Offshore drilling has been a cornerstone of global energy production since the 1800s, fueling the American way of life and powering the global economy. From the early days of “on-water-drilling” to the advancement of the fixed platform units of today, offshore drilling has consistently contributed around 30 percent of global oil production. In the U.S., supply on federal offshore lands in the Gulf of Mexico alone accounts for approximately 15 percent of total crude oil production.
Read the full storyCategory: News
Dozens of Energy Orgs Ask Congress to Kill Bill They Say Would ‘Inevitably’ Lead to Carbon Taxes
Dozens of energy policy and advocacy groups signed a Monday letter to Congress to express their opposition to a bill they say could be the first step toward carbon taxes or tariffs.
The letter urges House lawmakers to vote against the PROVE IT Act, a bill that has not yet been introduced in the lower chamber but is expected to be soon. The PROVE IT Act — which has already been introduced in the Senate — would have the Department of Energy (DOE) study the carbon intensity of goods, including aluminum, steel, plastic and crude oil, produced in the U.S. and the carbon intensity of products from other countries, according to E&E News.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Destructive Generation Proves America’s Weakest Link
Governor Ronald Reagan, in his 1967 inaugural address, famously remarked, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.”
Reagan today might have expanded on his theme by declaring that civilization itself is both fragile and can lost by a generation that recklessly spends its inheritance while neither appreciating nor replenishing it—if not ridiculing those who sacrificed so much to provide it.
Read the full story‘Deeply Regressive’: Riley Gaines Slams Biden’s Title IX Rules at Pro-Women Sports Rally
The Biden administration’s changes to Title IX will reverse 50 years of progress for female athletes by allowing biological men to keep competing in women’s sports, pro-women’s sports leaders said Friday at an Our Bodies, Our Sports coalition rally.
The event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania was one of the first stops on the coalition’s Take Back Title IX bus tour, which calls on America’s leaders to ensure equal protections for female athletes under the federal regulation.
Read the full storyCommentary: Republicans Vow to Scorch the Earth After Trump Conviction
by Philip Wegmann Spurred by the volcanic temper of their base, Republicans are now preparing to scorch the earth in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s conviction, potentially setting off a chain reaction that could fundamentally alter the American political system entirely. No one knows exactly how far they will go in their response. What is clear is that conservatives have no patience for President Biden’s argument Friday morning that justice was served in Manhattan, that “the American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed.” They see the conviction instead as unprecedented “lawfare” meant to interfere with the coming election and, some say, an unprecedented response is now in order. “The good guys must be as tough as the villains or freedom is doomed,” senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller told RealClearPolitics without offering exact details. Rep. Mike Collins, meanwhile, was explicit. “Time for Red State AGs and DAs to get busy,” the Georgia Republican said Thursday, floating the idea that Republicans should begin using the courts to pursue their political enemies. “Hillary Clinton’s campaign-funded Steele dossier is a good start,” Collins continued, referencing how the former Secretary of State’s presidential campaign misreported their spending on the…
Read the full storyFormer President Trump to Participate in Arizona Town Hall, Answer Questions Directly from Voters
Former President Donald Trump will appear at a town hall event in Arizona on Thursday to answer questions directly from voters one week after being convicted by a Manhattan jury on all 34 counts in the falsification of business records linked to the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal last week.
Read the full storyUnjustly Incarcerated J6 Defendant Stewart Parks Denied Memorial Day Family Visit at Last Minute by Officials at Memphis Federal Prison
Unjustly convicted and imprisoned January 6 defendant Stewart Parks called in to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show on Monday to give an update on his life in prison, specifically to discuss how he and other inmates are being mistreated by the prison’s staff.
Read the full storyTransgender Alleged Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure Ordered to be Temporarily Released to Mental Health Facility
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Transgender alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure was ordered by a federal district court judge on Monday to be temporarily released to a residential mental health facility rather than stay in federal custody.
McClure’s representation proposed the plan to temporarily release her in a Monday hearing. The prosecution agreed with the plan after negotiating several conditions for McClure’s release and initially preferring that she remain in federal custody. McClure’s charges were not discussed in the hearing.
Read the full storyCommentary: Globalists are Deceiving the Masses in an Age of Fakes
Given the constant stream of Hollywood end-of-the-world calamity blockbuster movies, many are generally distracted from the real-life disaster scenarios we face. The globalists are advancing their evil agenda at every turn, and time is running short to effectively oppose them. They are the real existential threat facing humanity.
