Co-founder of the Jewish Republican Alliance Mitch Silberman recently joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss his work with the group as well as the changes he’s seen among Jewish voters amid the terrorist group Hamas’ attack on Israel last year.
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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a statement on Wednesday after a batch of 40 documents from a defamation case relating to the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein were unsealed.
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The Tennessee Star obtained the letter written by an attorney representing Dr. Carol M. Swain sent on Wednesday to the Harvard Corporation, including Interim President Alan Garber and Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker, demanding answers about what Swain claims is plagiarism of her work by outgoing President Claudine Gay.
The letter revealed Swain requires answers about what Harvard considers “duplicative language,” which is what the university has acknowledged Gay committed in several of her academic works. Writer and activist Christopher Rufo in December raised allegations that the former Harvard president plagiarized material from Swain’s work for her 1997 Ph.D. thesis. Swain is a former political science professor at Vanderbilt and a graduate of both the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Yale University.
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Middle Tennessee State University offers a “Social Justice Journalism” track of study for undergraduate students.
The track is called the Social Justice Journalism concentration, which students can declare if they are pursuing a major in journalism. A concentration is a specialized track of study an undergraduate student can pursue within their declared major, according to Academic Info.
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The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee published results Thursday of its poll revealing which topics registered Tennessee voters are looking forward to being discussed this upcoming legislative session.
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A report published in November found more than 30,000 Tennesseans left Memphis between 2017 and 2022, causing the city to shrink by almost 5 percent, even as Tennessee’s other major cities grew over the same period. The exodus coincides with a years-long struggle with crime in Memphis that has subsisted despite repeated attempts to render aid by the state and federal governments.
The 2023 study of population decline in United States cities by SmartAsset found that Memphis declined from 652,231 residents in 2017 to 621,050 residents in 2022, marking a 4.78 percent decrease in the city’s population. Memphis had the 27th worst decline in population in the country, according to the study.
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A Tennessee nurse who was wanted for negligent homicide in the death of a patient has been arrested in Tennessee after nearly nine months on the run, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
“After a referral from Adult Protective Services, TBI agents began investigating an allegation that in March 2022, a certified nurse aide who worked in a care facility in Clarksville failed to properly use a lift while attempting to move a patient,” TBI said in a news release. “As a result, that resident, Patricia Oliver, sustained a fall that caused her serious bodily injury, ultimately resulting in her death. The investigation identified Takesha Tucker as the nurse aide responsible for the incident.”
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Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Mark Green (R-TN-07) traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday where he announced a full Committee hearing to initiate impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
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Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) issued a statement on Tuesday in response to a report of 2023 congressional stock trades, which found his stock portfolio increased in value by 122 percent in 2023. Green stated that he has no knowledge of trades made in his name until after they are made, and revealed that he instructed his broker to “disregard any instructions” about trades should he provide them.
Green said in a statement on his website, “In fact, in my first year in Congress, to go above and beyond even the hint of impropriety, I instructed my broker in writing to manage my family’s investments and to disregard any instructions from me should I try to provide input (which I have not).”
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Matthew Giffin, the newest member of The Tennessee Star team of journalists, joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio to discuss the controversy surrounding his resignation as editor-in-chief of MTSU Sidelines, Middle Tennessee State University’s official student newspaper.
Giffin brings listeners into the room and shares the events leading to his resignation, triggered by the publication of an article covering a student’s concern for family and friends in Tel Aviv during a conflict. The story faced intense backlash on social media, leading to threats against the interviewed student.
Giffin details the editorial board’s decision to take down the article, the subsequent false statement issued, and his decision, ultimately, to walk away from the outlet.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on Wednesday that the crisis at the southern border is a “disaster by the president’s own design,” adding that Biden has the authority to fix the problems.
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As its new mayor was sworn in Monday, the City of Memphis recorded its first homicide.
Just after noon on Monday, a man was shot and killed at a Whitehaven gas station, according to reports. Two others were injured in the shooting, and a suspect has not yet been identified.
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Both of Tennessee’s U.S. senators were part of a letter that questioned the removal of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) web page that formerly provided the number of work hours used as “official time” for union activities since 2013.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a group of 10 senators in a letter sent December 14, 2023, “to express concern” over OPM’s decision “to remove a page from its website that has documented, for over a decade, the amount of ‘official time’ taken by employees of federal agencies.”
