Author: Tom Pappert

Pennsylvania Bill Would Name Group Opposed to School Choice Vouchers as Sole Agency Capable of Training Directors

Tom Pappert
School with students learning

Legislation that passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would name the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) the only entity capable of training school directors, even though the organization has seemingly adopted political positions on school choice and charter schools.

While PSBA is currently the only agency approved by Pennsylvania to provide training for school directors, a Broad and Liberty report notes that HB 1743 would codify its monopoly status into law.

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Gov. Katie Hobbs Claims ‘Secure the Border Act’ Would Drive Business to Texas Despite Similar Law

Tom Pappert
Katie Hobbs

Governor Katie Hobbs claimed last week the “Secure the Border Act” proposed by Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature would drive businesses to neighboring California and Texas, though she did not acknowledge the similar law signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in December 2023.

Hobbs claimed the effort by Republicans, which would allow Arizona voters to decide whether to pass legislation that would make it a state crime to enter Arizona illegally, increase penalties for submitting false information to E-Verify and help prevent illegal immigrants from receiving Arizona welfare programs, would “demonize communities” and send businesses to Texas during a media appearance reported by KTAR News.

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John Fetterman Campaign Donates to Pennsylvania Treasurer Nominee Despite Apparent Disagreement over Israel

Tom Pappert
John Fetterman PA Treasurer Candidate

The political campaign committee for Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) donated $1,000 to Erin McClelland, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania Treasurer who said she would not have invested in Israeli Bonds after the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.

While Republican Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity reportedly has more than $700,000 heading into the general election, Spotlight PA reported McClelland only has about $67,000.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett Slams Department of Energy over Use of Strategic Oil Supply

Tom Pappert
Rep Tim Burchett

U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) declared Biden administration Department of Energy Secretary Granholm either “ignorant” or “a liar” during a Sunday interview after previously sparring with her in a U.S. House Oversight committee meeting over the Biden administration’s decision to release part of the country’s strategic oil supply.

Burchett previously confronted Granholm on May 23 over the Biden administration’s oil and energy policies, as well as its recent decision to release part of its strategic oil supply ahead of the Independence Day holiday on July 4, and told Katie Smith of One America News Network (OANN) that Granholm is “either ignorant or she’s a liar.”

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Pennsylvania Has Received over $20 Million in Presidential Campaign Spending from Biden, Trump for 2024 Election

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in front of Pennsylvania State Capitol building (composite image)

Former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and political action committees supporting the candidates have spent more than $20 million in Pennsylvania so far, with the Keystone State so far the recipient of more political advertising than any other battleground state.

A National Public Radio analysis of campaign spending published Sunday found the major presidential campaigns have spent more than $72.1 million so far. Of that money, $21.2 million has been spent in Pennsylvania, meaning about 30 percent of presidential campaign money has been spent in the commonwealth.

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Mexican Citizens Living in Arizona Invited to Vote in Mexico Presidential Election at Phoenix Consulate

Tom Pappert
Election Day in Mexico

Citizens of Mexico who live outside of the country have been invited by the country to participate in its presidential elections by voting at one of 20 locations throughout the United States.

In Arizona, Mexican nationals can cast their vote for one of the candidates in the Mexico presidential election on June 2 at the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix.

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Virginia RNC Committeeman Candidate Tim Anderson Claimed GOP Would Not ‘Tolerate’ Donald Trump in 2024

Tom Pappert
Tim Anderson

Virginia RNC Committeeman Candidate Tim Anderson claimed in a November 2022 interview that Republicans would not “tolerate” former President Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s nominee in 2024.

Anderson, who formerly represented District 83 in the House of Delegates, predicted to News 3 on November 15, 2022 that Trump’s candidacy would “splinter” the Republican Party and provoke an inter-party “civil war” that would ultimately result in another candidate becoming the nominee in 2024.

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Pennsylvania House Passes Bill Offering Tax Credits to Businesses Covering Employee Child Care

Tom Pappert
Pennsylvania Sate Rep. Morgan Cephas with Pennsylvania State Rep. Liz Hanbig (composite image)

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved legislation that would provide tax credits to businesses that cover childcare costs for employees, with employers able to offset up to 30 percent of the costs.

