IRS Whistleblower Gary Shapley’s legal team hit back on Friday against accusations from Hunter Biden’s attorney suggesting he had claimed to be a whistleblower to escape punishment over his own alleged misconduct. Biden attorney Abbe Lowell on Friday wrote to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, suggesting Shapley and a second unnamed IRS agent of blowing the whistle “in an attempt to evade their own misconduct,” Axios reported. The “timing of the agents’ leaks and your subsequent decision to release their statements do not seem innocent.”
Read the full storyMonth: June 2023
Epoch Times Columnist Roger Simon Set to Challenge RFK Jr to a Push Up Contest in New Cinema Verite Project
Epoch Times columnist Roger Simon joined The Tennessee Star Report’s Michael Patrick Leahy in studio Thursday to update listeners on his newest film project covering the raucous 2024 presidential election.
Read the full storyClint Brewer Taps Kentucky U.S. Rep James Comer as This Week’s Big ‘Winner’ over Uncovering Biden Text Revelations
All star panelist and recovering journalist Clint Brewer joined The Tennessee Star Report’s Michael Patrick Leahy in studio Thursday to discuss the Winners and Losers of this news-packed week. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: It’s that time of week again. It’s time for Clint Brewer’s ‘Winners and Losers of the Week. Well, what you got there, Clint? Clint Brewer: Well, I’d say winners nationally Congressman James Comer. Yeah. Big revelations in his probe of the Hunter Biden, President Biden situation. The incredible text message, oh my goodness, that was covered to Xi whoever “Xi” is in Chinese business circles. Michael Patrick Leahy: ‘I’m sitting here with my dad, where’s the money, buddy?’ Clint Brewer: I mean, it was stark. Michael Patrick Leahy: And it’s, it was confirmed by his attorneys. Clint Brewer: I think there was other reporting in more mainstream sources. I think it was the New York Times – that they actually had confirmed previously through other reporting that they, the president and his son were in the same place at the same time on that day. So the plot thickens. But Comer’s been much-maligned in the press for this probe, and I think it’s starting to turn up…
Read the full storyBiden Education Secretary Claims Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling ‘Takes Our Country Decades Backward’
Secretary of the U.S. Education Department Miguel Cardona reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the use of race in weighing college admissions with the claim the ruling “takes our country decades backward” because such discrimination based on the color of skin has served as “a vital tool that colleges have used to create vibrant, diverse campus communities.”
Cardona said in a press statement the Court’s 6-3 ruling Thursday in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College is “yet another blow to the fight for equal opportunity.”
Read the full storyVivek Ramaswamy Reacts to SCOTUS Ruling on Biden Administration’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy released a video statement Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s proposal to unilaterally cancel hundreds of billions in student loan debt.
Read the full storySupreme Court Strikes Down Biden’s Multibillion Dollar Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
In a landmark ruling with implications for the 2024 election, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Friday that the Biden administration does not have the authority to unilaterally cancel hundreds of billions in student loan debt. The ruling was a major rebuke of President Joe Biden’s political efforts to court young voters with large college debts, and sets a fresh battle ahead of the next presidential election. It also was the latest of several major court rulings that chided the administration for trying to impose regulatory powers that Congress did not give the executive branch.
Read the full storyAG Skrmetti Files Lawsuit Against Massive Chemical Companies for Negative Health Effects on Tennesseans
Tennessee’s attorney general Thursday announced a lawsuit against several of the largest chemical manufacturers in the country for the health damage he says they caused to Tennesseeans.
Companies including 3M, DuPont, and Chemours create products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. One of those products, according to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R), is called Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).
Read the full storyMNPS Board Adopts Budget for 2023 – 2024 School Year
Metropolitan Nashville School (MNPS) Board approved the final $1.2 billion budget for the 2023/2024 school year this week, which eclipses previous district budgets.
The vote to adopt was 7- 0, with Board Members Emily Master and Abigail Tylor abstaining.
Read the full storyNew California Bill Would Make Social Media Platforms Liable for Harm Caused to Children
Parents of children who are harmed by the use of social media platforms are one step closer to holding those platforms accountable, thanks to a new bill passed by the California Assembly Judiciary Committee.
The bill was authored by State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and is being sponsored by Attorney General Bonta.
