Category: News

Biden Admin Contracts 1 Million Barrels from Emergency Gasoline Stockpile to ‘Lower Prices’ Ahead of July 4th

Admin
Gas Station

The Biden administration is selling off a million barrels of gasoline from an emergency reserve in a deliberate effort to cut prices ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has awarded contracts to five energy companies to purchase the barrels the administration is releasing from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR), which is part of the federal Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) system. The NGSR releases are intended to “help lower gas prices ahead of the Fourth of July holiday,” according to DOE.

Read the full story

Steve Bannon Makes Phone Call from Prison, Urges Everyone ‘to GET TO WORK!’

Kaitlin Housler
Steve Bannon

Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to former President Donald Trump and host of the popular show War Room, made contact for the first time from inside the Federal Correctional Institution Danbury in Danbury, Connecticut, where he is currently serving his four-month prison sentence.

Bannon communicated his message through a 5-minute phone call to Grace Chong, who is the CFO and COO of War Room, on Tuesday. Like all federal prisoners incarcerated at FCI Danbury, Bannon is allowed to make 320 minutes of phone calls each month.

Read the full story

Reporter Tom Pappert Points Out Panic Among Democrats amid President Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert and MPL

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Pennsylvania Daily Star, suggested that there is a sense of panic among Democratic candidates across the country, including Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), as the Democratic Party scrambles to explain President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week against former President Trump.

Last Thursday, during a 90-minute televised debate hosted by CNN, Biden appeared absent-minded and confused, stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought multiple times.

Read the full story

Mother of Covenant Killer Told Police She Slept in Sleeping Bag to Block Killer’s Bedroom After Prozac Caused Suicidal Thoughts

Tom Pappert
Audrey Hale

The mother of Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale told police investigators her daughter first experienced suicidal thoughts when prescribed the antidepressant Prozac as a high school student, according to a transcript of the interview obtained by The Tennessee Star from a source familiar with the investigation.

Last month, The Star reported that police documents confirmed Audrey Hale was a 22-year mental health patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Another portion of the transcript of the police interview with Ronald and Norma Hale revealed their daughter avoided inpatient commitment during three separate mental crises.

Read the full story

Bombshell: FBI Supervisor Alleges Bureau Improperly Pulling Conservative Agents’ Security Clearances

Just the News

An FBI supervisor is blowing the whistle on his own organization, alleging to the Justice Department’s chief watchdog and Congress that the bureau has been improperly suspending or revoking the security clearances of agents it believes hold conservative political views.

The new whistleblower’s allegations surfaced Tuesday in correspondence obtained by “Just the News” that was sent to the House and Senate Judiciary committees and DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, dramatically claiming that as a supervisory special agent he witnessed efforts by senior FBI brass to target employees who supported Donald Trump or opposed COVID-19 vaccines.

Read the full story

Alvin Bragg’s Team Agrees to Delay Sentencing in Trump Trial Following SCOTUS Immunity Ruling

Admin
Alvin Bragg

Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office agreed on Tuesday to delay former President Donald Trump’s sentencing, The New York Times reported.

A Manhattan jury convicted Trump May 30 on 34 felony counts of falsification of business records. Bragg’s office agreed to a request to delay the sentencing in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling that found presidents have immunity from prosecution for “official acts” taken in office, but called the motion by Trump’s attorneys meritless, according to the NYT.

Read the full story

Legal Analyst Christy Kelly Breaks Down SCOTUS Ruling on Presidential Immunity and How It May Affect Lawfare Against Former President Trump

Kaitlin Housler
Trump SCOTUS

Christy Kelly, reporter at The Arizona Sun Times, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling on Monday in Trump v. United States that former President Donald Trump is immune from federal prosecution for official acts he took while in office is certain to affect current and past litigation surrounding the former president.

However, the nation’s highest court also ruled that there is no immunity for unofficial acts.

Read the full story

Rudy Giuliani Disbarred for Work on 2020 Election

Admin
Rudy Giuliani

Trump ally Rudy Giuliani was disbarred Tuesday in New York for his work during the 2020 election.

The New York Appellate Division, First Judicial Department found that Giuliani, former U.S attorney for the Southern District of New York and New York City mayor, “deliberately violated some of the most fundamental tenets of the legal profession” in doing legal work for former President Donald Trump in 2020. Giuliani was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1969.

Read the full story

Biden: Supreme Court Ruling on Presidential Immunity ‘Dangerous Precedent’

The Center Square
Joe Biden

President Joe Biden Monday night said the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that the president has “absolute immunity” when acting in his core constitutional duties is “a dangerous precedent” that “undermines the rule of law of this nation.”

