Author: Tom Pappert

New Fulton County Jail Expected to Cost over $1.7 Billion, Finish in 2031

Tom Pappert

If funding for a new jail in Fulton County is approved next year, the facility could open in 2029, but will not be finished until 2031, according to a presentation received by Fulton County commissioners on Wednesday. The county considers a new jail as the Georgia State Senate investigates the conditions at the troubled Fulton County Jail.

The proposed facility will cost nearly $1.76 billion, and will boast enough room to provide accommodations and services for 4,416 inmates, according to the presentation delivered by consultants from architecture firms TreanorHL and STV.

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YoungkinWatch: Governor Wants $448 Million to Fund Childcare, After School Programs as Federal Funding Dwindles

Tom Pappert

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced his new Building Blocks for Virginia Families initiative a press event on Thursday, declaring the plan will allow the commonwealth to continue funding childcare and early childhood education after pandemic-era funding from the federal government is gone.

Promoting the initiative as part of his administration’s efforts to empower parents, raise the commonwealth’s educational standards, and bring more Virginians into the workforce, the governor promised during a Thursday press conference that the initiative will be “the great underpinnings to having the very best childcare and early education system in the nation.”

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Tennessee State Sen. Brent Taylor Wants Shelby County Judge, DA Investigated over ‘Illegal’ Release of Man Serving 162 Years

Tom Pappert

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) requested investigations on Wednesday into Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan and Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy’s Office to determine if they orchestrated the “illegal” release of a Memphis man serving a 162-year prison sentence and the decision to move double murderer off death row.

In a Wednesday press release, Taylor noted Skahan and Mulroy worked together to secure the 2022 release of Courtney Anderson, who they claimed received an unjust sentence of 162 years, by reducing his sentence to 15 years. That decision was overturned by the Tennessee Court of Appeals this year, with Judge J. Ross Dyer writing in his October 18 opinion that Skahan “illegally” granted clemency for Anderson by essentially commuting his sentence, a power which the state constitution solely grants to the Governor of Tennessee.

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Metro City Council Votes Against Taser Upgrade for Metro Nashville Police Department

Tom Pappert

The Metro Nashville City Council voted against a new contract to purchase the latest model of Tasers for the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Tuesday, declining what proponents claimed was the opportunity to save money on new technology that will be more expensive to taxpayers when its purchase is eventually required.

Council Member Courtney Johnston (District 26) sponsored the resolution to expand the city’s ongoing contract with Axon, the company that manufactures and supports Taser devices, to upgrade to the company’s latest model.

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YoungkinWatch: Williamsburg Festival Denies Hanukkah Celebration Ever Scheduled After Governor Condemns Cancellation

Tom Pappert

A Williamsburg music and arts festival is denying it ever scheduled a menorah lighting to celebrate Hanukkah after Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) condemned the group’s purported decision to cancel it amid Israel’s defensive war against Hamas.

News broke on Sunday that the 2nd Sundays Art and Music Festival in Williamsburg canceled a menorah lighting scheduled for its December 10 event, with The Virginia Gazette reporting that festival founder Shirley Vermillion “said 2nd Sundays are inclusive to different religions and cultures,” and reported that Vermillion stated the menorah lighting “seemed very inappropriate” due to what the outlet called “current events in Israel and Gaza.”

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Fani Willis Reportedly Wants Mike Pence to Testify Against Trump in Georgia Election Trial

Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) reportedly plans to call former Vice President Mike Pence as a witness in the Georgia racketeering trial of former President Donald Trump.

Willis reportedly lists Pence among nearly 150 witnesses she intends to call at trial, according to a CNN report published Wednesday. Citing sources “familiar with court documents that remain under seal, the outlet reveals that Willis’ latest witness list includes Pence’s name.

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Knoxville Judge Sanctioned for Holding Campaign Event Inside Courtroom in Failed Bid to Win Re-Election

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct issued a public reprimand of Knoxville Municipal Court Judge John R. Rosson, 75, which was published Monday. It reveals that he used a Knoxville courtroom for a campaign press conference before losing his recent re-election bid after more than three decades in office.

In the public reprimand, the board revealed Rosson “held a campaign event” in his courtroom, inviting the media to attend, in which he stood in front of the bench and “accepted an endorsement from a lawyer,” then announced a second endorsement before making what he specifically referred to as a “campaign speech.” Local media reported that both endorsements came from former opponents.

