thetennesseestar--2020-07-16--Grant Applications Open for Michigan Farms, Agriculture Processors to Offset Coronavirus Impact

Applications are now open for $ 15 million in grants for Michigan farms and agricultural processors to offset damage done by the coronavirus pandemic , the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on Wednesday .
The Michigan Agricultural Safety Grant Program will allocate $ 15 million from funding from the federal CARES Act to farms and agricultural processors , with $ 10 million being provided to processors and $ 5 million provided to farms .
“ The COVID-19 virus has especially impacted Michigan ’ s food and agriculture sector , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ This investment will provide critical resources to ensure the safety of Michigan ’ s food production industry and its workforce .
“ We can further our economic recovery in Michigan by putting federal dollars through the CARES Act to work for the people and business across our state through efforts like these to help with costs incurred by farms and food processors in the fight against COVID-19.
” Food and agriculture make up $ 104.7 billion annually to Michigan ’ s economy and represented 805,000 in the state , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processors have a minimum grant of $ 10,000 and a maximum grant of $ 200,000 .
Grants going to Michigan farms have a minimum grant of $ 10,000 with a maximum grant of $ 50,000 .
The funding was approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund on July 7 .
Applicants may apply as either a processor or a farm .
Grants will provide up to $ 1,000 per employee to offset costs related to the pandemic , including testing , personal protection equipment , facility needs , increased sanitation costs , employee training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To qualify , businesses must have a minimum of 10 employees in Michigan , be in good standing with the state , be current on all state and local taxes , and have completed registration in the State of Michigan Integrated Governmental Management Applications ( SIGMA ) Vendor Self-Service website before applying for funding .
The program covers costs incurred June 1 through September 15 and awards on a first , come , first served basis .
Applications will be processed by East Lansing-based GreenStone Farm Credit Services .
“ The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s farming and food processing industries , so these resources couldn ’ t come at a better time , ” said MDARD Director Gary McDowell in a statement .
“ To help ensure the health and safety of essential workers in our food supply chain , they will need testing , PPE , and housing or facility updates .
We are very thankful for the work of our partners at MEDC and GreenStone for getting this process up and running so quickly.
” Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-07-16--Dave Yost Files Lawsuit Targeting a Pharmacy Benefit Manager Company for Allegedly Making Millions b

Dave Yost Files Lawsuit Targeting a Pharmacy Benefit Manager Company for Allegedly Making Millions by Overcharging Ohio

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit against Express Scripts , a pharmacy benefit manager ( PBM ) , for allegedly breaking multiple contracts that allowed the company to profit millions from overcharges to the state .
A PBM is a company that controls the drug benefit program for employers or health plans according to verywellhealth.com .
Yost is filing this lawsuit in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court on behalf of the Ohio Highway Patrol Retirement System ( HPRS ) , according to the attorney general ’ s press release .
This retirement system has been working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seeking to recover unspecified damages from the PBM .
The lawsuit filed Monday says Express Scripts did not satisfy the “ pricing guarantees in the then-applicable pricing schedule , thereby overcharging HPRS on thousands of claims.
” The only time the lawsuit says the PBM did not do this was from 2011 to 2012 .
“ This particular PBM egregiously charged for services it didn ’ t deliver , ” Yost said .
“ Its repeated breaches cost Ohioans millions , and we want our money back.
” The attorney general alleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HPRS in the following ways : • Failing to meet the pricing discount and dispensing fee guarantees .
• Misclassifying generic drugs as brand drugs in order to charge higher prices .
• Overcharging for generic drugs by failing to timely adjust generic pricing lists to accurately reflect the lowest available pricing .
• Failing to disclose its sources of remuneration received in connection with its performance of services for HPRS .
“ Express Scripts also repeatedly misclassified and/or continued to classify generic drugs as brand drugs , ” the complaint reads .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Express Scripts charged higher prices on each of them because the brand drug pricing methodology was applied , which carried with it a lower pricing guarantee.
” Furthermore , the lawsuit claims that “ breaches were committed knowingly in bad faith and with the intent to deprive HPRS of the benefit of its bargain ” and that “ HPRS was regularly charged commercially unreasonable prices for generic drugs throughout the term of the agreement.
” Yost said that it is no secret that PBMs have kept secret their prescription pricing to avoid pubic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I intend to shed light on their business model and bring true transparency to the process – they need to answer the tough questions and repay what is owed , ” the attorney general added .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] Follow Zachery on Twitter @ zacheryschmidt2 .

