Geoff Shepard, former staffer in the Nixon Administration and author of The Nixon Conspiracy: Watergate and the Plot to Remove the President, explained in an exclusive interview with The Michael Patrick Leahy Show how he came to the conclusion that the Watergate scandal had been misinterpreted for nearly 40 years.
Read the full storyDay: April 15, 2024
Supreme Court Declines to Halt Police Officer’s Lawsuit Against Black Lives Matter Protest Organizer
The Supreme Court declined Monday to stop a police officer’s lawsuit against a Black Lives Matter activist who led the 2016 protest where he was injured by another individual.
Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson had asked the justices to decide whether the First Amendment prevents a protest leader from being held personally liable for violence perpetrated by another individual when the organizer “neither authorized, directed, nor ratified” the act.
Read the full storyFormer U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote Says Haitians Must Have a ‘National Dialogue,’ ‘Govern Themselves’ to Reform Country
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote said in an exclusive interview on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that the people of Haiti must have a “national dialogue” to begin the process of reforming the country and reclaiming it from violent gangs.
Read the full storyTesla Announces Layoffs as Sales Slow
Tesla will layoff “more than 10%” of its global workforce as the company prepares for its “next phase of growth,” CEO Elon Musk announced on Monday.
The decision could impact as much as 14,000 employees, according to Electrek.
Read the full storyFBI Launches Criminal Investigation Into Ship That Caused Baltimore Bridge Collapse
The FBI has begun an investigation into the ship responsible for striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, The Washington Post reported on Monday.
The “Dali,” a near-1000 foot long cargo ship, temporarily lost power and sailed into one of the bridge’s support beams on Mar. 26, causing the entire bridge to collapse into the river and killing six people. The FBI has opened an investigation into the Dali and whether its crew operated it knowing the vessel had operational problems, according to the Post.
Read the full storyNewt Gingrich Commentary: The American People vs. Judicial Corruption
As Americans pay their taxes today, an historic event will begin in New York City.
In a moment worthy of “On the Waterfront,” the great movie about corruption and brutality in New York, the New York system will attempt to judicially destroy the chosen champion of more than 80 million Americans.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Breaks Records Upon Introducing 100th Piece of Legislation
Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) made history on Thursday upon introducing his 100th piece of legislation since being sworn into Congress last year.
Read the full storyReport: Chronic Absenteeism in Public Schools a National Crisis
A record number of students are skipping school, propelling chronic absenteeism to a national crisis, according to an analysis of public-school attendance data.
The analysis comes as public school districts nationwide are laying off teachers, citing high inflationary costs, budget deficits, and spending decisions related to federal COVID-era funding, which is running out after schools received windfalls in federal subsidies for three years.
Read the full storyAfghan Migrant on Terrorist Watch List Released by Border Patrol: Report
An Afghan migrant on the FBI terrorist watch list spent almost a year in the U.S. after being apprehended and released by border patrol agents, according to news reports.
He was arrested in February, then released last month again by an immigration judge who was not told he was a national security threat, according to NBC News.
Read the full storyFeds, Scientists Take Fire for Allegedly Hiding COVID Origins Truth
A Republican-led Congressional committee says a scientist and top advisor to Anthony Fauci used his personal email to hide evidence related to the origins of COVID-19.
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, sent a letter to the National Emerging Infectious Disease Institute asking for more information about these communications.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Councilwoman Courtney Johnston Demanded Special Session for New Gun Laws in 2022
Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, who recently announced a primary challenge to Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), previously urged Governor Bill Lee to call a special session to pass legislation targeting firearms in a 2022 open letter.
Johnston argued in her letter that “thoughts and prayers are no longer enough” and urged Lee to “take a hard look at our policies and what we can and should do differently.”
Read the full storyConservatives Urge House to Hold Hearing on Google Gemini Over 2024 Election Integrity Concerns
The hearing Republicans are calling for would increase public scrutiny on Google’s AI application and potentially inherent bias.
Conservative and Republican groups nationwide are urging House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan to hold a hearing about potential problems posed by Google Gemini, with concerns specifically about whether it could influence the 2024 presidential election.
Read the full storyTennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition Announces 2024 Senate and House Conservative Champions
The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) announced Friday that two members of the Tennessee General Assembly have been honored as the Senate and House Conservative Champions this legislative session.
According to the organization, TNFFC’s Conservative Champion awards are given to legislators in the General Assembly who “most ardently defend the Constitution, rights and freedoms” of the Volunteer State citizens.
