Nashville Police Claim Covenant Killer Investigation Still Underway, ‘Some Work’ Still Needed to Document March 2023 Attack

Covenant School shooting scene

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) told The Tennessee Star earlier this month that its investigation of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale remains ongoing, with “some work” still needed to document the March 27, 2023 attack that claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three school staff members.

MNPD Public Affairs director Don Aaron told The Star the investigation is still underway and remains in a documentation phase in a November 1 email. The MNPD official wrote, “Considerable progress has been made, though there is still some work to complete,” and said there is not a specific date for completion.

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Reporter Steve Baker Enters Guilty Plea in January 6 Case to ‘Avoid Shaming Exercise of a Trial’

Journalist Steve Baker

Reporter and January 6 defendant Steve Baker entered an Alford plea on Tuesday, acknowledging the state has enough evidence to convict him without admitting guilt, in what he later called a move to avoid the “shaming exercise of a trial.”

Then working as an independent journalist, Baker was inside restricted parts of the U.S. Capitol complex on January 6, 2021. Three years after the protest, he was charged by the Biden-Harris Department of Justice for attempting to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory with his presence.

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Justice Alito Has No Plans to Retire: Report

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito does not intend to retire in light of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Trump’s election sparked speculation Alito and Thomas, 74 and 76 years old, respectively, would retire to enable Trump to appoint younger conservative justices to the bench. However, people close to the justice told the WSJ this is not a factor in Alito’s plans.

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Commentary: Trump Will Fix the Budget One Program at a Time

President Donald Trump, 2020

With the election behind us, a huge win for President Donald Trump, it is time to get serious about policy. One of Trump’s best campaign lines was: “Kamala broke it. Trump will fix it.” To be sure, the federal budget was out of whack already, but the Biden-Harris administration really broke it through massive increases in federal spending.

Time to fix it, but if Republicans go about this as they have in the past, they will surely fumble and fail.

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Trump Builds No-Nonsense Team as Pollster Predicts He Could Rival Reagan’s Legacy in Second Term

Donald Trump

by John Solomon   Donald Trump sent an unmistakable message with his first few personnel choices for his second term, dispatching to the halls of power players like Elise Stefanik, Tom Homan, Lee Zeldin and Stephen Miller who take a no-nonsense approach to their jobs and will focus on everyday Americans’ wants and needs rather than those of global elitists and Washington special interests. And if the president-elect’s new team can stay focused on making America affordable again by defeating inflation, making the country secure again by fixing the border and rounding up criminals and restoring common sense to public policies from energy to transgenderism, one of the nation’s top pollsters believes he can cement a lofty place in history. “Donald Trump now has the opportunity to become the most influential president since Ronald Reagan,” pollster Scott Rasmussen wrote Monday in a private report to clients of his Napolitan Institute. “If over the next four years he and the Republican Congress can achieve the three main priorities established by the American people, he will have presided over a fundamental political realignment and paved the way for ongoing GOP success.” Rasmussen cautioned, however, that Trump’s legacy of impact will be determined…

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Tom Basile: Republicans Must ‘Stick Together,’ ‘Get Stuff Done’ as the Democrats are Already ‘Plotting to Make a Comeback’

Tom Basile, Michael Patrick Leahy

Tom Basile, host of the Newsmax show “America Right Now,” discussed how critical it is for Republicans to “stick together” and “get stuff done” quickly during the incoming Trump administration, explaining how the Democratic Party is “already plotting to make a comeback” in the next election.

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Lawyer Working for Trump Says DOJ Attorneys Who Don’t Get on Board with Trump Agenda May Get Fired

Mark Paoletta

A conservative attorney on President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team said that attorneys at the Department of Justice could face getting fired if they don’t cooperate with his agenda.

“Once the decision is made to move forward, career employees are required to implement the President’s plan,” Mark Paoletta wrote on the social media platform, X.

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Biden Taps Coordinator of Obama’s Iran Nuclear Deal to Lead Trump Transition at State Department

Stephen Mull

The Biden U.S. State Department announced on Thursday the agency’s transition to the Trump administration will be coordinated by Stephen Mull, a former longtime State Department official who most recently served as the lead coordinator for the Iran nuclear deal reached under former President Barack Obama, and who is now the provost for the University of Virginia (UVA).

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed Mull was appointed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to lead the agency’s transition in a press conference. He told reporters the agency views a “peaceful transition of power” as an “essential part of our democracy that is vital to our nation’s security.”

