Country Music star Naomi Judd has died at the age of 76.
On Saturday, The Associated Press reported that her daughters, actress Ashley Judd and singer Wynona Judd, released this statement on their mother’s death
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Metro Nashville Human Resources Director Shannon Hall confirmed on Wednesday to The Tennessee Star that “a complaint has been filed” with Metro Nashville Public Health Department’s (MPHD) Human Resources Department, but she declined to address claims made to The Star by sources the complaint was filed by Dr. Stephanie Kang, the director of MPHD’s bureau of racial and health equity.
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Claudia Henneberry, the Executive Director of The National Constitution Bee of the Star News Education Foundation discussed how our education institutions have fallen to anti-American forces, and why the current landscape needs to change. Henneberry, a former history, political science and English teacher, spoke with The Tennessee Star about her role and what inspired her to take on this project.
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An order handed down by a Georgia judge today named several individual members of a county elections board as respondents in an election-related lawsuit, clearing the way for an intensive audit of 2020 absentee ballots in Georgia’s largest county.
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Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Cameron Sexton and other members of the Republican leadership of the Tennessee House have written a letter to Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson and asked him to investigate the spending of federal and state COVID funds by Metro Nashville government. “We worked with him [Comptroller Wilson] over the last couple of days,” Sexton told host Michael Patrick Leahy on The Tennessee Star Report, broadcast on TalkRadio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC, Friday morning. “We expect to receive the results of the review in about two weeks,” Sexton added. “We went with a review because it can be conducted more quickly than a complete audit,” he noted. If the review suggests further investigation is necessary, Speaker Sexton said a full and complete audit could follow. Here’s the letter:
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In a Saturday edition of War Room:Pandemic, Steve Bannon is presenting a special episode today in the second hour of the program on “The New Federal State of China.” You can listen to the LIVE one hour episode of “The New Federal State of China” live now, from 11 a.m central (12 noon eastern) here:
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In a Saturday edition of War Room: Pandemic, Steve Bannon is presenting a special episode today, “D-Day: Valor and Glory.” The invasion of Nazi-controlled Europe took place on June 6, 1944, when thousands of American, British, and Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. You can listen to the LIVE one hour episode of “D-Day: Valor and Glory” live now, from 10 a.m central (11 a.m eastern) here:
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You can watch a LIVE STREAM of Steve Bannon Presents Descent into Hell: Life of the Chinese under the CCP here beginning at 9 a.m Central Time on Saturday. The Tennessee Star is the only Tennessee media outlet presenting this special two hour program. You can watch the recorded second hour here now: You can also watch the recorded first hour of the program on YouTube here. According to the press release announcing the special one time live program: Former White House Chief Strategist and War Room: Pandemic host Stephen K. Bannon is hosting a two-hour long special program entitled “Descent into Hell: Life of the Chinese under the CCP” this Saturday, April 11, from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon ET. The groundbreaking special will air live on the John Fredericks Radio Network, America’s Voice Network, Dish TV Channel 219, The Epoch Times, NTD, GTV and GNews in Mandarin. “During Passover season and while we commemorate Holy Saturday, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is suppressing, silencing, and torturing the decent, hard-working people of China. Now, the coronavirus pandemic, for which the CCP is fully responsible, has exposed the party’s evils to the entire world,” said Mr. Bannon.…
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order late Thursday night direct all of the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. You can read the executive order here: The governor acted based on new information from Johns Hopkins University that as many as 50 percent of the state’s residents will within the next eight weeks have the Coronavirus. Politico provided these details: Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered California’s nearly 40 million residents to stay home, making it the first state to impose that strict mandate on all residents to counteract a looming surge of new infections. The order takes effect immediately and remains in place “until further notice.” Californians are not allowed to leave home except for essential purposes. They are allowed to purchase groceries, prescriptions and health care, as well as commute to jobs deemed essential. The governor’s order comes with misdemeanor penalties for anyone who violates the restrictions, though he said he believes social pressure will keep people home rather than law enforcement. Breitbart News added these details: We need to bend the curve in the state of California,” Newsom said in an announcement. “There’s a social contract…
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The Star News Education Foundation announced on Thursday that the winner of the 2020 National Constitution Bee will receive a $25,000 scholarship. The second and third place finishers will receive scholarships of $5,000 and $2,000. The event will be held at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 2020.
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I believe that if Republicans lose in 2020, we’re headed for an illegal immigrant invasion. The Democrats are going to give this country away. As the child of immigrants who came here legally, I’m not okay with that.
But let me back up.
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Hundreds of left-wing rioters attacked Trump supporters as they left the president’s rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis Thursday night.
