Author: Tom Pappert

Federal Court Blocks Arizona from Election Manual Changes to Regulate Speech, ‘Disenfranchise’ Voters over Delayed Certification

Tom Pappert
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi

A federal judge on Friday night issued a ruling that blocks changes to the Election Procedures Manual (EPM) attempted by Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes that would have restricted speech and potentially forfeited votes from entire counties who declined to comply with deadlines set by the state.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, temporarily blocked Fontes’ proposed rule change that would give his office the power to decline to accept the votes from an Arizona county that refused to certify its ballots, even if local officials presented concerns about fraud.

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Illegal Immigrant Hit with 17 Charges in Nashville over Alleged Six-Mile Shooting Spree

Tom Pappert
Edixon Oniel Murillo-Antunez

The man charged with 17 crimes after he committed an alleged six-mile shooting spree that began at a park in Nashville is being held as illegal immigrant, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office records reveal after Edixon Oniel Murillo-Antunez was arrested on Wednesday.

Sheriff’s office records indicate Murillo-Antunez is held at Nashville’s Downtown Detention Center under an Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) detainer after initially being granted the ability to secure his release with a bond.

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Sens. Blackburn, Hagerty Among Senators Seeking to Close ‘Loophole’ Biden-Harris Used to Grant Amnesty to Illegal Immigrants

Tom Pappert
illegal immigrants

New legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday by a group of lawmakers, including Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), would eliminate the “loophole” used by the Biden-Harris administration to grant legal status to more than 500,000 illegal immigrants.

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is joined by the Visa Integrity Preservation Act by 13 other Republican senators, including Blackburn and Hagerty, in an effort they argue “ould close a loophole in current law that the Biden-Harris administration took advantage of in a June 2024 executive action to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants who entered the United States without inspection or overstayed a visa.”

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Threat Against Arizona High School Came from ‘Outside of this Country,’ Law Enforcement Confirms

Tom Pappert
Chaparral High School SUSD

Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther confirmed on Thursday the threat that required Chaparral High School to lock down on Wednesday came from outside the country during an appearance on KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Walther told The Mike Broomhead Show host Mike Broomhead the threat “was from outside the country,” but called police in Scottsdale claiming he had taken hostages in a high school bathroom in Arizona after making a “series of 911 calls.”

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Tennessee Proposal Could Send Children Who Threaten Schools to Juvenile Detention Centers, Fine Parents

Tom Pappert
Kid Being Bullied

Tennessee Professional Educators CEO JC Bowman told The Tennessee Star on Thursday he is crafting legislation to present to lawmakers that would give police the authority to immediately detain minors accused of threatening schools, giving officials a 72-hour window to determine whether their threats were credible while sending the bill to the parents of the accused.

The effort, which Bowman told The Star has already received attention from multiple lawmakers, comes amid a series of threats to Tennessee schools that have resulted in closures and law enforcement action across the state, including this week in Nashville.

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Covenant School Announces Plan for New Campus Years After Attack

Tom Pappert
Covenant School Gym

The Covenant School and Covenant Presbyterian Church announced in a joint statement Thursday that they will begin a capital campaign to move the school to a new campus years after the March 27, 2023, attack on the Nashville school.

A new web page for the capital campaign suggested the decision was prompted by the continued growth of the Covenant School. This growth prompted school and church officials to determine that students would return to the church campus for “a three-year rent-free lease agreement with continued financial support from the church.”

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Oversight Project Releases Video Purportedly Showing Non-Citizens Confirm Intention to Vote in Arizona

Tom Pappert
Oversight Project Video

The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project on Thursday released video it claims shows non-citizens in Arizona confirm they intend to vote in the November elections, including several who indicated a political preference for Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump.

A video released by the Oversight Project and Muckraker founder Anthony Rubin purportedly shows non-citizens confirming they are registered to vote in Arizona and intend to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.

