thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Marsha Blackburn Promises Judiciary Committee Will ‘Bring Some Daylight’ to Michael Flynn Unmasking

Marsha Blackburn Promises Judiciary Committee Will ‘Bring Some Daylight’ to Michael Flynn Unmasking Matter

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) reacted to Wednesday ’ s bombshell news about prominent members of former President Barack Obama ’ s administration unmasking Michael Flynn .
Blackburn , in an emailed statement , said that in 2017 she expressed concerns about Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice .
Specifically , the senator said she was concerned about Rice ’ s role in unmasking members of the Trump transition team on which Blackburn served .
At the time , Blackburn wrote that Rice ’ s behavior appeared , “ negligent at best and criminal at worst.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a long list of Obama administration officials , including Vice President Biden , with respect to the unmasking of President Trump ’ s own former National Security Advisor , Michael Flynn , ” Blackburn wrote .
Blackburn referenced her FOX News ’ appearance Tuesday in which she told host Shannon Bream the following : “ Somebody cooked up this plot .
Somebody gave an order .
Somebody did the dirty work .
Michael Flynn paid a price .
The Trump administration paid a price .
And the American taxpayer has footed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the Judiciary Committee , we ’ re going to be able to have some hearings , call some [ witnesses ] , issue some subpoenas .
I look forward to being able to bring some daylight to this so that the American people will know what happened when you had basically a taxpayer funded conspiracy that got carried out by the Obama DOJ and FBI.
” Blackburn , referencing her interview with FOX News Radio ’ s Guy Benson , said she and her colleagues are interested in talking to Obama ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s then-chief of staff “ to see how they were involved and how the staff was involved in this entire cabal.
” Blackburn said the Judiciary Committee “ can bring truth to light through hearings , and U.S. Attorney John Durham ’ s investigation can result in criminal indictments.
” As The Tennessee Star reported Wednesday , Biden and the directors of the three main U.S. intelligence agencies submitted so-called “ unmasking ” requests for information about Flynn contained in highly classified intelligence reports , according to documents released Wednesday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made in Biden ’ s name on Jan. 12 , 2017 .
Similar requests were made under the names of James Comey , John Brennan and James Clapper , the former directors of the FBI , CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence , respectively .
Sens .
Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson released the list on Wednesday .
Richard Grenell , the acting director of national intelligence , declassified the list of names last Thursday , and provided them to the senators this week .
It is not clear whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the documents related to Flynn .
The document released on Wednesday said that the unmasking requests were made under 16 different government officials ’ names .
“ Below is a list of recipients who may have received Lt. Gen Flynn ’ s identity in response to a request processed between 8 November 2016 and 31 January 2017 to unmask an identity that had been generically referred to in an NSA foreign intelligence report , ” the document stated .
“ While the principals are identified below , we can not confirm they saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone on Dec. 29 , 2016 , with Kislyak .
Days after the call , FBI and Justice Department officials began discussing whether Flynn violated the Logan Act , an obscure law that prohibits American citizens from negotiating with foreign governments regarding U.S. government policy .
Unmasking describes the process where high-level U.S. government officials request to see information regarding American citizens mentioned in classified transcripts of communications involving foreigners .
It is not illegal to make unmasking requests .
But the Flynn case is unique because the mentions of him in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Image “ Senator Marsha Blackburn ” by Sen. Marsha Blackburn .

by Virginia Allen
Republican governors are sending National Guard troops to the southern border.
Governors of Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia announced this week they will send troops and resources to Texas to support the work of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Operation Lone Star to secure the southern border.
“President [Joe] Biden’s failure at our southern border puts the entire country at risk,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. “States must now step up where the president has failed to repel illegals, fight the cartels, and stop human and drug trafficking.”
Sanders is sending 80 National Guard troops to the border in July. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will send troop but has not clarified how many, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also announced Thursday that he will send 100 National Guardsmen to Texas to help secure the southern border. Gov. Mike DeWine says he will send 14 State Highway troopers and supervisors to Texas for two weeks. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she will deploy about 50 National Guard troops to the border this summer.
Arkansas, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota join nine other GOP governors who have already pledged to send troops and resources to Texas to help secure the state’s border with Mexico.
“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement Wednesday.
“Given the intensive resource demands on Texas, the dangers posed by the fentanyl crisis, and impact of the border crisis on criminal activity to the Commonwealth, Virginia will do its part to assist the State of Texas’ efforts with the coordinated deployment of Virginia National Guard soldiers to assist in key aspects of their mission,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin is sending 100 troops and 21 supporting personnel to Texas from the commonwealth.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is sending up to 50 National Guard troops and airmen to the border for up to 30 days. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster says he will also send troops to the border but has yet to announce how may.
“The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison,” McMaster said in a statement Wednesday.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that she will send 100 National Guard troops and 30 Department of Public Safety personnel to the border.
The Republican governors’ decision to send troops to the southern border comes in response to Abbott’s request for states to join Texas and help secure the border through the work of Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security plan.
Nine GOP governors met with Abbott in Austin, Texas, on May 22 to discuss the border crisis. The meeting was held about a week after Abbott sent a letter to fellow governors asking them to help Texas secure the border.
The Texas governor applauded Idaho and Florida for already having sent border security resources and personnel to the Lone Star State to help secure the border and invited more governors to join in the “mission to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and send all available law enforcement personnel and resources to the Texas-Mexico border to serve alongside our thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers.”
Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced he will send 100 National Guard troops to the border and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen committed to send 10 state troopers to Texas to “help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border.”
Florida, Idaho, and Mississippi were among the first states to answer Abbott’s call for help.
On May 17, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced he was mobilizing a National Guard unit to the border.
“To keep Mississippians safe and limit the impact of our nation’s open borders, the Mississippi National Guard’s 112th Military Police Battalion has been mobilized and is supporting Customs and Border Protection officers and agents along the Southwest border.”
The day before Reeves’ announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida had “over 1,100 assets and resources available” to aid Operation Lone Star, including 800 National Guard soldiers and 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers.
“At my direction, state agencies, including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard, are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes,” DeSantis said. “While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”
Since the start of the Biden administration, Customs and Border Protection reports encountering more than 5.5 million illegal aliens at the southern border. Since fiscal year 2023 began on Oct. 1, CBP has encountered more than 1.4 million illegal aliens, about triple the number encountered at the southern border during fiscal year 2020.
CBP has seized a record 17,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border so far in fiscal year 2023, which ends Sept. 30, more than triple the total amount seized in all of fiscal year 2020.
– – –
Virginia Allen is a senior news producer and podcast host for The Daily Signal. She is the co-host of “The Daily Signal Podcast” and “Problematic Women.”
Photo “National Guard” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Commentary: After COVID-19, Bring on Limited Government and More Freedom

