Month: April 2024

Tennessee U.S. Rep Andy Ogles Among 19 Republicans Who Voted to Kill FISA, Warrantless Surveillance

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) joined 18 other Republicans in voting against reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on Wednesday. He told The Tennessee Star his vote would protect Tennesseans from “unreasonable searches and seizures by the federal government.”

Ogles explained his decision to break with the majority of Republicans and vote against reauthorizing FISA came after House leadership “chose to keep the doors closed and did not allow an open amendment process.” He noted he had six amendments that were all ignored by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04).

Read the full story

Trump Joins Kari Lake in Opposition to Arizona Abortion Ruling, Suggests ‘It Will Be Straightened Out’ by ‘Will of the People’

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump Arizona Supreme Court

Former President Donald Trump joined Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake in opposition to the recent ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court that upheld a 19th century abortion law.

In a moment captured by C-SPAN, the former president told reporters on Wednesday that Arizona’s 1864 abortion law is too strict, and that any changes to the state’s abortion policy will represent the “will of the people.”

Read the full story

Commentary: Biden Losing Support from Swing Voters Due to Southern Border Crisis

Admin

A striking new NPR / Marist poll reveals swing voters who supported Joe Biden by wide margins in 2020 are retracting their votes, and the unsustainable crisis on the southern border is at the heart of this collapse in support.

The tide has turned on immigration politics in four short years, and a majority of Americans now see the border crisis as an issue that needs to be solved swiftly. The NPR poll reveals a majority of Americans have adopted a harsh deportation mindset, with the nation saying 51 percent to 48 percent that all illegals should be deported. This is a radical change in sentiment from just a few years ago, and speaks to voters’ growing distrust of an Open Borders agenda that imports cheap foreign labor at the expense of American citizens.

Read the full story

Conservatives Applaud Youngkin in New Ad for Amending Bill Critics Claim Provides Free Healthcare to Illegal Immigrants

Tom Pappert
Glenn Youngkin Medical Bill

Governor Glenn Youngkin received praise on Wednesday in a commercial celebrating his decision to amend a bill critics argue would have allowed illegal immigrants to receive free healthcare by expanding a federal program.

As passed by lawmakers, SB 119 would expand the federal 340B program that was designed to for hospitals to buy drugs at discounted prices in order to provide healthcare to low-income individuals.

Read the full story

Commentary: Lawfare Is a Threat to Democracy

Admin

America witnessed the woke’s most recent lawfare attack on Republicans a few days ago. California State Bar Court Judge Yvette Roland formally recommended that attorney John Eastman lose his law license. His license has already been placed on involuntary active status. What was this constitutional scholar’s crime? Interpreting the constitution.

The 2020 elections experienced a bewildering array of election irregularities. These concerns caused state legislators from four of the seven contested states to send letters to Vice President Mike Pence asking him to return their electors back to the states for reconsideration. John Eastman advised Mike Pence that as president of the Senate, he had the constitutional authority to allow the four states to reconsider their electoral slates. In fact, many Democrat opinions from the early 2000s supported Dr. Eastman’s position.

Read the full story

FBI Whistleblowers Say the Bureau ‘Needs to Be Abolished’

Admin
Weaponization of Government Symposium

Two FBI agents who had their security clearances suspended after speaking to Congress about how law enforcement went after pro-lifers and concerned parents, now warn that the FBI has adopted a “Marxist culture” and called for its abolition.

“The type of recruiting events they have—they have adopted this Marxist culture to permanently change our institutions like the FBI,” Garret O’Boyle, an FBI agent whom House Republicans hailed as a whistleblower, said Tuesday at an Oversight Project event at The Heritage Foundation. “Remember, the FBI are the people with the guns and badges who will come after you.”

Read the full story

Texas Republican Mike Olcott Corrects the Record After NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Falsely Claims His Vanquished Opponent, Glenn Rogers, Is a Conservative

Kaitlin Housler
Olcott Phil Williams

Mike Olcott, a Republican who won last month’s primary election for Texas House District 60, invalidated News Channel 5’s Phil Williams’ claims that his opponent he defeated in the race, State Representative Glenn Rogers, was defeated by “billionaire” pro-school voucher “forces.”

Read the full story

Memphis Records 100 Homicides in First 100 Days of 2024, Police Say Number Could Swell to Nearly 400

Tom Pappert
CJ Davis Memphis

Just 100 days into the year, the Memphis Police Department reported on Tuesday that it recorded the city’s 100th homicide of 2024.

