thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--Forensic Genetic Genealogy Cracks 30 Year Old Minnesota Cold Case

Michael Allen Carbo , Jr. , of Chisholm , ( pictured above ) is the latest suspect to be identified using forensic genetic genealogy , a method in which law enforcement works with genetic genealogists to link crime scene DNA to commercial genealogy databases .
He is the prime suspect in the murder of Nancy Daugherty over thirty years ago .
Although investigators went on to collect DNA samples from over 100 people , and the Minnesota ’ s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension ( BCA ) was able to create a full DNA suspect profile from evidence at the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem was , Carbo never committed any high-level crimes that warranted his DNA making it into a state database .
It was only when investigators in the Daugherty cold case turned over the crime scene DNA to genetic genealogists earlier this year that they got their first real lead .
Within months , genealogists were able to match relations between the crime scene DNA and the profiles in genealogy websites .
Detectives applied the new pool of suspects with public records like marriage certificates , birth records , obituaries , and even social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last Wednesday , Carbo consented to give his DNA to investigators .
The BCA confirmed the match .
The series of events that led to Carbo ’ s arrest in the Daugherty case is not unique – it ’ s becoming the new standard for law enforcement investigations .
Through forensic genetic genealogy , many who upload their DNA information into genealogy sites may inadvertently involve themselves in criminal investigations .
In its infancy , the little world of genetic genealogy applied itself to building family trees .
Volunteers founded the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a handful created database websites – some commercial like Ancestry.com , and some free like GEDmatch .
None of the genetic genealogists originally intended for their little world to lend itself to law enforcement investigations in those early days .
“ It was built for finding ancestors .
It was built for reuniting families , and now it is being used essentially to get families to put their members in jail , ” said genealogist Shannon Christmas .
Every object we touch receives some of our DNA – but any at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it has a DNA match linked to a name elsewhere .
Prior to forensic genealogy , detectives had only a limited amount of data available in law enforcement databases to reference .
Traditional DNA analysis for evidence makes inclusions and exclusions to craft a possible suspect profile .
In the world of forensics , two foremost profiling methods are phenotyping and ancestry .
Phenotyping is the process of identifying DNA markers to determine possible hair , eye , and skin colors as well as ancestry-informative markers ( that which indicates a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ phenotype report ” can produce computer-generated images of what the suspect might look like as well as their age progression .
Ancestry focuses on an allele or single nucleotide polymorphism ( a variation in a single base pair ) at one particular location in DNA .
This indicates where a person may originate from , because these ancestry markers usually derive from one particular part of the world .
Even with all that information , cases like Nancy Daugherty ’ s went cold if a suspect ’ s DNA was never uploaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes .
Several genetic genealogists realized that their line of work could be beneficial to helping law enforcement , but it would require a large database of the public ’ s DNA .
Their theory was proven correct after commercial DNA testing services exploded in popularity over the past decade .
Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter was one of the first genetic genealogists to bridge the gap for law enforcement : she uploaded crime scene DNA from the Golden State Killer ( GSK ) case into GEDmatch.com .
The raw data file led Rae-Venter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime suspect .
Though this was not the first case to reap the benefits of forensic genetic genealogy , it was the first to popularize its use .
Immediately after DeAngelo ’ s arrest in the GSK case , famed genealogist CeCe Moore began work with a forensic consulting firm that led to the first genetic genealogy case to appear before a jury .
Like this latest cold case in Minnesota , forensic genetic genealogy cracked a case that had stumped investigators for over thirty years .
“ Without genetic genealogy , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said a lead detective on the case , James Scharf .
“ CeCe Moore did in two hours what twenty or thirty cops couldn ’ t do in thirty years of working on this case .
That ’ s how powerful genetic genealogy is in solving crimes.
” From the breakthrough of the GSK case in April 2018 until the end of last year , over 70 other suspects were identified through forensic genetic genealogy .
Not everyone is as pleased with the new method .
Critics point out the lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNA into genealogical databases ; the only protocol available is police adherence to each website ’ s unique terms of service .
The lack of formal oversight caused controversy when police were allowed to input data secretly in GEDmatch.com , a free database where users could upload their DNA information obtained from commercial DNA testing .
Police ’ s work effectively violated the site ’ s own terms of service , even though police acted with one co-founder ’ s permission .
As a result of the backlash GEDmatch faced , it updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opt in to be included in law enforcement searches .
This change was a huge blow for investigators : where before they had around 2 million DNA uploads at their fingertips , now they can only access around 163,000 profiles – a meagre 8.15 % of what they had before .
Other sites , like FamilyTreeDNA , are avoiding such controversy by openly encouraging their users to allow law enforcement to access their DNA .
Only last winter did the Department of Justice put into effect an interim policy for federal investigators making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level , genealogy can only be used in cases with violent or attempted violent crimes , only after other leads are explored , and law enforcement officials must identify themselves when utilizing these genealogy resources .
However , state and local agencies are not held to these federal guidelines .
Much to public chagrin , their use of forensic genetic genealogy is still without protocol .
There are even a few cases where people have been falsely accused of crimes .
As for murder suspect Michael Carbo in the case of Nancy Daugherty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Office is expected to charge him Thursday morning .
The investigation is still ongoing , with bail set at $ 1 million .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Michael Allen Carbo ” by Chisholm Police Department and “ Chisholm City Hall ” by McGhiever CC4.0 .

Michael Allen Carbo, Jr., of Chisholm, (pictured above) is the latest suspect to be identified using forensic genetic genealogy, a method in which law enforcement works with genetic genealogists to link crime scene DNA to commercial genealogy databases. He is the prime suspect in the murder of Nancy Daugherty over thirty years ago.
Although investigators went on to collect DNA samples from over 100 people, and the Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was able to create a full DNA suspect profile from evidence at the scene, the case went cold. The problem was, Carbo never committed any high-level crimes that warranted his DNA making it into a state database.
It was only when investigators in the Daugherty cold case turned over the crime scene DNA to genetic genealogists earlier this year that they got their first real lead. Within months, genealogists were able to match relations between the crime scene DNA and the profiles in genealogy websites. Detectives applied the new pool of suspects with public records like marriage certificates, birth records, obituaries, and even social media profiles to narrow in on Carbo.
Last Wednesday, Carbo consented to give his DNA to investigators. The BCA confirmed the match.
The series of events that led to Carbo’s arrest in the Daugherty case is not unique – it’s becoming the new standard for law enforcement investigations. Through forensic genetic genealogy, many who upload their DNA information into genealogy sites may inadvertently involve themselves in criminal investigations.
In its infancy, the little world of genetic genealogy applied itself to building family trees. Volunteers founded the community, invented the tools of the trade, and a handful created database websites – some commercial like Ancestry.com, and some free like GEDmatch. None of the genetic genealogists originally intended for their little world to lend itself to law enforcement investigations in those early days.
“It was built for finding ancestors. It was built for reuniting families, and now it is being used essentially to get families to put their members in jail,” said genealogist Shannon Christmas.
Every object we touch receives some of our DNA – but any at a crime scene is only useful insofar as it has a DNA match linked to a name elsewhere. Prior to forensic genealogy, detectives had only a limited amount of data available in law enforcement databases to reference.
Traditional DNA analysis for evidence makes inclusions and exclusions to craft a possible suspect profile. In the world of forensics, two foremost profiling methods are phenotyping and ancestry. Phenotyping is the process of identifying DNA markers to determine possible hair, eye, and skin colors as well as ancestry-informative markers (that which indicates a person’s origins). Such a “phenotype report” can produce computer-generated images of what the suspect might look like as well as their age progression.
Ancestry focuses on an allele or single nucleotide polymorphism (a variation in a single base pair) at one particular location in DNA. This indicates where a person may originate from, because these ancestry markers usually derive from one particular part of the world.
Even with all that information, cases like Nancy Daugherty’s went cold if a suspect’s DNA was never uploaded into those law enforcement systems for previous crimes.
Several genetic genealogists realized that their line of work could be beneficial to helping law enforcement, but it would require a large database of the public’s DNA. Their theory was proven correct after commercial DNA testing services exploded in popularity over the past decade.
Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter was one of the first genetic genealogists to bridge the gap for law enforcement: she uploaded crime scene DNA from the Golden State Killer (GSK) case into GEDmatch.com. The raw data file led Rae-Venter and her team to Joseph DeAngelo as their prime suspect. Though this was not the first case to reap the benefits of forensic genetic genealogy, it was the first to popularize its use.
Immediately after DeAngelo’s arrest in the GSK case, famed genealogist CeCe Moore began work with a forensic consulting firm that led to the first genetic genealogy case to appear before a jury. Like this latest cold case in Minnesota, forensic genetic genealogy cracked a case that had stumped investigators for over thirty years.
“Without genetic genealogy, this case never would have been solved,” said a lead detective on the case, James Scharf. “CeCe Moore did in two hours what twenty or thirty cops couldn’t do in thirty years of working on this case. That’s how powerful genetic genealogy is in solving crimes.”
From the breakthrough of the GSK case in April 2018 until the end of last year, over 70 other suspects were identified through forensic genetic genealogy.
Not everyone is as pleased with the new method. Critics point out the lack of formal oversight for police uploading crime scene DNA into genealogical databases; the only protocol available is police adherence to each website’s unique terms of service.
The lack of formal oversight caused controversy when police were allowed to input data secretly in GEDmatch.com, a free database where users could upload their DNA information obtained from commercial DNA testing. Police’s work effectively violated the site’s own terms of service, even though police acted with one co-founder’s permission.
As a result of the backlash GEDmatch faced, it updated its site so that users had to opt in to be included in law enforcement searches. This change was a huge blow for investigators: where before they had around 2 million DNA uploads at their fingertips, now they can only access around 163,000 profiles – a meagre 8.15% of what they had before. Other sites, like FamilyTreeDNA, are avoiding such controversy by openly encouraging their users to allow law enforcement to access their DNA.
Only last winter did the Department of Justice put into effect an interim policy for federal investigators making use of genealogy. At the federal level, genealogy can only be used in cases with violent or attempted violent crimes, only after other leads are explored, and law enforcement officials must identify themselves when utilizing these genealogy resources.
However, state and local agencies are not held to these federal guidelines. Much to public chagrin, their use of forensic genetic genealogy is still without protocol. There are even a few cases where people have been falsely accused of crimes.
As for murder suspect Michael Carbo in the case of Nancy Daugherty, the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office is expected to charge him Thursday morning. The investigation is still ongoing, with bail set at $1 million.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Michael Allen Carbo” by Chisholm Police Department and “Chisholm City Hall” by McGhiever CC4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--Buckeye Institute Joins COVID-19 Amicus Brief: Private School Closures Could Cost Taxpayers $252M

