State Senate this Thursday, February 9th at 8 am in Senate Hearing Room 1. Sign up to speak or simply show up.
Read the full storyMinnesota House Democrats Pass Voting Rights for Felons Currently in Prison
Minnesota Democrats want to join just a handful of states where felons never lose their right to vote.
This was revealed during a House floor debate Thursday night, which saw the passage of State Rep. Cedrick Frazier’s, DFL-New Hope, bill to restore voting rights to felons once they are released from incarceration. Under current law, felons are not allowed to vote until they complete their entire sentence, including probation and parole.
Read the full storyFiscal Watchdog Warns Against Wealth Tax in Connecticut and Five other States
New York is being cautioned against raising taxes on its top earners as lawmakers consider plans to drum up more money from the state’s wealthiest.
A group of progressive Democratic state lawmakers have proposed a raft of tax reforms targeting New York’s ultra-rich that includes adding new tax brackets for the highest earners, increasing corporate taxes for the top companies, and setting wealth taxes on capital gains and inheritances.
Backers of the Invest in New York proposal say the package of reforms would drum up another $40 million to $50 million for the state’s education, housing and transportation needs.
Read the full story‘Tennessee is Leading the Nation:’ Governor Bill Lee Delivers Fifth State of the State Address
One year after declaring “the state of our state is strong,” Governor Bill Lee touted Tennessee as a leader in the nation in regards to being a “guiding light for opportunity, security and freedom” during his fifth State of the State address on Monday in the House Chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol.
Read the full storyFirst U.S. Nuclear-Powered Data Center, Bitcoin Mine Coming to Pennsylvania
The country’s first nuclear-powered data center and bitcoin mining operation – located in northeastern Pennsylvania – will soon welcome its first tenant.
Cumulus Data said the first of several 48 megawatt “powered shell data center” at its 1,200-acre campus in Columbia County that will provide digital infrastructure and decarbonized energy to clients via the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station in Berwick is now ready for lease.
Read the full storyReps. Tiffany and Boebert’s Bill Would Remove the Re-Populated Gray Wolf From Endangered Species List
Demanding that the Biden administration “trust the science,” U.S. Reps. Tom Tiffany (R-WI-07) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO-03) are reintroducing a bill calling on the re-populated gray wolf to be removed from the Endangered Species List.
The Trust the Science Act also would require wolf populations to be managed by states, not by “one-size-fits-all” federal government regulations.
Read the full storyFlorida Democrat Admits Taking Daughter to Drag Shows: ‘Just Folx Dancing in Cute Outfits’
A Florida Democrat lawmaker who admitted in a Twitter post Saturday she takes her teenage daughter to drag shows condemned Governor Ron DeSantis’s (R) move to revoke the liquor license of an Orlando venue that allowed minors to attend drag show performances.
State Representative Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), who self-describes as a “community organizer,” denied the sexual nature of drag shows, claiming, instead, the issue is one of “parental rights,” whereby parents can decide to take their children to these performances.
Read the full storyOhio House Bill Requires Doctors to Inform Expectant Mothers of Health Risks Following an Abortion
A Republican state lawmaker in Ohio introduced a bill to prioritize the health of pregnant women in the state, leading to better maternal outcomes with each pregnancy.
The legislation sponsored by State Representative Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) will impose obligations on medical professionals who perform abortions, requiring them to remain informed of the most recent, correct medical knowledge regarding the possibility of adverse effects. Then, this measure mandates that the provider inform the expectant mother of the information.
Read the full storyVirginia Lawmakers Divided over Gov. Youngkin’s Tax Cuts, Spending Plans
With just a few weeks left in the legislative session, Virginia lawmakers in the House and Senate disagree on whether or not a key piece of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed budget amendments – $1 billion in tax cuts – should be included in the state’s amended spending plan.
Proposed amendments to the biennial budget presented by both the House and Senate money committees Sunday, reveals disagreement between the two chambers over the inclusion of Youngkin’s proposed $1 billion in tax reductions.
Read the full storyCommentary: Lack of Border Security Is Impacting Local Arizona Law Enforcement
As a former law enforcement officer from Southern Arizona, I have seen first-hand the direct impact failed border policies have on local communities and police departments.
Read the full storyAttorney General Mayes Issues Warning over Sports Betting Scams
As many Arizonans prepare for the first Super Bowl in the state since 2015, Attorney General Kris Mayes offers a warning about sports betting scams.
“While many Arizonans participate in legal sports betting, it is important to remember there are scammers out there trying to intercept your money and your personal information,” Mayes said. “If you bet on the Super Bowl, or any sporting event, make sure you are gambling on sports and not on whether an illegal sportsbook will steal your winnings.”
