Reporter Neil W. McCabe of The Star News Network visits Republican candidate for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District, Morgan Ortagus’s fundraiser on the evening of Ash Wednesday with a few questions for notable attendees.
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School District in Washington State Holding Racially Segregated Superintendent Search Meetings for Parents
A Washington school district plans to hold racially segregated meetings for parents and guardians who wish to participate in the search for a new superintendent.
As afternoon radio host Jason Rantz reported at MYNorthwest Wednesday, the Issaquah School District’s (ISD) weekly bulletin for February 7 listed its “upcoming events,” including separate meetings for “Parents/Guardians of Color.”
Read MoreThe 2020 National Constitution Bee Grand Champion Declared
BRENTWOOD, Tennessee – This year’s annual National Constitution Bee Grand Champion was senior high school student Jackson Carter. He received the $10,000 educational scholarship from the Star News Education Foundation. Carter plans on attending the University of Alabama, where he hopes to double major in communications studies and economics.
The event took place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, Tennessee. 23 students ranging from eighth to twelfth grade arrived to compete. The Tennessee Star Report host and Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary Students co-author Michael Leahy served as the emcee.
New Court Filings of Autopsy Examiner Say George Floyd Likely Died of Overdose, Not Strangulation
New court filings of the Hennepin County Autopsy Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker show that George Floyd likely died of an overdose rather than strangulation.
On Monday, ex-officer Tou Thao’s counsel requested the complete medical witness opinions from both the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Floyd family’s individual autopsy doctors, Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson.
Read More500 Twin Cities Healthcare Workers Test Negative for COVID-19
The University of Minnesota released a report Thursday in which all 500 Twin Cities healthcare workers tested in their study were negative for COVID-19. Their test subjects were the healthcare workers who have been tending to patients for months.
Considering the recent surge of cases, this is good news for the frontlines.
Read MorePresident Trump and Prime Minister Morrison Celebrate ‘Promises Made, Promises Kept’ in Wapakoneta
Two countries played a key role in the building of the new Pratt Industries plant in Wapakoneta – Australia and the United States. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Donald J. Trump, visited that new plant on Sunday. The opening of the recycled paper and cardboard plant represents, “Promises made, promises kept,” on the part of President Trump and Pratt Industries, which is owned by Aussie billionaire Anthony Pratt.
Read MoreOhio’s Dayton Police Called Heroes – Responded within a Minute to Mass Shooting at Historic Oregon District
DAYTON, Ohio — The beautiful tree-lined, brick-paved streets of the Historic Oregon District were eerily quiet Sunday following a mass shooting outside Ned Peppers Bar on East 5th Street earlier that morning. Nine victims have been confirmed dead thus far and more than two dozen injured. Police, who were on the scene within one minute, shot and killed the suspect. Praise for their fast response is coming in from all around the city, and state including from the Oregon District itself.
Read MoreDem Senator Punished By Donors for Speaking Out Against Franken
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was one of the first Democrats to publicly call for Sen. Al Franken’s (D-MN) resignation after he was accused of sexual misconduct by at least eight different women. But now the New York senator, who was once considered presidential material, is being blackballed by the Democratic…
Read MoreKeith Ellison Transition Committee Has 15 Democratic Donors, Zero Republican
Keith Ellison concluded his election night victory speech by vowing to hire anyone of any political affiliation so long as they “serve the public’s interest,” but 15 of his transition committee members are Democratic donors. Another three members of the 35-person board are sitting Democratic state representatives or senators, including…
Read MoreMinneapolis One Step Closer to Becoming A Sanctuary City
A proposal to offer illegal immigrants municipal IDs cleared committee Monday in a unanimous vote, and will now head to the full Minneapolis City Council for consideration. According to Fox 9, more than 50 people in support of the program attended Monday’s meeting, but nobody in attendance testified against the…
Read MoreMichigan Star John James in the Running for UN Ambassador, Sources Claim
Michigan Republican John James recently visited the White House to meet with top players in the Trump administration as some insiders claim he’s being considered as a replacement for UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. James rose to national prominence after his unsuccessful challenge of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), but came closer…
