Category: News

Tom Pappert: FBI’s Handling of New Orleans Terrorist Attack ‘Bizarre’ and ‘Embarrassing’

Kaitlin Housler

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, described the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) handling of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack that killed 14 and injured dozens more in New Orleans as “nothing short of appalling.”

After authorities said ISIS-inspired terrorist Shamsud Din Jabbar drove a vehicle through a crowd of revelers early on New Year’s Day before engaging in gunfire with law enforcement, the FBI has circulated conflicting information about the attack and suspect on multiple occasions, Pappert explained.

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Everyday Economics: Signs of Slowing Economic Activity as Jobs Report Looms

The Center Square
Business office

The upcoming week is filled with crucial economic data releases that will provide insight into the state of the U.S. economy as it transitions into 2025. A mix of labor market reports and key Fed communications will shift expectations about growth and Fed policy, resulting in large swings in the interest rates that govern consumer borrowing costs for credit cards, auto loans and mortgages.

The main event is the December jobs report, where employment gains are expected to have slowed.

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Arizona Court of Appeals Rules Criminal Charges May Proceed Against Cochise County Supervisor Who Voted to Delay Canvassing 2022 Election Results

Rachel Alexander

A panel on the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled last Wednesday that Attorney General Kris Mayes’ prosecution of Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby for delaying canvassing of the 2022 election may proceed. Crosby, along with Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd, was indicted for felonies by a grand jury in November 2023 for briefly delaying canvassing of the 2022 election in order to investigate concerns with the voting machine tabulators. Judd accepted a plea agreement two months ago for a misdemeanor charge of failing to perform her duty as an election officer and was sentenced to probation.

State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Mesa) and Speaker of the House Ben Toma (R-Peoria) filed an Amicus Curiae brief opposing the prosecution last March.

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DOJ Considers Charging 200 More People Related to January 6 as Trump’s Second Term Nears

Just the News
January Six Riot

Federal prosecutors are considering filing charges against up to 200 more individuals in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to the latest data from the U.S. Justice Department released on Monday.

The 200 figure includes about 60 individuals who allegedly assaulted or resisted law enforcement officers during the Capitol riot.

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President Biden, A.G. Garland Honor Police Who Responded to Covenant School Shooting Nearly Two Years After Attack

Tom Pappert
MNPD White House

President Joe Biden last week honored Metro Nashville Police (MNPD) Chief John Drake and the Nashville police officers who responded to the Covenant School shooting by awarding them the Medal of Valor, while the department reported that Attorney General Merrick Garland met with the Nashville police in the White House.

In posts to the social media platform X, the MNPD wrote, “Our Covenant School heroes, accompanied by Chief Drake, are at the White House & have just received our nation’s Medal of Valor from President Biden in the Oval Office. Attorney General Merrick Garland met with the team in the Roosevelt Room.”

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New Orleans Mayor Asks Biden White House for Security Help as Terrorist Victim’s Family Blames City, ‘Gross Negligence’ Lawsuit Looms

Tom Pappert
Mayor LaToya Cantrell

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell confirmed on Sunday that she is seeking support from the White House to improve the city’s security ahead of the Super Bowl in February, and its famous Mardi Gras celebrations in March.

In a Sunday press conference, Cantrell stated, “I have specifically requested through the White House that the City of New Orleans be assisted with getting a tactical expert in our city this week to map our city for target hardening measures.”

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Democrat A.G. Says ‘Hate and Bigotry’ After Sen. Marsha Blackburn Demands FBI Explain DEI Policies Following Terrorist Attack

Tom Pappert
Raoul and Blackburn

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement after Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to outgoing FBI Director Chris Wray demanding answers about the federal law enforcement agency’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in the wake of New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, accusing the senator of engaging in “hate and bigotry.”

The attorney general, a Democrat whose official biography states he is the son of Haitian immigrants with “a vast background in public service,” accused Blackburn and Republicans who support President-elect Donald Trump of launching, “unfounded attacks on immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion – even undermining the FBI as the agency’s dedicated public servants investigate the attack on their fellow Americans ringing in the New Year.”

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New York Judge Finds Rudy Giuliani in Contempt over Georgia Defamation Case

Just the News

A federal judge in New York on Monday found former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for not complying with court orders regarding financial information and assets in the defamation case of two Georgia election workers.  Lawyers for former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss argued last week that Giuliani should be held in contempt for not complying with orders to forfeit certain assets like his World Series rings to help pay the $146 million defamation judgment that was levied against him.

