The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee has revealed federal pandemic funds meant for schools to “support students’ social-emotional well-being and academic achievement” were misused this year throughout the Volunteer State.
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Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Thursday to detail his discoveries into the precipitous drop in law enforcement and its effect on the state of public safety downtown on the heels of the city announcing the Hermitage homeless encampment will be taken down in January.
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As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page plans to retire at the end of August, six judges from around the state are vying to replace him. In the coming days, The Tennessee Star plans to profile each of the applicants.
The first judge in the biography series is Judge J. Ross Dyer of the Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals Western Section.
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Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) urged in a Wednesday letter to the United States Space Force for the military to prepare for “space warfare” after Israel reported intercepting a rocket from outside Earth’s orbit after it was launched by Iran-backed Houthi militants.
“The world has crossed into a new, concerning frontier: war in space,” Blackburn warned the military branch in her letter, which was first obtained by The Washington Free Beacon. After highlighting the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and rising Chinese tensions over the fate of Taiwan, Blackburn noted the October 31 interception of a ballistic missile launched by “Iranian-sponsored Houthi terrorists” in Yemen.
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All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting the “swift approval” of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration due to severe storms that devastated communities across Middle Tennessee over the weekend.
On December 9, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee. The storms caused six fatalities and dozens of injuries, produced significant damage to nearly 1,900 homes, and destroyed over 500 homes, according to initial reports.
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Democrat presidential candidate Dean Phillips will officially be absent from Tennessee’s March 5, 2024 ballot, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office.
Last week, Phillips filed a nominating petition to gain access to Tennessee’s presidential primary ballot.
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American Federation for Children Senior Fellow Shaka Mitchell joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Wednesday to dive into the details of Gov. Bill Lee’s newly unveiled Education Freedom Scholarship Act, set to revolutionize school choice in Tennessee.
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On Wednesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) tells listeners what he really thinks about Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and what appears to be his cooperation with restorative justice groups working in Memphis and across Tennessee to reimagine justice and reinterpret current law through their efforts, among other things, to eliminate cash bail.
Taylor explores different ways to hold district attorneys accountable, including potential methods for termination under consideration; as well as addresses the controversial release of a murder suspect without bail and his proposed legislation to remove Judge Bill Anderson from his role in managing judicial commissioners.
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The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee published its annual Pork Report on Wednesday, highlighting the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars this past year across the Volunteer State.
Examples of “offensive” and “wasteful” uses of Tennessee taxpayer money highlighted in the 2023 Pork Report include the nearly $5 million taxpayer subsidy given to benefit the California burger chain In-N-Out’s move to Tennessee, large property tax increases in multiple counties, and the City of Memphis giving out over $1 million to a TV show on the verge of cancellation.
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The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) charged three members of a Muslim family with the alleged beating of their juvenile son and brother on Monday, and police records reportedly reveal the violence was sparked by the victim’s recent conversion to Christianity.
Police arrested Rawaaa Khawaji, Nick Kadum, and John Kadum, who are reportedly the mother, father, and older son of the juvenile victim discovered by law enforcement, according to police documents reviewed by Fox 17.
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State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) issued a formal request on Tuesday to obtain agreements between Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy’s Office and three “restorative justice organizations” with the Tennessee District Attorneys Conference (TDAC). Taylor highlighted Mulroy’s agreements with three groups seeking to eliminate bail or decrease the number of his office’s prosecutions.
Taylor charged that “Memphians have a right to know if the agreements between the DA’s office and these outside groups are inconsistent with state laws and policies” in a press release and stressed that Mulroy’s “job is to further his prosecutorial duties, not embark on a restorative justice campaign.”
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) joined a 27-state coalition of state attorneys general on Monday to oppose the new rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) which will require gun owners to conduct background checks and register transactions with the agency any time they sell, gift, or trade a gun.
Skrmetti announced his office will join 26 other state attorneys general and the Arizona State Legislature in a letter “demanding” the ATF drop the rule, arguing it “violates the Second Amendment” and “risks making any individual who sells a firearm for profit liable to civil, administrative, and even criminal penalties for failing to register with a federal agency.”
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Tennessee’s celebrities and professional sports teams are coming together to support the middle Tennessee communities that were devastated by several tornadoes over the weekend.
Popstar Taylor Swift reportedly donated one million dollars to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which that group confirmed on its Facebook page.
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Chimneyrock Elementary School in Memphis issued a statement after an “After School Satan Club” organized by the Satanic Temple and Reason Alliance is scheduled to take place on school grounds next month.
On its website, the Satanic Temple – the primary religious Satanic organization in the world – says its mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits.”
