Author: Tom Pappert

Nashville Teen Arrested for Alleged Shooting that Left 13-Year-Old Dead, 16-Year-Old Hospitalized

Tom Pappert
Murder Suspect De'Anthony Osasosifo

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Thursday confirmed the arrest of 15-year-old De’Anthony Osasosifo and named him as a suspect in the Wednesday night shooting that left a 13-year-old dead and his 16-year-old sister hospitalized.

MNPD revealed on social media that a 13-year-old boy was fatally wounded and his 16-year-old sister was shot and suffered non-life threatening injuries after “gunfire erupted during a teen fight” in the parking lot of the Red Caboose Park in Bellevue.

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Memphis Police Seized 10 Vehicles from Reckless Drivers over Memorial Day Weekend in Bid to Curb Street Takeovers

Tom Pappert
Car MPD

Memphis Police Department (MPD) Interim Chief C.J. Davis confirmed at a Tuesday town hall that police seized 10 vehicles from reckless drivers over Memorial Day weekend to curb the number of street takeovers in the city.

Davis was joined by Memphis Mayor Paul Young and other Memphis officials at a town hall in Raleigh. After the mayor revealed his plans to address crime in the city, Davis answered questions about the city’s ongoing efforts to curtail illegal street takeovers.

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Tennessee Ethics Complaint over Pro-Bobby Harshbarger PAC Texts Targeting State Sen. Jon Lundberg Referred to A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti

Tom Pappert
Harshbarger Lundberg

It was determined on Tuesday that Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti will receive a complaint against Tennessee State Senate candidate Bobby Harshbarger, the Republican primary challenger to Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol).

The complaint, originally filed by Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus Chair Ken Yager (R-Kingston) on April 25, alleges inappropriate collusion between political campaigns and the East Tennessee Conservatives PAC to send mass texts messages which allege Lundberg failed to adequately represent his conservative constituents on key votes.

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A.G. Kris Mayes Claims She is ‘Fighting So Hard’ for Abortion to Keep Arizona from Becoming Like Texas

Tom Pappert
Kris Mayes

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes claimed this week that she is “fighting so hard” to preserve abortion access to prevent Arizona from following Texas’ path of banning the practice after the child’s heartbeat is detected, according to an article published Wednesday.

Mayes made the remarks to the Austin American-Statesman while in Texas for a Democratic Attorneys General Association meeting the outlet reported was designed to allow the legal officials “to strategize on abortion access” throughout the country.

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Biden Launches Outreach Effort to Black Voters in Philadelphia Speech Following Trump Rally in South Bronx

Tom Pappert
Joe Biden

President Joe Biden on Wednesday began a campaign tour to reach black voters with an event at Girard College in Philadelphia.

Biden began his minority outreach efforts with remarks alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at Girard College, the Philadelphia-based private, independent boarding school for “academically capable students” who are from “families with limited financial resources.”

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Trump Campaign Releases Official Tennessee Delegate Committee Slate for 2024 Republican National Convention

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump RNC 2016

The presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump on Tuesday released its official delegate committee slate for Tennessee delegates to the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

With the slate, the Trump campaign is encouraging its Tennessee delegates to vote for candidates National Delegate Selection Director John Findlay “extensively vetted” for “very specific roles” on committees at the Republican Party convention in July, according to an email by Findlay reviewed by The Tennessee Star.

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Gov. Bill Lee Confirms He’s ‘Engaged’ with Republican Candidates to Determine School Choice Stance Ahead of Primary Elections

Tom Pappert
Bill Lee

Governor Bill Lee confirmed in a Monday press conference that he is “engaged” with Republican candidates to determine their stance on school choice following the defeat of his Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which would have provided 20,000 Education Savings Accounts for Tennessee students.

Lee said he has “met with several candidates, some who are in open seats; some who are incumbents,” with the governor specifically asking the candidates for their stances on “what I’m talking about is education freedom and choice for parents.”

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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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