This is the threat of an idealization of fake foundations. It begs the question: will our historical era be remembered as the “age of fakes?” We live in an ecosystem filled with fake news, fake policies, fake freedoms, and fake outrage, among many other “fakes.”
Read the full storyPollster John McLaughlin: The Only Crime Trump Has Committed is Being Ahead in the Polls
Long-time pollster John McLaughlin said President Joe Biden is trying to make former President Donald Trump look like the “Nelson Mandela of America” through the tactic of lawfare in order to persuade voters to vote against him in November.
Read the full storyLegal Reporter Rachel Alexander Says Trump Conviction is the ‘Most Twisted Legal Decision’ She’s Seen in Her Life
Rachel Alexander, lead reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and recovering lawyer, said Thursday’s decision by a Manhattan jury to convict former President Donald Trump on 34 counts in the falsification of business records linked to the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal is the “most twisted legal decision” she has witnessed in her life.
Read the full storyKnown Criminal Arrested, Charged for Exposing Himself and Touching Woman at WeGo Bus Station: Report
A man with a lengthy criminal record was arrested and charged on Sunday for allegedly following, touching, and exposing himself to a woman at a WeGo bus station in Nashville.
Read the full storyBill Gates’ Ex-Wife Promises $1 Billion to Pro-Abortion Groups, Left-Wing Organizations
The ex-wife of liberal megadonor Bill Gates has committed to spending $1 billion supporting abortion and other left-of-center priorities over the next two years.
Pivotal Ventures, Melinda French Gates’ new charity, announced Tuesday it would be spending to combat “the rollback of women’s rights and headwinds to social progress in the U.S. and around the world.” The philanthropy earmarked $200 million specifically for American organizations focused on “advanc[ing] women’s power and protect[ing] their rights, including reproductive freedom.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Armed Teachers Save Lives
My husband Ben and I used to run a mobile karaoke business in Nashville, Tennessee. Every Thursday evening, we would load up our vehicle and head to a popular restaurant to help facilitate a night of good music and great memories.
As a woman who was concerned for her safety, I usually carried my permitted concealed handgun with me. But in April of 2009, Tennessee did not allow carrying firearms in restaurants that served alcohol, so I left my handgun locked inside of my vehicle.
Read the full storyAnti-Israel Protesters ‘Violently’ Enter Israeli Consulate Building in San Francisco, Official Says
Anti-Israel protesters “violently” entered an Israeli consulate building in San Francisco, Consul General Marco Sermoneta confirmed in a statement to Just the News.
Read the full storyIsrael Ministers Threaten to Quit Over Ceasefire, Official Says Biden’s Description ‘Not Accurate’
Top Israeli ministers are threatening to quit, which would cause the government coalition to collapse, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to President Joe Biden’s cease-fire proposal.
A senior Israeli official said that Biden’s description of the cease-fire proposal, which he unveiled Friday, was “not accurate,” NBC News reported Monday.
Read the full storyDemocrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Announces Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis
Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas announced that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer Sunday.
Jackson Lee, who has been in office since 1995, made the announcement in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Texas representative did not elaborate on the severity of her diagnosis or course of treatment but said that her team of doctors had created the “best possible plan.”
Read the full storyPsychologist Who Allegedly Failed to Report Violent Threats from Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Identified, Claims Practice Closed in 2022
A source provided The Tennessee Star with the name of the psychologist who was reportedly part of the care team for Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale. That psychologist allegedly failed in her professional and legal duty to warn law enforcement after Hale purportedly expressed fantasies about murdering her family members and carrying out a school shooting while under treatment.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Joins Colleagues in Introducing the MOMS Act
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined a group of her Republican colleagues in introducing the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act on Friday.
Read the full storyGov. Lee Signs Domestic Violence Tracker Bill into Law
Gov. Bill Lee (R) last week signed into law a bill that will require some accused domestic abusers to wear GPS monitors if they are granted bail.
SB 1972, also known as the “The Debbie and Marie Domestic Violence Protection Act,” will take effect on July 1.
Read the full storyFree Speech Group Files Lawsuit Against Indiana University over ‘Bias Response Team’
Indiana University is violating students’ First and 14th Amendment rights through its “far-reaching” bias reporting policy, a civil rights organization alleges.
