Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio to weigh in on My Pillow CEO, Mike Lindells recent comments in Waco who condemned ballot harvesting.
Read the full storyMonth: March 2023
Turning Point USA Ambassador and Singer Songwriter Alexis Wilkins Talks Making Conservatism Cool
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the new ambassador for Turning Point USA, Nashville singer-songwriter Alexis Wilkins in studio to talk about making conservatism cool.
Read the full storyFederal Regulator Acknowledges Danger to Wildlife Caused by Offshore Wind Farms
The federally-chartered regulator responsible for managing fisheries in the oceans of New England acknowledged that offshore wind farms could pose a threat to the local marine wildlife, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Thomas Nies, executive director of the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), noted the “concerning implications” of a study by researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, which found that the high voltage direct current (HVDC) power cables used by some offshore wind farms emitted magnetic fields that could hinder the ability of haddock larvae to navigate, according to a January 18 letter obtained by the DCNF. The negative impact on both the haddocks’ speed and ability to navigate could result in increased “predation” of affected fish.
Read the full storySeven Dead, Including Three Children, at Nashville School; Shooter, a 28-year-old Woman Also Dead
The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) announced that a female shooter who opened fire Monday morning at The Covenant Presbyterian School in the Green HIlls neighborhood in Nashville is dead after engaging with MNPD.
Read the full storyAnalysis: Nashville Officials Cobble Plans to Pay Estimated $2.2 Billion in Titans Stadium Costs, Spend $2.9 Billion in Estimated Revenues
Construction costs have been divided up clearly to fund up to $2.2 billion of construction expenses on a new Tennessee Titans stadium in Nashville, expected to open in 2027.
Tennessee has committed $500 million in funds it will bond, Nashville’s Metropolitan Sports Authority will take out $760 million in revenue bonds backed by Metro Nashville’s general fund set to be paid off with state and local tax captures and the Titans have committed at least $840 million including an estimated $200 million from a National Football League G-4 loan and $270 million from new personal seat license sales at the stadium.
Read the full storyBiden Administration Rules Out Removing the Cuban Regime from the List of ‘Sponsors of Terrorism’
The Joe Biden administration has no plans to remove the Cuban regime from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism,” the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, said Thursday during a hearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee—House of Representatives (HFAC).
“We do not plan to remove them from the list,” said the Secretary of State in response to a direct question about it made by Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar.
Read the full storyThree Children Dead after Shooting at Private Tennessee Christian School, Hospital Official Says
Three children are dead after a gunman opened fire Monday at the Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tenn., according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson.
Read the full storyStates, Counties Clash over ‘Zuckerbucks’-Like New Sources of Private Election Funding
As “Zuckerbucks” — the injection of private money into public election administration — make a comeback, states and municipalities are clashing over whether the funds should be accepted or banned.
While many states and counties across the country have either restricted or banned the use of private money to fund public elections offices, a nonprofit with progressive Democrat ties that served as the key link in the 2020 Zuckerbucks funding chain is still finding loopholes in some counties as states seek to tighten up their laws.
Read the full storyGeorgia Unemployment Rate Remains Low for Seventh Consecutive Month
For the seventh straight month, Georgia’s unemployment rate remained at 3.1%, 0.5% below the national average in February.
The Georgia Department of Labor says the Peach State in January had the highest labor force participation rate in the Southeast at 61% and also had the highest employment-to-population ratio in the region, 59.1%.
Read the full storyVivek Ramaswamy, the GOP’s Youngest Presidential Candidate, Showing His Energy on Latest Swing Through Iowa
While Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy may be lagging in the polls, in his first month on the campaign trail no one has outworked the Ohio businessman to connect with voters.
In the words of Geoff Mack and Johnny Cash, Ramaswamy has been everywhere, man — from Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina and Maryland. He’s made the media rounds, too, from the smallest small town newspapers to the network talking heads.
Read the full storyWisconsin Republicans Stall Conversion Therapy Ban
Wisconsin’s ban on conversion therapy will remain on hold for the next few years at least.
The Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday moved the legislation that would end the ban, SB 4, back to a statehouse committee.
Read the full storyState Representative Kolodin Speaks on Progress to Find Immediate Solution to Rio Verde Foothills Water Crisis
Arizona State Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) told The Arizona Sun Times that the State Legislature is trying to find an immediate solution to the water supply issues in the unincorporated Rio Verde Foothills (RVF) area. He called for all members of the State Legislature to come together, put politics aside, and pass a solution for the people who desperately need one.