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NeverTrumper Facing Georgia GOP Expulsion over Harris Support Acknowledges Trump’s ‘Mandate’

Geoff Duncan

Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan on Monday urged other “disgruntled” Republicans who opposed President-elect Donald Trump to give the incoming administration “a chance” in the wake Trump’s electoral landslide and popular vote mandate.

Duncan, who is facing expulsion from the Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) over his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential election, made his remarks during a Monday interview with WABE.

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‘Difficult Day’: Workplaces, Schools React to Trump Election with ‘Aromatherapy’ and ‘Angry’ All-Staff Emails

Donald Trump

As local Republicans celebrate President Donald Trump’s historic reelection to the White House on Nov. 5, Minnesota workplaces, schools, and local leaders have responded by creating safe spaces and mourning.

“We have been through a Trump presidency before and we made it through,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a somber video posted to X. “We will make it through again.”

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Commentary: The Fault, Dear Democrats, Is in Yourselves

Kamala Harris

“Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves.” – William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

“They had learned nothing and forgotten nothing.” – Often attributed to Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand

The Democratic election postmortem immediately descended into public blame-gaming—as expected. When Joe Biden was forced off the ticket in late July, the conspirators issued a party line that he was to be praised as a veritable George Washington—in the spirit of Washington’s farewell address of 1796 about why it was a good thing for the first president not to run for a third term.

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Senator-Elect Dave McCormick Plans to Attend Freshman Class Orientation Despite No Invite from Schumer

Dave McCormick

Senator-elect Dave McCormick (R-Penn.) announced Monday that he plans to attend the freshman Senator orientation on Tuesday, despite the lack of an invitation from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY).

“Looking forward to joining the Senate freshman class of 2025 for orientation this week!” McCormick wrote on X. “I’m honored to represent the people of Pennsylvania, and will fight hard to make sure their voices are heard in Washington. Let’s get to work!”

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Tennessee Governor Asks Attorney General to Investigate FEMA for Political Discrimination After Hurricane Helene

Skrmetti FEMA

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Sunday revealed he is working with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to investigate whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) discriminated against Tennesseans affected by Hurricane Helene based on their political views.

Lee made the announcement after a FEMA official directed relief workers to avoid homes advertising support for President-elect Donald Trump after Hurricane Milton in Florida, specifically through guidance that told workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump” and “practice de-escalation and preventative measures” as best practices when providing relief.

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Reporter Tom Pappert: Trump’s Addition of Elise Stefanik, Tom Homan to His Administration Is ‘Brilliant’

Tom Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he believes President-elect Donald Trump made a “brilliant” choice in tapping U.S. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) and former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan to be a part of his administration.

On Monday, Trump announced that he is nominating Stefanik to serve in his cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

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Election Integrity 2024: Wins and More Battles Ahead

People Voting

Following the relatively few election issues that occurred on Election Day, the election integrity movement has celebrated its wins and continues to look ahead to securing the nation’s future elections.

While the Republican National Committee and its allies monitored polls on Election Day and are still watching ballot counting in places like Arizona, election integrity groups are reviewing the relative success of election security and focusing on ensuring that election policies are implemented by Republican majorities starting next year.

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Democrat Governors, City Leaders Pledge to Shield Illegal Immigrants from Trump’s Agenda

Democratic Governors

Democratic governors and other liberal elected officials have lined up to declare that they will fight back against President-elect Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda.

Trump, who won the election on Tuesday in an electoral landslide, has promised to conduct mass deportations across the country and withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities, along with a slate of other hawkish enforcement proposals. However, Democratic governors in Massachusetts, California and Illinois — all of whom have been speculated as potential 2028 presidential contenders — and other elected leaders have said they will use their authority to push back against the upcoming administration’s agenda.

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Legal Expert Braden Boucek Details How New York Judge Could Still Sentence Trump to Prison This Month

Braden Boucek, vice president of Litigation for Southeastern Legal Foundation, explained the different avenues New York Judge Juan Merchan can pursue on Tuesday when he decides whether President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush money case should be overturned in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.

In July, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. United States that Trump is immune from federal prosecution for official acts he took while in office.

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Arizona Senate President Promises Bill to Speed Up Election Results After State Becomes 50th to Declare Presidential Winner

Arizona State Senate President Warren Petersen

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) promised to submit legislation to increase the speed of the state’s election reporting after it was the last state in the union to declare the the winner of its presidential election on Saturday, when it confirmed President-elect Donald Trump will receive Arizona’s 11 electoral votes.

