Former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote said in an exclusive interview on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that former HP CEO Meg Whitman, who now serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, is the official behind the security deal between Kenya and Haiti.
Read the full storyCategory: News
Illegal Alien Sex Offender Released Despite Detainer Request, ICE Says
Connecticut law enforcement officials released an illegal alien convicted of sex crimes against a minor while ignoring a detainer request, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE agents apprehended a 27-year-old Ecuadorian national convicted of indecent assault and second degree assault of a Connecticut child earlier this month, the agency announced in a press release on Wednesday. The agency is faulting local officials for releasing the alien, despite an immigration detainer placed on him.
Read the full storyAssociated Press Under Fire for Calling Antisemitic Anti-Israel Demonstrations ‘Anti-War’ Protests
The Associated Press is under fire for portraying the protests wracking college campuses across the United States as “anti-war demonstrations” while omitting how many of the demonstrations include violent rhetoric and have been connected to the assault of Jews.
“When people are chanting in their protests, ‘intifada now,’ simply look up the definition of ‘intifada’ – that is not anti war,” said Natalie Sanandaji, a New Yorker who survived the Nova music festival massacre, where more than 360 people were killed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. “To downplay it is to make these people feel like what they’re doing is okay. We need to talk about how serious it is. Downplaying it is just putting more people at risk,” she said on the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show.
Read the full storyAnalysis: Case Against Trump Rallies Partisans but Swing Voters Say a Verdict Makes No Difference in November
The criminal case against former President Donald Trump for allegedly falsifying business records does not appear to be boosting President Joe Biden’s chances in November, with Biden’s once narrow lead over Trump disappearing in new polls.
The trial appears to be largely impacting partisans, with Republicans saying they are more likely to support the former president and Democrats saying the opposite. However, the vast majority of independents and swing voters say the trial verdict will have no impact on their vote in November.
Read the full storyString of Viral Moments May Signal Mood Swing in Likely Trump-Biden Rematch
Past presidential elections have often seen public sentiment shift in response to a major ad campaign, a change of position from a major candidate, unexpected developments abroad, or an economic downturn, but sometimes small moments can prove pivotal.
Read the full storyVice President Kamala Harris Condemns Tennessee State Lawmakers for Passing Bill to Arm Trained Teachers
Vice President Kamala Harris called lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly “extremists” for voting to pass a bill that would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.
“Arming teachers is not the solution,” Harris said in an X post on Wednesday. “We know what actually works: universal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage, and an assault weapons ban.”
Read the full storyBiden Admin Wants to Force Companies to Hire Criminals in the Name of Equity
Federal regulators recently launched a lawsuit against popular convenience chain Sheetz that could have implications for whether businesses will be able to screen applicants for criminal convictions.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) suit, announced April 18, alleged that Sheetz discriminated against minority applicants by screening all job seekers for criminal convictions, arguing that doing so disproportionally targets black, Native American and multiracial applicants. Many businesses have already stopped screening employees based on earlier guidance and pressure from regulators, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Read the full storyU.S. Marshals Offer Reward Money for Arrest of Killers in Mass Shooting at Memphis Park
The U.S. Marshals Service in Memphis is now offering a reward for information leading to the arrests of suspects involved in a deadly mass shooting at a Memphis park last weekend.
“The U.S. Marshals Service is currently offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the individuals responsible for the deadly shooting in Orange Mound,” the law enforcement entity said in a press release.
Read the full storySCOTUS Shocked by Biden Administration’s View of Federal Power over States in ER Abortion Challenge
To convince the Supreme Court that the Biden administration could use federal Medicare funding to force hospitals to perform abortions in violation of Idaho law, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar conceived and gave birth to some unusual arguments Wednesday.
She reached for a 129-year-old precedent that crippled the labor movement for decades, neutered legal obligations to the “unborn child” in the federal law that allegedly requires abortions in certain situations, and didn’t deny a Republican administration could use her rationale to functionally ban abortion and even transgender care nationwide.
Read the full storyTBI Teams Up with Knox County Forensic Center to Identify John Doe Killed in Decades Old Hit-and-Run Case
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) in conjunction with the Knox County Forensic Center, have identified a man who was killed in a hit-and-run crash more than three decades ago.
“On May 24, 1993, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle along Cedar Bluff Road in Knoxville,” TBI said in a press release. “The adult male, who had no identification on him, was pronounced deceased at the scene, and his body was sent for an autopsy.”
