Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) to the newsmaker line to talk about his opposition to the $40 billion Ukraine aid package and the dwindling support of the Democratic Party.
Read the full storyTag: Russia
Minnesota Farmers Are Far Behind Schedule This Planting Season
Minnesota farmers have been unable to plant nearly any wheat and have only planted a small amount of corn so far this year.
Last year, nearly all of Minnesota’s wheat (99%) was in the ground by mid-May, but per the most recent figures from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), only 5% has been planted so far this year. Corn producers are having a similarly rough year thus far. Only 35% of Minnesota’s corn has been put in the ground so far. Normally by this time, almost double as much would have been planted according to the USDA.
Read the full storyRussia Announces Western Military Buildup to Match NATO Presence Near Its Borders
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the buildup of forces in the nation’s Western Military District as a response to the mounting NATO forces near its borders.
“Twelve military units and subunits will be formed in the Western Military District by the end of the year,” said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who highlighted the Swedish and Finnish bids to join NATO as factors in the buildup, according to Russian state media outlet Tass.
Read the full storyHillary Factor: Evidence Now Shows False Russia Collusion Story Began and Ended with Clinton
In an era where the hunt for disinformation has become a political obsession, Hillary Clinton has mostly escaped having to answer what role she played in spreading the false Russia collusion narrative that gripped America for nearly three years.
On Friday, that dodge ended with a most unlikely witness: her former campaign manager Robby Mook, who was supposed to be a witness helping the defense of her former campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann on a charge of lying to the FBI.
Read the full storyCommentary: Stop Canceling Ordinary Russians
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now in its third month, the demonization of all things Russian continues in the West. Russian athletes are prohibited from participating in sporting events, Russian artists prevented from performing, and an Italian university even “postponed” a course on Dostoevsky. As Tal Fortgang observes, “cancel culture is directed not at Russia the violent invader, but at people who have been made into avatars for Russianism.”
Read the full storyOhio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Calls on Federal Government to Address Inflation
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose called on the federal government to address record inflation that is impacting small businesses across the state.
According to LaRose, his office received only 15,488 new business filings in April 2022—a dramatic decline from previous months. In March, he got 20 percent more applications.
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist Clint Brewer: Tennessee Delegation’s Reluctance to Back $40 Billion in Ukraine Aid Due to ‘Lack of Trust and Belief’ in Biden’s Intent and Competency
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in-studio to comment upon Tennessee’s reluctance to support the $40 billion Ukraine package and Russia’s position on the world stage.
Read the full storySenator Bill Hagerty on the Biden Administration’s ‘Theology and Religion of Climate,’ Collapsing the Southern Border to ‘Transform’ America
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) to the newsmaker line to discuss his decision not to vote for the 40 billion dollar aid package to Ukraine and the concerted effort by the Biden administration to transform the United States of America.
Read the full storyMore Illegal Aliens Crossed the Border in April Than Any Month in Modern History
In the month of April, at least 234,088 illegal aliens crossed the border into the United States, smashing all previous records for the highest monthly total of illegal border crossings in modern history.
As reported by the Washington Examiner, the over 234,000 figure comes from successful interceptions by border authorities, and thus does not account for so-called “gotaways” who evaded the Border Patrol. The numbers were reported by a court document obtained by the Examiner on Monday.
Read the full storyVictor Davis Hanson Commentary: The Cycles of Revolutions in Our Midst
We are witnessing a number of radical military, social, and political revolutions that are changing the United States—and the world—in fundamental ways that we still have not appreciated.
The taboo about never mentioning the first-strike use of nuclear weapons in a major conventional war is now apparently over. Vladimir Putin routinely threatens their use. Communist China hints at its growing nuclear capability and is hell-bent on rushing into production a huge new nuclear missile force. The world is defining nuclear incineration down.
Read the full storyCommentary: Joe Biden vs. We the People
The Biden Administration last June unveiled its “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism.” Despite its anodyne-sounding name, the “national strategy” was anything but anodyne. The pamphlet represented the logical culmination of the Left’s cynical use of the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot as a means of ginning up large-scale, nationwide anti-Republican/anti-Trump voter sentiment.
The result, evinced again by Attorney General Merrick Garland’s disgraceful October 2021 memo directing the FBI to intrude on local school board meetings and crack down on anti-critical race theory parental revolts, has been a roiling cold war waged by the ruling class against us “deplorables” and our political “wrong-think.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Biden Promises More U.S. Wheat Production to Combat Loss of Ukrainian, Russian Wheat Exports, Despite U.S. Wheat Production Being Down 15 Percent Since 2019
President Joe Biden is promising to boost U.S. production of wheat to offset the loss of Ukrainian and Russian exports from the Black Sea thanks to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has shut down the ports there, stating at a farm in Illinois on May 11 that he would extend crop insurance for farmers who double crop in a bid to get more wheat to market this year.