The Buckeye Institute Wednesday joined an amicus brief supporting private school students in a July 7 lawsuit between several states and the federal government .
At issue is a federal rule initiated by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos , directing the U.S. Department of Education to share federal Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security ( CARES ) funds between private and public schools .
Several state attorneys general , including California , Michigan and Wisconsin , in early July challenged DeVos ’ s rule , arguing it misinterpreted the CARES Act language in allocating funds to private schools .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit on the sidelines while critical funding specifically allocated based on low-income status is allowed to be reallocated by counting students that have privileges and resources already available to them , ” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said when joining the lawsuit .
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the amicus brief in support of DeVos ’ s directive , and was joined by 38 groups across the nation on behalf of more than 5 million students attending 33,000 schools battered by COVID-19 .
The brief argued public and private schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition to remote learning , procure personal protective equipment , clean schools , and take other safety measures for in-person instruction .
“ If the Court grants Plaintiffs ’ requested injunction , private schools … will suffer the same ‘ imminent and irreparable harm ’ to their schools and the students they serve that Plaintiffs allege will occur without an injunction : they ‘ will lose over $ 150 million ’ in CARES Act funds ( in just the jurisdictions represented by the Plaintiffs ) , that Congress intended should go to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brief cites a libertarian-leaning Cato Institute tracker that 107 private schools have already closed permanently across the nation and estimates that if their 16,000 students switched to public school education , it would cost taxpayers about $ 252 million .
The brief also argues that private schools would be hit harder if the court revoked their federal funding because public schools are already funded through taxes .
“ The $ 16.5 million difference , while a mere fraction of funding for Michigan ’ s public schools , could be significant in the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viability and to provide the safe learning environment expected , ” the brief says .
The six-count complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California asks the court to declare DeVos ’ s rule unlawful .
“ The CARES Act is a special appropriation to combat the effects of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) .
The pandemic has harmed all our Nation ’ s students by disrupting their education , ” the Department of Education wrote in the latest rules .
“ Nothing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between students based upon the public or non-public nature of their school with respect to eligibility for relief.
” Jay R. Carson , a senior litigator at The Buckeye Institute ’ s Legal Center , argued because the COVID-19 pandemic impacted all schools , private schools should receive federal funding as well .
“ Every student in every school across the nation has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic , and all schools need help to safely reopen and navigate the current health crisis , ” Carson said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidance on how to distribute taxpayer-funded assistance is not only consistent with the CARES Act , it is the right thing to do to ensure schools can safely reopen and students can safely return to the classroom.
” 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 .

by Scott McClallen
The Buckeye Institute Wednesday joined an amicus brief supporting private school students in a July 7 lawsuit between several states and the federal government.
At issue is a federal rule initiated by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, directing the U.S. Department of Education to share federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) funds between private and public schools.
Several state attorneys general, including California, Michigan and Wisconsin, in early July challenged DeVos’s rule, arguing it misinterpreted the CARES Act language in allocating funds to private schools.
“We cannot and will not sit on the sidelines while critical funding specifically allocated based on low-income status is allowed to be reallocated by counting students that have privileges and resources already available to them,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said when joining the lawsuit.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the amicus brief in support of DeVos’s directive, and was joined by 38 groups across the nation on behalf of more than 5 million students attending 33,000 schools battered by COVID-19.
The brief argued public and private schools each face “significant expenditures” to transition to remote learning, procure personal protective equipment, clean schools, and take other safety measures for in-person instruction.
“If the Court grants Plaintiffs’ requested injunction, private schools … will suffer the same ‘imminent and irreparable harm’ to their schools and the students they serve that Plaintiffs allege will occur without an injunction: they ‘will lose over $150 million’ in CARES Act funds (in just the jurisdictions represented by the Plaintiffs), that Congress intended should go to them,” the brief says.
The brief cites a libertarian-leaning Cato Institute tracker that 107 private schools have already closed permanently across the nation and estimates that if their 16,000 students switched to public school education, it would cost taxpayers about $252 million.
The brief also argues that private schools would be hit harder if the court revoked their federal funding because public schools are already funded through taxes.
For example:
“The $16.5 million difference, while a mere fraction of funding for Michigan’s public schools, could be significant in the ability of private schools in Michigan to maintain viability and to provide the safe learning environment expected,” the brief says.
The six-count complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California asks the court to declare DeVos’s rule unlawful.
“The CARES Act is a special appropriation to combat the effects of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pandemic has harmed all our Nation’s students by disrupting their education,” the Department of Education wrote in the latest rules.
“Nothing in the CARES Act suggests Congress intended to differentiate between students based upon the public or non-public nature of their school with respect to eligibility for relief.”
Jay R. Carson, a senior litigator at The Buckeye Institute’s Legal Center, argued because the COVID-19 pandemic impacted all schools, private schools should receive federal funding as well.
“Every student in every school across the nation has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and all schools need help to safely reopen and navigate the current health crisis,” Carson said in a statement.
“The U.S. Department of Education’s guidance on how to distribute taxpayer-funded assistance is not only consistent with the CARES Act, it is the right thing to do to ensure schools can safely reopen and students can safely return to the classroom.”
– – –
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--2020-08-03--Demand for Electric Cars Fuel Detroit Manufacturers to Invest in Car Charging Stations