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New Orleans Faces Lawsuit Claiming Terrorist Attack ‘Foreseeable and Preventable,’ Shamsud Din Jabbar Exploited ‘Gross Negligence’

Tom Pappert
Shamsud Din Jabbar

A law firm announced on Sunday it will file a lawsuit against the City of New Orleans and New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on Wednesday over alleged “gross negligence” that purportedly allowed terrorist Shamsud Din Jabbar to drive a vehicle through a crowd of revelers early on New Year’s Day, killing 14 and injuring dozens.

The New Orleans-based Maples and Connick law firm stated in a press release that it will file its lawsuit against the city and police department on Wednesday morning, arguing, “their failure to implement basic safety precautions for citizens and visitors,” amounted to “negligence” that ultimately “paved the way for the tragic events that unfolded in the early morning hours of January 1, 2025.”

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Some Tennessee Law Enforcement Is Not Providing Data About Illegal Immigrants for Annual Report Due January 31

Tom Pappert
ICE Arrest

A spokesman for The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC) told The Tennessee Star the conference is currently preparing its first report to the governor and state legislators to establish the cost incurred to Tennessee taxpayers as a result of illegal immigrants who are processed through the criminal justice system, to fulfill its obligations under a law signed last year to bill the federal government for the results of President Joe Biden’s immigration policy.

Despite the legal requirement for law enforcement to provide data about illegal immigrants who are arrested in Tennessee, the agency told The Star that neither the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), nor the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, have provided data to the conference.

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Beacon Poll: Tennesseans Overwhelmingly Support Governor’s Universal School Choice Proposal

Kaitlin Housler
Classroom full of kids, that are being read a book

The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee published results of a poll it conducted on Monday revealing how registered Tennessee voters feel about a number of legislative issues at both the state and federal levels.

The right-of-center think tank polled 1,200 registered voters in Tennessee from December 16, 2024, to December 27, 2024.

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Report: 400,000 Anchor Babies Born in the U.S. in 2024

American Greatness
New Born Baby

A report by an immigration-centric think tank reveals that nearly 400,000 illegal births of so-called “anchor babies” occurred in the United States in the year 2024.

As reported by Breitbart, the data from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the total includes 300,000 anchor babies born to illegal aliens, while another 72,000 were born to foreigners in the country as tourists, on worker visas, or on student visas.

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Virginia Legislation Would Require Parents Provide Consent for Children to Use Social Media

Tom Pappert
Little Girl online

Legislation filed last month in Virginia would require social media companies to obtain verifiable parental consent before allowing minors to create accounts on social media platforms, effectively raising the age for Virginia’s existing parental consent requirement from 13 to 18, while also prohibiting the sale of data collected about children.

Senate Bill 783 was submitted on December 27, 2024, by State Senator David Suetterlein (R-Roanoke), and the bill’s description explains it requires social media companies to obtain “verifiable parental consent” before any minor Virginian can create an account or at least “before collecting, using, or disclosing such child’s personal data,” specifically in a commercial transaction.

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Massive Dockworker Strike Could Land in Trump Admin’s Lap on Day One

Daily Caller News Foundation
Donald Trump and Longshoreman Union

A costly dockworkers’ strike could ignite just days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, presenting the Republican’s administration with a major domestic challenge on day one.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which represents 47,000 workers, is planning to strike on Jan. 15 after a short three-day strike in October, where the union secured a 62% pay raise over six years from United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). However, negotiations concerning port automation with shipping companies continue to stall, and industry giant Maersk said there have been no new developments, according to Bloomberg Tuesday.

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Pro-Life Christian Detained for Preaching Gospel, Offering to Adopt Babies at Abortion Clinic

The Daily Signal
Zack Knotts

Police detained a pro-life father and husband outside an Ohio abortion clinic for sharing the Gospel and offering to adopt abortion-minded women’s babies. Still, he plans to return to the clinic this weekend.

Zack and Lindsay Knotts have spent the past three Saturdays outside Northeast Ohio Women’s Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, an hour drive from their home in Youngstown. The Christian couple takes turns using amplified sound to preach the Gospel, plead with mothers to choose life, and offer women free resources. They even volunteer to adopt the women’s babies themselves.

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Allstate Faces Calls for Boycott After CEO Blames ‘Addiction to Divisiveness and Negativity’ for New Orleans Terrorist Attack

Tom Pappert
Allstate CEO Tom Wilson

The insurance company Allstate is facing calls for a boycott from conservatives on the social media platform X following its Sugar Bowl advertisement that seemed to blame the “addiction to divisiveness and negativity” shared by United States citizens for the New Year’s Day terrorist attack that claimed 14 lives in New Orleans.