Read the full storyState Sen. Janae Shamp Seeks to Allow Employees to Opt-Out of Vaccine Mandates in any Situation
One of Arizona’s newest State Senators, Janae Shamp (R-Suprise), has a bill headed to the Senate Health & Human Services committee Tuesday that would require employees in the state to have the opportunity to opt out of a vaccine mandate. Shamp, a former operating room nurse, said this bill would be significant for health care professionals.
“It’s sickening that many healthcare workers, like myself, lost our jobs because we refused to take the jab,” said Senator Shamp. “The COVID-19 vaccine has not been on the market long enough to determine if there is a correlation between its ingredients and medical issues a number of patients are now experiencing after getting the shot. We already have a dire shortage of medical professionals within Arizona, and these mandates have only exacerbated the crisis.”
Read the full storyGovernor Tony Evers Can’t Be Bothered With Issuing Ronald Reagan Day Proclamation
The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project has again asked for all governors to proclaim Feb 6. Ronald Reagan Day in honor of the 40th president’s birthday. Once again, Gov. Tony Evers has refused to do so.
The liberal governor, however, has been glad to issue all manner of proclamations celebrating everything from Tamil Language and Heritage Month to Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Read the full storyPublic Education Hits $2.3 Billion Jackpot from Lottery Players
Scratch-off tickets accounted for 75 percent of sales, helping The Florida Lottery to an 11th consecutive year of breaking records and sending $2.3 billion into public education.
Total sales for the fiscal year ending June 30 were $9.32 billion, says the recently released annual comprehensive financial report. Second in sales is the Pick Family, which at 9 percent was down slightly from 10 percent the previous year. Third was Powerball with Power Play at 5 percent, up from 4 percent in 2021.
Read the full storyCincinnati Leaders Vie to Limit Gun Rights and Declare Preemption Law as Unconstitutional
Democratic leaders in Cincinnati have proposed two new ordinances for City Councils consideration that aim to extend gun restrictions in the city.
These ordinances come after a Fairfield County judge denied a request from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to block firearm regulations recently enacted by the city of Columbus.
Read the full storyFew Democrats Want Biden to Run Again in 2024: Poll
Heading into President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address Tuesday, his own party has little desire for a second Biden term, according to a new poll.
The poll, released Monday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, reports that only 37 percent of Democrats want Biden to run for a re-election.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Unacceptable Cost of Open-Border Mission Creep
One of the pitfalls of political extremism is that a few bad foundational ideas beget a host of even worse ideas and results. Such is the case with our immigration crisis, as what began with faculty lounge bull sessions has become accepted government policy that now threatens America’s future.
The idea that America’s borders should be softened to the point that any noncitizen could enter the country on his own terms was always problematic. From that flawed logic has come an intricate web of problems that most in our government have no will, no courage, and no competence to repair.
Read the full storyCommentary: Legalized Sports Betting Has Transformed the Fan Experience
A couple of days before Christmas, I went to see the NHL’s Nashville Predators play on their home ice against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
Amid all the silliness of a modern pro sports experience – the home team skating out of a giant saber-toothed tiger head, the mistletoe kiss cam, a small rock band playing seasonal hits between periods – there was a steady stream of advertising for DraftKings, a company known as a sportsbook that takes bets on athletic events and pays out winnings.
Read the full storySouth Carolina Moves to Take the Top Spot in Democratic Presidential Politics
The Democratic National Committee has approved a calendar that makes South Carolina the party’s first primary for the 2024 election.
The move follows an endorsement from President Joe Biden, whose win in the state’s 2020 Democratic primary was integral to his securing the Democratic nomination.
Read the full storyBannon: Biden Must Be Impeached ‘As Soon As Possible’ for Lying About Chinese Spy Balloon
Live from Virginia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host Fredericks welcomed Stephen K. Bannon to comment on the cover-up of the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the entire continental United States and the corruption of the Biden regime.
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist Crom Carmichael Returns from New Zealand with Viewpoints of America from Abroad
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio to discuss his perspective on the United States after a recent trip to New Zealand.
Read the full storyCrom Carmichael on ‘Lightweight’ George Will and the Lack of True Statesmen Across the Country
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio to criticize American libertarian-conservative political commentator and author George Will and the lack of true statesmen across the country.
Read the full storyInternational Relations Expert Dominick Sansone Suggests Chinese Spy Balloon’s Trek Illustrates Division Among U.S. Leadership
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed international relations expert and contributor for The Epoch Times, Dominick Sansone, to the newsmaker line to speculate on the reasoning the Chinese spy balloon that recently entered the United States airspace was allowed to complete its trek and causing the sowing of division between US leadership.