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Tennessee State Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) plans to introduce a bill that would expand abortion access in Tennessee. He claims his bill would allow mothers to have an abortion if it is believed carrying their child to term would later result in the mother becoming “sterile and unable to bear children” in the future.
In a Tuesday interview with WKRN News 2, Briggs revealed he seeks to create a new legislation enabling pregnancies “where either the child cannot survive outside of the womb, or it’s a condition where, if the woman is not treated properly, that she could end up unable to have children” to be aborted. Briggs argued the bill is necessary because of Tennessee’s 2019 abortion law, which became active in 2022 when the Supreme Court effectively overturned Roe v. Wade.
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As the Tennessee General Assembly prepares to gavel back into session next week, State Representative Jody Barrett appeared on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to reflect on the lessons learned during his first term in the Tennessee General Assembly and discuss his key legislative matters including red lag laws and school choice reform.
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Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) continued his crusade for the release of dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s client list Tuesday morning, noting that he said he believes that the coverup will continue.
“What I want is the client list,” Burchett told Rob Finnerty on NewsMax’s “Wake Up America.” “You know, you’ve got these skeevy old dudes that everybody says, ‘Well, they’ve gone and had sex on this island, what’s the big deal?’ No they haven’t. They’ve done an act of violence against a child. They need to be burned on that. That’s the list we need.”
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WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon made an appearance on The John Fredericks Show Tuesday morning, where he joined Fredericks in calling on former President Donald Trump to demand the immediate resignation of Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel.
Bannon criticized the current state of the RNC, citing a substantial list of failures, including financial issues, lack of focus, and questionable priorities such as organizing debates that foment anti-Trump sentiment.
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The Biden administration drastically simplified the vetting process for Chinese illegal immigrants in April 2023, according to an internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) email obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The April 2023 email, which was sent by a CBP supervisor to a “master list” of about 500 Border Patrol agents, instructs CBP officials to radically reduce the number of interview questions for Chinese migrants apprehended after illegally crossing into the country from roughly 40 to just five. The “headquarters guidance” came as border agents were overwhelmed with near-record numbers of illegal crossings.
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A law increasing the number of points charged to a person’s driving record for violations of driving while using a cell phone went into effect on Monday.
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Tennessee Black Lives Matter activist and former Memphis mayoral candidate Pamela Moses is running for U.S. Senate as an independent candidate. She will seek to challenge Senator Marsha Blackburn (R) and the Democratic Party nominee.
A Facebook page for Moses’ campaign has been active since November 20, and on December 30 she appeared in a live stream to confirm her candidacy. Federal filings reveal she filed paperwork for her Senate run in 2023.
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Ohio journalist and entrepreneur Jack Windsor joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss the connections and divides behind the shocking decision by Governor Mike DeWine to veto measure that would prohibit genital mutilation of children and transgender males competing in girls’ sports. Windsor unveils the deep ties between the Buckeye State governor and the “medical industrial complex,” and how this particular veto – perhaps unbeknownst to DeWine – could influence the 2024 elections in Ohio. The Ohio Press Network journalist then breaks down the hotly contested republican nomination race for U.S. Senate to see who will face long time incumbent Sherrod Brown. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 12:33 p.m., broadcasting live from our studios in downtown Nashville on Monday, January 1st, 2024. We are broadcasting live. We’re the only talk station talk show in Nashville broadcasting live today. Another hard worker is our very good friend formerly with The Ohio Star now with the Ohio Press Network and the host of his own program in Columbus Ohio, our good friend, Mr. Jack Windsor. Jack, thanks for joining us. Jack Windsor: Michael, it’s great to be with you. Happy New Year. And thanks for allowing…
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Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) will headline the Williamson County Republican Party’s Reagan Day Gala by delivering the keynote speech at the event.
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A bill authorizing the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to create a voucher program for the purpose of offsetting the cost of individuals taking a handgun safety course for the first time will take effect on January 1, 2024.
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Nashville spent nearly $700,000 out of pocket on four lawsuits challenging state laws this year along with 1,645 hours of the department’s time, according to a new report from The Tennessean.
The $682,949 in out-of-pocket expenses included paying for outside counsel, expert witnesses, filing fees and court reporters, the newspaper said.
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A 20-page complaint was submitted on Thursday against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert, detailing an alleged pattern of paranoia and workplace incompetence that has resulted in a severe backlog in vehicle registrations and a working environment reportedly described as “hell” by an employee.
Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright promised the formal complaint against Halbert was forthcoming in a social media post on Wednesday, which responded to a letter from Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp (R), which explained the need for a formal letter of complaint about Halbert. Wamp’s office began investigating Halbert after District Attorney Steve Mulroy recused himself.
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A former Knox County Governmental Library employee was paid more than $100,000 for work time she did not complete while more than $40,000 worth of additional compensation is being questioned over a 10-year span.
Ashley Satterfield was indicted on a charge of official misconduct and theft of over $60,000 before resigning her position on Jan. 27.
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One of Tennessee’s most wanted fugitives, who escaped from prison in 1990, remains on the lam 30 years after being placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Most Wanted list.
Robert Houston Sanders, serving an 81-year sentence for kidnapping and armed robbery, escaped from the Tennessee State Prison on April 20, 1990 and disappeared. Sanders has been on TBI’s Most Wanted list since its inception in 1993. He is the only most wanted fugitive in the state with that distinction and is still considered “armed and dangerous.”
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A Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) official explained on Wednesday that the agency seeks to hire and retain 600 new correctional officers following an audit which revealed Tennessee prisons continue to face “critical staffing shortages” and a high turnover rate for employees.
As TDOC seeks to fill these positions across Tennessee, NewsChannel 5 recently reported the agency is offering incentives, including a $5,000 signing bonus. One prison warden told the outlet the work is challenging but rewarding. Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation warden Taurean James explained, “it is a job for individuals seeking a structured environment” and “looking to help individuals.”
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The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) announced the availability of Disaster Unemployment Assistance for seven Tennessee counties affected by the severe storms and tornadoes.
On December 9, severe thunderstorms and a recorded eight tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee, causing six fatalities, dozens of injuries, significant damage to nearly 1,900 homes, and the destruction of over 500 homes.
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Tennessee State Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) claimed the new letter grades assigned to every Tennessee school are “flawed.” Akbari represents Memphis, where more than 40 percent of schools did not receive passing grades.
Akbari released a statement on Thursday declaring the “flawed letter grades will never define a school, their students and families, or their teachers and staff.” She asserted the grades instead reflect what she claimed is inadequate state funding for education.
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Davidson County Republican Party Chairman Lonnie Spivak joined Friday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the return of the Reagan Day dinner scheduled for January 25, 2024.
Spivak shares details about the event to be held at the prestigious Cordell, and the event will feature Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs as the keynote speaker and hints at potential surprise guests.
Spivak offered listeners a peek behind the scenes of party political operations to mention one of the initiatives underway to mobilize Republicans who only vote in presidential elections with the roundtable of in-studio guests including author Roger Simon and original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) confirmed he will not endorse in the race to secure the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in a Thursday interview, insisting his new role as the chair of the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) precludes him from weighing in on the race.
Asked if he intended to make an endorsement in the Republican presidential primary, Lee told German-owned Politico he has “an obligation not to endorse” due to his position as “chairman of the RGA.”
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging Tennessee businesses that suffered damages during the deadly tornadoes that ripped through the state earlier this month to apply for financial relief as soon as possible.
“FEMA may refer survivors of the Dec. 9 tornadoes to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) with information on how to apply for a disaster loan. It’s important to submit the loan application as soon as possible,” the organization said in a Wednesday release. “SBA disaster loans are the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for survivors. SBA offers long-term, low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.”
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Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright promised a formal complaint about County Clerk Wanda Halbert on Wednesday following a December 21 letter from Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp (R) stressing the need for a document formally notifying her office of the clerk’s alleged failures.
Halbert is being investigated over claims of mismanagement, and allegations include hours-long lines for basic services, a backlog in license plate registrations, and alleged unpaid back rent on a satellite location that purportedly resulted in the court’s eviction, reported Action News 5.
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In Thursday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy an unexpected tale unfolds – one that transcends the ordinary municipal challenges and reminds us of all of the historical gravitas of the home we call Nashville.
Council Member Jeff Eslick takes us through the twists and turns of a story that began with a seemingly routine issue: a tree limb reaching over a fence and into a constituent’s home.
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The Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) released new details about its Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) on Tuesday, revealing the new system will rely on Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), Public Safety Camera systems, and potentially “gunshot detection technology” to more quickly locate and respond to crime.
