Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Roger Simon to the newsmaker line to describe the charisma and enthusiasm during Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s presidential announcement in Boston this week.
Read the full storyDay: April 20, 2023
Founder and CEO of the Western Journal, Author Floyd Brown Talks About His New Book Counter Punch
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed author Floyd Brown to the newsmaker line to talk about his new book Counter Punch.
Read the full storyClint Brewer Analyzes the Nashville Mayoral Race
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed recovering journalist Clint Brewer in studio to handicap the Nashville mayoral race and discuss the financial and notoriety of candidates in the growing field.
Read the full storyTC Weber Explains New Bill That Would Increase Salary and Offer Payroll Deduction Options for Tennessee Teachers
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star education reporter TC Weber in studio to discuss the recent bill passed that would increase teacher salaries and options for payroll deductions.
Read the full storyEx Spy Chief Admits Hunter Biden Laptop Letter Designed to Influence 2020 Election, Blinken Involved
A former acting CIA director has admitted to Congress that he organized the letter that falsely portrayed Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation in an effort to influence the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden and that he did so at the direction of current Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to a letter released Thursday by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan.
Read the full storyJohn Harris: Governor Lee’s Decision to Propose Red Flag Law Legislation Like Scene from Animal House
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the Tennessee Firearms Association founder John Harris in studio to talk about Governor Bill Lee’s recent proposal on red flag laws in Tennessee.
Read the full storyTennessee House Republicans: Red Flag Laws a ‘Non-Starter’
After Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) called for Reg Flag laws, bending to pressure from far-left activists, in the wake of the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Republican legislators said they will not introduce legislation to that end.
“Any red flag law is a non-starter for House Republicans,” the House majority party said on Twitter. “Our caucus is focused on finding solutions that prevent dangerous individuals from harming the public and preserve the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. We have always been open to working with Governor Lee on measures that fit within that framework.”
Read the full storyMississippi Governor Signs Series of ‘Pro-Mom, Pro-Life’ Bills to Strengthen Adoption, Pregnancy Care Centers, and Foster Care
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed multiple pieces of legislation Wednesday that provide support for mothers and babies, particularly in the areas of adoption, foster care, pregnancy care centers, and parental rights.
“The legislation strengthens Mississippi’s adoption system, increases support for pregnancy resource centers, establishes a foster parents bill of rights, creates a task force focused on improving adoption and foster care systems, improves the Department of Child Protection Services, and gives the agency the largest budget in its history,” a summary of the measures provided by Reeve’s office states.
Read the full storyTFA’s John Harris: Gov. Bill Lee’s Last Minute Red Flag Law Proposal ‘A Really Stupid and Futile Gesture’ Going Nowhere
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the Tennessee Firearms Association founder John Harris in studio to weigh on Governor Bill Lee’s intention to vote on a red flag law and call a special session if not passed.
Read the full storyCommentary: Tennessee Democrat Proposal for a Red Flag Law
On April 20, 2023, Tennessee Firearms Association received a “leaked” draft of a Red Flag law which information indicates is likely being offered by Tennessee Democrats since it seeks to amend House Bill 1233 Senate Bill 1029 which has Democrat sponsors in the House and Senate. Of particular concern, however, is that House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby). Since a high ranking House Republican leader is a sponsor on the bill, it must be considered whether this is a second attempt by Governor Bill Lee to get a Red Flag law to the floor.
Read the full storyFamous Singers Join Chorus of Calls for Gun Control After Gov. Lee Caves on Red Flag Laws
Two notable recording artists have joined a chorus of calls for the state of Tennessee to implement stricter gun control measures.
“We’re Nashvillians. We’re also moms,” Sheryl Crow told News Channel 5. “And I think what happened at Covenant has touched everyone, including Gov. Lee on a very deep and personal level. We just want to see something that we can all agree on.”
Read the full storyIndustrial Nylon Manufacturer Announces $50 Million Expansion Project in Hamilton County
Kordsa, Inc. officials announced Wednesday that the company will invest $50 million to expand manufacturing operations at its Chattanooga facility.