Read MoreMinnesota Dems Display Ignorance on Border Fiasco, React in Hysterics
Minnesota’s newly-elected Democrats almost instantly promulgated the mainstream media’s wall-to-wall coverage of Monday’s border fiasco, but said nothing of the fact that tear-gas agents are frequently used at the border, and have been for years. Tweeting at 6:30 Monday morning, Rep.-elect Dean Phillips (D-MN-03) said he was waking up to…
Read MoreNative Owned Company Says Northern Minnesota Pipeline Project Will ‘Benefit Our People’
Minnesota regulators unanimously approved Enbridge Energy’s proposal to begin construction on a replacement pipeline stretching across northern Minnesota, prompting public outcry across the state. As The Minnesota Sun reported Friday, opponents of the project shut down a performance at Minneapolis’s Theater of Public Policy last week in response to the…
Read MoreAmy Klobuchar Responds to Presidential Rumors
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) finally addressed rumors that she may seek the Democratic Party’s nomination in the 2020 presidential election after garnering national attention during Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination process. Analysts have been eyeing Klobuchar as a potential candidate ever since her October grilling of Kavanaugh, whom she asked in…
Read MoreDisgraced Senator Al Franken Reflects on ‘Experience of Women’ in Thanksgiving Statement
Disgraced Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) released a lengthy statement over the holiday weekend in which he claims that he’s spent “this past year thinking about the broader conversation we’ve been having about the experience of women in this country.” This time last year Franken was facing pressure to resign after…
Read MoreSt. Cloud Elects Council Members Who Support Stalling Refugee Resettlement Program
St. Cloud elected two new conservative members to its city council who support efforts to slow down the influx of refugees settling in the community. The issue became a hot topic in Minnesota after Council Member Jeff Johnson (not related to the Republican gubernatorial candidate) introduced a measure to temporarily…
Read MoreEllison Trying to Rebuild Trust With Voters After Contentious Election
After his four-point victory in a contentious race for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, Keith Ellison has been making the rounds on local media outlets to rebuild trust with voters. Just days after his win, The Star Tribune ran a “thank-you” letter written by Ellison to the voters in which…
Read MoreMyPillow’s Mike Lindell Helping Fund Conservative Movies in Hollywood
Minnesota businessman and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is trying his hand at Hollywood after investing $1 million in a new movie that offers a critical look at Planned Parenthood. The movie, titled Unplanned, had to be filmed in secret due to the sensitive nature of its subject, The Hollywood Reporter…
Read MoreJeff Johnson Also Received More Votes Than Any Previous Gubernatorial Candidates
Gov.-elect Tim Walz (D-MN) has frequently boasted of historical victory in the Minnesota gubernatorial race, but the numbers were unprecedented on both sides of the ticket as the state saw record-setting voter turnout. “Peggy [Flanagan] and I are humbled by the support for One Minnesota. We received more votes than…
Read MoreMinnesota College Republicans Subjected to Repeated Vandalism, Threats to ‘Alert Antifa’
A College Republicans mural on the University of Minnesota campus was repeatedly vandalized during the fall semester, most recently with calls to “alert Antifa” of the conservative presence on campus. Vandalism of the mural, located on the campus’ Washington Avenue Bridge, seemed to begin in 2017 in response to the…
Read MoreDem Rep Slams Minnesota Colleagues for Siding With ‘Extreme Environmentalists’ Over Farmers
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), soon to be chair of the House Agriculture Committee, had some choice words for his fellow Democrats whom he believes are siding with “extreme environmentalists” over Minnesota’s farmers. “In a district like mine, the biggest problem we have is with the environmentalists,” said Peterson, who represents…
Read MorePipeline Protesters Shut Down Performance in Minneapolis
Minneapolis’ Theater of Public Policy had to end a performance early for the first time in its seven-year run after a group of protesters repeatedly disrupted the show. The hecklers were angered by a Monday morning decision to clear the way for construction of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline, which…
Read MoreFeds Could Spend $778 Million to Keep Invasive Species Out of Great Lakes
The federal government estimates that a project aimed at keeping an invasive species out of the Great Lakes would cost $778 million, but wouldn’t be complete until 2025 or 2027. The project, which would include upgrades at a Joliet, Illinois lock and dam to prevent Asian carp from entering the…