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Three Metro Nashville Police Officers Remain on Administrative Assignment over Leak of Covenant Killer Manifesto: Report

Tom Pappert

Three Metro Nashville Police (MNPD) officers remain on administrative assignment as the agency investigates the leak of three photographs showing manifesto pages written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, which were published by conservative comedian and commentator Steven Crowder in November, according to a Tuesday report.

The police department confirmed three officers remain on administrative assignment to Fox 17, which reported that an additional four officers returned to their normal duties in mid-November. MNPD confirmed seven officers were placed on administrative assignment on November 7.

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Democratic Georgia State Senator Calls for Fulton County Sheriff to Resign for Jail ‘Crisis’

Tom Pappert

Georgia State Senator Joshua McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs) called for embattled Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat (D) to resign on Monday in response to the “crisis” at the Fulton County Jail.

McLaurin cited Labat’s recent controversies, which include allegations he used the jail’s Inmate Welfare Fund as a “slush fund” and questions about why medical bracelets purchased from a company tied to Georgia legislators were not being used at the facility, before calling for his resignation.

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YoungkinWatch: Governor Joins 16 States Urging Biden to Stop China-Linked Purchases of U.S. Land

Tom Pappert

Governor Glenn Youngkin joined a coalition of governors from 17 states who on Monday sent a letter to President Joe Biden that urged the administration to prevent “dangerous and adversarial governments to infiltrate our country” by purchasing “swaths of real property throughout the United States.”

Citing multiple reports that companies linked to China are purchasing large amounts of farmland, including near U.S. military installations, the governors wrote to demand the Biden administration “reckon with the fact that such entities are plain threats to our national security, our farmers, and our citizenry.”

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Democrat Election Attorney Marc Elias Takes to Social Media to Launch Ad Hominem Attack Against Arizona Sun Times Reporter Rachel Alexander

Tom Pappert

Democrat election attorney Marc Elias launched an ad hominem attack against Arizona Sun Times reporter Rachel Alexander on X (formerly Twitter) Monday. Alexander has a well deserved reputation as one of the country’s leading reporters on election integrity and lawfare against conservative attorneys. Alexander’s reporting, and some of her subsequent comments on X, have drawn the ire of Elias, who has built a career out of partisan litigation against any election laws and regulations that do not benefit the Democrat Party or Democrat candidates.

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Arizona House Republicans Urge Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Against ‘Relinquishing Local Control’ of Police With Federal Consent Decree

Tom Pappert
Mayor Kate Gallego

Arizona State Representative David Marshall (R-Snowflake) led a group of 20 Republican lawmakers in a letter urging Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego not to enter into a consent decree with the Department of Justice (DOJ), warning it would “turn control” of the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) “over to the federal government.”

Reports indicate Gallego is considering whether to sign a potential consent decree, even as Phoenix City Council signals its potential opposition, and the move is opposed by Phoenix law enforcement groups.

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Man Pleads Guilty to 2018 Murder of Greater Memphis Chamber CEO After Years of Delays

Tom Pappert

McKinney Wright of Memphis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges in the 2018 shooting of businessman Phil Trenary on Monday, accepting the lower charge in a plea agreement that saw additional charges against him dropped.

Wright entered his guilty plea on Monday morning, with local media reporting his agreement saw prosecutors drop drug charges against him. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but already spent five years in a Memphis jail that will count toward his sentence.

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YoungkinWatch: Virginia’s RNC Committee Woman Calls for Trump to Oust Chair Ronna McDaniel as Governor Keeps Silence

Tom Pappert

Former President Donald Trump was urged to call for a replacement for Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Monday by Patti Lyman, a Republican National Committeewoman representing Virginia. Lyman’s remarks follow claims from McDaniel that Governor Glenn Youngkin, or his representatives, told her that Virginia did not need additional funding prior to the Republicans’ electoral losses in November.

During an appearance on “The John Fredericks Show,” Lyman suggested Trump could be a deciding factor to determine new leadership at the RNC. She told host John Fredericks, who is publisher of The Virginia Star, Trump is the “one man” who could take “necessary” actions to “get new leadership at the RNC.”

