thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Modern Day Mobsters: Crom Carmichael Examines Washington D.C. Politicians and Their Patterns of Lega

Modern Day Mobsters: Crom Carmichael Examines Washington D.C. Politicians and Their Patterns of Legal Criminality

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
During the second hour , Carmichael compared mobsters during the 19th century to today ’ s politicians in Washington , D.C. by describing how the mob would use intimidation and force people into unions .
He later described how there is a continuing pattern of legal criminality in D.C. that uses legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayers .
Leahy : We ’ re joined in the studio by our good friend and the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
Crom , good morning .
Leahy : Well , the beat goes on .
Leahy : That ’ s the first date when the electors will be appointed .
And then the Electoral College meets on December 14 .
Congress and convenes .
I think January 3 or 4 to approve or reject the Electoral College votes .
And then what January 20 we have an inauguration .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good guys in this case the supporters of Donald Trump .
And looks to me like we are more likely than not on a path to have a stolen election .
And as I ’ ve said many times stolen elections have consequences .
Carmichael : And we ’ ll see .
I have been watching a TV program a documentary and it ’ s fascinating to kind of watch the history of how this particular institution evolved and how when things changed how it changed to go with the times .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s called Mobsters .
Carmichael : And it really points out that the mob initially there were two major factions in the mobs .
One was the Italians and the other was the Irish .
And when the mob started they essentially made local merchants who are of their own kind pay for protection .
The protection racket might have been loan-sharking .
It was that type of thing and might have been prostitution .
Leahy : So , you know , just looking historically it seems to me that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was documented in the movie Gangs of New York .
They talked about what was going on in New York in the 1940s or so .
Carmichael : Well , I don ’ t know if I ’ m not really back that far .
But the point that you ’ re making is that institutionally they were old .
And they ’ ve been around for a long time .
What they did that I ’ m really talking about and that is it was the mobs were pretty local .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They were powerful within their neighborhoods .
But that ’ s about it .
Carmichael : There wasn ’ t the opportunity to become richer and until prohibition .
And then when prohibition happened that ’ s kind of interesting because with prohibition you had the government .
And I ’ m not saying the people who were in the teetotalers who are in favor of prohibition , I ’ m not saying that they were necessarily mobsters .
But it certainly helped the mobsters when the national government outlawed alcohol .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide alcohol or could but did provide alcohol were people who were involved in crime .
By definition , it was a crime .
And so so prohibition is what made the mobs huge .
I mean , we ’ re talking hundreds of millions of dollars… Carmichael : Of revenue and immense power .
And with money what did the mobsters do ?
And we ’ re talking about in major cities .
But we ’ re going to focus right now on New York and Chicago because those were the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence .
And what did they do ?
They bought off the politicians .
They bought off the police .
Leahy : No shock in that .
That ’ s what they do .
Carmichael : And I want to have this kind of be our discussion of the day a so to speak because this is really about human nature .
And are all people bad ?
No .
All people don ’ t have to be bad for a society to be incredibly corrupt .
Only a relatively few .
Carmichael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I mean that would be very very high and it just requires a few .
and I would imagine and in the city of Chicago , the number of people who were fundamentally corrupt and I ’ m not talking about the people who were buying the whiskey .
I ’ m talking about the people who were involved in criminal activity .
Because you had the police you had the judges you had the politicians .
And what happened is Al Capone essentially dominated the crime scene in Chicago .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back and forth .
And you had the Valentine ’ s Day Massacre and all these different things .
And the police essentially showed up to manage the crime scene .
And so the mobsters fought it out amongst themselves .
Well , then when prohibition ended the mob no longer had their primary source of revenue which dwarfed everything else they did .
So what did they do ?
What did they know about ?
Well , they understood the alcohol business and they understood the restaurant business to a point .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blessing of the police the judges and the politicians , what they did was they organized the unions .
And the unions that were specially organized were in the restaurant business .
So they organized the bartenders .
they organized the waitresses with the support of the politicians .
Essentially politicians forced these people who were in these businesses .
If you want to be an employee , then you had to be a member of a union .
And then those standing those waitresses and bartenders and when the customer would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve as their house drink a product that was manufactured or be produced by the mob .
And so it was a very incestuous deal .
Then that continued along .
And then the mob got involved in other unions .
And so that ’ s why the private unions became extremely violent as part of their negotiating tactics because that ’ s how the mob handled its competition back when it was just the mob .
And one of the other institutions they took over was Hollywood .
They took over all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stagehands .
They took over everybody and they essentially and we saw this in The Godfather by the way .
Leahy : By the way just as an aside , my greatest movie ever .
The Godfather parts one and two .
Carmichael : Well , I actually liked part 3 more than I like the other two .
Leahy : By the way , there ’ s a been a recut version of it out there now , but Francis Ford Coppola says is much much better .
I ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmichael : Okay .
Well , I ’ d love to see it .
So at any rate , so then the mobs took over the unions and they and they elected a guy named George Brown who was the union president .
and he got himself in trouble and went off to prison .
And so you this back and forth between the unions and the politicians and the unions fighting with each other .
And now I look at the country today .
And by the way , what did the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is the mobs went where the money was ?
Carmichael : Where ’ s the money now ?
Washington D.C. And so what you have is you now have a mobster mentality .
And I would argue that Joe Biden is kind of the head of the first crime family that has been able to run Washington D.C. Carmichael : Now I ’ m not saying Biden himself orchestrated all of it .
Leahy : He ’ s the head of the family .
Carmichael : It ’ s worse .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Trump was Elliot Ness .
Trump was one who was actually trying to clean up the swam .
For example , back in the day of Al Capone in Chicago , the Italian mobs got a mayor elected who went after the Italians but didn ’ t go after the Irish .
It ’ s because they were on the Italian mob ’ s payroll .
And so politicians are very very much part of it .
Politicians , judges , and police are all part of the mob .
Or were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know that the police are as much involved in the mob today as they were .
I ’ m not even sure that the judges are .
The politicians , they certainly are .
But the way it ’ s become now , it ’ s now legal crime .
If that ’ s not an oxymoron .
Because Washington D.C. has the highest per capita income and it ’ s almost double the second-highest .
Now , that means what they do fundamentally is they in Washington D.C. and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of money .
It dwarfs prohibition .
It actually dwarfs illicit drugs .
It dwarfs everything .
And then they spend that money or they borrow and force the taxpayers to be on the hook .
And then they spend the money with their friends .
Eisenhower talked about beware of the military-industrial complex .
Under Trump , we saw that there was in fact a military-industrial complex .
Leahy : There is in fact .
Carmichael : Yes .
There was when Trump took over and there is .
And it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go on the boards of directors of defense contractors .
And while it is necessary and proper for the federal government to provide for the national defense .
Because we do live in a dangerous world .
I ’ m going to stipulate that .
But the rest of it is a giant racket .
And now there are many industries .
Big Pharma .
Healthcare insurance .
Carmichael : All of them are following that pattern of legal criminality by having legislation passed that benefits them at the expense of everyone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio.
During the second hour, Carmichael compared mobsters during the 19th century to today’s politicians in Washington, D.C. by describing how the mob would use intimidation and force people into unions. He later described how there is a continuing pattern of legal criminality in D.C. that uses legislation to benefit itself at the expense of taxpayers.
Leahy: We’re joined in the studio by our good friend and the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael. Crom, good morning.
Carmichael: Good morning Michael.
Leahy: Well, the beat goes on.
Carmichael: Yes.
Leahy: The clock keeps ticking.
Carmichael: Yes.
Leahy: We’re moving towards I guess a December 8. That’s Monday
Carmichael: That’s the first day.
Leahy: That’s the first date when the electors will be appointed. And then the Electoral College meets on December 14. Congress and convenes. I think January 3 or 4 to approve or reject the Electoral College votes. And then what January 20 we have an inauguration.
Carmichael: Yes.
Leahy: The clock is ticking. and the good guys in this case the supporters of Donald Trump. And looks to me like we are more likely than not on a path to have a stolen election. And as I’ve said many times stolen elections have consequences.
Carmichael: And we’ll see. I have been watching a TV program a documentary and it’s fascinating to kind of watch the history of how this particular institution evolved and how when things changed how it changed to go with the times. It’s a series of documentaries and it’s called Mobsters.
Leahy: (Chuckles) Okay.
Carmichael: And it really points out that the mob initially there were two major factions in the mobs. One was the Italians and the other was the Irish. And when the mob started they essentially made local merchants who are of their own kind pay for protection. The protection racket might have been loan-sharking. It was that type of thing and might have been prostitution.
Leahy: So, you know, just looking historically it seems to me that the Irish involvement in mobs and organized crime was documented in the movie Gangs of New York. They talked about what was going on in New York in the 1940s or so.
Carmichael: Well, I don’t know if I’m not really back that far. But the point that you’re making is that institutionally they were old. And they’ve been around for a long time. What they did that I’m really talking about and that is it was the mobs were pretty local. And they weren’t really all that. They were powerful within their neighborhoods. But that’s about it.
Leahy: There weren’t organized nationally.
Carmichael: There wasn’t the opportunity to become richer and until prohibition. And then when prohibition happened that’s kind of interesting because with prohibition you had the government. And I’m not saying the people who were in the teetotalers who are in favor of prohibition, I’m not saying that they were necessarily mobsters.
But it certainly helped the mobsters when the national government outlawed alcohol. Because then the only people who could provide alcohol or could but did provide alcohol were people who were involved in crime. By definition, it was a crime. And so so prohibition is what made the mobs huge. I mean, we’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars…
Leahy: Absolutely.
Carmichael: Of revenue and immense power. And with money what did the mobsters do? And we’re talking about in major cities. But we’re going to focus right now on New York and Chicago because those were the two cities where the mobs had the greatest influence. And what did they do? They bought off the politicians. They bought off the police.
Leahy: No shock in that. That’s what they do.
Carmichael: And I want to have this kind of be our discussion of the day a so to speak because this is really about human nature. And are all people bad? No. All people don’t have to be bad for a society to be incredibly corrupt. Only a relatively few.
Leahy: Five percent.
Carmichael: That would be very high. I mean that would be very very high and it just requires a few. and I would imagine and in the city of Chicago, the number of people who were fundamentally corrupt and I’m not talking about the people who were buying the whiskey. I’m talking about the people who were involved in criminal activity. Because you had the police you had the judges you had the politicians.
And what happened is Al Capone essentially dominated the crime scene in Chicago. There was an Irish group also and they fought back and forth. And you had the Valentine’s Day Massacre and all these different things. And the police essentially showed up to manage the crime scene. And so the mobsters fought it out amongst themselves.
Well, then when prohibition ended the mob no longer had their primary source of revenue which dwarfed everything else they did. So what did they do? What did they know about? Well, they understood the alcohol business and they understood the restaurant business to a point. And so what they did was with the blessing of the police the judges and the politicians, what they did was they organized the unions.
And the unions that were specially organized were in the restaurant business. So they organized the bartenders. they organized the waitresses with the support of the politicians. Essentially politicians forced these people who were in these businesses. If you want to be an employee, then you had to be a member of a union.
And then those standing those waitresses and bartenders and when the customer would come in they would then recommend or serve as their house drink a product that was manufactured or be produced by the mob. And so it was a very incestuous deal. Then that continued along. And then the mob got involved in other unions.
And so that’s why the private unions became extremely violent as part of their negotiating tactics because that’s how the mob handled its competition back when it was just the mob. And one of the other institutions they took over was Hollywood. They took over all the cameramen. They took over all the stagehands. They took over everybody and they essentially and we saw this in The Godfather by the way.
Leahy: By the way just as an aside, my greatest movie ever. The Godfather parts one and two.
Carmichael: Well, I actually liked part 3 more than I like the other two.
Leahy: By the way, there’s a been a recut version of it out there now, but Francis Ford Coppola says is much much better. I’ll give it to you for Christmas.
Carmichael: Good good. The whole Godfather?
Leahy: Part three.
Carmichael: Okay. Well, I’d love to see it. So at any rate, so then the mobs took over the unions and they and they elected a guy named George Brown who was the union president. and he got himself in trouble and went off to prison. And so you this back and forth between the unions and the politicians and the unions fighting with each other. And now I look at the country today. And by the way, what did the mobs do the simple way to describe it is the mobs went where the money was?
Leahy: Yeah.
Carmichael: Where’s the money now? Washington D.C. And so what you have is you now have a mobster mentality. And I would argue that Joe Biden is kind of the head of the first crime family that has been able to run Washington D.C.
Leahy: The Biden crime family.
Carmichael: Now I’m not saying Biden himself orchestrated all of it.
Leahy: He’s the head of the family.
Carmichael: It’s worse. It’s worse because when Trump came in Trump was Elliot Ness. Trump was one who was actually trying to clean up the swam. For example, back in the day of Al Capone in Chicago, the Italian mobs got a mayor elected who went after the Italians but didn’t go after the Irish. It’s because they were on the Italian mob’s payroll. And so politicians are very very much part of it. Politicians, judges, and police are all part of the mob.
Or were part of the mob. I don’t know that the police are as much involved in the mob today as they were. I’m not even sure that the judges are. The politicians, they certainly are. But the way it’s become now, it’s now legal crime. If that’s not an oxymoron. Because Washington D.C. has the highest per capita income and it’s almost double the second-highest.
Now, that means what they do fundamentally is they in Washington D.C. and the surroundings suck into their geographies immense amounts of money. It dwarfs prohibition. It actually dwarfs illicit drugs. It dwarfs everything. And then they spend that money or they borrow and force the taxpayers to be on the hook. And then they spend the money with their friends. Eisenhower talked about beware of the military-industrial complex. Under Trump, we saw that there was in fact a military-industrial complex.
Leahy: There is in fact.
Carmichael: Yes. There was when Trump took over and there is. And it’s an incestuous relationship where retired generals go on the boards of directors of defense contractors. And while it is necessary and proper for the federal government to provide for the national defense. Because we do live in a dangerous world. I’m going to stipulate that. But the rest of it is a giant racket. And now there are many industries. Big Pharma. Healthcare insurance.
Leahy: Following that pattern.
Carmichael: All of them are following that pattern of legal criminality by having legislation passed that benefits them at the expense of everyone.
Leahy: Exactly right.
Listen to the second hour here:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Poll Reveals 58 Percent of Voters Want Governor Kemp to Call Special Legislative Session Now

