thetennesseestar--2020-12-17--Ohio Gov. DeWine, Who Owns Pfizer Stock, Has Received $22,700 in Contributions from the Drug Company

Ohio Gov. DeWine, Who Owns Pfizer Stock, Has Received $22,700 in Contributions from the Drug Company Since 2018

Governor DeWine unexpectedly called a press conference on Monday .
It was the day the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Ohio and DeWine called it “ historic , ” our “ hope ” and the “ beginning of the end ” of COVID .
A video of he and First Lady Fran DeWine can be viewed below as the vaccine shipment arrives via UPS .
During the Monday briefing , The Ohio Star asked DeWine about his alleged ties to drug maker Pfizer .
Governor , from a viewer , a two-part question regarding your potential ties to drug makers : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfizer and Moderna – and did these companies contribute to your campaign pre , and post , gubernatorial fund ?
Second , many people have diversified holdings in pharma , so that would be understandable but in the past as a U.S .
Senator you received criticism for approving immunization for drug makers from accountability for harm their drugs do – while holding pharma stock .
As Ohio Attorney General you received criticism for stock in companies that an AG ’ s legal action could affect the value of – now as governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict of interest – holdings and contributions – since you are a primary policymaker and have encouraged millions of Ohioans to take vaccines from companies you may have ties to ?
The answer is I don ’ t know if we own any stock in either company but we will find out very quickly and make that public .
So , look – I don ’ t think there ’ s any conflict .
I had nothing to do with the development but look I don ’ t know if Fran or I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not .
But we will make that public .
The Star obtained copies of Governor DeWine ’ s 2017 , 2018 and 2019 Financial Disclosure Statements and found that he does , indeed , own common stock in Pfizer– not a mutual fund containing shares of the company .
The disclosure does not list the value of the shares but it is greater than $ 1,000 if it is listed in the report .
The governor also owns stock in GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK ) , Johnson & Johnson , Merck & Co. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies are currently developing COVID vaccines or drugs .
Furthermore , DeWine owns shares of Mesa Labs .
The company , according to their website , “ provides safety related products we offer to the pharmaceutical , healthcare and medical device industries at the forefront of the COVID-19 situation.
” DeWine did not pick up the drug stocks this year but has held them since at least 2017 .
The 2020 Financial Disclosure Report will not be available until 2021 .
The Ohio Secretary of State website ( which you can search here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Husted received a $ 12,700 contribution from Pfizer PAC made to the DeWine Husted for Ohio fund June 14 , 2018 .
The secretary ’ s site also shows that the DeWine and Husted Transition Fund received a contribution from Pfizer Inc PAC on January 3 , 2019 in the amount of $ 10,000 .
Pfizer has made several contributions to Republican and Democrat candidates and elected officials , according to the secretary of state .
Most of those contributions are below $ 500 .
Contributions of $ 1,000 were reserved for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate President Larry Obhof .
Interestingly , Pfizer made $ 1,000 contributions on October 26 , 2020 – eight days before the general election – to both the Matt Huffman for Ohio Fund and the [ Bob ] Cupp for State Representative Committee .
After the election , Cupp was re-elected Speaker of the Ohio House and Huffman selected as President of the Ohio Senate .
The Star previously reported on the meeting in late October between Cupp ( R-Lima ) and Bill Seitz ( R-Green Township ) that was attended by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borgemenke .
The meeting was also attended by lobbyist and President of the Ohio Business Roundtable Pat Tiberi .
Two Ohio House Representatives who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution told The Star the meeting was to coax Seitz out of an alleged interest he had in vying for the speaker seat .
Seitz accepted a phone interview with The Star during which he refuted the claim the meeting was about negotiations on the speakership and said the meeting was about establishing a framework for caucus leadership – the lobbyists were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal was struck for the speakership that day can not be determined .
Nor can the notion that a deal was cut for the president ’ s seat in the Senate .
However , the contributions from Pfizer prior to the election look as if Pfizer received word about who would eventually lead in the next General Assembly .
Cupp eventually ran unopposed in the speaker vote .
Cupp has been criticized by conservatives who do not favor Governor DeWine for being a DeWine “ lapdog , ” a moniker one Statehouse representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Ohio Hospital Association and the Ohio Business Roundtable both signed on to a letter addressed to the House Committee on Local and State Government , which was deciding on the merits of Senate Bill 311 ( SB311 ) – the legislation would decriminalize COVID order violations and check the Ohio Department of Health pandemic powers .
The letter advised the committee to not pass the bill .
Last week , DeWine appointed Scott Borgemenke to the Ohio University Board of Trustees .
Since the governor ’ s veto , Senate Bill 311 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obhof puffed-up early about having the votes to override .
Obhof later backed off the promise to override , and began marketing a compromise .
Before the bill went to the governor it was voted on in the House during which time three members were absent– members who allegedly would have voted for the bill , giving it a veto-proof 61 votes .
State Representative Jon Cross ( R-Kenton ) told The Star that the speaker could have left the vote open for those unable to attend to initially cast votes , presumably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Had the bill obtained 61 votes in the House , the governor ’ s veto wouldn ’ t have mattered because SB311 passed the Senate the first time with a veto-proof 20 votes .
DeWine said during the regularly scheduled Tuesday briefing that he met with Obhof and Cupp over the weekend to negotiate and that he would be willing to decriminalize violations of Ohio Department of Health ( ODH ) orders but made it clear that he stands opposed to the ODH having its power checked – giving bureaucrats the authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor ’ s full press briefing can be viewed below .
Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star .
Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV .
Follow Jack on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-17--Amid Extended School Closures, Athletic Programs to Cautiously Eye Reopening

Athletic programs and sporting events will be starting back up in the spring sports season– baseball , football , track and additional sports – with strict COVID-19 guidelines in place .
In mid-March , Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order closing all schools for the 2019-2020 school year .
The Georgia High School Association ( GHSA ) published a statement , made by Kemp , postponing the State Literary competitions , which includes extracurricular activities like speech , debate , and theatre .
In addition to the suspension of in-person learning in schools , athletic programs , and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – originally set to end at the end of March 2020 – was extended through the end of the 2019-2020 school year .
Students ’ prom , senior nights , and award ceremonies were cancelled as well .
The GHSA published a statement on March 12 from comments , made by Executive Director of the GHSA Dr. Robin Hines about the final decisions to proceed with sports .
Hines stated it was up to the local school systems but encouraged to follow guidelines made by the GHSA .
By June of 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – which is exercise training to enhance physical performance – for member schools , with restrictions in place , stating , “ There has never been a time more critical time for athletic departments , school administration , and system level administrators to work together.
” Last week , the association said they are going to “ allow local districts to make their own decisions ; ” adding in a statement released Tuesday that “ there will always be risks associated with return to play and that usually COVID-19 has a 3-5-day incubation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued an Infectious Disease Plan Tuesday that includes guidelines for quarantining , testing , and actions to take in case of exposure to the virus : Symptomatic persons with confirmed cases may return to practice/play after : – At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared AND – At least 24 hours have passed since last fever without the use of fever reducing medication AND Asymptomatic persons with confirmed COVID-19 can return to practice/play after : – At least 10 days have passed since the positive laboratory test and the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who tests positive and later develops symptoms should follow the symptomatic guidelines The safest , recommended option is a 14-day quarantine but an athlete may return to practice if the following criteria is met : Asymptomatic persons who have a known exposure to a person with COVID-19 can return to practice/play : After 7 full days have passed , if : – TESTED for COVID-19 after day 5 ( PCR/Molecular or antigen test ) AND – Do not experience any COVID-19 symptoms during the quarantine period With this strategy , the residual post-quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 % with an upper limit of about 12 % .
After 10 full days have passed , if : – Not tested for COVID-19 AND – Do not experience any COVID-19 symptoms during the quarantine period With this strategy , residual post-quarantine transmission risk is estimated to be about 1 % with an upper limit of about 10 % .
There are sporting events scheduled for December 2020-January 2021 , published by GHSA ’ s recent newsletter .
It outlined a December schedule of sporting events , and included information to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services .
Tiffany Morgan is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

by Eric Lendrum
On April 7th, an amicus brief was filed in favor of Florida’s current ban on using state funds to support “transgender” treatments, with 17 state attorneys general voicing their support for the law.
According to the Daily Caller, the brief’s filing was part of an ongoing legal battle in the state of Florida, where far-left, pro-transgender activists have teamed up with several pseudo-medical organizations to file a lawsuit against the law. The groups involved include the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The law in question states that Medicaid funds cannot be used to cover any transgender operations, including sex change surgery, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers.
The 17 states that have filed in support of Florida are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In their filing, the AGs argue that the organizations involved in the lawsuit have “prioritized politics over science.”
“The amici States submit this brief in support of Florida’s right to regulate medicine and determine appropriate treatments for Medicaid coverage,” the brief states. “Moreover, there is particular reason to be suspicious of the interest groups in this case.”
Their brief goes on to point out that several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have taken similar steps to crack down on transgender treatments, declaring that “transitioning treatments for minors are experimental.”
The case has already seen a judge order the three organizations to comply with subpoenas ordering them to turn over documents related to their guidance for children suffering from gender dysphoria, the official name for the condition of transgenderism. In addition, Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Biden Administration demanding access to similar internal documents related to the administration’s gender transition policies.
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Eric Lendrum graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was the Secretary of the College Republicans and the founding chairman of the school’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-17--Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock Refuse to Answer Critical Questions in Georgia U.S. Senate Race

