Category: The Michael Patrick Leahy Show

The Michael Patrick Leahy Show

Listen to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show weekdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on WENO AM760 The Flame.

Lean more about Michael Patrick Leahy at michaelpatrickleahy.com.

Pappert: John Rose’s Financial Filings ‘Don’t Add Up’ as Campaign Declines to Respond

Kaitlin Housler
John Rose

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Monday that unanswered questions surrounding U.S. Representative John Rose’s (R-TN-06) congressional financial disclosures could be easily resolved, but remain unanswered because the congressman’s office has not responded to requests for clarification.

Pappert discussed his reporting during Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, where he said Rose’s financial disclosure filings appear to contain inconsistencies involving reported holdings and sales of Alphabet Inc. stock and a mutual fund.

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Exclusive: Blackburn Makes Case for SAVE America Act, Closed Tennessee Primaries

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

In an exclusive interview, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said she will continue pushing to keep the U.S. Senate in session through its August recess to advance the SAVE Act while also reaffirming her commitment to work with Tennessee lawmakers to close the state’s primary elections if elected governor.

During a Friday appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Blackburn discussed efforts to pass the SAVE America Act in Congress and expanded on her recently announced support for requiring Tennessee voters to register with a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary election.

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Leahy: John Rose’s Claim of Role in Tennessee Tax Revolt ‘Simply Not Credible’

Kaitlin Housler
John Rose

Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party and the Tennessee Tax Revolt, and The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy questioned U.S. Representative John Rose’s (R-TN-06) recent claim that he participated in the grassroots movement that defeated a proposed state income tax in 2002, following a report by The Star that found the photograph Rose shared as evidence was taken at a 2004 reunion event rather than during the protests.

During Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy and Cunningham discussed the four-year campaign against former Governor Don Sundquist’s proposed income tax, with Cunningham describing the public pressure campaign as the deciding factor in defeating the measure.

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Phill Kline: DOJ Granting Fauci ‘Use Immunity’ Could Have Prevented Fifth Amendment Stonewalling

Kaitlin Housler
Phill Kline

Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline said former White House COVID-19 adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci could have been compelled to testify before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee if the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had approved granting him “use immunity,” arguing the legal mechanism would have prevented Fauci from invoking his Fifth Amendment rights during Wednesday’s hearing.

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Swain: Fauci Took the Fifth Because ‘He Would Incriminate Himself by Telling the Truth’

Kaitlin Housler
Fauci Testimony

Author and retired college professor Dr. Carol Swain and The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy weighed in Wednesday on former White House COVID-19 adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci’s decision to repeatedly invoke his Fifth Amendment rights during a U.S. Senate hearing led by U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), arguing the testimony raised additional questions about Fauci’s conduct during the pandemic.

Fauci, who was pardoned by former President Joe Biden on his final day in office, declined to answer questions before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination after stating he believed Paul was attempting to entrap him in a “perjury trap.”

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Pulliam: New GOP Birthright Citizenship Bill Could Create ‘Path’ Around Supreme Court’s Ruling

Kaitlin Housler
SCOTUS

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam said a new bill sponsored by U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) and U.S. Representative Brandon Gill (R-TX-26) could provide Republicans with a new legal avenue to restrict birthright citizenship despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order on the issue.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. Barbara that Trump’s executive order ending automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the country violated the 14th Amendment.

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Pappert: Rose Campaign Continues to Dodge Questions on Democratic Voting History and Donations

Kaitlin Housler
John Rose

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said U.S. Rep. John Rose’s (R-TN-06) gubernatorial campaign has still not answered key questions from The Star about Rose’s past donations to Tennessee Democrats who supported a state income tax or his participation in Democratic primary elections, arguing that the campaign has characterized the outlet’s reporting as a “political attack” rather than disputing its factual findings.

During Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pappert discussed the campaign’s response to The Star’s reporting documenting Rose’s donations to Democrats who backed a state income tax between 1998 and 2002, as well as records showing Rose voted in three Democratic primary elections, including Tennessee’s 2004 Democratic presidential primary.

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Exclusive: Author Eric Metaxas Says His New Revolution Book Tells the ‘Whole Story’ of America’s Founding

Kaitlin Housler
U.S. Constitution

Author and conservative commentator Eric Metaxas said he wrote his latest bestselling book, Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World, to give Americans a comprehensive account of the nation’s founding, arguing that understanding the American Revolution is essential rather than optional.

Metaxas made the remarks during an exclusive sit-down interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy at Landmark Booksellers in downtown Franklin.

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Pappert: Rose Campaign Dismissed Report as ‘Political Attack’ Instead of Explaining Donation Record

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said his investigation into U.S. Rep. John Rose’s (R-TN-06) past political activity began after the candidate publicly denied claims that he had donated to Democrats and voted in Democratic primaries, telling listeners that campaign finance and election records ultimately confirmed both.

