Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Mayor Andy Ogles of Maury County to discuss federal government overreach and resisting COVID mandates safely.
Read the full storyTag: COVID
Sen. Cruz: Skyrocketing Inflation in U.S. Comparable to 1970s under Carter
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says that skyrocketing inflation and long lines at gas stations are a result of President Joe Biden’s policies and are returning the U.S. to the days of high inflation, high cost of living and gas lines under President Jimmy Carter.
Eleven months into Biden’s term, inflation reached a 31-year high and gas prices surpassed a seven-year high.
“I’ve got to tell you the trillions that are being spent, the trillions in debt that’s being racked up, it is historic and not in a good way,” Cruz told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Read the full storyYouTube Censors Senator Johnson’s Expert Panel on COVID Vaccines
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) announced on Twitter that YouTube has removed his video of an expert panel discussing the impact of the COVID vaccine and mandates. Johnson said this is the fifth time YouTube has removed one of his uploads. Johnson’s YouTube account is now temporarily suspended from uploading content for seven days.
Johnson said that YouTube’s censorship has only gotten worse, “This time they don’t want you to hear 3.5 hours of stories from doctors, scientists and the vaccine injured.” His video featuring stories of those who have been injured by the COVID vaccine as well as expert opinions can still be found on Rumble.
Read the full storyBorder Agents Ordered to Cease Deporting Nicaraguans under Public Health Emergency Authority
On Friday, Customs and Border Patrol agents received instructions on a new policy: Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security would no longer allow deportations of Nicaraguan illegal aliens under Title 42, a clause within the 1944 Public Health Services Law that “allows the government to prevent the introduction of individuals during certain public health emergencies.”
All Nicaraguans entering the U.S. illegally, with some exceptions related to criminal history, will be released directly into the U.S. as of Friday afternoon, Just The News has learned.
The order to all CBP agents was issued verbally on a conference call. Official orders in writing are expected soon. The Department of Homeland Security has not issued a statement, nor has CBP.
Read the full storyFlorida School Districts Drop Mask Mandates, End Legal Challenges
As the recent COVID wave in Florida recedes, all school districts that previously enforced mask mandates in Florida have dropped their masks requirements. In addition, a number of school districts that chose to challenge the Department of Health (DOH) rule that banned mask mandates have decided to end their legal challenges to the rule.
Back in October, the Leon County School District – home to the state capitol – ended a mask mandate policy with a parental opt-out provision. The decision came after the district was found to be violating the DOH rule.
Following the Leon County decision, the Broward County School District voted to remove its mask mandates for all school levels effective November 20th.
Read the full storyLeaked Email from Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcom in 2020 Said COVID Numbers ‘Don’t Justify Dial Backs’
A leaked email from Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Jan Malcom appears to say that the “small impacts” are not enough to justify “dial backs” to the public. The emails, sent in October of 2020, include from Malcolm to other MDH staff and one from the Chief of Staff for Governor Tim Walz (D).
Read the full storyUniversity of Wisconsin Health to Require COVID Vaccine for Transplants
The University of Wisconsin (UW) Health is now requiring that candidates for transplants must be vaccinated against COVID. Wisc News reported that the rule “requires patients on the transplant waiting list to get a first dose of vaccine by Dec. 15 and a second dose, if needed, by Jan. 14.”
Read the full storyThe Godfather of Conservative Rap, Bryson Gray Responds to Crom’s Commentary Friday Morning
Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed conservative rapper Bryson Gray in studio to respond to Crom’s Commentary Friday morning.
Read the full storyFirst Day of Child Vaccination Reaches Capacity at Both Metro Nashville Locations
Metro Nashville’s first day of administering COVID vaccinations to children ages 5 to 11 ended after it reached capacity Monday. Two locations offered the shots, Maplewood High School and Cane Ridge High School from 3 pm to 6:30 pm.
The Metro Public Health Department tweeted, “We are encouraged by the response at our drive-thru vaccination event at Maplewood High School. Our team is working as fast as they can to get to everyone as soon as possible. Everyone currently in line will be served, but no more vehicles will be joining the line tonight.”
Read the full storyCrom’s Commentary: Crom Talks About Biden’s Handling of COVID
Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio for another edition of Crom’s Commentary.