Read the full storySecretary of State Tre Hargett Appoints New Democratic Representative to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Standards Board
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett recently announced that he appointed Paige Burcham Dennis to serve as the Democratic representative for the state on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Standards Board.
Read the full storyFormer Mississippi Governor Points to Success of Legislation Leading State’s Fourth-Graders to Become Top Reading and Math Achievers
Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) is celebrating the “comeback story” of his state’s fourth graders, who ranked on 2022 national test scores as the nation’s top performers in reading, and second in math, following the enactment of literacy legislation he spearheaded that saved the state from its “dead-last ranking in the United States.”
Read the full storyTennessee Announces New Site Development Grant Recipients
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced Thursday that approximately $5.9 million in Site Development Grant funds have been awarded to 10 community entities across the state.
Read the full storyTennessee GOP Congressional Members React to SCOTUS’ Affirmative Action Ruling
Republican members of Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions via two cases against Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
Read the full storyVirginia Ranks First for Customized Workforce Training
Virginia ranked first in the nation in customized workforce training, according to the recently released annual State Rankings Report by Business Facilities magazine.
The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program earned the commonwealth its coveted ranking in the report by Business Facilities, a national publication that serves as a resource for corporate site selection.
Read the full storyWisconsin Senator Drops F-Bomb During Senate Floor Speech, but There Probably Won’t Be Any Consequences for Decorum Breach
So much for Senate decorum.
Wisconsin state Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) dropped the f-bomb — and another bad word to boot — during Wednesday’s budget debate.
Read the full storyOhio House Speaker Is Now Confident in Lawmakers Meeting State Budget Deadline
Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) says that he is now confident in lawmakers passing the state’s biennial budget before its June 30th deadline.
This follows his previous statement that with the approximately 800 differences between the biennial budgets passed by the Ohio House and Ohio Senate, it is likely that the state legislature may miss its end-of-the-month deadline and need to pass a temporary budget until they can strike a final deal.
Read the full storyEx-Ohio House Speaker Sentenced to 20 Years for Racketeering
A federal judge sentenced former Ohio Republican Speaker of the House Larry Householder today to the maximum 20 years in federal prison Thursday for his involvement in the largest bribery scandal in state history.
Prosecutors asked federal judge Timothy Black to sentence him to 16-20 years. The 64-year-old Householder asked for less than two years. Householder was remanded to the custody of U.S. marshals following Thursday’s hearing.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Barber Shops Rent to Freelancers While Salons Miss Out
Cosmetologists could soon stand on equal footing with barber shops across the state.
A law that allows barber shops to rent space to freelancers, but prohibits salons from doing the same, has drawn attention from state legislators – and they want to see it changed.
Read the full storyGeorgia Lawmakers Begin Studying State Trooper Recruitment, Retention
A Georgia House working group is exploring how the state can attract and retain state troopers, and it could lead to additional state funding for increased compensation.
“Ultimately, your work should allow us to increase the number of state patrol troopers keeping our highways and our communities safe,” State House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said during a Tuesday House Working Group on Public Safety meeting. “…This is not a simple issue; it’s multifaceted. It’s going to take some really good thought and some inspection and contemplation to come up with solutions and bring back to us.”
Read the full storyMichigan Woman Leads Effort to Recall Officials Who Approved EV Battery Factory with China Ties
A Michigan woman is leading an effort to try to oust elected officials in her township for allowing the maker of electric vehicle batteries with ties to China to open a plant in her township.
The headquarters for battery maker Gotion Inc. is in California, but its parent company, Gotion High-tech, is based in China, which is raising concern about its connections to the Chinese Communist Party and national security.
Read the full storyWisconsin Senate Okays $99 Billion, Two-Year State Budget
The majority of Wisconsin Republican state senators are on board with the new $99 billion state budget.
Almost every Republican voted for the two-year spending plan Thursday night.
Read the full storyConnecticut U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro Draws Fire for Claiming Church Teachings Allow Catholics to Embrace Abortion
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) has fueled the ire of many Catholics for asserting the teachings of the Catholic faith justify her claim that Catholics may support and promote ending the lives of unborn babies.
“I am a Catholic—baptized, raised, and confirmed,” DeLauro tweeted. “The fundamental tenets of my faith compel me to defend a women’s right to access abortion. I am proudly part of the faithful large majority of US Catholics who support legal protections for abortion access.”