It is time for transformative change…towards limited government and more freedom Out with the old , in with the new .
It doesn ’ t take a genius or a particularly clairvoyant soothsayer to predict lots of things will be different politically in the coming months in the aftermath ( assuming there is one ) of the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) — or Wuhan , if you prefer — novel coronavirus pandemic .
Like cleaning out the basement storeroom or that dusty spider-infested corner of everyone ’ s garage , politics has a way of renewing itself during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s exactly what we have here .
Unemployment statistics revealed April was the most devastating month ever for working ( or more aptly , not-working ) Americans .
From the Washington Examiner , “ The economy lost 20.5 million jobs in April , the Labor Department reported on Friday , as the coronavirus wreaked a historic amount of havoc on employment .
The unemployment rate also skyrocketed to 14.7 % in April , up from 4.4 % in March.
” As would be expected , the restaurant and hospitality industries were particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business downturns .
The tourism industry suffers not only from mandatory government-imposed lockdowns , but a worldwide fear of contagion that ’ s kept people out of airplanes , hotel rooms and places where large amounts of people gather ( if it ’ s even “ allowed ” by the authorities ) .
Some “ experts ” estimate it will be 2023 before travel business returns to “ normal.
” To put things in perspective , that ’ s over halfway into the next presidential term .
Partisan politics is hardly apart from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ Never let a good crisis go to waste , “ Squad ” member Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Rashad Robinson ( president of the leftist group “ Color of Change , ” the nation ’ s largest online racial justice organization ) wrote at the USA Today , “ In this moment of crisis , we need a new kind of political leadership .
The coronavirus pandemic that has brought unprecedented tragedy and devastation has also made clear our responsibility as a nation to push forward bold , transformative change… “ To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and better than before , we need an agenda that provides security and stability for each of us , starting with the people whom our society has routinely excluded from prosperity and relief .
And in this moment , when so many of us are experiencing unrivaled uncertainty , we all must take action .
It is up to us to galvanize our friends , family members and communities to take action against the corporate opportunism and harmful austerity that threatens to leave behind those struggling the most… ( emphasis added ) ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action !
Call Congress into session !
Send all of the nation ’ s county supervisors , mayors and governors to Washington !
( Oh wait , that would violate social distancing . )
Call the New York Times !
Get Rachel Maddow on the phone !
Spread the word !
Government now !
More , more , more !
Where ’ s that copy of the Constitution ?
Burn it !
There are lots of things at play here .
First and most obvious , radical leftists like Pressley and Robinson apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bus through the gaping hole in people ’ s natural common sense defenses against nanny-state collectivist nonsense .
In the best of times — i.e.
, up until a few months ago — citizens felt confident in their own abilities to earn a paycheck and provide for themselves and their families a pretty reasonable standard of living .
For those who felt they were being left behind , there was a myriad of growth to supply a possible way out .
Then China unleashed the COVID-19 plague upon the world and now the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trash everything from before and get some action !
Reality indicates even the poorest families have access to elementary necessities through government programs — food , shelter , healthcare , etc .
And when was the last time you heard someone complain that they didn ’ t have enough to cover basic cable or a cell phone ?
It ’ s not like LBJ ’ s “ Great Society ” hasn ’ t dumped trillions into fighting poverty while destroying incentives to work , start businesses , get married , assume financial responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been the victims of big government statists , not beneficiaries of the largesse .
Why are all inner-city school districts so fraught with crime , social maladies ( drug use , teenage pregnancy , poor academic performance ) , bloated bureaucracy , stupid nonsensical politically correct policies and underachieving ?
Was the current political leadership in the White House responsible for decades of stagnation and deterioration ?
Maybe Pressley and Robinson are right , though — it is time for transformative change , but away from top-down government generated “ solutions ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about abolishing public school systems and in their place providing means for private academies that compete for students , vouchers to pay for them and an option for home schooling ?
Are big expensive liberal universities still needed ?
I don ’ t know the exact statistics , but public schools spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars per student , money that could easily be placed in the hands of parents to determine how they want their children to be taught .
Teachers would simply shift to working for private institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commensurate with their qualifications and achievements .
Wouldn ’ t it be refreshing ?
!
When times are bad — i.e.
, now — opportunists like Pressley and Robinson fuel up their propaganda machines to foster divisions among different groups , stoking fear and apprehension of an untimely demise .
The op-ed authors aren ’ t hiding their aims , using words and phrases like “ new kind of political leadership , ” “ bold , transformative change , ” and “ harmful austerity ” to make it appear that everything that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insufficient and motivated by the tried-and-true Democrat calling cards of racism , corporatism and greed .
Forget Joe Biden .
If the radicals are correct , maybe Americans should turn over the reins of government to Al Sharpton , Jesse Jackson and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to steer the pay wagon .
Those guys would certainly bring change — millions more out of work , government by the politically compromised , etc .
A utopian paradise awaits… unless you ’ re not a minority , value your Second Amendment rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what ?
As if the current system and culture itself is responsible for government officials ( primarily in heavily populated cities and blue states ) ordering people to stay away from each other , not go to work and sequester themselves until some all-seeing , all-knowing elected monarch decrees that it ’ s okay to try and return to normal .
Just last week California Gov .
Gavin Newsom said his state would not go back to full operation until a vaccine is developed for the CCP virus .
Such pronouncements defy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minds towards accepting more government and rule by experts and elites .
The Golden State has suffered about 2800 deaths ( out of a state population of 40+ million ) and 70,000 cases ( around a million tests ) .
Seasonal flu deaths ( 10-year average ) for California are estimated at 4701 .
We don ’ t need “ transformative change ” because of the coronavirus ; it ’ s already here in the form of liberal petty tyrants who ’ ve seized on their unlawful authority to wreck people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submit .
Let not your heart be troubled — the table shakers , truth tellers and citizen activists are coming !
Like weeds growing in your driveway cracks , leftists plan to get loud in the coming months .
Pressley and Robinson continued , “ That ’ s why we ’ ve come together , a congresswoman from one of the most diverse and vibrant districts in Massachusetts and the president of the nation ’ s largest online civil rights organization , to convene a group of table shakers , truth tellers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that meets this moment not only at the federal level , but also in state legislative chambers , county commissions and city councils.
” Thanks for letting us know that the goon squad is on its way to march beside the bootlickers and goodie-grabbers !
As soon as we see someone shaking a table in a committee hearing we ’ ll immediately recognize that it ’ s a card-carrying member of the leftist strike force and deal with them accordingly .
As far as “ truth tellers ” goes , which set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or is it enough to act really , really mad , shout a lot and point fingers at Republican non-conformists ?
Chances aren ’ t great that the “ citizen activists ” will convince conservative legislatures to follow their new “ transformative change ” directives , but they ’ ll sure make a lot of noise .
A new direction is inevitable , but here ’ s thinking it will be more towards restoring and improving upon the freedoms people have been deprived of in recent times .
There simply isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fantastical giveaway programs .
If Pressley and Robinson are to be believed , there will be a push to provide universal basic income , similar to what candidate Andrew Yang proposed during the Democrat primary race .
Such measures sound good ( to the lazy , entitled class ) in theory but… where ’ s the money gon na come from ?
Uncle Sam ’ s already tapped out and this is before Congress battles over “ relief ” for state and local governments , etc .
Voters are more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reversing the march towards socialism .
A colleague recently commented that this year ’ s election will be determined by who gets the votes from those put out of business by the government ’ s unwise and hasty edicts .
If that ’ s the case , Democrats better start packing .
Transformative change is on its way alright .
But it might not look quite like what Pressley and Robinson envision it .
Not everything Democrats want involves “ transformative change ” Democrats have been talking a lot lately about using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus conundrum as an excuse to fix stuff that didn ’ t need fixing or raining down slush money to favored constituencies such as the “ green energy ” industry .
But not everything they ’ re pushing would bring change .
They want to save some of their old pals , too .
Susan Ferrechio reported at The Washington Examiner , “ Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a California Democrat , told reporters she ’ ll include a $ 25 billion bailout of the Postal Service in a massive economic aid package that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ ’ We have to fight for the Postal Service , ’ Pelosi said [ last ] week .
‘ And people across the country are all tweeting and writing to me and stuff like that , saying we really — protect our post office.
’ “ The post office bailout proposal is similar to a plan House Democrats proposed earlier this year .
It was ultimately excluded from the $ 2.2 trillion spending bill passed by Congress on March 27.
” Really , Nancy ?
People all over the country are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailed out ?
Mail processing and delivery is yet another operation that ’ s been bested by private companies who do it better , faster and cheaper than the slow-to-react government monolith .
Technology is at least as responsible for the post office ’ s problems as inefficiency .
And package delivery companies are doing banner business during the pandemic .
It only makes sense — if you really need something , everyone orders it online and it shows up at your door , delivered by a masked man or woman with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) beneath the covering .
A change would involve the USPS adapting with the times , not begging for a handout to cover their non-competitive rear-ends .
Few would argue with the need to bring about change in the upcoming months and years , but it can ’ t be because politicians claim the system is badly flawed .
The economy was doing well a few months ago and with more freedom and some rational government moves , we might see that “ out with the old and in with the new ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a senior contributor at ConservativeHQ .
Photo “ Shutdown Protesters ” by Lorie Shaull .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Five Tennessee Government-Owned Internet Providers Misuse Public Resources, Watchdog Group Says

Five government-owned internet networks in Tennessee are among several others nationwide that don ’ t spend public money wisely and also steer business away from private competitors , according to a report a taxpayer watchdog group released Wednesday .
The Washington , D.C.-based Taxpayers Protection Alliance published their report on their website this week .
Free market forces , however , may eventually render these Government Owned Networks ( GONs ) a waste of public resources , the TPA report said .
“ Despite the unfortunate habit of policymakers ignoring the financial and viability problems posed by GONs , these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way out thanks to the ever-changing technological landscape , ” TPA officials wrote .
“ As the United States continues deployment of 5G wireless services and cable companies lay more fiber that will bring faster service to customers without taxpayer subsidization , local officials may soon realize that GONs are an unnecessary and inefficient use of households ’ hard-earned dollars.
” In their new report , TPA officials called out the following five Tennessee GONs , among many others nationwide : • Chattanooga Electric Power Board : TPA officials said in their report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ is often held up by government broadband advocates as a shining example of success , but the system wouldn ’ t have been built without massive government subsidies and studies have shown it ’ s not financially feasible even with taxpayer handouts.
” These handouts include a $ 111.5 million federal stimulus a decade ago .
Some private Internet Service Providers said they avoided entering the Chattanooga market because they couldn ’ t compete with the taxpayer-backed EPB , the report said .
• Clarksville ’ s CDE Lightband : The TPA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the network ’ s many outages , which outraged subscribers , even though officials promised their GON would deliver better Internet service than the city ’ s private providers .
• The Jackson Energy Authority : TPA officials said the Jackson Energy Authority launched its EPlus Broadband network in 2004 — “ but not without its share of controversy that included pushback from Jackson residents.
” • FiberNet of Morristown : According to the TPA report , “ FiberNet hasn ’ t gained a strong enough foothold among city residents that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • PES Energize of Pulaski : The TPA report cited a 2017 study that found the project cost per household in Pulaski was $ 2,425 , but the system was only generating revenue of $ 797 per household .
“ That examination found the Pulaski system to be one of the worst-performing municipal networks as its cash flow was so miniscule that it would take 490 years to recover the cost to build it , ” according to the TPA report .
Representatives from four of the five GONs did not return The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The only person who did respond , Morristown Utilities spokeswoman Patricia Contic , said she had no comment on the TPA report .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Crom Carmichael Questions Dr. Fauci’s Coronavirus Data and Cites Inconsistencies with Keeping People

Crom Carmichael Questions Dr. Fauci’s Coronavirus Data and Cites Inconsistencies with Keeping People Locked Down