Read the full storyArizona Republicans, Others Sound Off on $40 Billion Ukraine Deal
The few dissenters from the U.S. House of Representatives who opposed a bill sending $40 billion to Ukraine while inflations crushes Americans are expressing their displeasure over the bill’s passage.
“Biden wants to send FORTY BILLION that has been taken from taxpayers to Ukraine while our borders remain wide open with historic crossings. This Regime prioritizes every other country before it even thinks about our own – this is the definition of America Last. I VOTE NO!” said Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), who was one of 57 Republicans to vote against the spending package.
Read the full storyCongressman John Rose Votes Against Latest Ukraine Package
Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06), alongside 57 other Republicans, voted against authorizing an additional $40 billion in assistance for Ukraine.
According to Rose, he did not have confidence in the Biden Administration to properly oversee the disbursement of the funds, leading to his opposition.
Read the full storyVirginia Gas Prices Nearing Record High Set in March
Just two months after Virginia’s gas prices hit an all-time high, the average price per gallon of gasoline is set to eclipse that record again.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price for a gallon of gas in Virginia was $4.22 on Monday, just three cents shy of the state’s March 11 record of $4.25.
Read the full storyOhio Sending Approximately 2,000 Pieces of Personal Protective Gear to Ukraine
Various Ohio law enforcement agencies are donating roughly 2,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to forces in Ukraine.
According to a release from Governor Mike DeWine, more than two dozen state and local law enforcement agencies supplied donations to the effort.
Read the full storyCommentary: America’s Future Depends on the Bioeconomy
If the coronavirus pandemic exposed the fragility of our supply chains, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has laid bare the precarious state of global food security. While inflation and sanctions on Russia have pushed up the price of food and fuel, the latest U.N. climate report provides a further urgent warning to change the status quo for the sake of our planet. It claims that global CO2 emissions must peak by 2025 to avoid catastrophic effects.
But there is an alternative to the uncomfortable choice between economic sacrifice, moral compromise, and ecological ruin. It’s called the bioeconomy, and it has the potential to address the existential challenges posed by climate change, global pandemics, and growing economic inequity. Imagine bio-based antiviral face masks, or carbon-neutral cement produced in facilities located in America’s former industrial hubs.
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist Roger Simon and the Dystopic Tragedy of Joe Biden
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist and The Epoch Times’ Editor-at-Large Roger Simon in-studio to weigh in on Joe Biden’s visibly decline in mental faculties and its effects on the United States.
Read the full storyBiden Appoints Kenyon College Graduate as Ambassador to Ukraine
President Joe Biden is expected to nominate a Kenyon College graduate to be the United States’ Ambassador to Ukraine, which is currently embattled in war with Russia.
“Kenyon is proud that such an accomplished alumna has been selected for this critical diplomatic position,” Kenyon College Professor of Political Science David Rowe told The Ohio Star Monday. “Bridget Brink is being sent to one of the United States’ most important postings. How the Ukraine war is resolved will affect the fate of security and democracy in Europe and more broadly for a generation or more. We wish her all the best in what will likely be the challenge of a lifetime.”
Read the full storyInternational Relations Expert and Fulbright Recipient Dominick Sansone Describes Landscape of Donbas Region as Battles Ensue
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed international relations expert and contributor for The Epoch Times, Dominick Sansone, in studio to describe the topography of the Donbas region of Ukraine where heavy fighting is taking place with Russia.
Read the full storyEpoch Times Contributor Dominick Sansone Describes Current Military Situation in Ukraine
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed international relations expert and contributor for The Epoch Times, Dominick Sansone, in studio to describe the current military situation in Ukraine.
Read the full storyInternational Relations Expert Dominick Sansone on NATO, Ukraine, and Putin’s Geopolitics
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed international relations expert and contributor for The Epoch Times, Dominick Sansone, in studio to describe the characteristics of Vladimir Putin that make him an expert in geopolitics and the relationship between NATO and Ukraine.
Read the full storyCommentary: ‘Genocide’ Is Not a Throwaway Term of Abuse
Soaring inflation is leaving Americans battered and bruised—and not just inflation in prices. Inflation in rhetoric is also doing a number on the people of our republic.