HB 1958, also known as Incentivizing Employer Contributions to Employee Childcare, passed the Pennsylvania House last Wednesday with 155 votes in favor and 47 against.

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Secretaries of State from Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia Claim AI ‘Disinformation’ Top Threat in 2024

Tom Pappert
Arizona Sec State Adrian Fontes

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes on Sunday joined a number of his counterparts from other states for a Meet the Press panel discussion, and the top state election official claimed that artificial intelligence (AI) will pose new “mis- and disinformation” threats during the 2024 elections.

Fontes told Meet the Press host Kristen Walker, “AI is not a new weapon. It’s an amplifier and a magnifier of mis- and disinformation,” and revealed that his office held a “tabletop exercise” that apparently involved both election officials and members of the media.

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Morgan Wallen Postpones Bar Opening After Sign Rejected by Metro Nashville Council

Tom Pappert
Morgan Wallen

Country music artist Morgan Wallen postponed the opening day of This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen, his Nashville establishment that was originally slated to open in time for Memorial Day.

Though neither Wallen nor the bar offered a reason for their decision to postpone the launch, the decision follows a vote by the Nashville Metro Council to deny the sign the establishment sought to place on the exterior of its building.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Holds Double-Digit Lead over ‘Tennessee Three’ Challenger Gloria Johnson in Vanderbilt Poll

Tom Pappert
Tennessee Senate Race

A poll released Wednesday shows Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) continuing to hold a double-digit lead over her likely Democratic challenger, State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), a member of the Tennessee Three.

The spring edition of the Vanderbilt University poll of Tennessee voters found Blackburn has the support of 51 percent of Tennesseans, placing her 11 points ahead of Johnson, who polled at 40 percent.

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Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to Seek Second Term as Ex-Husband Ruben Gallego Runs for Senate

Tom Pappert
Kate Gallego

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced her reelection campaign on Wednesday, confirming she will seek another six-year term at the city’s helm.

In a video posted to the social media platform X, the mayor listed recent investments in Phoenix by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the new campus being established at Arizona State University, as well as investments into “cool pavements” and homeless solutions as achievements before she confirmed her candidacy.

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Drexel Anti-Israel Encampment Dissolves as University Calls Philadelphia Police

Tom Pappert
Protesters Leaving After Police Come to Drexel University

The anti-Israel encampment at Drexel University disbanded early on Thursday after President John Fry asked the Philadelphia Police Department to assist with clearing the protestors.

After Fry warned protestors the university planned to act shortly before 5 a.m., the encampment was reportedly cleared by noon, with law enforcement telling 6 ABC that protestors “picked up their belongings for the most part and left by their own free will,” and evidence suggested police would “be able to complete this operation without having to make any arrests, any use of force, anything of that nature.”

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Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Received ‘Transit Referendum Briefing’ After Relaunch by Mayor Freddie O’Connell

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell Bike Lanes

Mayor Freddie O’Connell relaunched the Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) on Tuesday. An agenda posted to the city’s website reveals that committee members received a “Transit Referendum Briefing” during their recent meeting.

A Wednesday press release by O’Connell’s office explained the mayor “released a new map related to his Choose How You Move transportation improvement program” and revealed a map of “35 miles of new and improved bicycle facilities that would be covered” under his referendum.

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Rep. Andy Ogles Says $320k Personal Pledge ‘Mistakenly Included’ in FEC Filings Which Overstated June 2022 Cash-On-Hand by $292k

Tom Pappert
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05)

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) submitted a total of 11 amended campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Wednesday. The new details provided by Ogles reveal his campaign originally misstated its cash-on-hand in June 2022 by more than $290,000.

Ogles’ 11 amended reports are for reporting periods between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2024. The first amended filing, which includes the $290,000 discrepancy, covers the period when Ogles previously reported a $320,000 personal loan to his campaign.

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Jasmine Crockett Silent amid Lack of Evidence for Alleged 2002 Hate Crimes

Tom Pappert
Jasmine Crockett

Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) did not respond to a Wednesday inquiry from The Tennessee Star seeking more information to corroborate her previous claim that she and 17 students suffered a “series of hate crimes” on the Rhodes College campus in 2002.