On Wednesday ’ s 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 Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
At the top of the third hour , Carmichael dissected Dr. Fauci ’ s recent claims and came to the conclusion that we are operating on models that have proven to be false .
Leahy : In the studio with me our good friend and the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
Crom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base all decisions about coronavirus on actual data .
Carmichael : Well , that ’ s what he says but there have now been two actual studies where the people running these studies went out and they tested .
We can now test to determine if somebody has previously had the coronavirus .
Not if they ’ re testing positive now but if they ’ ve ever had it .
Carmichael : The antibody test .
OK. And that ’ s not to be confused with Auntie M. ( Leahy laughs ) This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Laughs ) The antibody test .
And they ’ ve done this in California and they ’ ve done it in New York .
And these are two different tests .
Not the same people testing in two places .
And they both came up with the same results which is that the number of people who have had the coronavirus is much much larger than we previously thought .
And that we were previously basing the death rate of two to three percent which is what the World Health Organization claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we now know is in the case of California they tested 3300 people and they found that 15 % already had it and didn ’ t know it .
Carmicheal : Yes .
The antibody .
So if you extend that out to the people in that area to the population and then you extrapolate how many deaths there should have been or would have been in that group it ’ s 0.2 % .
0.2 % .
Not two or three percent .
Leahy : Yes .
0.2 % is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the flu which is between one-tenth of one percent and fifteen one-hundredths of one percent for a vaccine .
Carmichael : But it also supports the notion that herd immunity is the solution .
And so keeping people locked down is the opposite .
Here ’ s what ’ s interesting .
They have now not only in California and New York they have found similar proportions of infections all around the world .
In Italy , Iceland , Germany , and Denmark .
They have all done these antibody tests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , if Anthony Fauci does want to base his so-called science on actual data , not models…And by the way , we now know that the original model clown out of Great Britain .
Carmichael : We now know that it was completely bogus .
We also know that the models that came out of Washington University where Bill Gates put all that money , we now know that that was completely bogus .
Leahy : The hospital capacity projections were off by a factor of about 10 .
Carmichael : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible !
If you ’ ve got a problem and somebody tells you the problem is 10 times bigger than it really is than by definition your solution to the problem is not going to be appropriate .
It ’ s going to be to solve a problem that is 10 times bigger than it actually is .
And so you ’ re going to end up causing a lot more harm than you are doing good .
So that ’ s one piece .
The other piece is that we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all kinds of other health problems… Carmichael : For people who have real ailments who are now not getting treatments .
They are not getting diagnoses or getting anything .
So we now have another doctor who ’ s an actual doctor .
Not a government official .
We have him saying get ready for the surge for hospitals having to take in people who have nothing to do with COVID but have other kinds of modalities that have gone undetected and untested for or whatever the right word is for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s even worse than that though Crom .
Because what ’ s happened here by this entire focus on COVID-19 , on coronavirus among hospitals and by the executive orders of governors around the country including Bill Lee here in Tennessee which is now I think moving on to where elective procedures have been stopped .
The result is that many hospitals are going broke .
Carmichael : Yes .
And laying people off .
Leahy : And that ’ s hurting our healthcare infrastructure for years and years to come .
Carmichael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens when you are trying to solve a problem that is one-tenth of the size that you ’ re told by the experts ’ it is .
Listen to the full third 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--2020-05-14--Bill Hagerty Releases New Video Highlighting Relationship Between Joe Biden Family and China

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty this week released a digital video campaign ad highlighting what he called “ Hunter Biden ’ s corrupt economic relationship with China ” and criticized Joe Biden for defending the Chinese Communist regime .
Hagerty said Joe Biden should have held China accountable for jeopardizing the physical and economic health of millions around the globe .
Hagerty said he was releasing the video as more incriminating information about Joe Biden ’ s closeness with Communist China surfaces .
“ Joe ‘ Beijing Biden ’ continues to defend China ’ s Communist regime , and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with China come as no surprise , ” Hagerty said in a press release on his campaign ’ s website .
“ Despite undeniable evidence that Communist China is responsible for attempting to hide the origin and nature of the Wuhan virus , which has become the greatest coverup in human history , Joe Biden and his family ’ s close relationship with China should be a reminder to all that Beijing Biden can not be trusted to lead our country .
In the coming weeks , I will continue to expose Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China over American workers , as I work with President Trump to bring our supply chain onshore.
” As The Tennessee Star reported this week , Hagerty has also released a video critical of the World Health Organization .
This , after President Donald Trump announced he ’ s halting all funding for the group .
Hagerty said in a statement that the video features a timeline exposing the WHO ’ s efforts with the Communist Chinese regime to hide valuable information related to the Wuhan coronavirus and calling for a full investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the Wuhan coronavirus .
The WHO ’ s leadership has been their accomplice since the beginning .
I appreciate President Trump ’ s decision to suspend funding for the WHO and believe there must be a full investigation , ” Hagerty said .
“ Director-General , Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , a long-time friend of the Communist regime , apparently has been bought and paid for by President Xi .
Dr. Tedros continues to aid in China ’ s misinformation campaign .
By parroting the regime ’ s talking points , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover-up , which diverted the world from the truth — costing valuable time and placing hundreds of thousands of lives at risk.
” As The Tennessee Star reported earlier this month , Hagerty weighed in on China in a FOX News editorial with Andy Puzder .
Puzder was chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants and is currently a senior fellow at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy .
In the column , both men praised U.S. President Donald Trump for “ an extraordinary job ” slowing the spread of the coronavirus by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with China .
“ But make no mistake , the efforts of China ’ s communist overlords to conceal and destroy evidence regarding COVID-19 ; including silencing their own people , expose this regime ’ s true intentions : to preserve their power and evade responsibility for their gross misconduct .
Communist leaders prioritized regime control over the safety of the Chinese people , the world ’ s health , and the global economy , ” Hagerty and Puzder wrote .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ email protected ] Photo “ Bill Hagerty Ad ” by Bill Hagerty .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Judge Orders Paul Manafort Released from Prison to Home Confinement

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort to be released from prison to home confinement amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic .
Manafort , 71 , is serving a seven-year prison sentence on fraud and money-laundering charges .
He was convicted in August 2018 , sentenced to jail in March 2019 and scheduled to be released on Nov. 4 , 2024 .
Two of Manafort ’ s family members , including his wife , picked him up early Wednesday morning from LCI Loretto , a minimum-security prison in Pennsylvania where Manafort was serving his sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney for Manafort confirmed to ABC News that he had been released from jail .
Lawyers for Manafort requested in April that he be let out of prison , citing recent health concerns for the longtime GOP operative .
“ Mr .
Manafort is at a significantly higher risk for serious illness or death , ” his attorneys wrote in an April 13 letter , according to ABC .
The Bureau of Prisons said that more than 2,800 federal inmates have tested positive for coronavirus , 50 of whom have died .
LCI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Attorney General William Barr issued a directive in late March authorizing the release of federal inmates convicted of non-violent crimes who are considered at higher risk of complications from coronavirus .
Manafort served as chairman of the Trump campaign from April 2016 to August 2016 , when he resigned following a flurry of news stories about his consulting work in Ukraine .
He was indicted on tax and money-laundering charges as part of the special counsel ’ s probe .
He pleaded guilty to separate charges related to working as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI opened counterintelligence investigations on Manafort and three other Trump associates in August 2016 on suspicions that they were working with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election .
Those suspicions never materialized as investigators found no evidence of collusion between the Trump team and the Kremlin .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Tennessee Star’s National Correspondent Neil McCabe Discusses House Democrats’ New Coronavirus Bill

Tennessee Star’s National Correspondent Neil McCabe Discusses House Democrats’ New Coronavirus Bill Proposal