Read MoreMichigan Muslim Sect Cleared of Female Genital Mutilation Charges
A federal judge in Detroit has tossed out female genital mutilation charges against members of a Muslim sect, arguing that Congress “overstepped its bounds” in prohibiting the practice. The 22-year-old federal ban on female genital mutilation went untested until April 2017, when Dr. Jumana Nagarwala (pictured above) of Northville, Michigan…
Read MoreKeith Ellison Accuser ‘Leaving Town,’ Accuses DFL of Covering Up Abuse
Keith Ellison accuser Karen Monahan claims to have evidence that the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party tried “to cover up facts” during its investigation into the former congressman. Monahan first accused Ellison of domestic abuse just days before his August primary, but after Ellison defeated Republican Doug Wardlow in a tight race…
Read MoreGov. Dayton’s Staff Waited A Month to Reveal He Was Still Hospitalized
Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN) underwent back surgery at Mayo Clinic in October in what was the latest in a series of health scares, but his staff took a month to inform the public that he was still hospitalized. “Governor Dayton’s doctor is pleased with how Friday’s surgery went and believes…
Read MoreCraig And Phillips Skip Out On Letter from Fellow Democrats Vowing to Vote Against Pelosi for Speaker
A group of Democratic House members issued a letter to their colleagues Monday vowing to vote against Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11) in her bid for the speakership. The letter calls for “new leadership” in Congress, but some of Minnesota’s newly-elected members who made similar claims on the campaign trail…
Read MorePeggy Flanagan Wants to ‘Cover’ Art Depicting Native Americans in Capitol
Lt. Gov.-elect Peggy Flanagan plans to “cover” a number of controversial paintings located in the Minnesota Capitol’s transition offices, which allegedly contain “insensitive” and “historically inaccurate” depictions of Native Americans. Flanagan, who will become the first indigenous woman in the nation to hold executive office, said during a recent interview…
Read MoreNext Minnesota House Speaker Wants More Politicians Who Aren’t Worried About Being Polite
Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) was facing pressure to resign in 2017 after criticizing her “white male” colleagues for sitting in the “retiring room” during a debate, but now she has been selected to serve as the next Minnesota House speaker. “I hate to break up the 100 percent…
Read MoreSaint Paul Passes $15 Minimum Wage Ordinance in Unanimous Vote
The Saint Paul City Council unanimously approved a $15 minimum-wage ordinance Thursday, which was quickly signed into law by Mayor Melvin Carter. “Today’s vote is the culmination of years of incredible leadership from Council Members, workers, business leaders and advocates, all working together to provide a much-needed raise to over…
Read MoreMichigan Activists Prowling the State for Anything Even Remotely Religious
A Michigan “civil rights” organization has spent the past few years removing any hint of religion from public spaces, most recently forcing a group of public-school football players to stop praying before games. In October, the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists (MACRA) sent a complaint to Muskegon Community College…
Read MoreDan Feehan Concedes to Hagedorn Ten Days After Election
Democrat Dan Feehan conceded in the race for Minnesota’s First Congressional District on Friday, nearly 10 days after his loss to Republican Jim Hagedorn. For the second time in a row, Minnesota’s First District was the closest race in the state, and one of the closest in the country, but…
Read MoreMinnesota Receives Approval to Begin Construction on $2 Billion Light Rail Extension
The Twin Cities Met Council announced Wednesday that it has received approval from the federal government to begin construction on its controversial $2 billion Light Rail extension. In a Wednesday press release, the Met Council announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has granted it a Letter of No Prejudice,…
Read MoreOmar Already Facing Backlash from Jewish Community Before Entering Congress
Congresswoman-elect Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) now claims that she “believes in and supports” the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel despite making claims to the contrary on the campaign trail. During an Aug. 6 primary debate, Omar called the BDS movement “counteractive” because it wouldn’t be “helpful in getting…
Read MorePlanned Parenthood Won Big in Minnesota on Election Day
Campaign finance reports indicate that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) was the third-leading beneficiary of Planned Parenthood donations during the 2018 election cycle. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Klobuchar raked in $17,650 in donations from the country’s foremost abortion provider. She trailed in donations to Sen. Clair McCaskill (D-MO),…
Read MoreDid Minnesota’s Newly Elected Democrats Already Violate House Rules?