Rhodes College Campus Safety similarly has yet to respond to requests for comment about the alleged hate crimes, nor have they supplied any documentary evidence including police reports, after Crockett claimed she and the other students were sent racist letters to their campus mailboxes.

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Drexel Students Learn Virtually as Anti-Israel Protestors Demand University ‘Terminate’ Jewish Organizations

Tom Pappert
Drexel Students for Justice Palestine

Drexel University continues to instruct students virtually on Wednesday after campus buildings were closed or locked down following the establishment of an anti-Israel encampment. In addition to calls to divest from Israel, the activists have demanded the university “[i]mmediately terminate” its chapters of the Chabad and Hillel Jewish community organizations.

Classes at Drexel were virtual for the fourth consecutive day, according to Fox 29. The outlet reported that members of the encampment told the outlet they “will continue to disrupt until Drexel University meets our demands.”

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Arizona Support for Biden Shrinks to 36 Percent in Poll Including Robert F. Kennedy, Jill Stein

Tom Pappert
Joe Biden Arizona

A poll of Arizona voters released Wednesday showed support for President Joe Biden shrunk to just 36 percent in an election including former President Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Dr. Jill Stein and intellectual Cornel West.

The survey of Arizona registered voters found, in a five-way contest, 43 percent of the Arizona electorate would vote for Trump while just 36 percent who would vote to give Biden a second term.

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University of Tennessee Launches Investigation After Complaint Filed by Man Arrested During Anti-Israel Protest

Tom Pappert
Yassin Terou

The University of Tennessee Police Department (UTPD) confirmed on Tuesday that it is investigating a complaint filed by one of the 11 pro-Palestine protestors arrested on the university’s campus on May 15 during an anti-Israel demonstration.

Yassin Terou confirmed he filed the complaint in a post to the social media platform X, where he appeared to claim his efforts are aimed at changing how UTPD treat protestors.

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Dave McCormick Campaign Resurfaces 2006 Video of Sen. Bob Casey Warning Politicians Who Fail to Secure Border Owe Voters ‘Lot of Explaining’

Tom Pappert
Bob Casey

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick resurfaced on Tuesday an 18-year-old video that features Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) warn longtime politicians who are unable to secure the U.S.-Mexico border should prepare to offer “a lot of explaining” to their constituents.

The McCormick campaign explained the video was recorded in 2006, when Casey was campaigning against former Senator Rick Santorum.

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Rep. Ruben Gallego Claimed Border Crisis ‘Not as Important’ for Arizona in Video Slammed by Senate Republicans

Tom Pappert
Ruben Gallego

A video purportedly from a virtual town hall event featuring Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) shows the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate claiming the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is “not as important” to Arizona voters.

Originally posted online by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Gallego stated in the video, “The border, people talk about, it’s not as important and salient as it is I think in other states. We do talk about it, we do worry about it, but it is not, I think, as heavy as it is in other states.”

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett Claims She Received Racist ‘Hate Mail’ Created with ‘Letters Cut from Newspapers’ While at Rhodes College

Tom Pappert
Rep. Jasmine Crockett

A spokesman for Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) provided new details to The Tennessee Star about the alleged hate crimes the Democrat experienced as an undergraduate student in Memphis around 2002.  

Pressed for details about the incidents, Crockett’s spokesman told The Star, “they consisted of racist slurs and hate mail that were put in her and 17 other students’ campus mailboxes,” and Crockett “described them as using letters cut from newspapers and magazines.”

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Ukrainian Student in Tennessee Arrested over Alleged Identity Theft Scheme Involving North Korea

Tom Pappert
Carson-Newman University

The arrest of a Ukrainian national previously in Tennessee on a student visa to study at Carson-Newman University was announced Thursday, with federal authorities alleging the foreign national participated in an “illicit revenue generation” scheme to aid the government of North Korea.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Oleksandr Didenko, a 27-year-old university student originally from Kiev, Ukraine, was arrested in Poland on May 6 on charges including identity theft of U.S. citizens for use by North Koreans.

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Price Tag for Transportation Referendum Pushed by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Swells to $6.93 Billion

Tom Pappert
Freddy O'Connell

An independent accounting of the costs associated with the transportation referendum put forward by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Thursday claims the true cost of the mayor’s goals will swell to $6.93 billion over the 15-year life of the project.