Read the full storyEx-Trump Advisor Purged from Federal Elections Board After Left-Wing Pressure Campaign, Emails Show
A federal agency did not reappoint a former Trump advisor to an elections advisory board after a left-wing activist group threatened to launch a public criticism campaign, according to emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who is now the senior legal fellow at the Conservative Partnership Institute, was appointed to the advisory board for the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in November 2021. After months of badgering United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) officials to oust Mitchell from the EAC board of advisors, Free Speech for People president John Bonifaz threatened to launch a “public campaign” criticizing the agency if it did not drop Mitchell at the end of her two-year term, emails obtained by the DCNF via public records request show.
Read the full storyReport: States with Low Taxes, Fewer Restrictions Tops for Economic Outlook
States with lower tax rates, lower debt and fewer government restrictions generally have stronger economic outlooks, according to the latest report that ranks states from best to worst based on how friendly their policies are to economic growth.
The American Legislative Exchange Council released its “Rich States Poor States” report Tuesday. The report ranks states based on “economic outlook” using 15 factors.
Read the full storyConservative Candidate Brad Miller Running Against Election Fraud Denying Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkner
Republican Brad Miller, a longtime prosecutor who served as Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marines, where he still works as a prosecutor, is challenging incumbent Pinal County Attorney Republican Kent Volkmer, an election fraud denier, for the office. Miller points to a long list of problems with the office, including mishandling criminal issues and election integrity, as reasons change is needed.
Miller, who also practices civil law, states his principles on his website, “We must protect our borders, we must stand by and support our police, and we must safeguard our way of life.” He champions the Second Amendment, “I will protect your right to own a gun!” He said he will keep “woke policies” like ESG, “anti-American indoctrination,” and “dubious sexual education” pushed by “extreme leftist ideologies” out of education. He will “stand tall and provide a voice for parents and elected officials, allowing them to make informed decisions based on unbiased information.”
Read the full storyRepublican Challenges Reelection Signatures by State Rep. Justin Jones in Move to Possibly Strike Democrat from Ballot
Republican candidate Laura Nelson challenged the qualifying signatures submitted by State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) on Friday, which if successful, would remove the controversial Tennessee Three member from the ballot.
With 25 signatures required to qualify for reelection, Jones reportedly turned in 26 signatures to election officials. One was then disqualified, with WSMV 4 reporting the signer was determined not to live in the district, which current leaves Jones with just the 25 signatures required.
Read the full storyVirginia A.G. Jason Miyares Joins 20-State Coalition Against Biden Admin’s Decision to Abandon Immigration Law
Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Virginia’s decision to join a 20-state coalition of attorneys general who seek to compel the Biden administration to defend an illegal immigration law on Wednesday.
The coalition of attorney generals, led by Kansas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and West Virginia, seek to intervene in a lawsuit brought by those advocating on behalf of illegal immigrants against President Joe Biden’s Department of State.
Read the full storyArizona Governor Blasted by State Rep. Pingerelli, Superintendent Tom Horne After Vetoing Bill to Limit Phones in Schools
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs received rebukes from State Representative Beverly Pingerelli (R-Peoria) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne after she used her veto power to block legislation that limited the use of smartphones in classrooms.
“There is a growing body of research that clearly links the use of wireless devices like cell phones to increased negative social harms among our youth,” said Pingerelli, who chairs the House Committee on Education and introduced HB 2793 to curtail phone use in schools.
Read the full storyGeorgia Democrats Call for Probe of $1.1 Billion Contract
Georgia Democrats want an investigation after they said a state audit surfaced questions about whether Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration circumvented state contracting requirements, potentially for political gain.
It’s not immediately clear which state or federal agencies might lead the probe, and Democrats said they haven’t formally requested an investigation.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Battle Begins as Trump’s Trial Tests American Justice
Monday, April 15, 2024, is not only Tax Day in the United States. It is also the day that this country will take another fateful step towards banana republic-like tyranny. For it is the day that New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg—or, to give him his full title, “Soros-funded District Attorney Alvin Bragg”—will begin his 34-count felony trial against Donald Trump.
Exactly what is the presumptive Republican nominee for president charged with by the Biden Department of Justice? Paying Stormy Daniels—or to give her the invariable epithet, “porn star Stormy Daniels” (think “swift-footed Achilles,” “gray-eyed Athena”)—to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter in 2006 (which Trump has consistently denied).
Read the full storyCommentary: North Carolina Could Be Ground Zero for the Gen Z Revolt Against Democrats
What began as imprecise theories among a handful of forward-looking political observers and youth organizers is materializing this election year, and poll after poll is now showing young voters deserting Democrats in droves.
Mainstream news outlets have little choice but to acknowledge the vast, double-digit declines in support for Biden among younger voters, a group which supported him by 25 percentage points in 2020. Now we are seeing tentative coverage of the youth shift and warnings to Democrats in Vox, NPR, CNN and other mainstream outlets.