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Tennessee Violent Crime Rate Dropped as State Put More Criminals in Prison

Tom Pappert

The number of Tennessee citizens behind bars increased in 2022, coinciding with a drop in violent crime, according to data released this week by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and numbers tracked by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

Tennessee saw a 7.9 percent increase in the state’s prison population in 2023, according to the report. The new prisoners include 1,615 men and 125 women. Additionally, the DOJ data release notes that Tennessee is one of only four states that saw more than 1,500 new prisoners during 2022, joined by Texas, Florida, Mississippi.

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Gov. Kemp Pitches Legislation to ‘Accelerate’ Georgia Tax Cuts Next Year

Tom Pappert

Governor Brian Kemp (R) pitched new legislation on Monday that he said will “accelerate” Georgia’s new income tax cuts. Beginning in 2024, the Kemp’s plan would steadily increase income taxes annually until the tax rate falls to 4.99 percent.

Kemp announced the move to expand on HB 1437, which established a flat income tax in Georgia by which all income earners are taxed equally at 5.49 percent. While HB 1437 called for the tax rate to eventually decrease to 4.99 percent, Kemp said in a Monday statement that his changes to the law will mean Georgians pay less taxes sooner.

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YoungkinWatch: UVA Did Not Promote, Advertise ‘Summit on Free Speech’ Governor Reportedly Spent Over a Year Planning

Tom Pappert

The University of Virginia (UVA) did little to promote Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) on Wednesday, even as he gathered officials from every public college in the commonwealth at for his “Higher Education Summit on Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity” at the school’s Newcomb Hall to discuss the importance of differing opinions in higher education.

Youngkin told attendees that, “when it comes to freedom of expression, we have to create an environment that protects the ability to challenge conventional thinking,” according to UVA Today. The governor added, “Challenging beliefs and fostering an environment for these debates is exactly why we all exist.”

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Shelby County Judge Behind Zero Bond Release of Teen Murder Suspect Asks Defendants to Write Essays About Guns

Tom Pappert
Judge Bill Anderson

Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson responded to criticism over his decision to release alleged murder Edio White, 18, with zero bond, in a media appearance on Thursday. During the interview, Anderson held a stack of notebook papers toward the camera and called them “essays” about gun ownership that he requires defendants to write before they are granted bond.

“These are my essays that I get from every single defendant,” said Anderson. The judge requires defendants to write essays explaining why a young person in Memphis would desire to carry a weapon, the outlet reported.

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Jackson Mayor Questions How School Choice Helps Students, but Majority of His Students Fail to Meet Tennessee Standards

Tom Pappert
Mayor Scott Conger

Jackson Mayor Scott Conger questioned the utility of the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which would offer universal school choice in Tennessee, in a post on social media, even as Tennessee state data reveals the vast majority of students in his city are failing to meet the state’s education standards.

Conger wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that “average annual tuition for private schools” in Jackson “is $9,227,” and questioned, “How is a $7,000 voucher going to help economically disadvantaged student?” Conger claimed lawmakers instead should “[f]und early childhood education” to “change educational outcomes.”

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TPUSA Journalists Charged with Assault in Maricopa County After Arizona State University Professor Seemed to Lunge Toward Them on Video

Tom Pappert
ASU-TPUSA Incident

Two Turning Point USA (TPUSA) journalists were indicted on Thursday in Maricopa County after an October encounter on the Arizona State University (ASU) campus with a professor who appeared to lunge at the journalists on video.

The Maricopa County indictment, filed at the University Lakes Justice Court, claims TPUSA reporter Kalen D’Almeida and cameraman Braden Ellis harassed, assaulted, and engaged in disorderly conduct during their October 11 confrontation with ASU faculty member David Boyles.

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Georgia State Senate Overwhelmingly Votes to Support Atlanta Public Safety Training Center Despite ‘Stop Cop City’ Petition

Tom Pappert

The Georgia State Senate voted on Friday to approve a symbolic senate resolution expressing support for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, with the measure receiving universal support among Republicans, and support from all but seven Democrats.

Introduced by State Senator Mike Hodges (R-Brunswick), the resolution expresses “support for the” safety training center and condemns “acts of violence and domestic terrorism,” referencing the violent clashes between law enforcement and protesters that saw a Georgia State Patrol trooper shot and a protester killed in January.