We’ve seen it unfold with depressing regularity. Donald Trump was a “fascist dictator,” we were told. The Capitol riot was a “coup” and an “insurrection.” Climate change poses an “existential threat” to all life on earth. And, just this past week, after failing to get the legislative redistricting map he wanted from the state Supreme Court, Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers declared: “At a time when our democracy is under near-constant attack, the judiciary has abandoned our democracy in our most dire hour.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Loose Nuke Talk
Americans, like the planet’s other 7.5 billion people, are not prone to talk or think much about nuclear weapons.
Of course, some of us are old enough to remember how “mutually assured destruction,” or MAD, was supposed to ensure the general peace.
Read the full storyTennessee Representatives ‘Proud’ and ‘Honored’ by Russian Sanctions Against Them
Eight of Tennessee’s nine members of the House of Representatives were sanctioned by Russia on Wednesday in response to the U.S. sanctioning members of the Russian Duma earlier this year.
In total, 398 members of Congress were listed in the release from Russia; however, some lawmakers were not included because the country took action against them previously.
Read the full storyUnited Nations Votes to Suspend Russia from Human Rights Council
The United Nations General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the Human Rights council, amid emerging evidence the country has intentionally killing civilians in its invasion of Ukraine.
Read the full storyFeds: Retail Food Prices to Increase by an Additional Five Percent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects U.S. food prices to increase by at least another 5% on average this year as the majority of Americans surveyed in a new poll cite cost of living increases as a top concern and lack of confidence in President Joe Biden’s ability to do anything about it.
Rising prices are due to inflation, the Federal Reserve increasing interest rates, and consequences of Russia invading Ukraine, the USDA states in its most recent monthly Food Price Outlook, which forecasts retail food inflation.
Read the full storyArizona Gov. Ducey Sends Four Tons of Surplus Defensive Gear and Combat Equipment to Ukraine
Arizona is sending thousands of pounds of equipment and supplies to support the Ukrainian military amid Russia’s invasion of the country.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey visited the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs for the official send-off.
Read the full storyRon Johnson’s Unanswered Corruption Questions from 2020 Loom Large over Joe Biden
Back before the 2020 election, when Democrats and their allies in the corporate media were still claiming the Hunter Biden story was a conspiracy theory or Russian disinformation, GOP Sen. Ron Johnson released an open letter to America posing questions to then-candidate Joe Biden.
Like most Biden scandals at the time, it mostly got ignored or ridiculed. But the questions were rooted in facts and evidence gathered over two years by investigators on Johnson’s Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Read the full storyDue to Price Spikes, Analysts Urge Michigan Consumers to Hold onto Current Vehicles
Michigan consumers considering the purchase of a new or used car or truck may be wise to put off replacing their current vehicle, according to University of Michigan-Flint Economics Professor Christopher Douglas.
An iSeeCars analysis of 1.8 million car sales in February 2022 concluded prices for used cars are up 35% nationally. In Detroit, used car prices were up 31%, or $7,442.77 over last year.
Read the full storyCommentary: History Should Be Our Guide in Ukraine
There are several historical referents we should keep in mind about the Ukraine war.
First, no-fly zones. Lots of Westerners are calling for NATO aircraft to establish a no-fly zone above Ukraine to stop Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities.
Read the full storyBlumenthal Falsely Claims Oil Companies to Blame for High Gas Prices
A U.S. Senator from Connecticut is falsely scapegoating oil companies for skyrocketing gas prices nationwide.
“Oil companies are exploiting Russia’s war in Ukraine to drive up gas prices to obscene levels. It’s time to end this corporate profiteering,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said Thursday. “We need a Big Oil Windfall Profits tax to take excess profits & deliver them to Americans getting stuck with the bill.”
Read the full storyObama, Hunter Biden Ties to Ukraine Biolabs Get Fresh Scrutiny
In August 2005, the U.S. entered into a little known agreement with Ukraine that included America aid to upgrade security at Ukrainian facilities in which microbes were kept.
Now, almost 17 years later, questions about the deal – and the United States’ broader support for biodefense laboratories in Ukraine – have surfaced amid concerns about chemical or biological weapons being used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Read the full story‘Shortfall’: Trump Energy Secretary Casts Doubt on Biden Gas Deal with the European Union
Former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette suggested that President Joe Biden’s recent gas deal with the European Union (EU) wouldn’t be enough to help the continent wean itself off Russian energy.