A majority of likely voters in January ’ s runoff election want Governor Brian Kemp to call a special session of the Georgia General Assembly for absentee ballot signature verification .
The poll , exclusively shared with The Georgia Star News , revealed that the bipartisan voters strongly desire a special legislative session addressing signature verification for every mail-in ballot .
The national survey research and strategic services company McLaughlin & Associates called 800 likely voters at the end of last month .
The methodology was described as a random selection “ to correlate with actual voter turnout in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kemp has refused to call a special legislative session before January 5 .
In an interview on Thursday , the governor expressed that he was as frustrated as President Donald Trump and voters with the post-election proceedings .
In an interview with The Star News , CEO and Partner John McLaughlin explained that their phone survey revealed what voters believe is important ahead of the upcoming election .
“ The poll was modeled on the November 3 presidential turnout and among all voters who cast ballots in that race , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Governor Kemp to call a special session of the state legislature to require signature verification for all mail-in ballots for the senate runoff is strong and broad with a three to two statewide majority , approving 58 percent to 38 percent .
Majority support is broad with approval from every key voter group in the state .
The people of Georgia clearly want an honest and secure election .
They certainly view requiring signature verification of mail-in ballots as an important element of election integrity and fraud prevention .
The governor should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Other issues raised by both state legislators and their constituents ahead of the runoff election include the consent decree and the state ’ s residency requirements .
The consent decree refers to an agreement signed by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in March .
The agreement has become a focal point in attorney Lin Wood ’ s case – he alleged that Raffensperger bypassed the state legislature to modify election law through the consent decree .
Although it is a felony to become a temporary resident of Georgia just to register to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that .
President Trump will appear in Georgia on Saturday for a rally to support incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , following Vice President Mike Pence ’ s visit on Friday .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Georgia Capitol ” by DXR .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

A majority of likely voters in January’s runoff election want Governor Brian Kemp to call a special session of the Georgia General Assembly for absentee ballot signature verification. The poll, exclusively shared with The Georgia Star News, revealed that the bipartisan voters strongly desire a special legislative session addressing signature verification for every mail-in ballot.
The national survey research and strategic services company McLaughlin & Associates called 800 likely voters at the end of last month. The methodology was described as a random selection “to correlate with actual voter turnout in the November 3rd general election.”
So far, Kemp has refused to call a special legislative session before January 5. In an interview on Thursday, the governor expressed that he was as frustrated as President Donald Trump and voters with the post-election proceedings.
In an interview with The Star News, CEO and Partner John McLaughlin explained that their phone survey revealed what voters believe is important ahead of the upcoming election.
“The poll was modeled on the November 3 presidential turnout and among all voters who cast ballots in that race,” he said. “The voter sentiment now for Governor Kemp to call a special session of the state legislature to require signature verification for all mail-in ballots for the senate runoff is strong and broad with a three to two statewide majority, approving 58 percent to 38 percent. Majority support is broad with approval from every key voter group in the state. The people of Georgia clearly want an honest and secure election. They certainly view requiring signature verification of mail-in ballots as an important element of election integrity and fraud prevention. The governor should call on the legislature to act immediately.”
Other issues raised by both state legislators and their constituents ahead of the runoff election include the consent decree and the state’s residency requirements.
The consent decree refers to an agreement signed by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in March. The agreement has become a focal point in attorney Lin Wood’s case – he alleged that Raffensperger bypassed the state legislature to modify election law through the consent decree.
Although it is a felony to become a temporary resident of Georgia just to register to vote, some activists have called for just that.
President Trump will appear in Georgia on Saturday for a rally to support incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, following Vice President Mike Pence’s visit on Friday.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Georgia Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Minnesota Drug Overdose Deaths Increased 31 Percent Year-to-Date in First Six Months of 2020