Petersen made the pledge in a post to the social media platform X, where he wrote that Senators Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff), JD Mesnard (R-Chandler), and Shawnna Bolick (R-San Miguel) will receive help from Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd to craft “the best legislation possible for introduction in January.”

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Kamala’s Campaign Is Still Aggressively Shaking Down Supporters for Cash

Kamala Harris

Even after her loss on Nov. 5, Vice President Kamala Harris’ election campaign is still hounding donors for money.

Harris’ campaign has bombarded supporters with fundraising messages following her election day defeat, with the most recent being sent out Sunday night, according to emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Each email claims, using slightly different language, that the “Harris Fight Fund” is collecting donations to fund legal efforts and recount initiatives to help Democrats in close congressional races.

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Trump Reveals His Day One Plan to End Veteran Homelessness

Homeless Veterans

President-elect Donald Trump said he would work to end veteran homelessness on the first day of his administration by signing an executive order to redirect funds previously spent by the Biden-Harris administration on illegal aliens to be instead used to shelter and treat homeless U.S. veterans.

Throughout the Biden-Harris administration, sanctuary cities such as Chicago and New York have made headlines for housing illegal aliens in luxury hotel rooms at the cost of taxpayers.

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Trump Chooses GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik as U.S. Ambassador to UN

Elise Stefanik

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik for the role of the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN).

Stefanik is one of the first appointments announced by Trump for his incoming administration since he won this year’s presidential election last Tuesday. Trump’s team told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement on Monday that he was excited to bring Stefanik into his administration for the key role, citing her “strong” qualities.

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Trump Teases Plan to ‘Cut Waste, Stop Inflation, and Crush the Deep State’

Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump said he would restore the executive branch impoundment authority to “cut waste, stop inflation, and crush the Deep State” during his second term.

In a video posted by his presidential campaign in June 2023, Trump explained that, if elected, he would “use the president’s long-recognized Impoundment Power to squeeze the bloated federal bureaucracy for massive savings.”

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Sen. Bill Hagerty Says He Will ‘Work Arm in Arm’ with Trump ‘In Whatever Role’ amid Cabinet Rumors

Sen Bill Hagerty on "Face the Nation"

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) declined to address rumors he is being considered by President-elect Donald Trump for a cabinet position during a Friday appearance on CNN, but vowed to “work arm in arm” with Trump “in whatever role,” likely signaling a willingness to serve the incoming administration if asked.

“I’ll leave the speculation to the speculators,” Hagerty told the network. “I’m just so excited that President Trump has delivered the mandate that he did on election day. I’m so pleased that Republicans are now in control of the Senate, and I do believe that we’ll hold control of the House.”

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Commentary: A Veterans Day Anniversary That Turned the Tide and Saved the World

America’s Veterans Day is recognized in other English-speaking countries as Remembrance Day. With the anniversary this month of both the Battle of El Alamein and the North Africa “Torch” Landings, the observance has an added meaning.

In November 1942, for all intents and purposes, the outcome of World War II hung in the balance. On all fronts, the Axis forces were advancing while the Allies suffered setbacks in almost every theater of combat. But momentum began to shift; if the month began with pessimism and despair, it ended in a cautious optimism that the Allied cause had commanders who could win.

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Commentary: The Creation of an Ombudsman Could Solve Tennessee Corrections Crisis

Tousdale Turner prison

It is often credited to Dostoyevsky that a nation can be judged by the condition of its prisons. If that is true, then Americans should be deeply concerned.  Too many of our country’s prisons are places of despair and abuse, plagued by understaffing, crumbling infrastructure, and chronic violence – and Tennessee is no exception.  This has become clear with the recent incidents at Trousdale Turner, state auditing reports, and a report from the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC).

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Concerns Increase of Election Fraud in Kari Lake’s Race, Massive Ballot Curing Effort Ongoing as Lake Warns Pima County

Sorting Ballots

While the mainstream media has called every other state in the country for Donald Trump and almost all other candidates, Maricopa County and some other Arizona counties are still tabulating ballots several days after the election, leaving the results of the U.S. Senate race between Kari Lake and Ruben Gallego up in the air. In response, Turning Point USA and Lake supporters launched a massive ballot curing effort, and Lake sent a stern letter to Pima County about anomalies. 

Arizona has not announced its presidential results even though Trump is leading by 6 points over Kamala Harris with 99 percent of precincts reporting. When Joe Biden ostensibly won the state in 2020 by 10,457 votes, or 49.4 percent to 49.1 percent, Fox News called the election for Biden on election night. 

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