Memphis Police Department (MPD) Chief CJ Davis revealed on Tuesday that her department recorded 100 homicides on April 9, coinciding with the 100th day of 2024, as part of a public safety update delivered to the Memphis City Council.

Read the full story

Navy Orders ‘Deep Dive’ into Readiness After Massive Ship Deployment Delay

Admin
Navy Amphibious Assault Vessel

The Navy’s top officer ordered a “deep dive” investigation into readiness and maintenance issues after one amphibious assault vessel, the USS Boxer, deployed after months of delay, according to Military.com.

The Boxer carries fighter aircraft and Marines and serves as the flagship of its designated combat unit known as an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), supporting the U.S. military’s ability to rapidly deploy forces across the globe. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said she directed senior officers in February to do an initial investigation into the delays that could provide lessons for the rest of the amphibious fleet, Military.com reported.

Read the full story

Idaho Teen Planned to Attack Churches in Support of ISIS over Ramadan: Affidavit

Just the News
Alexander Scott Mercurio

An Idaho teenager allegedly planned to attack churches during Ramadan after pledging his support for the Islamic State, according to an affidavit from the Justice Department.

Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was arrested over the weekend and charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization, officials announced late Monday.

Read the full story

States File Suit to Block Biden’s Student Debt Forgiveness Plan

The Center Square
President Joe Biden

A coalition of states has filed a legal challenge to President Joe Biden’s latest executive effort to forgive a portion of Americans’ student loan debt.

The lawsuit comes after Biden on Monday announced the plan, which the states in question say is an overreach of executive authority. The White House claims that Biden has so far canceled at least some of the debt for 4 million Americans, totalling $146 billion so far.

Read the full story

Tennessee Becomes 10th State to Sanction Girls Flag Football

Kaitlin Housler
Flag Football

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) voted on Tuesday to make girls flag football an officially-sanctioned Tennessee high school varsity sport beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.

The TSSAA voted unanimously in favor of Franklin High School’s proposal to make the sport a sanctioned sport. The TSSAA previously tabled the proposal during its December 2023 legislative council meeting.

Read the full story

Poll Finds Biden Hemorrhaging Support Among Crucial Voting Block — Even as They Trend Democrat on Key Issues

Admin
President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden is losing support among Latinos ahead of the 2024 election despite the crucial voting block moving toward the Democratic Party on key issues, a Tuesday poll found.

Support for Biden among Latino Americans has steadily declined since the last time the question was asked in June 2023, and he now holds only a nine-point favorability lead over former President Donald Trump, according to an Axios/Ipsos survey. The poll also found that Latinos are backing Democrats on the issues of abortion and immigration, and are trending toward the party on the economy and crime.

Read the full story

Tennessee Senate Passes Bill to Arm Teachers After Gallery Cleared Due to Outbursts

Tom Pappert
TN Capitol Protest

The Tennessee State Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to allow some teachers to be armed on public school property, but the Senate gallery needed to be cleared prior to the vote following a series of outbursts from activists opposed to the bill.

Lawmakers voted to pass SB 1325, which would allow school faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns if they obtain an enhanced handgun carry permit, complete 40 hours of school safety training annually, obtain approval of relevant school and law enforcement authorities and are not restricted from owning firearms.

Read the full story

Florida to Penalize Those Who Expose Law Enforcement Officers to Fentanyl

The Center Square
Desantis Fentanyl

Penalties for those who expose law enforcement officers to fentanyl are set to increase in the Sunshine State after new legislation was signed Monday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate bills 718 and 66. The first creates a second-degree felony for any adult individual who recklessly exposes first responders to fentanyl that results in an overdose or serious bodily harm.

Read the full story

Kari Lake Declares Opposition to Arizona Supreme Court Abortion Ruling, Urges Legislature Create ‘Common Sense Solution’

Tom Pappert
Kari Lake Abortion

Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake on Tuesday declared her opposition to the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling that maintains a 19th century abortion law.

Lake confirmed she is opposed to the Tuesday decision by the Arizona Supreme Court to uphold the 1864 abortion law that predates Arizona’s statehood. The ruling effectively bans elective abortions in the state, limiting them to extreme instances when the life of a mother is threatened by the pregnancy.

