Day: July 22, 2024

Group Tied to Courtney Johnston Campaign Sent $140,000 to Super PAC Behind Ads Targeting Rep. Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
TN5 Candidate Courtney Johnson

The Tennessee super PAC supporting the challenge by Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnson to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-07) in the Republican primary contest for the state’s  7th Congressional district recently received $140,000 from a group connected to Johnston’s campaign.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) records confirm the group Conservatives with Character received $140,000 on June 7, 2024 from The Best of Tennessee Action Fund, one of the strategically interlinked organizations co-founded by pro-abortion attorney Chloe Akers and political fundraiser Kim Kaegi in April.

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Kamala Harris Receives Endorsements from Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Disgraced Ex-Mayor Megan Barry

Tom Pappert
Freddy O'Connell, Megan Berry, Kamala Harris (composite image)

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday received the endorsement of both Nashville’s current mayor, Freddie O’Connell, as well as former Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned in 2018 after it was revealed she used public funds and resources to facilitate an affair with her bodyguard.

The endorsements came after President Joe Biden on Sunday confirmed he will no longer see the Democratic Party’s nomination, then later endorsed Harris to lead the Democrats against former President Donald Trump in November.

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Republican Mayor of Knox County Blasts Media for Calling Concerns Over Biden’s Decline ‘Conspiracy Theories’

Peter D'Abrosca
Knox Mayor Glenn Jacobs

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs (R) joined Sky News Monday where he blasted the media for referring to Republicans as “conspiracy theorists” for questioning President Joe Biden’s mental acuity. 

“What did Kamala Harris know [and] when did she know it, and who is actually president of the United States and who is making those decisions,” Jacobs said on “News Hour with Mark Austin.” “The thing about the vice president’s job, one of their primary duties is if something happens to the president, the vice president has to step in, yet Mrs. Harris said she didn’t know there was anything wrong with the president. However, a month ago, right after the debate with President Trump, she said on TV that everything was fine, that he was thinking clearly, [and] that he was giving good advice to leaders around the world. So, she either knew and is basically covering that up, or she is willingly ignorant of the situation. Either way, that’s a bad place to be.” 

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Rep. Andy Ogles Calls Pro-Courtney Johnston Mailers Featuring President Trump ‘Disgraceful and Despicable’

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles and Courtney Johnston in front on misleading Johnston mailer (composite image)

Despite Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) already securing the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in his bid for reelection in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district, political advertisements mailed to voters depict his only Republican challenger, Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, alongside Republican presidential nominee.

The mailers do not appear to be sent by Johnston’s campaign, but are attributed to Conservatives with Character, the super PAC that recently began an advertising campaign against Ogles, and were obtained by The Tennessee Star from a recipient within the district.

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Oversight Hearing: Cheatle Says July 13 Was the ‘Most Significant Operational Failure of the Secret Service in Decades’

Admin
Kimberly Cheatle

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is testifying before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life.

On July 13, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Several bullets passed within millimeters of Trumps head, at least one grazing his ear. Two rallygoers were hurt, and Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief, was tragically killed by stray bullets while shielding his wife and daughter.

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Biden’s Acting ICE Chief: Some ‘Sanctuary’ Cities Are Getting Sick of Releasing Criminal Illegal Migrants

Admin
ICE Acting Director P.J. Lechleitner

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director P.J. Lechleitner said in an interview that some cities are regretting releasing detained migrant criminals and seeking to change “sanctuary” policies, according to NBC News.

Many left-leaning cities and counties have avoided working with ICE in recent years, at times leading to the releasing illegal migrants who are charged with violent crimes, NBC News reported. However, Lecheitner stated that some blue cities are looking to change course.

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Court Ordered to Reconsider Biden Admin Green Investing Rule Following Landmark Supreme Court Ruling

Admin
Joe Biden

A federal appeals court ordered a judge on Thursday to reconsider blocking a Biden administration rule that allows environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing in employee retirement plans following a landmark Supreme Court ruling.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Texas judge must reconsider a decision upholding a Department of Labor rule, which took effect in February 2023 and allows retirement plans to consider factors like racial justice and climate change when investing to break ties in options of equal quality. The appellate court sent back the ruling because it relied on a legal doctrine called Chevron deference, which the Supreme Court overturned in June.

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Poll: Inflation, Immigration, Economy Are Top Concerns of Voters

The Center Square
Shopping

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted prior to the weekend assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, found that likely voters said inflation/price increases (45%), illegal immigration (36%) and the economy/jobs (28%) were the issues that matter most to them heading into the November election.

The poll was conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights from July 8-11 and surveyed nearly 2,300 likely voters, including 1,006 Republicans, 1,117 Democrats, and 172 true (non-leaning) independents. It has a margin of error of 2.1%. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll is one of only six national tracking polls in the United States.