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by Danny Brewer On the last day of August 2019, a glance toward the Tennessee-Kentucky state line revealed this bright shining light. I am still not sure if that was the brilliant sunshine Mother Nature blessed us with or the glistening glow of the Kentucky Downs opening day? The answer here is a little bit of both. The five day run over the European-style turf course in Franklin, Kentucky got of to a great start. The meet’s beginning saw large crowds and a record opening day handle. The ten race card that featured four stakes races saw $8,464,103 wagered with some hefty returns on the investment. The average win ticket on the day yielded $17.82 on a $2 wager with the lowest return coming in at $10 (race 2 Hellorhighwater). The 10 cent superfecta payout ($2.40 wager when boxed) averaged $626.58 with the lowest coming in at $52.27 (race 2) and the biggest day maker cashing for $1552.18 (race 4). The early 50 cent pick four paid $4329.50 while the late 50 cent pick four came home at $2066.10. The payouts were prolific, but the day was not without superb athletic performances as well. Perhaps the best display came in…
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In Tennessee, driving without a license is a misdemeanor. Advocacy efforts to stop enforcing this part of the state’s criminal code because it may affect illegal aliens disproportionately have paid off.
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COLUMBIA, Tennessee — On Friday afternoon S. Jason Whatley, attorney at law, released the following statement on behalf of his client Steve Gill: On behalf of my client, Steve Gill, I wish to express his sincere thanks to all of his family, friends, and listeners who have prayed for and supported him during this very difficult time. Steve has often spoken of freedom on his show, but these last 10 days have given him a new appreciation for that ideal and for the blessings of friends and family. There is another side to this story, a very different one than that portrayed by others. When the time is right, the public will hear these facts. For now, though, Steve is resting, healing, and restarting after what has arguably been the most trying time of his life. Steve asks for your continued prayers as he contemplates these events and, more importantly, looks forward to his next chapter. S. Jason Whatley Attorney at Law
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by Kyle Daley Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the Republican corporate lawyer who became the leader of the Court’s liberal wing, died Tuesday night in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was 99. The Supreme Court’s public information office said Stevens died from complications of a stroke suffered earlier in the day. “A son of the midwest heartland and a veteran of World War II, Justice Stevens devoted his long life to public service, including 35 years on the Supreme Court,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. “He brought to our bench an inimitable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom and independence. His unrelenting commitment to justice has left us a better nation.” “We extend our deepest condolences to his children Elizabeth and Susan, and to his extended family. Steven’s 35 year tenure is the third longest in the Court’s history. When he retired in 2010 at age 90, he was the second oldest justice ever to sit on the high court. – – – Kyle Daley is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher…
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Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-7) announced on Thursday morning that he will not be a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat opening up next year in Tennessee due to the retirement of Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced earlier in the day that he would not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020 which immediately generated speculation about Green’s plans. Green made the announcement in a released statement: “Since I was 17 years old on The Plain at West Point taking the Oath of Office to serve our nation, I’ve dedicated my life to serving the ideals of our great country, its people, and its greatest needs. Over the past several months, I’ve been honored and humbled by everyone asking me to run for the U.S. Senate. As Camie and I have prayed about how to best use our time and resources, I do not plan to seek election to the U.S. Senate in 2020. Over the next two years, the most important fight for the future of our country is helping our President win re-election. The second most important fight will be winning back Republican control of the U.S. House of…
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Former Gov. Bill Haslam announced on Thursday morning that he will not seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee to replace Sen. Lamar Alexander, who announced earlier this year he will not be seeking re-election in 2020. The news came in an exclusive letter to the USA Today Network in Tennessee, the details of which were published in The Tennessean on Thursday morning: For the second time in 21 months , Gov. Bill Haslam has declined to run for the U.S. Senate, the Knoxville Republican said in an exclusive letter submitted to the USA TODAY Network-Tennessee. The former governor’s decision, which came after U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander said in December he will not seek reelection in 2020, immediately bolsters the chances of a contested Republican primary. “While I think serving in the United States Senate would be a great privilege and responsibility, I have come to the conclusion that it is not my calling for the next period of my life,” Haslam, 60, said in the letter. “This is a difficult decision because I have loved my time in public service and I believe so deeply in the importance of our political process.” Haslam’s decision breaks…
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The United States and Mexico have reached a deal on migration to avert tariffs, but U.S. officials say President Trump retains the authority to impose tariffs if Mexico fails to live up to it. “I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico. The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended,” President Donald Trump said Friday on Twitter. “Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to stem the tide of Migration through Mexico, and to our Southern Border. This is being done to greatly reduce, or eliminate, Illegal Immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States,” Trump said. Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers meeting in Japan, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told the Reuters news agency Saturday the U.S.-Mexico immigration deal met President Donald Trump’s objectives of fixing immigration problems on the southern U.S. border, but that tariffs could be imposed if Mexico does not meet U.S. expectations. “Our expectation is that Mexico will do what they’ve committed to do and our expectation is that we won’t need to put tariffs in place,…