Previously unseen costs of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns are coming to light .
Drug overdose deaths increased 31 % during the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019 , according to new data released by the Minnesota Department of Health ( MDH ) .
From January to June in 2019 , 373 Minnesotans died of a drug overdose .
But during the same time in 2020 , 490 people died of a drug overdose – an increase of 117 deaths .
Drug overdose deaths in 2020 increased sharply in March – coinciding with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders .
Approximately 80 % of all opioid-involved deaths in this period involved synthetic opioids .
MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said there ’ s help for anyone suffering from addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ Deaths due to overdoses are preventable even amid all the troubles we ’ ve had this year , ” Malcolm said .
“ We need to work together to find ways to better support those suffering from substance use disorders , but it is important to know that there are resources available and those resources can still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place.
” Minnesotans ages 25 to 34 experienced the most significant increase of drug overdose deaths from January through June 2019 from 81 to 128 deaths – a 58 % spike .
But the number of drug overdose deaths also increased in the following age groups : 15 to 24 ; 35 to 44 ; and 45 to 54 .
Minnesotans who need help with drug addiction can find resources here .
For all drug-type death categories , the numbers were higher in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t isolated to rural or metropolitan areas .
In the Twin Cities area , drug overdose deaths increased 29 % from January through June 2019 ( 248 ) compared to the same period in 2020 ( 319 ) .
Drug overdose deaths in Greater Minnesota increased 36 % from January through June 2019 ( 124 ) compared to the same period in 2020 ( 169 ) .
MDH Public Information Officer Julie Bartkey told The Center Square that a number of factors — including an increased presence of synthetic opioids ( illicitly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress , isolation , and potential barriers to substance use disorder and recovery support services — could contribute to the the increase in overdose deaths .
Bartkey warned that this data only shows six months of data , so it ’ s not yet a complete picture of 2020 and suggested not drawing any conclusions from any one factor .
A full report on 2020 data is anticipated next year .
The Drug Overdose Dashboard contains data about responding to an opioid emergency and receiving the overdose drug naloxone .
Scott McClallen is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .

by Scott McClallen
Previously unseen costs of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns are coming to light.
Drug overdose deaths increased 31% during the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019, according to new data released by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
From January to June in 2019, 373 Minnesotans died of a drug overdose.
But during the same time in 2020, 490 people died of a drug overdose – an increase of 117 deaths.
Drug overdose deaths in 2020 increased sharply in March – coinciding with the COVID-19 outbreak and accompanying economic shutdown orders.
Approximately 80% of all opioid-involved deaths in this period involved synthetic opioids.
MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said there’s help for anyone suffering from addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Deaths due to overdoses are preventable even amid all the troubles we’ve had this year,” Malcolm said.
“We need to work together to find ways to better support those suffering from substance use disorders, but it is important to know that there are resources available and those resources can still be accessed safely even with COVID-19 restrictions in place.”
Minnesotans ages 25 to 34 experienced the most significant increase of drug overdose deaths from January through June 2019 from 81 to 128 deaths – a 58% spike.
But the number of drug overdose deaths also increased in the following age groups: 15 to 24; 35 to 44; and 45 to 54.
Minnesotans who need help with drug addiction can find resources here.
For all drug-type death categories, the numbers were higher in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019.
The increase in drug overdose deaths wasn’t isolated to rural or metropolitan areas.
In the Twin Cities area, drug overdose deaths increased 29% from January through June 2019 (248) compared to the same period in 2020 (319).
Drug overdose deaths in Greater Minnesota increased 36% from January through June 2019 (124) compared to the same period in 2020 (169).
MDH Public Information Officer Julie Bartkey told The Center Square that a number of factors — including an increased presence of synthetic opioids (illicitly manufactured fentanyl) and methamphetamine, economic stress, isolation, and potential barriers to substance use disorder and recovery support services — could contribute to the the increase in overdose deaths.
Bartkey warned that this data only shows six months of data, so it’s not yet a complete picture of 2020 and suggested not drawing any conclusions from any one factor.
A full report on 2020 data is anticipated next year.
The Drug Overdose Dashboard contains data about responding to an opioid emergency and receiving the overdose drug naloxone.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Ohio Includes Itself on Own Travel Advisory

As confirmed cases of the coronavirus continue to rise in the state , Ohio has warned its residents against traveling — to Ohio .
The Ohio Department of Health ( ODH ) added the state to its own list for the first time on Thursday after it reported positive testing rates of 15 percent or higher for COVID-19 .
The department is warning residents to quarantine for 14 days after traveling to the states on the list .
The ODH is currently recommending Ohio residents to stay at home except for necessary trips , wear masks and wash their hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include Idaho , Iowa , South Dakota and Kansas , which have positivity rates of 49 percent , 43.4 percent , 41.4 percent and 40 percent , respectively .
Ohio currently has a positivity rate of 15.4 percent , the department said , listing the COVID Tracking Project as its source .
The advisory list includes 13 other states besides Ohio .
Although the ODH said the advisory is “ not a mandate , ” Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine said in a tweet on Thursday that it is recommended Ohio residents “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies.
” “ It is intended as guidance and is not a mandate — please consider the information here along with other factors ( mode of transportation , lodging , activities , ability to social distance when traveling , personal health factors , etc . )
when making travel decisions for yourself and your family , ” the department said in its announcement .
Ohio has seen a recent spike in confirmed cases of the coronavirus , adding upwards of 7,000 new cases nearly every day since mid-November and seeing an uptick of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to data from the COVID Tracking Project .
The state has more than 432,000 confirmed cases and 6,431 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus , the ODH reports .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .

As confirmed cases of the coronavirus continue to rise in the state, Ohio has warned its residents against traveling — to Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) added the state to its own list for the first time on Thursday after it reported positive testing rates of 15 percent or higher for COVID-19. The department is warning residents to quarantine for 14 days after traveling to the states on the list.
The ODH is currently recommending Ohio residents to stay at home except for necessary trips, wear masks and wash their hands frequently.
Top states on the list include Idaho, Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas, which have positivity rates of 49 percent, 43.4 percent, 41.4 percent and 40 percent, respectively. Ohio currently has a positivity rate of 15.4 percent, the department said, listing the COVID Tracking Project as its source.
The advisory list includes 13 other states besides Ohio.
Although the ODH said the advisory is “not a mandate,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a tweet on Thursday that it is recommended Ohio residents “stay home except for necessary trips for supplies.”
This is the first week since April where Ohio’s positivity for COVID-19 has increased above 15%. Ohio's travel advisory recommends Ohioans stay home except for necessary trips for supplies, as well as consistent mask-wearing and frequent hand washing. pic.twitter.com/uU2TJrRLve — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) December 3, 2020
“It is intended as guidance and is not a mandate — please consider the information here along with other factors (mode of transportation, lodging, activities, ability to social distance when traveling, personal health factors, etc.) when making travel decisions for yourself and your family,” the department said in its announcement.
Ohio has seen a recent spike in confirmed cases of the coronavirus, adding upwards of 7,000 new cases nearly every day since mid-November and seeing an uptick of 16.7 percent in the past seven days, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project. The state has more than 432,000 confirmed cases and 6,431 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus, the ODH reports.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Co-Founder of VoterGA Garland Favorito Claims Evidence of Dominion Software Flipping Votes from Trum

Co-Founder of VoterGA Garland Favorito Claims Evidence of Dominion Software Flipping Votes from Trump to Biden