Campaign staff for U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock declined to answer hard questions Wednesday about their past conduct and their policy positions .
Ossoff and Warnock , both Democrats , want to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate .
Georgia Republican Party members , in an emailed press release , presented a list of several questions that they said Peach State residents must ask Ossoff , Warnock , and even Joe Biden .
The Georgia Star News on Wednesday morning submitted those questions to Ossoff ’ s and Warnock ’ s respective spokesmen and spokeswomen .
Staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , did not respond before Wednesday ’ s evening deadline .
We submitted the following questions to Ossoff ’ s campaign : • Does Mr. Ossoff agree with Joe Biden that Democrats should consider defunding the police if they are victorious in the runoffs ?
• Biden said the “ defund the police ” movement is a political liability that caused Democrats down ballot to lose in November .
Does Mr. Ossoff agree ?
• Can Mr. Ossoff explain exactly what he meant when he said that funding for police departments should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raphael Warnock has said that police officers are gangsters , bullies and thugs ?
Does Mr. Ossoff agree ?
If not , then why did he call him a great moral leader ?
The Star News submitted additional questions to Warnock and members of his staff : • Do you continue to believe that police are gangsters , thugs , bullies ?
• What exactly did you mean when you said we needed to “ reimagine policing ” ?
• Do you agree with Jon Ossoff that police funding should be “ on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police , why were police called to investigate child abuse at Camp Farthest Out ?
• What was your knowledge or involvement in the child abuse that occurred at your church summer camp in Baltimore ?
• Yes or No : Were you in attendance when Fidel Castro spoke at your church , Abyssinian Baptist ?
• Do you still stand by your writings in which you praise Marxism and your mentor , James Cone , who called the “ white church ” the “ Anti-Christ ” ?
As reported , U.S. Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) , are on the January 5 , 2021 ballot for the U.S. Senate against Ossoff and Warnock , respectively .
As reported this week , The Star News , quoting The New York Times , said Biden doesn ’ t want civil rights leaders to discuss defunding the police until after the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs have concluded .
This , for fear that such rhetoric will scare off Georgia voters and prevent Democrats from controlling the U.S. Senate next year .
Georgia Republican Party members also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Biden : • Do your leaked comments that were reported last week mean you plan on defunding the police if you are inaugurated and have a majority in the Senate ?
• If you believe that the “ defund the police ” movement is a political liability , do you think Jon Ossoff will struggle because of his position that funding for police departments should be “ on the line ?
” • By campaigning with Raphael Warnock today , are you endorsing his comments that police officers are “ gangsters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , do you think Jon Ossoff should denounce those comments and Warnock should apologize for them ?
As reported , various Georgia sheriffs said at a press conference Tuesday that they don ’ t want voters to send Democrats to the U.S. Senate to boost Joe Biden ’ s agenda , especially since the party embraces ‘ Defund the Police ’ rhetoric .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Jon Ossoff ” by Jon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Raphel Warnock .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-17--Princess Blanding Slams Virginia Governor, Legislators Over Marcus Alert Bill

Princess Blanding , the sister of Marcus-David Peters who was shot and killed by Richmond Police during a mental health crisis , blasted Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Democratic lawmakers over legislation named after her brother during the bill signing ceremony on Tuesday .
In attendance alongside Northam were the three legislative sponsors of the bill : Senators Jennifer McClellan ( D-Richmond City ) and Jeremy McPike ( D-Prince William ) and Delegate Jeff Boure ( D-Richmond City ) .
After thanking the legislators for their efforts , Blanding said : “ Please take a moment to pat yourselves on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist , corrupt system , and broken may I also add , expected you all to do : Make the Marcus Alert bill a watered down , ineffective bill that will continue to ensure that having a mental health crisis results in a death sentence .
Marcus-David Peters , along with so many others , deserved help , not death.
” “ I say to each and every one of you : Fix it .
The bill is an ineffective bill , ” Blanding added .
Blanding also criticized Democrats for making the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill to end qualified immunity for law enforcement officers and for refusing to meet a list of demands Peter ’ s family sent to elected officials in Richmond , but did not give specific reasons for her criticisms of the original legislation .
The bill directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services ( DCJS ) and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services ( DBHDS ) to work together and establish a mental health awareness response and community understanding services ( Marcus ) alert system across Virginia .
Once developed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or mobile crisis response teams , consisting of mental health professionals and law enforcement officers , to respond to 9-1-1 calls when a person may be experiencing a mental health problem or people with substance abuse and developmental disabilities .
Specifically , the law outlines that by December 1 , 2021 , Marcus alert programs and response teams should be established in each of the state ’ s five behavioral health regions , and for additional programs to be created until every locality is served by one in July 2026 .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law enforcement officers in those scenarios or regulate the use of lethal weapons while responding to a situation .
McClellan , who is running for governor in 2021 , said the legislation was a first step and that for years Virginia ’ s mental health system has been strained to its breaking point .
“ Yes , this bill doesn ’ t go far enough , ” McClellan said .
“ We have to put the structure and the funding in place to make sure that what happened to Marcus-David Peters doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
“ So , while this is a first step .
It can not and will not be the last.
” Bourne , who introduced the House version of the legislation , committed to getting the bill right and to make adjustments if need be as long as he served in the General Assembly .
“ While the bill may not be perfect , we are going to work as hard as we can to save as many lives [ as possible ] and get people the treatment and health that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because for far too long , not only in the Commonwealth , but in this country , we have criminalized mental health rather than treated mental health .
And so , this bill might be a small step in that journey.
” The long delegate also shared that in advance of the special session he knew he wanted to introduce a bill for an alert system , but called Blanding to get her support .
During his remarks , McPike said first responders know they do not currently have the necessary tools or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is a significant and major culture shift that says we ’ re going to put in resources where it matters .
To the front lines , to make an immediate difference in people ’ s lives , the potential to interact and save a life , to redirect and divert people early , not into the criminal justice system , not behind bars , but into a place that can actually provide a framework of support to connect the dots to resources , to meaningful changes in people ’ s lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In May 2018 , Marcus-David Peters , a 24-year-old high school biology teacher , was experiencing a mental health crisis that resulted in him hitting multiple vehicles with his car and then running nude on Interstate-95 , which is when a Richmond police officer made contact and eventually fatally shot him .
According to previous reporting from The Virginia Star , in November of this year , Richmond Commonwealth ’ s Attorney Colette McEachin determined that the use of force against Peters was justified and shared intricate details of the events that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A link to a live stream of the full ceremony can be found here .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Princess Blanding ” by Richmond Times-Dispatch .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Governor Bill Lee Admonishes Citizens for Their Thanksgiving Gatherings as ‘Selfish, Indifferent, Fo

Governor Bill Lee Admonishes Citizens for Their Thanksgiving Gatherings as ‘Selfish, Indifferent, Foolish’ Decisions

Governor Bill Lee called out Tennessee for its recent Thanksgiving gatherings as selfish , indifferent , and foolish decisions .
The governor issued these remarks during a press conference as some of the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered at Vanderbilt University .
“ We do stand here and celebrate a tremendous breakthrough in this pandemic , ” stated Lee .
“ But there is a darkness before the dawn that ’ s happening right here in Tennessee – we have to recognize that .
Tennessee ’ s cases are surging .
The holidays have caught up with us .
Decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe reality in this hospital and all across Tennessee today.
” The governor didn ’ t explain what decisions he was referring to , nor did he explain how they led to a spike in cases .
The Tennessee Department of Health released case reports this week ; some county health officials attributed the spikes to Thanksgiving gatherings .
Lee admonished the people of Tennessee for being inconsiderate by choosing to visit friends and family during the holidays , or opting to not wear a mask .
“ One thing that this vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will not cure , is selfishness or indifference to what ’ s happening to our neighbors around us , ” continued Lee .
“ This vaccine will not cure foolish decisions about how we gather .
It won ’ t cure an attitude of a refusal to wear a mask .
It won ’ t cure the idea that I will take my chances and that will not impact someone else ’ s life .
I think Tennesseans have a tremendous capacity right now to responsibly make decisions that will serve their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a very powerful tool – but it will take some time to have a real impact .
And in the meantime , it is the very simple things that Tennesseans can do that will help us turn the tide on COVID-19 in our state.
” Lee asserted that the decision to wear a mask would possibly prevent the wearer from having to be treated in a hospital .
Tennessee ’ s state of emergency is set to expire December 29th .
It is unclear whether the governor will continue to extend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
December 1st marked the ninth month of the national emergency .
In light of Lee ’ s latest remarks , The Tennessee Star asked spokespersons within the governor ’ s office if Lee intends on implementing any statewide mandates ahead of Christmas or in the coming months .
Their spokespersons didn ’ t respond by press time .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .

Eighteen individuals are now collecting petitions for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District race as of last Friday.
Twelve people are collecting qualifying petitions for the GOP primary, three are gathering petitions for the Democrat primary, and three independents are also accumulating petitions.
The 12 Republicans listed on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website as collecting petitions are former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell of Nashville, businessman Baxter Lee of Nashville, Robby Starbuck of Franklin (listed as Robert Starbuck Newsom), Geni Batchelor of Lebanon, Natisha Brooks of Nashville, former Williamson County GOP Chair Omar Hamada of Franklin, Timothy Bruce Lee of Nashville, Annabelle Lee of Madison, Alan Clement Sharp of Nashville, David Vitalli of Brentwood, Stewart Parks of Nashville, and Richie Lee of Nashville.
Among the publicly announced candidates, Tennessee newcomer and former State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus and retired Brig. General Kurt Winstead have not yet been listed as having begun their qualifying petitions process. Hamada has not yet made a decision as to whether or not he is officially entering the race.
Records show that Harwell, Starbuck, Brooks, Baxter Lee, Ortagus, Winstead, Batchelor, and Timothy Bruce Lee have also filed candidate paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). Starbuck has raised $255,066.53 and has $138,741.16 on hand, which Brooks has raised $24,517.00 and has $19,655.34 on hand. The rest filed their FEC paperwork after the year-end December 31, 2022 deadline. The 2022 first quarter January 1-March 31 financial reports, which are scheduled to be released in mid-April, will cover all candidates who have reached the FEC reporting threshold.
Sources tell The Star that several Republican candidates are expected to have impressive fundraising totals.
Clay Faircloth, Richard H. Harris, and Joel Michael Hurbert, all from Nashville, are listed as collecting petitions for the Democrat primary.
Derrick Brantley of Nashville, Patrick O. Halfacre of Hohenwald, and Richard A. Shannon of Franklin are the independents who are collecting petitions. Shannon has appeared on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy. Only Brantley appears to have filed documents with the FEC.
In order to appear on the ballot, candidates are required to collect 25 valid signatures from registered voters and have until noon on April 7 to turn in those qualifying petitions. Candidates who qualify have until April 14 to withdraw their names from the ballot. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office told The Star, unless pending legislation changes things, that they will finalize the ballots on April 21.
The 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, and all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected] Follow Aaron on GETTR.
Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Martin Falbisoner. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Commentary: Trumpism Without Trump Is Not Kinder and Gentler, but Harder and Fiercer

The Democrats stole the election .
President Trump is right to fight this .
The U.S. Supreme Court was wrong to stand aside and let it happen .
( Texas had standing to sue over it , for whereas Texans must grin and bear it when we are outvoted fair and square by other states , if our votes are nullified by cheating in other states , then we have been injured and we have a right to seek redress . )
Even without the cheating , the impact of massive private subsidies aimed solely at boosting turnout in Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and censorship by Big Tech may itself have been enough to tip the results in Joe Biden ’ s favor .
As always , leftists project their own behavior onto others .
After four years of making baseless claims about “ Russian collusion ” and other supposed indications of Trump ’ s illegitimacy , they now call Trump ’ s claims of election fraud baseless .
But the fraud seems obvious to me , as it would to anyone who allows himself , or is allowed , to examine the evidence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I wouldn ’ t blame Trump or any Republican if he chose to absent himself from the inauguration , lest he be scorched by the thunderbolt that might strike Biden when he utters the words , “ So help me God.
” But there are better ways to express our resentment of what has been done to us .
We should make the Democrats pay for it , yes , but not through pettiness and spite .
They may project their sins onto us , but let us not emulate their sins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack the Left where it is most vulnerable , and that is on policy .
Obviously , lots of knowledgeable people are already on the case , and I wouldn ’ t presume to butt in on any of their areas of expertise .
Let me focus on just one neglected point , a field I ’ ve had pretty much all to myself .
That point is the issue of crime and punishment—especially capital punishment .
I ’ ve plowed this ground many times before , and I don ’ t revisit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woulda coulda shoulda.
” Rather , I urge people to realize it ’ s not too late for that issue to become a powerful weapon in our hands .
It can help us turn back the Democrats ’ bid to gain the Senate majority next month in Georgia ’ s runoff .
It can help us take back the House in 2022 .
It can even be the horse on which Trump ( or , should old age sideline him , his successor ) rides into the White House in 2024 .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican nomination in 2016 , he said : “ I have a message for all of you : The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon—and I mean very soon—come to an end .
Beginning on January 20th , 2017 , safety will be restored.
” And as he was inaugurated on that January day , he repeated that vow : “ This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.
” Those statements have been commemorated more often by the Left than by the Right .
Liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magazine love to throw it at us , like so : “ In 2016 , Trump Promised to Make America Safe Again .
He Failed.
” Conservatives , meanwhile , seem to have forgotten all about Trump ’ s “ law and order ” talk , as if his failure to follow through on it embarrasses them .
And why should it not ?
When Trump first came out with his “ I mean very soon ” line , the liberal scoffers included Rick Perlstein , who wrote a derisive review in The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every aspect of Trump ’ s oration , but especially at the speed and ease with which its goals were supposed to be achieved : Trump , the solitary hero , “ accomplishing everything immediately , as if by magic.
” “ Magic , ” Perlstein wrote .
“ It ’ s one more word we have to add to our expanding analytical lexicon to think through the Orange-Haired Monster .
.
.
.
The spirit of magic pervaded everything : Trump , with his wand , making awesome things happen instantaneously .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bending steel with his mind.
” All by magic tricks .
Such as in this passage Perlstein cited from the speech : In fact , the quality of life did improve greatly for all Americans under President Trump .
Upper- , middle- and working-classes all shared in it , the latter to an unprecedented extent .
Until the coronavirus panic saved the Democrats ’ bacon , this broad-based prosperity augured a landslide Trump win that would have gone far beyond the margin of fraud .
Eventually , we ’ ll get over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It never took the nosedive Trump promised , and in the wake of this year ’ s George Floyd riots , with the police demoralized and murder surging in cities across the country , few today would be as complacent about it as Perlstein was in 2016 .
Compared to his economic successes , Trump ’ s “ law and order ” program has indeed been a failure .
Try , then , to imagine an alternate reality , in which Trump ’ s wild boasts about a sudden and radical abatement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump made those boasts , I didn ’ t scoff , because I knew they could be made good .
As I wrote at the time , “ The fact is that crime could have been crushed long ago .
Public safety can be restored quickly—not by magic , but by blood .
American history proves it.
” I was referring to a report , “ The American Vigilante Tradition , ” that historian Richard Maxwell Brown had contributed to the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence .
That commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s previous annus horribilis , in an attempt to get a handle on what Perlstein acknowledges was an “ unprecedented ” surge in violence .
Brown ’ s report is worth reading in its entirety .
I prefaced my summary of the report ( which dealt with frontier vigilantism , not racial lynch mobs ) with these words : In an expanded version of that American Thinker essay , published in National Review on the eve of Trump ’ s inauguration , I continued : Trump never solved that problem .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so—unless he stages a Grover Cleveland comeback .
( I ’ ll be rooting for him if he does . )
But it ’ s not too late for us .
How can we convert Trump ’ s dream—an America freed from the curse of rampant crime—into blessed reality ?
The “ lawful means ” which Trump never found—what would that involve ?
Spoiler alert : It involves , among other things , a constitutional amendment .
Capital Punishment Must Be Enforced to Be Effective The reason is that capital punishment can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually enforced .
And death for murder can become the rule , rather than the extremely rare exception , only after the Supreme Court ’ s death penalty jurisprudence has been swept away .
A constitutional amendment is the only practical means of doing that .
This would not involve repealing the Eighth Amendment ’ s ban on “ cruel and unusual punishments.
” Rather , it would involve restoring the Eighth Amendment to its original meaning .
That ’ s what I argued four years before Donald Trump was sworn into office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed ever since .
Over the last four years , in a series of articles for American Greatness , I developed the theme .
The writers I mustered in support of my arguments include Stephen Ambrose ( cited here ) , Thomas Aquinas ( here ) , Janet L. Barkas ( here ) , Charles and Mary Beard ( here ) , Raoul Berger ( here , here , here and here ) , Ambrose Bierce ( here ) , Warren Burger ( here ) , William E. Burrows ( here ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ) , Benjamin Cardozo ( here and here ) , Midge Decter ( here ) , Isaac Ehrlich et al .
( here ) , Desiderius Erasmus ( here ) , Henry Fairlie ( here ) , Henry Fielding ( here , here and here ) , Dov Fischer ( here ) , Alan Keyes ( here ) , Ed Koch ( here ) , C. S. Lewis ( here , here and here ) , Martin Luther ( here ) , James Madison ( here and here ) , John Marshall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Désiré Cardinal Mercier ( here ) , Glenn Reynolds ( here ) , Will Rogers ( here and here ) , Theodore Roosevelt ( here and here ) , Harold J. Rothwax ( here ) , Mike Royko ( here ) , Kurt Schlichter ( here and here ) , Alexander Solzhenitsyn ( here and here ) , Thomas Sowell ( here ) , Alexis de Tocqueville ( here ) , Harry Truman ( here ) , Joseph Wambaugh ( here ) , George Washington ( here and here ) , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gist of it all can be summed up in this passage from “ Teddy Roosevelt ’ s Rules , ” published October 28 , 2019 : It falls to us to use that big stick now .
If we must maintain Trumpism without Trump , let it not be a pale shadow of the old man ’ s example , as Reaganism without Reagan was .
Let it not be , as Don Surber ruefully recalls of the Bush years , “ kinder and gentler.
” Trumpism without Trump should be , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiercer .
Karl Spence is a retired journalist living in San Antonio .
His work has appeared in National Review , the Chattanooga Free Press , American Thinker and at www.fairamendment.us .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Host Leahy and All-Star Panelist Ben Cunningham Discuss Delusional Liberal Leadership and Their Mora

Host Leahy and All-Star Panelist Ben Cunningham Discuss Delusional Liberal Leadership and Their Moral Superiority Over Trump Supporters