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One day after the Tennessee House Republican Caucus met and voted “no confidence” in his continued leadership by a margin of 45-24, Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin) released a statement announcing he intends to resign as Speaker at a date to be determined in cooperation with the Caucus leadership. Casada released this brief statement on Tuesday morning: “When I return to town on June 3, I will meet with Caucus leadership to determine the best date for me to resign as Speaker so that I can help facilitate a smooth transition.” Casada did not indicate whether he would continue to serve as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing parts of Williamson County. Though Casada had legal options available to him to hold on to his Speakership, Tennessee Star political editor Steve Gill observed on Tuesday morning’s Tennessee Star Report radio program, broadcast weekday mornings on 98.3 FM and 1510 WLAC that Casada was “a political dead man walking.” The entire Republican House leadership, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, and Gov. Bill Lee have all called on Casada to resign. Shortly after Casada released his statement, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) issued…
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Goodlettsville, Tennessee – Stewart County High School won the 2019 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee State High School Championship on Saturday. Kyle Mallory was the faculty advisor who accompanied the team to the event. Lincoln County High School finished in second place, thanks to the strong showing of its one man team, Aryan Burns, who won the Individual Grand Championship . Metro Christian Academy, which hosted the event, finished in third place. Beverly Martin was the faculty advisor who helped prepare the team for the event. Tennessee Volunteer Challenge Academy, finished in fourth place. Dean Nelson was the faculty advisor who championed the team’s participation in the event and accompanied the team to Goodlettsville. Participants from Tennessee Volunteer Challenge Academy – who are considered at-risk youth receiving values, life skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as productive citizens of Tennessee at the Academy – had an impressive showing, considering they had only received the book to begin their studying 24 hours prior to the event. Three additional teams were represented: Franklin Road Academy, Brentwood Middle School, and local home schoolers. Each team was awarded one point for each contestant, one point for winning a Preamble Challenge award, one point for…
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Former Vice President Joe Biden announced his candidacy for president on Thursday morning in a YouTube video. His campaign tweeted this out at about 6 a.m. Thursday: The core values of this nation… our standing in the world… our very democracy…everything that has made America — America –is at stake. That’s why today I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 You can watch the YouTube video of Biden’s announcement here: “Former Vice President Joe Biden formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obama’s presidency will help him overcome questions about his place in today’s increasingly liberal Democratic Party,” the Associated Press reported at 6 a.m. Thursday: Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. The former vice president will be in the state three times within the opening weeks of his campaign. He’ll be in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast. Biden is aiming to raise…
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The vice president of Public Risk Insurors told The Tennessee Star the company paid the Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) a flat $15,000 annual fee to be a premier business affiliate and receive the benefits of that program. That confirmation came in a phone interview earlier this month, which was prompted by a letter from Public Risk Insurors Chief Financial Officer Dave Williams to The Star in response to our story, published March 4, titled “Taxpayer-Funded TSBA Has $5.3 Million in Assets, Paid Top Two Execs $499k Annually, Offers Special Access to Business Affiliates.” During that phone interview, Williams told The Star everything in our original story was factually correct. Williams was quick to point out that Public Risk Insurors paid a flat $15,000 annual fee to TSBA, and did not pay a percentage of receipts from contracts stemming from introductions to schools made by TSBA to Public Risk Insurors as part of the premier business affiliate relationship. “We consider it an honor to be a Business Affiliate of the TSBA and as an independent insurance agency, we do not pay the TSBA or any other educational organization with whom we participate as a vendor or convention sponsor a percentage…
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Former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain announced on Sunday that she is running for mayor of Nashville again in the municipal election to be held this August. Swain finished in second place to Mayor David Briley in last May’s special election for mayor. Briley easily surpassed the 50 percent runoff cutoff, while Swain received 23 percent of the vote. “Swain made the announcement Sunday during her keynote address at a faculty breakfast club event hosted at Tennessee State University, in Nashville,” according to a statement released by her campaign. “The city of Nashville deserves a mayor that is committed to making commonsense improvements that will enrich our community,” Swain said in the statement. “It is a disgrace that under the leadership of our current mayor, Nashville has the highest debt per citizen of any city in the nation, teachers remain under paid, we lack affordable housing, all while traffic and infrastructure problems clog our streets,” she added. The statement continued: Swain has pledged to work closely with the police, firefighters, first responders and emergency personnel to address ongoing concerns regarding funding, working conditions and competitive pay. She insists that Nashville can be a model for what can be done with sensible,…
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FRANKLIN, Tennessee–A huge crowd turned out for the Williamson County GOP Victory Party held at the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin on Saturday night. More than 300 people attended the event, which featured speeches from Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Glen Casada, and State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), among others. Blackburn, Casada, and Johnson are all residents of Williamson County. Though not a resident of Williamson County, Green is a resident of the 7th Congressional District he represents in Congress, which includes much of Williamson County. The event’s success was a tribute to the organizational leadership of outgoing Williamson County Republican Party Chairman Debbie Deaver, a grassroots conservative leader who began her tenure with a stunning victory two years ago over a more established opponent in February 2017. Deaver’s victory was one of the first stories reported by The Tennessee Star, which launched just days before, on February 6, 2017. Musical entertainment for the event was provided by State Sen. Johnson and his band, the Austin Brothers.
