Biden Supporter Taylor Swift Encourages Americans to Vote on Super Tuesday

A popstar and noted supporter of President Joe Biden encouraged Americans to get out and vote on Super Tuesday, the day with the most presidential primary elections in the country. 

“Today, March 5, is the Presidential Primary in Tennessee and 16 other states and territories. I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power,” Taylor Swift told her 282 million followers in an Instagram story. “If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today. Whether you’re in Tennessee or somewhere else in the US, check your polling places and times at vote.org.”

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AG Kris Mayes Backs Federal Rule Prohibiting Controversial ‘Junk Fees’ Brought to Light by Artist Taylor Swift

Kris Mayes

Attorney General Kris Mayes is in support of a crackdown on “junk fees.”

Junk fees are added charges that are typically not shown until a purchase is right about to be made, and it may not serve a clear purpose. The Federal Trade Commission is pushing for a Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees in order to prevent companies employing the controversial practice.

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Jill Biden to Visit Nashville Friday for ‘Political Event’ Reportedly Aimed at Securing Country Music Endorsements

First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Tennessee for a purported “political event” reportedly occurring at the home of country music star Brad Paisley.

According to press reports citing a White House media advisory, the First Lady is expected to land in Nashville on Friday afternoon for an unspecified “political event” that will take place in Franklin.

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Megyn Kelly Says Taylor Swift Clearly Knows Nothing About Gaza

Political commentator Megyn Kelly slammed pop star Taylor Swift on The Megyn Kelly Show after Swift attended a show by comedian Ramy Youssef, the proceeds of which were given to a pro-Palestinian nonprofit.

The proceeds from Youssef’s show will be sent to the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), which Kelly said is “a group that NGO Monitor has described as ‘highly political, presenting a highly biased view of the Israel/Palestine war [and] ignoring any Palestinian responsibility for hardship and contributing to the demonization of Israel.'”

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Arizona State University Course Using Taylor Swift to Teach Social Psychology

A new Arizona State University course is using Taylor Swift to show social psychology phenomena starting this fall semester. 

The class is called “Psychology of Taylor Swift – Advanced Topics of Social Psychology” but it won’t be a fan-club meeting for Swift, according to Alexandra Wormley, a PhD student in the psychology department who is teaching the class.

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Issues New Statement After Ticketmaster Offers Taylor Swift Fans Second Chance to Score Tickets

Following outrage and legal action, Ticketmaster announced it would offer a second chance for a select number of fans to acquire tickets to Taylor Swift’s upcoming “Eras Tour”.

In November, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star, Ticketmaster announced that it suspended ticket sales for Swift’s tour after the site experienced an array of problems during its previous ticket presale event.

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Ticketmaster Cancels Friday Sales of Taylor Swift Tickets

After a debacle earlier this week that led to Tennessee’s Attorney General announcing an investigation into event ticketing titan Ticketmaster, the company said it will not be selling tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour on Friday. 

“Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow’s public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been cancelled,” Tickemaster said Thursday afternoon on Twitter. 

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Addresses Ticketmaster Complaints After Taylor Swift Debacle

After Tuesday’s debacle in which attempted presale ticket purchases for Taylor Swift’s latest tour crashed the Ticketmaster website, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti addressed the issue in a Wednesday press conference. 

Ticketmaster’s website crashed upon the release of Swift’s presale tickets, enraging customers. 

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Country Music Personalities React to SCOTUS Abortion Decision

Some of country music’s largest stars and personalities have spoken out against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in the days after the decision was made.

“Today, I hold my two year old son with tears streaming down my face because all my love and planning still wasn’t enough to protect him from being born in a country who could do this to women. Women, the ones who gave each Supreme Court Justice on the bench the right to be here, the dexterity of their pen hand,” Maren Morris, known for her hit song “The Middle,” said. “Tomorrow I will fight, but today I am grieving.”

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AP Government Test Asked How a Taylor Swift Instagram Post Illustrated Structural Barriers to Voting

Last week’s AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam asked how a Taylor Swift Instagram post illustrated structural barriers to voting. It appeared on the May 3 version as a free response question.

The College Board explained to The Tennessee Star that Swift’s post was an example of a key concept for AP students: how knowledge of voter registration laws and procedures influence the nature and degree of voter turnout. Swift announced in a 2018 post that she would vote for both Democratic candidates in Tennessee’s midterm elections. Prior to that, Swift didn’t speak publicly about politics. The pop singer alluded to the Trump Administration as her main reason for deciding to share her political views.