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision ruled that the “president’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute. As for his remaining official actions, he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity.”

Read the full story

Tennessee Sees $4.7 Billion Individual Income Increase From In-Migration

The Center Square
Bill Lee

Tennessee saw the fifth-largest population increase from other states between 2021 and 2022, according to new data released by the Internal Revenue Service.

Tennessee saw a net increase of nearly 60,600 during that calendar year, a population increase of 0.87% during the year, with a net increase of nearly $4.7 billion in adjusted gross income on individual tax returns.

Read the full story

Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares Teases Run for Governor at Trump Rally Where Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was Not Invited

Tom Pappert
Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares hinted he may announce his run for governor following the conclusion of the 2024 presidential election. Miyares made the remarks while attending former President Donald Trump’s rally in Chesapeake, Virginia on Friday.

Miyares made the comments after National Review asked the attorney general whether he was considering a run to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is unable to seek another term.

Read the full story

Commentary: The Lies We Have Lived Through

Admin
Joe Biden

After last Thursday’s debate, Biden himself laid to rest the Democratic lie that he was robust and in control of his faculties. In truth, he demonstrated to the nation that he is a sad, failing octogenarian who could not perform any job in America other than apparently the easy task of President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief in charge of our nuclear codes.

In 2019, Democratic primary candidates often hit rival Joe Biden for his apparent senior moments and incoherence. During the 2020 campaign, Biden often became in bizarre fashion animated and nasty (“you ain’t black”/“fat”/“lying dog-faced pony soldier”/“junkie”).

Read the full story

Feds Indict Newton County Chairman and Georgia Commissioner-Elect

The Center Square
Marcello Banes and Stephanie Lindsey

A federal grand jury has indicted the Newton County Board of Commissioners chairman and a commissioner-elect on federal charges of conspiring to launder money obtained from wire fraud and honest services wire fraud.

A federal grand jury indicted Marcello Banes, 48, of Covington, the board’s chair, and Stephanie Lindsey, 52, of Covington, a real estate broker and attorney who was elected to the county commission earlier this month, on conspiracy to launder money obtained from wire fraud and honest services wire fraud and money laundering. The grand jury also indicted Lindsey for federal income tax fraud and Banes for making materially false statements to FBI special agents.

Read the full story

Arizona Senate Primary Heats Up: Lake Leads, Lamb Continues to Fight

Christy Kelly
Kari Lake and Mark Lamb

As the primary election day in Arizona approaches, the race to replace outgoing Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Tucson) intensifies. For the Republicans, the contest is between Kari Lake and Sheriff Mark Lamb, with the winner set to face Democrat Reuben Gallego (D-AZ-03). According to the latest poll by Noble Predictive Insights on May 24, Kari Lake leads with 46% support, while Mark Lamb trails at 21%. Additionally, 25% of voters remain unsure, and 9% support other candidates.

Many voters expressed a desire to see the Republicans square off against each other. The sole opportunity to watch the candidates is a virtual debate that was held on May 23, hosted by the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) Action. This forum provided Arizona primary voters with a clear view of their contrasting perspectives. Opting out of the Arizona Clean Elections Commission debate, Lake chose instead to engage directly with voters throughout the day at a series of events.

Read the full story

Three Dead After Crossing Border in Arizona Despite CBP Warnings of Heat Risk

The Center Square
Arizona Desert

Three people crossing the border from Mexico into the United States died as a result of the high summer temperatures.

United States Customs and Border Protection announced on Friday that three Mexican migrants were found dead after a search and rescue mission near Ajo, Arizona, by federal border authorities on Wednesday morning. The border law enforcement agency explained that human smugglers routinely take advantage of those seeking to come to the U.S.

Read the full story

Commentary: TikTok and Instagram Turned Me into a Leftist, but X Helped Me Escape

Admin
Black Lives Matter Rally

Social media plays a significant role in shaping the opinions of those 35 and under — it’s the primary news source for most in that age group, one survey found.

Some stats report that daily screen time for 16- to 24-year-olds is nearly eight hours among females and seven hours among males. To put that in perspective — that’s equivalent to the average time in a school day.

Read the full story

Judge Weighing Injunction in Georgia Organized Online Retail Crime Bill

The Center Square
Chris Carr

A federal judge is weighing whether to grant a preliminary injunction to halt a Georgia law targeting organized online retail crimes set to take effect on Monday.