Read the full storyBills Declaring Fentanyl a Terror Weapon, Increasing Jury Duty Pay, and more Among the Hundreds Gov Youngkin Signs into Law
Facing a Monday deadline to act on bills passed by the Virginia General Assembly, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed hundreds of bills into law this week.
Lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly sent hundreds of bills to the governor’s desk during this legislative session.
Read the full storyMichigan Senate Approves Cocktails-to-Go
The Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 141 on a vote of 37-1, which aims to make cocktails-to-go permanent.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers allowed cocktails-to-go to provide businesses another way to generate revenue while the operation of bars and restaurants were restricted by the state.
Read the full storyMinnesota House Passes ‘Trans Refuge Bill’ That Would Reform Child Custody Laws
The Minnesota House passed legislation, dubbed a “Trans Refuge bill” by proponents, that would prevent laws in other states from interfering with the medical gender transition of children in Minnesota, but critics argue the bill could cause parents to lose custody if they do not support their child’s life-altering sex change.
Minnesota’s first transgender lawmaker, Rep. Leigh Finke of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, introduced the bill, HF 146, which passed the House in a 68-62 vote Friday.
Read the full storyOhio Lawmakers Reintroduce ‘Parents Bill of Rights’ Promoting School Transparency
Republican lawmakers have re-introduced a bill to require school systems to have policies in place that allow parents to be more active in their child’s education.
House Bill (HB) 8, known as the “Parents Bill of Rights,” sponsored by state Representatives D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) aims to require school systems to give parents notice of sexually explicit materials and create a health care plan for students with their parents.
Read the full storyDeSantis to Reward Teachers with $3K Bonus for Refresher Training on Civics
Gov. Ron DeSantis wants Florida teachers to emphasize civic education and reward those who do with a $3,000 bonus.
The second-term Republican held a news conference in Orange Park Thursday to discuss the importance of teaching American civics and how it is being better implemented in Florida for school students.
Read the full storyPennsylvania GOP State Lawmaker Proposes Freight-Train Length Limit
A Republican Pennsylvania lawmaker is urging colleagues to cosponsor state-level legislation to limit a freight train’s length to no greater than 8,500 feet.
State Representative Louis Schmitt, Jr. (R-Altoona) reasoned in a memorandum describing his proposal that the February 3 derailment in East Palestine, less than half a mile from Pennsylvania’s western border, shows current rail-safety requirements are inadequate.
Read the full storyConnecticut State Workers Set to Receive $45 Million in Pandemic Bonuses
Tens of thousands of Connecticut state workers will be getting bonuses after a labor arbiter awarded them more than $45 million in pandemic-related back pay.
The ruling by Arbitrator Susan Meredith, which must be approved by the Connecticut General Assembly, would provide bonuses from $250 to $2,834 for employees in high-risk jobs, which include police, firefighters and state-run nursing homes. Workers in lower-risk jobs would receive bonuses ranging from $125 to $1,417, under the ruling.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Language of Politics and the Politics of Language
On his blog A Pilgrim in Narnia, Brenton Dickieson tells us that C.S. Lewis in his Studies in Words defined “verbicide” as the “murder of words.” Dickieson adds that “Lewis has some similar concerns as George Orwell in his ‘Politics and the English Language.’ Words can be politicized or bent into the service of those who are peddling products or ideas.”
The 21st century has given us a multitude of these vampires, who—having sucked the original meanings out of certain nouns and verbs—then use the carcasses to sell certain ideologies or to confuse the rest of us. Here is a partial list of these zombie words.
Read the full storyArizona Democrats, Republicans Spar over Which Side Has Best Teacher Raise Plan
Teacher pay in Arizona has become a hot-button issue, with both Democrats and Republicans proposing increases but not supporting the alternative. Meanwhile, teacher’s unions are demanding a spending hike worth more than both parties’ plans.
Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, has introduced H.B. 2800 – seeking to increase the salary of teachers statewide by $10,000 by 2025. The bill would cost taxpayers $1.1 billion over two years but it makes Arizona’s average teacher pay the fourth-highest in the nation.
Read the full storyCity of Chattanooga Partners with Hamilton County Schools to Launch New Initiative for Students Wanting to Pursue Early Childhood Education
The City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County Schools (HCS) have partnered together to launch the One Chattanooga Institute of Early Care and Learning which will provide high school students wanting to pursue early childhood education after graduation a direct path to the career.