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed special guest host and Nashville Tea Party Founder Ben Cunningham to the show .
During the third hour , Host Leahy and Cunningham reflected on the 2020 election night where Trump was winning handily , and then in the middle of the night , Trump began losing by impossibly wide margins .
Cunningham later explained the media ’ s disdain for Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership and moral superiority .
Leahy : Joining us in the studio our good friend Ben Cunningham .
Founder of the Nashville Tea Party .
Ben , when last you were in the studio was election night .
Cunningham : Yes .
Yes .
And I walked away thinking Donald J. Trump was our president .
He is our president and probably would still be our president in the future if not for these election irregularities .
Leahy : Basically cheating and fraud with absentee ballots funded in large part by Mark Zuckerberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morad Omidyar who is the founder of eBay ?
He ’ s involved in this as well .
He funded a little bit the national vote at home institute .
Cunningham : With a complicit media that completely refused to let people know what was going on with Hunter Biden and all of the money .
Now we know .
Now they ’ re reporting it .
Now they are there begrudgingly reporting that Hunter Biden was asking the Chinese for ten billion dollars for “ the entire Biden family.
” Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire Biden family because we wish you the very best Chi-com dictators .
That ’ s fair .
Cunningham : I don ’ t know , how do you characterize that ?
Malfeasance ?
Leahy : That ’ s a very kind way of putting it .
Cunningham : It ’ s basically manipulating public opinion in the worst sort of way .
And our media is unfortunately , they ’ re going more and more in that way .
You know they ’ re going to be fawning over everything that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr. Jill .
( Chuckles ) Cunningham : The whole thing .
It ’ s going to be sickening and nauseating .
Leahy : It ’ s going to be sickening ?
Cunningham : Everyone of his cabinet nominees .
It ’ s just the whole thing is just… Leahy : The American people did not vote for this guy .
I ’ m telling you .
This is not what the American people want .
Leahy : It ’ s clearly obvious .
And they also cheated folks .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence for eyes to see and ears to hear .
But apparently , there are a lot of clearly no Democrat that wants to see it .
And a number of Republicans like Mitt Romney and that crowd Chris Christie .
They don ’ t want to see it .
The mainstream media doesn ’ t want to see it .
We were here in this studio you and I , Crom Carmichael , Laura Baigert , and Clint Brewer on election night November third .
When we left , the numbers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good .
We left the studio at midnight .
I was back because I ’ m a glutton for punishment , in the studio at five o ’ clock in the morning and it all changed .
I knew the fix was in when I opened the microphones up at five o ’ clock on November fourth because we left here and I did a survey of all of us .
And I said well , how does it look ?
And basically , you know , everybody felt that it was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than likely that Donald Trump had been reelected .
I recall myself saying I thought that based upon the information we had then when there was an 80 percent chance that he ’ d been re-elected .
But wait !
There ’ s more .
At about three-thirty in the morning four o ’ clock in the morning , hundreds of thousands of votes magically showed up in Wisconsin .
And in Wisconsin where he had a five-point lead when we left the studio at midnight on November 3 , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How did that happen , Ben ?
Cunningham : The question is why hasn ’ t the press covered this ?
And I think you just have to go back to their reaction to Donald Trump ’ s victory in 2016 .
They ( Laughs ) at that point they decided that they were going to do everything they could to destroy Donald Trump .
And it was such cognitive dissonance to these people that anybody like this , a champion of American values could with his flaws , and he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The good news about Trump is his flaws are big and bold and you can see them every day .
( Laughs ) Cunningham : Yeah .
Yeah .
Absolutely .
Absolutely .
Donald Trump is Donald Trump and he ’ s Donald Trump every day .
Leahy : Every second of every day .
Cunningham : Yes .
And that ’ s why people love him because he is so straightforward .
He is petulant sometimes .
He is reactive .
He ’ s all those things .
And the liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think what Donald Trump and his appeal is to 74 million voters .
Cunningham : And they still act like that there are only maybe 10 million people that voted for him and they were the worst of the worst .
Leahy : They don ’ t deserve any consideration for any of their views .
They are just miserable people .
Cunningham : And deplorable .
We constantly are called these .
And these folks that believe that they are entitled to leadership and moral superiority like Pete Buttigieg and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will rise to power and make the decisions that we poor citizens can not make for ourselves .
These people are the ones that could not imagine the appeal of Donald Trump and still don ’ t .
They still deny that 74 million people found something there of value .
Leahy : So the American people don ’ t want Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation .
They don ’ t want Susan Rice , the lying-ist liar of all to be head of domestic policy .
Leahy : We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our institutions are driving us .
I ’ m not quite sure all use the word inexorably towards it , but driving us .
Cunningham : Oh , yeah .
And lead by the liberal media .
Leahy : Now here ’ s the thing .
Joe Biden is fixing to cave to China on everything .
the elite who have economic interests in China want that to continue .
They want this , you know , this swamp and this crony capitalist deal to continue because they ’ re getting rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American middle class .
Everything about making a living as a small business person is becoming much more difficult .
Now if you ’ re in league with the Chi-coms like Amazon is , like Apple is , and like all those guys are , you love it !
And like Google is .
They are all in league with the Chi-coms .
Cunningham : If the response to the coronavirus doesn ’ t show you clearly what their true agenda is…these people want power over you .
Cunningham : They want power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about power .
And they will continue to accumulate it if we allow them to .
Leahy : Terry in Knoxville wants to weigh in .
Caller Terry : Good morning .
Yes .
You know I ’ m thoroughly disgusted with all of this and I think we all are .
But really when you get right down to it if we ’ ve lost the judiciary and if we ’ ve lost confidence in the Supreme Court , and lost confidence in the Justice Department we can all essentially agree they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this election fraud .
So why don ’ t we go third world on them ?
Leahy : Now let me just say .
Tread carefully here .
Tread carefully .
When you say go third world on them , can you be more specific in what you are recommending here Terry ?
Terry : What are the alternatives ?
They ’ ve done everything in their power against the law fraudulently , as you said before , you couldn ’ t certify this election in Guyana .
Terry : We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying we play by the rules but the other side is not playing by the rules .
Terry : You said you are going to write a book about it but what ’ s the point ?
If we lose this , who cares ?
Terry : If we ’ ve lost this one we ’ ve lost the whole shebang .
Leahy : You raise an important question and I appreciate you raising it .
What is the point of trying ?
Listen to the third hour here : Tune in weekdays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Vanderbilt Poll: 88 Percent of Tennessee’s Republican Voters Doubt Legitimacy of Presidential Electi

Vanderbilt Poll: 88 Percent of Tennessee’s Republican Voters Doubt Legitimacy of Presidential Election

A Vanderbilt University poll suggested that 88 percent of Tennessee ’ s registered Republican voters doubt the legitimacy of the presidential election .
According to the university , the poll ’ s purpose was to discover any correlation between support of the COVID-19 vaccine and views on the election ’ s integrity .
The poll lasted 21 days , surveying just over 1,000 individuals .
Nowhere in their methodology did the research include the exact number of Republicans , Democrats , independent , and “ other ” respondents .
The co-director of Vanderbilt University ’ s latest poll , John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s implications that resonated with one of the top buzzwords utilized by the Biden-Harris campaign : unity .
“ The disparities in decision-making between Tennessee Republicans and Democrats are at an all-time high , a signal to the new administration on the challenges that lie ahead to unify America , ” stated Greer .
A supplementary video summarizing the polling results noted that 83 percent of Democrats pose a large public health problem , as opposed to 47 percent of Republicans .
After providing that information , the video noted that 97 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidential election were counted fairly and accurately , as opposed to 12 percent of Republicans .
The poll also compared the willingness between Republicans and Democrats to receive the COVID-19 vaccine .
They stated that 36 percent of Republican respondents were unlikely to get the vaccine compared to 15 percent of Democrats .
“ This [ response ] in spite of increased concern and awareness of coronavirus at the community level , ” read the report .
The report added that , purportedly , 52 percent of Republican respondents wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 percent of Democrats ; 22 percent of Republicans don ’ t usually wear masks as opposed to 0 percent of Democrats and 11 percent of independents .
“ The ‘ 0 percent ’ is rare in polling and underscores the dramatic polarization on this issue , ” stated the report .
The Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions supported the poll .
The research program describes itself as a means of answering “ questions central to the survival and flourishing of democratic institutions in the United States and abroad.
” However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of issuing skewed and inaccurate studies in the past .
A poll published this past May suggested that Nashville Mayor John Cooper had “ sky high ” approval rating , but The Tennessee Star reported that only 19 percent of respondents identified as Republicans .
Additionally , The Star addressed the university ’ s failed track record for predicting margins in Tennessee elections dating back to the 2016 presidential election , usually off by double digits .
The poll results were released on the same day that some of Tennessee ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Trump Supporters ” by Elvert Barnes .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Election Fraud: Leahy and Ben Cunningham Have a Message for Listeners of Why We Should Keep Trying a

Election Fraud: Leahy and Ben Cunningham Have a Message for Listeners of Why We Should Keep Trying and What We Can Do Locally