by Scott McClallen
Sixteen Michigan schools have been awarded $205,028 to develop Great Lakes-based science, technology, engineering, and math – STEM – programs.
“These grants will support freshwater literacy programs and offer students access to real world STEM experiences,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “Our Great Lakes are our greatest asset, and we must empower young Michiganders to learn more about them and continue advancing conservation efforts. Michigan’s economic competitiveness depends on a workforce proficient in STEM and committed to solving our biggest challenges. Investments like these will help prepare our kids to lead our state into the future.”
Grant proposals were submitted and reviewed through a competitive process. Selected projects study freshwater conservation and real-world experiences.
Grant awardees and amount are as follows:
Alcona Community Schools: $6,892 to expand 3-P learning by studying coastal and wetland habitats.
Alpena Public Schools: $8,078 so students can work as scientific researchers collecting data and making observations to determine if environmental issues are impacting the Thunder Bay River Watershed.
Avron Township School: $5,000 to adopt two beaches so it can participate in science lessons.
Atherton Community Schools: $10,000 to engage 195 middle and high school science students in 3-P learning through its “Health in Our Hands” curriculum.
Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District: $20,000 for 3-P learning to support teachers.
Farmington Public Schools: $15,870 to incorporate “student voice” in water steward topics and activate 3-P teaching
Forest Hills Central Woodlands ⅚ School: $20,000 to provide 3-P learning students, including transportation for all students to visit the Inland Seas Schooner and engage in the remotely operated vehicle program through Inland Seas Education Association.
Grand Rapids Montessori, Grand Rapids Public Schools: $8,862 to help students identify and solve habitat loss for local pollinators, bird and turtle species through a partnership with the John Ball Zoo.
Harrington Elementary School: $12,000 for Marshall Public Schools to partner with Albion College to develop “outdoors at school” curricula for grades K-5.
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency: $20,000 to support Southwest MiSTEM and the Kalamazoo Nature Center to establish a Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative hub to continue water stewardship education programs.
Mt. Morris Consolidated Schools: $15,000 to participate in the Flint River Green project, where students learn about the Flint River Watershed and its community impact.
Muskegon Area Intermediate School District: $15,000 to expand 3-P learning for 420 fourth grade students and 3-P training for 19 fourth grade teachers.
Pickfield Public Schools: $9,996 so students can gather water quality data from the local watershed.
Stanton Township Public Schools: $5,000 to train new teachers to carry out future Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative activities.
Washtenaw Intermediate School District: $20,000 to build a foundation for cross-district collaboration in support of freshwater-focused place-based education.
Wayne-Westland Community Schools: $13,330 to activate a 3-P learning program.
The grants continue the 2020 From Students to Stewards Initiative and the 2021 MiSTEM Transformative Playbook grants.
The Great Lakes account for over 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-16--Biden Adds Three Campaign Staffers in Minnesota

Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign hired three full-time staffers this week to oversee its campaign operations in Minnesota .
According to ABC News , Ryan Doyle , who managed Keith Ellison ’ s campaign for attorney general , will serve as Biden ’ s Minnesota state director .
Corey Day , former executive director of the DFL Party , will stay on as senior adviser in Minnesota , while Misha Battiste was hired as the campaign ’ s coalitions director .
Battiste previously worked for Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s ( D-MA ) presidential campaign and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) 2018 Senate campaign .
Preya Samsundar , a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee , said Biden “ finally stuck his head out of his basement long enough to realize that Minnesota is a key state this cycle.
” She noted that President Donald Trump ’ s campaign now has 1,500 staffers in the field nationally , more than double the number of staff Biden has on the ground .
“ While Joe Biden might just be learning about the importance of Minnesota , Trump Victory efforts in the state have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle , ” said Samsundar .
“ Their staff has been on the ground since the early days , mobilizing volunteers and identifying support on the ground.
” Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis said “ it ’ s going to take a lot more than three people to offset the serious momentum the Trump campaign has here.
” “ It appears the Biden campaign is starting to realize what we have known for a long time : Minnesota is in play in 2020 , ” Lewis said in a statement .
“ While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground in Minnesota for a year , Biden ’ s team is only just now starting to pay attention to Minnesota , putting a trio of staffers on the ground in the state.
” He criticized his opponent , Sen. Smith , for endorsing Biden , who holds “ anti-Minnesota policies.
” “ Biden opposes mining on the Range , is promising to raise taxes on the middle class , refuses to be tough on China , and supports continued outsourcing that is taking away good-paying American jobs , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is entirely out of touch with what Minnesotans want and Tina Smith needs to say if she stands with Biden .
Will she un-endorse Joe or will she double down on support of these dangerous policies and rhetoric ?
Minnesotans deserve an answer.
” After receiving the endorsement of Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , Biden won Minnesota ’ s presidential primary in March with 38 percent of the vote .
Trump lost the state to Hillary Clinton in 2016 by just 1.5 percentage points .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-16--Conservative Clergy of Color Defends Sen. Blackburn After Democratic Strategist Calls Her ‘Inbred Ra

Conservative Clergy of Color Defends Sen. Blackburn After Democratic Strategist Calls Her ‘Inbred Racist Trash’ For Standing Up to Black Lives Matter

Conservative Clergy of Color ’ s Chairman Bishop Aubrey Shines denounced an attack lobbed at U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) Wednesday for speaking out against Black Lives Matter .
Blackburn tweeted , “ The life of every African American matters .
But Black Lives Matter is a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization run by “ trained Marxists.
” We can not allow our great country to be destroyed under the pretense of social justice.
” In response , Shines said , “ This is what Democrats are resorting to ?
Calling an intelligent , successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Left could sink no lower but I ’ ve been wrong before .
God will forgive you for this Mr. Parkhomenko , but only if you apologize for this demeaning smear.
” Conservative Clergy of Color is an organization based on the Christian principles that America was founded on .
Its members stand as a counter to the Black Lives Matter movement to provide an alternate voice for those who seek real change , not a Marxist deconstruction of American society .
“ This is what happens when the voters who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blacks , and other minorities — question the party leadership or think for themselves , ” Shines said .
“ They degrade and shame you in the metaphorical town square .
I ’ d also like to note that Mr. Parkhomenko didn ’ t refute the senator ’ s comment about Black Lives Matter being run by Marxists .
He couldn ’ t refute it so he resorted to childish name-calling .
I will pray for Mr. Parkhomenko to receive some wisdom and have grace the next time he gets into a debate.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter activist Shaun King “ asinine ” and “ disgusting ” for suggesting that “ white European ” statues of Jesus should be torn down .
Parkhomenko , a former Hillary Clinton aide , is no stranger to making offensive comments about Republicans .
In April 2019 , he mocked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who is a survivor of polio , for tripping on the stairs , The Washington Times reported .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bishop Aubrey Shines .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-16--Trump Promotes from Within: Returns Parscale to Digital Strategies and Names Bill Stepien as 2020 Ca

Trump Promotes from Within: Returns Parscale to Digital Strategies and Names Bill Stepien as 2020 Campaign Manager

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump shook up his campaign staff Wednesday , replacing campaign manager Brad Parscale with veteran GOP operative Bill Stepien .
Political watchers say Trump and Parscale ’ s relationship had been strained since a Tulsa , Oklahoma , rally last month that drew an unexpectedly low crowd .
Trump announced the move on Facebook late Wednesday .
“ I am pleased to announce that Bill Stepien has been promoted to the role of Trump Campaign Manager , ” he said .
“ Brad Parscale , who has been with me for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our tremendous digital and data strategies , will remain in that role , while being a Senior Advisor to the campaign.
” The shakeup injected familiar unpredictability to Trump ’ s 2020 campaign , which had so far largely avoided the regular staff churn that marked the president ’ s 2016 campaign and his White House .
The staff change was not expected to alter the day-to-day running of the campaign .
Parscale ran Trump ’ s digital advertising in 2016 and was credited with helping bring about his surprise victory that year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , working for former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie and serving as Trump ’ s national field director in 2016 .
Parscale had been increasingly sidelined in the weeks since the Tulsa rally and as the president ’ s public and private poll numbers have taken a hit amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Speculation had been rampant about who might be promoted to lead the operation , with names like former Trump strategist Steve Bannon floated .
Trump has been pressed by allies in recent months to expand his political circle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
On Tuesday , he relented to weeks of lobbying by his political advisers , delivering a broadside against the former vice president from the Rose Garden and framing the November election as the starkest choice in the nation ’ s history .
Biden also shuffled his campaign team amid a disastrous stretch in his campaign , albeit much earlier in the cycle .
For Biden , the moves marked genuine shakeups that expanded and changed how his campaign operated .
Biden elevated Anita Dunn , effectively displacing his first campaign manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa finish and after he was already headed for a second embarrassing finish in New Hampshire .
Dunn had joined Biden at the outset of his campaign after having served President Barack Obama as a top communications adviser .
With Dunn ’ s urging , Biden hired his current campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , in March after Dunn and others helped resurrect Biden in Nevada and South Carolina and put him on the path to the nomination .
Schultz is now at the Democratic National Committee , helping lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party , the Biden campaign and state parties .
Jill Colvin and Zeke Miller are reporters at The Associated Press .
AP writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report .

A new bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour is emerging in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Representative Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg), the bill as described in a memorandum appears similar to legislation Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) is spearheading in his chamber. It contrasts with a more radical measure authored by Representative Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) that would hike the wage floor to $16.50 in July 2025 and gradually increase it to $21 by mid-2028. The Rabb bill would also apply the state minimum wage to prisoners, vastly boosting their pay.
In her memo pushing for a $15 hourly floor, Kim (pictured above) lamented that the commonwealth last hiked its minimum wage to $7.25 in 2009. She cited data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicating that 30 states, including all of those that neighbor Pennsylvania, mandate higher wage minimums. Her $15 rate would take effect in January 2024 and would tie future minimum-wage rises to inflation.
“Too many people have worked too hard for too long to not be able to pay their bills,” Kim said at a House Majority Policy Committee hearing on the issue in late March. “We want to tag a cost-of-living adjustment on this, so we never have to wait years and years – or wait for a once-in-a-century pandemic – for this issue to have a bright light shined on it.”
While free-market advocates generally oppose minimum wage increases, some in Harrisburg expect Republicans like Laughlin who now champion a hike will insist that such a policy come as part of a broader deal that will include regulatory reform. Governor Josh Shapiro (D) has urged enactment of a new $15 floor and many Republicans have sensed an opportunity for dealmaking, particularly insofar as they control the state Senate.
Advocates of an increase often cite a Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Advisory Board report indicating that 63,800 individuals — less than two percent of the state’s workforce — earned $7.25 per hour or less in 2021. Nonetheless, wages have risen markedly over the last two years and many who continue to make so little are teenagers working one of their first jobs.
After House Democrats began clamoring for new pay mandates, the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation (CF) issued a backgrounder in March opposing the idea. CF cited calculations from the nonpartisan Independent Fiscal Office suggesting that even raising the floor to $12 per hour would kill 5,000 jobs.
And the think tank fears the proposal could disadvantage even workers who keep their jobs insofar as employers may compensate for the new mandate by cutting worker hours and benefits. An example of this was observed nationally in 2018 after Amazon set its own low-end hourly wage to $15 but nevertheless suspended workers’ monthly bonuses and stock options.
Instead of raising the minimum wage, CF suggested, the commonwealth should focus on lowering impediments to employment by reforming licensing and permitting processes as well as improving public-assistance programs so they reward those who secure employment.
– – –
Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Pennsylvania Daily Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Patty Kim” by Rep. Patty Kim. Background Photo “Pennsylvania Capitol” by Ad Meskens. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Nashville Physician’s Analysis of Excess Deaths in the U.S. and Tennessee: Not Due to COVID-19

MURFREESBORO , Tennessee – Dr. Damon Petty , a Nashville-area , presented to the Conservative Caucus Saturday his analysis of data related to the excess in deaths and found they are not due to COVID-19 .
An economics-degreed Harvard graduate who then went on to medical school , Dr.
Petty ’ s goal was to analyze the data in order to make his presentation reflect the University ’ s veritas – or truth – shield .
The motto of the University , “ Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae , ” translated from Latin meaning “ Truth for Christ and the Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petty presented the number of worldwide deaths by COVID-19 as well as several other viruses and other causes of death in a bar graph .
The numbers were so disparate that it made it a challenge to make any comparisons , particularly against the 1918 Spanish Flu .
So , the team physician scaled the world death numbers by a factor of 10 , offering a better perspective that the number of COVID-19 deaths is less than the average flu and close to that of suicide and the 2009 swine flu .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr.
Petty ’ s analysis revealed that those from COVID-19 are still far less than the 1918 Spanish flu or cancer and even less than accidents and strokes .
Comparing the average count of deaths in the U.S. by week and age group over the five-year period of 2015 to 2019 , Petty found a very repeatable pattern resembling a smile for deaths in people aged 45 and older .
In 2020 , Petty ’ s analysis shows a spike in excess deaths is visible in all but the youngest age group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20-week mark which is between March 1 and May 16 .
The spike increased more dramatically over the other five age groups , with the most severe spike being in the 85 years and older population .
When looking at the excess deaths by cause , Petty found an uptick in respiratory disease-related deaths .
But , the spike is not nearly as significant as that for deaths related to circulatory diseases or Alzheimer ’ s disease and dementia .
Drilling into more specifics related to deaths due to respiratory diseases , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spike for influenza and pneumonia amounted to excess deaths of about 600 .
Meanwhile , Petty ’ s further examination of the circulatory disease-related causes of death showed that hypertensive diseases accounted for 1,100 excess deaths and ischemic heart disease accounted for 2,000 excess deaths in their respective worst week .
Other causes that contributed to excess deaths in the U.S. included diabetes with 700 and Alzheimer ’ s disease and dementia with 1,900 in the worst weeks .
Presented in another way , Petty displayed the total number of deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , 2020 by the cause of death .
Influenza and pneumonia , the category in which COVID-19 falls , ranks sixth .
Other diseases of the respiratory system – 1,472 Other diseases of the circulatory system – 339 In Tennessee , the number of deaths above the average since February 1 is much less dramatic with influenza and pneumonia falling to 10th .
Other diseases of the respiratory system – 60 Other diseases of the circulatory system – 30 Meanwhile , Petty reports , the census in Tennessee hospitals was at 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he reviewed motor vehicle accident deaths per one million population against COVID-19 .
For 20 states , including Tennessee , a person is less likely to die from COVID-19 than they are in a motor vehicle accident .
In fact , the doctor ’ s data indicates that Tennesseans are at least 60 percent more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident than from COVID-19 , and yet there have been no restrictions on motor vehicle travel .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-16--More Than a Million Americans File New Unemployment Claims

Four months into the COVID-19 pandemic , an additional 1.3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week , according to U.S. Department of Labor data released Thursday .
That ’ s down 10,000 from the previous week but still significantly higher than pre-pandemic figures .
Continued claims of workers who filed claims at least two weeks in a row were at 17.3 million for the week ending July 4 .
Continued claims lag a week behind the new weekly claims report .
Government restrictions that closed or scaled back businesses deemed non-essential are largely driving the unemployment numbers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropping each week since the last week of March , when nearly 6.9 million American workers filed for unemployment benefits .
“ The frustrating reality is that new claims have remained above one million since exploding in late March and having dipped below 2 million in late May , ” Bankrate senior economist Mark Hamrick told Yahoo Finance .
“ Improvement has proved harder to come by in recent weeks.
” Dan McCaleb is the executive editor of The Center Square .
He welcomes your comments .
Contact Dan at [ email protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gabriel White .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Vandals Allegedly Behead Statue of Virgin Mary at Chattanooga Catholic Church

One or more people allegedly vandalized and beheaded an outdoor statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary this past weekend at the St. Stephen Catholic Church of Chattanooga , according to church officials .
Bishop Rick Stika of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville tweeted that incidents such as these are nationwide .
St. Stephen officials referred all questions Thursday to the Diocese of Knoxville .
Diocese of Knoxville spokesman Jim Wogan told The Tennessee Star in an email that a pastor discovered the damage Saturday morning .
“ Anytime something like this happens it is disappointing and concerning .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the targeted desecration of a sacred statue and our Catholic faith , or some kind of misguided prank , but it hurts , ” Wogan said .
“ For whatever reason we are living in a very chaotic time and anger seems to be the default setting for people .
Our bishop has asked that we live by the example set in the Gospel of Matthew , to treat others as we ourselves would want to be treated.
” Someone tore the statue off the pedestal and removed its head .
As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to witnesses or suspects .
The vandals possibly committed a hate crime , Wogan said , quoting a police report .
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann , on Twitter , said this was “ a disturbing attack on Catholicism and religion.
” “ Sadly , it is among a series of attacks on Catholic churches that have happened in recent days .
I hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice , but I also pray that they will find their way to God as well , ” Fleischmann said .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more people vandalized the Holocaust Memorial at Nashville ’ s Gordon Jewish Community Center , according to officials who oversee the facility .
Gordon JCC spokesman Deborah Oleshansky said that memorial is about 15 years old .
At the time Oleshansky could not say whether the nation ’ s current civil unrest provoked the vandal or vandals to act .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

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


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Commentary: School Board Elections May Be Your Most Important Decision This Year

Our late friend Phyllis Schlafly , the First Lady of the Conservative Movement , was fond of saying that the most important election wasn ’ t President , it was Republican Precinct Committeeman , because that was the gateway to the Republican Party organization , and through it the ability to endorse candidates and set the GOP Platform .
Mrs. Schlafly had a good point , but if there is another office that vies for importance with Republican Precinct Committeeman it is membership in your local school board .
And this year school board elections are more important than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at stake .
The first issue many school boards must address this year is whether and how to reopen schools – and make no mistake this decision by a minor elected body will have vast economic and social impact on your community .
If your schools do not open , or open as “ online only ” your community will remain in a form of lockdown , with the accompanying devasting economic consequences , because a significant portion of your community ’ s workforce will be unable to return to work without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
USA Today reported 4 in 10 working adults have children under 18 .
Nearly 60 percent of children under 5 participated in regular weekly care arrangements and a third were enrolled in a child care program of some kind before the coronavirus struck .
According to Chicago Booth ’ s Jonathan Dingel and Joseph S. Vavra and Northwestern postdoctoral scholar Christina Patterson , 50 million American workers with children younger than 14 will have a serious problem going back to work if childcare is unavailable .
That ’ s almost a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Under a policy where young workers return to work while schools remain closed , 35 million workers who are over 55 would not be able to return to work , and another 16 million who are under 55 would be constrained by child-care obligations , ” they write .
According to a McKinsey study , 16 percent of the workforce—representing 26.8 million workers—are dependent on childcare to work .
Public schools provide the necessary childcare to a significant portion of those workers .
The same McKinsey paper cited one recent analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall having progressed only 70 percent of a grade in reading and less than 50 percent of a grade in math during the 2019–20 school year .
If closures extend beyond the fall , this shortfall could be even greater , with negative consequences for individual students and society as a whole .
You get the picture – if schools remain closed the economy remains closed – and the economic misery in your community rises .
But there ’ s another issue of immediate import your local school board must also address – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda in the form of the 1619 Project and the Marxist agenda of BLM , presented through their education franchising operation , with local cells of teachers ’ union activists as the operators of what amounts to an in-school attack on the fundamental values of Western Civilization .
K–12 educators sympathetic with the Far Left movement have successfully promoted the “ Black Lives Matter at School ” program , bringing its Marxist ideology into a growing number of secondary and even elementary classrooms .
As Peter C. Myers documented in an article for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What We Believe , ” which includes the “ 13 guiding principles ” from which the school curricula are developed , one finds affirmations reminiscent of the best of the black freedom movement of a half-century ago : “ We acknowledge , respect , and celebrate differences and commonalities ” ; “ We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and , by extension , all people.
” Likewise , in the National Black Lives Matter in School Week of Action Starter Kit appears this comforting guidance on how to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also mention the movement as a group of people who want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly , regardless of the color of their skin .
We can say .
.
.
“ The Civil Rights Movement , with people we know about , like Martin Luther King , Jr. , and Rosa Parks , worked to change laws that were unfair .
The Black Lives Matter movement is with people who want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly , because , even though many of those laws were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still not being treated fairly.
” Looking beyond those relatively anodyne representations , however , one finds unambiguous expressions of social-justice extremism .
Among BLM ’ s 13 principles , for instance , are various commitments to intersectionality—that is , the focus on overlapping categories of racial , gender , or sexual victimization .
BLM dedicates itself to dismantling “ cisgender privilege , ” “ freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking , ” and “ disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement.
” The Starter Kit section on teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to choose their own gender by listening to their own heart and mind .
Everybody gets to choose if they are a girl or a boy or both or neither or something else , and no one else gets to choose for them.
” BLM ’ s teaching about race is no less radical .
The first sentence of the introduction to the Teaching for Black Lives textbook reads : “ Black students ’ minds and bodies are under attack.
” Anecdotes of abusive treatment follow , preparing the central thrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school-to-prison-pipeline is a major contributor to the overall epidemic of police violence and mass incarceration that functions as one of sharpest edges of structural racism in the United States.
” The stoking of readers ’ anger continues with this distorted characterization of the galvanizing event for BLM ’ s street protests : “ In August of 2014 , Michael Brown was killed in the streets of Ferguson , Missouri , his body left in the streets for hours as a reminder to the Black residents in the neighborhood that their lives are meaningless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such incendiary rhetoric recur in the recommended instructional materials .
The animating idea throughout is that African-Americans , intersecting with a familiar roster of other aggrieved identity groups , face systemic oppression , as they always have in America—even today , 50 years into the post–civil rights era .
For all such groups and their “ allies , ” the proper relation to society must therefore be one of opposition , and a primary function of the education system must be to instruct students in the rationale , means , and ends of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commonly recognized eminences such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King , Jr. , may be honored for their resistance , so far as it extended , but the real heroes , according to BLM ’ s pedagogues , are the most extreme figures and factions in the history of black protest .
Presenting U.S. history as an unbroken chain of oppression , BLM ’ s instructional materials endeavor to burnish the reputations of black nationalists and socialists including Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam , Black Power founder Stokely Carmichael , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party .
In a chapter devoted to them in Teaching for Black Lives , the Panthers are characterized as “ one of the most important human rights organizations of the late 1960s , ” a group whose “ revolutionary socialist ideology ” is credited for inspiring noble endeavors to provide decent housing , education , and health care to impoverished black communities and whose history “ holds vital lessons for today ’ s movement to confront racism and police violence.
” Many school board elections are “ nonpartisan ” meaning there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates might lean conservative – the only way to know for certain is to pin down the candidates and demand they commit to reopening your local schools and just as importantly , commit to keeping out of your school ’ s Marxist propaganda in the form of Teaching Black Lives Matter in schools and any instructional materials based on their 13 principles .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Commentary: Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Begin?

Bari Weiss was not the first victim of “ cancel culture , ” and certainly she will not be the last , but her exit from the opinion pages of the New York Times has finally focused national attention on the steadily increasing toll of intellectual intolerance among the soi-disant progressive elite .
Ms. Weiss ’ s public resignation letter , which described “ constant bullying by colleagues who disagree with my views , ” with her superiors at the newspaper evidently condoning this harassment , exposed a cult-like climate of ideological conformity at the Times .
Because she is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1984 , the year Ronald Reagan was reelected — Ms. Weiss is not old enough to remember when liberals posed as champions of free speech and open debate .
Some of us are old enough to remember , however , and have a duty to teach young people how it was that liberalism slowly succumbed to totalitarianism .
A good place to start would be the Supreme Court ’ s Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 , a judicial landmark of flagrant dishonesty .
The court ’ s 7-2 majority , in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed to locate a “ right ” to abortion in the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment .
Of course , that amendment says nothing at all about abortion or pregnancy , and the two dissenting justices were caustic in denouncing the court majority ’ s fictitious claim .
“ I find nothing in the language or history of the Constitution to support the Court ’ s judgment , ” Justice Byron White wrote in his dissent .
“ The Court simply fashions and announces a new constitutional right for pregnant women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority for its action , invests that right with sufficient substance to override most existing state abortion statutes.
” Justice William Rehnquist expressed astonishment at how the majority had managed “ to find within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment a right that was apparently completely unknown to the drafters of the Amendment ” : As early as 1821 , the first state law dealing directly with abortion was enacted by the Connecticut Legislature .
By the time of the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 , there were at least 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limiting abortion .
While many States have amended or updated their laws , 21 of the laws on the books in 1868 remain in effect today .
Indeed , the Texas statute struck down today was , as the majority notes , first enacted in 1857 and “ has remained substantially unchanged to the present time.
” There apparently was no question concerning the validity of this provision or of any of the other state statutes when the Fourteenth Amendment was adopted .
The only conclusion possible from this history is that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fourteenth Amendment withdraw from the States the power to legislate with respect to this matter .
To put it bluntly , the entire legal basis of Roe v. Wade was a lie .
The court had not merely usurped the authority of Congress to make federal law , or to amend the Constitution , to achieve the goal of legalizing abortion ; in fact , the court had obliterated the authority of state legislatures to regulate medical practice , an area wherein the federal government had never hitherto claimed any role .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what had been intended by those who drafted the 14th Amendment , or by the state legislatures that ratified that amendment .
And yet , despite the self-evident bogusness of the Supreme Court ’ s majority opinion , Roe became the law of the land .
While it may not seem to Bari Weiss that this has anything to do with what happened to her at the New York Times , in fact Roe v. Wade was arguably the tipping point — a fulcrum of history — that has led to a world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are imperiled .
Once our political elite discovered they could use the power of government to force people to accept a lie ( which is what Roe was ultimately about ) , they began using that power more frequently and more confidently , prohibiting debate and punishing dissenters .
Ms. Weiss ought to consider , in that regard , what happened at the 1992 Democratic National Convention .
In the 1980s and ’ 90s , Pennsylvania Gov .
Robert Casey was credited with rebuilding his state ’ s Democratic Party “ from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton strategist Paul Begala .
Yet because he was a devout Catholic and a staunch opponent of abortion , Casey was silenced at the party ’ s 1992 national convention : The pro-abortion faction in control of the party went out of its way to humiliate Casey , and , according to his friend Nat Hentoff , when the governor returned home from the convention , he wondered aloud , “ What has become of the Democratic Party I once knew ?
” Bari Weiss was only 7 years old when that happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her how that event heralded the approach of today ’ s “ cancel culture.
” Yet step by step the totalitarian march has proceeded .
Little by little , year after year , on issue after issue , the silencing of dissent has become acceptable within “ progressive ” circles and , so long as they believed this method would help Democrats win elections , few liberals have objected .
It may surprise Ms. Weiss to learn that scarcely two decades ago , it was still permissible — even in the pages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ express skepticism toward computer-modeled predictions of global disaster caused by “ climate change.
” At some point during the presidency of George W. Bush , however , liberals proclaimed that “ the science is settled , ” and began treating skeptics as heretics .
They coined the term “ climate denier ” to imply that skeptics were like Holocaust deniers .
Liberals declare there is a scientific consensus on the subject and that anyone who does not go along is self-evidently “ anti-science.
” So while politicians like Joe Biden are declaring war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry , and the internal combustion engine , no one is permitted to question the necessity of these draconian measures .
No viewer of CNN or MSNBC , and no reader of the New York Times or the Washington Post , will ever encounter a word of dissent from the climate-change “ consensus.
” No one in the mainstream media is allowed to point out , for example , that Michael Mann ’ s famous “ hockey stick ” graph is a fraud .
As with the fabricated “ right ” to abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not succeed without employing coercion to silence dissent .
A rigid conformity of opinion has been imposed on university campuses , creating an echo-chamber effect within which young people become accustomed to hearing nothing but what the militant Left wants them to hear .
And as the alumni of elite universities have taken positions of influence in the media and other fields , they have sought to replicate that echo-chamber climate in the workplace .
Disagreement is labeled “ hate speech , ” and woe be unto anyone who makes reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved progressive narrative .
If the management of the New York Times condones the Left ’ s bullying of Bari Weiss , a bisexual woman who calls herself a “ centrist , ” what hope is there for a heterosexual male conservative ?
Perhaps Ms. Weiss should have a long talk with Cornell University Law Professor William Jacobson .
Last month , 21 of his faculty colleagues signed a letter denouncing unnamed “ commentators … leading a smear campaign against Black Lives Matter.
” Professor Jacobson knew he was the target of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an effort led by Cornell ’ s Black Law Students Association to get him fired .
Their campaign against the professor focused on two articles he ’ d recently posted at his popular Legal Insurrection site ( “ The Bloodletting and Wilding Is Part of An Agenda To Tear Down The Country , ” June 3 , and “ Reminder : ‘ Hands up , don ’ t shoot ’ is a fabricated narrative from the Michael Brown case , ” June 4 ) .
After the news media took interest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s dean issued a statement that called Professor Jacobson ’ s work “ offensive and poorly reasoned ” and said his articles “ do not reflect the values of Cornell Law School.
” What was “ offensive , ” you see , was that Professor Jacobson had insisted on reminding readers of facts that do not support the Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) movement ’ s narrative .
And he bluntly described where the movement is leading America : You send your kids to public schools and college , where they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and capitalism are the sources of evil in the world , that we are a systemically racist society that consumes ‘ black and brown bodies , ’ while socialist and communist systems are more equal and fair .
It ’ s all a lie , but it ’ s a lie told by the teachers , professors , and administrators with power.… There is a concerted effort funded by leftist billionaires and high tech companies to control what you can say , and to silence you through mob action or social media throttling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal is to destroy capitalism , and to seek revenge .
The Black Lives Matter movement , founded based on fraudulent narratives of the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown cases , is led by anti-American , anti-capitalist activists .
They have concocted a false narrative of mass murder of Blacks at the hands of police , when the statistics show otherwise .
Anyone with two eyes and a brain knows this is true , but you ’ re not allowed to say it , because in the identity-politics formula of the Left , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are supposed to ignore the “ offensive ” fact that the movement ’ s co-founder has boasted that she and other BLM leaders are “ trained Marxists , ” just as we are expected not to notice BLM ’ s vow to “ disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement.
” Any criticism of this movement is impermissible , and even quoting the movement ’ s leadership is prohibited , if such quotes might tend to inspire opposition .
Telling the truth about BLM is a “ smear campaign.
” If telling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many of Professor Jacobson ’ s university peers , should Bari Weiss be surprised by her discovery “ that intellectual curiosity … is now a liability ” at the New York Times ?
In her resignation letter , Ms. Weiss points out the irony that she was hired for the express purpose of “ bringing in voices that would not otherwise appear ” in the Times , to compensate for the “ critical shortcoming ” that made Donald Trump ’ s election such an unexpected event for those inside the liberal echo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure to anticipate the outcome of the 2016 election meant that it didn ’ t have a firm grasp of the country it covers.
” Alas , the problems at the New York Times did not begin in 2016 , and the paper has long been complicit in the Left ’ s project of defending lies by suppressing truth .
When was the last time Ms. Weiss ’ s paper published anything remotely honest about the abortion industry and the holocaust — not too strong a word — that industry has inflicted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Nothing in the Constitution could justify the Supreme Court ’ s fabrication of a “ right ” to abortion , and yet that murderous doctrine has become sacrosanct among liberals .
We ought to heed the words of Theodore Dalrymple : America has , as a society , assented to obvious lies .
We have tolerated falsehood , and in the process have enslaved ourselves by empowering liars who , now that they control the levers of authority , are determined not to tolerate the truth .
“ Woe unto them that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” declared the prophet Isaiah , and elsewhere in the Bible we are told God hates “ a lying tongue , and hands that shed innocent blood.
” Has it occurred to Bari Weiss , or her former colleagues at the New York Times , that perhaps they have incurred the wrath of God ?
Probably not .
Nobody who believes the Bible would work for the New York Times , would they ?
Robert Stacy McCain is the author of Sex Trouble : Essays on Radical Feminism and the War Against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Photo “ Bari Weiss ” by Bari Weiss .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Manny Sethi and Bill Hagerty Campaigns Clash Over Each Other’s Conservative Credentials