Read the full storyState Senate, House at Odds Over Ohio Transportation Budget
The Ohio Senate and House, along with Republicans and Democrats, agreed on rail safety issues in the state’s proposed transportation budget. But there were other differences.
The nearly $13.5 billion budget that unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday funds state and local road and bridge construction, improvements and repair maintenance. House Democrats said that version negatively impacts working Ohioans, labor unions and competitive bidding.
Read the full storyBiden Admin Opens Investigations into Multiple Universities for Allegedly Racist, Discriminatory Programs
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened federal investigations into four universities this week in response to complaints filed by medical watchdog Do No Harm (DNH), according to the organization.
The OCR will investigate Wake Forest University (WFU), the University of Virginia (UVA), the University of Rochester (UR) and Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) for alleged civil rights violations, Do No Harm reported. Senior Fellow Mark Perry filed a joint complaint against WFU and UVA, alleging the institutions used school resources to partner with an organization whose activities violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, while Program Manager Laura Morgan violated complaints against UR and TJU for allegedly participating in programs that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Read the full story2022 Was Bust for Many Pension Plan Investment Returns
Municipal pension plan investment returns were a “wild rollercoaster ride” in 2021 and 2022 with boom or bust results over that two-year period.
Many cities reported record-setting returns in 2021 as high as 33.7% only to find negative returns in 2022. The swing meant billions of dollars to many municipalities’ pension funds.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Difference Between Non-Profit and Not for Profit Companies
For Ask an Economist this week I have a question from Hal who asks, “What is the difference between a ‘non-profit’ and a ‘not for profit’?”
In order to address this question, I think it’s important to discuss what separates a for-profit business from these two forms of organization.
Read the full storyCommentary: Informants Everywhere
After nine weeks of testimony from multiple government witnesses, including FBI agents, the Justice Department finally concluded its case-in-chief in the Proud Boys’ seditious conspiracy trial on Monday.
Five Proud Boys, including the group’s leader, Enrique Tarrio, are accused of conspiring to “oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force” on January 6, 2021. It is Attorney General Merrick Garland’s most consequential case related to January 6; convictions will help build a similar case against Donald Trump largely based on his infamous “stand back and stand by” remark to the Proud Boys during an October 2020 presidential debate.
Read the full storyTrump Decries Weaponized Probes against Political Figures: ‘Worse than Ballot Stuffing’
Former President Donald Trump is decrying the relentless investigations launched against him and his supporters, saying they are a form of political cheating worse than ballot stuffing.
Trump assailed the chronic investigations he has faced for seven years during his first rally of the 2024 campaign season in Waco, Texas on Saturday night, and then in a subsequent post on his Truth Social platform.
Read the full storyREVIEW: New Book ‘Rise to Greatness’ Explores How a Kid from Queens Became One of History’s Most Influential Supreme Court Justices
Antonin Scalia was a budding textualist long before he transformed the Supreme Court, and the nation, with his unique legal approach, a new biography of his early life reveals.
In the 1950s, the future Supreme Court Justice spent his mornings on the New York subway, commuting with his rifle to Xavier High School, a hybrid Jesuit-run Catholic school and military academy in Manhattan. His teacher’s response one day to a student’s sarcastic comment about “Hamlet” became a moment Scalia would never forget — and would refer to for the rest of his life as the Shakespeare Principle: “Mistah, when you read Shakespeah, Shakespeah’s not on trial; you ah,” Father Thomas Matthews said.
Read the full storyMcConnell Released from Physical Therapy After Concussion, Broken Rib
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky left an inpatient rehab facility Saturday following physical therapy, CNN reported.
McConnell, the senate minority leader, was hospitalized Mar. 9 after he tripped and fell during an event at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., suffering a concussion and a fractured rib. He will work from home on the advice of medical professionals, according to CNN.
Read the full storyTennessee 2023-24 Fishing Regulations Take Effect, Free Fishing Day Scheduled for June 10th
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is encouraging anglers to obtain the new Tennessee Fishing Guide as the state’s 2023-2024 fishing regulations have now gone into effect.
Read the full storyHawaii Governor Signs Bills Blocking Penalties for Abortion
Hawaii will not cooperate with other states’ civil or criminal investigations related to abortion under a new law signed by Gov. Josh Green.