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Commentary: Democrats Did This to Themselves

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President Joe Biden

by J.D. Foster   The Democratic machine is gearing up in a panic to overwhelm President Joe Biden. What a bunch of rubes. Biden is driving the Democratic wagon toward an electoral cliff, but this was foreseen a year ago among leading Democrats. Even as they tried to con and bluff the American people to November, they saw Biden’s increasing infirmities. Age happens. It is not a character flaw, but it is a one-way trip. At the start of the year, Democratic leaders knew Biden was not up to a rigorous political campaign. Respectfully, gently, privately and publicly, some urged him to pass the torch. He refused and then Democrats made their ultimately fatal mistake. They chickened out. Instead, they put their hopes in lawfare conducted against Donald Trump, but case after case fell apart. And even when Trump suffered minor losses, the political persecution was so obvious that the losses turned into wins. That which does not kill you makes you stronger, right? Trump got stronger. What more could leading Democrats have done as Biden resisted? As it is now doing, congressional leadership should have privately and then, if necessary, publicly told Joe he had to go. If he still resisted, the party’s uber leadership starting with former…

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Dave McCormick Promises ‘Strong’ Support for Law and Order After Endorsement from Police Union that Once Backed Sen. Bob Casey

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick speaking at Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police event

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Sunday pledged “strong” support for law enforcement after he received an endorsement from the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police (PA FOP), which once endorsed his opponent, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA).

McCormick confirmed his support for law and order during his Sunday appearance on “This Week in Pennsylvania,” arguing law enforcement is fundamental to a prosperous commonwealth.

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Authorities Rescue Three Children in Tennessee, Arrest Foreign National Wanted for ‘Child Stealing’ in Bahamas

Tom Pappert
ICE arrest

The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) of Washington announced on Friday the rescue of three children and the arrest of a foreign national in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

INTERPOL Washington confirmed in a press release that the agency participated in a joint operation with the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on July 5 to arrest Angelo McQueen, a citizen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas who the intergovernmental agency explained was wanted “for sexual offenses against a minor.”

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Secret Service Ditched Law Enforcement Meeting on Day of Attempted Trump Assassination, Senator Claims

Tom Pappert
Secret Service Snipers on a rootop

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) claimed on Saturday that the U.S. Secret Service did not attend a law enforcement meeting in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, the date former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks at a campaign rally.

Johnson told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that his team learned the apparent lack of attendance by the Secret Service from local law enforcement.

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Democrats Sue Kemp over Leadership Committee Law

The Center Square
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp

Georgia Democrats have filed a federal lawsuit against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, saying a measure he signed three years ago that allows him to effectively “sidestep” campaign finance restrictions.

Kemp signed Senate Bill 221 into law in May 2021. Under the so-called “LC Law,” some politicians can chair leadership committees and receive contributions from their members or supporters.

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CBP’s Operations ‘Plaza Spike’ and ‘Apollo’ Intercept Cartel Drug and Weapons Trafficking Across U.S. Borders

Christy Kelly
Illegal Firearms

As a result of intensifying efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced in a series of statements that record amounts of illicit fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, as well as hauls of illegal weaponry have been seized.

Through two programs dubbed “Operation Plaza Spike” and “Operation Apollo,” officials say that as of June in FY 2024, over 15,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized, exceeding the total amounts from the previous eight fiscal years combined. Despite a 17 percent decrease in nationwide drug seizures from May to June, CBP notes that significant quantities of drugs and firearms continue to be intercepted at the border.

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U.S. Voters Suspect AI Could Impact Their Lives as It Develops According to Poll

The Center Square
ChatGPT

New poll data of registered and potential voters reveals a general consensus that artificial intelligence could pose a threat to people as it further develops.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is technology broadly used to complete tasks, learn information, and enable computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Recently, AI technology has become more sophisticated and more widely used at an increasing rate. 

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Commentary: Cancel Culture Backfires on Its Leftist Makers After Trump Assassination Attempt Remarks

Admin
Donald Trump

by David Huber   In a perfect world, people like Alison Scott, a teacher in the Oklahoma-based Ardmore City Schools district would have the self-control not to post stupid stuff on social media after a U.S. presidential candidate is almost assassinated. The high school music teacher responded to a Facebook user’s post saying they were going to donate $500 to would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks for “tryin’ to save us,” according to a screenshot obtained by Libs of TikTok. “Same!” wrote the teacher. “Wish they had a better scope” — followed by an “oh well” emoji. Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters subsequently posted on X that the teacher’s comments were “unacceptable” and added: “We will not allow teachers to cheer on violence” against President Trump. Later the same day Walters posted “I have investigated it enough. I will be taking [the teacher’s] teaching certificate. She will no longer be teaching in Oklahoma.” As of Friday, the Ardmore school district website had a pop-window notice of a district news release which stated officials had started a “thorough and swift” investigation, and that the district “strongly condemns acts of physical violence and any words that seek to encourage it.” According to the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, the Ardmore staff “Master…

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