On Wednesday ’ s 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. – Michael Patrick Leahy and all-star panelist Crom Carmichael spoke with The Tennessee Star ’ s National Correspondent Neil McCabe .
During the third hour , McCabe weighed in on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s bill HR-6666 and whether the Republicans will vote to pass it .
He was skeptical because of past patterns by Republicans who continuously vote to pass such bills regardless of the conservative opposition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone now by our very good friend , Washington journalist , and The Tennessee Star ’ s National Correspondent .
He ’ s now part of the Star News Network , Neil McCabe .
Good morning Neil .
McCabe : Good morning Michael .
How are you doing ?
Leahy : I know you were up all night reading the 1800 page Christmas tree of liberal trillion-dollar gifts put together for the “ heroes.
” Leahy : Three trillion says , Crom .
What do you make of that Neil ?
McCabe : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ?
Surely Pelosi has had a very good career of rolling the Republican House leadership whether it was Bainer , Ryan , or McCarthy .
And things that would have been dismissed out of hand actually make it into law under Pelosi .
And if I was Pelosi , of course , I ’ d ask for it .
Pelosi has been responsible over the years for many of the Republican House leadership victories because the Conservatives have refused to support certain things that the Republican leadership wanted to do .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get things done .
They have a very fine relationship .
When that last big pork bill a bunch of Conservatives in the House got together and they said , “ Alright we have to pass this thing because there ’ s a gun to our heads and now we ’ re going to go through it and try to claw back some of the most egregious of these goodies.
” And somebody asked Kevin McCarthy about it and McCarthy says , “ No we ’ re not going to do that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fine .
And so nothing changes .
If you were Pelosi why wouldn ’ t you ask ?
Leahy : So you think this is just her opening gambit if you will ?
McCabe : I wouldn ’ t be surprised if she gets the whole thing .
Carmichael : Now wait .
Neil , this is Crom Carmichael .
Are you saying that she gets it passed out of the House or are you saying she gets Trump to sign it ?
McCabe : I think she gets Trump to sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Larry Hogan say we want 500 million dollars to bail us out in New York and Maryland .
The Conservatives rise up and they say this is an outrage .
Why should the red states bail out the blue states ?
Why should the federal government do this and this and this right ?
McConnell tried to make a stance .
Oh , that will pass .
It will get through .
Everybody is going to get bailed out .
Leahy : When Lindsey Graham said last night that this is dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that statement with a degree of skepticism shall we say ?
McCabe : Ah , yeah !
I was in the room at the National Press Club when Lindsey Graham in April of 2019 told the National Republican Association it ’ s time to investigate the investigators and I ’ m going to begin hearings now !
( Laughs ) Well , that was over a year ago .
McCabe : Lindsey Graham…please !
That ’ s Waiting for Godot .
That bus is never going to show up .
Leahy : What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Nancy Pelosi has announced of 1800 pages .
Nobody has really read it except they know that its a bailout for blue cities and blue states .
What ’ s the next step in that process ?
McCabe : McConnell was being the big man and he said this is ridiculous and we ’ re going to block this .
But if you go down the list of the states that are in the most trouble pre-COVID-19 .
Kentucky… McCabe : Why don ’ t you look up Kentucky ?
Because Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York .
My reading of it is Illinois and Kentucky are the two test cases for what do you do when a state goes bankrupt ?
In fact in D.C. when Paul Ryan and his buddies did that deal for Puerto Rico where they allowed the Puerto Rican politicians to basically steal 50 billion dollars and not pay it back , that whole program with the control board and everything else , that was being set up as a model for what to do when Illinois and Kentucky finally admit that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is run by Governor Pritzker who is a Democrat that inherited the Hyatt Hotel family money .
This is guy clearly has his hand out looking for a big bailout .
Kentucky now run by Democrat Andy Beshear took a shot at Republican Governor Bill Lee and interestingly enough Tennessee is one of the most fiscally sound states in the country and I guess these bailouts would be Tennessee taxpayers who ’ ve been frugal and responsible are going to be subsidizing the reckless spending of folks in blue states like Illinois .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s culturally conservative but because of the heavy industry and mining in Kentucky , the Democratic Party is pretty strong .
Just like in Montana right ?
Because of the railroads and the mining industries in Montana , there is a strong Democratic Party in a culturally Conservative place .
So Kentucky is a culturally Conservative place that ’ s run by Democrats and it ’ s almost a machine over there .
Leahy : Well it ’ s been back and forth on that .
Matt Bevin was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Andy Beshears ’ s dad who was a Democrats .
Leahy : Crom Carmichael and I live here right across the border .
Compare Kentucky Crom with Tennessee in terms of politics .
Carmichael : In terms of politics or in terms of policy ?
Carmichael : Tennessee , as you said earlier , is one of the very best-governed states in the country .
We don ’ t have a state income tax and that ’ s one of the reasons that we ’ re well-governed .
Our politicians , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to raise the sales tax which makes everybody mad at the same time so they ’ re reluctant to do that .
We have not had a sales tax raise increase in over a decade .
So we ’ ve not had taxes go up in terms of rates here in Tennessee .
Let me go back to Lamar Alexander .
When he was governor he passed a bill that funded the highways out of a gasoline and diesel tax .
And that bill has stood the test of time pretty darn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say perfectly but pretty darn well where the money that is raised from gasoline and diesel taxes pays for roads and bridges so that we are not bonding our roads and bridges .
Then Haslam changed our pension plan for our state employees from a defined benefit to a defined contribution .
Leahy : So we in Tennessee have been quite responsible .
I want to bring Neil back in on this .
Carmichael : Kentucky is exactly the opposite of all of those .
Their government employees have managed to extract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfunded liability .
Leahy : There you go .
Carmichael : And that ’ s the single biggest difference which is enormous between Kentucky and Tennessee .
Plus Kentucky has an income tax .
So there is no compelling to move a business to Kentucky .
Leahy : Yes .
Well , there is a lot of reasons not to move .
Neil , do you see the big bailout part of this package happening ?
Do you see the blue states getting a whole bunch of money to bail them out ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve reached the age now and look back and I no longer rely on Republicans to be fiscally responsible going into an election year .
For all of their talky talk talk , they just figure we ’ ll just spend our way back as the Democrats do .
Conservatives are not Republicans .
And the Republican leadership isn ’ t committed to Conservatism .
They are committed to getting Conservative votes .
And what we ’ re going to see is that they ’ re going to try to spend their way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neil McCabe .
Thanks for joining us .
We ’ ll see how this all plays out .
Neil is skeptical that the Republicans will hold their ground .
History kind of supports them on that .
Neil , thanks for joining us .
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 Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Data Shows Michigan Residents Are Defying Gov. Whitmer’s Stay-at-Home Orders

Michigan residents went out more last week , according to cell phone data reported by The New York Times , even as Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer continues to push her stay-at-home executive orders during the coronavirus pandemic .
Approximately one million more people began to move around the state between May 1 and MAy 8 , to move around the state again , The NYT reported .
The number of people who stayed home dropped nearly 11 percentage points during the first week of May compared to the prior six weeks , when half of the state ’ s residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s analysis showed .
Whitmer began instituting lockdowns in March to slow the novel coronavirus , and stressed the stay-at-home orders again Monday .
“ These executive orders are not a suggestion , ” Whitmer , a Democrat , said Monday during a press conference addressing her May 1 decision to extend the state ’ s lockdowns until May 28 .
“ They ’ re not optional .
They ’ re not helpful hints , ” she said when reporters asked about people doubting her authority to implement the orders .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the virus as of May 12 , according to state data .
Michigan is one of 27 states under lockdown .
Ten states have begun to reopen from lockdown orders so far .
Critics have railed against Whitmer ’ s decrees .
A wave of protesters stormed the Michigan legislature in Lansing , some armed with rifles , demanding Whitmer ease up on the restrictions .
Location data from other sources also show people getting back to their lives in some form .
People were back to visiting gas stations and fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an April 30 blog post from Foursquare , a location technology platform .
Foursquare ’ s data showed people were bucking some guidelines .
Gas stations , for instance , were down only 6 % nationally as of April 24 , compared to 8-11 % lower in weeks prior , Foursquare noted .
Many Americans may still be worried about An NBC News poll published in April found that Roughly 60 % of voters say they are more concerned that nixing lockdowns would lead to more deaths than they are that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer ’ s office has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment addressing TheNYT ’ s analysis .
Chris White is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ End the Lockdown ” by AFGE .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Commentary: China’s Electrifying Rags-to-Riches Ascent – at America’s Expense