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All-star panelist, renowned academic scholar, and author Carol Swain joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Tuesday as the dual scandals involving Harvard University’s President, Claudine Gay continue to unfold.
A fiery Swain expressed her anger over Harvard’s apparent attempt to redefine plagiarism to protect its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) image, stating that despite their best efforts, the university doesn’t get to decide what constitutes plagiarism. She emphasized that Harvard’s reputation has suffered tremendously as a result. Swain detailed how her own acclaimed research was allegedly plagiarized by Gay, and pointed out that this lack of citation damages academia as a whole by undermining the work of students and researchers. Swain’s stance has resonated with many who believe that Harvard’s decision reflects a double standard.
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In this engaging interview on Tuesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) previews for listeners his new idea for school safety. The longtime lawmaker emphasizes the importance of this comprehensive approach to school safety and highlights the need to protect teachers from assaults and false accusations.
In addition to discussing the school safety bill, the interview offers a peek behind the curtain of the Tennessee General Assembly into the complex process of navigating and passing legislation.
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On Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, Beacon Impact Director of Government Relations Jordan Long discussed why he supports Gov. Lee’s Tennessee Education Freedom Act. Long dives into the importance of expanding educational choice and the success of the existing program in three counties, highlighting the potential for exponential growth statewide and emphasizes the need for accountability measures. The Beacon Impact lobbyist also shares his valuable insights into the proposed legislation and its potential impact on education in Tennessee. This is a must-read for the parents of school-aged children who are looking at the future of their children’s education. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: Tell us a little bit about Beacon and Beacon Impact and how long they’ve been around and what the main mission is. Jordan Long: So Beacon started as the Tennessee Center for Research and Policy and we’re actually going to celebrate our 20th anniversary next year at Beacon. After it was the Tennessee Center for Research and Policy, it was rebranded to “Beacon.” We’re part of the State Policy Network, so when you think of places like Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, we are essentially a Tennessee version of those organizations,…
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U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) sent a letter to James Comer (R-KY-01), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, requesting he subpoena the flight logs associated with the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane.
“As you are aware, there have long been unanswered questions surrounding the sex trafficking ring spearheaded by the late Jeffrey Epstein,” Burchett wrote. “We know that Epstein and his associates engaged in child sex trafficking and catered to the rich and powerful elite from around the globe. Many of Epstein’s clients are alleged to be some of America’s most powerful and well-known people.”
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Six candidates will be considered by the Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments to fill the Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of the Honorable Roger A. Page.
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The Harvard board on Tuesday said Claudine Gay would remain as president of the university despite calls for her ousting following her answers about antisemitism before Congress last week as well as allegations she plagiarized parts of her Ph.D. thesis. “As members of the Harvard Corporation, we today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University,” the board, known as the Harvard Corporation, said in a statement signed by all members except for Gay. “Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing.”
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The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has issued a public statement announcing the search of two known street racers who are currently wanted on outstanding warrants related to dangerous driving activity earlier this year.
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Drew Johnson, who founded and served as the first president of the Beacon Center of Tennessee, formerly the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, told The Tennessee Star he intends to take his years of policy experience to Congress if he wins election to the U.S. House to represent Nevada’s 3rd Congressional district.
Johnson explained to The Star that he started Beacon Center when in his early twenties, and lived and operated from his personal vehicle for the think tank’s first few months of operation. He told The Star he saved American taxpayers around $60 billion and brought about 100 charter schools to Tennessee over his time in public policy.
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Tennessee U.S. Representatives John Rose (R-TN-06) and Mark Green (R-TN-07) met with community members and surveyed some of the damage left behind after a series of tornadoes tore through Middle Tennessee over the weekend.
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The mayor of Clarksville Monday told The Tennessee Star that his city is receiving help from the state and local levels after several deadly tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee over the weekend.
“The Governor and Mrs. Lee, along with TEMA were on the ground with us yesterday,” Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts told The Star Monday. “The White House reached out to me and offered any help we needed. So, yes, state and federal government have been helpful.”
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A Catholic college in Memphis has announced major cuts to its academic programs and faculty amid an ongoing budget deficit that has plagued the school for years.
“Though difficult, these steps are necessary for the long-term interest of our students and University. These changes will help place CBU in a much stronger financial position, as we work toward full reaffirmation of SACSCOC accreditation,” Christian Brothers University President David Archer reportedly said in a letter to students and alumni.
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The Covenant School delayed the return of students and faculty to its Burton Hills campus until April 15 in a letter sent to parents that was published by Nashville media on Monday. Though not referenced in the letter, the delay follows the November publication of three leaked pages from the manifesto written by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, which were cited in an ongoing lawsuit seeking to compel the release of Hale’s full manifesto.