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed special guest host and Nashville Tea Party Founder Ben Cunningham to the show to discuss ways in which people can move forward and make a difference locally in the wake of the 2020 presidential alleged election fraud which has left many in despair .
Leahy : In the studio with me is the all-star panelist , a longtime friend , and founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Terry our caller has raised a very important question .
With all of these institutions going against us with massive election fraud that has given the presidential election to somebody who is utterly compromised by China , Terry asked why should we try ?
Why should we even try ?
Cunningham : We all know we ’ re drifting in the wrong direction .
What is the right direction ?
Leahy : And let me give Terry an answer to that .
Terry my friend , stop whining and start working .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Okay , look .
This country was founded at a time when one-third of the population was for Great Britain .
One-third of the population didn ’ t care .
And only one third was for the founding of a new country .
If they had just sat around and whined about it we would never have had the United States .
And I don ’ t mean to be unkind to Terry .
Cunningham : No .
These are charges for all of us .
Leahy : He wasn ’ t really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cunningham : And I think a lot of people feel exactly like that .
Cunningham : Depressed and thinking what do we do ?
Leahy : ( Gives call-in number ) If you feel like Terry call in because I want to encourage you but I also want to challenge you .
You ’ ve got a good life basically right now .
Some small businesses are struggling .
There is no question about that .
If you are a small business it ’ s tough .
The COVID thing is tough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past that .
But , I can promise you this , if you do not take action right now take some real action , then our country will be lost .
But there are things to do .
Number one .
Get your list out here .
Number one .
The very first thing you need to do is to get involved in changing locally at the state-level election law procedure .
Get rid of absentee ballots .
Get rid of vote-by-mail .
Go for in-person voting and paper ballots .
Argue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state senators .
Lobby before your Tennessee General Assembly to do that .
Encourage that in every state in the union .
That ’ s step number one .
Does that sound like something people can do ?
Cunningham : Absolutely .
The vast majority of the 74 million people who voted for Donald Trump are in a state right now where they really don ’ t have faith in our elections .
Cunningham : So we have to re-establish that faith .
Leahy : Well , we got changed the process so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have faith is that the process has been corrupted by private interests and Silicon Valley billionaires .
and you know all the list .
All the list .
That ’ s why they don ’ t have confidence .
Leahy : So that ’ s number one .
So stop whining and call your state rep today .
Call your state senator today and let ’ s change so that we can not have fraud here in elections going forward .
( Gives call-in number ) The second thing you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , just me .
If you have children in K-12 public schools , take them out right now .
Take them out and find an alternative .
But it costs money you say ?
Yes , it does cost money .
Yet they ’ re being ruined with left-wing propaganda in public schools .
And by the way , if you are a teacher and you want to disagree with me call in .
Tracy in Nashville you have a bright spot for us .
What is it ?
Good morning Tracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You know I am so sick over this whole election thing .
And so when I started thinking about what is really going to happen when they put Joe Biden as the president and something will happen and he won ’ t be around .
I don ’ t know .
Leahy : So Kamala Harris will be the president .
Tracy : Kamala Harris will end up being president .
And can you just think of how that ’ s going to burn Hillary so bad ?
( Chuckles ) Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She thinks you know if Kamala is president she ’ ll take pleasure in the fact that the first woman isn ’ t Hillary .
I could get that .
That ’ s a nice little friendly commentary on that .
Very interesting .
Jeff in Mount Juliet wants to weigh in .
Good morning Jeff .
Caller Jeff : Good morning Michael .
I was just listening to you guys talking about getting involved at the local level .
And I was just reminded of the electoral map from this past presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 450 counties and Trump won the other 3,500 or 4,000 or however many there were .
Looks to me like there are already a lot of people involved at the local level .
But it appears that the stoppage is at the higher levels , mainly the courts who are unwilling to hear because I guess they have some kind of fear making decisions that are going to cause public outrage .
Thinking somehow that the court is responsible for public outrage rather than the court is responsible for interpreting the law and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local level be responsible for local outrage .
Cunningham : Yeah , I think so Jeff .
And I don ’ t think most people understand the courts really are as political sometimes as our legislative bodies .
The folks that we put on local courts , and that ’ s another way that people can get involved is critical .
Because you ’ re right .
I mean there have been hundreds of hundreds of election-related lawsuits and they have gone so far nowhere .
And you would think it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that at least some judges would say , hey , maybe we better take a look at this .
Jeff : Well , I mean it ’ s disturbing to see this kind of breakdown because essentially people like me out there who are just trying to get up and go to work every day , they don ’ t mind a fair fight .
But they want it to be fair .
And when they perceive it ’ s not fair that ’ s when problems start to foment at the local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll just throw up their hands and give up and say you know what ?
Maybe we just need to start over because this isn ’ t working for the average guy .
And I hate that that ’ s the case but that is what it ’ s starting to look like .
Leahy : Yeah .
I think you ’ re right about that Jeff .
This is Jeff Hartline our friend for many many years .
Ben and I have worked with him on many projects .
Jeff , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do , what specifically do you think that you suggest people do ?
Because I for one Jeff , I am not somebody that says oh let ’ s just give up and you know throw the country away and let the bad guys take it .
No !
Not on our watch .
Jeff : That ’ s not what I ’ m saying at all .
What I ’ m seeing , and you guys are students of history as well .
What I ’ m seeing is a redo of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an impasse where there ’ s not going to be a way to solve something in Congress or at the ballot box or in the courts .
Leahy : Well , you know , we ’ ve heard that before .
I ’ m not sure how much of an appetite people have for that kind of situation this time around .
But I do think that there is an appetite for people who like you say , Jeff , don ’ t want to put up with this anymore .
Jeff : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start putting pressure on Marsha Blackburn and Mark Greene and Scott DesJarlais and John Rose to push harder at the legislative level and to message a little more vigorously perhaps than I ’ m seeing them message .
In fact , I don ’ t recall Representative Rose who is my congressman seeing a single statement coming out of his office in support of the President and opposed to all this fraud .
Leahy : Yeah , that ’ s a good point .
I have seen some statements from Marsha on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ ve got a lot of callers we want to get to .
We ’ ll talk about that more with you Jeff later .
Larry in Cheatham County wants to talk about the process of the election .
Caller Larry : Okay , here ’ s the problem that is really really really simple .
The Republicans are considering this an election .
The Democrats are considering this war .
All-out war .
And until the Republicans understand that and they start going all-out war then this is not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ironclad absolute detailed plan to totally change it for years .
The number one asset in war is the element of surprise .
I won ’ t reveal it on national radio .
Leahy : What I like about Larry is that he has a plan .
And I want to hear more about that sometime in the future .
Larry , thanks for your call .
Listen to the third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Andy Roth of the Club for Growth Releases Scorecard for the Tennessee General Assembly

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Andy Roth from The Club for Growth to the newsmakers line .
During the second hour , Roth disclosed percentages for the newly released scorecard for the Tennessee General Assembly which is conducted by The Club for Growth .
He outlined how the scores were calculated citing disappointment in the percentages which revealed a lack of fiscal conservatism among Republicans and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : In the studio with me is the all-star panelist , good friend , and long time Tea Party activist in Nashville Ben Cunningham .
And on the newsmaker line , our friend Andy Roth with The Club for Growth is going to talk about a scorecard for the Tennessee General Assembly .
Good morning , Andy .
Roth : Hi , thanks for having me .
Leahy : And you know Ben don ’ t you ?
Ben Cunningham ?
Roth : Hey , yeah , I know both of you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was thinking about the last time we spoke is probably been 10 years .
Leahy : I know .
At the very beginning of the Tea Party Movement .
You ’ ve been fighting the good fight ever since as well as Ben .
And I ’ ve been trying in my own ways .
You ’ ve got a scorecard out now for the Tennessee General Assembly .
Tell us about it , Andy .
Roth : Yeah , in fact , we ’ re breaking the news with you guys right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t released it yet , but it ’ s actually a little dismaying .
You know , everybody knows that Tennessee is a one-party state but it ’ s not limited government conservatives who are the one party .
It appears to be a big government bipartisan collection of Democrats and Republicans , who are trying to grow government in Nashville and it ’ s unfortunate .
I can go through the numbers with you and a bit but it looks like instead of you know , expanding economic freedom and reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session was mainly about handing out cronyism , corporate welfare , and raising taxes .
There were a few good bills in there but for the most part it just look like , you know special interests or handing out favors .
Cunningham : It is really is disappointing Andy .
Hey , this is Ben .
We send these guys up there .
They ’ re elected as conservatives and they campaign as conservatives .
They campaign as limited government conservatives and then they come up here to Nashville to the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote button that finger gets kind of nervous .
And they just never do quite come through .
We have some good ones .
Unfortunately , we ’ ve lost some good ones this time around .
Several of our really good staunch conservatives are not going to be back .
But it is it ’ s depressing .
When they campaign and when those words come out of their mouth and you believe them and then they come to Nashville and betray us almost immediately .
Roth : Yeah , and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very good point Ben .
When Democrats say they want to grow government you believe them because they actually follow through on that .
But when Republicans hypocritically say they want to cut government and reduce taxes and reduce spending but then do the opposite that stings a lot more than what the Democrats tell you .
So I agree it is unfortunate .
Leahy : Andy what are some of the key votes that you looked at ?
How did you do this ?
Did you take five or ten key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roth : So we looked at every single floor vote that was cast both in the Tennessee House and the Tennessee Senate .
And then we whittled it down and by the way , there were over 4,000-floor votes .
We whittled that down to 20 key votes in the House and 20 in the Senate .
Roth : And what we were what we were looking for were bills that were economically related .
Did they raise taxes or lower taxes ?
Did they increase spending or lower spending ?
Did they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those .
and the ones that we found we put into the scorecard .
And some of them are quite atrocious .
We ’ re dealing with this COVID pandemic and the Tennessee legislature decided to raise taxes forcing small businesses , including restaurants and bars to collect more taxes from their customers and pass it along to Nashville .
That ’ s just one .
Plus there ’ s also corporate welfare raising hotel taxes handing and out money to the Great Wolf Lodge .
When we post this on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the different votes that we scored .
But unfortunately , it ’ s just really disappointing .
There were a couple of good ones .
Let me say that they did pass legal liability protection for COVID .
They did reaffirm although this is more of a symbolic vote .
But they did reaffirm the right-to-work status of Tennessee , which is good .
And they also passed medical care agreements which just basically allow patients to have more direct access to their doctors and without bureaucrats getting involved .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leahy : Where will you post this Andy ?
We ’ ll be able to see that and when ?
Roth : This will be at ClubForGrowthFoundation.org and we ’ ll have it later this morning Leahy : You heard about it first here .
Ben ?
Cunningham : I ’ m so glad you ’ re doing this because we don ’ t have that many groups that look closely at the Tennessee legislature .
Because like you say , we ’ re a super-majority Republicans .
People assume we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these votes come , Down it really is an eye-opener for a lot of people .
It ’ s an eye-opener or any time you get down at the legislature and you actually watch how the sausage is made and you go to the committee meetings and you see people equivocate and obfuscate .
The people that are down there know what ’ s going on .
But for most people scorecards like this really are the only insight they have .
And I for one really appreciate The Club for Growth doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you score just the Tennessee General Assembly on these votes passed ?
Or do you score individual legislators for their vote ?
Roth : Oh , definitely .
We score each and every lawmaker .
In fact , let me give you some numbers .
The average score in the Tennessee Senate for Republicans , just Republicans , was 43 percent .
Now I remember going to school and if I got a 43 percent on anything I failed .
The Democrats in the Tennessee Senate got an 18 percent .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they got that high .
( Roth laughs ) Roth : Well in the Tennessee House , the numbers aren ’ t much different .
45 percent for Republicans .
32 percent for Democrats .
Leahy : Interesting .
That ’ s John Mark Windle in that I think .
The Democrat .
Roth : But your leaders like Randy McNally in the Senate was just 42 percent .
And Cameron Sexton 43 percent .
So top-down , there ’ s not much leadership in either chamber for fiscal conservatism .
Cunningham : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of state legislators , Where do the Republicans fall down ?
I mean they campaign as fiscal conservatives what how do they get pushed ?
And how do the liberals use their leverage to push these guys over to the other side ?
What happens when they get to the state legislature ?
Roth : Well , let me back up because we do state scorecards in other states .
And I ’ m seeing a trend in all states except for a few .
Florida by the way is exceptionally conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a swing state .
But one thing that I see even in Florida , Tennessee , and elsewhere is a lot of bills passed unanimously with Republican and Democrat support .
And it ’ s because the lobbyists come in to make their argument .
There ’ s very little debate .
The bills pass .
And a lot of rank-and-file members just do what leadership tells them .
Which begs the question like , you know , why do you even have a vote card if all you do is just follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a lot of Republicans are ignorant .
I literally believe that they do not know what they ’ re voting on .
When you vote for licensing for barbers or cronyism you think that ’ s being pro-business because the people that represent those industries are saying they need it .
And you know Republicans think that business is good so they do what business tells them .
That is where I think they fall down the most .
Now when it comes to raising taxes or raising spending , I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more nefarious when that happens .
Leahy : Andy Roth , thank you so much for joining us here .
Tell us again where we can see this later today .
Roth : You bet .
go to ClubForGrowthFoundation.org .
You ’ ll see the 2020 Tennessee scorecard on there .
And you also see 2019 .
So we ’ ve done it for a couple of years and you can see every lawmakers ’ score going for both years .
So it ’ s a good handy resource and I hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Georgia Announces Signature Matching Review for Presidential Election Ballots