Read the full storyHundreds Gather to Protest 3M COVID Vaccine Mandates
MAPLEWOOD, Minnesota – Hundreds gathered outside of the 3M located in Maplewood, Minnesota on Sunday afternoon to protest the company’s COVID vaccine mandate. 3M mandated the COVID vaccine for their employees, with a deadline of December 8.
Read the full storyUniversity of Wisconsin Begins Testing of COVID Vaccine on Infants 6 Months to 5 Years
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has begun testing the COVID vaccination on infants and toddlers aged six months to five years. They will be one of several vaccine sites across North America testing the Moderna vaccine, which has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The testing will be conducted on around 4,000 very young children, a portion of which will be performed at the University of Wisconsin’s testing site.
Read the full storyMinnesota Department of Health Says COVID Vaccines Given to Minors Without Parental Consent Under ‘Special Circumstances’
In a statement released by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as a part of the state’s new COVID vaccine program for elementary aged children, they shared that COVID vaccines can be given to minors without parental consent under “special circumstances.”
Read the full storyWisconsin Congressional Delegates Respond to Occupational Safety and Health Administration Vaccine Mandate
Wisconsin Congressional Delegates responded to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) COVID vaccine mandate that was announced Thursday. Representative Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-05) said in a tweet that President Joe Biden couldn’t have chosen a worse time.
Read the full storyMinnesota Rep. Stauber Demands Biden Admin Halt Vaccine Mandate for Border Patrol
Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber has demanded that the Biden Administration halt the COVID vaccine mandate for those serving as Border Patrol agents. Stauber said in a tweet, “Border Patrol agents are heroes [and] shouldn’t be fired over their vaccination status. We need every one of them to address the Biden Border Crisis.”
Read the full storyWilson County School Board Ends Mask Mandate
The Wilson County School Board (WCSB) recently voted to end the mask mandate for students. In a unanimous vote, the board agreed to remove masks in schools was enforced, that it would end its mandate as well.
During this week’s WCSB meeting, Board Director Jeff Luttrell said that based on the low amount of new COVID cases, “I’m going to recommend that we go back to, that we relieve the mask mandate, and we relieve the quarantine. But I do think… that our COVID policy will adhere to state law.”
Read the full storyRally Opposing Mandates for Kids Takes Place Outside Minnesota Department of Education
A rally opposing mandates for kids took place outside the Minnesota Department of Education building in Roseville, Minnesota on Wednesday. The rally, organized by Mark Bishofsky, had around 200 attendees. Bishofsky has organized several other protests in the last few months, hosting one of the largest Stop The Mandate protests at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Read the full storyCommentary: Democrat Spending Bill Taxes the Rich and the Poor
“No one got everything they wanted, including me, but that’s what compromise is. That’s consensus. And that’s what I ran on.”
That was President Joe Biden on Oct. 28 unveiling his latest $1.75 trillion spending bill—watered down from $3.5 trillion after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) refused to budge on the topline number—that Congress is expected to vote on this week.
Read the full storyVice President of Independent Women’s Voice, Carrie Lukas Talks Distrust of Public Schooling
Monday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Independent Women’s Voice and author, Carrie Lukas, to the newsmaker line to discuss her recent article related to her distrust of Virginia’s public schools.
Read the full storyTennessee Legislature Passes Sweeping COVID Rules Bill Overnight
After hours of deliberation and the formation of a legislative conference committee, the Tennessee Legislature passed a 21-page omnibus COVID-19 bill early Saturday morning to close its special session.
The bill in its original form gained negative attention from several businesses in the state, including the Ford Motor Company, which was the subject of last week’s special session when the Legislature approved $884 million in spending related to Ford’s $5.6 billion electric truck factory outside of Memphis.
Read the full storyCrom’s Commentary: The Idiots Surrounding Joe Biden and His Failed Approach to Public Policy
Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio for another addition of Crom’s Commentary.
Read the full storySpeakers Randy McNally and Cameron Sexton Create Omnibus Bill to Incorporate Most Other COVID-Related Legislation
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – While more than 80 bills in total were filed in each chamber of the Tennessee General Assembly, it was a bill filed by Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) that was amended to become an “omnibus” bill to incorporate provisions included in most of the other bills.