Earlier this month, NetChoice filed a lawsuit over Senate Bill 472, the “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.” Proponents of the measure, which Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed on May 6, say it protects businesses against organized online retail crimes.

Read the full story

Analysis: 55 Percent of Democrats Think Biden Should Keep Running, 45 Percent Say to Step Aside After Debate

Admin
President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden continues to command the confidence of just 55 percent of Democrats in the most recent CBS News-YouGov poll taken June 28 to June 29 in the aftermath of Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump, where Biden occasionally appeared confused and lost his train of thought and uttered unintelligible phrases.

45 percent of Democrats think Biden should definitely step aside. Catastrophically, so do 70 percent of independents, with only 30 percent saying he should keep running. Unsurprisingly, 75 percent of Republicans say Biden should step aside, with 25 percent saying he should keep running — likely because they think he’ll be easy to beat in his current state.

Read the full story

One of Oldest Women’s Studies Departments in U.S. on Chopping Block, Citing ‘Low Student Interest’

Admin
Wichita State University

Wichita State University is closing its women’s studies department, one of the oldest in the country, due to continuously low student interest.

The Department of Women, Ethnicity, and Intersectional Studies will be dissolved and its degree program will be merged with the English Department, according to an action plan approved earlier this month by the Kansas Board of Regents.

Read the full story

Trump Moves to Reverse Verdict in New York Case After Historic Supreme Court Ruling

Just the News

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers moved quickly Monday night to take advantage of the Supreme Court ruling that he enjoyed immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts, sending a letter notifying the judge in his New York hush money case that they intend to ask to set aside the verdict reached by a jury last month, according to multiple sources.

Read the full story

Covenant School Killer Audrey Hale Avoided Commitment Three Times During Mental Health Crises

Tom Pappert
Audrey Elizabeth Hale

Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale avoided commitment on three separate occasions, her parents told Metro Nashville Police Department investigators in a June 12, 2023 interview, according to a transcript obtained by The Tennessee Star from a source familiar with the investigation.

The transcript reveals Ronald and Norma Hale told investigators doctors wanted to commit her daughter for inpatient treatment over an eating disorder, and that Audrey Hale was twice considered for inpatient commitment after she expressed suicidal ideation to mental health professionals.

Read the full story

Covenant School Killer Audrey Hale Diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder Around 2011, Parents Told Police

Tom Pappert
Audrey Elizabeth Hale

Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder around 2011, her parents told Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) investigators in a June 12, 2023 interview, according to a transcript obtained by The Tennessee Star from a source familiar with the investigation.

The Star previously reported that police documents revealed Audrey Hale to be a 22-year mental health patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and The Star reported on Sunday that Hale’s parents, Ronald and Norma Hale, first learned of their daughter’s purported autism diagnosis from a speech pathologist in the summer of 2001.

Read the full story

Study: ‘Vast DEI Bureaucracy’ Negatively Impacting U.S. Armed Forces

The Center Square
F35 A - Nellis Air Force Base

A new Arizona State University study suggests that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in the United States military are ineffective.

The study done by the university’s Center for American Institutions argued that there is a emphasis on training new soldiers about social issues like “unconscious bias” and “intersectionality” in a way the center says runs contrary to typical American ideals. The study examined DEI plan’s in different sector of the military, including DEI office staffing and education at academies like West Point.

Read the full story

Tennessee to Receive Nearly $31.7 Million in New Defense Outlay

The Center Square
Arnold Engineering Development Complex

Tennessee could receive nearly $31.7 million to fund construction projects in the new defense appropriation that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

The biggest outlays for the Volunteer State would be for Arnold Air Force Base near Tullahoma. The base is the home of the Arnold Engineering Complex, which has 58 wind tunnels and other test facilities. The base would receive $21.4 million for a new testing bay and $5.5 million for a new cooling system.

Read the full story

Harvard Law’s Dershowitz Compares Lawfare Against Trump to McCarthyism, Says the Future is Dark

Just the News
Alan Dershowitz

Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz say the political lawfare against former President Donald Trump is a return to the McCarthyism of the 1950s.

“I know lawyers who have been asked to defend Donald Trump on First Amendment grounds,” Dershowitz said on the Wednesday edition of the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show. “They would normally take the case, but they say, ‘we can’t afford it for our family because they’re coming after our bar license.’ It’s exactly what happened during McCarthyism.”

Read the full story

Dave McCormick Slams Bob Casey for ‘Lying to Pennsylvanians’ About Joe Biden’s Fitness, Drops Ad Highlighting Senator’s Friendship with President

Tom Pappert
Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Following the poor debate performance by President Joe Biden last Thursday, Pennsylvania U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick accused Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) of “lying to Pennsylvanians” about the mental and physical fitness of President Joe Biden on Friday and released a new advertisement highlighting their purported friendship on Sunday.