A friend of mine who traveled China from the 1970s until recently described what the country was like 30 years ago : To get an idea of how much things have changed , please watch this 40-second clip of the Chinese city where COVID-19 originated .
As the video shows , Wuhan bears no resemblance to the backward , desperately poor place it was just three decades ago .
The same is true of cities throughout China .
Over the past 30 years , China has undergone a stupendous , caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation that has created some of the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ architecture .
Now within sight of overtaking the United States as the world ’ s dominant economy , China has also built a massively lethal military that poses a serious threat to America ’ s long-standing combat superiority—as reported by the Washington Times , China ’ s military is forcing the Pentagon to confront the end of U.S. battlefield dominance .
How Did This Happen ?
From where did the money come that funded China ’ s dramatic makeover from a Third World backwater to an economic and military superpower ?
Trillions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was handed willingly over by its greatest patron : the United States of America .
Since the late 1980s , China has been allowed—allowed—to extract trillions of dollars from the U.S. economy in the form of massive trade surpluses .
As a result , the communist nation now has glistening cities like Beijing , Shanghai , and Wuhan , while America is saddled with fading cities like Baltimore , Detroit , and Atlanta , once-thriving metropolises now marred by urban blight , rampant crime , sorry schools , generational poverty and other canaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in decline .
And to rub salt in America ’ s self-inflicted wounds , Chinese nationals who were allowed—allowed—to attend our top research universities and work at our most sensitive high-tech companies robbed America blind , surreptitiously sending many of our nation ’ s most vital technological and national defense secrets to our communist adversary hell-bent on chopping America off at the knees .
During the presidencies of George H. W. Bush , Bill Clinton , George W. Bush and Barack Obama , China was allowed—allowed—to rip America a new one in what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade and stolen technology bludgeoning in history .
But don ’ t blame China for the trade imbalances .
Its leaders were just doing what a nation ’ s leaders are expected to do : negotiate the best deal they could get .
If the country on the other side of the table is willing to absorb an epic thrashing in the process , so much the better .
And the voluntary thrashing America took lasted 28 consecutive years , from 1989 to 2017 , a period when much of America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by offshoring production to China .
With America ’ s worn-out infrastructure badly in need of replacement , our political class instead ran up crushing debt and deficits , squandering trillions of dollars stolen from future generations on endless foreign wars and failed social programs .
Meanwhile , China was using its trade-surplus windfall and stolen technology to build some of the world ’ s most impressive cities and a fearsome military .
In 2017 , the United States began a strategic shift in its approach to China .
Unless its relationship with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s days in the sun will be over , and the 21st century will be known as the “ Chinese Century.
” Videos You Do Not Want to Miss Below are nine related videos , each a visual reminder that China ’ s stunning rise at America ’ s expense could never have occurred without assistance from the four U.S. presidents who stood by and clapped as the Communist nation ate America ’ s lunch .
Viewing the videos will take a while , but doing so will help you see with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inching along on its hands and knees , a house of cards propped up by ruinous debt , China was making a great leap forward for the ages .
• Click here to see China ’ s stunning road network .
In 1988 , China had zero modern highways ; today , its world-class road network extends an astounding 84,000 miles , the longest road system in the world .
• Click here to see China ’ s magnificent Beipanjiang Bridge , the highest bridge in the world .
Of the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China , zero in America .
• Click here to see China ’ s incomparable Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge , the longest ocean crossing in the world .
Designed to last 120 years , the $ 15 billion bridge-tunnel structure is a testament to China ’ s engineering might .
• Click here to see China ’ s jaw-dropping 9-tower “ horizontal skyscraper ” in Chongqing .
Known as “ The Crystal , ” the complex ’ s horizontal sky bridge straddles four 60-story skyscrapers , 820 feet in the air .
Built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the mixed-use megastructure has a shopping mall with 450 stores .
Is there anything like this in America ?
Of the world ’ s 25 tallest skyscrapers , 14 are in China , only two in the United States .
• Click here to see a dynamic chart of China ’ s meteoric ascendancy to the world ’ s No .
2 economy .
• Click here to see China ’ s stupendous Beijing Daxing International Airport .
The world ’ s largest airport , Daxing can handle up to 250 takeoffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , America ’ s busiest airport , Atlanta ’ s Hartsfield-Jackson , accommodates just 100 total movements per hour .
Business Insider ’ s 2018 list of the 14 most beautiful airports in the world includes three in China , zero in the United States .
• Click here to see how the U.S. auto industry was allowed—allowed—to sell-out its workers by offshoring jobs to China and other countries with dirt-cheap labor , a betrayal that determined the 2016 presidential election .
• Click here to see China ’ s most powerful weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States in 30 minutes .
Three decades ago , China ’ s military was primarily land-based ; today , it boasts a 2-million-man army , a blue-water navy , the world ’ s third-largest air force , and advanced cyber and anti-satellite weaponry that could be the deciding factor in a war against America .
• Click here to see Chinese female soldiers on dress parade , as impressive a display of military precision you ’ ll likely ever see .
Finally , my friend believes America ’ s best days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout China , he observed that Chinese workers are intensely proud of their country , eagerly working as tirelessly as a colony of ants toward a common goal of national ascendancy .
America once was blessed with widespread patriotism , but over the last half-century , it has been polarized into two camps with diametrically opposite objectives .
One side believes America should continue as a two-party constitutional democracy , the other wants that system scrapped in favor of single-party socialist rule .
No matter which of those hardened positions gains ground in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working at cross purposes with the other half .
A country at irreconcilable odds with itself is not a recipe for national ascendancy ; it ’ s a recipe for national decline .
The winner ?
China .
A 1968 electrical engineering graduate of Georgia Tech and now retired , John Eidson is a freelance writer in Atlanta .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Gov. Bill Lee Not Keen on Voting by Mail in Tennessee

Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee said Tuesday that fear of catching COVID-19 is not reason enough to vote by mail in the coming elections .
“ I think that what we want to do in this state is remove the reason to have fear about going to the polling booths .
We have worked really really hard to set up businesses in a way that people can feel safe to go into them , and we ’ re going to do the same thing with our elections , ” Lee said at a press conference Tuesday .
“ I talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hargett ] .
They have outlined a framework for that .
They will be working over the coming months to make sure that we expand the places , the numbers and places with which people can early vote , which will allow for less and less folks at a particular polling place [ and ] at the same time , make Personal Protective Equipment available , social distancing appropriately , so we want to make it safe for people to get out there and vote.
” As The Tennessee Star reported last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Hargett in an effort to overturn what they call Tennessee ’ s “ unconstitutional ” restrictions on absentee voting .
The lawsuit was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee by the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Campaign Legal Center .
The two groups filed the complaint on behalf of several Tennessee organizations “ whose many members are not eligible for vote by mail under current law.
” The lawsuit takes issue with three provisions in Tennessee ’ s election laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting , criminal restrictions on helping people obtain absentee ballots , and the authority of election judges to reject absentee ballots if a voter ’ s signature on their ballot doesn ’ t match the signature on their voter registration form .
The complaint asks the courts to declare all three of these provisions unconstitutional for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Bill Lee Press Conference ” @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--State Rep. Bruce Griffey Requests AG Opinion on Constitutionality of Governor Lee’s COVID-19 Executi

State Rep. Bruce Griffey Requests AG Opinion on Constitutionality of Governor Lee’s COVID-19 Executive Orders

In a five-page letter to the state ’ s attorney general dated May 12 , state Representative Bruce Griffey ( R-Paris ) requested a legal opinion as to the constitutionality and authority of Governor Bill Lee in issuing executive orders in response to COVID-19 .
In a press release about his inquiry , Griffey explained , “ When I ran for office , I ran on a platform of small government , limited government – a campaign platform I intend to honor .
Moreover , when I took my oath of office , I swore to not only support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to any act or thing that shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge the rights and privileges of the people of this state as declared by the Constitution of this State .
I intend to uphold my oath of office , and defend the Constitutional rights of Tennesseans and protect them from government over-reach.
” Griffey is a licensed and practicing attorney for 30 years , having served as both an assistant attorney general and assistant district attorney general as well as a federal judicial law clerk .
As such , Griffey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter , he researched the issue for himself and questions the legal authority for the governor to issue four specific executive orders that “ close businesses , dictate Tennessean ’ s healthcare decisions or prohibit people from exercising their right to gather.
” Griffey cited four executive orders along with a brief description of each as follows : Executive Order No .
17 was issued on March 22 , 2020 , which among other things , prohibited social gatherings of 10 or more people , directed restaurants bars and similar food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take-out or delivery options and directed gyms and fitness/exercise centers or substantially similar facilities to temporarily close ; Executive Order No .
18 was issued on March 23 , 2020 , which , among other things , prohibited hospitals , surgical outpatient facilities , and dental providers from performing non-essential medical procedures ; Executive Order No .
21 was issued on March 30 , 2020 , which , among other things , directed the closure of additional businesses , including businesses or organizations that perform close-contact personal services and entertainment and recreational gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , which allowed certain businesses to reopen and certain Tennesseans to return to work , but required all employers and businesses that choose to open to comply with the governor ’ s Economic Recovery Group Guidelines for operating safely , as well as general health guidelines from the CDC and other government entities .
Griffey referenced the distribution of powers described in Article II of the Constitution of the State of Tennessee , which divides the powers of government “ into three distinct departments : legislative , executive , and judicial ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Article II specifically states as Griffey reminded , “ No person or persons belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any of the powers properly belonging to either of the others , except in the cases herein directed or permitted.
” Griffey explained , “ In essence , the Tennessee Constitution explicitly provides that neither the executive branch ( i.e .
the governor ) nor the courts can create law .
Only the legislative branch can create law.
” “ Moreover , ” continued Griffey , “ nothing in Article III of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Executive Department ’ and the governor ’ s powers , permit any legislative power to be given to the governor or permit the governor to exercise legislative power .
“ Griffey took it a step further by pointing out , “ Notably absent from Article III or any other provision of the Tennessee Constitution is any mention of the power of the governor to issue ‘ Executive Orders.
’ ” As Griffey understood it , Lee claims to been authorized to act under state law , specifically the Emergency Management Powers statute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Tennessee General Assembly exceeded its constitutional authority when it passed this law in 2000 to give the governor legislative power in emergency situations.
” Griffey then connected the dots that have raised questions in the minds of many liberty-minded citizens of Tennessee .
In relying on T.C.A .
58-2-107 to issue the Executive Orders he cited , Griffey stated , “ The governor violated the Tennessee Constitution by not only attempting to legislate and create laws that Tennesseans were expected to follow under the threat of prosecution , but also by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by both the U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution.
” Further on the constitutions , Griffey said “ Just as the U.S. Constitution is premised upon the protection of unalienable rights , so too is the Tennessee Constitution.
” As the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights , Article I of the Tennessee Constitution also sets forth a Declaration of Rights .
Griffey offered pertinent parts of the current 36 sections contained in the Declaration of Rights by including the full text of Sections 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 .
He then goes on to describe how the restrictions and prohibitions contained in the executive orders violate the five sections of the Tennessee Constitution .
“ For all the foregoing reasons , ” Griffey requested a legal opinion from the attorney general ’ s office as to : 1 .
Whether the Tennessee General Assembly exceeded its constitutional authority when it passed T.C.A .
§ 58-2-107 ?
2 .
Whether the passage of T.C.A .
§ 58-2-107 amounted to an effort to amend the Tennessee Constitution without following the proper procedure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with powers not otherwise delegated to him under the Tennessee Constitution ?
3 .
Whether the governor exceeded his constitutional authority when he issued the above-described executive orders , and 4 .
Whether the above-described executive orders issued by the governor violated any constitutional rights as guaranteed by either the U.S. Constitution or the Tennessee Constitution to Tennesseans ?
Griffey clarified to the attorney general that he is not involved with any pending or potential litigation regarding his request .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--University of Minnesota Students File Civil Rights Complaint Against School Alleging Misuse of Stude

