Michael Patrick Leahy, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, reacted to Monday’s announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court that it would hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors violates the Constitution.
Read the full storyDay: June 24, 2024
Covenant School Killer Audrey Hale Revealed Alleged Autism Diagnosis, ‘Bi-Polar’ Accusations, Struggles with Eating in Recovered Journal
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale wrote in the journal police recovered from her vehicle about her purported autism diagnosis, but also wrote that she was accused of being “bi-polar,” and divulged she struggled with eating and sleeping regularly.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained about 80 pages of Hale’s writings from a source close to the Covenant investigation, and has now published more than 40 articles that provide new details regarding the case and insight into Hale’s writings.
Read the full storyTrump Campaign Says Biden Lied after Snopes Debunks Charlottesville Rally ‘Fine People’ Claim
Former President Trump’s 2024 campaign said that President Biden lied following Snopes debunking Biden and other Democrats’ claims about Trump’s 2017 press conference related to the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally.
“The Charlottesville lie was another hoax perpetuated by the corrupt Democrats and their mouthpieces in the fake news media, just like the Hunter Biden laptop, the Russian collusion scandal and so many others, all in an attempt to smear President Trump. Joe Biden’s campaign must end any advertising that pushes this lie because President Trump has, once again, been proven right,” said Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt, according Fox News.
Read the full storyJulian Assange Reaches Plea Deal with U.S. That Avoids Jail Time
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has reached a plea deal with the United States on Monday that would allow him to avoid any time in prison, according to new court documents.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Announces New Vice President of Psychiatric Hospital amid Covenant Killer Revelations
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) announced on Monday a new vice president to lead the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, where The Tennessee Star reported earlier this month that Covenant School shooter was a 22-year mental health patient, having begun receiving treatment as a six-year-old in 2001.
A March 14 news release by VUMC announced current Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital president Mary Pawlikowski planned to “retire at the end of the fiscal year,” placing her retirement date on September 30.
Read the full storyTwo Arizona Prosecutors Fight over Gov. Katie Hobbs Investigation amid Conflict of Interest Concerns
by Natalia Mittelstadt Two Arizona prosecutors are conducting independent investigations into Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) regarding an alleged pay-to-play scheme, with both accusing the other of having a conflict of interest. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (R) are both investigating Hobbs for alleged criminal conduct, but each are telling the other prosecutor to stand down from their investigation because of potentially improper motivations. Last Friday, Mayes opened a criminal probe into corruption allegations involving Hobbs and donations from a group home business. Mayes notified the state legislature that she had received a criminal referral from a GOP lawmaker involving allegations with Sunshine Residential Homes. “The Criminal Division of the Attorney General’s Office is statutorily authorized to investigate the allegations and offenses outlined in your letter. To that end, the Attorney General’s Office will be opening an investigation,” Mayes wrote. The announcement came after The Arizona Republic reported that the group home business that cares for vulnerable children was approved for a 60% rate hike after it donated about $400,000 to Hobb’s inauguration and the state Democratic Party. Sunshine requested the rate hike to address financial hardships amid the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, the newspaper…
Read the full storyReport: xAI Won’t Seek Local, State Tax Incentives for Memphis Supercomputer
When Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputer plan was announced in Memphis, there was not a press release from Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development, meaning there is not a state FastTrack grant associated with the project.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti ‘Looks Forward’ to Defending State Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors in the Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries – violates the Constitution.
Read the full storySupreme Court to Take Up State Bans on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
The Supreme Court on Monday agreeing Monday to hear an appeal from the Biden administration seeking to block state bans on gender-affirming care.
Read the full storyTrump, Censorship and Abortion: The Final Big Rulings SCOTUS Is Expected to Release This Week
The Supreme Court is expected to release all of its remaining decisions by the end of the week.
Opinions coming down the line include decisions on former President Donald Trump’s presidential immunity appeal, an abortion case from Idaho and a consequential challenge to the Biden administration’s censorship efforts. The next opinion day is scheduled for Wednesday.
Read the full storyCorn Growers Join Lawsuit Against EPA for Emissions Mandates
Several U.S. oil and corn industry lobby groups are suing the Biden Administration over its plans to slash planet-warming tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks. The coalition argues the regulations will cause economic harm.
The EPA finalized new rules for models of semi-trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles released from 2027 to 2032 in a bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Read the full storyAnother Report Says CBP, ICE Not Detaining, Removing Inadmissibles Flying into Country
The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued another report identifying ongoing problems with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processes.
A regional CBP and ICE detention and removal processes were ineffective at one major international airport, the OIG audit found. The report redacts the name and location of the airport and CBP and ICE regional offices.
Read the full storyPentagon Sued for Records About Deletion of ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ from Mission Statement
Rather than the words “Duty, Honor, Country,” the new mission statement includes the words “To build, educate, train, and inspire.”
The U.S. Defense Department is facing a lawsuit to turn over emails and documents about how the agency came to delete the phrase “Duty, Honor, Country” from the mission statement of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Read the full storyMore Trans Patients Join Lawsuit Against Vanderbilt University Medical Center over Data Given to Tennessee Attorney General
More transgender patients have reportedly joined the class action suit against Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) after it alerted patients their medical records were given to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti as part of an investigation into inflated billing practices.