Speech First filed a federal lawsuit against Indiana University on Wednesday arguing that the school is violating the rights of students by enacting a speech policy that “is designed solely to deter, discourage, and otherwise ‘prevent’ students from expressing disfavored views about the political and social issues of the day.” Under the policy, students can report others for “any conduct, speech, or expression, motivated in whole or in part by bias or prejudice meant to intimidate, demean, mock, degrade, marginalize, or threaten individuals or groups” on some aspect of their identity, like race or gender identity, according to Indiana University’s website.
Read the full storyEconomist: ‘True’ Federal Debt Masked by Draining U.S. Treasury
The federal debt continues to climb to unprecedented levels, but the “actual, true” debt is higher if the Treasury weren’t being drained, a national economist says.
Citing Bureau of the Fiscal Service data, E. J. Antoni, Ph.D., an economist at the Heritage Foundation, argues that as the federal debt increases, the “true daily deficit” is being masked by the amount of cash being drained from the U.S. Treasury by Treasury Department Secretary Janet Yellen.
Read the full storyGeorgia Airports Secure Federal Funding Boost
The federal government announced a pair of airport grants for Georgia, including money for an airport in middle Georgia and a statewide grant program.
The funding is part of nearly $187 million in taxpayer-backed grants for 90 airport-related projects in 34 states that the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday. The funding was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which some call the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Read the full storyCommentary: Trump’s Trial Is a Symptom of a Larger Crisis in American Justice
Naturally, the cataract of commentary on Thursday’s Stalinist guilty, guilty, guilty verdict against Donald Trump has divided itself into two distinct pools. One is gleeful. The other is alarmed. Rather than anatomize the differences between the two, I’d like to start by simply noting the size and fervor of the response. There are, I believe, two essential points to bear in mind.
The first is that the outpouring is only incidentally about Trump. You might find this a surprising statement since the news has been full of little besides Trump.
Read the full storyAkron Shooting Leaves One Dead, 24 Injured
A shooting that unfolded in Akron early Sunday morning has left 24 injured and one dead, according to the Akron Police Department (APD).
Read the full storyFirst Lady Jill Biden Claims Trump ‘Dangerous’ at Pittsburgh LGBT Pride Speech
First Lady Jill Biden made a previously unannounced speech at Pittsburgh Pride 2024, held in Allegheny Commons Park on Saturday. During her speech, she branded former President Donald Trump “dangerous” to the LGBT community.
Jill Biden reportedly met with members of the crowd prior to her speech, according to TribLive reporter Renatta Signorini, who posted a photo to the social media platform X showing two members of the crowd holding Biden-Harris campaign signs.
Read the full storyPennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Claims Guilty ‘Verdict Reflects’ Justice in New York Trump Trial
Senator Bob Casey claimed in Saturday remarks that the guilty verdict reached by a New York jury in former President Donald Trump’s controversial hush money trial accurately reflects the country’s justice system.
Casey initially held his silence on the outcome of the trial after the jury found Trump guilty on 32 felony counts, with Go Erie reporting on Friday, “Casey did not immediately issue a public statement on the conviction.”
Read the full storyDespite Board Directive Prohibiting It, Arizona State University Asks for DEI Commitments in Hiring
Arizona State University continues to ask potential job candidates questions regarding their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion despite a board policy prohibiting the use of diversity statements in hiring, according to a document obtained by The College Fix.
In August 2023, the Arizona Board of Regents decided public universities in the state can no longer require applicants to submit diversity statements.
Read the full storyCommentary: Vaccine Mandates Likely Exacerbated Healthcare Worker Shortage, New Research Shows
In his book Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt makes a famous distinction between good and bad economists:
The bad economist sees only what immediately strikes the eye; the good economist also looks beyond. The bad economist sees only the direct consequences of a proposed course; the good economist looks also at the longer and indirect consequences. The bad economist sees only what the effect of a given policy has been or will be on one particular group; the good economist inquires also what the effect of the policy will be on all groups.
Read the full storyFederal Lawmakers Push for Greater Restrictions on ‘Lab-Grown Meat’
With the rise of so-called “lab-grown meat” being promoted as a “green” alternative to actual meat, federal lawmakers are beginning to follow the example set by several states as they push for restrictions on this new concoction.
As reported by the Associated Press, lab-grown meat is not yet available in grocery stores or served in restaurants anywhere in the United States. Several states, including Florida and Arizona, have already passed laws to ban the sale of such products, while Iowa has forbidden the distribution of such food in schools.