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Exclusive: Blackburn Unveils Tennessee DOGE Proposal, Vows to Eliminate Government Waste

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said her longstanding relationships with members of the Tennessee General Assembly would allow her to work effectively with lawmakers while also pledging to launch a “Tennessee DOGE” initiative aimed at identifying waste, fraud, and government bloat if elected.

During an exclusive sitdown interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, Blackburn emphasized that her ability to work with legislators across the state is built on years of collaboration and would be a key asset if she becomes governor.

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Former Minnesotan EJ Haust Blasts Mike Lindell’s Immigration Proposal as ‘Amnesty with a Different Name’

Kaitlin Housler
Mike Lindell

EJ Haust, a self-described political refugee from Minnesota and official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, criticized MyPillow Founder Mike Lindell’s newly unveiled immigration proposal, arguing the Republican gubernatorial candidate is embracing a form of amnesty in an unsuccessful attempt to appeal to Democrats.

Haust, who lived in Minnesota for 12 years before relocating to Tennessee following the COVID-19 pandemic, suggested Lindell’s proposal reflects a broader problem within Minnesota Republican politics.

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Pappert Warns Bureaucrats ‘Should Be Worried’ After AI Tool Helps Unveil Millions in Tax Dollars Spent on Legal Services for Illegal Aliens

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

Amid The Tennessee Star’s AI-assisted investigation into U.S. Treasury records that uncovered Biden-era funding for legal services benefiting illegal aliens, lead reporter Tom Pappert said governments “should be worried” as artificial intelligence enables journalists to expose buried public records and government fraud.

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Exclusive: Brent Taylor Says ‘Make Memphis Matter’ Campaign Helped Bring FBI to Memphis

Kaitlin Housler
Tennessee National Guard

State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate in Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, said his “Make Memphis Matter” campaign in the Tennessee General Assembly helped bring state and federal attention to Memphis’ crime crisis, including an FBI operation and the creation of the Memphis Safe Task Force.

Taylor discussed his efforts during an exclusive sit-down interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, explaining that his decision to run for the State Senate was driven by concerns over rising crime in Memphis and what he described as a lack of accountability for repeat offenders.

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Mark Pulliam: University of Kentucky Dean Dispute Exposes American Bar Association’s Grip on Legal Education

Kaitlin Housler
Gregory Van Tatenhove

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam said the controversy surrounding the selection of retired U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove as dean of the University of Kentucky College of Law highlights what he argues is a decades-long ideological transformation of legal education driven by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the nation’s law schools.

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Exclusive: TN-09 Candidate Brent Taylor Reflects on Building Business from $60K Home Equity Loan, Says Private-Sector Experience Prepared Him for Congress

Kaitlin Housler
Brent Taylor

State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), who recently secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement in Tennessee’s Republican primary for the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, reflected on his journey from small-town businessman to state lawmaker during an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, arguing his experience in both business and government has prepared him to serve in Congress.

During the interview, which aired during Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Taylor recounted growing up in a small town where his father owned a retail lumberyard and hardware store before discovering a career in the funeral industry as a teenager.

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Tom Pappert: Federal Records Point to Widespread Use of Biden-Era American Rescue Plan Funds for Illegal Alien Legal Services

Kaitlin Housler

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said his investigation into Metro Nashville’s taxpayer funding for nonprofits that provide legal services to illegal aliens has expanded beyond Tennessee, with federal records indicating at least a dozen cities may have used Biden-era American Rescue Plan Act funds for similar programs.

Pappert discussed the findings during Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, a week after The Star reported that Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration refused to release most records related to the nearly $1.5 million appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON).

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Dr. Carol Swain Reflects on Family Story of Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Named Thomas Jefferson

Kaitlin Housler
Carol Swain

Dr. Carol Swain, author and retired college professor, reflected on the story of her great-great-great-grandfather, a freed slave named Thomas Jefferson who was born in Virginia in 1801.

Speaking during Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Swain confirmed that her ancestor came from Poplar Forest, Virginia, where Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson owned a plantation.

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Dr. Carol Swain Backs Britain’s Strictest Headmistress’ Education Critique, Calls for Return to Traditional Teaching

Kaitlin Housler
Carol Swain

Dr. Carol Swain, a retired college professor who was tenured at Vanderbilt University and Princeton University, praised British educator Katharine Birbalsingh’s approach to education, arguing that schools and universities should place greater emphasis on traditional teaching methods, academic fundamentals, and exposure to competing viewpoints.

Swain’s remarks came during Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show after hearing a clip of Birbalsingh, dubbed “Britain’s Strictest Headmistress,” discuss concerns about how history and culture are taught to younger generations, including the argument that students are increasingly exposed to narratives focused on oppression rather than a broader understanding of historical events.