The bills were all filed for consideration during the Third Extraordinary Session of the Tennessee General Assembly focused on COVID-related issues which began Wednesday with organizational floor sessions of the House and Senate.
Commentary: The Unemployment Rate Does Not Offer Guidance Now
The Labor Department’s official unemployment rate—the most well-known gauge of the labor market’s health—counts as unemployed only those who aren’t working but are actively seeking a job.
Yet there is very little that we can infer from the jobless rate about the health of the economy. The unavoidable conclusion is that the only reason investors follow the calculation is because both Washington’s politicians and the Federal Reserve are expected to react to it.
Read the full storyCommentary: Tennessee Legislature Must Pass Big COVID Test in ‘Special Session’
The red state/blue state dichotomy is not simple.
Nowhere is that more apparent than Tennessee where—despite having one of the most conservative electorates in the country—the leadership has been passive at best in responding to the wishes of their supporters during these days of great crisis.
Read the full storyCommentary: Activating the ‘Secret Police’ to Aid School Boards
The FBI will investigate threats and intimidation against school board members, administrators, teachers, and staff, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Oct. 4. In so doing, Garland claimed federal jurisdiction over local law enforcement, in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution.
This power grab by the AG supposedly came as a response to a letter from the National School Boards Association (NSBA), a leftist advocacy group with vast influence over the nation’s school boards. To gain some insight into how this ukase or edict is playing out, I attended a school board meeting in the charming village of Greenwich (“It’s Greeen-wich, not Gren-itch”) in northern New York state.
Read the full storyPoll: Majority of Americans Think COVID-19 Threat is Getting Less Serious
The majority of Americans believe the threat of the coronavirus is getting less serious, and a plurality believe President Joe Biden and government health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci don’t want lockdowns to end, according to a new poll conducted by the Convention of States Action in partnership with The Trafalgar Group.
“Despite the fact that Big Media and Big Tech are working tirelessly to suppress the truth, this poll reveals that most Americans aren’t fooled in the least,” Mark Meckler, president of Convention of States Action, said. “They clearly see that the pandemic is on a downward trend, and they also understand that President Biden and Dr. Fauci have no intention of easing restrictions and mandates,””
According to the poll, 63.1% of likely voters believe the threat of the coronavirus is getting less serious, with 25.9% saying it’s much less serious, compared to 26.1% who say it’s getting more serious. Nearly 11% said they weren’t sure.
Read the full storyDemocratic Cities That Sought to Defund Police Reverse Course Amid Rising Crime, Police Shortages
Some Democratic cities that once sought to defund their police departments are now reversing course — some by their own volition, some under pressure from Republican governors or citizen-led initiatives.
The course corrections come as major cities have experienced more officers resigning or retiring and losing new recruits amid escalating crime and political vilification of police.
Read the full storyWisconsin Mom: School Board Recall Effort About Parents Getting Involved, Not Just Masks
What started out as frustration over coronavirus rules and face masks has now grown into an effort across Wisconsin to recall dozens of local school board members.
Voters in the Mequon-Thiensville school district will decide on Nov 2 if four members of the local school board should keep their seats. Mequon-Thiensville is just the latest of Wisconsin’s school board recalls.
Read the full storyTennessee Sen. Blackburn and Kansas Sen. Marshall Introduce Bill to Pause Gain-of-Function Research Funding
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is sponsoring legislation with Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) to place a moratorium on gain-of-function (GOF) research, problems with which many believe played a role in the outbreak of COVID-19.
GOF experiments enhance the severity or transmissibility of a virus or other biological agent. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have condoned such research “to help us understand the fundamental nature of human-pathogen interactions, assess the pandemic potential of emerging infectious agents and inform public health and preparedness efforts.” The NIH have however acknowledged major “biosafety and biosecurity risks” that warrant meticulous oversight.
Read the full storyRachel Levine Becomes First ‘Transgender’ Four-Star Admiral
Assistant Secretary of Health Richard Levine, a man who identifies as a woman and goes by the name of Rachel, has been sworn in as the first “transgender” four-star admiral in America, as reported by the New York Post.