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thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Hunter Biden Was Due to Receive ‘Significant’ Payments from Chinese Private Equity Firm Starting in

Hunter Biden Was Due to Receive ‘Significant’ Payments from Chinese Private Equity Firm Starting in 2019, Emails Show

Hunter Biden was repeatedly told by his business partner that he would begin receiving significant payments from a Chinese private equity firm starting in 2019 , emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show .
The business partner , Eric Schwerin , also told Hunter Biden in a December 2018 email that the Chinese private equity firm , BHR Partners , would generate income for him “ over the next couple of years.
” The revelations conflict with an October 2019 statement issued from Hunter Biden ’ s lawyer , George Mesires , that said Biden had not received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nor had there been any distributions to the firm ’ s shareholders since he obtained his 10 % equity stake two years prior through his company , Skaneateles LLC .
The emails , which were located on a copy of Hunter Biden ’ s alleged laptop , show that he took out a $ 150,000 capital loan with one of BHR ’ s Chinese-based partners in July 2017 to help fund his $ 420,000 investment into the firm that year .
When the loan came due in December 2018 , Schwerin advised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another year so he could pay it back with future distributions .
“ Since BHR will be making distributions in 2019 far exceeding $ 150,000 it is a no brainer to extend the loan , ” Schwerin wrote to Hunter Biden and Mesires in a Dec. 20 , 2018 , email .
“ Of course , if we can execute the agreement as proposed 100 % of those BHR distributions would go to you.
” Schwerin urged Hunter Biden in a follow-up email one week later , on Dec. 27 , to extend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve as a revenue stream for him “ over the next couple of years.
” BHR is co-owned by the Chinese state-controlled Bank of China , business records for the firm show .
The firm states on its website it manages the equivalent of $ 2.1 billion in assets .
Schwerin told Hunter Biden in a Nov. 19 , 2018 , email that BHR was due to have a “ significant distribution in 2019 ” because of its exit from the Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. , Limited ( CATL ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s foreign business ties in October 2019 found that that BHR nearly doubled its investment in CATL .
The Chinese private equity firm sold its position in CATL for the equivalent of $ 30.1 million in 2018 after having invested the equivalent of $ 15.3 million in the battery manufacturer in 2015 .
An email Schwerin sent to Mesires on March 6 , 2019 , indicated that Hunter Biden ’ s loan was extended .
“ BHR was valued at RMB 60m in November 2016 .
In today ’ s dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shares would therefore be valued at $ 894,000 , ” Schwerin wrote to Mesires in the email that was later forwarded to Hunter Biden .
“ I am attributing the full value of the shares even though there is a $ 150,000 loan due to BHR by Skaneateles because there is a high likelihood that there will be a distribution in 2019 that would repay the loan and still provide a distribution to Skaneateles , ” Schwerin added .
“ This is not even taking in consideration future distributions from exits of Henniges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these investments are likely to be profitable for BHR.
” Schwerin ’ s emails to Hunter Biden in late 2018 and early 2019 appear to be part of negotiations between the two to end their business partnership after a falling out .
“ Whatever G. Fuck him … he forged my signature , ” Hunter Biden emailed Mesires on March 6 , 2019 , after asked to review an exit proposal Schwerin had sent the lawyer earlier that day .
Among the areas of contention between Schwerin and Hunter Biden was their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that holds Hunter Biden ’ s stake in BHR , according to the email .
“ My concession is that I truly owe him nothing … he owns 25 % of Skaneateles in revenue not equity , ” Hunter Biden wrote .
“ Revenue of which he is no longer due after he was fired 2 years ago or longer .
So fuck him.
” It ’ s unclear from the emails if BHR made any distributions to Hunter Biden in 2019 or 2020 .
Mesires did not return multiple requests for comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects to receive future payments from BHR .
Mesires also didn ’ t respond when asked if Hunter Biden ’ s $ 150,000 loan used to purchase equity in BHR has been paid off .
An attorney representing Schwerin did not return requests for comment .
Chinese business records accessed Wednesday show that Hunter Biden still holds his 10 % stake in BHR through his LLC despite multiple promises from President-elect Joe Biden that no one in his family would engage in business with foreign corporations or governments if he is elected president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his son ’ s foreign business dealings in December , telling CNN that no one in his family will “ be involved in any business , any enterprise , that is conflicted with or appears to be in conflict , with the appropriate distance from , the presidency and government.
” Joe Biden ’ s transition team did not return requests for comment .
Hunter Biden revealed last week that he has been notified that federal prosecutors in Delaware are investigating his “ tax affairs.
” Multiple news outlets have reported that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s foreign business activities .
Schwerin ’ s emails to Hunter Biden and Mesires were located on a copy of Hunter Biden ’ s alleged laptop that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani provided to the DCNF in October .
Hunter Biden has not denied dropping off his laptop in April 2019 with a Delaware-based computer repair shop .
The owner of the shop is said to have provided it to Giuliani after Hunter Biden failed to retrieve it when services were completed .
A cybersecurity expert cryptographically authenticated a key email on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October .
Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Pfizer Vaccine Vials Contain More Doses Than Expected, FDA Says

Some vials containing Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine contain more doses than expected , potentially expanding the country ’ s supply by up to 40 % , public health officials said late Wednesday .
The FDA advised that the extra doses were acceptable to use and that it was collaborating with Pfizer over the issue .
“ The FDA is aware of the issue and working with Pfizer to determine the best path forward , ” an agency spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ At this time , given the public health emergency , the FDA is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every full dose attainable ( the sixth , or possibly even a seventh ) from each vial , pending resolution of each issue.
” Pfizer ’ s vials were supposed to contain 5 vaccines doses , but pharmacists have been able to extract one or two additional doses out of some .
The extra supply could mitigate some of excess demand seen across the country as health care workers compete with surging coronavirus cases , hospitalizations and deaths .
The agency also warned against combining partial doses from different vials due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vials are preservative free , it is critical to note that any further remaining product that does not constitute a full dose should not be pooled from multiple vials to create one , ” a spokesperson told the DCNF .
Before the FDA cleared the way for extra doses to be administered , some pharmacists discarded hundreds of doses that they thought were unusable .
Many reached out to Pfizer for clarification , but did not immediately receive guidance .
“ The amount of vaccine remaining in the multi-dose vial after removal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the type of needles and syringes used , ” a Pfizer spokesperson previously told Politico .
“ At this time , we can not provide a recommendation on the use of the remaining amount of vaccine from each vial.
” News of the extra doses follows efforts by the Trump administration to purchase additional vaccine doses after reportedly passing on the opportunity to do so earlier this year .
The U.S. government has been negotiating with Pfizer in an attempt to secure double the amount of vaccines originally purchased , but the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to provide them until mid-2021 .
Pfizer announced that its vaccine was over 90 % effective in November , and it was granted emergency authorization from the FDA last Friday .
Distribution nationwide began this past weekend , and the first Americans began receiving vaccinations Monday .
Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Peter Strzok’s Declassified Messages Give Insider View of FBI’s Trump Campaign Probe