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Von Spakovsky Predicts Massive Court Battles After Trump Releases Election Security Documents

Kaitlin Housler
Hans von Spakovsky

Following President Donald Trump’s primetime address Thursday announcing the release of newly declassified documents related to election security and foreign interference, former Federal Election Commission member and former U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) official Hans von Spakovsky said the disclosures were “shocking” and predicted they could trigger extensive litigation over voter registration rolls and election administration.

During an appearance on Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, von Spakovsky responded to the White House’s release of documents that the administration says detail vulnerabilities in election infrastructure, alleged foreign acquisition of U.S. voter data, voter registration investigations, and reviews of noncitizens on state voter rolls.

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Phill Kline: White House Election Document Release Should Spark Long-Overdue Debate on Election Security

Kaitlin Housler
Phill Kline

Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline said Friday the Trump administration’s release of newly declassified election documents should force a long-overdue national reckoning over election security, transparency, and the vulnerabilities of America’s voting systems, arguing that concerns once raised across party lines have become politicized and ignored.

Speaking on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show following President Trump’s primetime address Thursday evening, Kline argued that concerns about election infrastructure have become unnecessarily partisan, despite longstanding acknowledgments by government officials that election systems face cybersecurity risks.

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House Passed Bill Sponsored by Rep. Matt Van Epps Requiring Terror Threat Assessments for Non-NATO Allies Moves to Senate

Kaitlin Housler
Matt Van Epps

Tennessee U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps (R-TN-07) is shifting his attention to the U.S. Senate after the House approved his first piece of legislation, saying his next objective is securing passage of the Major Non-NATO Ally Terror Threat Assessment Act and ultimately seeing President Donald Trump sign the national security measure into law.

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State Rep. Gino Bulso Unveils Tennessee Plan to Require Proof of Lawful Residence for Birth Certificates

Kaitlin Housler
State Rep Gino Bulso

State Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) said he plans to introduce legislation next session that would restrict the issuance of Tennessee birth certificates based on a parent’s immigration status, arguing the proposal is a state-level response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

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‘Ludicrous’: Former CNBC Analyst Steve Cortes on Network and Scott Cohn Ranking Tennessee as State with Worst Quality of Life

Kaitlin Housler
Nashville, Tennessee

Steve Cortes, former senior spokesman and strategist for the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns and current head of the League of American Workers, criticized CNBC’s decision to rank Tennessee last in quality of life in its 2026 America’s Top States for Business report, calling the assessment politically driven and detached from reality.

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‘Bad Counselors’ Producer Chris Fenton Highlights American-Made Film Ahead of July 23 Release

Kaitlin Housler
Chris Fenton

Film executive Chris Fenton said in an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy that his upcoming comedy Bad Counselors aims to bring audiences something he believes has become increasingly rare in Hollywood: a family-friendly comedy centered on redemption, humor, and authentic human connection.

Appearing on Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Fenton discussed the independent film, which opens nationwide on July 23 following preview screenings on July 22.

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Leahy Says Metro Nashville Must Answer in Court for Withholding $1.5 Million Pro-Illegal Alien Nonprofit Records

Kaitlin Housler
MPL

The Tennessee Star’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, said Monday that he intends to challenge Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s refusal to release records related to nearly $1.5 million in appropriations for two immigration-focused nonprofits through litigation.

During a discussion with The Star’s lead reporter, Tom Pappert, Leahy argued that Metro’s assertion of attorney-client privilege improperly withholds records sought under the Tennessee Public Records Act.

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‘He Could Have Had Another 20 Years’: Dr. Omar Hamada Says Early Detection May Have Saved Lindsey Graham

Kaitlin Housler
Lindsey Graham

Following the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at age 71 from what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness,” with a preliminary medical examiner finding of an aortic dissection related to hardened arteries, Dr. Omar Hamada said the senator’s death underscores the importance of preventive medicine, arguing that earlier detection may have saved his life.

Graham died Saturday evening in Washington, D.C., after returning from a congressional trip to Ukraine, where he had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and toured a munitions factory just one day before his death.

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Live to 100: Dr. Omar Hamada Shares the ’10-3-2-1′ Sleep Routine for Better Health

Kaitlin Housler
Sleep

Sleep is one of the most overlooked pillars of good health, according to Dr. Omar Hamada, who joined Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show to share a simple routine designed to improve sleep quality and support long-term health.

Hamada said sleep should be viewed as one of the “three foundational tenets of good health,” alongside exercise and nutrition.

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Exclusive: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Explains Trump’s Push to Expand Wealth, Reshore Industry, and Cut Deficits

Kaitlin Housler
Scott Bessent

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the Trump administration’s economic agenda in an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, highlighting the administration’s new Trump Accounts, tax policies, manufacturing strategy, and efforts to reduce the federal deficit.