Brouillette — who served as deputy energy secretary between 2017-2019 and energy secretary between 2019-2021 — noted that the U.S. wouldn’t be able to fill the gap left by Russian energy during an interview with CNBC on Monday. He added that the EU cannot expect to consume less total energy as part of its plan to ditch Russian gas.
“Frankly, I’m not quite sure that everyone can make up that shortfall,” said Brouillette, according to CNBC. “That’s an enormous amount of gas.”
Read the full storyAnalysis: The Biden Admin’s Drastic Gas Price Increases Date Back to His First Day in Office
pump prices have climbed throughout his tenure.
While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has destabilized global energy markets, causing an historic supply crunch, high gasoline prices have been the norm throughout Biden’s first 14 months, federal data showed. Experts have blamed the high prices on the administration’s energy and climate policies disincentivizing domestic fossil fuel production.
Since Russia’s invasion, gasoline prices have increased more than 20%, from $3.53 per gallon to $4.24 per gallon, according to the Energy Information Administration. However, pump prices increased a whopping 48.4% between Biden’s January 2021 inauguration and Feb. 21, three days before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine.
Read the full storyBiden’s Job Approval Plummets to New Low
President Joe Biden’s job approval rating plummeted to a new low as concerns grew over the war in Ukraine and surging inflation, according to an NBC News poll released Sunday.
Only 40% of Americans surveyed approved of the job Biden has done through his first two years, marking the lowest rating since he took office, according to the poll. Just 16% of registered voters strongly approved of Biden’s job, and 71% of those surveyed said the country is “off on the wrong track.”
Read the full storyCommentary: America’s Domestic Politics Hampers Ability to End Ukraine War
In my past role as founder and CEO of Varsity Brands, I came across every old business adage in the book. Some were cheesy, some were over simplified, but many had wisdom as their foundation. One such phrase that’s commonly used is, and with which I struggled because of my compassion for my employees, is, “Don’t bring your problems from home into the office with you.”
There is a variation of that phrase that should be introduced to our political leaders in Washington, albeit a bit too late. Their version of the “leave it at the doorstep” rule needs to be, “Leave your domestic political problems at your shores when conducting foreign policy.”
It is the violation of that rule, committed by members of the Democrat Party, the mainstream media, and never-Trump Republicans, that has put the United States in a position of pure international impotence with regard to playing a meaningful role in ending the current war between Russia and Ukraine. We are unable because of our recent obsession in trying to manufacture a collusion narrative between former President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Read the full storyCommentary: America’s Domestic Politics Hampers Ability to End Ukraine War
In my past role as founder and CEO of Varsity Brands, I came across every old business adage in the book. Some were cheesy, some were over simplified, but many had wisdom as their foundation. One such phrase that’s commonly used is, and with which I struggled because of my compassion for my employees, is, “Don’t bring your problems from home into the office with you.”
There is a variation of that phrase that should be introduced to our political leaders in Washington, albeit a bit too late. Their version of the “leave it at the doorstep” rule needs to be, “Leave your domestic political problems at your shores when conducting foreign policy.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Washington Doesn’t Want Peace in Ukraine
The United States is now overwhelmed with propaganda pushing for Americans to “stand with Ukraine” in its war with Russia. It is not enough to wish the people of Ukraine well. The media, Big Tech, and both political parties have made being a partisan of Ukraine some kind of moral duty. Those refusing to get swept up in anti-Russian hysteria can expect to be condemned as traitors and agents of Vladimir Putin.
Read the full storyJanet Yellen Defends Sustainable Investing Craze That’s Trying to End U.S. Oil and Gas Drilling
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defended sustainable investing practices and climate change policies that have negatively impacted U.S. oil and gas drilling in an interview Friday.
“I don’t think that the ESG movement and the emphasis on climate change is creating the problems that we have,” Yellen told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday morning when asked if investors need to rethink their stance on fossil fuels. “If anything, the problem is that we haven’t moved as rapidly as we should have.”
Read the full storyTennessee Becomes First State to Welcome, Assist Sick Ukrainian Children
Tennessee became the first state to welcome young Ukrainian hospital patients on Tuesday, as four children and their families arrived at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
The children, who are suffering from pediatric cancer, will receive treatment and “psychosocial therapy to address psychological, social, emotional and cultural needs.”
Read the full storyOhio Utility Lobbying Congress to Keep Russian Uranium Flowing for Nuclear Energy
After years of corrupt dealings between the Clinton family, the Biden family, and the administration of former President Barack Obama, all of which contributed to Russia’s near-total monopoly on uranium, one Ohio utility company needs to keep that Uranium flowing for its nuclear energy production.