Live from Georgia Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond , WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia , WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 ( 7-9 PM ) Hampton Roads , WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed the co-founder of VoterGA , Garland Favorito to the show to discuss getting bumped out of testimony on Thursday ’ s hearing in Ware County , Georgia .
Fredericks : Joining us now , Garland Favorito .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a libertarian so he ’ s not like a Trump supporter anything like that .
he ’ s an independent thinker and he ’ s been covering elections forever .
We had him on a show in Atlanta .
The second day we were there in Buckhead at our studios there he talked about these algorithms and he talked about the Dominion voting and machines .
Nobody really took him seriously until now .
Now they ’ re starting to pay attention .
He gave testimony yesterday .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great to have you back .
Favorito : Hey John thanks for having me back .
And yeah actually I ’ m the elections director of the Constitution Party of Georgia and also the co-founder of VoterGA which stands for voters organized for trusted election results in Georgia .
And here ’ s what I ’ m trying to do .
Fredericks : Tell us what happened yesterday and what your testimony was in Ware County ?
Favorito : So thank you John for again .
Let me tell you the story .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This Senator Ligon cut me from the testimony yesterday .
I was the number seven defense witness for the president .
And Senator Ligon cut me out and moved me to the bottom and then cut off the witnesses and ended the hearing without me getting to testify .
We were wondering why he did this and then realized that my testimony would have exposed the secretary of state of Georgia , the elections director of Georgia , and the legal counsel of Georgia for the secretary of state all for wrongdoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both sides of the political spectrum .
And that is why I was cut out of the the the hearing yesterday in spite of the fact that the president ’ s legal team wanted me as the number seven witnesses .
So some of the reasons why I was cut is because of the way that the secretary of state compromised the hand count audit so that the results , basically the secretary not only compromised that but then he ordered certification of the Dominion results even with inaccuracies on it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the evidence that I had was that a Dominion voting system , in at least in one county , we found flip votes from Trump to Biden .
That information never got on the record yesterday because of the chairman of the committee .
So we had a case down there where we now know based on specific results from the hand count on it that at least three dozen votes or more we think about 37 more were flipped from Trump to Biden .
And the elections director ordered the counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So when you spread this across multiple counties the president lost hundreds of votes if not thousands because of the secretary ’ s decision and the election director ’ s decision .
All that would have been exposed yesterday had I been able to testify .
Fredericks : So Republican Senator Ligon who is leading this oversight hearing , he wouldn ’ t let you speak .
He dumped you to the bottom .
I saw you yesterday .
I mean I simply had to leave because I think I left at about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhaustion .
So I had to leave so I was not aware that you got dumped out of there .
I know they put you down at the bottom .
I want you to go over this 37 vote flip again .
explain in detail when you say 37 votes were flipped on the Dominion voting machine because of the algorithms .
Explain in layman ’ s terms to our listeners what you found and what exactly happened there .
Favorito : Well it ’ s pretty simple .
The election machines produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full hound count audit the rather than and in addition to entering the results into the secretary of state system some of the counties kept their own results .
So in keeping their own results they were able to tell from the hand count audit that President Trump got 37 more votes and Biden got 37 less as compared to the electronic count .
So that told us because they did a full hand count audit and because the counties kept their own numbers and the results they could verify that that happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump 37 votes .
We don ’ t know which machine .
The county has multiple machines down there .
Favorito : Yes .
And they ’ re not going to give us access to the machines we don ’ t think .
We would probably need a court order to impound the machine so that we could check the algorithm .
But basically uh the president got 37 fewer votes on the machine than he should have and Biden got 37 more votes .
And what ’ s interesting about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two six percent of weight is exactly the margin of victory that Biden is currently accredited for having in the state of Georgia .
Fredericks : The Democrats are going to claim well it was a glitch .
Then they ’ re going to claim it was human error .
How was it not human error ?
How is it not that somebody simply put the wrong ballot in the wrong slot ?
How is it not human error ?
Favorito : Well it can ’ t be a human error because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You see there is no wrong slot to put the ballot in .
Everybody puts the ballot in the same slot and then the tabulator tabulates the results .
So there is no way for the humans or any voter to have made a mistake .
This is exclusively isolated to the Dominion Democracy Suite 5.5 ICP or ICC system .
The ICP is the precinct tabulator scanner and then the ICC is the county scanner .
So there has to be most likely malware on one of those two devices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ballot definition mismatch .
we talked to the elections director and he said no that would not apply because you know all the machines were configured exactly the same .
So one of them could not have been out of whack according to the director .
Fredericks : Garland , so let me get this straight .
In Ware County , you went and they did a hand recount .
And the hand recount of the ballots that were fed into the machine showed one number .
And the machine showed another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were hand-counted were fed into the machine Biden had 37 more votes .
Trump had 37 fewer votes which represented a swing of just over a quarter of a percent .
Now there are 5 million votes in total in Georgia .
You take a quarter of a percent and it ’ s 12,500 more than what Biden won by .
So what you ’ re saying is that you fed the paper in and the paper , after feeding it in , there was a software algorithm changed that gave Biden 37 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now so what they ’ re going to say is oh that some machine had a glitch .
Well , that ’ s what they ’ re gon na say .
But it ’ s unfathomable .
There ’ s a lot of glitches here right ?
If you found that in where county how many were in full county DeKalb County , Cobb County , Cherokee County , and Savannah ?
Favorito : It ’ s a great question , John .
And we really don ’ t know because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter their hand count audit data into his centralized Arlo system .
This basically means that the counties don ’ t have their own totals for the hand count audit .
So they have no way to compare the results .
Fredericks : How did Ware County have it ?
Favorito : Some of the counties actually produced their own results and kept them .
So Ware County had their own results .
Favorito : I want to be honest with you .
We don ’ t know if this algorithm was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know w that .
But we do know that it was in Ware County and we don ’ t think that it could have been anything else like what we call a ballot definition mismatch which is what they claimed happened in Akron County , Michigan .
I don ’ t know if that ’ s really true .
But it doesn ’ t appear to be any kind of error that the elections team in Ware County could have made .
Fredericks : And you were going to testify to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ :

Live from Georgia Friday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond, WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia, WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 (7-9 PM) Hampton Roads, WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed the co-founder of VoterGA, Garland Favorito to the show to discuss getting bumped out of testimony on Thursday’s hearing in Ware County, Georgia.
Fredericks: Joining us now, Garland Favorito. Garland has been involved. So he’s a libertarian so he’s not like a Trump supporter anything like that. he’s an independent thinker and he’s been covering elections forever. We had him on a show in Atlanta. The second day we were there in Buckhead at our studios there he talked about these algorithms and he talked about the Dominion voting and machines. Nobody really took him seriously until now. Now they’re starting to pay attention. He gave testimony yesterday. He’s with us now. Garland Favorito, great to have you back.
Favorito: Hey John thanks for having me back. And yeah actually I’m the elections director of the Constitution Party of Georgia and also the co-founder of VoterGA which stands for voters organized for trusted election results in Georgia. And here’s what I’m trying to do.
Fredericks: Tell us what happened yesterday and what your testimony was in Ware County?
Favorito: So thank you John for again. Let me tell you the story. It’s now become more amazing. This Senator Ligon cut me from the testimony yesterday. I was the number seven defense witness for the president. And Senator Ligon cut me out and moved me to the bottom and then cut off the witnesses and ended the hearing without me getting to testify. We were wondering why he did this and then realized that my testimony would have exposed the secretary of state of Georgia, the elections director of Georgia, and the legal counsel of Georgia for the secretary of state all for wrongdoing.
Being an independent I expose corruption on both sides of the political spectrum. And that is why I was cut out of the the the hearing yesterday in spite of the fact that the president’s legal team wanted me as the number seven witnesses. So some of the reasons why I was cut is because of the way that the secretary of state compromised the hand count audit so that the results, basically the secretary not only compromised that but then he ordered certification of the Dominion results even with inaccuracies on it.
That is what happened yesterday. And what the evidence that I had was that a Dominion voting system, in at least in one county, we found flip votes from Trump to Biden. That information never got on the record yesterday because of the chairman of the committee. So we had a case down there where we now know based on specific results from the hand count on it that at least three dozen votes or more we think about 37 more were flipped from Trump to Biden.
And the elections director ordered the counties to certify the Dominion results anyway. So when you spread this across multiple counties the president lost hundreds of votes if not thousands because of the secretary’s decision and the election director’s decision. All that would have been exposed yesterday had I been able to testify.
Fredericks: So Republican Senator Ligon who is leading this oversight hearing, he wouldn’t let you speak. He dumped you to the bottom. I saw you yesterday. I mean I simply had to leave because I think I left at about 6:30 p.m. just out of pure physical exhaustion. So I had to leave so I was not aware that you got dumped out of there. I know they put you down at the bottom. I want you to go over this 37 vote flip again. explain in detail when you say 37 votes were flipped on the Dominion voting machine because of the algorithms. Explain in layman’s terms to our listeners what you found and what exactly happened there.
Favorito: Well it’s pretty simple. The election machines produced a count. When we did the full hound count audit the rather than and in addition to entering the results into the secretary of state system some of the counties kept their own results. So in keeping their own results they were able to tell from the hand count audit that President Trump got 37 more votes and Biden got 37 less as compared to the electronic count. So that told us because they did a full hand count audit and because the counties kept their own numbers and the results they could verify that that happened. So we know the machine shorted President Trump 37 votes. We don’t know which machine. The county has multiple machines down there.
Fredericks: Ware County.
Favorito: Yes. And they’re not going to give us access to the machines we don’t think. We would probably need a court order to impound the machine so that we could check the algorithm. But basically uh the president got 37 fewer votes on the machine than he should have and Biden got 37 more votes. And what’s interesting about this is this percentage which is two point two six percent of weight is exactly the margin of victory that Biden is currently accredited for having in the state of Georgia.
Fredericks: The Democrats are going to claim well it was a glitch. Then they’re going to claim it was human error. How was it not human error? How is it not that somebody simply put the wrong ballot in the wrong slot? How is it not human error?
Favorito: Well it can’t be a human error because the humans didn’t do anything wrong. You see there is no wrong slot to put the ballot in. Everybody puts the ballot in the same slot and then the tabulator tabulates the results. So there is no way for the humans or any voter to have made a mistake. This is exclusively isolated to the Dominion Democracy Suite 5.5 ICP or ICC system. The ICP is the precinct tabulator scanner and then the ICC is the county scanner.
So there has to be most likely malware on one of those two devices. The only other possibility is that is a ballot definition mismatch. we talked to the elections director and he said no that would not apply because you know all the machines were configured exactly the same. So one of them could not have been out of whack according to the director.
Fredericks: Garland, so let me get this straight. In Ware County, you went and they did a hand recount. And the hand recount of the ballots that were fed into the machine showed one number. And the machine showed another number. And when the ballots that were hand-counted were fed into the machine Biden had 37 more votes. Trump had 37 fewer votes which represented a swing of just over a quarter of a percent. Now there are 5 million votes in total in Georgia. You take a quarter of a percent and it’s 12,500 more than what Biden won by.
So what you’re saying is that you fed the paper in and the paper, after feeding it in, there was a software algorithm changed that gave Biden 37 more votes and Trump 37 fewer votes. Now so what they’re going to say is oh that some machine had a glitch. Well, that’s what they’re gonna say. But it’s unfathomable. There’s a lot of glitches here right? If you found that in where county how many were in full county DeKalb County, Cobb County, Cherokee County, and Savannah?
Favorito: It’s a great question, John. And we really don’t know because the secretary of state ordered the counties to enter their hand count audit data into his centralized Arlo system. This basically means that the counties don’t have their own totals for the hand count audit. So they have no way to compare the results.
Fredericks: How did Ware County have it?
Favorito: Some of the counties actually produced their own results and kept them. So Ware County had their own results.
Fredericks: This is unbelievable.
Favorito: I want to be honest with you. We don’t know if this algorithm was in other counties. We really don’t know w that. But we do know that it was in Ware County and we don’t think that it could have been anything else like what we call a ballot definition mismatch which is what they claimed happened in Akron County, Michigan. I don’t know if that’s really true. But it doesn’t appear to be any kind of error that the elections team in Ware County could have made.
Fredericks: And you were going to testify to this.
Favorito: Absolutely.
Listen to the full show here:
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Photo “Garland Favorito” by Nydia Tisdale.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Dunnavant: Lack of State Leadership Leads to Bad School Closure Decisions