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Lawsuit Challenging the EEOC’s Abortion Rule
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti pursued legal action against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Thursday over its new rule regarding workplace abortion accommodations.
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) into law, which protects pregnant workers and their babies by directing that women receive workplace accommodations for “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.”
Read the full storyGOP Secretaries of State, Legislators Fight Against ‘Bidenbucks,’ Federalization of GOTV Efforts
Republican secretaries of state and state legislators are pushing back against “Bidenbucks,” what call the federalization of voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts, claiming that the executive order is unlawful.
West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner and Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, along with Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature, are fighting President Biden’s Executive Order 14019 from March 2021, which turns federal agencies into “Get Out The Vote” (GOTV) centers across all states.
Read the full storyTop Automaker Takes $1.3 Billion Bath on Key EV Line
Top American automaker Ford hemorrhaged over a billion dollars on electric vehicles (EV) in the first quarter, leading to massive losses per vehicle.
Ford sold 10,000 vehicles in its EV Model e unit in the first three months of the year, losing $1.3 billion on the line altogether, equating to a loss of $130,000 per vehicle sold, according to data from the company’s first quarter earnings report. Despite the loss on EVs, Ford’s net income was $1.3 billion, selling over a million vehicles with $42.8 billion in revenue in the quarter.
Read the full storyBill to Fine Parents for Crimes of Delinquent Children Passes Tennessee General Assembly
Legislation that would fine the parents of delinquent children who commit additional crimes has the support of the Tennessee General Assembly after the State House passed it on Monday. The legislation will go to Governor Bill Lee for final approval before becoming law.
The bill, titled the Parental Accountability Act, will require juvenile courts to levy a $1,000 fine against children who are “found to be delinquent for a second or subsequent delinquent act” after already being found guilty of delinquency. Those unable to pay the fine may be granted community service.
Read the full storyYoungkin Travels to Europe for ‘International Trade Mission’ Ahead of May Special Session for Virginia Budget
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced on Wednesday he will embark on a week-long “international trade mission” to Europe as lawmakers continue work on the biennial Virginia budget ahead of the May special legislative session.
The governor’s office confirmed Youngkin’s “third international trade mission” will include stops in Germany, Denmark, Finland and Swizterland between April 28 to May 3. He plans to meet with business leaders, public officials and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Read the full storyUniversity of Minnesota Policy Would Require Researchers to Get Permission from Indigenous Tribes
A proposed University of Minnesota policy would require scholars to obtain permission from Native American groups when doing research involving their cultures.
However, an anthropologist has concerns about the proposal.
Read the full storyPJM Grid Has Significant Decline in Emissions
Partisan divides remain for Pennsylvania’s energy future, but the state’s electric grid keeps posting drops in emissions.
PJM, the 13-state grid that stretches from Illinois to North Carolina, noted a trend that’s continued for two decades: dramatic declines in pollutants.
Read the full storyCommentary: DOJ and Judge Chutkan, Not Trump, to Blame for ‘Delay’ in J6 Case
The Supreme Court will hear history-making arguments on Thursday in the case of Donald J. Trump v United States. For the first time, the highest court in the land will publicly debate the untested and unsettled question as to whether a former president is immune from criminal prosecution for his conduct in office. And despite claims by Democrats, the news media, and self-proclaimed “legal experts” to the contrary, the matter is far from clear-cut.
The case arises from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s four-count indictment against Trump related to the events of January 6 and alleged attempts to “overturn” the 2020 election. Smith’s flimsy indictment—two of four counts are currently under review by SCOTUS and the other two fall under similarly vague “conspiracy” laws—-and an unprecedented ruling issued last year by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan will be put to the test by the justices.
Read the full storySouth Carolina Governor Signs Bill to Help Preserve Working Agricultural Lands
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a measure that aims to help landowners use voluntary conservation easements to preserve working agricultural lands.
H. 3951, the Working Agricultural Lands Preservation Act, creates the Working Farmland Protection Fund within the South Carolina Conservation Bank. The measure ostensibly complements the agricultural projects the bank funds by establishing a matching grant payment for qualified projects.
Read the full story‘Stop Cop City’ Protesters Confronted by Police over Emory University Campus Encampment for Palestine
The Stop Cop City movement reported on Thursday that Georgia State Police confronted its protesters as they attempted to create a pro-Palestine encampment on the Emory University campus.