During the wide-ranging interview, which aired Friday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Bessent discussed the administration’s efforts to expand investment opportunities for American families, reduce taxes on workers, reshore critical industries, and restore what he described as America’s economic sovereignty.

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World Cup Visitors Leaving with New View of America, Clint Brewer Says

Kaitlin Housler

Public affairs specialist and journalist Clint Brewer said the U.S. scored a significant public relations victory by hosting the FIFA Club World Cup, arguing that visitors from around the globe left with a dramatically different impression of the country than the one they expected.

Speaking Thursday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Brewer said international visitors – particularly from Europe – arrived with negative perceptions of the U.S. shaped by media coverage but discovered a welcoming and comfortable nation instead.

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Kline Says Trump’s Bid to Rehear Birthright Citizenship Case Faces Long Odds, Suggests Congress Holds the Stronger Path

Kaitlin Housler
Trump and SCOTUS

Phill Kline, former Kansas Attorney General and Liberty University law professor, said President Donald Trump’s plan to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to rehear its recent birthright citizenship decision is unlikely to succeed, arguing that the legal standard for reconsideration has not been met despite new reports of hospitals and organizations openly marketing birth tourism following the ruling.

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Exclusive: Blackburn Lays Out Conservative Agenda for Tennessee, Says State Must Shrink Government as Power Returns from Washington

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee gubernatorial candidate U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn laid out an ambitious conservative agenda for the Volunteer State during an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, saying she is prepared to lead Tennessee as authority continues shifting from Washington back to the states.

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SCOTUS Chief Justice Roberts’ Legacy May Echo That of Dred Scott Author Roger Taney, Legal Analyst Warns

Kaitlin Housler
Chief Justice Roberts

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam said Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship misreads the 14th Amendment and risks defining Roberts’ historical legacy alongside one of the Supreme Court’s most controversial chief justices.

During an appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pulliam said the public should understand that the case Trump v. Barbara centers on a single constitutional phrase in the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”

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Pappert: Metro Nashville Public Records ‘Non-Response’ Raises New Questions About $1.5 Million in Pro-Illegal Alien Nonprofit Grants

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Metro Nashville’s response to a public records request seeking documents related to nearly $1.5 million in grants to two pro-illegal immigration nonprofits failed to produce any records justifying the appropriations and instead generated new questions about the city’s handling of the request.

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Pappert Highlights Controversies in Nashville, Jackson, and New Orleans: ‘Blue Cities in Red States’ Under Scrutiny

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

From Nashville’s budget priorities to a sweeping federal bribery investigation in Jackson and a legal battle involving Louisiana’s attorney general in New Orleans, The Tennessee Star’s lead reporter, Tom Pappert, argued Monday that three Democratic-led cities in Republican-led states have become focal points for disputes over government accountability and adherence to state law.

During an appearance Tuesday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pappert discussed his recent reporting on each of the three cities, beginning with Metro Nashville’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which appropriates nearly $1.5 million in grants to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors.

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Exclusive: Blackburn Recalls Leading Grassroots Revolt That Defeated Tennessee State Income Tax

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is revisiting one of the defining political battles of her career, describing in an exclusive sit-down interview how she led a four-year effort in the Tennessee General Assembly to defeat a proposed state income tax and arguing that the fight reshaped the state’s future.

During an interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, Blackburn recounted her opposition to then-Governor Don Sundquist’s proposal, which she said came as an unexpected reversal after his campaign pledge not to support a state income tax.

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Pulliam: Sustained Public Pressure Needed to Reverse Supreme Court Birthright Citizenship Ruling

Kaitlin Housler
SCOTUS

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam said sustained outrage and political pressure against the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. Barbara will be necessary if opponents hope to eventually overturn the decision.

During an appearance Monday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pulliam discussed the Court’s decision last week striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

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Leahy Calls Supreme Court Birthright Citizenship Decision ‘Worst’ Since Plessy v. Ferguson, Praises Thomas Dissent

Kaitlin Housler
Michael Patrick Leahy

Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Tennessee Star, criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship, calling the ruling “the worst Supreme Court decision” since the late 19th century and arguing that Justice Clarence Thomas’s dissent could become one of the court’s most significant dissenting opinions.

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Pappert: SELC Leveraging Nashville Crayfish to Block Data Center Development

Kaitlin Housler
crayfish

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, argued that the Southern Environmental Law Center’s (SELC) concerns about the endangered Nashville crayfish are part of a broader campaign against data center development, following Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposal to use eminent domain to acquire land slated for a DC BLOX data center near the Nashville Zoo.

On Tuesday, The Star reported that O’Connell’s eminent domain proposal followed a letter from the SELC and the Center for Biological Diversity warning DC BLOX that the project could threaten the endangered Nashville crayfish and other protected species.

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