Read the full storyScottsdale City Council Votes to House Phoenix Homeless and Illegal Immigrants in Hotel Rooms
The Scottsdale City Council voted Tuesday night to accept a $940,000 grant from the Arizona Department of Housing to house homeless people from Phoenix’s “The Zone” encampment and illegal immigrants in a Scottsdale hotel. Five of the council members and Mayor David Ortega voted yes, with Scottsdale City Councilman Barry Graham the sole no vote on Resolution No. 12888, the Homeless Shelter and Service Funding Agreement..
Graham tweeted his disappointment in the vote. “Last night, council voted to accept nearly $1 million from AZ Department of Housing on condition to house homeless from Phoenix and border migrants—not Scottsdale homeless,” he said. “The city will rent hotel rooms in McCormick Ranch-area. I voted ‘no’ based on responses to my questions about vetting participants and community safety. Scottsdale residents are compassionate—however there are better ways to demonstrate compassion.”
Read the full storyXPO Logistics Employees Oust Teamsters Union in Miami
XPO Logistics employees ousted the Teamsters Union from their workplace after colleagues in other states also successfully ousted them with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
In Hialeah, Florida, XPO Logistics employees, led by Martin Garcia, successfully voted to oust Teamsters Local 769 union officials from their workplace.
Read the full storyIowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina Seeing Lots of Presidential Candidate Ads in What Promises to Be a Record-Smashing Primary
GOP presidential candidates Tim Scott and Doug Burgum this week launched new ad campaigns in Iowa and New Hampshire.
The commercials are just part of what promises to be a record-smashing presidential campaign cycle — already at $70 million in campaign ad buys and rapidly rising, according to AdImpact.
Read the full storyMinnesota Lutheran Church Recites ‘Sparkle Creed,’ Professes Belief in ‘Non-Binary God’
A Lutheran church in Edina stood for the reading of the “sparkle creed” during a church service, according to a livestream available on its YouTube page.
“I believe in a non-binary god, whose pronouns are plural,” Pastor Anna Helgen said during Sunday’s service. “I believe in Jesus Christ, their child, who wore a fabulous tunic and had two dads.”
Read the full storyCommentary: The Moral and Material Collapse of U.S. Foreign Policy
The American post-Cold War order from the Ronald Reagan through George W. Bush administration is over.
Barack Obama began its erosion with his tired lectures about the past sins of the United States.
Read the full storyAtlanta Police Arrest Person Accused of Throwing Spoiled Meat at Officers During Protest
One individual was arrested for throwing spoiled meat at Atlanta police officers during a protest against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center on Wednesday, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) announced in a press release.
The Atlanta City Council approved the training center in September 2021, and it has been a source of controversy ever since.
Read the full storyNew Hampshire Democrats ‘No Comment’ on SCOTUS Racial Preferences Ruling
Across the country, Democrats reacted swiftly — and angrily– to Thursday’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s race-based admissions systems. Justices found they violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Writing for the six-member majority, Chief Justice John Roberts noted race was the determinative factor for a “significant percentage” of Black and Hispanic applicants accepted by Harvard, with a similar admissions process used at UNC. Under its affirmative-action system, well-qualified Black applicants were 4 to 10 times as likely to be admitted to Harvard than similarly qualified Asian Americans, Roberts noted.
Read the full storyArizona Gov. Hobbs’ Transgender Healthcare Coverage Sparks Controversy
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed two executive orders on June 27, giving additional protections to the state’s LGBTQ residents.
The first order, Executive Order 2023-12, establishes that any “medically necessary” gender reassignment surgeries for state employees will be paid for through their health care coverage. The second, Executive Order 2023-13, bars any state agencies from funding, promoting or supporting conversion therapy for minors.
Read the full storyEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University Reneges on Hosting Republican Event After ‘Doing Research’ on Group
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University rescinded its agreement to host a College Republicans United convention “after doing research” on the group.
Richard Thomas, founder of the group, told The College Fix that the event was to be located at the university’s “Lower Hangar” at its Prescott, Arizona campus for three hours and cost a total of $630.00 for media, support and cleanup.
Read the full storyOhio State Lawmakers Pass Resolution Urging Relocation of U.S. Space Command Headquarters to Ohio
The Ohio House of Representatives passed a Republican-backed Concurrent Resolution to urge the Federal Government to officially name Wright Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio as the permanent location for the U.S. Space Command headquarters.