A post to the social media platform X by Stop Cop City activists claims “an encampment in the Emory quad” was established at 7:30 a.m. “to demand total divestment from Israeli apartheid and Cop City,” the activists’ preferred term for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Read the full storyOhio to Spend $156 Million on Low-Income Solar Projects
Ohio plans to spend $156 million in taxpayer funds to encourage solar power in what the state calls disadvantaged areas.
The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are offering both grants and low-cost financing for residential and community solar projects to lower electricity bills in low- to moderate-income households.
Read the full storyHigher Prices, Mortgage Rates Hurt Home Affordability in Wisconsin
Homes keep selling in Wisconsin but prices and the cost to get a mortgage are keeping some from being able to afford a new home.
The Wisconsin Realtors Association is out with its latest look at the state’s housing market.
Read the full storyArizona U.S. House Candidate Abe Hamadeh Declares A.G. Kris Mayes ‘Illegitimate’ After Indictment of Trump Allies
Arizona U.S. House candidate Abe Hamadeh declared Attorney General Kris Mayes “illegitimate” in a Thursday appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room after she handed down indictments against Arizona Republicans and allies of former President Donald Trump for their role in the 2020 election contest.
Hamadeh previously ran against Mayes in 2022 and continues to contest the results of the election. Mayes won by just 280 votes and Hamadeh contends there are about 9,000 uncounted ballots that would likely break in his favor.
Read the full storyDeSantis Signs Two Bills Designed to Bolster Florida Homes Against Hurricanes
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two new bills Wednesday intended to strengthen Florida homes against hurricanes and other severe weather events.
DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7028, which will add another $200 million in funding for the My Safe Florida Home Program which allows homes to be assessed after major storm events and assists in improving resilience in structures.
Read the full storyExpert: Michigan Nuclear Energy Could Help Decarbonize Electricity Sector
Michigan’s top business group says “we can’t get” to the 100% clean energy standard by 2040 without nuclear energy.
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, bipartisan lawmakers and organized labor support restarting the 800-megawatt Palisades nuclear plant on Lake Michigan’s Eastern shore, expected to return online in 2025.
Read the full storyGovernor Brian Kemp Signs Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed multiple anti-human trafficking bills into law on Wednesday to hold both “traffickers and buyers” accountable.
“For years Georgia was considered a hot spot for human trafficking,” said Governor Kemp in a press release on Wednesday, “but thanks to the GRACE Commission, under the leadership of First Lady Marty Kemp, we have established Georgia as a national leader in this fight by passing legislation that cracks down on both traffickers and buyers while also, and even more importantly, empowering survivors.”
Read the full storyMusic Spotlight Follow-Up: Donny Van Slee
Since I interviewed Donny Van Slee back in 2022, I’ve always been intrigued by the chiropractor/country music singer who unashamedly goes to the beat of his own drummer. He was the first person to bring artists like Zach Bryan and Jack Johnson to my attention as they are performers that Van Slee likes to emulate.
Because his life is spread in so many directions, you can imagine my surprise when Van Slee showed up on Reba’s team on NBC’s The Voice earlier this spring. When he sang Lanco’s “Greatest Love Story” he was so good that Reba blocked Dan & Shay so she could have him all to herself. He was confident, showing that he was having the time of his life.
Read the full storyCommentary: Secret Service Scuffle Prompts DEI, Vetting Scrutiny
An incident involving a physical attack by a female Secret Service agent tasked with protecting Vice President Kamala Harris is raising questions about whether the agency had thoroughly vetted her during her hiring and whether an ongoing push to increase the numbers of women in the service and boost overall workforce staff played a role in her selection.
The Secret Service agent assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris was removed from her duties Wednesday after physically attacking the commanding agent in charge and other agents trying to subdue her, according to an agency spokesman and knowledgeable Secret Service sources.
Read the full storyBiden Campaign Says It Will Stay on TikTok Despite Foreign Aid Package That Could Ban It
Supporters of the legislation claim that the app poses a national security risk because it is owned by a Chinese company, and thereby could expose sensitive U.S. data to the Chinese government.
President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign said on Wednesday that it still plans to stay on the controversial app TikTok, despite the president’s signing a foreign aid package that could eventually ban it in the United States.
Read the full storyRachel Alexander Calls Arizona Indictments of Trump Alternate Electors a ‘Deliberate’ Attempt to Influence 2024 Elections
Rachel Alexander, lead reporter at The Arizona Sun Times, said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ announcement that the State Grand Jury returned indictments to those who agreed to serve as a slate of alternate electors for Donald Trump had he won the 2020 election is “deliberate.”
