Day: December 17, 2024

Madison Police ‘Working to Authenticate’ Alleged Manifesto Left by 15-Year-Old Natalie Rupnow, but Urge Media Against Sharing

Tom Pappert
Shon Barnes

Madison Police Department (MPD) Chief Shon Barnes on Tuesday said his department is not yet able to authenticate the documents shared online by Reduxx founder Anna Slatz, who claims to have obtained the manifesto left by but nonetheless urged members of the media from disseminating the purported manifesto left by Natalie Rupnow, who police say killed two and injured seven in an attack on the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday.

“We know a document has been widely shared on social media. At this time, we cannot verify its authenticity,” said Barnes in a Tuesday press briefing.

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Police Must Confirm Existence of Manifesto Reportedly Left by Abundant Life Christian School Shooter, Reporter Tom Pappert Says

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert and MPL

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, stressed the importance that the Madison Police Department (MPD) in Wisconsin confirms or denies the existence of a six-page manifesto reportedly written by the 15-year-old Abundant Life Christian School shooter that is being shared by online personalities.

On Monday, MPD identified the shooter who killed two and injured seven at the Abundant Life Christian School as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow.

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Among 26 Governors Pledging Support for Trump Immigration Plans, Including Deportations

Tom Pappert
Illegal Immigrants

Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee was among the 26 governors who signed a letter confirming their support for the immigration proposals advanced by President-elect Donald Trump, including the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

Lee confirmed his support in a post to the social media platform X, where he shared a joint letter issued by the Republican Governors Association (RGA), which Lee continues to lead through the end of this year.

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Amarillo VA Confirms Investigation of Alleged ‘Sexual Misconduct’ by Staff After Tennessee Star Publishes Video

Tom Pappert
Amarillo VA Health Care System

A spokesman for the Amarillo Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday that it is now investigating following the publication by The Star of video that purportedly shows two staff members engaged in a sex act at the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center in Amarillo, Texas on August 17, 2022.

Emily Bell, the Public Affairs Officer for the Amarillo VA, told The Star on Tuesday that the agency “has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, and we take any allegation extremely seriously. We are investigating this matter thoroughly, and we will take any appropriate action at the conclusion of our investigation.”

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Trump Sues Pollster, Des Moines Register After Releasing Outlier Poll

Zachery Schmidt
Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump sued The Des Moines Register and its former pollster J. Ann Selzer on Monday for election interference, according to Fox News.

Selzer released a poll on November 1 showing Kamala Harris beating Trump in Iowa by 3 points. This poll was considered an outlier as another poll released the same day by Emerson showed Trump winning the state by 10 points.

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Trump Campaign Advisor Thanks Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles for Support After Fainting on Stage During Event

Kaitlin Housler
Alex Bruesewitz

Alex Bruesewitz, an advisor to President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, thanked Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for staying by his side after fainting on stage during a New York Young Republican Club gala on Sunday night.

Video shared on social media of the event shows Bruesewitz fainting and toppling over the lectern while he was on stage introducing incoming White House senior aide Dan Scavino.

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DHS Updates Rules for H-1B Visa Program

Zachery Schmidt
Workers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced changes on Tuesday to the H-1B program that will enhance the abilities of American companies to fill job vacancies.

The government says the new rule will “modernize” the H-1B program by simplifying the approvals process, giving employers more flexibility in retaining workers, and enhancing program oversight, according to the DHS press release.

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Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth Details How New School Choice Bill is a ‘Win-Win for Everybody’

Kaitlin Housler
William Lamberth

Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) said the new universal school choice bill filed last month in the Tennessee General Assembly is a “win-win” for “everybody” on the issue, specifically for those in favor of a school choice program and those in favor of allocating more funding for public schools.

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‘U of M Is Controlled by Wealthy Jews:’ Alleged Comments from Michigan DEI Official Leads to Firing

Michigan News Source
Rachel Dawson

A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer is without a job after the University of Michigan fired her for antisemitic remarks and “extremely poor” judgement stemming from an incident nine months ago.

The New York Times reports that Rachel Dawson, the former director of the university’s Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, reportedly made antisemitic comments in a conversation at a conference in March. Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show Dawson allegedly said U of M was “controlled by wealthy Jews.”

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Minnesota Parents, Private Colleges Suing Walz over PSEO Law Appear in Federal Court

Alpha News
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

A group of parents suing Gov. Tim Walz over a new law that would prohibit certain private colleges from participating in the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program appeared in federal court last week.

Melinda and Mark Loe and Dawn Erickson are co-plaintiffs in the petition they filed last year against Walz and his Minnesota Department of Education commissioner, Willie Jett, which alleges that a new law the Democratic governor signed to prohibit colleges that have a statement of faith requirement for students from participating in PSEO programs is unconstitutional.

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Commentary: The Years of Madness Are Ending

American Greatness
Joe Biden

Never in U.S. history has a president-elect been welcomed as the real president before his January 20 inauguration. And never has the incumbent president so willingly surrendered his last two months in office and all but abdicated—to the relief of his nation and the rest of the world.

One reason so many are welcoming Trump’s return is the universally desperate hope that his election spelled an end to a collective madness at home and its ripples abroad during the last four years. And why not?

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Virginia U.S. Rep-Elect John McGuire Urges Party Unity After Luther Cifers Wins GOP Nomination for State Senate

Tom Pappert
John McGuire

U.S. Representative-elect John McGuire (R-VA-05) urged Republicans in Virginia’s 10th State Senate district to unite behind Luther Cifers, the outsider businessman who secured the Republican Party’s nomination to run for McGuire’s former seat.

Cifers won the nomination during the Friday mass meeting in Goochland that The Daily Progress reported drew 1,000 Republicans, ultimately securing more votes than Louisa County Board of Supervisers Chairman Duane Adams in the third round of voting, which was concluded at about 1 a.m. on Saturday.

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Majority of Arizona Voters Support Changing Laws for Faster Election Results: Poll

Tom Pappert

A majority of Arizona voters would support legislation aimed at increasing the speed of election results as lawmakers in the Arizona State Senate file legislation to emulate the rapid election tabulation seen in Florida.

The poll, released last Thursday by Noble Predictive Insights, found that 52 percent of Arizona voters want Arizona to “change its laws to maintain election integrity and count votes more quickly.”

According to the pollsters, 15 percent more Arizonans want the laws to change than the number who want them to remain the same, as just 37 percent said the current laws are “the best way to ensure a correct vote count.” An additional 11 percent of respondents told Noble Predictive Insights they were not sure.

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Federal Data: School Leaders Say 40 Percent of Students Are Behind Grade Level

The Center Square
Students Studying

According to a federal survey of school leaders, 40% of students in the nation’s public schools were behind grade level in one or more subjects at the beginning of the school year. 

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) announced its findings this week that the percentage of students school leaders estimated to be behind where they should be was down 7% from the 2022-23 school year but still 8% higher than before the pandemic. 

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Commentary: Push Ohio Healthcare Price Transparency Legislation Across the Finish Line

Admin
Doctor Patient

Ohio state legislators are putting the finishing touches on bipartisan legislation to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. This week, state representatives and senators are working in conference to negotiate the final text of hospital price transparency legislation each chamber has passed versions of. They must pass this vital patient protection before the legislative session concludes at the end of the week, and Gov. DeWine must sign it into law.

Like many Ohioans, I learned about the importance of upfront hospital prices the hard way. After experiencing intense abdominal pain last year, my physician told me I needed umbilical hernia surgery — a four-hour outpatient procedure at a hospital in Barberton. The surgery was a success, and I wasn’t overly concerned about the cost because I have good insurance through my husband’s union job.

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