In the letter Covenant School officials sent to parents, reported by NewsChannel 5, officials cited concerns over safety and security, learning disruption, and teacher and student readiness. They also cited a desire to reopen the campus after the March 27 anniversary of the Covenant School shooting, during which Hale, a biological female who identified as a transgender male, fatally shot three 9-year-old students and three faculty.
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The CEO of the video streaming platform Rumble said Monday afternoon on X, formerly Twitter, that his site is down and facing an “unprecedented” attack that he suspects to be politically motivated.
“I can confirm that this attack has been unprecedented and has been happening since this weekend,” Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovsky said in response to another X user. “I also suspect it is political, coming from activists and/or organizations who want to censor our creators, and related to J6 videos being posted on Rumble.”
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In this intriguing installment of the Tennessee Star Report, renowned all-star panelist, Carol Swain engages in an eye-opening discussion about the alleged plagiarism by Harvard’s President, Claudine Gay. Get insight into Swain’s views on academic accountability, the true origin of research ideas, and the integrity of the tenure system. Swain breaks down who she believes is responsible and why; and lays out what she is (and is not!) willing to do to help Harvard find their way out of this growing academic scandal. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: And welcome back to The Tennessee Star Report in studio original all star panelist Crom Carmichael on the newsmaker line right now our very good friend all star panelist Carol Swain. Good morning, Carol. How are you? Well, you are at the center of a storm here, aren’t you? Carol Swain: I am. It just seems to follow me around. I don’t ask for this stuff. Michael Patrick Leahy: So just to set the stage on this. So the president of Harvard, my alma mater, Claudine Gay was under pressure because she refused to condemn antisemitism on campus. And then Christopher Rufo reported yesterday that Claudine Gay had plagiarized a number of other scholars, including Our own Carol Swain. Take it from…
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Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star Michael Patrick Leahy joined Steve Bannon’s WarRoom on Monday to discuss the launch of his radio show on Nashville’s newest conservative talk station 760 AM WENO “The Flame,” the Music City’s only America First newstalk station.
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Over 500 Harvard University faculty members signed a letter Sunday following a scheduled meeting of the Harvard Corporation, calling on the board not to remove Harvard President Claudine Gay from her position, according to The Harvard Crimson.
Gay spoke at a hearing on December 5 alongside other elite university presidents and dodged questions about genocidal anti-Jewish chants, refusing to say if they violated the university’s code of conduct, which led to a massive uproar and calls for her resignation. Following the hearing, Gay apologized publicly for her remarks, and some Harvard faculty called for Gay not to be fired, citing “a culture of free inquiry,” the university news outlet reported.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Friday it won’t expedite an appeal of a ruling against Tennessee’s Republican-drawn Senate maps, meaning the current maps will likely remain in place for the 2024 elections.
The maps were ruled unconstitutional by a Tennessee court November 22.
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Dr. Carol M. Swain has responded to alleged documentation obtained by writer and political activist Christopher Rufo accusing Harvard University President Claudine Gay of plagiarizing “multiple sections” of her Ph.D. thesis from 1997.
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Even though Congress has already allocated over $7 billion for the building of electric vehicle (EV) chargers all across the United States, there still has not been a single new charger built anywhere.
As reported by Breitbart, $7.5 billion was designated solely for the construction of EV charging stations as part of the infrastructure bill that was passed in 2021 and signed into law by Joe Biden. The bill received some Republican support, with 13 Republicans in the House and 19 in the Senate voting in favor of the bill.
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The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, the radio show produced by the state’s leading conservative media company, begins broadcasting Monday, December 11 on Nashville’s newest conservative talk station 760 AM WENO “The Flame,” Nashville’s only America First newstalk station.
The Tennessee Star Report moves to its new home after a five-year run on TalkRadio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC. The show is produced by Star News Digital Media, the parent company of The Tennessee Star conservative news website.
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A linebacker for the Tennessee Titans is supporting the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund through the National Football League’s (NFL) My Cause My Cleats campaign.
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The Tennessee Student Solidarity Network (TSSN) urged activists to “disrupt” a number of Nashville businesses on Saturday over their purported pro-Israel stance as part of the controversial Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Community organizing group Nour Nashville distributed a flyer on social media revealing a “BDS Direct Action” event scheduled for December 9. The group explained the post is a “call for action to disrupt businesses in support of genocide,” and urged its followers to message the TSSN “for details.” Neither Nour Nashville nor TSSN posted updates about their planned disruptions by press time.
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Amid an intense recruiting effort spearheaded by Gov. Bill Lee (R), Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) announced Thursday that nearly 40 cadets graduated from training and will join THP.
The 38 graduates participated in either the regular 17-week trooper cadet class or an 11-week lateral trooper cadet class.