The Ohio House Passed House Concurrent Resolution 8 by a 90-2 vote advancing the resolution to the Ohio Senate for their review.
Read the full storyCity of Columbus Continues Fight to Overturn Preliminary Injunction Halting Gun Control Laws
The City of Columbus is trying to implement its gun control laws while a lawsuit filed by The Buckeye Institute to protect the rights of Ohioans to keep and bear arms is being heard.
The city requests that the 10th District Court of Appeals overturns a ruling by a Delaware County judge to temporarily halt a state law that would make it difficult for municipalities to establish specific gun control measures.
Read the full storySecond Week of Disbarment Trial of Trump Attorney John Eastman Resumes
The second week of the State Bar of California’s (SBC) disbarment trial against Trump attorney John Eastman resumed on Thursday, after a brief break due to one of the attorneys becoming sick. Throughout much of the day, SBC attorney Duncan Carling grilled Eastman about his allegations of illegal activity occurring in the 2020 election.
Carling repeated many of Eastman’s claims from the pleadings he filed in cases like Trump v. Raffensperger, prompting First Amendment attorney Mark Fitzgibbons to tweet, “The CA Bar lawyer is actually doing more to convince us the election illegalities merited what Prof Eastman recommended to his client. Courts rejecting cases on standing without EVER hearing evidence did a terrible injustice to the Constitution, and disenfranchised voters.”
Read the full storyEnvironmental Activists Push to Cancel July 4th Fireworks Shows
Multiple fireworks shows slated for July 4th along Los Angeles’ coastline have been canceled in the wake of a county mandate that was initially spurred by environmental activists, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board implemented a firework permit rule in an effort to clamp down on pollutants from firework displays, which reportedly affect nearby water sources, the LA Times reported. The Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF) brought a lawsuit against Long Beach’s Big Bang on the Bay, alleging that a firework show in 2022 violated the Clean Water Act.
Read the full storyCommentary: Radical Green Groups Are Attacking American Energy Independence at the Source
by Daniel Turner Although America’s energy producers are already under daily attack from the Biden administration, the eco-left is not content to limit their crusade to Washington DC. They are funding local groups in energy producing states to put in place endless hurdles to responsibly extracting energy. While the tactics may differ by the state, they all share the same goal: stopping domestic production and American energy independence at the source. In Louisiana, known as one of the nation’s worst “Judicial Hellholes,” environmentalists are achieving their goals through countless frivolous lawsuits. For example, last year, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Sierra Club, and Healthy Gulf filed a lawsuit challenging a permit for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility that exports American natural gas to reduce dependence on Russian energy abroad. Although this lawsuit was ultimately tossed out by a state judge, the costs and headaches of the legal system create delays that can kill vital projects. Activists in Pennsylvania are pursuing a similar strategy. The Philadelphia-based Clean Air Council seeks to “stop using fossil fuels” by suing plants across the Commonwealth to tie them down in endless litigation. This extreme group is funded by the national Energy Foundation, which is the largest recipient of grants from the foreign-funded Sea Change Foundation – a…
Read the full storyPressure Grows on Judge to Reject Hunter Biden Plea Deal amid Evidence of DOJ Interference
Pressure is growing in congressional, legal and media circles for the federal judge in the Hunter Biden case to reject a plea deal that would spare the first son from serving prison time after evidence has emerged from two IRS whistleblowers that a more serious criminal tax case was sabotaged by the Justice Department.
“I don’t understand how any judge could bless this plea agreement now that all of this evidence of obstruction and DOJ and FBI wrongdoing has surfaced,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Just the News. “So I hope this judge does reject this, and then insists and demands on an honest investigation and an honest prosecution as well.”
Read the full storyYouTube Repeatedly Censors RFK Jr. as Democratic Leaders Demand Reinstatement of 2020 Censorship
The disputed 2020 election now appears in the rearview mirror for YouTube, which is now determining what users can see relevant to the next election.
The Alphabet-owned, video-sharing site and Google sibling has censored at least two videos, and may be throttling a third, featuring Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shortly after ending a two-and-a-half-year ban on questioning the “integrity” of the last presidential election, saying it accomplished little relative to the potential harm it caused.