Senate Bill 1, also known as Act 2, prohibits the issuance of a subpoena in connection with an out-of-state or interstate investigation related to abortion and bans any agency from providing information or spending time or resources to further such an investigation.
Read the full storyTrump Has Double DeSantis’ Support: Poll
Former President Donald Trump leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 GOP primary by a massive two-digit margin, doubling the support of DeSantis’ share, according to a poll released Friday.
Trump tops a crowded field of Republican presidential contenders at 50% – a 26-percentage point lead over the Florida governor – according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll. In a head-to-head matchup between the two frontrunners, the former president still wins against DeSantis, but by a slimmer margin of 56% to 44%.
Read the full storyNew U.S. Border Data: 284 Suspected Terrorists Apprehended So Far in Fiscal 2023
Nearly 300 suspected terrorists have been apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. in the first few months of fiscal 2023 as 28 members of Congress formed a new caucus to address the crisis at the northern border, where record numbers of foreign nationals continue to illegally enter from Canada.
The Northern Border Security Caucus, formed by U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pennsylvania, and Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, is expressing concerns about “the increased human and drug trafficking, along with the decrease in Border Patrol agents and lack of security, along the U.S.-Canada border.”
Read the full storyTennessee Legislature Moving Competing 18-Year-Old Firearm Carry Bills
A bill that would allow those 18 years old and older to concealed carry and obtain a permit in Tennessee now has different versions moving through the Senate and House.
House Bill 1005 lowers the age of permits to 18 and changes the term handgun to firearm in Tennessee code. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, is aimed at matching a court agreement between the Firearms Policy Coalition and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti following FPC’s lawsuit against Tennessee’s current law, which restricts through between ages 18 and 21 from receiving permits.
Read the full storyCommentary: The ATF Expansion of the Gun Registry Turns Law-Abiding Gun Owners into Felons
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has followed through on their plan to turn millions of lawful gun owners into felons in the name of “public safety” by reclassifying pistols with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, effectively expanding the unconstitutional national gun registry.
Stabilizing braces are devices that can be attached to pistols to aid the user in balancing their arm. Originally created to help people with disabilities, the accessory is now more popular amongst mainstream shooters who use them to adapt pistols into guns that can be shot from the shoulder, which has been legal to do in the past. Now, there’s a big hoop to jump through if you don’t want to be hit with fines and/or jail time.
Read the full storyReport: Miami Has Highest Taxpayer Burden of Florida’s Largest Cities
Miami has the highest taxpayer burden out of Florida’s four largest cities, according to an analysis from Truth in Accounting.
In its annual report that assesses the financial health of the 75 most populous U.S. cities, TIA found that two-thirds of them didn’t have enough money to pay their bills. Their combined debt totals $266.5 billion; combined pension debt totals $109.8 billion; and combined OPEB (other post-employment benefits) debt totals $168.7 billion.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Colleges Still Unaffordable Despite Tuition Freeze
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education said this week its tuition freeze has done little to stave off enrollment declines, even as the costs at other institutions around them all climb.
“We’re particularly expensive for students who we’re born to serve, low and middle income students,” said Chancellor Dan Greenstein. “You’re asking their families or their households to pay basically 45% of their disposable income to send one student to one of our universities for one year.”
Read the full storyWisconsin Congressman Bryan Steil Demands Answers on Manhattan DA Investigation into Trump
Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI-01) and his fellow co-chairs on three key House committees are not taking no for an answer from the intransigent Manhattan District Attorney investigating former President Donald Trump.
“The American people deserve to know the answers to the questions we asked,’ Steil, chairman of the House Committee on Administration, told The Wisconsin Daily Star.
Georgia’s Roads Are Increasingly Dangerous for Pedestrians and Motorists
Georgia’s highways are increasingly dangerous for motorists and pedestrians, anecdotal and limited empirical data reveals.
“There are several reasons why drivers have gone haywire since the start of COVID,” Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist, told The Center Square via email. “When COVID and lockdowns began, there were fewer cars on the streets and highways, so drivers took advantage of this by speeding and making ‘whimsical’ impulsive maneuvers.