Read the full storyNashville-Area Democrat Bob Freeman Ponders Leaving the State House for City Hall to Tackle the Titans Stadium Deal, Metro Public Schools
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed State Representative Bob Freeman (D-Nashville) in studio to answer questions on a run for Nashville mayor, reducing Metro Council, Titans Stadium deal, and the state of MNPS.
Read the full storyTennessee State Representative Bob Freeman Discusses Background and Passed Legislation
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (TN-D-56) State Representative Bob Freeman in studio to discuss his background and legislation that he’s passed in the Tennessee General Assembly.
Read the full storyChinese Companies with Links to CCP Buying American Private Schools with ROTC Programs, Florida U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz Warns
Companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are purchasing private schools with junior ROTC [Reserve Officers’ Training Corps] programs and military academies in the United States, warns Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL).
“It’s incredibly concerning that there are American private schools owned by companies with strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party,” said Waltz in a press statement. “From Florida to New York, there is clear evidence that the ownership of these schools are linked to our greatest adversary and it’s ridiculous that we are developing potential future military leaders through JROTC programs where the CCP could be shaping school curriculum and activities.”
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Applauds U.S. Rep. David Kustoff’s Bill to Protect Americans from Robocalls
Tennessee Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN-08) recently joined his colleague, North Carolina Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), to reintroduce the Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone Calls (DO NOT Call) Act in the House of Representatives.
Read the full storyFirst of Several Tennessee Bills Aimed at Nashville Government Advances
A bill that would reduce Nashville’s Metro Council from 40 to 20 voting members was approved by a House subcommittee and now is headed to the House Local Government Committee.
A fiscal note on the bill said it will save Nashville $425,000 in the first year and $510,000 in the years after based on council member’s salaries.
Read the full storyPace Industries, LLC Announces $2.8 Million Expansion Project in Madison County
Pace Industries, LLC officials recently announced that the company will invest $2.8 million in Jackson to expand manufacturing operations at its Lower Brownsville Road facility.
Read the full storyGOP to Investigate John Kerry’s Secret Negotiations with Chinese Communist Party
Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.), Chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, will be directly probing secret negotiations held between John Kerry and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
As reported by Fox News, Comer sent a letter to Kerry on Thursday informing the Biden official that Comer himself would be investigating the matter. Kerry, a failed presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Senator, was named Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for the Climate (SPEC) at the start of Biden’s term; the position of SPEC was created specifically for Kerry.
Read the full storyChinese Students Running Distribution for Drug Cartels: Former DEA Official
Former Drug Enforcement Agency Special Operations Director Derek Maltz Sr. on Friday outlined the involved of Chinese college students entering the U.S. on student visas in distributing drugs on behalf of various cartels.
Speaking on the “Just the News, No Noise” television show, Maltz highlighted the severity of the crisis, lamenting that “kids are dying left and right.”
Read the full story‘Disgraceful’: Associated Press Directs Journalists Not to Use ‘Crisis Pregnancy Center’ in New Abortion Guidance
The Associated Press added an entry to its style guide directing journalists to put the term “crisis pregnancy center” in scare-quotes, and to use “anti-abortion center” instead, to convey that “the centers’ general aim is to prevent abortions.”
The AP added this entry between Nov. 20 and Nov. 27, 2022, according to The Daily Signal’s search of the Wayback Machine. The guide describes the centers as “set up to divert or discourage women from having abortions” and warns writers against “potentially misleading terms” like “pregnancy resource centers or pregnancy counseling centers.”
Read the full storyProposal Would Send Inflation Relief Checks to Michiganders
All Michigan taxpayers will get inflation relief checks and retirees will average four-figure savings in a plan Michigan’s top Democrats say answers the call for helping families.
The size of those relief checks wasn’t announced.
Read the full storyFlorida Legislature Headed to Special Session to Deal with Disney Status
Disney’s autonomous status and several other projects will be tackled by the Florida Legislature in a special session starting Monday and scheduled to end on Feb. 17.
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, issued the proclamation on Friday.
Read the full storyVirginia Senate Advances Bill to Increase Prescription Drug Price Oversight
Lawmakers in the Virginia Senate voted Friday to advance a bill that would create a state board to conduct affordability reviews of prescription drugs – a measure that faces an uncertain future in the House.
Lawmakers voted 26-13 to advance Senate Bill 957 out of the Senate chamber and on to the House of Delegates. The bill could face an uphill battle in the House of Delegates, where Republican lawmakers voted to kill a companion measure last month.
Read the full story