Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the latest developments and work from the Metro Nashville Council, which convened for the first time in 2024 on Tuesday.
Read the full storyDay: January 25, 2024
Newly-Resigned AZGOP Chair Jeff DeWit Told NBC ‘No One Believes Kari Can Attract Independents’ and Win Senate Race
Information regarding a recorded conversation between newly-resigned Arizona Republican Party Chair Jeff DeWit and Kari Lake continues to trickle out as speculation increases regarding who the “very powerful people” “Back East” were who told him to offer her a job to keep her out of politics for two years. An inside source told The Arizona Sun Times that it was the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which was denied by NRSC Chair Senator Steve Daines (R-MT).
DeWit told NBC News after resigning that the offer “had everything to do with her being a drag on the ticket. There are people who want to make sure we win the election and that’s it. No one believes she can get across the finish line, particularly with independents.” Lake is running for U.S. Senate and is a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, with some circulating her name as a possible vice presidential candidate. She flew to New Hampshire before the primary on Tuesday.
Read the full storyTrump Backs Abbott, Urges States to Provide Texas ‘Full Support’ to Secure Southern Border
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed support for Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to secure the southern border amid perceived federal apathy toward the unprecedented surge in illegal border crossings.
Read the full story25 Republican Governors Release Joint Statement in Support of Texas
The Republican governors of 25 states have released a joint statement proclaiming their support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the steps his state has taken at its border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigrant crossings.
Read the full storyCarol Swain Provides Update on Plagiarism Battle with Harvard University, Previews Upcoming ‘Be The People’ Conference
Dr. Carol M. Swain joined Wednesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy where she discussed her nonprofit organization’s upcoming conference and Harvard University’s silence in response to her attorney’s letter to the university demanding answers about what Swain claims is plagiarism of her work by outgoing President Claudine Gay.
In December 2023, writer and activist Christopher Rufo accused then-Harvard University President Claudine Gay of plagiarizing “multiple sections” of Swain’s Ph.D. thesis from 1997.
Read the full storyJust the News Files Complaint with Georgia AG on Request for Fani Willis Contacts with Biden White House
Just the News has filed a compliant with the Georgia Attorney General after the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office failed to meet the deadline to respond to an Open Records Act request seeking information on the office’s contact with the Biden administration regarding the Trump election interference case.
Read the full storyLeahy Tells Bannon Texas Gov. Abbott’s Response to Supreme Court’s Decision on Border Wire Sounds a Lot Like Andrew Jackson
Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star Michael Patrick Leahy joined Steve Bannon’s War Room on Wednesday to discuss Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s response to the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in favor of the Biden administration, which allows Border Patrol agents to cut through or move razor wire the state installed on its border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing.
In a statement released Wednesday, Abbott argued President Joe Biden has “refused to enforce” current federal laws protecting states, “including immigration laws on the books right now.”
Read the full storySteve Bannon on War Room: Michael Patrick Leahy Just ‘Dropped a Bomb’ on AZGOP Leaked Audio Recording Story
Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star Michael Patrick Leahy joined Steve Bannon’s War Room on Wednesday to discuss who orchestrated the message Jeff DeWit, the now-former chair of the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP), delivered to Kari Lake, which included offering her money and a job if she stayed out of politics for two years.
Read the full storyGov. Bill Lee Supports Gov. Greg Abbott in Southern Border Standoff: ‘Tennessee Has Always Stood With Texas’
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee confirmed on Thursday that he supports Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his standoff with the Biden administration over Texas’ defense of its southern border.
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had the authority to remove border defenses erected by Texas to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the southern border, Abbott invoked the state’s right to self defense on Wednesday, declaring the Biden administration failed in its duty to protect the country and President Joe Biden “violated his oath to faithfully executive immigration laws enacted by Congress.”
Read the full storyEx-Trump Adviser Peter Navarro Sentenced to Four Months in Prison After Defying January 6 Subpoena
Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Thursday was to four months in prison following his conviction in September on two counts of congressional contempt after he defied a subpoena from the former House select committee that probed the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
Read the full storyAnnual Report by Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy Reveals Focus on Diversity, Fairness as Memphis Faced Crime Surge
A new report released by the office of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy on Tuesday reveals the district attorney made his office more diverse and focused on fairness during his first year in office. Memphis suffered a crime wave during Mulroy’s first year on the job, ultimately giving it the highest homicide rate per capita in a study of large U.S. cities.
Mulroy began his report with a statement claiming “Crime and Reform” are “complementary,” arguing, “Reform restores public confidence in the fairness of our system, which is understandably low after years of neglect,” which in turn will lead to more “cooperation” with law enforcement, leading to a decrease in crime.