O’Connell originally announced the cost of building the transportation improvements in his referendum would amount to about $3.1 billion, with additional annual operating costs of about $111 million.

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Arizona A.G. Kris Mayes Releases Full 2020 Election Indictment After Serving Rudy Giuliani at His 80th Birthday Party

Tom Pappert
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, Rudy Giuliani

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on Monday released a full, unredacted version of the criminal indictment of Republican activists and politicians who assisted former President Donald Trump with his efforts to contest the 2020 election results in the state.

In a brief statement posted to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office website, Mayes’ staff confirmed, “The following individuals are named as defendants in the indictment: Rudolph Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Boris Epshteyn, Christina Bobb, Jenna Ellis, Michael Roman, Kelli Ward, Tyler Bowyer, Nancy Cottle, Jacob Hoffman, Anthony Kern, James Lamon, Robert Montgomery, Samuel Moorhead, Lorraine Pellegrino, Gregory Safsten, and Michael Ward.”

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‘Diverse Erie’ DEI Committee Excluded Pennsylvanians from $300,000 Grant Dispersal Based on Race

Tom Pappert
Diverse Erie

Diverse Erie, formerly known as the Erie County Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, on Friday distributed $300,000 in federal grant money.

The organization restricted the money to individuals that are part of the “BIPOC community,” which includes black, indigenous and all people of color, indicating only whites were precluded from applying for the funds.

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Disgraced Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Admits ‘I Own Everything I Did’ but Claims ‘Now is the Right Time’ to Reenter Politics

Tom Pappert
Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry

Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry on Sunday explained her decision to reenter politics with a challenge to U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07), asserting “now is the right time” for her foray into the public arena.

Barry resigned as Nashville mayor in 2018 after it was reported she financed an affair with her bodyguard using almost $175,000 in taxpayer money and used taxpayer resources and vehicles to facilitate the affair at the Nashville City Cemetery.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett Claimed to be Victim of Hate Crimes in Tennessee During 2020 Interview, but Details Remain Scarce Years Later

Tom Pappert
Rep. Jasmine Crockett

Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) claimed in a 2020 interview that she and other black students were the victim to multiple hate crimes in 2002, when she was attending Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.

Crockett told Darling Society in September 2020 that she was “the victim of a series of hate crimes” at Rhodes College that required the university to enlist the help of The Cochran Firm, a Memphis-based law firm made famous by its founder, Johnnie Cochran Jr., who secured a not guilty verdict in the O.J. Simpson murder trial often dubbed the “Trial of the Century.”

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Trump Commands Five Point Lead over Biden in Arizona as Voters Driven by Inflation and Economy, Poll Shows

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump

Former President Donald Trump now holds a five-point lead over President Joe Biden in a head-to-head race in Arizona, a poll released Sunday revealed.

The CBS News/YouGov poll found 52 percent of Arizonans would vote for Trump if the election were held today, compared to 47 percent who said they would vote for the Democratic incumbent.

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Drexel University President Vows Zero Tolerance for ‘Harassment or Intimidation’ After Construction of Anti-Israel Encampment

Tom Pappert
Drexel University President John Fry

Drexel University President John Fry said in a Saturday statement that harassment, intimidation and other antisocial behavior will not be tolerated following the formation of an anti-Israel encampment on the university’s campus.

An encampment was constructed on Saturday at the Philadelphia campus of Drexel. Those involved with the anti-Israel protest have reportedly claimed they intend to “keep it peaceful.”

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Homeless from Encampment Moved to Side Streets After Philadelphia Cleared Kensington, Report Claims

Tom Pappert

While the City of Philadelphia cleared the homeless encampment from Kensington Avenue on May 6, a report published Friday indicates those who previously lived there have relocated to side streets.

A Philadelphia media notice posted to the social media platform X confirms the city cleared the encampment, however the city also discouraged media from covering the process in a bid to “protect the privacy” of those being relocated.

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Shelby County Sheriff Threatens Lawsuit over Possible Reduction in Funding

Tom Pappert
Floyd Bonner

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner on Wednesday said he will be compelled to file a lawsuit against the Shelby County Commission if the county proceeds with a plan to cut his budget. He warned that the county must provide the funding to comply with Tennessee law and promote public safety.