As the 2020 elections fade into the background , Governor Ralph Northam has re-instituted capacity limits and restaurant curfews , but unlike in spring 2020 , the governor has not closed schools back down .
He has also not called for schools to open back up , leaving local districts to make their own decisions .
“ Health directors tell us that schools and workplaces are largely doing well to follow the requirements , but that the virus is spreading when people gather with friends or coworkers after work or school , ” Northam said at a Wednesday press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those environments in social gatherings .
Senator Siobhan Dunnavant ( R-Henrico ) told The Virginia Star her staff was watching Northam ’ s press conference .
She said , “ We didn ’ t get any strong statement from him that he was supporting opening schools .
He should have done that , he should have said that in July .
He should have said we need to open schools to protect children and find a way to do it.
” Dunnavant said that the original purpose of the shutdowns last spring was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand .
“ It really wasn ’ t to permanently decrease transmission , or to affect it , ” she said .
Several of Virginia ’ s school districts are shifting — schools that had begun returning students to in-person classes in October or November are closing back down , while others that were more resistant to reopening have now decided to start phasing students back in .
In October , Chesterfield County began phasing in in-person learning in its schools despite strong opposition from local teachers ’ organizations .
Then , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully virtual model with exceptions only for special need students .
The district based the decision on rising case counts in the Chesterfield County general population .
“ This return to an all-virtual learning environment , due to public health data reflecting a worsening pandemic locally , will last at least through the end of the first semester ( Jan. 29 ) , ” the district said in a news release .
Chesterfield parent Lea Agnor said on Facebook , “ This sucks !
My son is very upset .
He needs the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrating .
There have been no cases of COVID in his school , why do they have to close it ?
!
” Other commenters supported the district .
Larry Hampton commented , “ This was an eventuality .
The Restart program came with a condition that is no longer being met .
They told you this when we started .
We tried the “ ignore it and hope it goes away thing ” .
It isn ’ t .
As a parent of a teacher in the county , thank you CCPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Neighboring Henrico County made a similar decision , postponing plans to phase-in in-person learning until the second week of January , according to a county news release .
In southwest Virginia , many districts closed schools , switched to virtual learning , or used a two-hour delay during a cold blast at the beginning of the week , according to WFXR .
However , Lee County announced that they will remain virtual until January 11 .
On December 1 , Loudoun County 3-5 grade students returned to their classrooms .
Dunnavant said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of leadership from the state .
Districts are relying on metrics like case counts of COVID-19 in the general population , despite data showing that there is little risk of transmission among young students , or from students to teachers , Dunnavant said .
According to Dunnavant , who is a doctor , Virginia is in an ‘ endemic phase ’ of COVID-19 with a long-term pattern of increasing and decreasing case counts of the disease in local populations .
Meanwhile , officials are ignoring other metrics , according to Dunnavant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership on how schools can discern what is safe , ” Dunnavant said .
“ They have metrics that they are following , but the metrics they are following do not comprehensively assess all of the variables that affect kids , like access to food , a safe place to learn , the screening capabilities of the trained staff in schools , having an education that they can use to succeed and participate in the American economy.
” Dunnavant said , “ All of those things are metrics that aren ’ t being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given to the schools.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Senator Siobhan Dunnavant ” by Senator Siobhan Dunnavant .

As the 2020 elections fade into the background, Governor Ralph Northam has re-instituted capacity limits and restaurant curfews, but unlike in spring 2020, the governor has not closed schools back down. He has also not called for schools to open back up, leaving local districts to make their own decisions.
“Health directors tell us that schools and workplaces are largely doing well to follow the requirements, but that the virus is spreading when people gather with friends or coworkers after work or school,” Northam said at a Wednesday press conference. He said that transmission occurs outside those environments in social gatherings.
Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico) told The Virginia Star her staff was watching Northam’s press conference.
She said, “We didn’t get any strong statement from him that he was supporting opening schools. He should have done that, he should have said that in July. He should have said we need to open schools to protect children and find a way to do it.”
Dunnavant said that the original purpose of the shutdowns last spring was to allow supply to catch up with demand. “It really wasn’t to permanently decrease transmission, or to affect it,” she said.
Several of Virginia’s school districts are shifting — schools that had begun returning students to in-person classes in October or November are closing back down, while others that were more resistant to reopening have now decided to start phasing students back in.
In October, Chesterfield County began phasing in in-person learning in its schools despite strong opposition from local teachers’ organizations. Then, on Monday, the district returned to a fully virtual model with exceptions only for special need students. The district based the decision on rising case counts in the Chesterfield County general population.
“This return to an all-virtual learning environment, due to public health data reflecting a worsening pandemic locally, will last at least through the end of the first semester (Jan. 29),” the district said in a news release.
Chesterfield parent Lea Agnor said on Facebook, “This sucks! My son is very upset. He needs the in-person help. Online learning is very frustrating. There have been no cases of COVID in his school, why do they have to close it?!”
Other commenters supported the district. Larry Hampton commented, “This was an eventuality. The Restart program came with a condition that is no longer being met. They told you this when we started. We tried the “ignore it and hope it goes away thing”. It isn’t. As a parent of a teacher in the county, thank you CCPS for keeping the teachers and students safe.”
Neighboring Henrico County made a similar decision, postponing plans to phase-in in-person learning until the second week of January, according to a county news release. In southwest Virginia, many districts closed schools, switched to virtual learning, or used a two-hour delay during a cold blast at the beginning of the week, according to WFXR. However, Lee County announced that they will remain virtual until January 11.
On December 1, Loudoun County 3-5 grade students returned to their classrooms. Dunnavant said the disparity in responses is due to a lack of leadership from the state. Districts are relying on metrics like case counts of COVID-19 in the general population, despite data showing that there is little risk of transmission among young students, or from students to teachers, Dunnavant said.
According to Dunnavant, who is a doctor, Virginia is in an ‘endemic phase’ of COVID-19 with a long-term pattern of increasing and decreasing case counts of the disease in local populations.
Meanwhile, officials are ignoring other metrics, according to Dunnavant.
“The state is providing abysmal leadership on how schools can discern what is safe,” Dunnavant said. “They have metrics that they are following, but the metrics they are following do not comprehensively assess all of the variables that affect kids, like access to food, a safe place to learn, the screening capabilities of the trained staff in schools, having an education that they can use to succeed and participate in the American economy.”
Dunnavant said, “All of those things are metrics that aren’t being measured in the templates that are being given to the schools.”
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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Senator Siobhan Dunnavant” by Senator Siobhan Dunnavant.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Ohio Lawmakers Require Free Speech Protection at Colleges, Universities

The Ohio House of Representatives made voices on the state ’ s college campus a little louder this week , if Gov .
Mike DeWine approves .
The House passed the “ Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act , ” which would prevent colleges and universities from limiting political speech on campuses or moving that speech into “ free speech zones.
” “ At a time when division in our nation is at an all-time high , it is essential that our university campuses remain a place where open , honest and tough discussions can still happen , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Community Values , an Ohio family-values advocacy group .
“ The Forum Act creates a level playing field on college campuses for ideas , so pro-life , Christian and conservative students are not discriminated against because of their worldview.
” The bill , which passed the House largely along party lines in a 65-27 vote , unanimously passed the Ohio Senate last January .
According to Senate sponsors Andrew Brenner , R-Powell , and Rob McColley , R-Napoleon , the bill would prohibit colleges or universities from taking any action or enforcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right of a student of that campus community to engage in political speech .
“ Students should not be afraid that their speech will be squashed by institutions of higher education by restricting students to ‘ free speech zones ’ or using chilling tactics on those invited by students to the campus , ” Brenner said .
Specifically , the bill would protect peaceful , expressive activities , such as assembly , protests , speeches , petitions and guest speakers .
It also bans “ free speech zones , ” and allows for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against violations of the provisions .
House Democrats argued the bill is unnecessary , political and will enable hate speech on campuses .
“ The First Amendment already protects freedom of speech on Ohio ’ s campuses , ” State Rep. Catherine Ingram , D-Cincinnati , said .
“ This bill is purely political and could have a detrimental effect on Ohio ’ s college campuses .
It could make our campuses less safe by blocking a university ’ s ability to regulate speech and that could potentially incite violence.
” The Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the bill now goes to Gov .
DeWine .
An Ohio native , J.D .
Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio , Georgia , Alabama and Texas .
He has served as a reporter , editor , managing editor and publisher .
Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square .