As the automotive industry fills the demand for electric cars , the country – and the world – will need thousands more plug-in charging stations for vehicles powered by batteries alone .
And because they ’ re being asked to invest before that demand arrives , automakers and charging companies are struggling to raise the numbers .
Currently electric vehicles make up only about 1.3 % of total new vehicle sales in the U.S. , according to the Edmunds.com auto site .
Electrics are much bigger in other countries , accounting for 2.6 % of global new vehicle sales last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are now 26,000 electric vehicle charging stations open to the public in the U.S. , with more than 84,000 plugs .
With more than 40 fully electric vehicles on the market in the U.S. or coming within the next three years , however , auto and charging company executives say the demand is on the way .
“ The automakers , more and more of them , are committing to manufacture electric vehicles , ” said Mike Moran , spokesman for Electrify America , a network of charging stations being built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Volkswagen ’ s diesel emissions cheating scandal .
“ Last year automakers announced a combined $ 225 billion in investments in electrification.
” On Friday , General Motors and charging company EVGo announced plans to add about 700 fast-charging stations , tripling the number on the EVGo network over the next five years .
They wouldn ’ t say how much they ’ ll invest , but plan to add 2,700 fast-charging plugs .
They ’ ll focus on 40 unspecified metropolitan areas , with emphasis on California , Texas , Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build the stations near where people go to run errands , like grocery stores or pharmacies .
Typically a fast-charger can refill a battery in 30-40 minutes , so the idea is for charging to be done while people are shopping .
“ We ’ ve done extensive consumer research in understanding what ’ s important to the customer , ” GM CEO Mary Barra said .
“ Clearly having a robust charging infrastructure is something that our customers have told us is important.
” Detroit-based GM says it ’ s moving away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-electric future , and it plans to roll out 20 new electric vehicles globally by 2023 .
Crosstown rival Ford has an all-electric SUV coming with 300 miles ( 480 kilometers ) of range , and it ’ s planning a fully electric version of the F-150 pickup , the nation ’ s top-selling vehicle .
Fast-charging stations have higher kilowatt capacities than home chargers , and they ’ re important to quickly recharge batteries on newer electric vehicles that can travel 300 or more miles on a single charge .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charging network is much slower .
The U.S. Department of Energy says there are 3,884 public fast-charging stations in the country now with 14,858 outlets .
As more electric vehicles are sold , more fast chargers will be needed , especially for people who live in apartment buildings who can ’ t charge at home , said Cathy Zoi , EVGo ’ s CEO .
The 2,700 new fast-charging outlets will start to become available early next year .
GM and EVGo say they ’ ll invest in the outlets , but many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , governments and public-private partnerships .
More public charging stations will allow GM and other automakers to better compete with Tesla , which now leads the world in electric vehicle sales and has its own private network of fast-charging stations .
Tesla has network of 1,971 charging stations with 17,467 outlets worldwide .
A U.S. number wasn ’ t available .
Electrify America now has over 450 charging stations in the U.S. with more than 2,000 fast-charging outlets , Moran said .
It plans to have 800 stations and about 3,500 outlets by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyst Sam Abuelsamid said the number of chargers is increasing rapidly and should be enough to meet demand as more electric vehicles are sold .
A big problem now is that each network has its own payment system , so owners need multiple accounts to access all chargers , he said .
But Ford , GM and others are working to aggregate all the networks into one account .
“ As more and more vehicles come to market that support faster charging and have longer ranges , especially with aggregating , enabling roaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will start to make a difference , ” he said .
Tom Krisher is a reporter at The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : This Oct. 17 , 2018 photo shows a Chevrolet Volt hybrid car charging at a ChargePoint charging station at a parking garage in Los Angeles .
The country , and the world , will need thousands more for drivers to accept vehicles that are powered by batteries alone .
But automakers and charging companies are struggling to raise the numbers now because they ’ re investing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 fully electric vehicles on the market in the U.S. or coming within the next three years , however , auto and charging company executives say the demand is on the way .
( AP Photo/Richard Vogel , File )

As the automotive industry fills the demand for electric cars, the country – and the world – will need thousands more plug-in charging stations for vehicles powered by batteries alone. And because they’re being asked to invest before that demand arrives, automakers and charging companies are struggling to raise the numbers.
Currently electric vehicles make up only about 1.3% of total new vehicle sales in the U.S., according to the Edmunds.com auto site. Electrics are much bigger in other countries, accounting for 2.6% of global new vehicle sales last year, the International Energy Agency says. There are now 26,000 electric vehicle charging stations open to the public in the U.S., with more than 84,000 plugs.
With more than 40 fully electric vehicles on the market in the U.S. or coming within the next three years, however, auto and charging company executives say the demand is on the way.
“The automakers, more and more of them, are committing to manufacture electric vehicles,” said Mike Moran, spokesman for Electrify America, a network of charging stations being built with $2 billion in settlement money from Volkswagen’s diesel emissions cheating scandal. “Last year automakers announced a combined $225 billion in investments in electrification.”
On Friday, General Motors and charging company EVGo announced plans to add about 700 fast-charging stations, tripling the number on the EVGo network over the next five years. They wouldn’t say how much they’ll invest, but plan to add 2,700 fast-charging plugs.
They’ll focus on 40 unspecified metropolitan areas, with emphasis on California, Texas, Florida and Illinois. And they’ll build the stations near where people go to run errands, like grocery stores or pharmacies. Typically a fast-charger can refill a battery in 30-40 minutes, so the idea is for charging to be done while people are shopping.
“We’ve done extensive consumer research in understanding what’s important to the customer,” GM CEO Mary Barra said. “Clearly having a robust charging infrastructure is something that our customers have told us is important.”
Detroit-based GM says it’s moving away from the internal combustion engine to an all-electric future, and it plans to roll out 20 new electric vehicles globally by 2023. Crosstown rival Ford has an all-electric SUV coming with 300 miles (480 kilometers) of range, and it’s planning a fully electric version of the F-150 pickup, the nation’s top-selling vehicle.
Fast-charging stations have higher kilowatt capacities than home chargers, and they’re important to quickly recharge batteries on newer electric vehicles that can travel 300 or more miles on a single charge. But the bulk of the nation’s public charging network is much slower. The U.S. Department of Energy says there are 3,884 public fast-charging stations in the country now with 14,858 outlets.
As more electric vehicles are sold, more fast chargers will be needed, especially for people who live in apartment buildings who can’t charge at home, said Cathy Zoi, EVGo’s CEO.
The 2,700 new fast-charging outlets will start to become available early next year. GM and EVGo say they’ll invest in the outlets, but many will be built with funding from utilities, governments and public-private partnerships.
More public charging stations will allow GM and other automakers to better compete with Tesla, which now leads the world in electric vehicle sales and has its own private network of fast-charging stations. Tesla has network of 1,971 charging stations with 17,467 outlets worldwide. A U.S. number wasn’t available.
Electrify America now has over 450 charging stations in the U.S. with more than 2,000 fast-charging outlets, Moran said. It plans to have 800 stations and about 3,500 outlets by the end of next year.
Guidehouse analyst Sam Abuelsamid said the number of chargers is increasing rapidly and should be enough to meet demand as more electric vehicles are sold. A big problem now is that each network has its own payment system, so owners need multiple accounts to access all chargers, he said. But Ford, GM and others are working to aggregate all the networks into one account.
“As more and more vehicles come to market that support faster charging and have longer ranges, especially with aggregating, enabling roaming, that’s where I think it will start to make a difference,” he said.
– – –
Tom Krisher is a reporter at The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: This Oct. 17, 2018 photo shows a Chevrolet Volt hybrid car charging at a ChargePoint charging station at a parking garage in Los Angeles. The country, and the world, will need thousands more for drivers to accept vehicles that are powered by batteries alone. But automakers and charging companies are struggling to raise the numbers now because they’re investing before demand arrives. With more than 40 fully electric vehicles on the market in the U.S. or coming within the next three years, however, auto and charging company executives say the demand is on the way.(AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)


thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--Lawsuits Aimed to Expand Online Ballot Applications, Eliminate Signature Match Target Ohio Ahead of

Lawsuits Aimed to Expand Online Ballot Applications, Eliminate Signature Match Target Ohio Ahead of 2020 Election

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — Voting rights groups and Democrats filed two , separate lawsuits in Ohio Friday that the parties said were aimed at making voting easier in the battleground state this November amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The legal action aims to expand online and email ballot applications and Republicans , including Secretary of State Frank LaRose , criticized the efforts .
A GOP spokesman accusing the groups of “ indifference to election security.
” The American Civil Liberties Union and the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law brought one suit on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that Ohio has an unconstitutional signature-matching requirement for ballots applications and ballots .
The parties , including the Ohio chapters of the A. Philip Randolph Institute and the League of Women Voters , contend the process carried out by election workers untrained in handwriting analysis disenfranchises thousands of eligible voters .
“ Especially during a global pandemic , Ohio voters must be able to efficiently secure absentee ballots and have assurance that their votes will count , ” Jen Miller , the Ohio League ’ s executive director , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review by The Associated Press that found thousands of ballot applications across the state were held up or denied ahead of the 2018 general election because of missing or mismatched signatures .
The Ohio Democratic Party ’ s lawsuit , also filed Friday , seeks to compel the secretary of state to allow voters to apply for absentee ballots by electronic means , including by fax or email .
LaRose has said he advocates an online application process , as is in place in 22 states and the District of Columbia — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legislature to give him the authority .
Democrats argue in their lawsuit that existing Ohio law already gives LaRose the power to make the switch .
State Democratic Chairman David Pepper said in a conference call with reporters Friday that he hopes LaRose will support , rather than fight , the suit — which is technically filed against him as elections chief .
“ This way we can do it immediately , as opposed to waiting for this very dysfunctional and , I ’ d say , broken Legislature to somehow find religion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve never found , ” he said .
The speaker of the Ohio House was arrested in a federal bribery probe last week .
Representatives removed and replaced him Thursday .
LaRose has long said that online ballot applications would eliminate hurdles for voters , which include the signature-matching requirements targeted in the voting-rights groups ’ lawsuit .
But on Friday he spoke out against Democrats ’ legal action .
“ Now more than ever , voters need stability and trust in their elections , ” LaRose said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could just as easily be a virus as it could be a picture of a ballot request form puts our election in danger.
” He noted that Ohio will be mailing ballot request forms to every Ohio voters in a few weeks .
Those forms must be returned in person or by mail in order for those wishing to vote by mail to get their ballot mailed to their homes .
To complete the process , the ballot must also be mailed back or returned in person .
Freda Levenson , legal director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressing the signature-match system she calls “ incredibly subjective and fraught with error ” is crucial this year , as records numbers of Ohioans prepare to vote by mail because of the pandemic .
Evan Machan , a spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party , said that , in combination , the two suits ’ goals of eliminating signature-matching and moving ballot requests online would “ make it possible for anyone to request a ballot for another voter without their knowledge or consent and ( leave ) no way to check for fraud.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a priority for both groups , ” he said in a statement .
“ Though their indifference to election security hardly comes as a surprise , it should infuriate Ohio voters.
” Julie Carr Smyth is a reporter at The Associated Press .