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Secret Service Blamed for ‘Security Failures on Multiple Fronts’ in Attempted Trump Assassination Task Force Hearing

Tom Pappert
Mike Kelly

Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) on Thursday said the U.S. Secret Service was responsible for “multiple security failures” that preceded the July 13 attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump in the first hearing of the House task force investigating both assassination attempts against the former president.

Members of the task force investigating the assassination attempts against Trump during their inaugural hearing, led by Kelly, lauded the performance of local law enforcement while warning that Secret Service failed to adequately protect Trump and attendees of his rally in Butler on July 13, when Thomas Crooks killed Corey Comperatore, shot the former president in the ear, and injured other Trump supporters in attendance.

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Pennsylvania Senate Democrats Dismiss ‘Distasteful Tweets’ Allegedly by State Sen. Jimmy Dillon, Who Blamed Basketball Players He Coached

Tom Pappert
Jimmy Dillon

The Pennsylvania Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (PA DSCC) on Wednesday defended Senator Jimmy Dillon after Republicans accused him of authoring racist and homophobic posts to the social media platform now known as X, but then known as Twitter, between 2011 and 2015.

Dillon is accused by the Pennsylvania Republican Senate Campaign Committtee (PA RSCC) of authoring posts published by a now-deleted account associated with the Hoops 24-7 Basketball Academy the senator continues to direct, including posts that used slurs targeting black people and made derisive comments about gay and Asian people.

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Influx of Haitians to Charleroi, Pennsylvania Subject of New Documentary as Trump, McCormick Reference Migrants

Tom Pappert
Haitians in PA

A nonpartisan nonprofit is releasing a documentary about the influx of Haitian migrants to Charleroi, the rural Pennsylvania community referenced by both former President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick after it was subjected to a 2,000 percent increase to its number of migrants.

The America 2100 nonprofit posted what senior advisor Nate Hochman said is a trailer for the upcoming release of a documentary about the small town “that’s been flooded with thousands of Haitian immigrants over the past two years.”

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Kamala Harris Silent as Law She Helped Pass Could Land 33 Million Small Business Owners in Prison over Financial Form

Tom Pappert
Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris and her presidential campaign did not respond to The Tennessee Star when asked whether she regrets her role in passing the Corporate Transparency Act of 2021, which could result in severe fines or imprisonment for 33 million small business owners in the United States next year.

Harris was one of the 86 senators who voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021 in December of 2020, which included the Corporate Transparency Act after Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) successfully included the bill that failed to pass as standalone legislation in 2019.

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White House Silent After Commerce Secretary Declares Trump Should be ‘Extinguished for Good’

Tom Pappert
Gina Raimondo

The Biden-Harris White House has yet to issue a response after Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said former President Donald Trump should be “extinguished for good” during a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program known to be a favorite of President Joe Biden.

Raimondo told “Morning Joe” host Mika Brzezinski that Trump should be “extinguished” after he promised to protect women if elected in November in remarks made after the network clarified the commerce secretary appeared in her personal capacity.

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Rep. Andy Ogles Won 13-Point Primary Victory Despite Opponent’s Ties to Never Trump Political Machine, Including Consultant Blake Harris

Tom Pappert
Blake Harris and Courtney Johnston

The Never Trump political effort to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Tennessee Republican primary earlier this month failed. The incumbent ultimately trounced Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston with a 13-point victory.

Ogles sailed to victory despite Johnston boasting better campaign funding, the support of Never Trump political consultant and former Governor Bill Lee administration member Blake Harris, the benefit of anti-Trump political organization Conservatives with Character, and her campaign being treasured by seasoned fundraiser Kim Kaegi.

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Proposed Tennessee Board of Education Rules to Limit Public Comment Faces Public Opposition from Sen. Brent Taylor

Tom Pappert
Brent Taylor

New rules proposed by the Tennessee State Board of Education to the General Assembly last Thursday met strong public opposition from Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), who on Tuesday vowed to vote against a change that would limit public comment to 10 individuals per topic and require parents to provide 48-hours notice of their intention to speak.

The rules were proposed during a Thursday meeting of the joint Government Operations Committee in the General Assembly. Among other new restrictions, they would limit comment to 10 members of the public per issue and require parents to fill out a form 48 hours in advance in order to speak.