The agency revealed on its website that MPD “is taking the final steps” toward completing its RTCC, with ALPRs already “installed in various locations” selected “based on historical crime trends and traffic patterns” throughout the city, and cameras coming soon to areas hit with violent crime or another “specific need” identified by police.
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Tennessee saw a slight increase in Title IX complaints at the 11 state agencies that reported those complaints, according to an audit from the Tennessee Comptroller.
There were 269 complaints from those 11 entities, compared to 265 in fiscal year 2022 and 171 in fiscal 2021.
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According to census data released in October, more than 22,500 Californians migrated to Tennessee between 2021 and 2022.
Overall, 220,000 people moved to Tennessee in that time period, as the state’s population continues to grow at a much higher rate than the national average.
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An official with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) said in a recent interview that mental illnesses among children are on the rise in the Volunteer State, as the state’s Attorney General works to tackle some of the potential root causes of those illnesses.
“The data from all sources point to that we see increased sadness and hopelessness among high school students,” TDMHSAS Deputy Commissioner Matthew Yancey told WKRN. “We’ve seen increases in emergency room presentations related to psychiatric emergencies, increases in suicidal ideation.”
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As Harvard faces increasing pressure to fire its embattled president, the university’s insular culture and one-sided politics are under the microscope.
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Tennessee’s financial position improved again over the past year, as the state’s combined ending fund balance was $23.9 billion, up $4.8 billion from the year before in the recently released Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.
That’s after the state’s balances increased by $5.4 billion in the year that ended June 30, 2022.
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Tennessee reported an 89.8% graduation rate and an 8.6% dropout rate in a new report with updated numbers from the 2021-22 school year from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office.
The Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability is required to produce the graduation rate numbers annually.
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The Safe Bar program, an initiative by the Sexual Assault Center (SAC), will be held for the first time in Tennessee during next week’s New Year’s Eve event in Nashville.
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Legislation to tackle drug overdoses, sex offenses, and victims rights have already been put forth for the 2024 session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) wants to update an old statute that he said he thinks does not do enough to protect victims of potential violent crimes.
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Video captured pro-Palestine protesters waving flags in Collierville, Tennessee on December 24, where they reportedly interfered with Christmas shoppers.
Newsmax host and author Todd Starnes wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the crowd was “mostly Muslim” in a post seen more than 300,000 times. Video of the incident shows protesters drive through a parking lot, then stop. Though words appear to be exchanged between the protesters and Christmas Eve shoppers, their words are unintelligible in the video due to the number of horns honking. Individuals with Palestinian flags are seen running on the sidewalk as the vehicles bearing Palestine’s flag are stopped in the parking lot.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter recently approved $36.6 million in grants that will be distributed across 78 communities in the Volunteer State.
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The city-appointed Metro Nashville Airport Authority board voted unanimously on Wednesday to ratify 19 actions taken during the tenure of the previous board, which state officials appointed some of its members in accordance with a new Tennessee law.
After the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law in June, the Nashville mayor, Tennessee governor, and top two lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly would each select two members for the board. The board was selected and began operating, but a ruling by a panel of three judges at the Tennessee Chancery Court agreed with Metro Nashville’s argument that the law violates the Tennessee Constitution because it only applied to one Tennessee city.
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A Gallatin man has been convicted of multiple armed robbery and firearms offenses stemming from a three-week crime spree in 2019, according to the Middle District of Tennessee U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In December 2019, Lazavion Kern, 22, robbed four convenience stores in Gallatin and Portland, where he took thousands of dollars from the clerks, according to information cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell encouraged her supporters to make political donations to her campaign in the name of “abortion rights” to celebrate Christmas, even declaring that a certificate explaining the donation would make a “great stocking stuffer.”
Campbell declared it “the season for saving abortion rights” in a post on X, formerly Twitter. She urged her supporters to donate a “gift” to her campaign “in honor of a loved one” for the “Holiday season.”
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The wife of a former Tennessee sheriff’s deputy who was convicted for on charges related to January 6 told The Tennessee Star that families and friends of those defendants often experience survivor’s guilt, especially as many of those accused of crimes spend their third Christmas in jails or prisons.
Sarah McAbee, the executive director of Stand in the Gap and wife of January 6 prisoner Ronald McAbee, explained, “Wives are waking up without their husbands, children are waking up without their fathers. Even in the federal prison system, they only get a 15 minute phone call per day.” She told The Star that January 6 have “have to decide, am I going to call my spouse? Am I going to call my parents? Am I going to call my child?”
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