Allstate’s commercial featured its CEO, Tom Wilson, and was broadcast during the Sugar Bowl game, which was held in New Orleans and delayed one day by the terrorist attack authorities say was committed by Shamsud Din Jabbar.

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Biden DOJ Poured over $100 Million into ‘Restorative Justice,’ DEI Efforts for K-12 Students, New Report Finds

Daily Caller News Foundation

The Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Joe Biden awarded K-12 schools $100,113,942 in grants aimed at increasing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts since 2021, a new report says.

The DOJ divvied up at least 30 grants that explicitly mentioned DEI or stated an intention to improve outcomes for a specific demographic group. Many more included topics of restorative justice and social emotional learning, according to Parents Defending Education (PDE). A total of 102 grants involving such topics were sent to 946 school districts in 36 states, representing about 3,235,414 students.

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FBI Agent Who Initially Denied Terrorism Behind New Orleans Attack Appears Connected to Authors of ‘Legacy Tokens’ Memo

Tom Pappert
FBI Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan

Althea Duncan, the FBI Special Agent leading the agency’s investigation into the January 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans, wore a jacket emblazoned with the logo of the agency’s Critical Incident Response Group – Behavioral Analysis Unit (CRIG-BAU) during the same press conference when she denied the attack, which killed 14, was tied to terrorism.

“This is not a terrorist event, what is right now, is they’re improvised explosive devices that was found, and we are working on confirming if it is a viable device or not,” Duncan controversially said in a clip of the Wednesday press conference that accrued more than 10 million views on the social media platform X.

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Texas Supreme Court Ends Texas State Bar’s ‘Witch Hunt’ Against AG Ken Paxton’s Top Deputy over His Efforts to Secure Elections

Rachel Alexander

The Texas Supreme Court issued a ruling on Wednesday dismissing the State Bar of Texas’s (SBT) four-year-long attempt to discipline Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, calling it an “egregious invasion of the attorney general’s authority.” Webster assisted Paxton with combating election wrongdoing in the 2020 election, which included filing the lawsuit Texas v. Pennsylvania over the election irregularities in four states in 2020, which was joined by 21 other states.

Paxton, who is facing similar charges from the SBT, posted on X, “After four years of lawfare and political retaliation, the Texas Supreme Court has ended this witch hunt against the leadership of my office. The Texas State Bar attempted to punish us for fighting to secure our national elections, but we did not and will not ever back down from doing what is right. We have seen this playbook used against President Trump and other effective fighters for the American people and I am pleased that this attempt to stop our work has been defeated.”

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TN U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett: People Want to See President-Elect Donald Trump’s Agenda Move Forward

Kaitlin Housler
Tim Burchett

Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) ensured that House Republicans, like Americans, want to see President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda move forward despite the drama surrounding Friday’s speakership vote.

On Friday morning prior to the U.S. House voting to elect Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) as its speaker, Burchett joined The Michael Patrick Leahy Show where he made the remarks.
On Friday morning prior to the U.S. House voting to elect Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) as its speaker, Burchett joined The Michael Patrick Leahy Show where he made the remarks.

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H-1B Visas Have an Undeniable Fraud Problem

Just the News
Immigration applications

Shortly before Americans celebrated Christmas, two federal criminal cases affirmed long-standing warnings that the government’s H-1B visa program was ripe for fraud, and slow to bring accountability.

The cases in California and Illinois brought some long-awaited justice to schemes that have tried to help companies rig a system designed for narrow high-tech skills to instead hire foreigners for jobs that should have gone to Americans.

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Mortgage Rates Near Six-Month Peak as Bidenomics Burns Through American Buying Power

Daily Caller News Foundation
Home Buyers

U.S. mortgage rates rose to an almost six-month high toward the end of 2024, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

In the waning days of President Joe Biden’s term, the recent surge in mortgage rates rounds out four years of inflated home prices and high rates that have boxed out many first time home buyers. The average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with loan balances of $766,550 or less jumped to 6.97% over a one week period ending Dec. 27, 2024, which is up from 6.89% the week prior, resulting in a suppressed volume of mortgage applications, according to a Thursday press release from MBA.