Read the full storyAnalysis: 89 Percent of Independents Say Trump Conviction Makes Them Either More Likely to Support Trump or No Difference
15 percent of independents said that the New York City of conviction would make them more likely to support former President Donald Trump in 2024 election against incumbent President Joe Biden, with only 11 percent saying it would make them less likely, an NPR-Marist poll taken May 21 to May 23 shows. 74 percent said it would make no difference.
In addition, the poll had 10 percent of Republicans saying the conviction would make them less likely to vote for Trump if convicted and 7 percent of Democrats saying more likely to vote for Trump, a +3 percent advantage for Biden.
Read the full storyCommentary: Teachers Also Think American Public Schools Are in Decline
Eighty-two percent of teachers say that the general state of public K-12 education has gotten worse over the past five years. This is according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted in October and November of 2023. That’s not the only shocking statistic from the survey, either, which overall offers a grim statistical map of the fault lines fracturing our education system. However, these trends may offer some insight into how to fix our schools.
First, the teachers. Most teachers (77 percent) find their job frequently stressful, and a large majority (70 percent) say their school is understaffed, which may contribute to the fact that over 80 percent of teachers say they do not have enough time in the work day to complete all necessary tasks.
Read the full storyPending Home Sales Slump Almost 8 Percent in April
Pending home sales in April fell 7.7%, according to the National Association of Realtors.
All four U.S. regions registered month-over-month and year-over-year declines.
Read the full storyTrump Welcomed with Thunderous Applause at UFC
Former President Donald Trump received thunderous applause from the crowd of an Ultimate Fighting Championship competition in Newark, New Jersey, as fans waited for the main event, which was Dustin Poirier’s match against Islam Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Read the full storyCNN to Run Commercials During June Presidential Debates, Breaking From Tradition
Presidential debates have traditionally run commercial free, but CNN reportedly plans to break from that tradition during its scheduled June 27 live debate.
The cable news network plans to run commercial breaks during the scheduled June 27 debate, according to the entertainment magazine Variety, citing unnamed sources.
Read the full storyPsychologist Who Allegedly Failed to Report Violent Threats from Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Identified, Claims Practice Closed in 2022
A source provided The Tennessee Star with the name of the psychologist who was reportedly part of the care team for Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale. That psychologist allegedly failed in her professional and legal duty to warn law enforcement after Hale purportedly expressed fantasies about murdering her family members and carrying out a school shooting while under treatment.
Read the full storyCommentary: Joe Biden’s Dangerous Natural Gas Game
If the devil is in the details, bureaucracy is hell on earth. Though terrain familiar to the Biden administration, Republicans must prepare to navigate it.
Witness the debacle over liquefied natural gas exports, wherein the White House, by “pausing” most new approvals, has catapulted the energy security of key U.S. allies straight into the buzzsaw of its climate ambitions. (The category of exports that will continue to be authorized is tiny.) The Department of Energy claims that a multifactor impact study due in early 2025 is required to determine whether and how the moratorium will be lifted.
Read the full storyChina Lands on the Far Side of the Moon in Historic Mission
by Madeleine Hubbard China on Sunday landed an unmanned spacecraft on the far side of the moon in a landmark mission to retrieve what is expected to be the first ever rock and soil samples from the dark lunar hemisphere. The Chang’e-6 craft, which is equipped with its own launcher, landed in a large impact crater before 6:30 a.m. Beijing time, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The mission “involves many engineering innovations, high risks and great difficulty,” the China National Space Administration said, as translated. The craft will collect samples by drilling into rocks and soil on the moon and taking samples from the lunar surface. “Landing on the far side of the moon is very difficult because you don’t have line-of-sight communications, you’re relying on a lot of links in the chain to control what is going on, or you have to automate what is going on,” said Neil Melville-Kenney, according to Reuters. Melville-Kenney, a technical officer at the European Space Agency, is working with China on one of the Chang’e-6 payloads. The accomplishment is a leap for China in the lunar space race as many countries, including the United States, are hoping to use lunar minerals for long-term astronaut missions within…
Read the full storyRule of Lawfare: Jury Instructions from NY Judge to Manhattan Jurors in Trump ‘Hush Money’ Case Contained Made-up and Selectively Chosen Language
A New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 criminal counts related to falsifying business records last week, prompting outcry that New York Judge Juan Merchan, who was handpicked to handle the case and who donated to Joe Biden, committed misconduct during the trial, including how he handled the jury instructions. A CNN senior legal analyst reported that the case was full of so many legal stretches that employees of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office referred to it as the “zombie case.”