by Julie Carr Smyth
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Voting rights groups and Democrats filed two, separate lawsuits in Ohio Friday that the parties said were aimed at making voting easier in the battleground state this November amid the coronavirus pandemic. The legal action aims to expand online and email ballot applications and
Republicans, including Secretary of State Frank LaRose, criticized the efforts. A GOP spokesman accusing the groups of “indifference to election security.”
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law brought one suit on behalf of voting rights groups and an individual, arguing that Ohio has an unconstitutional signature-matching requirement for ballots applications and ballots.
The parties, including the Ohio chapters of the A. Philip Randolph Institute and the League of Women Voters, contend the process carried out by election workers untrained in handwriting analysis disenfranchises thousands of eligible voters.
“Especially during a global pandemic, Ohio voters must be able to efficiently secure absentee ballots and have assurance that their votes will count,” Jen Miller, the Ohio League’s executive director, said in a statement.
The litigation cites a December review by The Associated Press that found thousands of ballot applications across the state were held up or denied ahead of the 2018 general election because of missing or mismatched signatures.
The Ohio Democratic Party’s lawsuit, also filed Friday, seeks to compel the secretary of state to allow voters to apply for absentee ballots by electronic means, including by fax or email.
LaRose has said he advocates an online application process, as is in place in 22 states and the District of Columbia — but that he needs fellow Republicans in the Legislature to give him the authority. Democrats argue in their lawsuit that existing Ohio law already gives LaRose the power to make the switch.
State Democratic Chairman David Pepper said in a conference call with reporters Friday that he hopes LaRose will support, rather than fight, the suit — which is technically filed against him as elections chief.
“This way we can do it immediately, as opposed to waiting for this very dysfunctional and, I’d say, broken Legislature to somehow find religion in the coming months that they’ve never found,” he said. The speaker of the Ohio House was arrested in a federal bribery probe last week. Representatives removed and replaced him Thursday.
LaRose has long said that online ballot applications would eliminate hurdles for voters, which include the signature-matching requirements targeted in the voting-rights groups’ lawsuit.
But on Friday he spoke out against Democrats’ legal action.
“Now more than ever, voters need stability and trust in their elections,” LaRose said in a statement. “Implementing an insecure system where e-mailed attachments could just as easily be a virus as it could be a picture of a ballot request form puts our election in danger.”
He noted that Ohio will be mailing ballot request forms to every Ohio voters in a few weeks. Those forms must be returned in person or by mail in order for those wishing to vote by mail to get their ballot mailed to their homes. To complete the process, the ballot must also be mailed back or returned in person.
Freda Levenson, legal director of the ACLU of Ohio, said addressing the signature-match system she calls “incredibly subjective and fraught with error” is crucial this year, as records numbers of Ohioans prepare to vote by mail because of the pandemic.
Evan Machan, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party, said that, in combination, the two suits’ goals of eliminating signature-matching and moving ballot requests online would “make it possible for anyone to request a ballot for another voter without their knowledge or consent and (leave) no way to check for fraud.”
“Free and fair elections should be a priority for both groups,” he said in a statement. “Though their indifference to election security hardly comes as a surprise, it should infuriate Ohio voters.”
– – –
Julie Carr Smyth is a reporter at The Associated Press.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--Nashville Council Member Steve Glover Demands that Nashville Reopen After COVID-19

Nashville Metro At-Large Council Member Steve Glover , in a fiery Facebook Live video , criticized the city ’ s 34 percent tax increase and said Nashville is “ at war ” to save its economy as people are afraid of COVID-19 .
Glover posted the video on his Facebook page last week .
Glover said it ’ s time to reopen Nashville and that “ laying off people is not taking care of our city.
” “ Do you know how many people had to get laid off and let go this week because of all of the shenanigans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glover asked .
“ Now they can say whatever they want to say , give whatever number they want to give , pretend like we can ’ t actually be responsible adults out there , but I can assure you we are .
What I do know is that if we don ’ t let business be in business then people lose their jobs.
” Money , Glover went on to say , allows people to go to the doctor , buy food , and make a living .
Glover also said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call him frequently to vent their frustrations .
“ So , therefore , we ’ ve got to begin to pushback now .
We ’ ve got to let our businesses be open .
You can ’ t let a Walmart and a Walgreens be full on every day and shut down other small businesses in Nashville .
Sorry .
Time-out .
It does not work that way .
Because these people that risk every penny in their pocket in order to open up these businesses , guess what ?
The people that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiasco and this nightmare , ” Glover said .
“ The government has now gone way beyond .
I get it .
Whatever .
Right now we need to be focused on how we get business back in business .
I ’ ve been talking about enough now .
No more talking .
It ’ s time to start doing .
We ’ ve got to stand up and say it is time to get the city open .
We ’ re smarter than we were March 23 .
We ’ re smarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re smarter in a lot of different areas .
We just lost a business over on Thompson Lane .
Dairy King [ open ] 50 years .
And it took them out .
That is not OK. That is unacceptable.
” Nashville is currently in Phase Two of a four-phased plan to reopen the city after the virus impacted the United States .
City officials continue to restrict what business owners can and can not do .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ]

Nashville Metro At-Large Council Member Steve Glover, in a fiery Facebook Live video, criticized the city’s 34 percent tax increase and said Nashville is “at war” to save its economy as people are afraid of COVID-19.
Glover posted the video on his Facebook page last week. Glover said it’s time to reopen Nashville and that “laying off people is not taking care of our city.”
“Do you know how many people had to get laid off and let go this week because of all of the shenanigans that are being played downtown?” Glover asked.
“Now they can say whatever they want to say, give whatever number they want to give, pretend like we can’t actually be responsible adults out there, but I can assure you we are. What I do know is that if we don’t let business be in business then people lose their jobs.”
Money, Glover went on to say, allows people to go to the doctor, buy food, and make a living.
Glover also said that several small business owners in Davidson County call him frequently to vent their frustrations.
“So, therefore, we’ve got to begin to pushback now. We’ve got to let our businesses be open. You can’t let a Walmart and a Walgreens be full on every day and shut down other small businesses in Nashville. Sorry. Time-out. It does not work that way. Because these people that risk every penny in their pocket in order to open up these businesses, guess what? The people that were their employees did not create this fiasco and this nightmare,” Glover said.
“The government has now gone way beyond. I get it. Whatever. Right now we need to be focused on how we get business back in business. I’ve been talking about enough now. No more talking. It’s time to start doing. We’ve got to stand up and say it is time to get the city open. We’re smarter than we were March 23. We’re smarter than we were June 1. We’re smarter in a lot of different areas. We just lost a business over on Thompson Lane. Dairy King [open] 50 years. And it took them out. That is not OK. That is unacceptable.”
Nashville is currently in Phase Two of a four-phased plan to reopen the city after the virus impacted the United States. City officials continue to restrict what business owners can and cannot do.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-04--Tennessee Officials React to Donald Trump Firing the Chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Tennessee ’ s current and prospective elected officials reacted Monday to U.S. President Donald Trump firing the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority for hiring foreign workers .
U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi , in an emailed statement , said Trump was right to do so .
“ Our public utilities do not need overpaid bureaucrats and executives , ” Sethi said .
“ I am grateful to see the President take these steps because it will hopefully help TVA move in the right direction- towards transparency and accountability.
” Sethi ’ s opponent for the Aug. 6 GOP primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press release that “ Trump is keeping his promise to drain the swamp by firing two Tennessee Valley Authority board members.
” “ President Donald Trump is right , we can ’ t outsource American jobs at a time when our unemployment rate is higher than ever , ” Hagerty said .
“ Thanks to Communist China , we are in the midst of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression .
President Trump and his Administration have taken unprecedented steps to keep people employed during this difficult period and it flies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TVA decides to outsource Tennessee jobs at this time.
” The man both candidates wish to replace , the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) , addressed the matter in a separate press release .
“ TVA may have shown poor judgment hiring foreign companies during a pandemic , but , on most counts , it does a very good job of producing large amounts of low-cost , reliable electricity .
Residential electric rates are among the 25 percent lowest in the country , and industrial rates are among the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the lowest in 30 years , its pension fund is stronger and TVA leads the country in new nuclear power plants , ” Alexander said .
“ According to TVA , the annual total compensation of TVA ’ s CEO is in the bottom fourth of what the CEOs of other big utilities earn and is set strictly according to requirements of federal law .
TVA receives no federal tax dollars.
” The Tennessee Star contacted U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) and U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-07 ) for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned our messages before press time .
Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board , and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor .
Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump .
The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control , electricity generation , fertilizer manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley , a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of Alabama , Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia , North Carolina and Virginia .
He also said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who “ puts the interests of Americans first.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] The Associated Press ’ Zeke Miller contributed to this report .