University of Minnesota Students File Civil Rights Complaint Against School Alleging Misuse of Student Fees

Two students filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Minnesota for misuse of student fees and “ worship [ ing ] the great god of political correctness.
” Along with a student group called Viewpoint Neutrality Now !
, students Evan Smith and Isaac Smith claim student fees being used to fund nine cultural centers in Coffman Union with subsidized space is unconstitutional , reported the Minnesota Daily .
Viewpoint Neutrality Now !
is not officially recognized as a campus organization at UMN , but it is an association of students who pay student fees and “ support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms.
” The students say that the current system has offered “ preferential treatment ” to nine cultural groups receiving student fees in that they are offered free lounge space in the student union .
“ The University of Minnesota has created a student-services-fee-funded shrine on the second floor of Coffman Memorial Union to worship the great god of political correctness , ” said attorney , Erick Kardaal .
“ In order to do so , the University trashes the First Amendment .
The public expects the University to take care of and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their student services fees.
” These groups include the Feminist Student Activist Collective , the Queer Student Cultural Center , and the La Raza Student Cultural Center .
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune noted that the lawsuit also criticizes the use of student fees to fund specific student media organizations like the Minnesota Daily and Radio K , both of which received more than $ 800,000 in funding combined .
Other student media groups are only allowed $ 55,000 per year as they do not necessarily receive recognition as an official student media group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other student organizations .
The lawsuit asks that the student fee funding application process be revised to ensure that all organizations that apply are viewpoint neutral .
In addition , the lawsuit states that any student group should be able apply for lounge spaces in the Coffman Union .
Public Relations Director for the University of Minnesota Jake Ricerk told Campus Reform that “ the university has not yet been served this complaint , but is aware of it.
” At this time , the University is “ analyzing appropriate steps to defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine student cultural groups from UMN did not respond to Campus Reform ’ s request for comment in time of publication .
Clay Robinson is a Arizona Senior Campus Correspondent for CampusReform.org .
Photo “ University of Minnesota ” by AlexiusHoratius .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Democrats’ $3 Trillion ‘Relief’ Package Declared Dead-on-Arrival, Republicans Say

A new Democratic bill proposed by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) , without input from Republicans or the Trump administration is “ dead on arrival , ” top Republican leaders say .
The White House has said it wants to wait and see how the $ 3 trillion Congress already allocated will impact the economy and help Americans suffering from the economic shutdown due to the coronavirus .
The House is expected to vote on the bill Friday .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , called the bill “ a partisan wish list with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law.
” “ We ’ re going to insist on doing narrowly targeted legislation if and when we do legislate again and we may well , ” he told reporters .
To limit the spread of the coronavirus , governors issued executive orders in mid-March , effectively shutting down their states ’ economies .
By the end of April , the national Gross Domestic Product dropped by 4.8 percent , the unemployment rate hit 14.7 percent , and 33.5 million jobs were lost nationwide .
In March , Congress passed three stimulus bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they could do more harm than good some , critics note , adding another estimated $ 6 trillion to the national debt , costing taxpayers and future generations much more , according to an analysis by the Cato Institute .
Included in these measures was roughly $ 300 billion allocated to states , local , territorial and tribal governments .
Despite this , the National Governors Association asked for an additional $ 500 billion and five western Democratic states asked for an additional $ 1 trillion .
The Democrat ’ s 1,800-page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money , this time allocating an additional $ 1 trillion to state , local , territorial and tribal governments .
Instead of the previous $ 1,200 and $ 2,400 stimulus checks sent to individuals and married citizens , the bill proposes sending up to $ 6,000 in stimulus checks per household , regardless of citizenship status .
It would extend the additional $ 600 a week in unemployment insurance benefits through January 2021 , allocate $ 175 billion to subsidize rent and mortgage payments , and increase nutrition assistance by 15 percent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ September , establish a $ 200 billion “ Heroes Fund ” to extend hazard pay to essential workers , and direct $ 75 billion towards coronavirus testing and contact tracing .
“ We must think big for the people now , because if we don ’ t it will cost more in lives and livelihood later , ” Pelosi said .
“ We ’ re presenting a plan to do what is necessary to deal with a chronic crisis and make sure we can get the country back to work and school safely.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it ’ s the wrong approach .
“ States are not subdivisions of the federal government .
They should tackle their budget challenges by tapping rainy day funds , furloughing nonessential workers , and cutting low-priority programs , ” he wrote in an op-ed published by Fox News .
“ Supporters of additional federal spending seem to think that states are feeble and unable to fend for themselves , ” Edwards added .
“ But the states have powerful tax bases , rainy day funds , and a large ability to borrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments , not the federal government.
” In addition to the $ 300 billion Congress already provided in aid to the states , the Federal Reserve created a “ municipal liquidity facility ” to lend money to cash-strapped governments , Edwards noted .
The U.S. Treasury Department has also made loans available to states to pay for unemployment insurance benefits .
California was the first to take advantage of this offer , accepting more than $ 300 million to cover roughly 4.5 million claims filed since mid-March .
Texas Public Policy Foundation Senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , “ no amount of general stimulus or bailouts alone can put the American economy back on track .
We need business to reopen and ultimately regain full operations .
But many businesses have incurred significant and devastating losses and now lack the capital to reopen due to the coronavirus and the resulting government ordered shutdowns.
” Along with a broad coalition of business groups , the TPPF proposed the Workplace Recovery Act ( WRA ) as a solution to help employers and employees .
The WRA outlines providing limited direct federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can demonstrate operating losses as a result of state coronavirus shutdowns .
The funds would be used for eligible operating costs and exclude certain expenditures like capital improvements .
TPPF ’ s executive director , Kevin Roberts , says that immediately halting the payroll tax would have longer lasting effects than going into debt to send stimulus checks .
Tom Donohue , CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , proposed this in a March 16 letter to Trump , Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
“ From a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a far superior approach to sending checks , ” Roberts says .
“ And there ’ s no reason it can ’ t be achieved quickly , if all of us – including Congress , the IRS , businesses and their employees – work together to navigate these unfamiliar waters.
” Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .
Photo “ Nancy Pelosi ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Emory Professor Xiao-Jiang Li Admits to Chinese Spy Ring Involvement

A former professor at Emory University pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns by failing to disclose $ 500,000 in income from Chinese sources .
The professor , Xiao-Jiang Li , worked at two Chinese universities as part of China ’ s Thousand Talents Program , according to the Department of Justice .
Li was ordered to pay $ 35,089 in restitution and sentenced to one-year probation .
Court findings revealed that in 2012 , while still working at Emory , Li began working for the Thousand Talents Program and continued to work for the program until 2018 .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese Academy of Sciences and at Jinan University , where he reportedly conducted animal research .
Li ’ s tax fraud was discovered when the National Institutes of Health examined his applications for research grants .
“ This defendant thought that he could live two , separate lives — one here at Emory University and one in China as a Thousand Talents Program participant , ” U.S. Attorney Byung J .
“ BJay ” Pak said .
The Assistant Acting Director for the FBI ” s Counterintelligence Division added that the bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Chinese government ’ s talent recruitment initiatives .
“ As this case demonstrates , the FBI is committed to working with our partners to prevent individuals from utilizing the Chinese Government ’ s talent plan programs to commit fraud against the United States government and our universities , ” Acting Assistant Director Wells said .
The Chinese Thousand Talents Program has faced accusations of espionage and theft from United States intelligence agencies .
According to the FBI , the program is one of many talent recruitment initiatives that “ encourage [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. institutions.
” Additionally , a 2019 report by a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee accused China of seeking to “ exploit America ’ s openness ” for China ’ s own interest by using the Thousand Talents Program .
“ Launched in 2008 , the Thousand Talents Plan incentivizes individuals engaged in research and development in the United States to transmit the knowledge and research they gain here to China in exchange for salaries , research funding , lab space , and other incentives , ” the report states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research and expertise it obtains for its own economic and military gain .
In recent years , federal agencies have discovered talent recruitment plan members who downloaded sensitive electronic research files before leaving to return to China , submitted false information when applying for grant funds , and willfully failed to disclose receiving money from the Chinese government on U.S. grant applications.
” Eduardo Neret is a Digital Reporter for Campus Reform .
Photo “ Emory University ” by Mpspqr .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Author Ben Teitelbaum Discusses the Reception of His Book ‘War for Eternity’