Read the full storyFlorida Republicans Probe Whether Biden Admin Is Using Southern Poverty Law Center to Target Parents
Florida congressional Republicans demanded that the Biden administration answers whether it partnered with the Southern Poverty Law Center to label Moms for Liberty and other parental rights groups as “extremists.”
The designation comes after National Security Council counterterrorism director John Picarelli met with SPLC Intelligence Project Director Susan Corke earlier this year, the Florida Republicans, led by Sen. Marco Rubio, wrote in a letter Wednesday to Biden.
Read the full story‘A Great Day For America’: 2024 GOP Presidential Candidates Praise SCOTUS for Affirmative Action Decision
Several 2024 Republican presidential candidates praised the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday for striking down affirmative action in college admissions via two cases against Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
Read the full storyMosquitoes Infected with West Nile Virus Detected in Tennessee
Batches of mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus have recently been collected in both Davidson County and Shelby County.
Read the full storyBiden Admin to Use Former North Carolina Boarding School Campus to House Migrant Children: Report
The Biden administration is planning to use a former North Carolina boarding school campus to house hundreds of migrant children, according to CBS News.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement will open the doors of what used to be the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, to house up to 800 migrant children between the ages of 13 and 17 who crossed the southern border illegally, according to CBS News, citing a U.S. official familiar with the plan. The facility is intended to serve as “influx care” to provide emergency housing, which HHS uses when it expects a surge in child migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyTrump Leans Toward Skipping First GOP Primary Debate, Weighs Holding Counter Event: Report
Former President Donald Trump is leaning toward skipping the first presidential debate in August and holding a countering event instead, NBC News reported Wednesday.
Trump has reportedly been toying with not participating in the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) first two GOP primary debates due to his massive lead in the polls and recent spats with Fox News, the outlet broadcasting the August debate, according to NBC News. Several Trump advisers told NBC News that while the former president is leaning toward skipping the first debate, he hasn’t made a final decision but is exploring options for a competing event.
Read the full storyTennessee State to Become First HBCU to Start Hockey Program
Tennessee State University will become the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to have a hockey team, according to the school.
“Tennessee State University is set to make history by becoming the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to offer men’s ice hockey at the collegiate level,” the school said in Wednesday press release. “TSU will make this groundbreaking announcement at Bridgestone Arena prior to the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The addition of ice hockey highlights the University’s dedication to fostering diversity, inclusion, and expanding athletic opportunities for students.”
Read the full storyStudy Finds Abortion in First Pregnancy Linked to Increased Risk of Later Mental Health Problems
While a common abortion industry narrative claims restrictions on abortion cause mental health harms to women, a new study has found that abortion during a first pregnancy is associated with a greater incidence of mental health problems after the procedure than giving birth.
The study, conducted by Dr. James Studnicki, vice president and director of data analytics at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), and his colleagues, was published at the International Journal of Women’s Health.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Pushes Back Against EPA Regulation
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has led a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in commenting on the latest proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on regulations regarding Ethylene Oxide (EtO) and related emissions standards promulgated under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Read the full storyBill Preventing Political Discrimination in Universities Will Take Effect on July 1
A bill banning political discrimination in Tennessee’s universities will take effect on July 1.
SB 0178 will officially become law over the upcoming weekend.
Read the full storyRepublican-Led Wisconsin Senate Turns Tables on Democrats in Resolution That Could Lead to Elections Commission Chief’s Ouster
In a move that turned the tables on Democrats who had played political games with the appointment of controversial Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe, the Republican-controlled state Senate late Wednesday evening dropped a surprise resolution that sets up a confirmation vote sources say Wolfe can’t win.
Democrats stormed out of the Senate Chamber, refusing to vote on the resolution.
Read the full storyTrump, Biden Dominate Latest Granite State Poll, but Many Don’t Want to See a Re-Match
Former President Donald Trump has upped his support over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Granite State and President Joe Biden leads his Democratic Party challengers by more than 50 percentage points, according to a new poll conducted by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
But the latest poll also finds that a majority of New Hampshire voters believe a repeat of 2020 presidential candidates in 2024 would mark a “broken” U.S. political system.
Read the full storyGeorgia Department of Transportation to Halt All Lane Closure Activity for July 4 Holiday Weekend
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced Tuesday that Independence Day travelers would not be delayed by construction on Georgia roads during this year’s holiday.
GDOT announced that the department will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes from Friday, June 30 from 12 p.m. until 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 5.
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