Minnesota’s newly elected members of Congress are in Washington for their new-member orientation, but some reports indicate that the freshmen members are already violating House rules. The Daily Caller News Foundation reported Wednesday that a group of New Jersey’s new members tweeted a picture of themselves from the House floor,…
Read MoreVentura Pitches ‘Pot for Potholes’ in Meeting with Walz
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura met with Gov.-elect Tim Walz Tuesday to discuss managing the transition into the governor’s mansion and pitched Minnesota’s new leader on legalizing marijuana in the state. While Minnesota currently has a medical marijuana program, Ventura told reporters after his meeting that “we’re just plain missing…
Read MoreIlhan Omar Faces Second Investigation Into Misuse of Campaign Funds
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minneapolis), who easily won her election for Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District Tuesday, now faces a second investigation into her purported misuse of campaign dollars for personal benefit. As The Minnesota Sun previously reported, the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (CFB) found “probable cause” against Omar and…
Read MoreJason Lewis Blames McCain Opposition to ObamaCare Repeal for Losing House
Republican Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN-02), who lost his bid for reelection Tuesday, attributes the Republican Party’s loss of the House to Sen. John McCain’s opposition to repealing ObamaCare. In a Monday op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Lewis writes that McCain’s vote against a repeal prompted a “green wave” of…
Read MoreTwo Legal Marijuana Parties Earn Major Party Status in Minnesota
Two political parties pushing for the legalization of marijuana across Minnesota are likely to be granted major-party status after a successful midterm election. Both the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis (GLC) Party and the Legal Marijuana Now (LMN) Party earned more than five percent of the vote in at least one statewide race,…
Read MoreWhat’s Wrong with the Minnesota GOP?
The Minnesota Republican Party continued its 10-year statewide losing streak Tuesday, but party leaders are hesitant to accept any blame for the disastrous performance. State Republicans lost up and down the ballot in both local and federal elections, losing races for the governorship, attorney general, secretary of state, state auditor,…
Read MoreSuspect Charged in Assault of Minnesota Republican
A Minnesota man was recently charged with assaulting a Republican candidate for state office while the two engaged in a political conversation at a bar in October. As The Minnesota Sun previously reported, Republican Shane Mekeland, campaigning for office in Minnesota District 15B, reported to the police that he had…
Read MoreTim Walz Plans to Include Tuition-Free College in Budget Proposal
Minnesota Gov.-elect Tim Walz said Friday that while he is open to discussion on the topic, his administration plans to account for two years of free public college for families making under $125,000 a year in his first budget. During a Friday appearance on TPT Almanac, Walz was asked about…
Read MoreKeith Ellison Resigns From DNC After Winning Attorney General’s Race
Keith Ellison has resigned as deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee after defeating Republican Doug Wardlow in the race for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. Throughout the campaign, Wardlow used Ellison’s high-ranking position with the DNC as evidence that the Democrat would conduct himself in a partisan manner while…
Read MoreCraig And Phillips to Face First Test in Pelosi Speakership
Two of Minnesota’s newest Democratic members of Congress campaigned on platforms of promoting unity and bipartisanship in Washington, but will be working with a Democratic-controlled House set on punishing the president and placing the speakership back in the hands of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12). Pelosi speakership Pelosi is…
Read MoreTim Walz And House Democrats Plan to Renew Gun-Control Efforts in Minnesota
With the help of a new Democratic majority in the Minnesota House, Gov.-elect Tim Walz is expected to renew efforts to pass gun-control legislation in the state. In response to Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, Walz and Rep. Melissa Hortman (D-Fridley), who was elected this week to…
Read MoreSmith Snubs Housley After Senate Victory
Newly-elected Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) made no mention of her Republican opponent Karin Housley during her victory speech Tuesday night nor in her posts made on social media after the election. Smith, who took over for Al Franken less than a year ago after his resignation, defeated Housley 53 percent…
Read MoreDay Two: Walz Plans to Include Gas-Tax Hike in Budget Despite Voter Opposition
During one of his first public appearances as governor-elect, Democrat Tim Walz said Minnesotans can expect to see a gas-tax increase in his first budget proposal due at the beginning of the year. Speaking to reporters during a visit to his transition office in the Minnesota State Capitol Thursday, Walz…
Read MoreHouse Winners And Losers: DFL And GOP Both Flip Two Seats in Minnesota
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party won five of Minnesota’s eight congressional districts, adding to an already decisive night of Democratic victories across the state. There were, however, some key Republican upsets throughout Minnesota, particularly in Minnesota’s First Congressional District where Republican Jim Hagedorn was called the winner early Wednesday morning. Republican…
Read MoreDean Phillips Unseats Erik Paulsen in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District
Millionaire businessman and heir to the Phillips Distilling Company Dean Phillips has unseated Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN-03) in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District. Phillips ran his campaign on fighting the corrupt influence of money in politics, while attacking Paulsen for not making himself available to his constituents, at one point garnering…
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