Bonner and Chief Administrative Officer Alicia Lindsey said the county budget proposed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris would force his office to cut 441 positions. They asserted that such severe cuts would jeopardize public safety, precluding him from consenting to the budget.

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Over 16,000 Philadelphia Democrats Chose Write-In Votes Over Biden During Primary, Including 416 Who Voted Trump

Tom Pappert

Data from Pennsylvania’s April primary election shows more than 16,000 Democrats in Philadelphia chose to write in a candidate rather than vote for President Joe Biden. Of those who wrote in a name, 416 cast their Democratic primary vote for former President Donald Trump.

Primary election data from Philadelphia, provided by the City Commissioners Office and first reported by NBC Philadelphia, reveals that 16,216 Democrats in the city cast a write-in vote for the April 23 primary election.

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Cochise County Sheriff Confirms Support for ‘Secure the Border Act’ Because ‘Federal Government Has Abandoned’ Arizona

Tom Pappert
Mark Dannels

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels voiced his support for the Secure Our Border Act under consideration in the Arizona Legislature, telling NewsNation on Wednesday that such measures are necessary because the “federal government has abandoned” Arizona.

Dannels told acknowledged he shares concerns cited by other Arizona sheriff’s about funding for HCR 2060, but confirmed he supports the “spirit” and “intent” of the potential Arizona referendum that proposes making it a state crime to enter the United States illegally, make it a felony offense to submit false data to E-Verify and prevent illegal immigrants from accessing welfare programs.

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McCormick Campaign Declares Sen. Casey ‘Lost Touch with Pennsylvanians’ Following Report Democrat Falsely Claimed to Visit Every County

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick and Bob Casey

The political campaign of Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Thursday seized on a report indicating Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) misled voters about visiting every Pennsylvania county annually.

Casey claimed during a May 3 WCHE Morning Show appearance that he visits every county in Pennsylvania each year, with the Democrat reportedly declaring, “But the best way for me to deal with that is to stay engaged, to go to every county every year, basically, which is what I’ve done for years now.”

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Embattled Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert Refuses to Apologize Following Legal Petition Demanding Her Removal

Tom Pappert
Wanda Halbert

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert held a press conference on Tuesday after her attorney filed a motion to dismiss the legal petition calling for her to be removed from office.

In her remarks, Halbert reasserted her stance that the Shelby County Clerk’s office should be given the majority of the money it collects for the betterment of the office and declared she will not apologize.

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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Joined ‘Group Chat’ to Befriend Fellow Democratic, Female Governors

Tom Pappert
Katie Hobbs

A Wednesday report revealed the existence of a “group chat” that includes eight female Democratic governors, including Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, who befriended other influential Democrats including Governors Kathy Hochul of New York and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.

The gubernatorial group chat additionally includes Governors Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Laura Kelly of Kansas, Tina Kotek of Oregon, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, and Janet Mills of Maine, according to the 19th News report.

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Pennsylvania National Guard Travel to Germany to Train Soldiers from Ukraine for War with Russia

Tom Pappert
PA national guard

The Pennsylvania National Guard confirmed on Wednesday the 26th Infantry Division of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team is preparing to train soldiers from Ukraine at a military base in Germany.

A news article by the Pennsylvania Guard confirmed soldiers are “preparing for mobilization to the Joint Multinational Training Center to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine” on combat tactics in the German state Bavaria.

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Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Candidate Dave McCormick Unveils Plan to Move Department of Energy to Pittsburgh

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Tuesday announced a plan to “shake up” Washington, D.C. that will include relocating the Department of Energy (DOE) to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

McCormick on Tuesday stressed his two decades of experience in the private sector in an editorial published by Real Clear Pennsylvania. He confirmed his plans to achieve permanent change in Washington include moving federal agencies away from the capital.

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Sonesta Hotel Management Silent After Pulling Venue Booked for 2024 Israel Summit in Nashville

Tom Pappert
Israel Flag

The Massachusetts-based asset management company which owns the Sonesta Nashville Airport hotel currently under threat of legal action over its decision to cancel the use of its venue for the 2024 Israel Summit did not respond to a Wednesday press inquiry by The Tennessee Star.