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Hedge fund backed Digital First Media, which owns more than 200 newspapers and is known for its draconian cost cutting and job slashing, submitted a bid to buy Gannett for $1.3 billion on Monday. “Critics have described Alden as a “destroyer of newspapers” that is prone to “savage” layoffs and as “one of the most ruthless of the corporate strip-miners seemingly intent on destroying local journalism,” the New York Times reported after news of the bid broke. Gannett, a publicly traded company, owns USA Today and 100 other newspapers, including The Tennessean in Nashville, the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, and the Knoxville News Sentinel. In its bid, Digital First Media delivered a withering assessment of the competence of Gannett’s current management team in this letter accompanying the bid: Gannett has lost 41% of its value since its debut as a public company two and a half years ago, significantly underperforming its peer group and indices. During this period, Gannett suffered from a series of value-destroying decisions made by an unfocused leadership team – overpaying for a string of non-core aspirational digital deals and pursuing an ill-fated hostile for Tribune Publishing, all while Gannett’s core revenue, EBITDA, margins and Free Cash Flow continue…
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The Wall Street Journal and Market Watch are reporting that Digital First Media, a hedge fund backed media company renowned for purchasing newspapers and gutting the operations through firings and drastic cost cutting, is preparing a bid to purchase Gannett, which owns The Tennessean, along with about 100 other newspapers around the country. Market Watch reported on Sunday: A hedge-fund-backed media group known for buying up struggling local papers and cutting costs is planning to make an offer for USA Today publisher Gannett Co., according to people familiar with the matter. MNG Enterprises Inc., one of the largest newspaper chains in the country, has quietly built a 7.5% position in Gannett’s stock and plans to publicly urge the McLean, Va., publisher to put itself up for sale, the people said. MNG, better known as Digital First Media, will also offer to buy Gannett GCI, +0.52% for $12 a share, they said, which would represent a 23% premium over Friday’s closing price of $9.75. The shares, which fell steeply last year, have been rising lately. Closely held Digital First is known for its contentious history with the newspaper industry in part because of its penchant for slashing costs. It has over…
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The Daily Caller’s Bennie Johnson wanted to see for himself if former President Obama’s house in Washington, D.C. really has a ten foot wall. Here’s what he found out: – – – Photo “Barack Obama’s Home” by Daily Caller.
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FRANKLIN, Tennessee — The Tennessee Star caught a glimpse of Santa Claus on a motorcycle in downtown Franklin Sunday afternoon. Accompanied by a green clad assistant riding behind, Santa drove his motorcycle down Main Street, stopping along the way to hand out candy canes to excited children shopping with their parents. Both Santa and his elf assistant patiently accommodated the many requests for photographs that came from children, parents, and adult passers by alike. “We do this every year because we want to,” Mr. Claus told The Star, before he roared away, spreading good cheer to all who watched and waved as he faded out of sight. Sources tell The Star that Mr. Claus and his elf assistant are long-time residents of Williamson County who have conducted their motorcycle candy cane missions for many years during the Christmas season.