by J.D Davidson
The Ohio House of Representatives made voices on the state’s college campus a little louder this week, if Gov. Mike DeWine approves.
The House passed the “Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act,” which would prevent colleges and universities from limiting political speech on campuses or moving that speech into “free speech zones.”
Fourteen other states have passed similar legislation.
“At a time when division in our nation is at an all-time high, it is essential that our university campuses remain a place where open, honest and tough discussions can still happen,” said Aaron Baer, president of Citizens of Community Values, an Ohio family-values advocacy group. “The Forum Act creates a level playing field on college campuses for ideas, so pro-life, Christian and conservative students are not discriminated against because of their worldview.”
The bill, which passed the House largely along party lines in a 65-27 vote, unanimously passed the Ohio Senate last January. According to Senate sponsors Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, and Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, the bill would prohibit colleges or universities from taking any action or enforcing any policy that limits or restricts the right of a student of that campus community to engage in political speech.
“Students should not be afraid that their speech will be squashed by institutions of higher education by restricting students to ‘free speech zones’ or using chilling tactics on those invited by students to the campus,” Brenner said.
Specifically, the bill would protect peaceful, expressive activities, such as assembly, protests, speeches, petitions and guest speakers. It also bans “free speech zones,” and allows for civil action by individuals or student organizations against violations of the provisions.
House Democrats argued the bill is unnecessary, political and will enable hate speech on campuses.
“The First Amendment already protects freedom of speech on Ohio’s campuses,” State Rep. Catherine Ingram, D-Cincinnati, said. “This bill is purely political and could have a detrimental effect on Ohio’s college campuses. It could make our campuses less safe by blocking a university’s ability to regulate speech and that could potentially incite violence.”
The Senate agreed Thursday to the conference report, and the bill now goes to Gov. DeWine.
– – –
An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--The Republican Party of Virginia Faces a Day of Reckoning

The Republican Party of Virginia ( RPV ) State Central Committee ( SCC ) will hold a virtual meeting on Saturday to determine whether a convention or a primary will be used to nominate their statewide candidates for 2021 .
The decision is strategically important for candidates and power brokers , so rumors of intrigue surround preparations for the meeting .
Virginia political insiders alleged to The Virginia Star that potential GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin , the recently retired CEO of international consulting firm Carlyle Group , offered the RPV hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations in exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention .
“ No , that is not true .
I got a phone call this morning from one of the members of the SCC that said to me they had heard that rumor , ” Anderson said .
“ And the specific response I gave to them is that it ’ s absolutely , undeniably false.
” Anderson said , “ As the state chairman , I ’ m the only one who is having these sorts of conversations with any potential donors , with any candidates whatsoever–and if someone who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in support of a candidate for office , were to say to me that they would offer a quid-pro-quo of a financial donation in exchange for the selection of a specific nomination method , I would consider that to be a flat-out bribe that I would reject it.
” He said , “ And additionally , I don ’ t think the [ SCC ] , if that were to occur , would ever agree to that.
” Anderson added , “ Mr .
Youngkin has not made an offer like that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first year , said that traditionally , the RPV would hold its annual meeting at a resort .
“ I don ’ t know this for a fact , but I suspect [ Youngkin ] would have done the same thing that any other statewide candidate would have done , he probably would have purchased a sponsorship of the event at some level , but that never actually happened.
” Youngkin has allegedly simultaneously lobbied SCC members in the party for a primary to be selected .
Virginia political operatives who contacted The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , who has pledged to spend upwards of $ 40 million of his own money in his bid for governor , would benefit from a primary in lieu of a convention .
Lawyer and candidate for Virginia ’ s 83rd House of Delegates seat Tim Anderson told The Virginia Star that primaries favor candidates with good name recognition and broad support across the state while conventions are an opportunity for more hard-line sects within the party to nominate a more hard-core conservative candidate .
Tim Anderson cited the 2020 Republican convention battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-VA-05 ) and challenger Bob Good .
“ [ Riggleman ] officiates a gay wedding and it infuriates his base , ” Tim Anderson said .
“ So the Republican unit leaders out there , very angry at Riggleman , [ choose ] a convention and they move it to Lynchburg where Bob Good is from , and they hold it at Bob Good ’ s church.
” Tim Anderson said Virginia ’ s fifth district is the size of New Jersey .
“ They home cook him , they put it out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
And so Bob Good won the convention , and you know that ’ s what they wanted.
” Conventions favor more hard-line candidates because the process itself takes more time and requires delegates to be present at an event in person , while a primary is a lower investment of effort for the average voter , Tim Anderson said .
“ The Tea Party comes to a convention and they bring 50 delegates , and they ’ re like , “ We ’ re gon na pledge our delegates to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is their number one priority , ” ” Anderson said .
“ If there ’ s five guys running in a convention , the candidate that is spit out of the convention is probably the one that is the most conservative , the closest to the core hard values of the Republican Party , what I like to call a true believer.
” Tim Anderson said , “ That candidate is not a generally appetizing candidate to the general election , to the voters of Virginia because they ’ re too far to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t expect the party to choose a convention this year because the logistics of doing it safely during COVID-19 were so difficult last year .
In a video posted on Facebook Monday , Senator Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) said , “ I believe that conventions have historically disenfranchised candidates and voters .
Unfortunately , the hard cold facts are this : That we have had numerous conservatives that basically had shenanigans within the pay-to-pay Republican establishment.
” Chase said as a result , “ I will only seek the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely favors Chase , since with multiple other candidates splitting the vote , Chase ’ s strong pro-no compromise , pro-gun base can power her to the nomination with under 30 percent of the vote .
“ She will do well with either primary or convention , ” Chase spokesman Philip Search said on Friday .
“ She is known as the grassroots queen of Virginia , she has worked with dozens of campaigns throughout her career .
She just wants to be up front and honest with everybody that a primary is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kirk Cox said in a statement , “ As a declared candidate , I don ’ t think I should be putting my thumb on the scale .
I will pursue the Republican nomination whether the SCC selects a primary or a convention .
I trust they will make the right decision in the best interest of the party.
” A convention might favor potential gubernatorial candidate Pete Snyder , who already has name recognition in the RPV .
Snyder ran for lieutenant governor in the 2013 RPV convention , giving him familiarity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s COVID-19-era small business relief program the VA 30 Day Fund has given Snyder positive 2020 headlines .
Snyder is well respected as a powerful one on one campaigner , the key to winning conventions .
Youngkin also launched a non-profit in 2020 , the Virginia Ready Initiative , but does not have as much long-term experience or name recognition within the RPV .
Whatever the SCC decides tomorrow , Chairman Rich Anderson thinks it will be close .
“ I have not surveyed members of the SCC individually , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that the [ SCC ] is fairly evenly divided on the question and so the final outcome will probably only be a bare majority.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Background Photo “ Virginia Capitol ” by Anderskev .
CC BY 3.0 .

The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) State Central Committee (SCC) will hold a virtual meeting on Saturday to determine whether a convention or a primary will be used to nominate their statewide candidates for 2021. The decision is strategically important for candidates and power brokers, so rumors of intrigue surround preparations for the meeting.
Virginia political insiders alleged to The Virginia Star that potential GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, the recently retired CEO of international consulting firm Carlyle Group, offered the RPV hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations in exchange for backing a primary over a nominating convention.
However, RPV chair Richard Anderson denied the rumors.
“No, that is not true. I got a phone call this morning from one of the members of the SCC that said to me they had heard that rumor,” Anderson said. “And the specific response I gave to them is that it’s absolutely, undeniably false.”
Anderson said, “As the state chairman, I’m the only one who is having these sorts of conversations with any potential donors, with any candidates whatsoever–and if someone who is a candidate for office, or speaking in support of a candidate for office, were to say to me that they would offer a quid-pro-quo of a financial donation in exchange for the selection of a specific nomination method, I would consider that to be a flat-out bribe that I would reject it.”
He said, “And additionally, I don’t think the [SCC], if that were to occur, would ever agree to that.”
Anderson added, “Mr. Youngkin has not made an offer like that.”
The newly elected chairman, in his first year, said that traditionally, the RPV would hold its annual meeting at a resort. “I don’t know this for a fact, but I suspect [Youngkin] would have done the same thing that any other statewide candidate would have done, he probably would have purchased a sponsorship of the event at some level, but that never actually happened.”
Youngkin has allegedly simultaneously lobbied SCC members in the party for a primary to be selected.
Virginia political operatives who contacted The Virginia Star say the former international business leader, who has pledged to spend upwards of $40 million of his own money in his bid for governor, would benefit from a primary in lieu of a convention.
Lawyer and candidate for Virginia’s 83rd House of Delegates seat Tim Anderson told The Virginia Star that primaries favor candidates with good name recognition and broad support across the state while conventions are an opportunity for more hard-line sects within the party to nominate a more hard-core conservative candidate.
Tim Anderson cited the 2020 Republican convention battle between U.S. Congressman Denver Riggleman (R-VA-05) and challenger Bob Good.
“[Riggleman] officiates a gay wedding and it infuriates his base,” Tim Anderson said. “So the Republican unit leaders out there, very angry at Riggleman, [choose] a convention and they move it to Lynchburg where Bob Good is from, and they hold it at Bob Good’s church.”
Tim Anderson said Virginia’s fifth district is the size of New Jersey. “They home cook him, they put it out there in the western part of the state. And so Bob Good won the convention, and you know that’s what they wanted.”
Conventions favor more hard-line candidates because the process itself takes more time and requires delegates to be present at an event in person, while a primary is a lower investment of effort for the average voter, Tim Anderson said. “The Tea Party comes to a convention and they bring 50 delegates, and they’re like, “We’re gonna pledge our delegates to the person who says that balancing the budget is their number one priority,”” Anderson said.
“If there’s five guys running in a convention, the candidate that is spit out of the convention is probably the one that is the most conservative, the closest to the core hard values of the Republican Party, what I like to call a true believer.” Tim Anderson said, “That candidate is not a generally appetizing candidate to the general election, to the voters of Virginia because they’re too far to the right.
Tim Anderson said he doesn’t expect the party to choose a convention this year because the logistics of doing it safely during COVID-19 were so difficult last year.
In a video posted on Facebook Monday, Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) said, “I believe that conventions have historically disenfranchised candidates and voters. Unfortunately, the hard cold facts are this: That we have had numerous conservatives that basically had shenanigans within the pay-to-pay Republican establishment.”
Chase said as a result, “I will only seek the Republican nomination in a primary.”
A primary likely favors Chase, since with multiple other candidates splitting the vote, Chase’s strong pro-no compromise, pro-gun base can power her to the nomination with under 30 percent of the vote.
“She will do well with either primary or convention,” Chase spokesman Philip Search said on Friday. “She is known as the grassroots queen of Virginia, she has worked with dozens of campaigns throughout her career. She just wants to be up front and honest with everybody that a primary is the way to go.”
Gubernatorial candidate Kirk Cox said in a statement, “As a declared candidate, I don’t think I should be putting my thumb on the scale. I will pursue the Republican nomination whether the SCC selects a primary or a convention. I trust they will make the right decision in the best interest of the party.”
A convention might favor potential gubernatorial candidate Pete Snyder, who already has name recognition in the RPV. Snyder ran for lieutenant governor in the 2013 RPV convention, giving him familiarity with the system. Additionally, Snyder’s COVID-19-era small business relief program the VA 30 Day Fund has given Snyder positive 2020 headlines. Snyder is well respected as a powerful one on one campaigner, the key to winning conventions.
Youngkin also launched a non-profit in 2020, the Virginia Ready Initiative, but does not have as much long-term experience or name recognition within the RPV.
Whatever the SCC decides tomorrow, Chairman Rich Anderson thinks it will be close.
“I have not surveyed members of the SCC individually,” he said. “[My guess] is that the [SCC] is fairly evenly divided on the question and so the final outcome will probably only be a bare majority.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Anderskev. CC BY 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Colonial Williamsburg Grand Illumination Canceled due to Recent COVID-19 Restrictions

The annual Grand Illumination special event in Colonial Williamsburg ’ s historic area will not take place this year .
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the city announced the event was cancelled in a news release earlier this week because of current statewide coronavirus restrictions as well as an increase in cases despite efforts to continue with the ceremony during the pandemic .
“ Colonial Williamsburg ’ s top priority remains the health and safety of guests , employees and the community as a whole , ” Cliff Fleet , president and CEO of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally held on the first Sunday of December as a free event that is open to the public , and involves dazzling displays of fireworks , musical performances and other festivities centered around the holiday season at multiple locations in Colonial Williamsburg .
In September , plans for a smaller , modified Grand Illumination were announced even with the COVID pandemic ongoing .
The plan called for firework demonstrations to occur on December 5 , 12 and 19 from a single location over the Governor ’ s Palace with reserved socially-distanced viewing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and current health data , according to the release .
“ Unfortunately , that will no longer be possible in light of the Commonwealth ’ s recently tightened gathering restrictions due to changing health data , ” Fleet said .
On November 13 , Virginia Governor Ralph Northam put in place new COVID-19 restrictions , one of which reduced the number of people allowed at public and private in-person gatherings , both indoor and outdoor , from 250 to only 25 .
“ Though we were all looking forward to the return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Grand Illumination , we must continue to make adjustments for the public ’ s safety , ” Williamsburg City Manager Andrew Trivette said in the release .
“ Our disappointment that we must forgo the fireworks displays to adhere to the Governor ’ s recent restrictions is tempered by the fact that we are able to accommodate new events like the Christmas Market and allow favorites like 2nd Sundays to continue.
” Despite the cancellation , Colonial Williamsburg is still open to guests and residents to enjoy other holiday activities in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the new Christmas market , Liberty Ice Pavilion on Duke of Gloucester Street as well as a folk-art Christmas tree at the art museums of Colonial Williamsburg , according to the release .
“ We look forward to presenting the best-ever Grand Illumination in 2021 , in conjunction with the City , ” Fleet said .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

The annual Grand Illumination special event in Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area will not take place this year.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the city announced the event was cancelled in a news release earlier this week because of current statewide coronavirus restrictions as well as an increase in cases despite efforts to continue with the ceremony during the pandemic.
“Colonial Williamsburg’s top priority remains the health and safety of guests, employees and the community as a whole,” Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, said in the release.
Grand Illumination is normally held on the first Sunday of December as a free event that is open to the public, and involves dazzling displays of fireworks, musical performances and other festivities centered around the holiday season at multiple locations in Colonial Williamsburg.
In September, plans for a smaller, modified Grand Illumination were announced even with the COVID pandemic ongoing. The plan called for firework demonstrations to occur on December 5, 12 and 19 from a single location over the Governor’s Palace with reserved socially-distanced viewing, but was reliant upon state coronavirus restrictions and current health data, according to the release.
“Unfortunately, that will no longer be possible in light of the Commonwealth’s recently tightened gathering restrictions due to changing health data,” Fleet said.
On November 13, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam put in place new COVID-19 restrictions, one of which reduced the number of people allowed at public and private in-person gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, from 250 to only 25.
“Though we were all looking forward to the return to normal, as represented by the fireworks at Grand Illumination, we must continue to make adjustments for the public’s safety,” Williamsburg City Manager Andrew Trivette said in the release. “Our disappointment that we must forgo the fireworks displays to adhere to the Governor’s recent restrictions is tempered by the fact that we are able to accommodate new events like the Christmas Market and allow favorites like 2nd Sundays to continue.”
Despite the cancellation, Colonial Williamsburg is still open to guests and residents to enjoy other holiday activities in the historic area, such as Merchants Square, the new Christmas market, Liberty Ice Pavilion on Duke of Gloucester Street as well as a folk-art Christmas tree at the art museums of Colonial Williamsburg, according to the release.
“We look forward to presenting the best-ever Grand Illumination in 2021, in conjunction with the City,” Fleet said.
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--Bombshell: Trump Legal Team Witness Alleged That Ware County Audit Results Revealed Dominion Machine

Bombshell: Trump Legal Team Witness Alleged That Ware County Audit Results Revealed Dominion Machine Flipped Ballots from Trump to Biden

An elections expert alleged that the Dominion tabulating machine flipped votes from President Donald Trump to Democratic candidate Joe Biden in Ware County .
It was estimated that the percentage of mis-applied votes , if distributed across the rest of the state , would be slightly greater than Biden ’ s lead over Trump .
Constitution Party of Georgia Elections Director and Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia ( VOTERGA ) Co-Founder Garland Favorito was called to testify this information during the State Senate hearing this week .
Favorito obtained an email from Ware County Elections Supervisor Carlos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 37 votes that were incorrectly assigned to Biden instead of Trump .
In an interview with The Georgia Star News , Favorito explained that the information didn ’ t indicate which machine flipped the votes – just that the mistake occurred .
“ We did find that they had flipped votes – we didn ’ t have to obtain the machine to figure that out .
The hand count showed that they had flipped votes somewhere in that county , ” he said .
Favorito explained that he ’ d been slated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s legal team during Thursday ’ s State Senate hearing .
Just before he was called to the stand , Favorito told The Star that an administrative assistant for the committee informed him that he was bumped to the bottom of the list “ at the chairman ’ s discretion.
” During an interview with The John Fredericks Show , Favorito claimed that he later discovered why he ’ d been moved down the witness list .
“ My testimony would ’ ve exposed the Secretary of State of Georgia , the Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel of Georgia all for wrongdoing , ” Favorito said .
“ And , being an independent , I expose corruption on both sides of the political spectrum.
” Vote flipping occurred previously in Antrim County , Michigan , with thousands of votes given to Biden instead of Trump .
Multiple outlets and officials have cited the incident as “ human error.
” Favorito shared that his organization is pushing for the Dominion machines to be preserved – not wiped , as Raffensperger is expected to do ahead of the runoff election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Senate for another hearing .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Poll Worker ” by Phil Roeder .
CC BY 2.0 .

An elections expert alleged that the Dominion tabulating machine flipped votes from President Donald Trump to Democratic candidate Joe Biden in Ware County. It was estimated that the percentage of mis-applied votes, if distributed across the rest of the state, would be slightly greater than Biden’s lead over Trump.
Constitution Party of Georgia Elections Director and Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia (VOTERGA) Co-Founder Garland Favorito was called to testify this information during the State Senate hearing this week.
Favorito obtained an email from Ware County Elections Supervisor Carlos Nelson, confirming that the audit discovered 37 votes that were incorrectly assigned to Biden instead of Trump.
In an interview with The Georgia Star News, Favorito explained that the information didn’t indicate which machine flipped the votes – just that the mistake occurred.
“We did find that they had flipped votes – we didn’t have to obtain the machine to figure that out. The hand count showed that they had flipped votes somewhere in that county,” he said.
Favorito explained that he’d been slated as a top ten witness for Trump’s legal team during Thursday’s State Senate hearing. Just before he was called to the stand, Favorito told The Star that an administrative assistant for the committee informed him that he was bumped to the bottom of the list “at the chairman’s discretion.”
During an interview with The John Fredericks Show, Favorito claimed that he later discovered why he’d been moved down the witness list.
“My testimony would’ve exposed the Secretary of State of Georgia, the Elections Director of Georgia, and the legal counsel of Georgia all for wrongdoing,” Favorito said. “And, being an independent, I expose corruption on both sides of the political spectrum.”
Vote flipping occurred previously in Antrim County, Michigan, with thousands of votes given to Biden instead of Trump. Multiple outlets and officials have cited the incident as “human error.”
Favorito shared that his organization is pushing for the Dominion machines to be preserved – not wiped, as Raffensperger is expected to do ahead of the runoff election. He added that they are pressing the State Senate for another hearing.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Poll Worker” by Phil Roeder. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-05--DeKalb County Cannot Find Chain of Custody Records for Absentee Ballots Deposited in Drop Boxes: ‘It

DeKalb County Cannot Find Chain of Custody Records for Absentee Ballots Deposited in Drop Boxes: ‘It Has Not Been Determined If Responsive Records to Your Request Exist’

DeKalb County responded to an Open Records Request from The Georgia Star News to produce the ballot transfer forms that formed the critical chain of custody link in the absentee ballots deposited in the near 300 drop boxes in the state and transported to county election offices in a letter received on Friday that said the county did not know if such records exist .
Earlier this week , the Secretary of States ’ office told Breitbart News that it did not know how many of the 1.3 million absentee ballots cast in the 2020 general election were delivered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties should know .
The Georgia Star News filed an open records request on Tuesday for all “ ballot transfer forms ” from the Nov. 3 General Election in DeKalb County .
But there is no way to determine the chain of custody .
The open records request reply , received from Assistant County Attorney at DeKalb County Dexter Q .
Bond , Jr. , stated , “ it has not yet been determined if responsive records to your request exist.
” The ballot transfer forms that remain unknown in DeKalb are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Code implemented this past summer .
The DeKalb County response was unusual in several ways .
The Georgia Star News has contacted several counties in the state , and DeKalb is the only county so far to respond that it does not know if it has ballot transfer forms .
Cook County , for instance , provided copies of all the ballot transfer forms used in the 2020 general election within 24 hours .
Late Friday afternoon Cobb County provided copies of 400 ballot transfer forms used in the 2020 general election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ election officials in both Cobb County and Cook County .
In contrast , the DeKalb County response instead came from an Assistant County Attorney .
It strains credulity to suggest that the election director of DeKalb County can not say whether or not the legally required ballot transfer forms exist in 30 seconds , not the 30 days the county says it needs to be able to answer that question .
As previously reported by The Georgia Star News : Throughout the state , approximately 300 drop boxes were used to collect absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , authorized under Georgia Election Code Emergency Rule 183-1-14-0.8-.14 passed in July 2020 which states that every absentee ballot drop box collection team “ shall complete and sign a ballot transfer form upon removing the ballots from the drop box , which shall include the date , time , location and number of ballots .
The “ ballot transfer forms ” are a part of the new rule and were created in order to document the chain of custody of ballots collected from drop boxes .
The code also requires that “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately transported to the county registrar and processed and stored in the same manner as absentee ballots returned by mail are processed and stored .
The county registrar or a designee thereof shall sign the ballot transfer form upon receipt of the ballots from the collection team.
” Chief Executive Officer of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg made a donation to the 2020 election efforts , which include a donation to the Center for Tech and Civic Life .
DeKalb County received $ 4.8 million from the nonprofit in which Zuckerberg donated to .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeKalb County has been selected to receive a $ 4.8 million grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life ( CTCL ) .
The CTCL grant will allow DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections to hire more personnel , purchase additional voting and mail ballot sorting equipment , open and operate additional early voting and Election Day locations , ensure sanitization of voting equipment and purchase sufficient personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for both poll workers and voters .
“ These funds will be used to address longstanding operational issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our voting process , ” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond .
The county will conduct a comprehensive review of the elections system to ensure that citizens can participate in a fair , free , and convenient elections process .
The 2016 election results in DeKalb County , Hillary Clinton received 239,131 votes , Donald Trump received 47,531 and other candidates received 9,209 for a total of 295,871 votes cast .
Unofficially , the 2020 election votes cast in DeKalb County have Donald Trump with 58,373 votes and Biden with 308,227 votes .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The Georgia Star News here : Tiffany Morgan is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

DeKalb County responded to an Open Records Request from The Georgia Star News to produce the ballot transfer forms that formed the critical chain of custody link in the absentee ballots deposited in the near 300 drop boxes in the state and transported to county election offices in a letter received on Friday that said the county did not know if such records exist.
Earlier this week, the Secretary of States’ office told Breitbart News that it did not know how many of the 1.3 million absentee ballots cast in the 2020 general election were delivered by mail vs. drop box, but the counties should know.
The Georgia Star News filed an open records request on Tuesday for all “ballot transfer forms” from the Nov. 3 General Election in DeKalb County. But there is no way to determine the chain of custody.
The open records request reply, received from Assistant County Attorney at DeKalb County Dexter Q. Bond, Jr., stated, “it has not yet been determined if responsive records to your request exist.”
The ballot transfer forms that remain unknown in DeKalb are a part of Georgia’s new Election Code implemented this past summer.
The DeKalb County response was unusual in several ways.
The Georgia Star News has contacted several counties in the state, and DeKalb is the only county so far to respond that it does not know if it has ballot transfer forms.
Cook County, for instance, provided copies of all the ballot transfer forms used in the 2020 general election within 24 hours.
Late Friday afternoon Cobb County provided copies of 400 ballot transfer forms used in the 2020 general election.
The Georgia Star News received responses from election officials in both Cobb County and Cook County.
In contrast, the DeKalb County response instead came from an Assistant County Attorney.
It strains credulity to suggest that the election director of DeKalb County cannot say whether or not the legally required ballot transfer forms exist in 30 seconds, not the 30 days the county says it needs to be able to answer that question.
As previously reported by The Georgia Star News:
Throughout the state, approximately 300 drop boxes were used to collect absentee ballots in the November 2020 general election, authorized under Georgia Election Code Emergency Rule 183-1-14-0.8-.14 passed in July 2020 which states that every absentee ballot drop box collection team “shall complete and sign a ballot transfer form upon removing the ballots from the drop box, which shall include the date, time, location and number of ballots. The “ballot transfer forms” are a part of the new rule and were created in order to document the chain of custody of ballots collected from drop boxes. The code also requires that “the ballots from the drop box shall be immediately transported to the county registrar and processed and stored in the same manner as absentee ballots returned by mail are processed and stored. The county registrar or a designee thereof shall sign the ballot transfer form upon receipt of the ballots from the collection team.”
Chief Executive Officer of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg made a donation to the 2020 election efforts, which include a donation to the Center for Tech and Civic Life.
DeKalb County received $4.8 million from the nonprofit in which Zuckerberg donated to.
The county published information on their grant:
DeKalb County has been selected to receive a $4.8 million grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). The CTCL grant will allow DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections to hire more personnel, purchase additional voting and mail ballot sorting equipment, open and operate additional early voting and Election Day locations, ensure sanitization of voting equipment and purchase sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for both poll workers and voters. “These funds will be used to address longstanding operational issues and increase voter safety and confidence in our voting process,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. The county will conduct a comprehensive review of the elections system to ensure that citizens can participate in a fair, free, and convenient elections process.
The 2016 election results in DeKalb County, Hillary Clinton received 239,131 votes, Donald Trump received 47,531 and other candidates received 9,209 for a total of 295,871 votes cast.
Unofficially, the 2020 election votes cast in DeKalb County have Donald Trump with 58,373 votes and Biden with 308,227 votes.
You can read the letter from DeKalb County to The Georgia Star News here:
– – –
Tiffany Morgan is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]