The Justice Department declassified a batch of internal FBI messages from Peter Strzok , the former counterintelligence official who oversaw the bureau ’ s investigation of the Trump campaign ’ s possible ties to Russia .
The messages , which Senate Republicans released Thursday , provide new insights into the thinking of investigators who worked on Crossfire Hurricane , the code name for the investigation into the Trump campaign .
The documents , obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation ahead of their release , show Strzok and his colleagues discussing strategies for how to handle the investigation , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targets of Crossfire Hurricane .
The declassified documents also show that Strzok was provided with real-time updates as FBI agents or undercover sources were meeting with Trump campaign advisers Carter Page and George Papaodpoulos , who were early targets of the investigation .
Republican Sens .
Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley had asked Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray to declassify the documents on Oct. 30 , to help with their investigation of Crossfire Hurricane .
The Justice Department declassified the records on Dec. 1 .
Strzok ’ s messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Link system , also contain numerous references to Christopher Steele , the former British spy whose dossier the FBI used to obtain surveillance warrants against Carter Page .
One message suggests that Strzok knew early on that Steele was a source for a story published in Yahoo !
News alleging that Page had a secret meeting in Moscow with two Kremlin insiders .
“ Looking at the Yahoo article , I would definitely say at a minimum Steele ’ s reports should be viewed as intended to influence as well as to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 , 2016 .
Strzok , who was fired from the FBI in August 2018 , was referring to a report from Yahoo !
News about Page ’ s visit to Moscow in July 2016 .
It would later be revealed that Christopher Steele was a source for the article , and that he had met with a handful of journalists in Washington , D.C. as part of an opposition research campaign commissioned by the DNC and Clinton campaign .
While Strzok indicated that he thought Steele was a source for the Yahoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship with Steele and failed to inform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ( FISC ) that the ex-spy had contact with journalists .
The FBI cut ties with Steele , who had been a confidential human source for the bureau since 2013 , after he spoke to a journalists for Mother Jones for another dossier-related story on Oct. 31 , 2016 .
The dossier has since come under intense scrutiny , as several of its allegations have been debunked .
A Justice Department inspector general ’ s report released on Dec. 9 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crossfire Hurricane team for failing to disclose key details about Steele and the dossier to the FISC .
Strzok ’ s messages also show that he and others at the FBI had inside information about CNN ’ s plans to publish a story about then-FBI Director James Comey ’ s briefing to Trump regarding allegations in the dossier .
“ Story no longer Sciutto , now Evan Perez .
Internal nervousness about nature of allegations , ” Strzok wrote to Page on Jan. 9 , 2017 , referring to two CNN reporters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carl ) called OPA , said he got a ‘ dossier ’ from McCain.
” CNN reported on Jan. 10 , 2017 , that Comey had briefed Trump on Jan. 6 , 2017 , regarding an allegation in the dossier that the Kremlin had a sexual blackmail tape against Trump .
CNN ’ s report prompted BuzzFeed News to publish the dossier in full .
David Kramer , a close associate of McCain ’ s , testified that he provided a copy of the dossier to multiple reporters in December 2016 and January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter who published the salacious document .
McCain had provided a copy of the dossier to Comey in a private meeting on Dec. 9 , 2016 .
The messages also provide a glimpse into Strzok ’ s theories about Papadopoulos ’ s role in the alleged collusion scheme with Russia .
Strzok ’ s initial suspicions would later be debunked by the special counsel ’ s investigation , which found no evidence that any Trump associates conspired with the Russian government .
The FBI opened Crossfire Hurricane on July 31 , 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomat regarding Papadopoulos .
The diplomat , Alexander Downer , claimed that Papadopoulos had told him during a meeting in London on May 10 , 2016 that the Russian government might help the Trump campaign .
Strzok wrote that the FBI wanted to find out more about the alleged offer to assist the Trump team .
He speculated that Papadopoulos would have information that would implicate Carter Page and Paul Manafort .
Strzok did not explain why he thought those two Trump aides would have knowledge about collusion with Russia , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dossier .
In the dossier , former British spy Christopher Steele alleged that Page worked at the direction of Manafort on a “ well-developed conspiracy of cooperation ” with the Kremlin .
“ I think our anticipation is he has visibility into a conversation about the Russian offer of help ( and I ’ d be willing to bet if he talks , he fingers Page or Manafort ) , ” Strzok wrote to Jennifer Boone , a deputy assistant director , the messages show .
Strzok wrote to Jonathan Moffa , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find out about Papadopoulos ’ s “ demeanor ” in the FBI interview .
“ If he ’ s willing to work with us against either of them , I ’ ll reconsider.
” Strzok was notified shortly after that Papadopoulos , who was given the code name Crossfire Typhoon , was speaking to the FBI agents .
An FBI employee and Strzok then joked that Papadopoulos ’ s mother , who was with her son when the FBI approached for an interview , urged him not to go to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that he went anyway .
“ Ha , that ’ s funny re Typhoon , ” Strzok wrote .
“ That ’ s what you get for not listening to mom.
” Papadopoulos pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 , 2017 , to making false statements to the FBI during the Jan. 27 , 2017 interview .
He was never charged with any crimes related specifically to Russia or any conspiracy involving the Trump campaign .
Instead , he was charged with making false statements about the timeline of his meetings in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor who Papadopoulos says told him that the Russian government had “ dirt ” on Hillary Clinton .
Papadopoulos volunteered the information about Mifsud to the FBI , but the special counsel ’ s office later charged him with lying about the dates of his meetings .
On Jan. 30 , 2017 , an FBI employee messaged Strzok to say that they had “ opened ” a case file on Mifsud .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Background Photo “ DOJ Building ” by Coolcaesar .
@ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--A Vaccine Maker Under Federal Investigation Has Hired Lobbyist with Family Ties to Top Biden Adviser

A vaccine maker under investigation for misrepresenting its involvement in Operation Warp Speed has hired lobbyist Jeff Ricchetti , whose brother will be the top White House counselor to Joe Biden .
Ricchetti ’ s firm , which he founded with his brother Steve , the incoming Biden adviser , registered as a lobbyist on Nov. 1 for Vaxart , a California-based biotechnology company that specializes in developing oral vaccinations .
According to lobbying disclosures filed with Congress , Ricchetti will lobby for Vaxart on “ Legislative and regulatory policies regarding oral vaccine development and funding.
” Vaxart disclosed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had subpoenaed the company as part of an investigation into whether it misled investors over its participation in Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration-led program to develop a coronavirus vaccine .
The company said in June that the government had selected it to test an oral vaccine on primates .
The announcement sent Vaxart ’ s stock price soaring .
The New York Times reported that Armistice Capital , which owns a substantial stake in Vaxart , booked a $ 200 million profit by selling shares of the company following the announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Times , the Department of Health and Human Services said that Vaxart ’ s participation in Warp Speed was limited .
Ricchetti ’ s lobbying disclosure does not mention the ongoing investigation into Vaxart .
Vaxart hired the firm Jeffrey J. Kimbell and Associates in August to lobby Congress and the White House on vaccine development issues .
The Ricchetti brothers co-founded their firm in 2001 , after Steve Ricchetti left the Bill Clinton administration , where he served as deputy chief of staff .
In that role , Ricchetti helped Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with China .
Ricchetti Incorporated registered in August to lobby on behalf of Applied Materials , another California-based firm that produces semiconductor materials .
Ricchetti disclosed that he plans to lobby the White House and other executive agencies on U.S. trade policy with China .
The Ricchetti brothers ’ arrangement closely mirrors that of John and Tony Podesta , who co-founded the now-defunct lobbying firm , the Podesta Group .
John Podesta served as Clinton ’ s chief of staff , making him Steve Ricchetti ’ s boss .
The Podesta Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobbying shops during the Obama administration .
John Podesta served as counselor to President Obama , the same role that Steve Ricchetti will serve for Biden .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--New Jobless Claims Increase to 885,000, Economists Expected 808,000