Read the full storyAmericaPack and EZAZ Present Strategy to ‘Flip Arizona Solid Red’
AmericaPack and EZAZ, two of the main conservative grassroots organizations in Arizona, are pairing up to “flip Arizona solid red.” EZAZ’s Merissa Hamilton spoke to a large group of AmericaPack supporters Friday evening about the “Arizona Rescue Mission” the groups have crafted to get more voters voting Republican and running for office. State Rep. Alex Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) and State Rep. Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale) provided updates on the Arizona Legislature, and a Phoenix Police Department (PPD) sergeant talked about the lack of patrol officers within the PPD.
Hamilton told the attendees about the new grassroots project, “[This is] so that we have the infrastructure built so that when the election cycle comes around next time, not only will this room be filled, but it will be filled with new faces with people that have not been as involved … and it will be because of us.”
Read the full storyVirginia to Offer Firearm Safety Device Tax Credit Under New Law
Virginia will offer a tax credit for the purchase of a firearm safety device, including gun safes and lock boxes, under a bill signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week.
Under the tax credit, which takes effect in July and applies to taxable years 2023 through 2027, Virginians who purchase a gun safe, lock box or other device that can be used to store a firearm can be eligible for a tax credit of up to $300. The credits will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis in an aggregate amount of $5 million per taxable year.
Read the full storyMinnesota Teacher Wants to ‘Secretly Inject’ Kids with Puberty Blockers
A Bemidji High School teacher fantasizes about secretly injecting children with puberty blockers, according to a Facebook post obtained by Alpha News.
“Me coming to the realization I will never fulfill my lifelong quest of moving to Tennessee to secretly inject 11 year olds with hormone blockers while I do an interpretive drag dance to my favorite Judy Blume novel,” said the post, published to the Facebook page of Gina Marie Bernard.
Read the full storyOhio GOP Chairman Triantafilou Endorses Legislation to Protect Ohio’s Constitution
Alex Triantafilou, the newly elected head of the Ohio Republican Party, endorsed legislation on Thursday that aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.
There are currently two pieces of legislation that Republican lawmakers have introduced this session to protect the state Constitution from out-of-state special interest groups.
Read the full storyMichigan Cities Enlist Community Violence Intervention
Michigan communities fed up with persistent retaliatory gun violence are turning to new solutions to stop homicides.
The cities of Lansing and Detroit will pay community-based violence intervention groups to reduce gun violence in targeted areas.
Read the full storyNorth Dakota Legislature Passes Bill That Makes Teachers Use Students’ Biological Pronouns
The North Dakota House approved a bill on Wednesday that would require teachers to refer to students using pronouns that correspond with their biological sex.
In a 60-32 vote, the state house passed Senate Bill 2231, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Larry Luick and state Sen. Scott Meyer, which mandates that public school teachers must use a students’ biological sex pronouns unless parents give permission for them to do otherwise. The bill cleared the state senate in February and now heads to Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s desk.
Read the full storyPoll: 73 Percent of Taxpayers Say Government Doesn’t Use Their Taxes Wisely
Ahead of Tax Day on April 18, 73% of taxpayers said the government doesn’t use their taxes wisely, a new survey found. A separate report found that red states have the better taxpayer return on investment.
Wallethub’s “Taxpayer Survey” found that 28% of respondents said charities would better spend their money; 26% said local governments would best spend their money, followed by state government (22%), the federal government (16%) and religious groups (13%).
Read the full storyCommentary: More Work to be Done on Emergency Powers as Pandemic Wanes
Most Americans are likely pleased that when they turn on their television, no longer are there talking heads and public health figures breathlessly discussing COVID-19 case counts and deaths. Broadly, the media as a whole is no longer incessantly reporting on the topic, and nationally, the federal public health emergency declared for the COVID-19 pandemic terminates on May 11.
While the old signs of the pandemic have virtually vanished, Americans won’t forget what their governments did to them.
Read the full story‘Race to the Bottom’: Legal Experts Fear Escalation Spiral Ahead of Possible Trump Indictment
Ahead of a prospective indictment of former President Donald Trump, legal experts and elected officeholders are warning that such an unprecedented move may spur a dangerous escalation spiral of retributive political prosecutions that undermine the nation’s justice system.
Trump announced last week that he expected to be arrested imminently. While that arrest has not yet occurred, the prospect of a Trump indictment looms large as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg continues his investigation into an alleged 2016 hush money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Chocolate Factory Explosion Leaves Five Dead and Six Missing
An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania killed at least five people, and authorities were searching Saturday for six missing workers.
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency confirmed the number of deaths Saturday morning at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in the borough of West Reading.
Read the full story