In a special interview on Wednesday ’ s 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.- Leahy and Carmichael welcome back Ben Teitelbaum who wrote the book called “ War for Eternity : Inside Bannon ’ s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers.
” During the third hour , Teitelbaum described his personal politics and admitted that because of its complex nature it was difficult for him to find a home within one political ideology .
He went on to describe how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political points of view noting that it was the Jeb Bushes and Paul Ryans of the world that particularly seemed disturbed with Steve Banon .
Leahy : We are joined now by a good friend and all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
And we are joined on the newsmakers line by our new friend Professor Benjamin Teitelbaum from the University of Colorado at Boulder .
Author of the new book “ War for Eternity : Inside Steve Bannon ’ s Far-Right Circle of Power Brokers.
” Ben , welcome back .
Teitelbaum : It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , Michael .
Leahy : Ben , we had such an interesting conversation last time .
Crom was here in the studio and he was writing down notes .
He wants to ask you a whole bunch of questions .
This is a friendly dialogue .
This is not left versus right at all .
Even though we ’ re Conservative on our end .
And Crom has some questions he wants to ask you about this .
We found your book enlightening and very interesting .
Your approach I thought was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Bannon and his objectives .
But I wanted to bring Crom in right now and he wants to ask you a couple of questions about your own personal world view .
Carmichael : Ben , thanks for coming back on .
Carmichael : I ’ m really fascinated by you because you ’ ve actually dug into Steve Bannon ’ s thinking a lot and Steve Bannon has been a very very strong proponent that China is not a competitor but is really an adversary and they need to be treated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So I ’ m curious with you doing all of that digging and with this COVID-19 coming out of China .
I ’ m kind of curious because you are out in Colorado which I guess is defined as kind of a purple state .
Meaning it can go either way .
You have a governor who is a relatively fiscally conservative person and socially liberal I think is how he used to describe himself .
So I ’ m curious what you think about the politics and the economic effect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s exceptionally complicated of course as all of these things are .
If we just start with the opening part of your question about how we look to China .
If I ’ m understanding the subtext of it in this context I think I ’ m by no means an epidemiologist and I wouldn ’ t want to weigh in on theory ’ s of the virus ’ s origin myself .
You don ’ t need me for that .
I certainly am troubled by one thing .
If you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is legitimate to be bothered by the lack of domestic production of medicines and medical equipment following an outbreak like this .
The fact that we can ’ t have a crisis like this that can ’ t be born of the movement of people around the world .
Which in many ways can be a good thing .
A lot of us can enjoy tourism and travel across the world .
But we are absolutely helpless if we need to close ourselves down and start taking care of ourselves as domestically produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the critique that Steve offers that seems fairly common-sensical to me .
Despite all this , we still have to rely on and be in a pattern of exchange with China after the fact .
Michael , you and I when we spoke last week that was just on the heels of the Chinese Communist Party attacking Steve in its main media channel .
And the purpose of them doing that was , of course , to preserve Steve as a scapegoat to preserve their reputation in the outbreak .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strings behind the media and that would be the Communist Party .
And that has been their goal all these years .
So a lot of these pieces of critique are things that I sympathize with .
Carmichael : Ben , I want to be sure .
Do you sympathize with the Chinese critique ?
Or you sympathize with Steve Bannon ?
Teitelbaum : No the critique of China .
( Chuckles ) Carmichael : OK. Good .
I just wanted to be clear on that .
Teitelbaum : That would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Laughter ) We ’ re not that blue in Colorado .
Yes .
To that point , Colorado yes , it was a purple state .
I ’ m not sure that it is anymore .
Leahy : Do you think it ’ s kind of a blue state now ?
Teitelbaum : I think its a blue state now .
It ’ s demographic changed .
It ’ s an extremely young state and becoming a very urban state actually .
The area from let ’ s say Fort Collins in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming one giant urban center with a very very young population .
So that ’ s choking the state I ’ d say beyond purple status .
I appreciated the quick response , to begin with , and I think he ’ s also being a realist about the economy and he ’ s said that we can ’ t pay our own bills as a state and society if we keep doing this indefinitely .
So he ’ s been reopening things slowly .
In general , I think he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ben , let me ask you this question .
Crom and I were talking after your last interview with us last week .
How would you describe your own personal political philosophy ?
Teitelbaum : Of course , everybody wants to say that it ’ s complicated .
I generally lean to the left .
The thing is that I can ’ t quite put myself on the map in the US .
In Europe things used to be a little bit easier .
I don ’ t mind social safety nets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Criminal justice reform is something I care about .
On the other hand , I do not believe in open borders .
I don ’ t believe in open borders in part out of concern for social safety nets .
In that particular spot right there I can ’ t quite find a home for myself .
( Chuckles ) Leahy : Let me follow up on that Ben .
When you go and talk to us , I saw you were interview by Tom Hartman… Leahy : Who ’ s kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radio for some time .
How ’ s your book being received on the left , the center , and on the right ?
How are people responding to your treatment of Steve Bannon from the different political perspectives from your audience and from readers , and from those that conduct interviews of you ?
Teitelbaum : The people who are most opposed to it so far have been in the center-right .
Not let ’ s say like yourselves .
I would say , Michael , its more kind of the , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeb Bush/Paul Ryan kind of wing .
Leahy : What is their objection ?
Teitelbaum : I don ’ t think that they like Steve Bannon and they see him as a rabble-rouser .
Leahy : I can promise you that they don ’ t like Steve Bannon .
( Laughter ) Teitelbaum : They don ’ t want to be told that he ’ s interesting or that he ’ s influential or that there ’ s anything to be seen there because he blew up their world a little bit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a mix of things .
On the one hand , Steve ’ s thinking is so outside the bounds that that can be fascinating to them .
I also always get criticism for not writing a book against Steve Bannon .
The subtitle of the book notwithstanding I would never have taken this time away from my family to write a big book and to research it for two years in order to tear somebody apart .
And we don ’ t learn that much when you tear somebody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you do when you are trying to expand your understanding .
And that ’ s just too much for some people .
I think you might agree with me Michael that Steve plays a very peculiar role in American society .
You can think back to all the portrayals of him on Saturday Night Live .
Leahy : ( Chuckles ) The grim reaper .
Those are funny .
Teitelbaum : I think for a lot of liberal America the idea that Trump could have just won this election on his own is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of wanted to have an evil genius .
Leahy : And there you go .
Listen to the full third 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 .
Photo “ Ben Teitelbaum ” by The University of Colorado .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Facebook Is Giving $1,000 to Content Moderators Who Said Online Trolls Turned Them into Conspiracy T

Facebook Is Giving $1,000 to Content Moderators Who Said Online Trolls Turned Them into Conspiracy Theorists

Facebook agreed to pay out a $ 52 million settlement to thousands of current and former content moderators who said they are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome after viewing upsetting content on the job , The Verge reported Tuesday .
Each moderator will receive a minimum of $ 1,000 and will be eligible for additional compensation if they are exhibiting other trauma due to the kind of content they regularly view , the report noted .
The settlement applies to 11,250 moderators , some of whom told The Verge in 2019 that they became conspiracy theorists while moderating content people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleased that Facebook worked with us to create an unprecedented program to help people performing work that was unimaginable even a few years ago , ” Steve Williams , a lawyer for the plaintiffs , said in a press statement addressing the settlement .
“ The harm that can be suffered from this work is real and severe.
” Facebook expressed support for the moderators in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ We are grateful to the people who do this important work to make Facebook a safe environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to providing them additional support through this settlement and in the future , ” company spokesman Drew Pusateri said .
One former employee named Selena Scola filed a lawsuit against the Silicon Valley giant in September 2018 , alleging that her job gave her PTSD — a claim her lawyers used to kickstart the class-action lawsuit .
Several moderators at former Facebook contractor Cognizant told the Verge that conspiracy theories took strong root in the company ’ s Arizona office .
One person The Verge called Chloe claimed her colleagues began doubting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more conspiracy content was posted to Facebook and Instagram .
“ People really started to believe these posts they were supposed to be moderating , ” Chloe said .
“ They were saying , ‘ Oh gosh , they weren ’ t really there .
Look at this CNN video of David Hogg — he ’ s too old to be in school.
’ People started Googling things instead of doing their jobs and looking into conspiracy theories about them.
” Moderating posts gave another moderator named Randy a form of PTSD and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Verge reported in 2019 .
Randy said that he came to believe the 9/11 terrorist attacks were an inside job after viewing videos making the case .
He also claims conspiracy videos about the Las Vegas massacre were persuasive — he also now believes that multiple shooters were responsible for the attack .
“ I ’ m fucked up , man , ” Randy told The Verge , referring to his mental state after working at the Arizona center for roughly a year .
“ My mental health — it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One day I can be really happy , and doing really good .
The next day , I ’ m more or less of a zombie .
It ’ s not that I ’ m depressed .
I ’ m just stuck.
” Randy and Chloe did not use their real names in the Verge story because they signed non-disclosure agreements to prevent contractors from sharing Facebook users ’ personal information .
Cognizant shut down its content moderation sites in 2020 after announcing in 2019 that the company was leaving that business .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 50,000 in damages if they submit evidence of other injuries they suffered during their time working for Facebook .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Conservatives Say Obhof’s Canceling Session Before Acton Vote is ‘Betrayal’