Read the full storyNewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Responds with Deceptive Distractions When Confronted Over His Journalistic Failures to Get Justin Jones on the Record Over 2020 Claim
NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams continues to be criticized for his “journalistic failures” as he dodged an opportunity to confront State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) on his alleged coverup of a 2020 assault of two protesters by a homeless man.
Read the full storyACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging Enforcement of Tennessee Law Preventing Transgender Individuals from Changing Sex on Government-Issued ID
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee filed a lawsuit this week on behalf of a transgender woman – a male that identifies as a female – challenging the enforcement of a Tennessee law that defines “sex” as “biological sex.”
Read the full storyBill to Limit Vehicle Booting, Lower Fee to Remove Boots Passes Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) on Tuesday that addresses the state’s towing, parking, and vehicle booting laws.
Read the full storyTennessee Receives Annual Settlement Payment of $146 Million from Major Tobacco Companies
Tennessee received a payment totaling $146.1 million on Tuesday from the major tobacco companies that joined the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), bringing the state’s total payout amount from the settlement to $3.9 billion.
Read the full storyBiden Signs $95 Billion Foreign Aid Bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan
President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid bill Wednesday, ending a months-long trudge through Congress.
“It’s a good day for America, it’s a good day for Europe, and it’s a good day for world peace,” Biden said to kick off his remarks after the signing.
Read the full storyUnsealed Docs Expose Early Collaboration Between Archives, Biden White House in Trump Prosecution
Just weeks after learning Joe Biden had improperly retained government documents, his administration began working with federal bureaucrats in spring and fall 2021 to increase pressure on Donald Trump for similar issues and eventually prompt a criminal prosecution of the 45th president, according to government memos newly unsealed by a federal judge.
The correspondence, released this week by U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon in Florida, provide the the most extensive accounting so far of how the Biden White House worked with federal bureaucrats to escalate pressure on Trump to return documents to the National Archives even as it slow-walked similar issues involving its own boss.
Read the full storyBiden Regulator Passes Rule with Massive Implications for Millions of Workers
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule Tuesday banning noncompete agreements nationwide, affecting millions of Americans.
Regulators argue that banning noncompetes will promote competition by giving workers greater ability to switch jobs, increasing innovation and leading to more businesses being created, according to an announcement from the FTC. The FTC estimates that around 18 percent of U.S. workers, or 30 million people, are covered under a noncompete, with the new rule applying to anyone not in a senior executive role, which is defined as someone who is making more than $151,164 and in a policy-making position.
Read the full storySenators Blackburn and Hagerty Among Few to Vote Against Ukraine Funding Bill
Tennessee’s two U.S. senators were among only a handful who voted against a bill that will send nearly $100 billion to foreign nations.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) both voted against the Senate’s version of H.R. 815, a bill that was initially meant to help veterans receive more healthcare reimbursements but quickly ballooned into a funding package mainly for the country of Ukraine.
Read the full storyBiden Admin Used Border Wall Funds on ‘Environmental Planning,’ Government Watchdog Says
The Biden administration spent taxpayer dollars meant to fund a border wall to pay for “environmental planning,” according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
At the request of Republican Reps. Jack Bergman of Michigan and Jodey Arrington of Texas, the GAO investigated whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) broke the law when it effectively blocked the use of taxpayer dollars to build a wall along the southern border. While GAO’s final report clears the DHS of breaking the law, it confirmed that DHS used congressionally-appropriated funds meant for the wall to pay for “environmental planning” and efforts “to remediate or mitigate environmental damage from past border wall construction.”
Read the full storyCPAC Endorses Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles for Reelection
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) endorsed U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for reelection to Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District on Wednesday.
Read the full storyTesla Reports One of Its Worst Quarters in Years in Latest Sign of Trouble for EV Market
Tesla disclosed a shaky earnings report to the public on Tuesday in the latest sign of weakness in the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) market.
The EV maker’s revenue for the first quarter of this year came in nearly 10 percent below its revenue for the first quarter of 2023, marking the largest decline the company has seen since 2012, according to its quarterly report and CNBC. Tesla’s net income also fell by about 55 percent relative to 2023, and the company warned investors that “volume growth rate may be notably lower than the growth rate achieved in 2023.”