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Alleged Murderer of Memphis Pastor Remains Out on Bond After Hiring New Lawyer Week Before Anticipated Plea Deal Acceptance

Tom Pappert
Miguel Andrade

The Memphis teenager who allegedly murdered a pastor during an attempted carjacking will remain out on bond after his family retained a new lawyer last week, just days before prosecutors expected him to accept a plea agreement.

Miguel Andrade, 16, who allegedly murdered a popular pastor Rev. Dr. Autura Eason-Williams during an attempted carjacking, will remain out on bond until January 30 after Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula L. Skahan granted a delay following the Andrade family’s decision to hire a new lawyer, according to Daily Memphian.

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Files Appeal over Who Appoints Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board

Tom Pappert
Skrmetti Nashville Airport

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a notice of appeal to the injunction issued by a three-judge panel in October which determined the Tennessee General Assembly violated the state Constitution with its new law changing how the Metro Nashville Airport Authority board is selected.

Under the new law, two board members would be selected by the Nashville mayor, Tennessee governor, and top two lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly, respectively. When the injunction was filed, the board went back to its previous selection process, by which members are picked by Nashville’s mayor and approved by the Metro Nashville Council.

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YoungkinWatch: Governor Places Third in Virginia Presidential Primary Poll, Trump and Biden Statistically Tied

Tom Pappert
Trump, Biden, Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) placed third in a Virginia presidential primary poll released on Thursday, while pollsters found the majority of voters favor former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Trump was also statistically tied with President Joe Biden, despite Biden carrying the Commonwealth by 10 percentage points in 2020.

The Roanoke College poll, conducted between November 12 and November 20, found Trump to be the first choice of 51 percent of Virginia Republicans for the Republican candidate for president. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) placed in a distant, second place, with 14 percent of support.

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Fulton County Jail Moves Up to 70 Inmates to Forsyth County amid Severe Overcrowding, ‘149,200-Case Backlog’

Tom Pappert
Inmate Behind Bars

News broke on Thursday that Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat inked an agreement with Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman in April to allow up to 70 detainees at the troubled Fulton County Jail to be relocated to the nearby county, with the agreement reportedly citing Fulton County’s 149,200-case backlog.

Reports indicated Labat planned to send some of the inmates in Fulton County to other jails earlier this year, but Appen Media Group published details about the agreement struck with Forsyth County for the first time on Thursday.

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Arizona Freedom Caucus to Lead Charge Against ‘Extremist’ AG Kris Mayes After Indictment of Cochise County Supervisors

Tom Pappert
Kris Mayes

Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) released a statement on Thursday revealing the Arizona Freedom Caucus plans to vigorously oppose Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes’ prosecutions of Cochise County election officials, and told The Arizona Sun Times he expects near-unanimous support in the state legislature.

Mayes’ office on Wednesday announced the indictments of Cochise County Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd, who are both Republican, after they briefly delayed certifying the county’s 2022 midterm election while they investigated possible illegal activity. Mayes, who narrowly won election in 2022 by just 280 votes, claimed in a statement that Crosby and Judd were attempting to “to undermine” Arizona’s “democracy” with the short delay.

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Tennessee Appeals Court Rules Covenant Parents May Intervene in Lawsuit Seeking Audrey Hale Manifesto

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled in Nashville on Thursday that a group of parents can intervene in the lawsuit seeking to compel the release of the manifesto written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, affirming a lower court’s ruling. The parents wish to prevent the manifesto’s release.

In a 17-page order released Thursday afternoon, the appeals court ruled to “affirm the trial court’s judgement allowing intervention,” and sent the case back to the Davidson County Chancery Court for further proceedings. That court’s previous decision to allow the parents to intervene prompted the appeal.

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U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann ‘All In’ for Trump, Promises to Do ‘Everything Possible’ for 2024 Re-Election

Tom Pappert

U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) reportedly told the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club in Chattanooga on Monday that he is “all in” for former President Donald Trump in 2024, and pledged to support his 2024 campaign for re-election.

Fleischmann told Republicans on Monday that he is “all in for Donald Trump,” according to The Chattanoogan, which reported that the congressman told attendees he recently visited Mar-a-Lago and told the former president he will do “everything possible” to aid his re-election.