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The Tennessee Star announced Wednesday it will host an important one-day workshop for parents, “How to Raise Children Who Believe in America,” on February 16, 2019 in Spring, Hill, Tennessee. Parents who are unable to attend the workshop in person will be able to watch it online. The workshop will be held at the Holiday Inn Express in Spring Hill, Tennessee from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m on Saturday, February 16, 2019 with a bonus hour from 11 a.m. to noon for parents who have a third hour available that morning. Tickets are $39.00, and can be ordered online here: How to Raise Children Who Believe in America Workshop Feb 16 Workshop in Spring Hill, TN $39.00 USD Three other online publications that, like The Tennessee Star, are owned by Star News Digital Media, Inc.–Battleground State News, The Minnesota Sun, and The Ohio Star, will co-host the event. “We have reached that moment in history Ronald Reagan warned us might come,” Tennessee Star CEO and Editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy said. “Now is the time for parents to act, before it is too late. Attending this workshop is the first concrete step parents can take to help ensure their children understand what…
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Retiring lame duck Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a tweet on Saturday that “Everything points to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, MBs, ordering @washingtonpost journalist Jamal #Khashoggi’s killing.” Everything points to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, MbS, ordering @washingtonpost journalist Jamal #Khashoggi‘s killing. The Trump administration should make a credible determination of responsibility before MbS executes the men who apparently carried out his orders. — Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) November 17, 2018 “The Trump administration should make a credible determination of responsibility before MbS executes the men who apparently carried out his orders,” Corker continued. The murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Istanbul, Turkey last month has created a difficult foreign policy problem for the Trump administration, which has relied upon strengthened relationships with Saudi Arabia to hold the threat posed by Iran to stability in the Middle East in check. Corker’s tweet on Saturday expressed a view similar to the one taken by the Washington Post editorial board, which opined on Saturday that “Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is brazenly seeking to lie his way out of accountability for the murder of…
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FRANKLIN, Tennessee–Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) and Bill Lee were big winners in their respective statewide races in Tennessee Tuesday night. Blackburn, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), easily defeated the Democratic nominee, former Gov. Phil Bredesen by a double digit margin. With 81 percent of precincts reporting, Blackburn had 55.6 percent of the vote to 43.1 percent for Bredesen. The 12.5 percent margin of victory was higher than all but one poll of the race–The New York Times Upshot/Siena College Poll last month that gave her a 14 point lead. Blackburn’s margin of victory was well over 200,000 votes. She had 1,060,468 votes to Bredesen’s 822,435 with 19 percent of precincts still left to report. In the race for governor, Williamson County businessman Bill Lee’s margin over former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean was larger. With 63 percent of precincts reporting, Lee had 60.6 percent of the vote, compared to Dean’s 37.9 percent. In terms of raw vote margin, Lee had well over 350,000 more votes than Dean–1,006,690 to 629,484. Both Bredesen and Dean did well in the urban areas of Davidson County and Shelby County, but their margins there were…
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Left wing protester Justin Jones, who was arrested and booked in Nashville late Wednesday night on charges of criminal trespassing and resisting arrest for his disruption of a Marsha Blackburn rally in Nashville’s CabaRay Theater on Sunday, offered this insight into his conduct at that rally during an in-studio interview Tuesday morning on KSMS 92Q’s Kenny Smoov’s Morning Show: “I’ve never heard an evil prayer. And literally, before we were kicked out and thrown out, they had a prayer. And I’m in Divinity School. I’m studying to be a pastor. And we prayed for evilness. We prayed for a president who’s preying, P R E Y I N G, on our communities,” Jones told Smoov and the 92Q listening audience. “We prayed for Kavanaugh, who we know was accused of multiple instances of sexual assault, and instead of praying for the victims and survivors of those attacks, we prayed for this man, who is controversial,” he continued. “And we prayed for border walls. I said, the God I serve builds bridges and not walls,” Jones added. You can watch the full video of Jones’ interview here: (Jones’ “evil prayer” comments begin at about 04:14 and continue to 04:48.) The…
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) provided the cash-poor Tennessee Democratic Party with more than $1 million through the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) he controls, which local Democrats have used to hire an army of 61 Bredesen campaign workers, many of them from out-of-state. The three Bredesen campaign workers –Will Stewart, James W. Miller, and Maria Amalla–who were captured on video saying that Bredesen lied about his Kavanaugh vote are part of this army of left wing volunteers. On April 30, the Tennessee Democratic Party had less than $48,000 in its bank account, according to Federal Election Commission records. During the month of April, only 13 individuals received payroll checks from the party. The group’s poor cash position changed dramatically on June 12, when the DSCC, a political fund that has raised over $98 million this electoral cycle and is controlled by Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) through the group’s chairman in name, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), gave the Tennessee Democratic Party $495,000 in what is called a “transfer from affiliated organization.” On August 7 the DSCC donated an additional $500,000 to the Tennessee Democratic Party, and has donated an additional $38,250 in eight smaller transaction in June,…