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Taylor Swift Decries Soros for Buying Her Music Rights

  Taylor Swift on Thursday blasted music manager Scooter Braun and the billionaire George Soros family for allegedly buying the rights to her music. Swift made the remarks during her acceptance speech for Billboard’s Woman of the Decade award Thursday, according to a story by Breitbart. She lamented the “unregulated world of private equity coming in and buying our music as if it’s real estate — as if it’s an app or a shoe line.” Braun, 38, purchased the independent record label Big Machine and the master rights to Taylor’s first six albums. Soros allegedly provided the cash. According to Rolling Stone and Yahoo News: “This just happened to me without my approval, consultation or consent,” Swift said during her speech, which also discussed sexism in the music industry. “After I was denied the chance to purchase my music outright, my entire catalog was sold to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in a deal that I’m told was funded by the Soros family, 23 Capital and that Carlyle Group. Yet, to this day, none of these investors have bothered to contact me or my team directly — to perform their due diligence on their investment. On their investment in me. To…

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren Follows Taylor Swift in Pushing for Equality Act

  U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) signed and promoted Taylor Swift’s Change.org petition asking the U.S. Senate to support the Equality Act. The presidential candidate’s statement is available here. Warren’s support follows the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), which was published on Change.org last week. Swift is the creator of the petition in question. It is available here. Warren shared this statement with Change.org users: It’s 2019 and our LGBTQ+ friends continue to face discrimination at work, school, and in their communities. Trans people in America are getting murdered – most of them women of color. In the name of protecting religious liberty, civil rights are being trampled on. It’s hard to find an affordable place to live that doesn’t discriminate based on your gender identity or expression, race, or who you love. Enough is enough. I’m proud to represent Massachusetts in the Senate, a state that has led the nation in protecting and promoting equality. But there’s so much more work to be done. We can start by passing the Equality Act – a bill that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. I’m glad to see the…

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Taylor Swift Named ‘Most Influential’ Person on Twitter in 2018

Taylor Swift is the most influential person on Twitter this year, despite only tweeting 13 times, CNET says. Social media analysis company Brandwatch released on Wednesday its annual lists of the top 10 most influential women and top 10 men on Twitter. With an “influencer score” of 98 points out of a possible 100, Swift is the winner. Topping the list of most influential men – and playing second to Swift – is Liam Payne. The former One Direction band member turned solo artist scored 97 points. Payne was followed by President Donald Trump, singer Katy Perry, celeb Kim Kardashian West and singer Demi Lovato, all of whom scored 96 points. Perhaps it is good for Taylor that Brandwatch did not look at Instagram. Swift in October endorsed Tennessee Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen on Instagram, as media outlets previously reported. She cited issues like LGBTQ rights and flamed Bredesen’s opponent, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). Bredesen lost spectacularly to Blackburn, who took a commanding lead of 54.73 percent to Bredesen’s 43.89 percent. Meanwhile, do not expect to see Bredesen on the list of most influential Twitter men. He was mocked online for using Swift’s popular song “Look What You Made Me Do”…

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Senate Candidate Marsha Blackburn Says Voters Care More About Results Than ‘The Story Of Their Day’

by Nick Givas   Tennessee Republican Senate candidate Rep. Marsha Blackburn said voters are more concerned with long-term solutions and judicial appointments than with flavor-of-the-moment news stories. She was responding to a question about singer Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Blackburn’s Democratic opponent on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday and how it will impact voters. “What we know is that Tennesseans care about the story of their life — not the story of their day, and really what they are focusing on is our positive message,” Blackburn said. “It is getting through, and that is what is going to carry people to the polls.” Swift came out with an Instagram post Oct. 7 endorsing Democrat Phil Bredesen over Blackburn, citing concerns over LGBT rights and racism. Blackburn said her platform of installing solid constitutional judges and limiting government regulation will win her the election and claimed Bredesen has a cloud of sexual harassment scandals hanging over his past cabinet. “They like this message of less regulation, economic growth. Good constitutional judges,” Blackburn continued. “And they’re remembering and finding out some of the things about Phil Bredesen — The sexual harassment scandals that plagued his administration with some of his cabinet. He had two tracks. One for friends of…

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ Not Enough to Move Voters in Tennessee Senate Race, Poll Says

Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Democrat Phil Bredesen has done little to move the needle in the U.S. Senate race, a new poll by  Cygnal, a Republican polling and research firm shows. Pop superstar Taylor Swift used Instagram recently to endorse Bredesen and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05), The Tennessee Star reported on Oct. 8. The 28-year-old superstar stunned fans by breaking her career-long political silence with her endorsements. Cygnal says Swift’s foray into politics is not having much impact, however, particularly in Bredesen’s race with U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) for the open Senate seat. The Star reported Saturday that a New York Times poll shows Blackburn with a strong lead of 54 percent to 40 percent over the former governor. While election officials in Tennessee have noted an increase in voter registrations, more than 86 percent of respondents say their vote hasn’t changed, despite 82 percent of respondents indicating they were aware of the endorsement, Cygnal said in a statement. “Millennial and Gen Z voters are highly aware of the endorsement of the Democrat, but it did little to move their vote preference,” said Matt Hubbard, vice president of Research & Analytics at Cygnal. “Swift’s endorsement is providing a…

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FEC Records Indicate Taylor Swift’s Political Contributions to Federal Candidates Total $15 To-Date

Taylor Swift is making the headlines again but this time, on the political stage. After her statement on Sunday that she is endorsing Democrat Phil Bredesen over Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) in this November’s contest to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), The Tennessee Star tried to find some information about her financial contributions to federal political candidates. A brief review of Federal Election Commission records indicates that Swift appears to have made just one contribution to a political candidate for federal office in her career. That contribution came in 2014, when she generously gave fifteen dollars to a far left candidate campaigning in a congressional district of New Jersey. Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, broadcast Monday through Friday from 5 am to 8 am on Talkradio 98.3 FM and 1510 WLAC, Tennessee Star Report: Early Edition (5 am to 6 am hour) co-hosts Michael Patrick Leahy and Doug Kellett talked about the discovery and it’s implications. Kellett:  We were talking about the Presidents comments yesterday about Taylor Swift and he was making these comments while he was swearing in the new justice on the US Supreme Court, Judge Kavanaugh.  And he said he likes Taylor Swifts music…

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Phil Bredesen Tweet to Taylor Swift Shows Why 74-Year-Olds Should Not be Allowed on Social Media

Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Phil Bredesen has led to a lot of flaming online – and Bredesen is receiving some of the backblast for attempting to be hip while in turn flaming Marsha Blackburn. Swift endorsed the Democratic Senate candidate on Instagram while also blasting U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), Bredesen’s opponent. Swift said of Blackburn, “As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.” (emphasis added) Bredesen tweeted, “.@VoteMarsha, look what you made her do. @taylorswift13 doesn’t like your little games and she wants Tennesseans to know that you’ve been in the swamp long enough. It’s time for some fresh air up in Washington.” .@VoteMarsha, look what you made her do. @taylorswift13 doesn’t like your little games and she wants Tennesseans to know that you’ve been in the swamp long enough. It’s time for some fresh air up in Washington. https://t.co/DC11TVODMh — Phil Bredesen (@PhilBredesen) October 8, 2018 The 74-year-old former Tennessee governor was referencing Swift’s popular song “Look What You Made Me Do,” which has been interpreted as an attack against her enemies, including Kanye…

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President Trump: Taylor Swift ‘Doesn’t Know Anything About’ Marsha Blackburn

President Donald Trump supported Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn Monday after pop superstar Taylor Swift “smeared” her, and he criticized the singer, Breitbart News said. “She’s a tremendous woman,” Trump said about Blackburn. “I’m sure Taylor Swift has nothing or doesn’t know anything about her.” Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Swift endorsed Blackburn’s opponent, Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen, as well as U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN-05). She also took a swipe at U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-0-7). “As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.” (emphasis added) View this post on Instagram I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve…

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Taylor Swift, Who Moved to New York City in 2014 After Purchasing $20 Million Condo, Endorses ‘Fibber Phil’ Bredesen

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has a political crush on Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, having used Instagram to endorse both Democrats in their races. The New York Daily News reported her saying: In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Democratic former Governor Bredesen is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker (R-TN). U.S. Representative Cooper (D-TN-07) is running for re-election in Nashville, where he has served since 2003. If…

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A Judge Has Dismissed a Radio DJ’s Claim That Taylor Swift Ruined His Career in Her Groping Trial

DENVER (AP) — A judge on Friday threw out a Denver radio host’s case against Taylor Swift in a trial that delved into their dueling lawsuits over whether he groped her during a backstage meet-and-greet and whether she and her team ruined his career. U.S. District Judge William Martinez determined that the pop star could not…

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