Read the full storyShelby County Sheriff Makes Plea to Parents as Youth Justice and Education Center Nears Capacity
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. is pleading with parents to provide their children with guidance and involvement as the Youth Justice and Education Center nears capacity.
The Youth Justice and Education Center is a 146-bed, single-occupancy secure detention center designed for youth “identified to be a danger to themselves, a danger to the community, or a flight risk.”
Read the full storyBiden to Commute Sentences of Tennessee Drug Dealers
The White House Wednesday announced commutations for five major drug dealers, three of whom are Tennessee residents.
Daequon Charles Davis of Johnson City was convicted of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine and was serving an almost 22-year sentence with a subsequent 10 years of supervised release, which began in 2017. Biden commuted for a period of 10 years, leaving intact 10 years of supervised release.
Read the full storyNashville Police Confirm: Suspect in Death of Rapper Chris King ‘Wore Ankle Monitor at the Time of the Fatal Shooting’
Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed on Monday that suspected murderer Adrian Cameron Jr., the 19-year-old accused of killing rapper Chris King, wore an ankle monitor while out on a $100,000 bond at the time of the King’s death.
A Monday post to the social media platform X by MNPD confirmed Cameron Jr. “was out on bond for the 2021 murder of Josh Evans” and was “on an ankle monitor at the time of the fatal shooting” of the rapper, whose given name was Christopher Cheeks.
Read the full storyArizona Rancher Accused of Murdering Illegal Immigrant Unlikely to Accept Plea Deal Following Mistrial
The Arizona rancher who was accused of murdering a Mexican national who illegally immigrated to the United States is unlikely to accept any plea deals offered by prosecutors after his case ended in a mistrial, according to Wednesday remarks by his attorney.
Kathy Lowthorp, one of the attorneys who represented rancher George Alan Key after prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder for allegedly killing a Mexican national who trespassed onto his property, said in a Wednesday interview with NewsNation’s Cuomo that her client would be unlikely to accept a plea deal if prosecutors move for a retrial.
Read the full storyOhio Unemployment Rate Rises in February
Ohio’s job market continues to cool.
The state’s unemployment rate rose again in March, while the labor participation rate remained steady, according to figures released by the state Department of Job and Family Services.
Read the full storyActivists Push Georgia Nikki Haley Supporters to Vote for Joe Biden in November
A super PAC that previously supported former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in the Republican primary cycle is now reportedly targeting her Republican supporters in Georgia on behalf of President Joe Biden.
The super PAC previously known as Primary Pivot formerly urged Democratic and unaffiliated voters to cast ballots for Haley in Republican primary contests, but rebranded after Haley dropped out of the race.
Read the full storyCommentary: Biden’s Title IX Revisions Aren’t Good News for Women
Locker rooms and bathrooms at schools that accept public funding are about to become dangerous places for women — even in states that have the kind of commonsense legislation intended to keep women’s private spaces private.
Last week, the Biden administration released a host of changes to Title IX, the federal legislation that is best known for dictating equal treatment of men and women in sports and for governing the way schools handle sexual assault charges. While the administration hasn’t yet decided whether biological men who identify as female should be allowed to compete in women’s sports, it redefined “sex” as “gender identity” in almost every other context while simultaneously allowing schools to violate the due process rights of students accused of sexual assault.
Read the full storyVirginia County Jail Buys Devices to Fight Inmates’ Opioid Withdrawals with Electricity
The Chesterfield County Jail is reportedly set become the first in the country to use a detox device to help inmates recover from opioid withdrawal symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the user’s brain.
According to its manufacturer, the Masimo Bridge device is “a small electrical nerve stimulator device that contains a battery-powered chip and wires that are applied around a patient’s ear in a short, non-surgical, in-office procedure, providing five days of continuous relief” from withdrawal symptoms by sending electrical impulses to parts of the brain associated with opioid withdrawal.
Read the full storyEx-DHS Disinformation Chief Starts ‘Bipartisan’ Watchdog, Accuses GOP of Sexist Investigations
The Mary Poppins of misinformation has started a new band outside the Department of Homeland Security, and this department of tortured poets is testing fresh material about the bad blood stemming from her brief leadership of the slightly longer-lived Disinformation Governance Board.
Nina Jankowicz, whose Hunter Biden laptop trutherism and chirpy songs about “information laundering” immediately made the DHS board a punch line, cofounded a nonprofit watchdog this month with former feds, D.C. think tankers and social media executives whose mission is “increasing the cost of lies that undermine our democracy.”
Read the full story