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Trump Seeks Dismissal of Georgia Election Case Citing First Amendment, Notes DA Willis’ Election Claims in Indictment

Tom Pappert

Attorneys for former President Donald Trump submitted a legal filing in Fulton County Superior Court on Monday arguing the First Amendment protects Trump from prosecution for the statements he made during his contest of the 2020 election results in Georgia.

Trump’s lead attorney, Steve Sadow, wrote in the filing that Trump genuinely believes he won the 2020 election in Georgia, despite Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ repeated claims he “falsely” made statements to that effect.

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YoungkinWatch: Virginia Democrat Declines House Race, Cites ‘Slim Majorities’ in Legislature as Party Looks to Block Governor with ‘Brick Wall’

Tom Pappert

Virginia State Senator Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William) confirmed on Wednesday he will not run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), who earlier this month announced she would not seek re-election and would instead run for governor. McPike noted Virginia Democrats’ “slim majorities” in the Virginia General Assembly amid Democrats’ promises to be a “brick wall” preventing the agenda of Governor Glenn Youngkin (R).

In a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the senator said he looks “forward to continuing to serve and fight for Virginians in the Senate.” Revealing he was urged to enter the House race, McPike (pictured above) stated “for now, with our slim majorities in the General Assembly, I will continue to fight to improve the lives of everyday Virginians.”

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Gov. Bill Lee Unveils ‘Education Freedom Scholarship’ Bill for Universal School Choice in Tennessee at Event with Gov. Sarah Sanders

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) unveiled the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which will offer education savings accounts (ESAs) for students in all 95 counties in the state, in a Tuesday event that featured Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and included state lawmakers and school choice advocates.

Lee said the legislative proposal will establish statewide universal school choice, stressing at his Tuesday press conference that “a high quality education has the power to change a trajectory of a child’s life forever.”

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Shelby County Judge Who Released Alleged Thanksgiving Murderer with Zero Bail Recently Railed Against Bond System in Tennessee

Tom Pappert

Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson released alleged Thanksgiving Day murderer Edio White with zero bond, even after police said White admitted to driving the getaway car after the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old. In a newly resurfaced video, Anderson is seen railing against the “bond system” in Shelby County and Tennessee.

Anderson critiqued cash bail in Tennessee during a September 18 meeting of the Shelby County Commission, extending his condemnation to bail bonding companies, claiming “they don’t do anything but collect money from poor people.”

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Georgia Judge Will Hear Motions from Trump Co-Defendants Mark Meadows and Jeff Clark to Delay Court Dates

Tom Pappert

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee agreed on Tuesday to hear motions from two co-defendants in the Georgia racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and those who helped him contest the 2020 election. If granted, the motions would see a significant delay in court deadlines that could impact the proposed August 5 trial date.

McAfee agreed to hear motions last week filed by attorneys for former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Jeff Clark, who was the acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Division of the Apartment Justice during the 2020 election. Both men have filed for the charges against them to be removed from Fulton County to a federal court, and seek to delay Georgia court dates until those decisions are made.

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YoungkinWatch: Governor Will Not Stop Skill Games Ban Enforcement After Bipartisan Letter from Lawmakers Pleading for Virginia Businesses

Tom Pappert

The office of Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) provided The Virginia Star with a copy of a letter written in response to a bipartisan group of Virginia lawmakers who requested the governor seek a delay on enforcement of the state’s ban on skill games.

After the Virginia Supreme Court reversed a stay on skill games in October, which are similar to slot machines but purportedly require skill to operate, 11 legislators sent a joint letter to Youngkin on November 7. The lawmakers informed Youngkin of their intention to regulate the machines in the upcoming legislative session, and according to Richmond Times-Dispatch, asked Youngkin to direct authorities to delay enforcement of the ban until the assembly could act.

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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Signs Petition Seeking Referendum to Enshrine Abortion Access in State Constitution

Tom Pappert

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) signed a petition on Tuesday that calls for a public referendum to allow Arizonans to vote on whether to enshrine abortion access into the state’s constitution.

In remarks made before the media ahead of signing the petition, Hobbs claimed the abortion referendum is “about women’s ability to wholly participate and thrive in our society and our economy.”