Read the full storyToledo, Lucas County to Buy Back Residents’ Medical Debt
Lucas County and the city of Toledo, along with one of the city’s largest health care providers, reached an agreement to wipe out more than $222 million worth of medical debt for area patients.
State Rep. Michele Grim, D-Toledo, made the announcement that is expected to impact 108,737 residents. ProMedica is the second health care provider in the area to abolish debt.
Read the full storyArizona U.S. Reps. Gosar, Biggs Call Out Biden Administration: Grand Canyon University Is Being Targeted Over Religious Views, Political Animus
U.S. Representatives Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) are pushing back against the Biden administration’s record $37.7 million fine of Grand Canyon University (GCU), calling the Department of Education “weaponized” in its “targeted” attack of the Christian school.
The six-term congressman told The Arizona Sun Times, on Tuesday “GCU is being targeted for its religious views and for being the largest Christian university in the country. The Department of Education should recognize GCU’s lawful nonprofit status and stop the harassment.”
Read the full storyGOP Representative Blasts Squad Democrats for Trying to Block Sale of F-35s Israel Used to Defend Against Iran Attacks
Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida blasted Democrats for trying to get the Biden administration to block the sale of advanced F-35 jets to Israel that defended on Saturday against Iran’s large-scale drone and ballistic missile attack in an exclusive statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi joined 39 Democratic colleagues, including members of the “Squad,” in an April 5 letter urging the president to reverse his decision authorizing a weapons sale to Israel after an Israeli airstrike killed seven humanitarian workers in Gaza. The transfer included U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets and other American-origin weapons needed “to ensure Israel can survive” amid threats and attacks from Iran, Mast, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement to the DCNF.
Read the full storyHarvard-Affiliated Cancer Center Retracts Several Studies
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute retracted seven studies and is investigating multiple researchers after allegations were made that images had been manipulated or duplicated, according to NBC News.
Dr. Sholto David, a molecular biologist, investigated in January multiple studies from top researchers within the institute, which is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and concluded that several images had possibly been manipulated by software such as Adobe Photoshop, according to The Wall Street Journal. The institute originally said they were retracting six studies but have added a seventh, while also requesting corrections in an additional 31 papers, according to NBC News.
Read the full storyEducation Department to Open Civil Rights Probe into UC Berkeley Allegedly Banning White People from Farm
“We envision a vibrant community farm, a model of shared governance and co-stewardship that helps restore community resilience,” the farm’s website reads.
The Department of Education is looking into an allegation that the University of California at Berkeley is prohibiting white residents from using a community farm on Saturdays.
Read the full storyClaudine Gay Will Teach ‘Reading and Research’ in Fall 2024
Harvard University’s former president who resigned after numerous plagiarism allegations is slated to teach a graduate level “Reading and Research” course this upcoming semester.
Professor Claudine Gay returned to teaching and her reportedly nearly $900,000 annual salary after resigning the presidency after ongoing plagiarism accusations and criticism of her response to campus antisemitism.
Read the full storyAmericans Face Rising Gas Prices Again
Gas prices are steadily rising around the U.S. again, leaving many cash-strapped Americans struggling to keep up.
According to AAA, the current average price for a gallon of regular-grade gas nationally is $3.63. That is a sharp increase from $3.39 just one month ago. Crude oil prices have risen steadily over the last 30 days, from about $77 per barrel to $85 per barrel.
Read the full storySaving Whales Started as Left-Wing Cause, but Now Conservatives are Taking Up the Fight
Saving the whales was once a leading cause of left-wing environmental groups like Greenpeace. But offshore wind development has created an ironic twist in which conservative groups are now the loudest voices raising concerns about the North Atlantic right whale’s extinction.
The Heartland Institute, Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) and the National Legal and Policy Center, want to draw attention to what they say is a connection between an increase in dead whales along the East Coast and industrialization of the U.S. Coast. A new study by an independent acoustician concludes that they may be right.
Read the full storyCommentary: Making a Case for Cursive
Recently, I asked my fifth graders if they enjoyed writing in cursive. Students at the all-boys Catholic school where I work start training in cursive penmanship in third grade, so my students had been practicing it for the better part of three years. I expected them to say that it is boring, that they do not like it, but they all said that they preferred cursive to printing. One boy explained that it allows him to develop his ideas more easily. Another one liked the way the strokes of the pencil obey the natural movement of his hand and shoulder. Most surprising of all: They all find writing in cursive fun.
Cursive penmanship is a dying art. History professor and former president of Harvard Drew Gilpin Faust wrote an essay in 2022 lamenting that Generation Z never learned cursive. She acknowledges that “the decline in cursive seems inevitable. Writing is, after all, a technology, and most technologies are sooner or later surpassed and replaced.”
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