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Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) put former Gov. Phil Bredesen on the defensive Wednesday night at the second debate between the two candidates for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). Blackburn started out strong at the debate held in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee’s Howard Baker Center, and Bredesen never recovered. “Sparks flew in Knoxville Wednesday night as Democrat Phil Bredesen and his Republican opponent Marsha Blackburn squared off in their final debate leading up to November’s mid-term election,” NewsChannel 5 reported: The candidates traded barbs over everything from immigration, to education, and to the recent battle to appointment Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme court. When pressed on the issue, Bredesen once against reaffirmed his position that despite running as a Democrat he would’ve voted to confirm Kavanaugh to the country’s highest court. “I wanted to take my time with this, the obligation of a Senator is to consider all the facts,” he then went on to address the sexual assault allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, “All things being equal I did not think those allegations rose to the level of being disqualified from the Supreme Court.” Blackburn quickly seized on…
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by Kevin Daley The Senate confirmed Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court Saturday afternoon, securing a conservative majority on the nation’s highest judicial tribunal. Kavanaugh’s confirmation concludes an agonizing nomination process, which in stretches pertained as much to visceral feelings about identity, violence and fairness as to the high court. The final vote was 50 to 48. GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the lone Republican to oppose Kavanaugh, voted “present,” ensuring the other absent lawmaker, GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, would not have to leave his daughter’s wedding in Bozeman to cast a decisive vote for the judge. GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte lent Daines the use of his private plane in the event he would have to return to Washington, should a slim margin require his presence. Among those present in the chamber for the vote was Debra Katz, an attorney who represents Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault dating back to when the two were minors. Vice President Mike Pence presided over the Senate during Saturday’s proceedings. Chief Justice John Roberts will privately swear Kavanaugh in as a justice at the Court on Saturday night. There are generally two swearing-in ceremonies…
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Fox News reported late Tuesday night that a person claiming to be the ex-boyfriend of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, has sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in which he contradict’s her sworn public testimony. In questioning by attorney Rachel Mitchell, Dr. Ford stated unequivacily that she never coached anyone on how to take a polygraph test. Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell: “Have you ever given tips or advice to somebody who was looking to take a polygraph test?” Christine Blasey Ford: “Never.” pic.twitter.com/k5Pm424f22 — Ryan Saavedra 🇺🇸 (@RealSaavedra) September 30, 2018 In his letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Ford’s ex-boyfriend stated that he witnessed Dr. Ford coach her friend on how to take a polygraph exam back in the 1990s: From approximately 1992 to 1998, I was in a relationship with her. . . During our time dating, Dr. Ford never brought up anything regarding her experience as a victim of sexual assault, harassment, or misconduct. Dr. Ford never mentioned Brett Kavanaugh. During some of the time we were dating, Dr. Ford lived with Monica L. McLean, who I understood to be her life-long best friend. During that…
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A large and enthusiastic crowd greeted President Trump in Johnson City on Monday night as he rallied support for Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). The president did not disappoint, as he spent much of the evening blasting Blackburn’s Democrat opponent, former Gov. Phil Bredesen, and tearing into obstructionist Democrats in the Senate. “A vote for Bredesen is a vote for Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and the real leader of the Democrats, Maxine Waters,” the president boomed, to thunderous applause. The president tore into Democrat politicians, as Breitbart News reported: He then hit Blackburn’s Democrat opponent Phil Bredesen. Trump noted Bredesen supported driver certificates for illegal aliens. He said if Democrats get 51 seats in the Senate, then Chuck Schumer would be majority leader. Schumer is so desperate for Phil to win,” Trump said. “Marsha will be a great, great Senator,” said Trump who added that the Republicans need the votes. “We cannot allow ourselves to be pushed around,” said Trump. He said Schumer pushed Bredesen to run to try to get Democrats to take back the Senate. “Your vote in this election will decide which…
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) reaffirmed his strong support for the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in an exclusive interview late Friday afternoon at his Senate offices in Nashville with Tennessee Star political editor and host of The Tennessee Star Report, heard weekday mornings from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Talkradio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC, Steve Gill. Alexander’s remarks came after the Senate Judiciary Committee’s 11 to 10 party line vote to favorably recommend Kavanaugh’s nomination for a floor vote in the Senate, but minutes before President Trump instructed the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation into the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, limited to one week in duration. Trump’s order came after Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) last minute demand that such an investigation be conducted. “As we sit here on a Friday when this whole Kavanaugh confirmation process is still in flux, now, apparently, a request for an FBI investigation, it may be voted next week early or late, as you kind of look at it right now, where do you see it going, again, while we know it changes minute by minute,” Gill said. “Well, I don’t want to predict what will happen because, who knows what…
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Judge Brett Kavanaugh and accuser Christine Blasey Ford will present two different versions of the truth regarding Ford’s uncorroborated allegations Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982 before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. President Trump nominated Judge Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court in July, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on forwarding his nomination for confirmation to the full Senate on Friday. “In the summer of 1982, like most summers, I spent almost every day at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland swimming and practicing diving,” Ford wrote in written testimony provided to PBS and other news outlets Wednesday night she intends to deliver when the Senate Judiciary Committee hears her testimony today, adding: In the summer of 1982, like most summers, I spent almost every day at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland swimming and practicing diving. One evening that summer, after a day of swimming at the club, I attended a small gathering at a house in the Chevy Chase/Bethesda area. There were four boys I remember being there: Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, P.J. Smyth, and one other boy whose name I cannot recall. I remember my friend Leland Ingham…
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“Phil Bredesen’s claim in the debate tonight that he can be effective as a moderate Democrat in the U.S. Senate is either naive or a charade,” Memphis entrepreneur Jeff Webb told The Tennessee Star on Tuesday night in an exclusive interview. The founder of Varsity Brands also questioned Bredesen for his opposition to President Trump’s tax cuts and economic program. “Bredesen continues to avoid saying what he would do to keep the current economic revival going,” Webb added. Former Gov. Bredesen, the Democrat nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by outgoing Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), squared off in a debate Tuesday night at Cumberland University with GOP nominee Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). “He’s talking like he’s running for governor,” Webb said. “He’s not going to be the policy maker, if he’s elected to the U.S. Senate. He’s going to be the junior senator from Tennessee. The question is, how is he going to vote. If he wants to be a chairman of a committee, if the Democrats win the majority in the Senate, or the ranking member on a committee, if they stay in the minority, he’s going to have to go along with the Democrat leadership, which…
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee –iHeartMedia Nashville announced today that Steve Gill will return to Nashville morning drive radio with the debut of The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday, September 24, from 5 am to 8 am on Talkradio 98.3 FM/1510 AM WLAC. The program will air weekdays, Monday through Friday, and will join the nationally syndicated programs of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Dave Ramsey, which are also carried on Talkradio 98.3 FM/1510 AM WLAC. iHeartMedia Nashville also announced that “effective immediately, all Talkradio 1510 WLAC programming will be heard on both 1510 AM and 98.3 FM or the HD-2 for WSIX-FM.” “The 98.3 FM signal covers the southern portions of the Nashville area, including portions of Rutherford and Williamson County and the Franklin area. 1510 WLAC AM is one of the most legendary stations in North America and will continue to reach listeners well beyond the Nashville area with the voices synonymous with talk radio. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Dave Ramsey,” iheart Media Nashville said in a statement released Friday. “I’m thrilled about the move to simulcast Talk Radio WLAC on the FM dial. Listeners will now be able to hear Steve Gill,…
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Phil Bredesen, the Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee being vacated by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), is still equivocating on how he would vote if he were in the U.S. Senate now and required to vote on the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, nominated by President Trump to serve on the Supreme Court. In contrast to Bredesen, his Republican opponent, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) remains fully in support of confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Late Wednesday, Bredesen told the Associated Press that Professor Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Kavanaugh of attempting to sexually assault her more than 35 years ago but has provided no corroborating evidence or witnesses, “has a very credible story .” “But he said the Judiciary Committee should consider proceeding with a vote if she does not testify under oath,” the Associated Press reported, adding: “She has put herself out there,” Bredesen said of Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her while they were both in high school. “If she decided at this point to not do something, I guess the committee has to go ahead and say, ‘Well, we were willing to listen, but if she’s not…
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) told a gathering of the Nashville Kiwanis Club on Friday he believes that Judge Brett Kavanaugh will be sitting on the Supreme Court on October 1. Alexander began his comments by noting that “the Senate has gotten into a bad habit” in recent years in the way it conducts hearings on nominees for the Supreme Court. “I believe that Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed by the Senate at the end of the month and be sitting on the Court October 1 when it opens its new term,” Alexander told the audience at the Patron Platinum Club Restaurant at Bridgestone Arena. Alexander said some Democrats in the Senate now consider Supreme Court nominees as “innocent until nominated.” “They treat someone like Judge Kavanaugh as if he were recently released from San Quentin prison. Although in fact, he is one of the most highly regarded members of the Federal Circuit Court,” Alexander said. “You have a Republican president appointing judges, and the Democratic senators acting like they’re in the circus, trying to insult the judge . . . for whatever reasons I’m not sure. It’s a very bad habit. It’s not good for our country,” he noted.…
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by State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) As Phil Bredesen runs for Senate this year, he’s asking you to look back on his time as governor. He is highlighting what he did but he is misleading voters about what that record actually is. He regularly claimed that he “cut meth production in half” while Governor of Tennessee until the Washington Post fact-checked the ad and gave it “Three Pinocchio’s” for being untrue. While that’s bad enough, the real story is much worse. I was elected to the legislature in 2002 and wanted to use my experience to solve problems. Having spent most of my adult life in law enforcement, I saw how the scourge of meth and meth labs were impacting rural communities: overdoses and death, children removed from their homes and toxic meth lab cleanup sites. The problem was huge and required a non-partisan approach. Throughout 2003 and 2004 I worked with both Democrats and Republicans to create the Tennessee Comprehensive Methamphetamine Prevention, Treatment and Control Act of 2004. But when it came time to seek Governor Bredesen’s help to pass the bill into law, I was shocked at his response. Ushered into a meeting with Bredesen’s Deputy Governor…