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 885,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , according to the Department of Labor .
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics ( BLS ) figure released Thursday represented an increase of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Dec. 5 , in which there were 853,000 new jobless claims reported .
Roughly 20.6 million Americans continue to collect unemployment benefits , according to the BLS report Thursday .
Economists expected Thursday ’ s jobless claims number to come in around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
New jobless claims fell below 1 million in the first week of August , which was the first time the weekly claims had fallen below 1 million since March .
“ The next few months will be pretty rough for the labor market as you do see businesses having to contend with this latest wave of Covid cases , ” Sarah House , senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities , told The WSJ .
“ You are seeing those government restrictions coming into play again.
” Investors , meanwhile , have focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus relief bill , according to CNBC .
House and Senate lawmakers drew nearer to a deal on a $ 900 billion stimulus package Wednesday , Politico reported .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged at the end of November , surpassing 30,000 for the first time in the index ’ s history due to positive vaccine developments , according to CNBC .
The U.S. economy surged by a record 33.1 % in the third quarter .
However , in a sign of the economic recovery slowing , the U.S. added just 245,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 6.7 % , according to the Department of Labor data released Dec. 4 .
U.S. retail sales plummeted by 1.1 % in November even as holiday shopping began , a Department of Commerce report showed Wednesday .
Jobless claims hovered around 200,000 per week before the pandemic , according to WSJ .
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world .
Average coronavirus cases and deaths per million have been increasing steadily in the U.S. since mid-October , according to The COVID Tracking Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,448 new coronavirus-related deaths and 232,258 new cases while 113,090 Americans remained hospitalized from the virus .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Unemployment Insurance Claims Office ” by Bytemarks .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Eastern States Inching Toward New Regional Climate Pact That Could Cut Carbon Emissions, Raise Gas P

Eastern States Inching Toward New Regional Climate Pact That Could Cut Carbon Emissions, Raise Gas Prices

A group of Northeast and mid-Atlantic states are inching toward a regional climate pact that ’ s aimed at reducing emissions and easing traffic congestion , but could ultimately increase prices at the gas pumps .
Modeled on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative , which has reduced emissions from power plants , the Transportation and Climate Initiative would create a cap-and-invest program to drive down emissions from cars and trucks , which contribute to about 40 % of regional greenhouse gas emissions scientists say contribute to a warmer planet .
The TCI collaborative is made up of 12 states – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , Vermont and Virginia – as well as the District of Columbia .
Final details are still being worked out , but states are expected to sign a memorandum committing to join the pact by the end of the month .
The program would get underway in 2022 .
TCI states say the cap and trade program could reduce regional emissions by as much as 24 % by 2032 .
Ultimately , the agreement will lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppliers to pay for regional transportation projects .
Suppliers who transport fuel across state lines would be required to pay a tax on excess carbon emissions based on caps that still must be set .
Over time , the fuel levy would increase while the emission caps would be tightened .
Supporters of the plan , including environmental groups and transit advocates , say it will help the states meet dual goals of reducing emissions and air pollution and easing traffic congestion .
The goal is make it more expensive to use fossil-fuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would decrease regional emissions in the long-term .
Money generated by the program would be available to states to use on transportation projects , such as expanding public transit to reduce reliance on personal vehicles .
Critics argue the pact will hurt the region ’ s economy by driving up energy costs for businesses and consumers with a minimal impact on regional emissions .
How many states will sign onto the deal remains unclear .
Some governors have voiced concerns about the pact , even before the coronavirus outbreak .
New Hampshire Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said the Granite State won ’ t be joining the pact .
Vermont Gov .
Phil Scott , also a Republican , has vowed to veto any carbon tax .
“ I hear from Vermonters across the state , like those traveling long distances for work out of necessity not choice , and others , like our seniors living on fixed incomes , who struggle to fill their gas tanks and heat their homes , ” Scott said earlier this year .
“ I simply can not support proposals that will make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the price tag for consumers is not yet known , fuel suppliers are expected to pass on the added cost to them at the pumps .
“ To be 100 % clear , and eliminate any confusion , these costs , and the costs necessary to comply with this program by regulated entities will be reflected in retail motor fuel prices that consumers pay , ” the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association , wrote in recent comments opposing the regional pact .
Last year , TCI states released a study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 cents and 17 cents to the price of a gallon of gasoline , depending on the carbon reduction targets set by the coalition .
A recent study by the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University estimated that gasoline and diesel prices could increase from as little at 3 cents to as much as 38 cents per gallon in 2022 depending on the state of the economy and whether the coalition pursues goals of 20 % , 22 % or 25 % reductions in emissions by 2032 .
Meanwhile , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modeling that backs up the plan with traffic congestion and travel dramatically reduced amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Christian Wade is a contributor to The Center Square .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-18--Federal Judge Dismisses Georgia GOP Lawsuit Alleging Insecurity of Drop Boxes and Absentee Signature

Federal Judge Dismisses Georgia GOP Lawsuit Alleging Insecurity of Drop Boxes and Absentee Signature Verification

A federal judge dismissed a Georgia lawsuit Thursday challenging the legality of drop boxes and absentee signature verification .
The suit , filed by the 12th Congressional District Republican Committee , sought to eliminate the use of absentee ballot drop boxes and invalidate signature matching protocol added earlier this year and for the runoff election .
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall dismissed the suit .
Summarily , Hall stated that the allegations against the security of absentee ballot drop boxes and signature verification were insubstantial .
The judge added that the arguments presented by the plaintiffs didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boxes and overhaul signature verification .
The lawsuit argued that the lack of proper oversight concerning absentee ballot drop boxes and signature verification processes allow for mass election fraud .
The defendants named in the suit were Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , Georgia State Election Board members , and Richmond County Board of Elections officials .
Following the November 3 general election , allegations surfaced of improper absentee ballot drop box practices and signature verification .
One state senator went so far as to test the efficacy of the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an absentee ballot after the signature submitted on his application obviously differed from the one on his photo ID .
In a statement to The Georgia Star News , national survey research and strategic services company McLaughlin & Associates CEO John McLaughlin explained that “ The drop boxes which have been devised by President Obama ’ s former campaign manager David Plouffe and paid for by Mark Zuckerberg ’ s millions are a partisan tool for unconstitutional Democratic ballot harvesting and fraud , ” stated McLaughlin .
“ They were never authorized by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ located in Democratic areas , have no secure chain of custody by the Secretary of State who had no clue where they are coming from and according to our polls gave Joe Biden 273,000 net votes in a race that is separate by roughly 12,000 votes out of 5 million.
” McLaughlin stated that the lack of clarity concerning these drop boxes is disconcerting .
He pointed out the suspect nature of the relationship between Big Tech ’ s involvement in these election processes and their coordinated efforts through fact-checkers , warning labels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
“ Who really knows how many fraudulent votes cited by the Amistad Project evidence hundreds of thousands of fraudulent votes came via Zuckerberg drop boxes ?
No wonder Zuckerberg and other Big Tech oligarchs are censoring Americans on social media , ” he said .
“ It ’ s a coverup .
I ’ ll bet the midnight ballots on the infamous Fulton County videos that were counted on election night after they sent Republican monitors home came from these drop boxes .
They stole Georgia from President Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the American people.
” McLaughlin ’ s company conducted a poll that revealed a majority of Georgia voters want the state legislature to call a special session .
“ If Georgia Republican state senators and house members have to sit in on Christmas Day in the Capitol until they get a special session to eliminate fraud and save our country , they need to do it .
This judge ’ s decision was a travesty .
He ’ s legalizing election and voter fraud via drop box .
Goodbye , honest elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Early voting is currently underway for the Senate runoff election .
Incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are facing off against Democratic candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff .
January 5th is the date of the runoff election .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .


Commentary: Never Again!

Nobody quite knows what is going to happen with President Trump ’ s challenges to the 2020 election , but one thing is certain—America should not conduct another national election without massive reforms .
In short , we just watched a Third World-style election within the borders of the greatest country in the history of the world .
People voting for weeks , mail-out and mail-in ballots flying everywhere—on trucks across states lines , through post offices populated with partisans , into drop boxes monitored by no one , onto election machines with shadowy ownership where vote tallies apparently were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to count ballots while others counted them in hours .
The vast majority of Republicans believe massive cheating occurred and so do nearly half of Democrats .
Even the corrupt liberal media ’ s refusal to cover the fraud can ’ t completely hide it .
We are not going to fully trace the lineage that got us where we are today except to say Democrats have scratched and clawed for change after change to erode election security over the course of several decades while Republicans have been frozen in fear refusing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the details but the principles remain .
Citizens of every state in America should have an opportunity to vote on the following reforms and starting now our organization will fight to make sure they do : 1 ) With limited exceptions , Election Day is Election Day .
No more voting for a month .
2 ) To make it equally accessible for everybody , Election Day will be a national holiday .
Nobody will be denied a chance to vote .
3 ) Photographic voter ID will be required without exception .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ important safeguard .
In addition , all ballots must be signed and fingerprinted .
4 ) No more absentee ballots , except for military personnel or for voters who are medically impaired .
5 ) Early voting should be eliminated or sharply curtailed to just the weekend before the election .
6 ) All votes must be counted by Election Day .
No more phantom ballots showing up hours or weeks later .
7 ) Paper ballots should be the normtabulated on machines unconnected to the internet .
8 ) No more same-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be finalized before the election .
9 ) All voter records , including on Election Day , must be available online in as close to real time as possible so everyone can know what is going on .
Election Day counting should be video recorded .
10 ) All election vendors should be American companies .
No voter information should ever leave the country .
Conservatives across America should make this Restore American Elections Act their number one priority in 2021 , no matter what happens between now and January 20 .
Yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules of the 2020 election and Republicans need to un-rig them now while the nation ’ s attention has been heightened .
We live in Illinois and even those Chicago Democrats who have been cheating for years must have been stunned and secretly impressed by the brazen fraud highlighted at post-election hearings in Georgia , Arizona , Pennsylvania , and Michigan .
America is the greatest country in the world but we can not continue claiming that distinction until we fix our broken voting system .
Doug Truax is founder and president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Point graduate , successful entrepreneur and a former U.S. Senate candidate from Illinois .