According to attorney Tricia Herzfeld, who revealed new details about the legal action to WKRN on Thursday, there are now two class action lawsuits against VUMC.
Read the full storyTennCare Completes Year-Long Case Review, More Than a Half-Million Members Deemed Ineligible So Far
More than 63,000 eligibility checks are still pending but more than 967,000 individuals are renewed and nearly 508,000 are ineligible following the full year review of TennCare cases.
The analysis of more than 1.5 million members comes after the federal COVID-19 pandemic eligibility check pause between March 2020 to March 31, 2023.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Doctor Published Article Pushing Sports for Trans Kids Six Months After Covenant School Killing
A medical doctor working for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) published an article in September 2023 that claimed children who identify as transgender benefit when competing in sports with competitors of their preferred gender.
The September 18, 2023 article was published less than six months after Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a biological female who identified as a transgender male, committed her devastating March 27 attack on the Covenant School which claimed the lives of three 9-year-old children and three adult staff members.
Read the full storyBiden DOJ Report Alleges Phoenix Police Violate Rights Based on Race; Insiders Warn Consent Decree Could Be Imminent
The Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a 126-page report on Thursday claiming that it found probable cause after a three year investigation that the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) violated the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments when dealing with the public. The investigation began in August 2021, alleging five problem areas. The DOJ accused PPD of using excessive force, discriminating against nonwhites, treating homeless people unlawfully, violating the First Amendment, and discriminating against the mentally ill.
A PPD officer who preferred to remain anonymous told The Arizona Sun Times that there were all kinds of problems with the report. He said the consultants hired by the DOJ to visit PPD were fresh out of law school and knew nothing about law enforcement. He said they pulled a few files and didn’t interview relevant people. There was a lot they didn’t do, he said. Additionally, the cases cited in the report are old, and key details were omitted from the report, including that those cases were resolved.
Read the full storyCommentary: Missouri Set to Sue New York for Election Interference as Trump’s July 11 Sentencing Date Looms
After almost a month following former President Donald Trump’s conviction by a New York City jury on May 30, Missouri Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced on June 20 that his state is suing New York for its “direct attack on our democratic process through unconstitutional lawfare against President Trump”.
That’s good — better late than never — as Bailey stands as the first Republican Attorney General to actually announce such a lawsuit, with not much time before Trump’s scheduled sentencing on July 11, which could imprison to presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
Read the full storyAnti-Israel Public School Educators in Philadelphia Affirms Desire for School Choice in Pennsylvania
The Canary Mission’s deep dive into the hateful messaging being pushed by educators across the nation and in Pennsylvania comes at a time when lawmakers of the Keystone State are attempting to revive a school voucher program which would award scholarships to low-income students attending underperforming public schools.
Read the full storyRepublicans Battle to Unseat Stanton in Arizona’s Congressional District 4
The Republicans are hoping to unseat Congressional Democrat Greg Stanton in District 4, who has won three consecutive terms. This district covers all of Tempe, and parts of Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Chandler.
The Cook Political Report lists Stanton’s seat as a solid Democrat despite CD4 having a “D+2” rating. This means on average, a Democratic candidate in this district would perform 2 percentage points better than the national average for Democratic candidates. Pundits say, this slight edge should be beatable with the right candidate. This district is labeled “solid Democrat” instead of “lean Democrat” due to Stanton’s incumbent status and significant war chest of $1,517,082.
Republican consultants believe the key to defeating Stanton lies in the significant number of independent voters, which is a huge 34% in all registered voters.
Republicans are entering 2024 with a registration advantage and can highlight Stanton’s consistent alignment with President Biden by showcasing his voting record. The lawmaker votes with Biden almost 100% of the time.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Extraordinary Joys of Ordinary Family Life
Our world of hookup culture, abortion on demand, and fading traditional family structure is pushing a rising number of young people away from wanting to have children. Even married couples are choosing to remain childless, citing everything from financial freedom to environmental concerns.
This drastic decision is often made from a place of fear and blindness, out of worry about what young couples will have to give up if they have a family. But that’s just one side of the coin. These people are also depriving themselves of the extraordinary joys that having children brings to ordinary life. So let’s start shifting the narrative. We can voice the delights of parenthood and share why it’s so meaningful, showing the world how valuable and incredible children are. They change us and challenge us in so many ways. What miracles do little ones bring to our daily lives? Here are just a few:
Read the full storyWyoming Sues Biden Administration over Fossil Fuel Ban
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been chipping away at the oil, gas and coal industries ever since President Joe Biden took office. Wyoming is an energy state that produces half the nation’s coal, as well as part of its oil and gas output. Since the federal government owns nearly half the state’s land, virtually all oil, gas and coal operations in the Cowboy State are heavily impacted by every rule the BLM throws at fossil fuels.
Although the Biden administration is waging war on fossil fuels, Wyoming is fighting back. The state, along with Utah, filed a lawsuit against the agency last Tuesday over its restoration lease program, and Rep. Harriett Hageman, R-Wyo., is rolling out legislation to fight back against the BLM’s proposed ban on federal coal leases.
Read the full storyPost Office Firearms Ban Faces Constitutional Challenge
A federal ban on carrying guns in post offices is now in question as a legal filing is now challenging whether the ban violates the Constitution.
Two men, Gavin Pate and George Mandry, have filed suit against the Department of Justice over the ban on carrying and storing weapons at federal post office locations.
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