The National Energy Institute (NEI), a trade group of U.S. nuclear power generation companies including Duke Energy Corp … and Exelon Corp … is lobbying the White House to keep the exemption on uranium imports from Russia, the sources said, according to a report in Reuters.
Read the full storyUranium, Oil and Technology: How Russia Got Stronger as Bidens and Clintons Got Richer
In the early days of Russia’s war on Ukraine, President Joe Biden boldly declared he was ready to seize “ill-begotten gains” of the region’s oligarchs.
But in the years before Moscow twice invaded Ukraine, Democrats enriched themselves politically and personally from such oligarchs and businesses in the region while empowering Vladimir Putin with energy and technology deals that still haunt America today.
Read the full storyCommentary: Ukraine and the RINO Delusion
“We have two parties… One is the Evil Party and the other is the Stupid Party… Occasionally the two parties get together to do something that’s both evil and stupid. That’s called bipartisanship.”
— M. Stanton Evans
The Stupid Party strikes again.
Just one short month ago, Republican leaders and strategists were salivating over the prospect of a GOP blowout in the approaching midterms, as Joe Biden lurched from disaster to disaster. The debacle of our withdrawal from Afghanistan, raging inflation, an uncontrolled invasion at the southern border, crushing vaccine and mask mandates, and the utter failure to control COVID as promised all contributed to an apparent death spiral in the polls for Biden. With even mainstream media outlets acknowledging that the president’s polling numbers had rapidly cratered to unprecedented lows (with no bottom in sight) only one year into a new administration, it appeared that all Republicans needed to do to win big in November was to stay out of the way while the Democrats self-destructed.
Read the full storyMinnesota Congressional Candidate Quits Campaign, Plans to Travel to Ukraine to Offer Assistance
Mark Lindquist, a Democrat running to represent MN-07 in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced on Sunday that he is suspending his campaign for Congress to travel to Ukraine to offer assistance.
According to a statement from the former candidate, he will begin by conducting humanitarian missions to help refugees. However, if allowed, Lindquist did not rule out taking up arms against Russia.
Read the full storyEconomists Expect Elevated Inflation as Projected U.S. GDP Plummets
Economists across the U.S. expect ongoing inflation as the growth projections for the U.S. economy have plummeted, according to a newly released survey.
The National Association for Business Economics released a survey of 234 economic experts Monday that highlights major concerns about the U.S. economy. The report found inflation ranks as a top worry for economists.
Read the full storyOhio Representative Jim Jordan: ‘The Laptop Was Real, the News Was Fake!’
Monday morning on ‘The Answer with Bob Frantz,’ host Frantz spoke with United States Congressman (R-OH) Jim Jordan about Hunter Biden’s laptop, Big Tech censorship, mainstream media, Ukraine, and Joe Biden’s continuing troubles.
Read the full storyFox Nation Host Tomi Lahren: We Can’t Protect the World If We’re Not Willing to Protect Our Own Nation
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Fox Nation contributor and host of ‘No Interruption,’ Tomi Lahren, to the newsmaker line to discuss the top priorities for America and Tennessee.
Read the full storyThe Republican National Committee Registering New Voters at Gas Stations as Prices Surge
The Republican National Committee (RNC) launched a voter registration initiative at gas stations across the country, drawing attention to rising gas prices under President Joe Biden’s leadership.
“We are registering voters across the country who are tired of Biden’s Gas Hike!” the RNC said Monday on Twitter. “Coming to a gas station near you!”
The effort began with a Saturday event in Arizona, according to The Hill. “Arizonans are frustrated with paying the record-high gas prices we’ve seen recently, this is an issue that affects almost every single Arizonan,” said the communications director for Arizona’s RNC, Ben Petersen, according to The Hill.
Read the full storyCommentary: Blame Putin, Yes, But Also Blame Biden
As Ukraine coverage blankets the news nonstop, I keep asking myself: are we really so gullible as to be hoodwinked by an administration and political class covering for their massive failures at home and abroad by mustering up a frenzy of dangerously jingoistic militarism? Not only have they escalated the situation and brought us to the brink of World War III but they have also imposed—and will continue to impose—senseless costs on an American economy already grinding to a halt.
I am not suggesting that any of Joe Biden’s major missteps, whether now or in the past, in any way excuse Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion, which is in violation of international law and being conducted with reckless indifference to—indeed, the direct intent to inflict—civilian casualties. Although there is no question (details below) that Biden majorly provoked Putin, nothing Biden did stripped Putin of his agency in doing what he is now doing, much less did it demand he do it in the manner in which he is doing it.
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