On Tuesday, the 63-year-old Levine was named as an admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which is not one of the armed forces of the United States military. Following the swearing-in ceremony, Levine tweeted that he was “deeply honored and grateful to join the ranks of men and women across this great nation who have committed to defend the United States against small and large threats, known and unknown.”
Read the full storySenate, House Pass Michigan Opportunity Scholarship Bills
In what was characterized as a blow against the state constitution’s Blaine amendments, members of the House and Senate on Tuesday passed a slate of bills aimed at providing opportunity scholarships for Michigan students.
Senate Bills 687 and 688 and House Bills 5404 and 5405 all passed mainly along party lines, with Republicans supporting the legislation and Democrats in opposition. Each chamber’s respective education committees moved the bills forward earlier in the day.
Read the full storyTennessee State Representative Chris Todd Talks Mechanics and Concerns of New Ford Motor Mega Site Deal
Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed State Representative (R-73) Chris Todd to the newsmakers line to discuss the mechanics of the For Motor Megasite deal.
Read the full storyWalz Snaps When Asked About Minnesota Republicans’ Priorities: ‘None of Those Things are Real’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz snapped at reporters Friday when he was asked about Republican priorities for a special session that has been in the works for months.
“They wanted an absolute ban on vaccine passports, which we don’t have a damn vaccine passport so quit pretending on the politics. My patience level is gone,” Walz said Friday during a visit to North Memorial Hospital.
Read the full storyHoliday Blues: Economic Challenges Threaten Season with Delays, Shortages and Price Hikes
A series of economic struggles that have grown increasingly worse this year will likely have a significant impact on the holiday season, many economic experts predict.
After President Joe Biden gave remarks from the White House this week, one reporter called out, “Will Christmas presents arrive on time, sir?” The president did not respond to that question or the flurry of others as he walked away from the podium.
Read the full storyNearly 47 Percent of Americans Think Natural Immunity to COVID-19 as Effective as Getting Vaccinated, Poll
Nearly half of Americans believe natural immunity to COVID-19 is as effective as the getting vaccinated, according to a new Convention of States Action/ Trafalgar Group poll.
Among the roughly 1,000 respondents in the national survey of likely 2020 voters, 46.5% said they believe people who have recovered from COVID with natural immunity from antibodies have the same level of protection as those that are fully vaccinated.
The survey was conducted from Oct. 7-10, as the public debate continues over government-mandated vaccines and the efficacy of the shots and masks.
Read the full storyMinneapolis Schools Reduce Quarantine Period After Petition
Minneapolis Public Schools announced that they will be reducing the mandatory quarantine period following a petition from parents arguing that their policies were stricter than the surrounding districts. As of Sunday, the petition had been signed by over 600 parents.
Read the full storyCrom’s Commentary: Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Is Causing Supply Chain Problems
Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, guest host Grant Henry welcomes Crom’s Commentary to discuss the absence of the Secretary of Transportation, supply chain issues, and COVID.
Read the full storyMinnesota ER Doctors Share Frustrations over Inability to Accept Trauma Patients
Several Minnesota ER doctors shared their concerns and frustrations over the growing inability of larger local hospitals to accept trauma patients. One Minnesota emergency room doctor who preferred to remain anonymous said that the impact of this lack of staffing is much larger than anyone might realize.
Read the full storyWatchdog Group Seeks Records from Agencies on Funding of Nonprofit Involved in Wuhan-Based ‘Gain-of-Function’ Research
A watchdog organization has filed requests via the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) this week to obtain information about the U.S. government’s funding of China-based gain-of-function studies that many believe have played a role in the origin of COVID-19.
Gain-of-function (GOF) research is experimentation that enhances the severity or transmissibility of a virus or other biological agent. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have said such work “poses biosafety and biosecurity risks [which] must be carefully managed,” though the NIH have justified funding GOF research “to help us understand the fundamental nature of human-pathogen interactions, assess the pandemic potential of emerging infectious agents and inform public health and preparedness efforts.”
Read the full storyAll Star Panelist Clint Brewer Weighs in on the Poor Public Relations Strategy for Both Southwest Airlines and the White House
Thursday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in studio to discuss the White House’s inability to manage expectations during the COVID pandemic.