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University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill is resigning from her position, according to multiple reports on Saturday.
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Nick Leonardo, who is a legal analyst for NewsChannel 5, is the subject of an order of protection filed with Davidson County General Sessions Court, a court official confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Friday.
The chief clerk for the General Sessions Court told The Star that the release of the order of protection filed against Leonardo was pending “clearance from Metro Legal,” as there is “a juvenile involved in this case,” which he stated meant the clerk’s office had “to make sure that this is not going to be placed under seal.”
The Chief Clerk for the General Sessions Clerk told The Star that release of the order of protection filed against Leonardo was pending “clearance from Metro Legal,” as there is “a juvenile involved in this case,” which he stated meant the clerk’s office had “to make sure that this is not going to be placed under seal.”
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Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake said in an official announcement on Friday that the department had “exhausted” its investigative options to discover the identity of the law enforcement professional who leaked images of the manifesto written by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, leading to their publication.
Drake announced in the media release that his department “has exhausted all available investigative avenues” to identify the person who leaked the images, but offered new information about how the images were taken, and revealed that a former MNPD detective has opted against cooperating with his former employers’ investigation.
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The state of Tennessee, via Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, announced Thursday that it is joining six other states in an antitrust lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The lawsuit, according to Skrmetti’s office, challenges the NCAA’s student-athlete transfer eligibility rule, which currently states that athletes who transfer from one Division I school to another must sit out of competition for one season before they can resume playing.
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Special Counsel David Weiss on Thursday secured a federal grand jury indictment charging Hunter Biden with multiple crimes alleging he engaged in a four-year scheme to evade paying federal taxes, adding serious new legal jeopardy for the first son on the eve of a presidential primary season where his father hopes to win four more years in the White House.
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U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) introduced a bill this week that would discourage countries that receive U.S. foreign aid from sending money to the Taliban.
Burchett’s No Tax Dollars for the Taliban Act (H.R.6586) would require the Secretary of State to report on countries that have “provided the Taliban with assistance, the amount of assistance, and how the Taliban has used that assistance.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was elected to serve as the next chair of the Republican Governors Association (RGA).
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Tennessee U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) delivered remarks at a Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance hearing on housing affordability, which included discussion surrounding his Expansion of Attainable Homeownership Through Manufactured Housing Act of 2023.
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On behalf of the juvenile court judges and magistrates of Tennessee’s 98 juvenile courts, the executive committee of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges announced this week its “full support” of the current efforts to increase the state’s judicial system’s budget for it to increase the compensation rate for court-appointed attorneys.
“Juvenile court is where the many problems facing our state’s children are addressed… Private attorneys are crucial for abused or unwanted children. Unfortunately, many attorneys do not accept appointments in juvenile court due to the inadequacy of the reimbursement,” the council said in a statement. “Simply stated, many court-appointed attorneys lose money taking these cases. They are hard cases and often last for years. There is absolutely no financial incentive for lawyers to take these cases.”
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The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) claimed in court on Wednesday that it could not release records of the agency’s actions prior to the starvation death of a 14-year-old in 2021.
A former Memphis reporter’s 2021 attempt to learn more about actions taken by DCS prior to the death of 14-year-old Brandon Gray, who was allegedly starved to death by his family members while being forced to live in what News Channel 3 called “a filthy, cold garage with a mattress, portable toilet, and bleach jug for a urinal,” quoting official documents the outlet obtained.
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Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) released a new Human Trafficking Statistical Report last week, revealing a sharp increase in human trafficking of minors in Tennessee in a five-year period.
The report, which was the first of its kind released in more than a decade, revealed there were 518 minor sex trafficking reports by November 5, and the agency notes that reports of minor sex trafficking “dramatically increased from 66 in 2016 to over 600 by 2021,” which is an increase of 809 percent. Similar numbers were reported in 2022 and 2023.
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Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) requested investigations on Wednesday into Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan and Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy’s Office to determine if they orchestrated the “illegal” release of a Memphis man serving a 162-year prison sentence and the decision to move double murderer off death row.
In a Wednesday press release, Taylor noted Skahan and Mulroy worked together to secure the 2022 release of Courtney Anderson, who they claimed received an unjust sentence of 162 years, by reducing his sentence to 15 years. That decision was overturned by the Tennessee Court of Appeals this year, with Judge J. Ross Dyer writing in his October 18 opinion that Skahan “illegally” granted clemency for Anderson by essentially commuting his sentence, a power which the state constitution solely grants to the Governor of Tennessee.
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U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) this week in introducing the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act.
The bill, according to Blackburn’s office, would “bring much needed transparency, accountability, and clarity to foreign gift reporting requirements for American colleges and universities.”
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