Daniel Street, an attorney in Louisiana who writes about lawfare, told The Tennessee Star the jury instructions were “terrible.”
Read the full storyTennessee to Allow Third-Party Inspectors to Speed Up Construction Process
Tennessee contractors can now hire third-party inspectors instead of having local governments inspect the project.
The law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, requires fees charged by a local government for third-party plans, examination, inspection, review or permit packaging to be the same charged by the local government to perform the same service.
Read the full storyThree Tennessee Cities Among Top 20 Places Most Americans are Moving to, Report Says
A report from POD, the moving and storage company, says that three cities in Tennessee are among the top 20 in America where people are moving.
“We’re seeing more people move to the Southern Appalachian region, which includes states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama,” the report said. “Tennessee tied with Florida for the third most popular state for new moves.”
Read the full storyEmails Suggest Fauci Aides Miswrote Names to Evade FOIA
Dr. Anthony Fauci became a punchline for reportedly claiming to “not recall” more than 100 times in his transcribed interview with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic how he ran the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during COVID-19.
His former chief of staff, Greg Folkers, may have a tougher sell: convincing lawmakers he is just coincidentally bad at spelling proper nouns likely to be searched in Freedom of Information Act requests related to COVID origins and federal funding of a suspected outbreak source.
Read the full storyTennessee Politicians, Others Celebrate Pride Month
On the first day of June, politicians, political organizations and private companies took to X, formerly Twitter, to celebrate gay pride month.
“Happy Pride, everyone!” said disgraced former Nashville mayor turned congressional candidate Megan Barry. “I proudly stand with the LGBTQ+ community. Let’s celebrate love, diversity, and equality for all. Together, we can build a Tennessee where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.”
Read the full storyAP Wire Service Partners with Outlets Funded by Liberals to Launch ‘Nonpartisan’ News Initiative
The Associated Press announced that it would partner with five other outlets to create a nonpartisan news initiative prior to the upcoming 2024 election. These outlets appear to be predominantly, if not exclusively backed by liberal donors.
The AP announced Tuesday that it would be partnering with five local outlets in order to “expand the reach of local news ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and increasing access to AP’s nonpartisan journalism, especially in communities that may have limited access to fact-based news.”
Read the full storyEurope Embraces Border Walls in What Critics Say Is a Stark Contrast to Biden’s Policies
NATO nations are bolstering their borders, with Poland taking particularly robust measures, in response to threats posed by Russia and Belarus, which critics of the Biden administration say is markedly different from the current security at the U.S. border.
Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Norway and the Baltic States agreed to create a “drone wall” last week, but Poland stepped up support for its border officials after a Polish Army soldier was stabbed by a person attempting to enter from Belarus on Tuesday.
Read the full storyCompanies Scale Back Pride Month After Last Year’s Public Response Cost Them Millions
June 1 will mark the start of “Pride” month, in which advocates of LGBTQIA+ causes celebrate that movement. In recent years, June has seen major corporate chains feature an array of “Pride”-themed merchandise and decorations, though some offerings have prompted considerable backlash from a non-receptive — even hostile public — in recent years.
2023 saw major retailers such as Target become the subject of boycotts over more controversial products marketed for children. Other companies, such as Anheuser-Busch came under scrutiny over marketing campaigns that failed to resonate with their traditional clientele.
Read the full storyJim Jordan Requests Bragg Testimony After Trump Verdict
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan on Friday requested testimony from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and prosecutor Matthew Colangelo for a hearing related to former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
Trump was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying his business records on Thursday, to hide a hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump has maintained his innocence since the guilty verdict, and vowed to appeal the ruling, which experts have predicted will be overturned. He will be sentenced on July 11.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Joins Pledge Against White House Priorities
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined a coalition of nine other senators in signing a pledge vowing to not “aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart.”
Read the full storyOhio Commits $30 Million for Affordable Housing
Nearly $30 million in taxpayer-funded grants are going to 17 Ohio local organizations to grow access to affordable housing across the state.
The money is the first round of the state’s new Welcome Home Ohio program, which is expected to spend $100 million over two years to help landbanks buy, rehabilitate or build residential properties for income-eligible people.
Read the full storyElder Financial Abuse Protections on Pennsylvania Legislative Radar
Pennsylvania’s aging population means more residents will be at risk of elder abuse.
That’s why lawmakers want to rework some rules to make it easier for banks to flag suspicious activity and alert law enforcement or trusted loved ones.
Read the full story