Read the full story

Lawmakers React After Norfolk Southern Agrees to $600 Million Settlement to Resolve Lawsuits from East Palestine Train Derailment

Kaitlin Housler
East Palestine

Norfolk Southern Corporation announced Tuesday that it reached a $600 million settlement in a class action lawsuit in response to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last year.

The railroad company said in a press release that if the court approves the settlement, all class action lawsuits within a 20-mile radius of the derailment and all personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius of the derailment will be resolved.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Directs Federal IDEA Funds Toward Racism, Equity Workshops

The Center Square
Teacher with Students

A project housed under the Wisconsin Department of Education is using federal special education funds to pay speakers to provide instruction to teachers on race, equity and Black queer feminist methodology.

Wisconsin’s Educational Equity Network’s virtual events feature presentations from authors and activists, including notable and controversial writers such as Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, about racism, inequity and marginalized gender or sexual identities.

Read the full story

Youngkin Takes Final Action on 1,046 Bills Passed by Virginia Lawmakers, Vetoes 153

Tom Pappert
Glenn Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin on Monday night finished acting on the more than 1,000 bills passed by Virginia lawmakers during the 2024 legislative session, signing nearly 800 bills into law.

In total, Youngkin signed 777 bills into law. The governor made amendments to an additional 116 bills, sending them back to lawmakers for further review, and vetoed 153.

Read the full story

Biden Campaign Hires Staff, Opens New Offices in Georgia as Polls Show Him Losing to Trump and Donors Sound Alarm

Tom Pappert
Joe Biden Georgia

The campaign to reelect President Joe Biden announced it hired new staff and a series of new offices in Georgia last week. The decision to expand Biden’s political operation in Georgia comes as former President Donald Trump continues to poll ahead of the Democrat in surveys of Peach State voters.

Biden’s campaign reportedly confirmed the addition of seven new offices and nine new full-time campaign workers in Georgia, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The outlet reported a Biden spokesman claimed “the seven offices will be open by mid-April.”

Read the full story

Arizona Supreme Court Upholds Arizona’s 1864 Law Banning Almost All Abortions

Rachel Alexander
Abortion Supporters

The Arizona Supreme Court issued a 4-2 ruling Tuesday upholding Arizona’s 1864 territorial ban on all abortion unless necessary to save the mother’s life, A.R.S. 13-3603. After the Arizona Legislature passed a law in 2022 banning abortions after 15 weeks except to save the mother’s life, A.R.S. 36-2322, Planned Parenthood challenged the older law, which was revived after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.

Planned Parenthood alleged that the two laws were in conflict, so the earlier law must be struck down. After a split between the lower courts, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the law, finding that the two statutes were harmonious. The court relied upon legislative language accompanying the newer law, which said it did not supersede the earlier law. Both laws penalize the provider of the abortion, not the mother.

Read the full story

Commentary: Clinton Allies Attack ‘Good Guy with a Gun’

Admin
Good guy with a gun

A left-wing group led by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Campaign Chairman claims a “good guy with a gun” is a bad thing. Tell that to the good guy with a gun in Fort Worth who saved his own life, and maybe his children’s lives as well, from shooter JaDerek Gray, who opened fire on him in a road rage incident on I-35 West.

Gray was driving his motorcycle between lanes, which is illegal in Texas. The hero, driving an SUV next to Gray, couldn’t see him and tried to change lanes. Gray, furious, passed the SUV and parked his motorcycle in the middle of the highway, stopping traffic, witnesses said. Gray then pulled a gun and pointed it at the hero, who was in his vehicle with his children.

Read the full story

Commentary: High Gold Price Points to Sustained Inflation

Admin
Gold Bars in vault

The economy looms large in the minds of most people and not simply because it is an election year. It affects us directly. We spend a lot of our waking hours at work, and our jobs are often connected to the welfare of families and children. With everything being more expensive, getting a toe hold on mere middle-class status is harder now than it was for older generations. Many people are slipping down a rung or three.

In addition to long-term trends like the decline of manufacturing and the cut-throat financialization of corporate America, unique recent events loom large. COVID lockdowns, soon followed by the government money giveaway—PPP loans, augmented unemployment benefits, rent relief, and other stimulus plans—disrupted our routines and affected the entire economy. While these measures likely prevented a deep recession, the shutdowns ruined a lot of businesses, and the various stimulus funds ended up unleashing inflation.