Tennessee’s current and prospective elected officials reacted Monday to U.S. President Donald Trump firing the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority for hiring foreign workers.
U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi, in an emailed statement, said Trump was right to do so.
“Our public utilities do not need overpaid bureaucrats and executives,” Sethi said.
“I am grateful to see the President take these steps because it will hopefully help TVA move in the right direction- towards transparency and accountability.”
Sethi’s opponent for the Aug. 6 GOP primary, Bill Hagerty, said in a press release that “Trump is keeping his promise to drain the swamp by firing two Tennessee Valley Authority board members.”
“President Donald Trump is right, we can’t outsource American jobs at a time when our unemployment rate is higher than ever,” Hagerty said.
“Thanks to Communist China, we are in the midst of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression. President Trump and his Administration have taken unprecedented steps to keep people employed during this difficult period and it flies in the face of those efforts when TVA decides to outsource Tennessee jobs at this time.”
The man both candidates wish to replace, the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), addressed the matter in a separate press release.
“TVA may have shown poor judgment hiring foreign companies during a pandemic, but, on most counts, it does a very good job of producing large amounts of low-cost, reliable electricity. Residential electric rates are among the 25 percent lowest in the country, and industrial rates are among the lowest 10 percent. TVA’s debt is the lowest in 30 years, its pension fund is stronger and TVA leads the country in new nuclear power plants,” Alexander said.
“According to TVA, the annual total compensation of TVA’s CEO is in the bottom fourth of what the CEOs of other big utilities earn and is set strictly according to requirements of federal law. TVA receives no federal tax dollars.”
The Tennessee Star contacted U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) for comment, but staff for neither official returned our messages before press time.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor. Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump.
The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
He also said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who “puts the interests of Americans first.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected] The Associated Press’ Zeke Miller contributed to this report.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-04--Commentary: Thanks to Leftist Mob Violence, Gun Control is Dead

This summer has answered the question , “ why would somebody ever need an AR-15 or a high-capacity magazine ?
” As the Left continues to advocate for ending private ownership of military-style rifles , Americans can also see that powerful rifles are turning up in the possession of violent rioters and looters .
In this video , one can clearly see Raz Simone , then a noted leader within Seattle ’ s “ Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ” , handing out an expensive , tricked-out AR-15 to a complete stranger .
Simone somehow went from an Airbnb host to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space of a few weeks .
As shown in this video , a militant left-wing militia group called NFAC ( literally , “ Not Fucking Around Coalition ” ) staged an armed protest in Kentucky during which an accidental discharge wounded three people .
Their black attire and paramilitary appearance bore a chilling resemblance to their predecessors-in-spirit from 1930s Italy .
Why do these leftist protestors suddenly have access to expensive weapons ?
One answer may be China .
In May , U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized approximately 10,000 assault weapons parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times , U.S. customs officials have seized a staggering 5,300 gun parts shipments from China in 2020 , up from 31 shipments in 2019 .
For emphasis , that ’ s not 5,300 parts that were seized , but 5,300 shipments of parts that federal authorities intercepted .
On a bipartisan basis , law-abiding whites , blacks , Democrats , and Republicans see the rising violence as a threat to their families .
In deep-blue Minnesota , for example , gun stores are emptying out , particularly of ammunition , as fearful citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchase a gun .
Across the nation , background checks , which were well on their way to an all-time record earlier this year , have almost doubled when compared to this time last year .
The AR-15 uses .223 caliber ammunition and manufacturers can ’ t keep up with the current demand .
One out of every five firearms purchased in the United States is an AR-15 .
The National African American Gun Association ( NAAGA ) saw a surge in membership of approximately 5 percent in just 36 hours after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same 36 hours , sales to NAAGA members of .223 caliber ammunition increased by 27 percent .
Then , of course , there is the McCloskey incident which seems to confirm that leftist politicians really do want to make citizens helpless in the face of the mob .
In June , protestors entered the private , gated community of Portland Place in St. Louis , Missouri .
According to Mark McCloskey , protestors told him , “ we would be killed , our home burned , and our dog killed.
” Every part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private property .
McCloskey ordered the trespassing protestors to leave .
They didn ’ t .
McCloskey invoked his rights under Missouri law to brandish a legally owned AR-15 to fortify his demand that they leave .
The George Soros-backed St. Louis prosecutor , Kim Gardner , seized the McCloskey guns – Mark McCloskey ’ s AR-15 and Patricia McCloskey ’ s nonfunctioning handgun – in a perverted application of a Missouri law making it a crime to use a gun to intimidate people .
The law expressly exempts brandishing a gun to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a violation of section 571.030 ( 4 ) of the Missouri criminal code , Gardner must prove that both firearms were “ readily capable of lethal use.
” According to a report by a local St. Louis television reporter , Gardner sent both firearms to a crime lab .
When Patricia McCloskey ’ s small handgun proved inoperable , a member of Gardner ’ s staff , Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Hinkley , requested that the firearm be reassembled so it could function correctly .
The lab technicians complied .
After the reassembled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patricia McCloskey with a crime .
As the criminal statute requires proof that the weapon was , “ readily capable of lethal use , ” the tampering with the evidence as-seized constitutes a conscious attempt to defraud the court .
Gardner will lose her case against the McCloskeys and , we can hope , she will face consequences for tampering with evidence in order to frame Mrs. McCloskey .
Americans clearly see local politicians ignoring or even encouraging rampaging mobs .
In Denver , a politicized city government ordered its police to withhold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antifa/BLM protesters could assault them without consequences .
In Kirkland , Washington ( near Seattle ) , private business owners brandished AR-15s and other weapons to protect their businesses from looters and rioters .
Just months ago , former Vice President Joe Biden , a beneficiary of taxpayer-funded secret service protection , lectured Americans that nobody needs an AR-15 and a high capacity magazine .
Biden indicated he intended to appoint Beto O ’ Rourke to lead gun control efforts in a Biden Administration .
O ’ Rourke famously promised to take away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win , I ’ m coming for them , ” Biden said of privately-owned AR-15s during his endorsement of O ’ Rourke ’ s gun confiscation policy .
Biden ’ s plan for a “ buyback , ” a euphemism for confiscating private guns , is a nonstarter .
His plan will require all gun owners “ who possess assault weapons or high-capacity magazines ” to select from two options , either , “ sell the weapons to the government , or register them under the National Firearms Act.
” Biden also plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun purchases .
Currently , if the FBI fails to adjudicate a background check for a gun purchase in a timely manner , the dealer may complete the sale after three business days .
Biden would close this “ loophole , ” which will allow the federal government to slow or veto individual gun sales simply by doing nothing .
Biden would also eliminate all online sales of guns and ammunition .
Americans don ’ t feel safe .
Paternalistic , privileged white liberals are terrifying middle and lower-income communities with calls to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply no way Americans will tolerate being disarmed in the face of soaring violent crime , riots , and neutered police force .
When faced with a mob of arsonists and looters , the AR-15 with a standard capacity magazine is the appropriate tool to protect people and property .
This year has reminded us that the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting .
Gun control is dead .
Adam Mill is a pen name .
He works in Kansas City , Missouri as an attorney specializing in labor and employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the University of Kansas and has been admitted to practice in Kansas and Missouri .
Mill has contributed to The Federalist , American Greatness , and The Daily Caller .