Read the full storySenator Marsha Blackburn Slams TikTok’s Move to Nashville
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a statement on Wednesday slamming a new report detailing the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok’s interest in permanently moving its Nashville operations into a new office building in Music Row.
Read the full storyHouse GOP Sets Date for Markup of Mayorkas Impeachment Articles
The House Homeland Security Committee will begin marking up impeachment articles against Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday.
The markup process will focus on Mayorkas’ alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors,” the committee announced Wednesday in a statement shared with the DCNF. The committee’s push to impeach Biden’s DHS secretary involves his handling of the southern border, which has been the center of record illegal immigration under his watch.
Read the full storyLocal News Curation App NewsBreak Backed by Chinese Venture Capital Funds
An investigation by The Tennessee Star uncovered that the major backers of NewsBreak, an application that curates local news stories, is heavily backed by venture capital funds from communist China.
As reported in 2021, NewsBreak’s parent company is Particle Media.
Read the full storySmaller Banks’ Earnings Limp as High Interest Rates, Sector Turmoil Send Customers Fleeing to Megabanks
Many smaller banks posted dismal fourth quarter earnings as depositors continue to flee to booming megabanks that have been unfazed by interest rate hikes and a crisis that shook the sector early last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Net income was down substantially at many small and regional banks in the fourth quarter, including KeyCorp, Citizens Financial Group, PNC Financial Services Group, Comerica and Zion Bancorporation, falling 90%, 70%, 40%, 90% and 50%, respectively, according to the WSJ. Despite the poor performance at the small and regional level, America’s megabanks — JPMorgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup — saw their earnings increase 11% during 2023 to over $100 billion.
Read the full storySouthern States Are Growing While The Northeast Shrinks
Over the past few years, states in the American South have come to economically surpass the Northeast, owing to policies like lower taxes and better business environments spurring prosperity and population growth, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The gross domestic product of Florida, Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee surpassed the cumulative economy of the Northeast in 2020 for the first time since data has been tracked and has continued to exceed growth since, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis compiled by Bloomberg. The growth comes as businesses and people flock to the region seeking affordability, job opportunities, lighter tax and regulation laws and freedom from dense urban areas, according to experts who spoke to the DCNF.
Read the full storyNew Tennessee Bill Would Outlaw ‘Abortion Trafficking’ of Minors
A bill introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly would criminalize abortion trafficking of minors.
HB 1895 “creates the criminal offense of abortion trafficking of a minor; provides for a civil action against a person committing the offense of abortion trafficking of a minor for the wrongful death of an unborn child that was aborted,” according to its summary.
Read the full storyActivists, Lawmakers Applaud Ohio Senate’s Veto Override of House Bill 68
The Ohio Senate voted to override Governor Mike DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68 on Wednesday, sparking an array of applause from activists and GOP lawmakers.
House Bill 68, which will become law in 90 days, combines two bills: the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Save Women’s Sports Act.
Read the full storyCommentary: Democrats’ Calls for Justice Thomas’ Recusal Are a Nakedly Political Ploy
In their latest attack on the integrity of the U.S. Supreme Court, House Democrats are urging Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from a case involving former President Donald Trump’s eligibility to appear on Colorado’s Republican primary ballot.
Their reasoning is simple, but dangerously misguided: Because Thomas’ wife, Ginni, has expressed opinions about Trump and the 2020 election, he should be barred from adjudicating any case involving Trump and elections.
Read the full story‘Clearly Not About Women’s Health’: Virginia Bishop Condemns Biden Abortion Rally
Roman Catholic Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington condemned President Joe Biden’s promotion of abortion at a Virginia rally on Tuesday evening.
Burbidge spoke out following the president’s rally in Manassas where Biden advocated for codifying Roe v. Wade into law. Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Republican efforts to protect the unborn as they spoke before a massive “RESTORE ROE” banner.
Read the full storyGov. Brian Kemp Prefers Changing Law Stalled by Georgia Supreme Court over Senate Investigation into Fani Willis, Nathan Wade
Governor Brian Kemp said on Tuesday that he would prefer Georgia lawmakers make changes to the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) rather than pursue the effort by Republicans in the Georgia Senate to form a new investigative committee to explore allegations Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is engaged in a romantic affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Not only was Willis recently accused of engaging in the inappropriate relationship, it was also alleged by one of the defendants in her election case against former President Donald Trump that she financially benefited from Wade’s appointment through her participation in luxurious vacations paid for by Wade.