Read the full story

Questions Swirl Around Deadly ATF Raid of Arkansas Home Leaving a Local Airport Administrator Dead

Just the News
ATF Agents

Newly released videos show federal agents arriving to execute a search warrant on the home of the administrator of a local airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. The raid-gone-wrong in the predawn hours of March 19 ultimately led to the death of the administrator, Bryan Malinowski, after a brief standoff with the agents.

These videos, as well as a search warrant and affidavit previously published, shed light on why an administrator at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport was under investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). According to the ATF he was allegedly selling firearms without the proper licenses—some of which were reportedly used in crimes—and for misrepresenting his purpose on purchase forms.

Read the full story

Government Watchdog Files Complaint vs. NOAA over ‘Scientific Violations’ in Climate Change Report

Just the News
Roger Pielke, Jr.

Protect The Public’s Trust (PPT), a government watchdog group, filed a complaint Wednesday with the U.S. Department of Commerce, requesting an investigation into what PPT says are “apparent scientific violations” in relation to how National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) collects and reports climate-related natural disasters that exceed $1 billion in damages.

Since 1980, NOAA has reported an annual tally of the number of climate-related natural disasters in the U.S. that cause damages exceeding $1 billion after adjusting for inflation. According to NOAA’s calculations, the U.S. averaged 8.5 such events between 1980 and 2023. In the last five years, however, the average reported by the agency is 20.4 events.

Read the full story

Ben Cunningham: Nashville Mayor’s Transit Plan Appears to be Illegal

Kaitlin Housler
Freddie O'Connell

Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit plan, which is expected to be on the November ballot, is likely illegal under the IMPROVE Act, which passed the Tennessee General Assembly in 2017.

The 2017 IMPROVE Act, signed by former Governor Bill Haslam, permits local governments to seek a dedicated funding source via surcharge to support mass transportation projects through local referendum.

Read the full story

Senate Democrats to Dismiss Mayorkas Charges, Skip Full Impeachment Trial

Admin

Axios Senate Democrats will move to dismiss the impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after they reach the chamber on Wednesday, Axios has learned. The quick dismissal of the Mayorkas charges and lack of a full trial will snatch an opportunity from Republicans to go on the offensive on the border. Senate Democratic leadership has told lawmakers that the plan is to move to dismiss the charges against Mayorkas swiftly, three Democratic sources familiar with the conversations told Axios. READ THE FULL STORY    

Read the full story

Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Arrest of Jail Escapees

Peter D'Abrosca
Lincoln County Escapees Walter Allen Sr. and Christopher Meeks Captured

A search by multiple law enforcement entities ended in the capture of two jail escapees who were on the run over the weekend. 

“Sheriff Joyce McConnell would like to thank her staff for the long hours that they put in for capturing the two escapees,” said a Sunday Facebook post from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. “Sheriff McConnell would also like to thank Ruthford [sic] County Sheriff’s Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and Tennessee Highway Patrol for their help with the capture of the two escapees!! Great job to all agencies!!”

Read the full story

CBP Officials Stop Another Way to Smuggle in Fentanyl: Hamburgers

The Center Square
Fentanyl being smuggled in a hamburger

 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry seized a large amount of drugs being smuggled into the country in novel ways. One female was caught hiding fentanyl inside her body, another in a hamburger.

In the past two weeks, CBP El Paso POE agents seized more than 62 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 25 pounds of fentanyl, and more than 158 pounds of marijuana.

Read the full story

Soros Fund Sets Its Sights on a New Target – America’s Airwaves

Admin
George Soros

An investment firm founded by billionaire George Soros is looking to ramp up its influence over a key slice of American broadcasting.

Soros Fund Management, which is controlled by Open Society Foundations (OSF), has made multiple high-profile media acquisitions over the past two years and, according to sources familiar who spoke with Semafor, is in discussions to purchase even more. Roughly one-third of all media consumed in the United States is in the form of audio and about half of Americans still listen to the radio when traveling in their cars.

Read the full story

Texas Farmers Ask Judge to Block USDA from Doling Out Disaster Aid Based on Race or Gender

Just the News
Texas Farmer in field

A group of white farmers in Texas is asking a federal judge to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture from using race, gender or other “socially disadvantaged” traits to determine who gets disaster and pandemic farm aid and how much, arguing the agency’s current administration of eight emergency funding programs is unconstitutionally discriminatory.

“When natural disasters strike, they don’t discriminate based on race and sex. Neither should the Department of Agriculture,” the group of farmers wrote in a court filing made public Monday.

Read the full story