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A new Tennessee Star Poll of likely voters in Tennessee provides further evidence that the race for the U.S. Senate is very tight, while the Governor’s race is firmly in the control of Bill Lee. The survey indicates that Republican Marsha Blackburn leads Democrat Phil Bredesen by a 48.3 percent to 45 percent, with 6.7 percent undecided. That three point margin for Blackburn is consistent with a Fox News Poll released earlier this week., which also showed Blackburn leading by three points. Like the Fox News Poll, the Tennessee Star Poll has the two candidates within the margin of error. The Tennessee Star Poll was conducted by Triton Polling and Research from September 10-12, 2018 and surveyed 1038 likely voters. The poll has a three percent margin of error. The Governor’s race is not close at this stage of the campaign. Republican nominee Bill Lee is well ahead of Democrat Karl Dean, 53.7 percent to 37.3 percent with 10 percent undecided, a 16 point lead for the Williamson County businessman. Again, those numbers are consistent with the Fox News poll that had Lee leading by 20 points. Other polls have indicated that Bredesen’s personal approval rating is enabling him to pull…
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A new Fox News poll of likely Tennessee voters indicates that Republican Marsha Blackburn is leading Democrat Phil Bredesen in the race for the open U.S. Senate seat by a three point margin, 47-44, with eight percent remaining undecided. The Blackburn lead is within the poll’s margin of error. In the Governor’s race, Republican Bill Lee enjoys a significant twenty point lead, 55-35%, over Democrat Karl Dean. Ten percent remain undecided. Backburn’s television ads in the campaign have relied heavily on tying her to President Donald Trump. With the Fox News poll revealing that the President has a 58-38% approval/disapproval rating among Tennessee likely voters her strategy seems to be on track. Blackburn and Bredesen enjoy similar approval/disapproval numbers, which may indicate that the Trump factor is the difference in the race at this point. Blackburn has a 51-39 approval/disapproval gap while Bredesen’s is slightly better at 54-36. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill cautions that the Fox News poll seems a bit more heavily weighted to the Republicans than Democrats so the results should be viewed with that in mind. “The poll construction has 35% Democrats and 53% Republicans with 12% described as Independent,” Gill notes. “I think the…
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by State Senator Dr. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) Seventeen years ago, on 9/11/2001, I was preparing as the chief resident of Fort Hood Emergency Medicine Residency program to drive to San Antonio for a joint educational program with the Brooke Army Medical Center emergency medicine residents. After turning on the TV, I quickly called their chief resident and together we canceled the joint training to happen that night. As one Army chief resident in emergency medicine spoke calmly with the chief resident of another Army emergency medicine residency, we knew what was coming. We had both served in the Army prior to our becoming medical officers, doctors, and we both knew our classmates and the rest of the Army would soon face the challenges of war. We hung up wishing each other and our teams Godspeed. I would see him almost die in Iraq. We’ve lost touch, but reflecting back on that day I was honored to have him on the other line. It’s hard to imagine now but there are young men and women who are enlisting in the Army in their senior year into the early accessions program, assuming it still exists that way, who were not yet…
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When the University of Tennessee shifted its apparel and shoe contracts from Adidas to Nike three years ago, there was an enthusiastic embrace of the new gear from athletes and fans alike. That deal was extended last year by then Athletic Director Dave Hart. But the Nike deal was not without some controversy, as the Nike brand experts were a big factor in the University deciding to drop the Lady Vols logo and implement a “branding restructure.” Fans forced a reversal of that decision, in part thanks to some pressure from the Tennessee legislature. Now, a new controversy has arisen for Nike and the University of Tennessee with Nike embracing the controversial and unapologetically anti-National Anthem/American flag and chief kneeler Colin Kaepernick in a new ad campaign for the company. Protests and calls for boycotts have dominated social media in the wake of Nike’s announcement of their new deal with Kaepernick. Fox Sports Radio host Clay Travis has dubbed the Nike decision the “dumbest move” in the brand’s history and pointed out that the decision had cost Nike about a $3 billion loss in market cap based on stock trading Tuesday morning after the announcement. Currently, the University of…
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Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), the Republican nominee in this November’s U.S. Senate race, released a strong statement of support for President Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, on Tuesday, the day the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the decision to confirm him. “Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a strong constitutionalist with a proven track record of upholding the rule of law,” Blackburn said in the statement. “I am certain we will see his respect for the rule of law displayed throughout his confirmation hearings. Judge Kavanaugh will serve honorably as a Supreme Court Justice. Though Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats will do everything they can to stall Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation, I urge the Senate to consider his nomination expeditiously. I also urge the Senate to continue to confirm judges to the federal court,” Blackburn added. The Democrat members of the Judiciary Committee hearing turned the proceedings into a chaotic circus within minutes of the 9:30 am opening bell. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) immediately demanded the hearings being adjourned, but was ruled out of order by Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA). Democrats interrupted the proceedings with similar obstructionist objections 62 times during the first 60…
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