Read the full storyHaley’s Campaign Haul Considerably Less than the $11 Million Originally Reported
Earlier this month, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s campaign boasted the former South Carolina governor had outraised former President Donald Trump, that Haley was a fundraising “force to be reckoned with.”
Turns out the $11 million Haley was said to have raised didn’t quite pan out.
Read the full storyReport: Only Three Americans Who Suffered Injuries or Death from the COVID Shots Have Been Compensated Thus Far
As of April 1, the United States government has compensated only three Americans who suffered injuries or death due to the COVID-19 injections, a report from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) shows.
The payments to the three individuals, who were compensated through the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), were listed as $2,019.55 for anaphylaxis, $1,582.65 for myocarditis, and $1,032.69 for myocarditis.
Read the full storyMNPS Budget Request Grows While Attendance Numbers Remain Flat
MNPS has submitted a proposed budget that requires a funding increase of 5% over last year to maintain the status quo while addressing inflationary costs. The request comes even as MNPS enrollment remains flat.
District enrollment – traditional and charter schools included – grew by o.26%, or 622 students, from 79,651 to 80,273 students in Pre-school to grade school. Tradition school enrollment grew by 460 students, while district-authorized charter school enrollment grew by 162 students.
Read the full storyLawsuit Demands National Archives Obtain Secret Service, DHS January 6 Texts
A new lawsuit in federal court is suing the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to obtain text messages between Secret Service and Homeland Security officials about former President Donald Trump.
Ken Klippenstein, a reporter for The Intercept, filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday. It asks the Court to order NARA to seek the Department of Justice’s subpoena power to obtain all text messages “sent or received by 24 Secret Service personnel during the period of December 7, 2020, through January 8, 2021,” as well as those sent by top Trump DHS officials at the time, according to the complaint.
Read the full storyDemocrats Join ‘Patriotic Millionaires’ Group to Call for 90 Percent Tax on Income Above $100 Million
A group of Democratic lawmakers and the Patriotic Millionaires, an organization of high-income and high net worth individuals favoring higher taxes on the wealthy, are calling on Congress to pass a 90% income tax on incomes above $100 million as fears of a recession are growing.
Abigail Disney, a documentary filmmaker who is the granddaughter of Roy Disney, cofounder of The Walt Disney Company, joined the lawmakers to call for higher taxes on “extremely high income.”
Read the full storyRobert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Presidential Bid Potentially More Popular Among Conservatives
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced his bid for the 2024 Democrat presidential nomination Wednesday by promising to end the “toxic” polarization in America that has grown so “dangerous,” he said, “than at any time since the Civil War.”
The lifelong Democrat, whose family was portrayed for decades, by an infatuated media, as American royalty, now appears to be an outlier in his party’s current far-left worldview, and is even attracting some conservatives.
Read the full storyNearly 270,000 Apprehensions, Gotaways at Southern Border in March
There were nearly 270,000 apprehensions and gotaways reported of foreign nationals who illegally entered the U.S. at the southern border last month, according to official data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and data The Center Square obtained from a Border Patrol agent.
CBP reported that encounters of illegal foreign nationals processed at ports of entry in all nine southwest Border Patrol sectors in March totaled 191,900, up nearly 23% from 156,138 in February.
Read the full storyBill to Address TBI Rape Kit Backlog Dies on House Floor
A bill that would have required the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to test all rape kits submitted to the law enforcement body within 30 days has died on the floor of the Tennessee House.
HB 0104 did not pass the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee’s proposed budget bill.
Read the full storyTennessee Senator Blackburn Introduces Sister City Transparency Act
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week reintroduced the Sister City Transparency Act, a bill aimed toward addressing geostrategic scheming, particularly by China.
“Sister cities” are municipalities that enter into diplomatic relationships with localities abroad to facilitate cultural and economic exchange. But, the senator told The Tennessee Star, China is using these arrangements to advance propaganda and exert political pressure.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Congressman Andy Ogles Introduces the Ukraine Lend-Lease Accountability Act
Tennessee U.S. Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced the Ukraine Lend-Lease Accountability Act on Wednesday, which would “restore the ordinary requirements found in the Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act regarding any loans and/or leases of equipment made to Ukraine.”