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State Senator Heidi Campbell’s Private School Past, Recent Support Unveiled After She Accused School Choice Activist Corey DeAngelis of ‘Dumbing Down’ Voters

Tom Pappert

Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) condemned school choice initiatives for “dumbing down” voters, but previously admitted to attending a private school, and was on the board of a private Montessori early childhood school that boasts a waiting list.

Campbell made the remarks on social media following an interaction with school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis, who questioned the lawmaker’s claim that the school choice legislation reportedly promoted by Governor Bill Lee “will destroy public [education] and raise your taxes.” Lee’s plan will reportedly allow some students whose families are 200 percent below the poverty line in Tennessee to attend a school of their choice, redirecting tax dollars in the process.

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Memphis Judge Releases Suspect in Thanksgiving Murder of 15-Year-Old with Zero Bond

Tom Pappert

An 18-year-old man accused of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old on Thanksgiving was released from a Shelby County jail on his own recognizance Monday, forfeiting zero bond despite allegedly confessing to his role in the crime.

Police said Edio White admitted to driving his co-defendant Conner Tucker, 15, to the Binghampton home of Anthony Mason on November 23, under the guise of Tucker trading firearms with Mason, News Channel 3 reported. When the two teens arrived at Mason’s home, police said Tucker exited the vehicle and shot Mason once in the head, killing him.

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Tucson Border Patrol Chief Stops Social Media Posts: ‘Unprecedented Flow’ of Migrants Needs ‘All Available Personnel’

Tom Pappert
Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin

The U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector paused most of its social media presence on Sunday, with Chief Patrol Agent John R. Modlin posting the policy change to social media on Sunday.

In posts that have since been deleted from X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Modlin wrote that his agents would no longer be posting updates to social media. In one post that remains, Modlin wrote that “all Tucson Sector Border Patrol social media accounts will be temporarily reduced to maximize our available staffing,” attributing the change to “the ongoing migration surge.” He added, “[t]he social media team will return once the situation permits.”

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Georgia Supreme Court Pauses Commission Created to Check Prosecutors, Stalling Senate Effort to Rein in Fani Willis

Tom Pappert
Georgia Supreme Court

The Georgia Supreme Court refused to accept the proposed rules for the state’s new Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission (PAQC) in a ruling made Wednesday, effectively pausing the Republican effort to provide oversight for the state’s attorneys.

Georgia lawmakers passed SB 92 last year, creating the PAQC to provide oversight of elected district attorneys across the state. While independent, the legislation requires the Georgia Supreme Court to accept the PAQC’s draft standards and rules before the committee can enforce its decisions.

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YoungkinWatch: Virginia Health Agency Cuts Deputy Commissioner in Push for Youngkin’s ‘Right Help, Right Now’ Program

Tom Pappert

Commissioner Nelson Smith, who was selected by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) to oversee the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, announced in November that a deputy commissioner’s position is being eliminated from the agency in a bid for the agency to meet to the governor’s expectations.

Nelson told employees across the agency’s departments at some point in November that the position of deputy commissioner for administrative services was being eliminated as part of a broadcer reorganization effort, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The job cut will apparently help the agency enact Youngkin’s Right Help, Right Now reforms, which the governor stated will help those suffering from mental health crises in Virginia.

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Illegal Immigrants Attacked Border Patrol Agents in Arizona While Transporting Children, Tucson Sector Chief Says

Tom Pappert

A group of illegal immigrants attacked United States Border Patrol agents as they attempted to force their way through a “breach of the border wall,” according to Tucson sector Border Patrol chief John Modlin, who explained that children were present during the attack.

In a post to social media written on Wednesday, the chief wrote that a “group of migrants assaulted Tucson Sector agents while endangering children as they pushed through a breach of the border wall west of Lukeville, AZ.” Modlin wrote the episode “shows how little smugglers care about anyone’s safety, including children’s.”

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Shelby County Sheriff to Increase Presence in ‘Shopping Areas’ Until Christmas amid Memphis Crime Surge

Tom Pappert

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office increased its presence in shopping areas on Friday in what the law enforcement body calls Operation Jingle Bells, an effort to deter crime in public spaces during the busy holiday shopping season.

A press release posted to social media explained a “high concentration” of law enforcement will focus on primary shopping areas to “deter car break-ins, shop lifting,” and to keep traffic flowing and parking lots safe for shoppers.