U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi released a statewide ad Thursday criticizing his opponent in the Republican primary , Bill Hagerty , for past connections to Mitt Romney and Al Gore .
This , according to a press release that Sethi ’ s campaign emailed Thursday .
Sethi ’ s campaign titled the ad “ Romney , Gore , and Common Core.
” In the press release , Sethi Campaign Chair Chris Devaney said the ad highlights important differences between the two candidates .
“ Bill Hagerty is attacking Dr. Manny Sethi for giving $ 50 to a family friend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave $ 100,000 to Mitt Romney , donated to Al Gore , and Hagerty ’ s company made millions off Common Core .
Hagerty is desperate and scared .
He should be—Manny Sethi is winning.
” Sethi , in the ad , asks “ why is the establishment attacking a nice guy like me ?
” Hagerty campaign spokeswoman Abigail Sigler addressed the ad in an email Thursday .
The Tennessee Star specifically asked Sigler about Sethi ’ s claim that Hagerty made millions of dollars off Common Core and whether it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked to defeat Barack Obama in 2012 , unlike Massachusetts Manny Sethi who applied to be in the Obama Biden White House .
Manny Sethi ’ s Never Trumpers have been attacking Bill since the day President Trump endorsed and announced his run for Senate , ” Sigler said .
“ President Trump looked at all the candidates in this race , and he endorsed Bill because he trusts Bill to stand with him to protect conservative values , get our economy going again , hold China accountable , and stand up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama White House announced on their website that Sethi was one of many national finalists for the 2009-2010 class of White House fellows .
Sethi Campaign Manager Forrest Barnwell-Hagemeyer emailed The Star Thursday and offered the following statement : “ Hagerty was appointed to the President ’ s Commission on White House Fellowships by Bill Clinton and re-appointed by Obama .
Manny applied for a non-partisan academic fellowship from the Commission , while Hagerty was still on the Commission .
Now , Hagerty is attacking Manny for applying to be a part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member , ” Barnwell-Hagemeyer said adding “ it ’ s all a smokescreen.
” As The Star reported this month , Hagerty donated $ 1,000 each to the presidential campaigns of both Al Gore and George W. Bush in the year 2000 , according to Federal Election Commission filings .
That year Hagerty , according to his LinkedIn page , worked at the private equity investment firm Hagerty Peterson & Company LLC in Nashville , a position he held until July 2017 .
Hagerty said on his LinkedIn page that he co-founded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Manny Sethi ” by Manny Sethi .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Health Professionals Advocate for School Reopening Despite Coronavirus Pandemic