Read the full storyNashville Council Amends, Passes Second Vote on $2.1 Billion Titans Stadium
The deal to build a new $2.1 billion Tennessee Titans stadium took another step toward happening early Wednesday morning when the deal was approved on second reading by a 25-11 vote during a Metro Nashville Council meeting that lasted into the morning.
A third and final reading is expected after a four-hour public hearing on the bill and the Nashville Needs Impact Fund starting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Read the full storyDemocrat State Representatives Involved in Tennessee Capitol Riot to Visit the White House
Tennessee Democrat State Representatives Justin Jones (D-Nashville), Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), and Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) will visit the White House on Monday, the Biden administration announced this week.
Read the full storyKatie Hobbs Breaks Arizona Veto Record for a Single Session
The Arizona Senate Majority Caucus released a statement Tuesday, announcing that Governor Katie Hobbs had vetoed another 11 bills, bringing her total to 63 and surpassing the previous record for most legislation vetoed in a single session.
“Vetoing is a tool that weak leaders will use in an effort to control legislative priorities, and we’re witnessing this tactic front and center from Katie Hobbs,” said Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge). “Instead of demonstrating diplomacy and bipartisanship, the Governor is showcasing her failure to work across the aisle. Instead of accomplishing the priorities of our citizens and strengthening our communities, she’s done little outside of hosting press gaggles and photo ops with activist groups and Democrats alike.”
Read the full storyMichael Knowles and Brad Polumbo Debate Gender Policy at University of Pittsburgh
As conservative Catholic Daily Wire podcaster Michael Knowles took the podium at the University of Pittsburgh Tuesday night, protesters chanted, “Trans rights are human rights!”
About to make his initial remarks at a debate titled “Should Transgenderism Be Regulated by Law?” Knowles took the shouts in his stride.
Read the full storyMinnesota House Passes ‘Green Shaming’ Bill
The DFL-controlled Minnesota House passed an expansive, 473-page environment and natural resources bill that would increase spending in this area by $670 million while raising fees on outdoor activities like fishing and boating.
With about a month remaining in the legislative session, omnibus policy and spending bills are making their way to the floor, including HF2310, which passed late Monday night.
Read the full storyBill Proposal Would Allow Alcohol Sales at Michigan University Sporting Events
A bipartisan plan in Lansing seeks to allow Michigan universities to sell alcohol at certain on-campus sporting events.
Rep. Graham Filler, R-Clinton County, and Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, introduced measures in the House and Senate that would allow university governing boards to apply for liquor licenses to sell alcohol at basketball, football, and hockey games.
Read the full storyAlleged Illegal Immigrant Causes Lancaster, Pennsylvania Car Crash
An alleged illegal alien is accused of causing a highway car crash near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, The Pennsylvania Daily Star learned.
Robert Jones, 62, was driving his wife Lisa, 59 in a Mercedes Benz SUV in East Hempfield Township. Jones said that a dump truck driven by Gabriel Corillo crashed into their vehicle and that the police report revealed Corillo, who did not speak English, has no U.S. driver’s license.
Read the full storyGeorgia Measure Would Eliminate College Degree Requirement for Some State Jobs
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp could soon decide whether to sign legislation eliminating a college degree requirement for some state government jobs.
The state House and the state Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of Senate Bill 3, the “Reducing Barriers to State Employment Act of 2023.”
Read the full storyMoody Seeks Investigation into Biden Administration’s Handling of Minors Trafficked to U.S.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called on Congress on Tuesday to investigate the Biden administration for what she described as “subjecting unaccompanied minors to human trafficking.”
Moody did so after reporting the findings of a Florida statewide grand jury “documenting horrible conditions unaccompanied minors experience because of the Biden administration’s failed policies and lack of oversight.”