by Adam Mill
This summer has answered the question, “why would somebody ever need an AR-15 or a high-capacity magazine?” As the Left continues to advocate for ending private ownership of military-style rifles, Americans can also see that powerful rifles are turning up in the possession of violent rioters and looters. In this video, one can clearly see Raz Simone, then a noted leader within Seattle’s “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”, handing out an expensive, tricked-out AR-15 to a complete stranger. Simone somehow went from an Airbnb host to a Tesla-driving, arsenal-distributing mogul in the space of a few weeks.
As shown in this video, a militant left-wing militia group called NFAC (literally, “Not Fucking Around Coalition”) staged an armed protest in Kentucky during which an accidental discharge wounded three people. Their black attire and paramilitary appearance bore a chilling resemblance to their predecessors-in-spirit from 1930s Italy.
Why do these leftist protestors suddenly have access to expensive weapons? One answer may be China.
In May, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized approximately 10,000 assault weapons parts in Kentucky. According to the Epoch Times, U.S. customs officials have seized a staggering 5,300 gun parts shipments from China in 2020, up from 31 shipments in 2019. For emphasis, that’s not 5,300 parts that were seized, but 5,300 shipments of parts that federal authorities intercepted.
On a bipartisan basis, law-abiding whites, blacks, Democrats, and Republicans see the rising violence as a threat to their families. In deep-blue Minnesota, for example, gun stores are emptying out, particularly of ammunition, as fearful citizens wait as long as four hours to purchase a gun. Across the nation, background checks, which were well on their way to an all-time record earlier this year, have almost doubled when compared to this time last year.
The AR-15 uses .223 caliber ammunition and manufacturers can’t keep up with the current demand. One out of every five firearms purchased in the United States is an AR-15. The National African American Gun Association (NAAGA) saw a surge in membership of approximately 5 percent in just 36 hours after the George Floyd video surfaced. In that same 36 hours, sales to NAAGA members of .223 caliber ammunition increased by 27 percent.
Then, of course, there is the McCloskey incident which seems to confirm that leftist politicians really do want to make citizens helpless in the face of the mob.
In June, protestors entered the private, gated community of Portland Place in St. Louis, Missouri. According to Mark McCloskey, protestors told him, “we would be killed, our home burned, and our dog killed.” Every part of the interior of Portland Place is private property. McCloskey ordered the trespassing protestors to leave. They didn’t. McCloskey invoked his rights under Missouri law to brandish a legally owned AR-15 to fortify his demand that they leave.
The George Soros-backed St. Louis prosecutor, Kim Gardner, seized the McCloskey guns – Mark McCloskey’s AR-15 and Patricia McCloskey’s nonfunctioning handgun – in a perverted application of a Missouri law making it a crime to use a gun to intimidate people. The law expressly exempts brandishing a gun to deter a persistent trespasser. To prove a violation of section 571.030(4) of the Missouri criminal code, Gardner must prove that both firearms were “readily capable of lethal use.”
According to a report by a local St. Louis television reporter, Gardner sent both firearms to a crime lab. When Patricia McCloskey’s small handgun proved inoperable, a member of Gardner’s staff, Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Hinkley, requested that the firearm be reassembled so it could function correctly. The lab technicians complied. After the reassembled firearm proved operable, Gardner then charged Patricia McCloskey with a crime.
As the criminal statute requires proof that the weapon was, “readily capable of lethal use,” the tampering with the evidence as-seized constitutes a conscious attempt to defraud the court. Gardner will lose her case against the McCloskeys and, we can hope, she will face consequences for tampering with evidence in order to frame Mrs. McCloskey.
Americans clearly see local politicians ignoring or even encouraging rampaging mobs.
In Denver, a politicized city government ordered its police to withhold protection from peaceful pro-police demonstrators so that Antifa/BLM protesters could assault them without consequences. In Kirkland, Washington (near Seattle), private business owners brandished AR-15s and other weapons to protect their businesses from looters and rioters.
Just months ago, former Vice President Joe Biden, a beneficiary of taxpayer-funded secret service protection, lectured Americans that nobody needs an AR-15 and a high capacity magazine. Biden indicated he intended to appoint Beto O’Rourke to lead gun control efforts in a Biden Administration. O’Rourke famously promised to take away Americans’ AR-15s. “If I win, I’m coming for them,” Biden said of privately-owned AR-15s during his endorsement of O’Rourke’s gun confiscation policy.
Biden’s plan for a “buyback,” a euphemism for confiscating private guns, is a nonstarter. His plan will require all gun owners “who possess assault weapons or high-capacity magazines” to select from two options, either, “sell the weapons to the government, or register them under the National Firearms Act.”
Biden also plans to create a bureaucratic veto for all gun purchases. Currently, if the FBI fails to adjudicate a background check for a gun purchase in a timely manner, the dealer may complete the sale after three business days. Biden would close this “loophole,” which will allow the federal government to slow or veto individual gun sales simply by doing nothing. Biden would also eliminate all online sales of guns and ammunition.
Americans don’t feel safe. Paternalistic, privileged white liberals are terrifying middle and lower-income communities with calls to defund the police. There’s simply no way Americans will tolerate being disarmed in the face of soaring violent crime, riots, and neutered police force. When faced with a mob of arsonists and looters, the AR-15 with a standard capacity magazine is the appropriate tool to protect people and property.
This year has reminded us that the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. Gun control is dead.
– – –
Adam Mill is a pen name. He works in Kansas City, Missouri as an attorney specializing in labor and employment and public administration law. He graduated from the University of Kansas and has been admitted to practice in Kansas and Missouri. Mill has contributed to The Federalist, American Greatness, and The Daily Caller.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-04--President Trump Fires Tennessee Valley Authority Chair Over Hiring of Foreign Workers, Caps TVA CEO

President Trump Fires Tennessee Valley Authority Chair Over Hiring of Foreign Workers, Caps TVA CEO Pay at $500k

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority , criticizing the federal-owned corporation for hiring foreign workers .
Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board , and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor .
Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump .
The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control , electricity generation , fertilizer manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression .
The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama , Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia , North Carolina and Virginia .
He also said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who “ puts the interests of Americans first.
” According to Trump , the CEO , Jeff Lyash , earns $ 8 million a year .
“ The new CEO must be paid no more than $ 500,000 a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want the TVA to take action on this immediately .
… Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board : If you betray American workers , you will hear two words : ‘ You ’ re fired.
’ ” Trump said the authority was replacing many of its in-house technology workers with contractors who rely heavily on foreign workers under the H1-B visa program for highly skilled workers .
“ All TVA employees are U.S. based citizens , ” said authority public information officer Jim Hopson .
“ All jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department must be performed in the U.S. by individuals who may legally work in this country.
” “ As a federal corporation , TVA ’ s Board members serve at the pleasure of the President , ” Hopson added .
As Trump was meeting with workers who would shortly be laid off by the authority , Trump was passed a note from chief of staff Mark Meadows that said Lyash had called the White House and was promising to address the labor concerns .
Trump acknowledged that he was made aware of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by U.S. Tech Workers , a nonprofit that wants to limit visas given to foreign technology workers , that aired in primetime on Fox News .
The group , led by Kevin Lynn , criticized the TVA for furloughing its own workers and replacing them with contractors using foreign workers with H-1B visas .
The ad , Lynn said , had an “ audience of one , ” aiming to persuade Trump to stop the TVA from outsourcing much of its information technology division .
Trump made the announcement as he signed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to complete an internal audit to prove they are not replacing qualified American workers with people from other countries .
The White House said the order will help prevent federal agencies from unfairly replacing American workers with lower cost foreign labor .
The order followed the TVA ’ s announcement that it would outsource 20 % of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries .
TVA ’ s action could cause more than 200 highly skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to foreign workers hired on temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
But Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the TVA doesn ’ t get any taxpayer money .
Commenting on the issue in April , Alexander said the White House was spreading misinformation .
He said that TVA chief executive officers ’ pay is lower than other large utilities and that TVA energy rates are among the lowest in the nation .
Zeke Miller is a reporter with The Associated Press .

by Zeke Miller
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority, criticizing the federal-owned corporation for hiring foreign workers.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor. Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump.
The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
He also said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who “puts the interests of Americans first.” According to Trump, the CEO, Jeff Lyash, earns $8 million a year.
“The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year,” Trump said. “We want the TVA to take action on this immediately. … Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: ‘You’re fired.’”
Trump said the authority was replacing many of its in-house technology workers with contractors who rely heavily on foreign workers under the H1-B visa program for highly skilled workers.
“All TVA employees are U.S. based citizens,” said authority public information officer Jim Hopson. “All jobs related to TVA’s Information Technology department must be performed in the U.S. by individuals who may legally work in this country.”
“As a federal corporation, TVA’s Board members serve at the pleasure of the President,” Hopson added.
As Trump was meeting with workers who would shortly be laid off by the authority, Trump was passed a note from chief of staff Mark Meadows that said Lyash had called the White House and was promising to address the labor concerns.
Trump acknowledged that he was made aware of the issue after seeing a television ad produced by U.S. Tech Workers, a nonprofit that wants to limit visas given to foreign technology workers, that aired in primetime on Fox News.
The group, led by Kevin Lynn, criticized the TVA for furloughing its own workers and replacing them with contractors using foreign workers with H-1B visas. The ad, Lynn said, had an “audience of one,” aiming to persuade Trump to stop the TVA from outsourcing much of its information technology division.
Trump made the announcement as he signed an executive order to require all federal agencies to complete an internal audit to prove they are not replacing qualified American workers with people from other countries. The White House said the order will help prevent federal agencies from unfairly replacing American workers with lower cost foreign labor.
The order followed the TVA’s announcement that it would outsource 20% of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries. TVA’s action could cause more than 200 highly skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to foreign workers hired on temporary work visas, according to the White House.
But Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the TVA doesn’t get any taxpayer money. Commenting on the issue in April, Alexander said the White House was spreading misinformation. He said that TVA chief executive officers’ pay is lower than other large utilities and that TVA energy rates are among the lowest in the nation.
– – –
Zeke Miller is a reporter with The Associated Press.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-04--Manny Sethi Says Trump Should Fire Dr. Anthony Fauci; Bill Hagerty Says President Can Manage His Own