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Group Opposed to Nashville Transit Referendum Argues Pitch Uses ‘Most Regressive Tax’ to Bus System ‘Plagued by Crime’

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

A group formed to oppose the Nashville transit referendum proposed by Mayor Freddie O’Connell warns the plan will have the largest financial impact on the city’s poorest population while boosting a bus system “plagued by crime” and offering minimal decreases to the city’s traffic congestion.

The Committee to Stop an UnFair Tax was organized in August when Axios reported former Metro Council Member Emily Evans, Davidson County Republican party leader Beth Campbell, and attorney Ferrell Neal were behind the effort.

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Pennsylvania Democrat Denies Making Racist Comments After State Senate Republicans Unearth Posts Disparaging Blacks, Asians, and Gays

Tom Pappert
Jimmy Dillon

A Democratic state senator in Pennsylvania has denied making social media posts, which contained slurs targeting black, Asian, and gay people, after they were unearthed by the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee (PA SRCC) on Tuesday.

State Senator Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia) has denied authoring posts published to the @Hoops24_7 account on X, between 2011 and 2015, when the platform was called Twitter.

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Dave McCormick Argues Democrat Policies ‘Emboldened the Lawlessness’ in Philadelphia After 200 Vehicles Involved in 11 Illegal Car Meetups

Tom Pappert
Philadelphia street takeover

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and Republicans on Monday pointed at policies promoted by Democrats after 200 vehicles were reportedly used for 11 illegal car meetups throughout Philadelphia over the weekend, which reportedly included multiple attacks against Philadelphia police officers and one injury.

Video shared on the social media platform X by the House Judiciary GOP appeared to show attendees at one meetup swarming a police car, throwing themselves on it as it attempted to drive through the crowd.

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Man Police Say Committed Hit-and-Run in Fatal Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident is Illegal Immigrant

Tom Pappert
Saul Rivera-Ramirez

The man accused of fleeing the scene of an accident that killed a young musician in Dormont, Pennsylvania is an illegal immigrant, Allegheny County police reportedly confirmed on Monday.

Police say the crash occurred Saturday night, with the Allegheny County Police Department (ACPD) reporting 25-year-old Saul Rivera-Ramirez ran away from the scene on foot after crashing into the motorcycle driven by 23-year-old Christian Sluka. First responders found Sluka in critical condition and he passed away at a local hospital, according to ACPD.

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DOJ Publishes Letter by Alleged Attempted Trump Assassin Despite FBI Memo Policy Against Release of ‘Legacy Tokens’

Tom Pappert
Ryan Wesley Routh

A note purportedly written by Ryan Wesley Routh, who is accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump on September 15, was released on Monday by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a public court filing.

According to the court filing, Routh asked an associate to keep a box of his belongings. After the attack, the associate opened the box and discovered the letter, wherein prosecutors claim Routh confirmed his intent to assassinate Trump and offered a $150,000 bounty should someone prove successful.

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Memphis Bus Riders Union Pushes Metal Detectors, Security Guards After Shooting Injures Passenger

Tom Pappert
Memphis Bus

The co-chair of the Memphis Bus Riders Union is calling for metal detectors or security guards to be included on the city’s bus network after a shooting left a passenger injured on Saturday.

An argument on a bus reportedly led a Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) driver to eject a passenger on Saturday evening, with News Channel 3 reporting police said the disgruntled man then fired one bullet into the bus, grazing one person who required hospitalization.

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Fetterman Declares Question ‘So Strange’ When Asked About Harris’ Fracking Flip Flop

Tom Pappert
John Fetterman on Meet the Press

U.S. Senator John Fetterman on Sunday repeatedly dodged questions about the past opposition to fracking expressed by he and Vice President Kamala Harris, who campaigned on banning the practice in 2020 but now claims to support it.