“Bob Casey has been protecting Joe Biden for years and lying to Pennsylvanians about his ability to serve as Commander-in-Chief,” wrote McCormick in a Friday post to the social media platform X.

Read the full story

Commentary: SCOTUS Rulings, Biden-Trump Debate Shake Up Political Landscape

Admin
Jil and Joe Biden post-debate rally

What a week it’s been! We started off with Justice Amy Souter Barrett writing the SCOTUS ruling in Murthy v. Missouri.  At issue was whether it was okay for the federal government (the FBI and related elements of the American Stasi) to pressure social media and data-hoovering companies (Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.) to suppress opinions they didn’t like about things like COVID, the 2020 election, and the Jan 6 jamboree at the Capitol.

Read the full story

Fetterman Argues Biden Can Recover from Poor Debate Performance, Notes Pennsylvania Voters Forgave Performance Against Dr. Oz

Tom Pappert
Sen John Fetterman (D-PA)

U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) argued on Sunday that President Joe Biden can recover from his debate performance that has Democrats questioning his candidacy, with the Pennsylvania Democrat noting his own 2022 victory followed a difficult debate against former Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Fetterman argued on “Fox News Sunday” that Biden will recover from his poor debate performance, which left some Democrats questioning whether he should be replaced as the party’s nominee.

Read the full story

‘Social Justice Lawyers’ Told WPATH to Avoid ‘Evidence-Based Review’ of Sex-Change Guidelines for Minors, Docs Reveal

Admin
Pediatrician with child patient

The World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) avoided “evidence-based” reviews of child sex-change procedures on the advice of “social justice lawyers,” a court filing states.

Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall of Alabama filed a motion for summary judgment in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama Wednesday, seeking to beat back a challenge to Alabama’s law restricting the procedures. The Alabama attorney general’s office accused WPATH of placing “advocacy concerns” at the forefront of the creation of the organization’s “Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8” (SOC-8), which was based in part on the advice of the “social justice” attorneys who advised the organization to avoid seeking evidence-based recommendations.

Read the full story

Mean Speech Not Protected at Public Universities, Appeals Courts Rule

Just the News
Stephen Porter

Faculty at public universities in nine states may have fewer speech protections than they assume following federal appeals court rulings against professors on the political right and left who were punished for perceived lack of collegiality – strong words short of harassment.

But a private university has egg on its face after taking seven months to allegedly clear a professor of wrongdoing for telling anti-Israel campus protesters they are “ignorant” and “Hamas are murderers,” despite having immediate access to both viral video and its own surveillance.

Read the full story

Overpayments Account for Nearly 75 Percent of Federal Improper Payments

The Center Square
Finances

The federal government reported $236 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2023, with the vast majority coming from overpayments, according to a new watchdog report.

A U.S. Government Accountability Office report found 74% of improper payments – payments that shouldn’t have been made or were made in the wrong amount – were overpayments. Overpayments accounted for $175.1 billion of the total amount of improper payments in 2023. Overpayments are payments “in excess of what is due, and for which the excess amount, in theory, should or could be recovered,” according to the report.

Read the full story

‘Very Unrealistic’: Replacing Biden Will Likely Land Dems in A Political and Legal Quagmire

Admin
Joe Biden

Any effort to replace President Joe Biden with another Democratic candidate would likely be an uphill battle against practical, political and even legal obstacles.

Following Biden’s debate performance Thursday night, where he struggled to put together coherent sentences and often stared blankly away from the camera, Democrats began raising the possibility of replacing him as the party’s nominee. Biden, who has not indicated any intention to step down, would likely not be easy to replace due to internal party politics, state laws and numerous uncertainties.

Read the full story

Covenant School Killer Audrey Hale Began ‘Going Through Testing’ for Mental Health in Summer of 2001, Parents Told Police

Tom Pappert
Audrey Elizabeth Hale

Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale began receiving treatment from a speech pathologist in September 2001, which is when a mental health professional first indicated to the killer’s parents that Audrey Hale suffered from autism, according to a transcript of the July 12, 2023 police interview with Ronald and Norma Hale obtained by The Tennessee Star from a source close to the investigation.

The Star previously published police documents which established Hale was a 22-year mental health patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) prior to her March 27, 2023 attack on the Covenant School, when she claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members before she was heroically shot by two responding police officers.

Read the full story