Manny Sethi Says Trump Should Fire Dr. Anthony Fauci; Bill Hagerty Says President Can Manage His Own Staff, Chinese Communist Party Responsible for COVID-19

U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Manny Sethi on Monday called on U.S. President Donald Trump to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci , and he also blasted Facebook and Twitter for censoring information about the use of hydroxychloroquine .
This , according to a press release that Sethi sent via email .
“ I ’ ve had about enough of this guy Fauci .
If I ’ m President Trump , I call Dr. Fauci into the Board room and tell him , ‘ You ’ re fired , ” Sethi said .
“ Instead of having a plan to protect the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to herd immunity , he called for total lockdown .
His plan did incredible damage to our economy .
Fauci failed , and now he wants us to double down on failure again by completely destroying what ’ s left of our economy.
” U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty , Sethi ’ s opponent in the GOP primary election that will be held this Thursday , told The Tennessee Star in an email Monday that he does not believe Fauci has done a good job advising Trump .
“ President Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I don ’ t view it as my job as a U.S. Senate Candidate to tell him how to manage his staff .
President Trump is certainly able to fire Dr. Fauci if he and his team see fit to do so .
But make no mistake , this virus started in China and was allowed to spread around the world by the Communist leadership regime there .
China needs to be held accountable , ” Hagerty said .
“ The Communist Chinese regime there committed the crime of the century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator , I ’ ll continue to work with President Trump to hit China where it hurts by bringing our critical supply chains home and making Made in the USA the theme of our nation.
” Sethi , in his press release , also blasted Facebook and Twitter for freezing the accounts of doctors who advocate the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment option for patients .
“ Hydroxychloroquine is a legitimate treatment option for doctors to use with patients .
It ’ s not a silver bullet , but at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life was saved because of hydroxychloroquine , ” said Sethi , who is also a physician .
“ So where do Twitter and Facebook get off censoring doctors for talking about Hydroxychloroquine ?
Where did Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey get their MDs ?
They need to butt out of this conversation and let doctors work.
” Meanwhile , Hagerty , in an emailed statement , said too many “ Washington liberals and members of the media criticize President Trump for discussing Hydroxychloroquine.
” “ Even worse , social media platforms and websites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , Donald Trump Jr. and a number of doctors for discussing the potential for hydroxychloroquine , ” Hagerty said .
“ I have long said that no social media channel should be the arbiter of what ’ s true and what ’ s not .
This one-sided attack on conservatives is very dangerous and should come to an end now.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Manny Sethi on Monday called on U.S. President Donald Trump to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, and he also blasted Facebook and Twitter for censoring information about the use of hydroxychloroquine.
This, according to a press release that Sethi sent via email.
“I’ve had about enough of this guy Fauci. If I’m President Trump, I call Dr. Fauci into the Board room and tell him, ‘You’re fired,” Sethi said.
“Instead of having a plan to protect the most vulnerable among us and allowing us to get to herd immunity, he called for total lockdown. His plan did incredible damage to our economy. Fauci failed, and now he wants us to double down on failure again by completely destroying what’s left of our economy.”
U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty, Sethi’s opponent in the GOP primary election that will be held this Thursday, told The Tennessee Star in an email Monday that he does not believe Fauci has done a good job advising Trump.
“President Trump is quite capable of managing the Executive Branch, and I don’t view it as my job as a U.S. Senate Candidate to tell him how to manage his staff. President Trump is certainly able to fire Dr. Fauci if he and his team see fit to do so. But make no mistake, this virus started in China and was allowed to spread around the world by the Communist leadership regime there. China needs to be held accountable,” Hagerty said.
“The Communist Chinese regime there committed the crime of the century with their disinformation campaign. As your Senator, I’ll continue to work with President Trump to hit China where it hurts by bringing our critical supply chains home and making Made in the USA the theme of our nation.”
Hydroxychloroquine
Sethi, in his press release, also blasted Facebook and Twitter for freezing the accounts of doctors who advocate the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment option for patients.
“Hydroxychloroquine is a legitimate treatment option for doctors to use with patients. It’s not a silver bullet, but at the same time, I had a friend whose life was saved because of hydroxychloroquine,” said Sethi, who is also a physician.
“So where do Twitter and Facebook get off censoring doctors for talking about Hydroxychloroquine? Where did Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey get their MDs? They need to butt out of this conversation and let doctors work.”
Meanwhile, Hagerty, in an emailed statement, said too many “Washington liberals and members of the media criticize President Trump for discussing Hydroxychloroquine.”
“Even worse, social media platforms and websites like Twitter and Google have censored President Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and a number of doctors for discussing the potential for hydroxychloroquine,” Hagerty said.
“I have long said that no social media channel should be the arbiter of what’s true and what’s not. This one-sided attack on conservatives is very dangerous and should come to an end now.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-04--Tennessee Lawmakers to Consider COVID-19 Liability Protection, Telehealth Bills in Special Session

Tennessee lawmakers will return to Nashville on August 10 for a special session to consider legislation to provide COVID-19-related liability protections for health care providers , businesses and schools .
“ It is now more important than ever that Tennessee businesses , hospitals , churches and schools have COVID-19 liability protection , ” Lt. Gov .
Randy McNally ( R-Oak Ridge ) said in a statement .
“ The last thing small business owners , pastors , doctors and school superintendents need to worry about are frivolous lawsuits which would further impede their ability to do their jobs in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening amid the pandemic remain open to lawsuits .
The state ’ s business community and several education organizations have asked Lee to call a special session for liability protection legislation to be considered .
Lee granted protections last month to health care providers by executive order .
The House and Senate debated a safe harbor liability protection bill earlier this summer but did not agree on the final language and adjourned without passing it .
Both chamber speakers committed to working to pass such an immunity bill when the Legislature reconvenes next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to coming back and finishing the people ’ s business to increase access to tele-health services , and to protect businesses , churches , academic and health facilities from baseless lawsuits during the ongoing pandemic , ” House Speaker Cameron Sexton ( R-Crossville ) said in a statement .
“ I am committed to working deliberately and efficiently with Gov .
Lee , Speaker Sexton and all members of the House and Senate to pass legislation on these issues and get our members back home quickly and safely , ” McNally said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand telehealth services in Tennessee and laws governing Capitol grounds and surrounding areas .
Protesters have assembled on Legislative Plaza across from the state Capitol for more than 50 consecutive days .
“ I am very appreciative of the call to strengthen existing laws against those who deface property , who escalate peaceful protests into acts of aggression and those who seek violence towards law enforcement and judicial members , ” Sexton said .
The Tennessee Constitution prescribes the scope of extraordinary sessions of the Legislature to be limited to the call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues will be discussed .
Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro ( D-Nashville ) criticized the narrow scope of the governor ’ s call on Twitter on Monday evening , saying that there is much more for the General Assembly to do to respond to the coronavirus crisis .
“ It ’ s irresponsible and more than a little tone-deaf of [ Lee ] to call the legislature back for a special session without addressing the full scope of unprecedented challenges folks are facing across our state , ” Yarbro tweeted .
“ Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , ” Yarbro said in another tweet .
“ We ’ ve had 110,000 confirmed cases , almost 1100 deaths , and there ’ s no clear strategy to reverse the community spread happening across the state .
But that ’ s off limits in the narrow special session called by the Governor.
” Legislative Administration has confirmed 10 cases of COVID-19 among legislators and staff , including at least one legislator .
Social distancing and sanitation procedures have been in place in the Cordell Hull legislative office building since March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparation for the special session .
Some legislators have called for additional precautions to be implemented in advance of a special session .
“ Our staff members and visitors are required to wear masks in common areas , and they ’ re temperature checked , so I think that it would be hypocritical and counterproductive for members not to have to wear a mask as well , ” Democratic Caucus Chairman Raumesh Akbari ( D-Memphis ) said last month during a virtual news conference .
“ We don ’ t want our special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vivian Jones reports on Tennessee and South Carolina for The Center Square .
Her writing has appeared in the Detroit News , The Hill , and publications of The Heartland Institute .

by Vivian Jones
Tennessee lawmakers will return to Nashville on August 10 for a special session to consider legislation to provide COVID-19-related liability protections for health care providers, businesses and schools.
Gov. Bill Lee signed a proclamation Monday afternoon calling for the legislative special session.
“It is now more important than ever that Tennessee businesses, hospitals, churches and schools have COVID-19 liability protection,” Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) said in a statement. “The last thing small business owners, pastors, doctors and school superintendents need to worry about are frivolous lawsuits which would further impede their ability to do their jobs in this difficult time.”
Tennessee schools and businesses reopening amid the pandemic remain open to lawsuits. The state’s business community and several education organizations have asked Lee to call a special session for liability protection legislation to be considered. Lee granted protections last month to health care providers by executive order.
The House and Senate debated a safe harbor liability protection bill earlier this summer but did not agree on the final language and adjourned without passing it. Both chamber speakers committed to working to pass such an immunity bill when the Legislature reconvenes next week.
“We are looking forward to coming back and finishing the people’s business to increase access to tele-health services, and to protect businesses, churches, academic and health facilities from baseless lawsuits during the ongoing pandemic,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said in a statement.
“I am committed to working deliberately and efficiently with Gov. Lee, Speaker Sexton and all members of the House and Senate to pass legislation on these issues and get our members back home quickly and safely,” McNally said.
The General Assembly also will consider legislation to expand telehealth services in Tennessee and laws governing Capitol grounds and surrounding areas. Protesters have assembled on Legislative Plaza across from the state Capitol for more than 50 consecutive days.
“I am very appreciative of the call to strengthen existing laws against those who deface property, who escalate peaceful protests into acts of aggression and those who seek violence towards law enforcement and judicial members,” Sexton said.
The Tennessee Constitution prescribes the scope of extraordinary sessions of the Legislature to be limited to the call of the Governor, so no further issues will be discussed.
Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) criticized the narrow scope of the governor’s call on Twitter on Monday evening, saying that there is much more for the General Assembly to do to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
“It’s irresponsible and more than a little tone-deaf of [Lee] to call the legislature back for a special session without addressing the full scope of unprecedented challenges folks are facing across our state,” Yarbro tweeted.
“Tennessee just suffered our worst month of the pandemic,” Yarbro said in another tweet. “We’ve had 110,000 confirmed cases, almost 1100 deaths, and there’s no clear strategy to reverse the community spread happening across the state. But that’s off limits in the narrow special session called by the Governor.”
Legislative Administration has confirmed 10 cases of COVID-19 among legislators and staff, including at least one legislator. Social distancing and sanitation procedures have been in place in the Cordell Hull legislative office building since March, and both speakers have encouraged vigilance in preparation for the special session. Some legislators have called for additional precautions to be implemented in advance of a special session.
“Our staff members and visitors are required to wear masks in common areas, and they’re temperature checked, so I think that it would be hypocritical and counterproductive for members not to have to wear a mask as well,” Democratic Caucus Chairman Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) said last month during a virtual news conference. “We don’t want our special session to be a super-spreader event.”
– – –
Vivian Jones reports on Tennessee and South Carolina for The Center Square. Her writing has appeared in the Detroit News, The Hill, and publications of The Heartland Institute.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-04--Commentary: TikTok is Just the First Chinese App the Trump Admin is Eyeing for Crackdown Over Spying

Two days after President Trump told reporters that he plans to ban TikTok from the United States , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in an interview with Fox News that executive action may soon be taken against many other apps owned by Chinese firms .
Trump remarked to journalists aboard Air Force One on Friday that he could ban TikTok “ with an executive order , ” suggesting that the president has made up his mind about the popular short video platform .
TikTok , which is owned by Chinese tech conglomerate ByteDance , has been at the center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data that it collects from American users could be exploited by China ’ s government .
The firm has enlisted a small army of lobbyists to play defense on its behalf in Washington , and has recently been in acquisition talks with corporations such as Microsoft in anticipation of becoming an American-owned subsidiary as a last resort .
The means by which a ban might be implemented are unclear .
One option is to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to forcibly delist TikTok from app stores .
Doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declare a national emergency and seek approval from Congress , and might allow existing users to continue using the app .
Trump could also order ByteDance to spin off TikTok , though this would amount to less of a ban and more of a mandate for TikTok to implement its current plans of becoming a Microsoft product .
Whatever option the Trump administration pursues could set the precedent for more action against China-owned apps in general in the United States .
During his interview with Fox on Sunday , Secretary Pompeo promised measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese software in the coming days .
One app in particular was singled out by name : WeChat , which Pompeo claimed was “ feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party.
” If China apps are indeed spying on Americans , then WeChat might be the single largest international data gathering operation ever conceived .
Owned by tech giant Tencent , it boasts over one billion monthly active users and is popular wherever substantial Chinese-speaking populations are found .
Frequently dubbed a “ superapp ” because of its multifunctionality , WeChat has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , locations , and friends networks of its users , among hundreds of other data points .
WeChat has a smaller footprint in the U.S. than TikTok , with around three million active users in the country to TikTok ’ s 80 million .
Concerns about its potential for privacy violations have , however , gone on for much longer and been more acute .
India , for its part , flagged WeChat as a potential security risk as far back as 2013 , and long contemplated actions against the app before banning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its purge of Chinese apps .
TikTok , unlike WeChat , has a somewhat plausible case to make that it is not totally under the thumb of Beijing .
For one , TikTok is not actually available in China : its Chinese counterpart is called Douyin .
Both are owned by ByteDance and have nearly identical functionality , but are hosted on separate servers and cater to different communities of users .
In addition , TikTok ’ s main headquarters are in California and its executives are mostly Americans .
WeChat , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shenzhen and is subject to no oversight from foreign countries .
The Chinese version of the app — which is actively and unapologetically spied on by the Communist Party — is the same as the international version .
Millions of messages are sent daily between people in China and their friends and relatives in the U.S. via WeChat .
Government spying on these communications is not a matter of if , but how much .
Despite WeChat being a much more easily justifiable target , however , the Trump administration ’ s options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited .
The app will more easily shrug off threats and demands for concessions from abroad because its user base is so concentrated in China .
There is also no chance that any American firm would be able to buy WeChat from Tencent .
This might leave an outright ban in the U.S. as the only option , either through app store delistings or some more obscure method .
If Secretary Pompeo is to be believed , we ’ ll find out in a few days .
John Jiang is a college junior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Young Writers Program .
Photo “ Social Media ” by US Army Reserve .

by John Jaing
Two days after President Trump told reporters that he plans to ban TikTok from the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in an interview with Fox News that executive action may soon be taken against many other apps owned by Chinese firms.
Trump remarked to journalists aboard Air Force One on Friday that he could ban TikTok “with an executive order,” suggesting that the president has made up his mind about the popular short video platform. TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech conglomerate ByteDance, has been at the center of a months-long debate over whether the data that it collects from American users could be exploited by China’s government.
The firm has enlisted a small army of lobbyists to play defense on its behalf in Washington, and has recently been in acquisition talks with corporations such as Microsoft in anticipation of becoming an American-owned subsidiary as a last resort.
The means by which a ban might be implemented are unclear. One option is to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to forcibly delist TikTok from app stores. Doing so, however, would require Trump to declare a national emergency and seek approval from Congress, and might allow existing users to continue using the app. Trump could also order ByteDance to spin off TikTok, though this would amount to less of a ban and more of a mandate for TikTok to implement its current plans of becoming a Microsoft product.
Whatever option the Trump administration pursues could set the precedent for more action against China-owned apps in general in the United States. During his interview with Fox on Sunday, Secretary Pompeo promised measures against “a broad array” of Chinese software in the coming days. One app in particular was singled out by name: WeChat, which Pompeo claimed was “feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party.”
If China apps are indeed spying on Americans, then WeChat might be the single largest international data gathering operation ever conceived. Owned by tech giant Tencent, it boasts over one billion monthly active users and is popular wherever substantial Chinese-speaking populations are found. Frequently dubbed a “superapp” because of its multifunctionality, WeChat has access to the spending histories, communications, locations, and friends networks of its users, among hundreds of other data points.
WeChat has a smaller footprint in the U.S. than TikTok, with around three million active users in the country to TikTok’s 80 million. Concerns about its potential for privacy violations have, however, gone on for much longer and been more acute. India, for its part, flagged WeChat as a potential security risk as far back as 2013, and long contemplated actions against the app before banning it outright last month as part of its purge of Chinese apps.
TikTok, unlike WeChat, has a somewhat plausible case to make that it is not totally under the thumb of Beijing. For one, TikTok is not actually available in China: its Chinese counterpart is called Douyin. Both are owned by ByteDance and have nearly identical functionality, but are hosted on separate servers and cater to different communities of users. In addition, TikTok’s main headquarters are in California and its executives are mostly Americans.
WeChat, on the other hand, is headquartered in Shenzhen and is subject to no oversight from foreign countries. The Chinese version of the app — which is actively and unapologetically spied on by the Communist Party — is the same as the international version. Millions of messages are sent daily between people in China and their friends and relatives in the U.S. via WeChat. Government spying on these communications is not a matter of if, but how much.
Despite WeChat being a much more easily justifiable target, however, the Trump administration’s options in regards to it are probably more limited. The app will more easily shrug off threats and demands for concessions from abroad because its user base is so concentrated in China. There is also no chance that any American firm would be able to buy WeChat from Tencent. This might leave an outright ban in the U.S. as the only option, either through app store delistings or some more obscure method. If Secretary Pompeo is to be believed, we’ll find out in a few days.
– – –
John Jiang is a college junior and alumnus of The American Spectator’s Young Writers Program.
Photo “Social Media” by US Army Reserve.