Conservatives are using words like “ betrayal ” to describe Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof ’ s late-night move to kill a vote on a bill to curb Dr. Amy Acton ’ s unrestrained powers in shutting the state down , and suggests he had an ulterior motive .
The Senate will not act this week on Senate Bill One pulling back the Health Department director ’ s powers , meaning it will likely fail , Fox 19 Now reported .
The Senate is only having committee meetings this week and will hold a session next week .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very important to getting the economy back up and running and dealing with other issues that came up during the pandemic , ” Obhof said Wednesday .
“ These include prohibiting price gouging , fixing our unemployment compensation system , and limiting liability for businesses that re-open so that they are not deluged with frivolous lawsuits.
” DeWine was not pleased with the House ’ s vote to limit Acton ’ s powers and threatened a veto , The Ohio Star reported .
We the People Convention wrote a scathing blog post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ohio !
” The blog says Obhof conducted a “ non-voting ” session so senators could not object to his ruling on the bill to give the public representation in the “ unilateral decisions being made by the Governor.
” ( Mike DeWine ) So tell us , Larry , as the “ principled conservative ” that you are , tell ALL of us on the record and in public that your “ decision ” had NOTHING to do with your desire to be appointed to a Judgeship by Governor DeWine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as has been widely rumored .
Tell us , Larry , that this “ decision ” was consistent with your duty as President of the Ohio Senate to at all times represent the best interests of the citizens of Ohio and was NOT made in order to protect the Governor and your personal best interests .
In fact , since I know you to be a person of impeccable integrity , go on the record right now and confirm to all of us that you will not seek a judgeship appointment from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one if offered by him in the future , because it would clearly be nothing less than political payback for actions such as this that you have just taken .
State Rep. Nino Vitale ( R-OH-85 ) posted on his Facebook page that , “ In the Dark of Night The Ohio Senate Cancels Vote To End Medical Tyranny.
” It is true .
The Ohio Senate had a chance TODAY to vote on Senate Bill ONE which would have forced UNELECTED Doctor Acton to come to the ELECTED branch of the Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on her orders .
The Senate Refused .
Unbelievable .
They stripped themselves of their own voting power .
The communication went out late last night , as you can see .
Our rights are being stripped at every turn in the name of safety .
Do you care ?
Watch the 90 second video where the senate approves Amy Beech Acton here .
https : //youtu.be/xmg_GJ2XZcg The video link is from April 10 , 2019 when the Senate approved Acton ’ s appointment without posing any questions .
Do You Know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio Senate on April 10th , 2019 .
According to the Ohio Senate Journal Records , which I Include below , 31 Ohio Senators Unanimously approved of Amy Acton , the Global Health Professor , as the Director of Health with no end to her term .
Not ONE Senator did any homework to find out that Amy Acton is Amy Beech Acton and was an Obama Campaign manager highlighted in Wired.com and many other news outlets as far back as March of 2018 .
Amy Beech Acton is even quoted as saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the primaries , and we never expected it to drag out this far , ” says Amy Beech , an Obama volunteer in the Columbus , Ohio , suburb of Bexley .
“ There really was no infrastructure , and now it ’ s all over the place – within three weeks we have this million- [ person ] door-knocking campaign.
” Beech Acton also created an email group she created on my.BarackObama.com called “ Bexley , Yes We Can !
” You can read the entire article below from wired.com Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rein in Acton ’ s powers , it ’ s time for the Senate to follow suit and pass the legislation and reign unelected Acton in .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Jason Lewis Says Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar Have Made a Mockery of #MeToo Movement

Sens .
Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have made a mockery of the # MeToo Movement by remaining silent in the face of sexual assault accusations against former Vice President Joe Biden , Senate candidate Jason Lewis said .
“ I don ’ t think you could come up with a greater insult to women , ” the Republican said in a recent interview with The Minnesota Sun .
Both Smith and Klobuchar have endorsed Biden in the presidential race , and the senior senator is on a short list of possible running mates .
The two praised Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christine Blasey Ford .
“ Let us never forget what courage looks like , ” Klobuchar wrote in a September 2018 tweet along with a picture of Ford .
Sen. Smith , whom Lewis is running against , called the allegations “ very serious.
” “ We must have a full and thorough investigation before anything else can happen with this nomination , ” she said .
Both senators voted against Kavanaugh ’ s nomination .
However , when reached by Alpha News for comment on the Biden accusations , they were silent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every Senate Democrat on the allegations , but didn ’ t receive a response from a single one .
Sen. Klobuchar finally broke her silence last week , saying she stands by Biden and is “ proud to be supporting him.
” Biden has been accused by a former Senate staffer , Tara Reade , of sexually assaulting her in 1993 .
According to Reade ’ s account , Biden kissed her and penetrated her with his fingers without her consent .
“ Think about this : if you are politicizing the # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re politicizing the # MeToo Movement for partisan advantage in going after Brett Kavanaugh , but you look the other way elsewhere over more serious charges – albeit we still want the presumption of innocence no matter who it is – then it ’ s really not about protecting women in the workplace or any place else , ” Lewis said in response .
“ It ’ s about politics , which means you really don ’ t care about women .
So why these folks should get the women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ re almost mocking the whole thing , ” he continued .
“ But look , these are the same people who thought Bill Clinton was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
” This is part three of a three part interview with former Congressman Jason Lewis .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Amy Klobuchar ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Ohio Supreme Court Upholds Law on Takeovers of Underperforming Schools

The Ohio Supreme Court recently upheld a law that changed how the state intervenes with schools that consistently perform poorly .
The court ruled on Wednesday in favor of the constitutionality of a law that shifts the operational control of a poorly-performing school from the elected school board to unelected CEOs hired by state-appointed academic distress commissions .
Youngstown , Ohio , argued that the law stripped school boards of its power , according to AP News .
The court said the school boards are currently set up in a way that does not require school board to receive any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school board also argued that the law was unconstitutional because it did not meet the requirements for legislative consideration .
Changes to the bill were pushed through in one day in 2015 , a move that Youngstown said violated a “ Three Reading Rule.
” The court ultimately agreed with the state , saying that the bill was not “ vitally altered ” and was always about improving underperforming schools “ The versions of H.B .
70 as introduced and as enacted had a common purpose of seeking to improve underperforming schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools through which each version pursued that goal , ” the court said in its decision .
“ …Accordingly , we hold that the amended bill continued to relate to the creation of new methods for attempting to improve underperforming schools and thus that the amendments did not vitally alter H.B .
70 , despite the addition of significant substantive language to the bill.
” Two of the six justices on the court dissented — Justices Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart .
“ For all the talk about academic distress , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in distress by this decision , ” Donnelly said in his opinion .
“ The state legislature could honor our Constitution simply by applying its legislative requirements as they are written .
It failed .
Likewise , this court could honor our Constitution simply by applying its terms as they are written .
It too has failed.
” Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ Ohio Supreme Court ” by Ohio Supreme @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Buckeye Institute Supports Businesses Being Immune to COVID-19 Lawsuits

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony Wednesday to the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee on the policies of Senate Bill 308 , which would provide businesses and workers with immunity from COVID-19 related lawsuits .
The full testimony is available here .
As he did in his testimony to the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee , Andrew J. Geisler , a legal fellow with The Buckeye Institute ’ s Legal Center , applauded policymakers for “ ensuring that Ohio businesses taking reasonable precautions against the spread of COVID-19 can begin to reopen without fearing virus-related lawsuits and liability.
” Geisler urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the COVID-19 context using either the state ’ s or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s guidelines for workplace safety .
The institute recommended this in a recent policy memo .
To avoid tort liability , businesses and individuals must take reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers from obvious risks .
The unique uncertainty and health risks created by the novel coronavirus , however , make defining “ reasonable precautions ” on a case-by-case basis untenable and would invite unnecessary litigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they reopen .
Lawsuits and the threat of lawsuits alleging virus exposure will further strain our dormant economy as it moves toward recovery .
Many businesses may delay reopening or spend significant resources to take reasonable precautions only to be sued despite their best efforts .
Ohio should keep that from happening by shielding those businesses and individuals adhering to recommended safety guidelines from tort liability for virus-related harms .
Similarly , as health care and other front-line workers continue to take great personal risk in the fight against COVID-19 , Ohio should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actions they take in the scope of their employment .
The special tort liability rule should allow the medical community to continue taking reasonable care and precautions to treat patients without the latent threat of costly tort litigation .
Such a rule will help health care providers , business owners , and individuals to continue to act safely and with confidence .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Ohio Capitol ” by Mj .
CC BY-SA 4.0 @


thetennesseestar--2020-05-14--Gov. Tim Walz Signs Six Bills, Skips Mail-in Election Bill

Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz signed six bills into law on Tuesday on legislative topics ranging from health to underage marriage .
One law extends the funding used to increase testing capacity for the coronavirus pandemic , as well as ensure there are hospital beds and personal protective equipment .
Another requires drug makers to provide a “ detailed rationale to the state ” for large price increases for drugs that cost $ 100 or more for a 30-day supply .
A third prohibits marriage by residents in the state under age 18 .
“ The COVID-19 fund has saved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ Its extension will allow Minnesota to continue providing resources Minnesotans need to weather this pandemic.
” The governor also signed an election bill that improves voting accessibility , allocated funding to ensure the “ health and safety ” of election officials and voters , and includes preparation for absentee voting , new polling locations , and public outreach about social distancing guidelines .
The bill comes as many states are preparing for a potential second wave of COVID-19 .
Minnesota currently has nearly 13,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus resulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compiled by the COVID Tracking Project .
The election bill does not include a switch to mail-in voting , as other states have done , despite Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon saying in early April that the state had been considering conducting the entire presidential election by mail .
“ Whatever option we use , we ’ ll do this thoughtfully and carefully .
No one should have to choose between their health and their right to vote .
There are a number of costs , variables , and trade-offs to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government will be crucial , ” Simon said at the time .
Republicans in the state expressed concern about security for a mail-in election , saying it was unnecessary .
“ Amid COVID-19 , Minnesota remains committed to helping Minnesotans afford the medication they need to survive , ensuring Minnesotans can safely cast their ballots , and protecting our most vulnerable citizens , ” Walz said .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .