Former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote said in an exclusive interview on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that former HP CEO Meg Whitman, who now serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, is the official behind the security deal between Kenya and Haiti.
Read the full storyCategory: The South
Vice President Kamala Harris Condemns Tennessee State Lawmakers for Passing Bill to Arm Trained Teachers
Vice President Kamala Harris called lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly “extremists” for voting to pass a bill that would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.
“Arming teachers is not the solution,” Harris said in an X post on Wednesday. “We know what actually works: universal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage, and an assault weapons ban.”
Read the full storyU.S. Marshals Offer Reward Money for Arrest of Killers in Mass Shooting at Memphis Park
The U.S. Marshals Service in Memphis is now offering a reward for information leading to the arrests of suspects involved in a deadly mass shooting at a Memphis park last weekend.
“The U.S. Marshals Service is currently offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the individuals responsible for the deadly shooting in Orange Mound,” the law enforcement entity said in a press release.
Read the full storyTBI Teams Up with Knox County Forensic Center to Identify John Doe Killed in Decades Old Hit-and-Run Case
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) in conjunction with the Knox County Forensic Center, have identified a man who was killed in a hit-and-run crash more than three decades ago.
“On May 24, 1993, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle along Cedar Bluff Road in Knoxville,” TBI said in a press release. “The adult male, who had no identification on him, was pronounced deceased at the scene, and his body was sent for an autopsy.”
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Lawsuit Challenging the EEOC’s Abortion Rule
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti pursued legal action against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Thursday over its new rule regarding workplace abortion accommodations.
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) into law, which protects pregnant workers and their babies by directing that women receive workplace accommodations for “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.”
Read the full storyBill to Fine Parents for Crimes of Delinquent Children Passes Tennessee General Assembly
Legislation that would fine the parents of delinquent children who commit additional crimes has the support of the Tennessee General Assembly after the State House passed it on Monday. The legislation will go to Governor Bill Lee for final approval before becoming law.
The bill, titled the Parental Accountability Act, will require juvenile courts to levy a $1,000 fine against children who are “found to be delinquent for a second or subsequent delinquent act” after already being found guilty of delinquency. Those unable to pay the fine may be granted community service.
Read the full storyYoungkin Travels to Europe for ‘International Trade Mission’ Ahead of May Special Session for Virginia Budget
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced on Wednesday he will embark on a week-long “international trade mission” to Europe as lawmakers continue work on the biennial Virginia budget ahead of the May special legislative session.
The governor’s office confirmed Youngkin’s “third international trade mission” will include stops in Germany, Denmark, Finland and Swizterland between April 28 to May 3. He plans to meet with business leaders, public officials and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Read the full storySouth Carolina Governor Signs Bill to Help Preserve Working Agricultural Lands
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a measure that aims to help landowners use voluntary conservation easements to preserve working agricultural lands.
H. 3951, the Working Agricultural Lands Preservation Act, creates the Working Farmland Protection Fund within the South Carolina Conservation Bank. The measure ostensibly complements the agricultural projects the bank funds by establishing a matching grant payment for qualified projects.
Read the full story‘Stop Cop City’ Protesters Confronted by Police over Emory University Campus Encampment for Palestine
The Stop Cop City movement reported on Thursday that Georgia State Police confronted its protesters as they attempted to create a pro-Palestine encampment on the Emory University campus.
A post to the social media platform X by Stop Cop City activists claims “an encampment in the Emory quad” was established at 7:30 a.m. “to demand total divestment from Israeli apartheid and Cop City,” the activists’ preferred term for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Read the full storyDeSantis Signs Two Bills Designed to Bolster Florida Homes Against Hurricanes
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two new bills Wednesday intended to strengthen Florida homes against hurricanes and other severe weather events.
DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7028, which will add another $200 million in funding for the My Safe Florida Home Program which allows homes to be assessed after major storm events and assists in improving resilience in structures.
Read the full storyGovernor Brian Kemp Signs Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed multiple anti-human trafficking bills into law on Wednesday to hold both “traffickers and buyers” accountable.
“For years Georgia was considered a hot spot for human trafficking,” said Governor Kemp in a press release on Wednesday, “but thanks to the GRACE Commission, under the leadership of First Lady Marty Kemp, we have established Georgia as a national leader in this fight by passing legislation that cracks down on both traffickers and buyers while also, and even more importantly, empowering survivors.”
Read the full storyRachel Alexander Calls Arizona Indictments of Trump Alternate Electors a ‘Deliberate’ Attempt to Influence 2024 Elections
Rachel Alexander, lead reporter at The Arizona Sun Times, said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ announcement that the State Grand Jury returned indictments to those who agreed to serve as a slate of alternate electors for Donald Trump had he won the 2020 election is “deliberate.”
Read the full storyNewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Responds with Deceptive Distractions When Confronted Over His Journalistic Failures to Get Justin Jones on the Record Over 2020 Claim
NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams continues to be criticized for his “journalistic failures” as he dodged an opportunity to confront State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) on his alleged coverup of a 2020 assault of two protesters by a homeless man.
Read the full storyACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging Enforcement of Tennessee Law Preventing Transgender Individuals from Changing Sex on Government-Issued ID
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee filed a lawsuit this week on behalf of a transgender woman – a male that identifies as a female – challenging the enforcement of a Tennessee law that defines “sex” as “biological sex.”
Read the full storyBill to Limit Vehicle Booting, Lower Fee to Remove Boots Passes Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) on Tuesday that addresses the state’s towing, parking, and vehicle booting laws.
Read the full storyTennessee Receives Annual Settlement Payment of $146 Million from Major Tobacco Companies
Tennessee received a payment totaling $146.1 million on Tuesday from the major tobacco companies that joined the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), bringing the state’s total payout amount from the settlement to $3.9 billion.
Read the full storySenators Blackburn and Hagerty Among Few to Vote Against Ukraine Funding Bill
Tennessee’s two U.S. senators were among only a handful who voted against a bill that will send nearly $100 billion to foreign nations.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) both voted against the Senate’s version of H.R. 815, a bill that was initially meant to help veterans receive more healthcare reimbursements but quickly ballooned into a funding package mainly for the country of Ukraine.
Read the full storyCPAC Endorses Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles for Reelection
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) endorsed U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for reelection to Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District on Wednesday.
Read the full storyShelby County Sheriff Makes Plea to Parents as Youth Justice and Education Center Nears Capacity
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. is pleading with parents to provide their children with guidance and involvement as the Youth Justice and Education Center nears capacity.
The Youth Justice and Education Center is a 146-bed, single-occupancy secure detention center designed for youth “identified to be a danger to themselves, a danger to the community, or a flight risk.”
Read the full storyBiden to Commute Sentences of Tennessee Drug Dealers
The White House Wednesday announced commutations for five major drug dealers, three of whom are Tennessee residents.
Daequon Charles Davis of Johnson City was convicted of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine and was serving an almost 22-year sentence with a subsequent 10 years of supervised release, which began in 2017. Biden commuted for a period of 10 years, leaving intact 10 years of supervised release.
Read the full storyNashville Police Confirm: Suspect in Death of Rapper Chris King ‘Wore Ankle Monitor at the Time of the Fatal Shooting’
Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed on Monday that suspected murderer Adrian Cameron Jr., the 19-year-old accused of killing rapper Chris King, wore an ankle monitor while out on a $100,000 bond at the time of the King’s death.
A Monday post to the social media platform X by MNPD confirmed Cameron Jr. “was out on bond for the 2021 murder of Josh Evans” and was “on an ankle monitor at the time of the fatal shooting” of the rapper, whose given name was Christopher Cheeks.
Read the full storyActivists Push Georgia Nikki Haley Supporters to Vote for Joe Biden in November
A super PAC that previously supported former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in the Republican primary cycle is now reportedly targeting her Republican supporters in Georgia on behalf of President Joe Biden.
The super PAC previously known as Primary Pivot formerly urged Democratic and unaffiliated voters to cast ballots for Haley in Republican primary contests, but rebranded after Haley dropped out of the race.
Read the full storyVirginia County Jail Buys Devices to Fight Inmates’ Opioid Withdrawals with Electricity
The Chesterfield County Jail is reportedly set become the first in the country to use a detox device to help inmates recover from opioid withdrawal symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the user’s brain.
According to its manufacturer, the Masimo Bridge device is “a small electrical nerve stimulator device that contains a battery-powered chip and wires that are applied around a patient’s ear in a short, non-surgical, in-office procedure, providing five days of continuous relief” from withdrawal symptoms by sending electrical impulses to parts of the brain associated with opioid withdrawal.
Read the full storyRoger Simon on Pro-Hamas, Anti-Israel Protests on College Campuses: ‘What Happened in Germany in 1937’ Is ‘What We’re Undergoing Now’
Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, said the pro-Hamas protests unfolding on Ivy League college campuses across the nation are comparable to the scene in Germany in 1937.
Simon made the comments on Tuesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show after listening to audio of a clip taken from Columbia University where pro-Palestine protesters formed a human chain to keep Jewish students out of an encampment on the university’s campus.
Read the full storySix Election Integrity Bills Signed Into Law or Awaiting Signature from Gov. Lee
One member of the Tennessee General Assembly has been fighting for election integrity during the current legislative session, passing six bills that have either been signed into law or are ready for a signature from Gov. Bill Lee (R).
State Representative Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro) has successfully passed a half a dozen laws aimed at securing Tennessee’s election process.
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Bill Lee Joins Coalition of Governors in Demanding the Biden Administration Lift Pause on Liquified Natural Gas Exports
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee joined a coalition of 24 other governors in issuing a joint statement demanding that the Biden administration lift its pause on new liquified natural gas (LNG) export approvals.
In January, the Biden administration temporarily paused pending decisions on LNG exports to “non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations” in the name of “climate change.”
Read the full storyOracle to Establish New World Headquarters in Nashville
Larry Ellison, founder of the tech company Oracle, announced Tuesday that the company’s world headquarters will be moved to Nashville.
Read the full storyEmpty Podium to Represent Fani Willis as Georgia Prosecutor Declines Televised Primary Debate
An empty podium will represent Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after her campaign declined to participate in a debate with her primary challenger, Christian Wise Smith, it was reported Monday.
The Atlanta Press Club will live stream more than nine hours for its Loudermilk-Young Debate Series on April 28, with the event originally scheduled to culminate with a debate between Willis and Wise Smith.
Read the full storyRichmond Mayor Levar Stoney Drops Gubernatorial Bid, Runs for Lt. Governor as Virginia Democrats Rallying Around Aaron Rouse
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney on Tuesday officially ended his gubernatorial campaign, instead declaring he will seek the Democratic Party’s nomination to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor.
Stoney will no longer challenge Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) to become Virginia’s next Democratic candidate for governor, and switched races on the same day State Senator Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor.
Read the full storySouth Carolina Officials Plotting Next Steps for $1.8 Billion Balance
South Carolina state officials are determining how to proceed with a $1.8 billion balance discovered in a state account and Republican Gov. Henry McMaster has given leaders a July 1 deadline to chart a course forward.
On Oct. 31, 2023, South Carolina Comptroller General Brian Gaines sent a letter to South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis, directing Loftis to research the account’s origins. It marked the start of a months-long Senate investigation that exposed what a Senate Finance Committee Constitutional Subcommittee report dubbed “financial irregularities” in the state treasurer’s office.
Read the full storyNewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Refuses to Explain His Failure to Get Justin Jones on the Record about Allegations He Covered Up Report of 2020 Sexual Assault, Tries to Distract with False Claims About Tennessee Star Reporter
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, addressed personal attacks from NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams over the weekend, saying such attacks are “absolute silliness” and a common tactic used by Williams when pressed on his “journalistic failings.”
On Sunday, Pappert reported on an interview between Williams and Dan Mandis, host of Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, where Williams said that he once asked Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) to respond to claims made by his former close colleague Jeneisha Harris on June 18, 2020 that the state lawmaker had covered up the sexual assault of two protesters by a homeless man.
Read the full storyBen Cunningham Calls Nashville Mayor’s $3.1 Billion Transit Referendum ‘Absurd’
Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said not only does Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit referendum appear to be illegal under the IMPROVE Act, but the transit plan’s overall vision of commuters suddenly switching over to public transport is “absurd.”
O’Connell unveiled his $3.1 billion transit plan, called “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last week, which would be funded through a half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax.
Read the full storyAlleged Murderer in Killing of Rapper in Nashville Was Out on Bond in Another Murder Case
The man who allegedly shot and killed rapper Christopher Cheeks, who went by the stage name Chris King, in Nashville early Saturday morning was out on bond for another alleged murder that took place in September of 2021.
Cheeks was shot and killed after an altercation with a group of men who attempted to rob him, according to a press release from the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
Read the full storyTennessee House Passes Bill to Arm Trained Teachers amid Protests and Performative ‘Die-In’ for Media Starring Rep. Justin Jones
The Tennessee House of Representatives on Tuesday approved HB 1202, which would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.
Protests threatened to interrupt the legislative body’s proceedings multiple times, with Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and his staffers at times joining protesters in performative acts of opposition to the bill.
Read the full storyTennessee State Judge Orders Police to Provide Redacted Copy of Covenant Killer Manifesto Ahead of Possible Release
Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles on Monday afternoon ordered the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to provide a redacted copy of the manifesto written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale for the judge to review.
Myles made the order after Metro Nashville attorney Lora Fox previously confirmed MNPD holds no objections to releasing a redacted version of the manifesto, and would now make less redactions to the manifesto than were previously proposed in 2023.
Read the full storyMemphis Police Chief Urges Unity, Posts Reward After Two Killed During Illegal Block Party that Attracted Hundreds
Memphis interim Police Chief C.J. Davis urged unity and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to arrests of those behind the Saturday shootings at an illegal block party that resulted in two deaths and at least six injured in a Sunday statement.
Davis described the events at the illegal block party as “senseless acts of violence,” then asked Memphis citizens for help finding the culprits.
Read the full storyVirginia Drivers Must Obtain Car Insurance by July 1 as 2022 Law Goes Live
Drivers in Virginia have until June 1 to obtain insurance for their motor vehicles due to a law passed in 2022 that removes the option to avoid insurance premiums with an annual fee to the commonwealth.
Governor Glenn Youngkin signed in 2022 legislation to end Virginia’s Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee, which previously allowed citizens to annually pay $500 to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to register a vehicle without insurance.
Read the full storyFulton County District Attorney Fani Willis Receives ‘Woman of Influence’ Award from Cobb County Democrats
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis received the Woman of Influence Award from the Cobb County Democratic Committee in a Friday gala aimed at attracting political donations.
Willis was confirmed as an attendee by the Cobb County Democratic Committee’s acting chair Essence Johnson, according to Fox 5 Atlanta, which reported Willis “was honored with the Woman of Influence Award.”
Read the full storyNeil W. McCabe: Trump Has Opportunity to Capitalize in New York, Produce ‘Amazing Turnout’ for Republicans in November
National political reporter Neil W. McCabe said the scene of former President Donald Trump visiting a bodega in West Harlem last week “absolutely” resonates with Hispanic and Black voters, which ultimately makes the left “very concerned.”
Read the full storyState Director of Marsy’s Law for Tennessee Bonnie Brezina on Constitutional Amendment: ‘If Not Now, When?’
Bonnie Brezina, who serves as the state director of Marsy’s Law for Tennessee, said the state is in a positive position to vote on Marsy’s Law as a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot in 2026.
Read the full storyFBI Delivers Covenant Killer Writings to Federal Judge for In Camera Review
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has officially turned over all documents related to Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, including the killer’s manifesto, for an in camera review of materials.
Read the full storyExclusive: Texas DPS Spokesperson Joins Senator Marsha Blackburn’s Podcast, Reveals How President Biden’s Refusal to Enforce Existing Immigration Laws Deprives Americans of Much-Needed Resources
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez said the Biden Administration’s refusal to enforce existing immigration laws directly impacts small communities along the southern border as local resources are constantly diverted to assist with cases involving illegal aliens.
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee Confirms ‘No Pathway’ for School Choice Bill, Hints at Reviving Plan Next Legislative Session
Governor Bill Lee released a statement Monday announcing there is “not a pathway” for his universal school choice voucher bill this legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Joins Push to Strip Trump’s Secret Service Protection if Convicted
Tennessee U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) on Friday joined a number of congressional Democrats who seek to remove the Secret Service protection afforded to former President Donald Trump if he is convicted and sentenced to prison.
Cohen was named in a press release issued by Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), who led the House January 6 committee, as a co-sponsor of the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act, which would amend Secret Service procedures “by automatically terminating Secret Service protection for those who have been sentenced to prison following conviction for a Federal or State felony.”
Read the full storyTennessee Treasurer Absent from Letter to Bank of America Demanding End to De-Banking Conservatives
Several state treasurers and other officials sent a letter to Bank of America warning the banking giant of apparently targeting customers with conservative politics by de-banking them—however, Tennessee State Treasurer David Lillard’s signature was absent.
The letter to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said its signatories are concerned that Bank of America has a “track record of discriminating against religious ministries,” a “systemic bias” against politically conservative views, and supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Read the full storyNashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Announces $3.1 Billion Transit Plan
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released the details of his transit referendum that is expected to go before voters in November, revealing his plans will cost $3.1 billion and be partially financed through a half-cent sales tax increase.
In a statement, O’Connell called his transit referendum “the best opportunity we’ve ever had to build out our priority sidewalks, to synchronize signals so you’re spending less time at red lights, and to connect neighborhoods via a better transit system that doesn’t have to come downtown just to go somewhere else.”
Read the full storyYoungkin to ‘Work with Legislators’ on Skill Games Concerns After Senate Tosses Governor’s Amended Bill
Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed he will “work with legislators” to achieve compromise legislation addressing controversial skill games machines.
The Virginia Senate tossed Youngkin’s version of the bill, with just six senators voting in favor and 34 voting against. Youngkin’s amended bill sought to place strict restrictions on legislation that originally would have allowed skill games in convenience stores throughout the commonwealth.
Read the full storyBusy Week Ahead for Tennessee Legislature as End of the Session Nears
Several pieces of Tennessee legislation could see action in the next week, with the bills either held from long calendars or intentionally delayed for further discussion.
The state’s amended $52.8 billion budget bill, however, passed both chambers of the State House and State Senate.
Read the full storyFulton County Sheriff Candidates Point to More Guards, Better Housing Needed to Stop Wave of Prison Inmate Deaths
Candidates running for Fulton County Sheriff told voters at an ACLU of Georgia “Know Your Sheriff” town hall event on Tuesday they plan to improve prison conditions through a combination of additional staff, increased scrutiny of incoming inmates, and upgraded housing. Suggestions come in the wake of a slew of deaths in the county’s prison system.
As part of the event, candidates completed a questionnaire to inform voters about their position on issues. One question asked, “Since 2022, over 20 people have died in the custody of the Fulton County Sheriff’s department. What plans do you have to improve the safety of the Fulton County Jail?”
Read the full storyGeorgia U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene Blasts DHS Secretary Mayorkas: Probably the Best Business Partner Cartels Could Ever Have
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that he was “probably the best business partner” cartels “could ever have” in a hearing on Tuesday.
“Mr. Secretary…you’ve allowed the cartels to make billions and billions. As a matter of fact, you’re probably the best business partner they could ever have,” she said, and added, “They make all this money in human trafficking and drug trafficking at our border. You’ve allowed approximately 300 Americans to be murdered every single day from fentanyl that comes across our border….”
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