Fetterman similarly pushed to ban fracking from 2016 until 2022, when began supporting fracking, and told NBC News host Kristen Welker questions about the flip-flop are “strange.” He deflected by referencing President Donald Trump’s remarks about dogs and cats reportedly being eaten by Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.

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Rep. Elise Stefanik Predicts ‘Trump is Going to Win Virginia’ at Rally as Poll Shows Race Tied

Tom Pappert
Rep Elise Stefanik

Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) on Saturday predicted former President Donald Trump will win Virginia during a Women for Trump rally in Charlottesville.

Stefanik made her remarks at the Women for Trump rally held at the Trump Winery in Charlottesville by Rally Virginia amid the release of polling that shows a statistical tie between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, who has sought to reverse the loss of Democratic support in Virginia that reportedly helped prompt President Joe Biden to drop his bid for reelection.

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Sponsor of Tennessee Abortion Trafficking Law Remains ‘Confident’ in Positive Outcome After Federal Judge Blocks Enforcement

Tom Pappert
Tennessee Str Rep. Jason Zachary and Judge Aleta Arthur Trauger

State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) on Saturday confirmed he remains “confident” Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti will successfully defend the Tennessee law that bans abortion trafficking after U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger (pictured above, left) temporarily blocked it with a Friday ruling.

In the latest development in the court case brought by Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) against the law which prohibits non-parental guardians from facilitating the travel of a minor for the purpose of obtaining an abortion, The Associated Press reported Trauger noted ruling the Tennessee General Assembly is prohibited from making “it a crime to communicate freely” about legal abortion.

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Six Books Removed from Tennessee Schools Contained Graphic Sex Scenes, Depictions of Slavery

Tom Pappert
School Board Meeting

Six books were successfully removed from schools in Rutherford County, Tennessee on Friday after school board members voted Thursday to place literature with graphic adult themes on a “mature reading list” that would prevent students from accessing the materials.

Multiple members of the public spoke ahead of the meeting, including a father named James Faulkner, who read from one of the books he argued includes “clear and obvious sections of pornographic scenes” that are unsuitable for minors.

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Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares Urges EPA to Block California Electric Truck Mandate, ‘Extreme Environmental Agenda’

Tom Pappert
Jason Miyares

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to maintain its block on the California electric truck mandate created by Governor Gavin Newsom, declaring the state is “playing games with America’s livelihood.”

Miyares on Monday announced he joined a comment letter urging the EPA to maintain its federal block on California’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, which mandates every major commercial trucking company either maintain an “zero-emission-vehicle” (ZEV) fleet or have a plan to retire traditional internal combustion engines in accordance with the regulation.

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Dave McCormick Highlights Job Losses in Pennsylvania Town amid Influx of Haitian Migrants Compared to Springfield

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Friday visited Charleroi, Pennsylvania, which has seen a 2,000 percent increase in the arrivals of migrants to the community, to attend an event with residents affected by the closure of a glass plant.

“I’m here today to stand in solidarity with these workers in the fight to keep these jobs here, to build a vibrant economy for our Commonwealth, and to ensure that these Pennsylvania communities are not left behind,” said McCormick during a Charleroi stop on his Poor Leadership Tour that included a joint appearance with workers affected by the closure of a Corelle glass plant owned by Anchor Hocking.

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Sen. John Fetterman Says President Trump Has ‘Special Kind of a Hold’ in Pennsylvania That ‘Only Deepened’ After Assassination Attempt

Tom Pappert
John Fetterman

Former President Donald Trump maintains a unique “hold” on the voters of Pennsylvania, where Democrats should expect a “strong” performance from the Republican, according to U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), who made the remarks at The Atlantic Festival on Thursday.

The senator explained that Trump enjoys a certain “energy” among Pennsylvanians that is difficult to measure, and suggested Democrats should prepare for the presidential election to be closer than party stalwarts expect.

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Tennessee Sheriff Asks Citizens to Report Suspicious Activity amid ‘Ongoing Border Crisis,’ ‘Growing Homeless Population’

Tom Pappert
Eddie Farris

Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris on Wednesday urged the public to report suspicious activity to his office after photos of Greyhound buses reportedly sparked speculation about illegal immigration in Tennessee.

In a statement posted to the social media platform X, Farris revealed a photograph of two buses with Texas license plates were actually Greyhound buses. One bus had broken down, according to Farris, requiring a second bus to continue transporting passengers.

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Pennsylvania Poll Shows Republicans Trump, McCormick Tied with Democrats Harris, Casey amid Bipartisan Support for Fracking

Tom Pappert
PA Races

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are statistically tied in Pennsylvania, according to a poll released on Thursday that also shows Republican U.S. Senate candidate tied with Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), the three-term Democrat he hopes to unseat in November.

Commissioned and conducted by The Washington Post, the pollsters found Harris was supported by 48 percent of respondents, including both likely voters and registered voters. Trump had the support of 47 percent of respondents.

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Multiple Memphis Schools Locked Down After Threatening Messages with Reported Foreign Origin

Tom Pappert
Marie Feagins

Multiple in Memphis and Shelby County locked down their campuses on Wednesday after authorities confirmed threatening messages were posted online. Authorities have stated there was no immediate threat to any schools in the area, and reportedly that the messages were believed to have been created using chat bots and originated outside the United States.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins revealed a press conference, where she spoke on Wednesday alongside with Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis and Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., that threats were first received by Southwind High School via a phone call, and later through social media.

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McCormick Says Voters Support ‘Underdog’ over ‘Out of Step’ Sen. Bob Casey as Campaign Highlights Police Union Support

Tom Pappert
Casey and McCormick

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Wednesday argued Pennsylvania voters are willing to support an “underdog” candidate like him against his three-term incumbent, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), but ultimately attributed the recent tightening in polling data to the Democrat being “out of step” with his constituents.

McCormick on Wednesday appeared on “Fox & Friends,” where said his race to unseat Casey is gaining momentum, driven by both his status as a “challenger” and “an underdog,” but also by Casey’s alleged distance from his constituents.

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Polish President Andrzej Duda to Reportedly Join Trump for Pennsylvania Event After Latest Blinken Meeting

Tom Pappert
Trump and Polish President

Former President Donald Trump will reportedly be joined for a Pennsylvania event by Polish President Andrzej Duda, who has served as the country’s president since 2015.

The Pennsylvania Daily Star confirmed on Wednesday Trump and Duda will both attend an event at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on Sunday, but did has not determined whether the former president will meet with the Polish leader.

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Transgender Covenant Killer’s Journal Hints at Bipolar Disorder, but Prescription List Includes No Medications Associated with Illness

Tom Pappert
Audrey Hale

Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who killed three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members at the Covenant School in March 2023, referenced “bi-polar” in the journal from her “manifesto” released by The Tennessee Star on September 3.

Hale wrote in an entry dated January 16, 2023, “I’ve been anxious all last week, all day today [stressed] then I’m told I’m bi-polar by some prideful b****.”

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Nashville Metro Council Adopts Second Resolution Declaring Racism ‘Public Health Crisis’

Tom Pappert
MNPD meeting

The Nashville Metro Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a resolution declaring racism a “public health crisis” within Davidson County, marking the second time Nashville’s local lawmakers have passed such a resolution.

Originally sponsored by Councilwoman Kyonzté Toombs, the text of the resolution passed in Nashville states that black and minorities in face “significantly worse health outcomes than their white counterparts,” and claims these differences “are rooted in systemic racism.”

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Eugene Vindman’s Sister-in-Law, Who Apologized over Trump Assassination Tweets, Donated to Group Accused of Illegally Helping Democrat’s Campaign

Tom Pappert
Rachel Vindman

Rachel Vindman, the sister-in-law of Democratic U.S. House candidate Eugene Vindman, twice donated to the VoteVets political organization that is advised by her husband, Alexander Vindman.

News of her donations to VoteVets, which supports the campaign of Eugene Vindman, surfaces after Rachel Vindman apologized for social media posts minimizing the second attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

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Sen. Blackburn Demands Secret Service Increase Trump’s Security on Heels of ‘Unfathomable’ Second Assassination Attempt

Tom Pappert
Senator Marsha Blackburn

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Monday demanded the U.S. Secret Service increase the level of security provided to former President Donald Trump to that of a sitting president, calling the second attempt to assassinate the former president, which happened on Sunday in Florida, an “unfathomable and unacceptable” development for the agency.

Blackburn revealed her demand in a letter to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, who began leading the agency following the resignation of former director Kimberly Cheatle as the agency’s shortcomings during the first assassination attempt were revealed.

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Petition to De-Annex Cordova from Memphis Passes 1,100 Signatures as Organizers Envision ‘Stricter Law Enforcement,’ Better Schools

Tom Pappert
Cordova Community Center

A petition calling for the reversal of the annexation of Cordova by Memphis has surpassed 1,100 signatures, and its organizers told The Tennessee Star they are “thrilled” with the progress.

“We’re thrilled to announce that our petition has recently surpassed 1,000 signatures,” the organizers told The Star, adding that much of the support has come through social media platforms including Nexdoor, Facebook, and X.

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Sister-in-Law of Democrat House Candidate Eugene Vindman Deletes ‘Flippant’ Tweets Blaming Trump for Assassination Attempt

Tom Pappert
Rachel Vindman, Eugene Vindman, tweets

The sister-in-law of Eugene Vindman, the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 7th Congressional district, deleted a series of controversial posts to the social media platform X, all of which referenced the second attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

Rachel Vindman on Sunday wrote at least three posts referencing the assassination attempt, which occurred at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

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Secret Service Failed to Adequately Secure Hospital After July 13 Assassination Attempt on Trump: Whistleblowers

Tom Pappert
Sen. Josh Howley

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Monday released a whistleblower report containing new allegations involving negligence and incompetence on behalf of the U.S. Secret Service during the July 13 attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Hawley wrote in a post to the social media platform X that his decision to release the platform follows “the latest assassination attempt on [Trump],” which the FBI confirmed occurred on Sunday at the former president’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

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Conservatives Celebrate Courage of Sen. Marsha Blackburn in Leading Fight Against Income Tax in Tennessee

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

The Tennessee Star on Monday obtained videos from a newly released ad campaign by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who is currently favored to win reelection against State Senator Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), which feature prominent Tennessee conservatives celebrate Blackburn’s role in the successful 2003 effort to defeat an income tax proposal.

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Trump Leads Harris in Arizona as Kari Lake Narrowly Trails Rep. Ruben Gallego in Race Called ‘Essential’ for Democrats

Tom Pappert
Kari Lake with Donald Trump

A poll released Sunday found former President Donald Trump continues to hold a slim lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the wake of their debate last week.

The poll found Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) with a comparable lead over former newswoman Kari Lake in Arizona’s race for the U.S. Senate, after a Democratic strategist called the race “essential” for the party to retain its senate majority.

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Alleged Apalachee High School Shooter Also Reportedly Sent Apology Text to Father Before Attack

Tom Pappert
Texting

The 14-year-old police say is responsible for killing four and injuring nine at Apalachee High School reportedly sent a text message to his father apologizing, a Friday report claimed emergency services dispatch records showed.

Existence of the the purported message from Colt Gray to his father, Colin Gray, was revealed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which reported the maternal aunt of the accused killer called law enforcement about an hour after the shooting.

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Democrat Strategist Admits ‘We Don’t Hold The Majority if We Lose Arizona’ as Polls Show Narrow Race Between Kari Lake, Ruben Gallego

Tom Pappert
Gary Peters, Ruben Gallego, Kari Lake

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), acknowledged on Wednesday his party will lose its narrow majority in the U.S. Senate if former newswoman Kari Lake should beat Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) in the race to replace Senator Kyrsten Sinema this November.

Peters made the remarks to Cronkite News, which reported the chief Democratic strategist for the Senate revealed his party “can’t keep control of the U.S. Senate” without electing Gallego.

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Embattled Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert Avoids Immediate Removal as Judge Grants Three-Day Extension

Tom Pappert
Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert will remain in her position amid an ongoing legal effort to remove her from office after Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson determined it would be “unfair” to remove the clerk at this early stage.

Corbin-Johnson was asked to hold Halbert in default after she filed a motion to dismiss after a legal petition was filed for her removal, Fox 13 Memphis reported on Friday, adding that private attorney Robert Meyers argued for Shelby County that Tennessee law requires Halbert to respond to the substance of the petition within 20 days.

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Accused Killer Colt Gray Missed Nine of 12 Possible School Days After Enrolling Two Weeks Late at Apalachee High School: GBI

Tom Pappert
Colt Gray

Colt Gray, who authorities say killed four at the Apalachee High School on September 4, missed nine days of school after enrolling two weeks after classes commenced for the 2024 school year, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) revealed on Friday.

The GBI confirmed Colt Gray was enrolled at the high school on August 14, indicating he began attending two weeks after the Barrow County School System calendar indicates classes began.

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Dave McCormick Argues Biden-Harris, Sen. Bob Casey Responsible After Pennsylvania Town Sees 2,000 Percent Increase in Migrants

Tom Pappert

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Friday blamed Democratic leaders, including the Biden-Harris administration and his political opponent, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), after one Pennsylvania town saw a 2,000 percent increase in migrants under the current administration.

The Republican’s campaign said McCormick released the statement as “reports reveal the small Pennsylvania town of Charleroi is suffering from a [2,000 percent] increase in migrants.”

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Latest Bush Admin Official to Endorse Harris is Former A.G. Alberto Gonzales, Now Dean of Belmont Law, Who Resigned After Democrats Demanded Perjury Inquiry

Tom Pappert
Alberto Gonzales

Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Thursday endorsed the presidential bid of Vice President Kamala Harris, making the current Belmont University College of Law Dean the latest Bush administration official to back the Democrat over former President Donald Trump.

In his endorsement, published by German-owned Politico, Gonzales noted he is “the only lawyer in American history to serve both as White House counsel and as attorney general,” but did not note that he resigned from the latter position as prominent Democrats demanded he face a perjury inquiry due to his claims before Congress.

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Federal Judge Releases Alleged Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure from Psychiatric Center Despite Objections of Nashville Christian School

Tom Pappert
McKenzie McClure

Alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure, who identifies as a transgender man named Kalvin, was released on Thursday from the East Tennessee psychiatric facility where she was ordered to receive treatment before her case could move forward following a detention hearing held by U.S. District Court Judge Chip Frensley.

McClure will now receive outpatient care while living at home with her parents, a location the court heard from the Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) Head of School is only blocks away from a bus stop used by its students.

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YouTube Censors Police Video of Jon Bon Jovi Talking Distraught Woman off Nashville Bridge During Music Video Shoot

Tom Pappert
Jon Bonjovi

A Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) spokesman confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Thursday that YouTube pulled its video of legendary musical artist Jon Bon Jovi talking a “distraught woman” off the ledge of a Nashville bridge, potentially saving her life.

MNPD Public Affairs Director Don Aaron confirmed to The Star the video was originally published to a YouTube channel operated by the police department, and that it was removed from the platform by YouTube. The platform did not impose additional punishment to the MNPD-operated channel beyond removal of its video, Aaron told The Star.

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Poll Shows Jewish Voters in Pennsylvania Breaking for Trump After October 7 Attacks, Campus Protests

Tom Pappert
Trump Supporters

Greater numbers of Jewish voters living in Pennsylvania are reportedly planning to vote Republican in November, with  former President Donald Trump seeing a double-digit increase in his support since 2020, according to a poll conducted by the Teach Coalition and Honan Strategy group and released by the New York Post on Wednesday.

Pollsters reported that Vice President Kamala Harris ahead with Jewish voters in Pennsylvania, with 49 percent of their vote. However, they found the former president was within single digits of the Democratic nominee, with Trump receiving the support of 42 percent of Pennsylvania’s Jewish voters.

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