The hotel company’s silence comes amid conflicting claims by the Sonesta Nashville Airport hotel’s general manager, Troy Carver, and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).

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Tennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn Urges Lawmakers to ‘Defund Colleges That Peddle Antisemitism’ After Convicted Killer Arrested at Encampment

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Tuesday argued Syracuse University should lose its federal funding after a man convicted of manslaughter was arrested at an anti-Israel encampment constructed on the university campus.

Eural Warren was arrested by the Syracuse University of Public Safety on Friday, according to The National Desk, after the outlet previously confirmed the convicted killer was staying at the anti-Israel encampment constructed at the university despite officials declaring only students would be allowed access to the protest. 

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Arizona Local Governments, Charities Receive over $54 Million from Biden Administration to Care for Illegal Immigrants

Tom Pappert
Illegal Immigrants

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced over $54 million in awards last month for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Shelter and Services program to Arizona entities to offset “costs incurred” due to the influx of illegal immigrants into the country.

According to funding awards posted publicly by FEMA last month, two Arizona-based charitable entities, Pima County and Maricopa County will collectively receive $54,573,093 to support illegal immigrants in the 2024 fiscal year.

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Bans ‘Scandalous’ Conduct amid Israel-Hamas Debate, Months After Admin’s Sexual Harassment Settlement

Tom Pappert
Josh Shapiro

Governor Josh Shapiro introduced updates on May 8 to his administration’s code of conduct that prohibits “scandalous or disgraceful” acts from state employees, a Tuesday Spotlight PA report revealed.

The report noted that Shapiro quietly signed an executive order that changed his administration’s code of conduct for all state employees amid intense public debate over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to Headline Pro-Abortion Fundraiser in Nashville

Tom Pappert
Kentucky governor Andy Beshear

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, described in the press as rising star within Democratic Party politics, is set to headline a Nashville abortion event and fundraiser in June, it was reported Monday.

A website advertising the Tennessee Freedom Circle event reveals Beshear will appear with “survivor and advocate, Hadley Duvall,” for the “Championing Reproductive Freedom” event on June 21.

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Goldwater Institute Sues Pima County over New Gun Ordinance Allegedly Illegal Under Arizona Law

Tom Pappert

The Goldwater Institute filed a lawsuit against Pima County in late April over a new ordinance that levies fines against gun owners who fail to report stolen weapons within 48 hours after learning they are missing, it confirmed Monday.

Pima County’s ordinance requires gun owners to report guns lost or stolen within Pima County to local authorities under penalty of a $1,000 fine should gun owners take longer than 48 hours.

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Two Pennsylvania Democrats Received Super Bowl Tickets from GOP Donor Who Recently Gave to Robert F. Kennedy

Tom Pappert
Staet Senator Jimmy Dillon, State Senator Marty Flynn

A new report reveals two Democratic state senators in Pennsylvania reported receiving Super Bowl tickets as gifts from a Lackawanna County insurance executive who regularly donates to Republicans but appears to have recently donated to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.

Citing public disclosures by Pennsylvania State Senators Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna) and Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia), Spotlight PA reported the senators attended the Super Bowl in 2023 with tickets furnished by Charles Volpe, the president of Excalibur Insurance Management Service.

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Pennsylvania Democrats Lose Voters to Republicans, See Lower Gains Despite Automatic Voter Registration

Tom Pappert
Voting Line

Voter registration reveals Republicans continue to gain ground in Pennsylvania, with Democrats losing a number of registered voters to the opposing party, a Monday report citing Pennsylvania Department of State data.

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania (PAGOP) between the end of March and May 13, gained 10,152 new registered voters, according to Politics PA.

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New Tennessee Law to Revoke Driving Privileges for Minors Behind Threats of ‘Mass Violence’ Against Schools

Tom Pappert
Teen Driver

A law set to take effect before the 2024-2025 school year will require juvenile courts to revoke driver’s licenses from juvenile offenders who are convicted of threatening schools or school property.

SB 1664 by State Senator Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro) will mandate juvenile offenders who are found guilty of threatening mass violence on school property or during school activities must have their driving privileges suspended for one year.

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