Read the full storyWisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman Grills Biden Official on ‘Lost Children’ Caught in Disastrous Border Policies
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06) led a congressional hearing this week seeking answers on how the Biden Administration could lose track of more than 85,000 unaccompanied children it allowed to illegally enter the U.S.
Robin Dunn Marcos, director of the Offie of Refugee Resettlement, had a hard time answering basic questions, highlighting the administrative nightmare behind President Joe Biden’s disastrous border policies.
Read the full storyCommentary: America Is a Land of Systemic Justice
Abraham Lincoln described America as a nation “conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Today’s Left portrays America as a nation conceived in slavery, and dedicated to the perpetuation of racial oppression. When CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell asked Joe Biden in the summer of 2020, “Do you believe there is ‘systemic racism’ in law enforcement,” Biden answered, “Absolutely. But it’s not just in law enforcement. It’s across the board. It’s in housing. It’s in education. It’s in everything we do.”
Read the full storyNorfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw Testifies at Ohio Statehouse
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified to the Ohio Senate Select Committee on Rail Safety on Tuesday, over two months after the February 3rd train derailment in East Palestine.
Ohio Senators questioned Shaw over a wide range of topics related to the derailment and subsequent controlled release of toxic chemicals that negatively impacted the environment and the health and safety of residents, including long-term community assistance programs, two-person crew requirements, and safety requirements for tanker cars.
Read the full storyOhio House Introduces Their Version of the State Budget
The Ohio House introduced its version of the state budget on Tuesday, including a $1 billion tax cut, higher income limits for school vouchers, and a ban on TikTok from government devices.
The second iteration of a plan to spend more than $86 billion over the subsequent two fiscal years is contained in the 5,300-page proposal known as House Bill (HB) 33.
Read the full storyOhio State Republican Senators Amend Resolution to Protect State Constitution
On Tuesday, Ohio State Senators amended a piece of legislation 4-1 that aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments.
There are currently two pieces of legislation Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate are working to put on the ballot in August that would require 60 percent of voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Read the full storyCourt Blocks Nation’s First Gas Stove Ban
A federal court on Tuesday has overturned a citywide ban on natural gas implements in new buildings that Berkeley, Calif., had implemented in a first of its kind decision.
The appeals court took the side of Berkeley’s restauranteurs who challenged the ban on grounds that it would adversely impact their businesses, according to the Washington Times. The California Restaurant Association had brought the suit, asserting that “Cities and states cannot ignore federal law in an effort to constrain consumer choice, and it is encouraging that the 9th Circuit upheld this standard.”
Read the full storyTwitter Ends Ban on ‘Misgendering’ and ‘Deadnaming’ Transgenders
On Tuesday, the social media platform Twitter made several major changes to its “hateful conduct policy,” determining that users are now allowed to refer to so-called “transgender” people by their actual genders and their original, gender-appropriate names.
The Daily Caller reports that the original policy, first enacted in 2018, forbade users from engaging in “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals.” The new guidelines have removed this sentence altogether from the “Slurs and Tropes” section.
Read the full storyATF Director Says He’s ‘Not a Firearms Expert’ When Asked to Define Assault Weapons He Wants to Ban
Steve Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, would not define what an assault weapon is and said he is “not a firearms expert” despite saying he would support an assault weapons ban.
At a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing Tuesday on the ATF’s 2024 fiscal year budget, Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas) asked Dettelbach: “In 15 seconds, would you define an ‘assault weapon’ for me?”
Read the full storyCommentary: Tax Armageddon Day Is Coming
Benjamin Franklin famously wrote in 1789 that “our new Constitution is now established and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Death and taxes are fated. However, are enormous tax hikes also a fait accompli? Is it a certainty – ‘an accomplished fact’ – that the White House and Congress will repeal tax reforms that worked? Tax breaks that helped small business owners and families.
For the past several days Americans have been scrambling to make the deadline to complete their 2022 tax returns. Most taxpayers will be relieved once the ordeal is done. However, here’s an unfortunate reality: if Washington fails to act, the federal tax code is headed for major changes in just a couple of years, including massive tax hikes on families and small businesses.
Read the full story