Read the full storyNRSC Silent on Whether It Was Behind AZGOP Chair’s Offer of Money from ‘Back East’ for Kari Lake to Stay Out of Politics
Jeff DeWit, the chair of the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP), resigned on Wednesday after an audio recording was leaked revealing him offering Kari Lake money and a job if she stayed out of politics for two years. Now, questions are arising as to who told DeWit to make the offer.
The former chair of AZGOP said “very powerful people” “Back East” were behind it. A source knowledgeable of the situation told The Arizona Sun Times that it was the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), naming Political Director Tim Edson. However, when The Sun Times asked the NRSC if this was true, the organization did not respond.
Read the full storyBiden Administration Stiffed Nonprofit That Helped with Afghanistan Withdrawal, Virginia Democrats Claim
The Biden State Department reportedly failed to pay nearly $700,000 to the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS), a nonprofit partnership of Virginia governments, hospitals, and other private sector groups, after it was called to support the Biden administration’s relocation of Afghan citizens in the aftermath of the 2021 withdrawal of the United States military from Afghanistan.
A letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken detailing the unpaid debt was signed by six Democrats representing Virginia in Congress, including Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, as well as Representatives Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), Don Beyer (VA-08), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), and Gerry Connolly (VA-11).
Read the full storyKari Lake Confirms She Recorded AZGOP Audio, Reveals Daughter’s Concern Helped Motivate Release
Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake confirmed on Thursday that she recorded the audio of former Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) Chair Jeff DeWit relaying an offer for Lake to receive a well-paying private sector job in exchange for staying out of politics. She also said listening to the audio with her daughter was a key motivation to release the recording.
Lake, during an appearance on “Louder with Crowder” on Thursday, confirmed she recorded the audio of DeWit, who resigned from his position leading the AZGOP after the audio surfaced and gave conservative commentator and comedian Steven Crowder new details about its release.
Read the full storyCommissioner Who Wants to Bump Fani Willis’ Budget Recently Lost Thousands of Taxpayer Dollars in Court
The Fulton County commissioner who wants to increase District Attorney Fani Willis’ budget by over $9 million recently cost taxpayers thousands by losing a sexual discrimination lawsuit brought by her former chief of staff.
A judge ruled earlier this month that Commissioner Natalie Hall sexually discriminated against her former chief of staff Calvin Brock, ordering the county to provide Brock backpay from September 2020 with interest, along with attorneys fees and $65,00 in damages, Fox 5 Atlanta reported on Jan. 12. Hall is proposing adding $9.7 million to the District Attorney’s budget, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported Monday.
Read the full storyCommentary: More Gender Activists than Medical Professionals on WHO Transgender Health Panel
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it had formed a Guideline Development Group made up of 21 members tasked with writing WHO guidelines on “the health of trans and gender diverse people.”
As a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health, WHO is looked to by most of the world’s nations for leadership on public health policy. Of the world’s 195 countries, 194 are WHO member states, with Taiwan being the lone exception.
Read the full storyTwo North Carolina Counties Withdraw from ‘Zuckerbucks’ Alliance as 2024 Election Cycle Begins
Two North Carolina counties left a Zuckerbucks nonprofit — where private money is injected into public election administration — as the 2024 election cycle began, citing time commitment as the reason for leaving.
Brunswick and Forsyth counties in North Carolina have left the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, a project of the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), after joining it last year.
Read the full storyCommentary: Trump Makes History by Winning Both Iowa and New Hampshire Primaries
Former President Donald Trump easily won the New Hampshire primary against rival former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley with a record number of votes for the contest, 166,000 and counting with 92 percent of precincts reporting, and the third highest percentage total, 54.6 percent, for a Republican in a competitive primary after Richard Nixon’s 78 percent in 1968 and Dwight Eisenhower’s 56 percent in 1952.
The margin, Trump’s 54.6 percent to Haley’s 43.3 percent, was an 11-point rout leaving little doubt about Trump’s dominant position in the race, continuing to display all the elements of the incumbency advantage even though he is not in the White House.
Read the full storyAffluent Chicago Suburb Proposes Allowing Illegals to Live with Residents
In Illinois, a lawmaker has proposed that residents of a wealthy suburb outside Chicago should be allowed to host illegal aliens in their homes.
According to Fox News, Councilman Josh McBroom (D-Ill.) of Naperville, Illinois made the proposal at a city council meeting last week, declaring that “I do know that there’s a lot of people that do care, and I think we live in a compassionate community, so before we go down the road of, you know, following suit on some of these other cities are taking action on, my idea would be, let’s find out, let’s find out who’s willing to help.”
Read the full story