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Governor Hints GOP Will Revive Democrat-Thwarted Legislation, Target Fentanyl Dealers with Murder Charges

Tom Pappert

Governor Glenn Youngkin indicated to local media on Friday that Virginia Republicans will reintroduce a bill to charge fentanyl dealers and distributors with murder if their drugs result in a lethal overdose. Virginia Democrats successfully defeated the legislation in February.

Youngkin told 7 News on Friday, “if you’re a drug dealer and you do drugs and someone dies, you should be charged with felony homicide.” He stressed to the outlet, “[w]e cannot coddle drug dealers.”

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Introduces Bill to Stop Human Traffickers from ‘Recycling’ Children with Sen. Katie Britt

Tom Pappert

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a bill with Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) to combat the alleged recycling of illegal immigrant children at the southern border. The bill would empower U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to fingerprint non-citizens under the age of 14.

With a database of children taken into the country illegally, the senators’ Preventing the Recycling of Immigrants is Necessary for Trafficking Suspension (PRINTS) Act would then require CBP to “publicly report the number of apprehensions in a given month involving child traffickers who falsely claimed that an accompanying child was a relative and submit an annual report to Congress identifying the number of minors who were fingerprinted” due to the legislation.

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Tougher Swatting Punishments Floated at Arizona Civil Rights Board in Response to ‘Surge’ in ‘Antisemitic Crimes’

Tom Pappert

A special meeting of the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board (ACRAB) was called on Tuesday to respond to what Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) called a “surge” in “antisemitic crimes” throughout the state.

ACRAB is a “politically balanced volunteer body” of Arizonans appointed by the governor to three year terms. There are currently three Republicans and three Democrats on ACRAB’s board, with one board seat vacant.

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Biden, Democrat Donors Reportedly Do Not Consider Georgia ‘Top Tier’ Priority for 2024

Tom Pappert

President Joe Biden and major donors to the Democratic Party do not consider Georgia to be a “top tier” priority for the 2024 elections, according to multiple progressive and Democratic activists quoted in a New York Times report published Friday.

Cliff Albright, executive director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, told the publication his impression from “Democratic donors and party leaders” is that Georgia is “not, like, first tier,” adding that “some early indications are that it’s not going to get top-level prioritization.” The left wing group he co-founded spent more than $1 million to oppose former Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in 2020, and nearly $400,000 to elect Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

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10 Men Arrested in Tennessee Child Prostitution Sting as State Sees Increase in Human Trafficking of Minors

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) revealed that agents with its Human Trafficking Unit worked with local law enforcement in Williamson County and Spring Hill to arrest 10 men who allegedly solicited minors for sex.

In a press release, TBI explains that on November 16 and November 17, undercover officers placed “several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex.” The portrayed themselves to be minor children, and the agency reported that “ten men were charged with patronizing prostitution of a minor” and were booked into the Williamson County Jail.

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YoungkinWatch: More Than 80 Percent of Virginia School Divisions Join Governor’s ‘ALL In’ Plan to Fight Pandemic Learning Loss

Tom Pappert

More than 80 percent of Virginia school divisions have submitted plans to receive funding from the “ALL In” plan unveiled by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) earlier this year. Youngkin created the funding opportunity with the Virginia General Assembly as schools as students continue to struggle, even years after the pandemic forced schools to go digital.

Superintendent of Public Education Lisa Coons said in a press release on Wednesday that Virginia’s education administrators in 110 school divisions “are making major efforts to find specific and meaningful ways to help their students tackle learning loss.” The agency reported the 110 participating school divisions “cover all regions of the commonwealth,” and include “large divisions such as Fairfax County and Virginia Beach,” and “some of the smallest such as Highland County schools.”

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Slain ‘Stop Cop City’ Protester Wrote ‘Killing Cops Is Okay’ in ‘Anti-Police’ Diary Georgia Attorney General Wants to Use in RICO Trial

Tom Pappert

The office of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (R) filed a motion on Tuesday to use the diary of slain “Forest Defender” Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán in the racketeering trial of more than 60 activists allegedly tied to violent protests at the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

Police say Terán opened fire on Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers at the site of the public safety training center in January, prompting troopers to fatally shoot him. Prosecutors determined the troopers involved in the fatal shooting will face no charges in October.

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