Read the full storyCommentary: Biden Reinstates Catch and Release with More Than 227,000 Illegal Aliens Released Since January 2021
President Joe Biden has reinstated “catch and release,” a policy allowing illegal aliens to be released into the United States pending an immigration hearing — which had been discontinued under former President Donald Trump — resulting in more than 227,000 illegal aliens being released on their own recognizance through Aug. 2021.
That is out of 535,000 aliens apprehended in Fiscal Year 2021 by the U.S. Border Patrol, a porous 42 percent catch-and-release rate by Biden.
Read the full storyMinnesota Healthcare Workers Suing over COVID Vaccine Mandate Forced to Identify Themselves
A group of Minnesota healthcare workers who are suing several of the state’s healthcare systems over the COVID vaccine mandates are going to be forced to identify themselves. A judge ruled on Tuesday that they must give the names of the plaintiffs to all of the defendants.
Read the full storyMothers Sue Wisconsin Schools over Lack of COVID Restrictions After Children Catch COVID
Two mothers are suing Wisconsin schools for their lack of COVID restrictions after their children caught COVID. According to the complaint, both of the Wisconsin children who caught COVID wore masks to school, while some of their classmates did not.
Read the full storyCommentary: Parents Aren’t Domestic Terrorists
It is probably an understatement to say that when one group designates another as a terrorist organization, diplomatic relations between the two become strained.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights.”
Truths. Equal. Creator. Rights. Concerned parents want schools to teach truths, not ideologies; operate under equality, not equity; and respect faith in our Creator and our parental rights. These are the fundamental principles from our Declaration that are at stake in American education today.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Left Destroys Everything It Touches
What was the purpose for the insane opposition of the Left between 2017 and 2021? To usher in a planned nihilism, an incompetent chaos, a honed anarchy to wreck the country in less than a year?
No sooner had Donald Trump entered office than scores of House Democrats filed motions for impeachment, apparently for thought crimes that he might, some day, in theory, could possibly commit.
Read the full storyCommentary: A.G. Garland’s Use of Police Power Against Parents Could Be His Undoing
Destruction of the family has always been at the center of the collectivist project. In chapter two of The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels point out that the destruction of private property will never be complete until the “abolition [Aufhebung] of the family” is accomplished. The dream is perennial among snarling misanthropists. A couple of years ago, an interview in The Nation with a radical feminist explained that if you “want to dismantle capitalism” then you have to “abolish the family.”
It is worth keeping that in mind as the little drama of Merrick Garland versus the parents of America unfolds. I wrote about the attorney general’s absurd but troubling memorandum shortly after it was released on October 4. As all the world knows (but only some precincts of the world admit), Garland threatened to mobilize the entire police power of the state against parents. Why?
Read the full storyCrom’s Commentary on Joe Biden’s Governmental Power Grab and American’s Unwilling to Bend the Knee
Monday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Crom Carmichel in studio for a special edition of Crom’s Commentary and how American’s are not ready to bend the knee in the era of COVID.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Insufferable Piety of the Progressive Elites
Freedom in Australia is now at the mercy of a state and its police apparatus bent on controlling people’s every movement.
But despite the extensive footage of protests gone violent, neither American liberal media nor domestic social justice movements are raising alarms about police brutality in that country.
Read the full storyLawmakers Seek Federal Grand Jury Investigation for COVID-19 Statistical Manipulation
The CDC adopted a “double-standard exclusively for COVID-19 data collection” that inflated cases and deaths starting early in the pandemic, violating multiple federal laws and distorting mitigation policies, Oregon lawmakers told the feds’ top lawyer in the state.
Advised by “a large team of world-renowned doctors, epidemiologists, virologists, and attorneys,” state Senators Kim Thatcher and Dennis Linthicum petitioned U.S. Attorney Scott Asphaug to approve a grand jury investigation into how the pandemic is being measured.
Read the full storyMinnesota Announces Expansion of Rapid COVID Tests in Schools
Minnesota has announced an expansion of rapid COVID testing in schools. According to Minnesota Public Radio, “The state is making rapid at-home tests available to districts that request them.”
Read the full story