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Tennessee State Sen. Brent Taylor Celebrates Following Resignation of Judge Who ‘Detests’ State Bail System

Tom Pappert
State Senator Brent Taylor, Judge Bill Anderson

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) celebrated on Thursday after Shelby County General Session Court Bill Anderson announced his resignation, confirming he will leave the judicial bench on March 1.

Anderson was previously the subject of complaints by Taylor to the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct (BJC), initially for declaring his “detest” for the Volunteer State’s bond and bail system, and more recently for releasing a man from jail despite the defendant being accused of firing a gun at a Memphis FedEx facility, citing the defendant’s ability to pay bail, despite Tennessee legislation that specifically prohibits judges from considering the financial circumstances of a suspect.

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Mexico’s Tariff Move on Apparel Imports Disrupts Supply Chains, Pushes Firms Toward Reshoring in the US

Christina Botteri
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum

Just before Christmas, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a significant increase in tariffs on textiles and apparel imports, along with the end of a “border-skipping” practice, which allowed U.S. e-commerce sellers to bypass tariffs on Chinese goods. The move – part of Mexico’s strategy to protect its own domestic textile industry and reduce reliance on Chinese imports – sent ripples through the global supply chain.

“The increased tariffs and cessation of duty-free imports puts apparel brands in a scramble to find alternative fulfillment solutions and consider shifting strategies from nearshoring via Mexico to reshoring their operations in the U.S.,” Ryan Martin, President of Distribution and Fulfillment at ITS Logistics said in a statement. 

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New Orleans Police Chief Admits She ‘Didn’t Know’ City Had Barriers to Stop Vehicles Driving on Sidewalks Before Terrorist Attack

Tom Pappert
NOLA Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick

New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said in a brief Thursday press conference that she was unaware New Orleans had “yellow archer” obstacles designed to prevent vehicles from driving on sidewalks.

Kirkpatrick’s remarks come after video was posted to the social media platform X showing the white Ford truck authorities say was used by terrorist Shasmud Din Jabbar to kill 14 people was able to evade a police vehicle and commit the attack after driving on the sidewalk.

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The United Football League Announces Its 2025 Season

Christina Botteri
UFL Roughnecks

The United Football League (UFL) announced its full 2025 game schedule on Thursday, adding that league’s media partners – FOX, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FOX Deportes, and ESPN Deportes – will broadcast all 43 games.

“We are thrilled to have exceptional partners like FOX and ESPN, who share our passion for celebrating the game and telling our story to a wide audience,” Russ Brandon, UFL President and CEO said in a statement. “With the launch of FOX UFL Friday, we’re excited to invite new fans to experience the incredible talent and heart that our players bring to the field.”

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FBI Silent on Whether Videos Recorded by Terrorist Shamsud Din Jabbar Before New Orleans Attack are ‘Legacy Tokens’ Unfit for Release

Tom Pappert
Shamsud Din Jabbar

The FBI did not immediately respond to a Thursday press inquiry from The Tennessee Star asking whether the agency will release the videos allegedly recorded by Shamsud Din Jabbar, who authorities say committed the January 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans that claimed the lives of at least 14 people.

According to CNN, with the outlet citing law enforcement sources, Jabbar recorded and posted to Facebook a series of videos during his drive from his modular home community the outskirts of Houston, Texas to New Orleans.

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Trump’s Former DOJ Official Jeffrey Clark Has Oral Argument Appealing Recommendation to Suspend His Law License

Rachel Alexander
Jeffery Clark

Oral arguments took place last month in the appeal by Donald Trump’s former Department of Justice Jeffrey Clark over a recommendation suspending his law license for two years due to his efforts advising Trump on 2020 election irregularities. A three-member committee of the District of Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility (BPR) found him culpable on August 1 of violating attorney ethics rules due to drafting a letter that was never sent to Georgia officials advising them of their options in dealing with the irregularities. 

The Washington D.C. Bar’s counsel, Hamilton Fox, who is pressing to disbar Clark as a “threat to democracy,” gave the argument for the bar to eight members of the BPR. Fox referred to the letter Clark drafted as a “false letter,” since the officials above him decided not to send it. One of the attorney members on the BPR responded that attorney ethics rules don’t prohibit attorneys from disagreeing with their superiors.

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Homelessness Spiked 18 Percent in 2024; Migrants Caused Record Rise

The Center Square
Homeless

The number of homeless people in the U.S. reached the highest level recorded in 2024, as more than 770,000 people lived without housing on a single night in January, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual report.

The number is an 18% increase from 2023, fueled in part by the surge of migrants illegally entering the U.S. and residing without housing in sanctuary cities, the report noted.

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