Health professionals nationwide released statements in a Tea Party Patriots Action Second Opinion Project email on Thursday that they believe schools should reopen and that it is the safest option for kids .
The consensus among the physicians , that kids would benefit academically , socially , and health-wise from schools reopening this fall , echoes a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics ( AAP ) released on July 10 addressing the issue of schools reopening in the fall .
“ We recognize that children learn best when physically present in the classroom .
But children get much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn social and emotional skills at school , get healthy meals and exercise , mental health support and other services that can not be easily replicated online.
” The Tea Party Patriots Action groups is a national advocacy group whose aim is to encourage civic engagement , and its The Second Opinion Project is designed to accrue opinions from health professionals about the coronavirus pandemic in America .
Children ’ s physical presence in school is “ critical to [ their ] normal , healthy development — socially , physically , and emotionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M.D.
, an adult , child , and adolescent psychiatrist based out of Los Angeles , CA .
He additionally explained that shutting down schools and isolating kids from each other would “ [ guarantee ] significant emotional and physical illness ” for these students .
Another doctor , David G. Lang , an emergency room physician in Stillwater , MN , explained that it is highly unlikely that children would even contract coronavirus , “ The data show that children have very little if any risk from coronavirus and are generally not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults.
” He also added that there is “ no medical justification ” for shutting down schools and that not reopening would be “ an unmitigated disaster.
” The AAP notably walked back their original statement recently , adding to it that reopening must be pursued “ in a way that is safe for all students , teachers and staff.
” The statement additionally said science , public health agencies , and advice from health experts must drive the push to reopen schools in the fall , not “ politics.
” An additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos , who told Martha MacCallum of Fox News on Wednesday that “ it is not acceptable for schools not to reopen ” this fall .
DeVos added that “ education is an essential function , ” explaining that , “ schools are essential , teachers are essential , kids have got to get back in school… ” Neil Shah is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--List of National Retail Chains Requiring Masks Is Growing

NEW YORK CITY , New York ( AP ) — Target , CVS Health and Publix Super Markets on Thursday joined the growing list of national chains that will require customers to wear face masks regardless of where cities or states stand on the issue .
Target ’ s mandatory face mask policy will go into effect Aug. 1 , and all CVS stores will begin requiring them on Monday .
Publix Super Markets Inc. , based in Lakeland , Florida , said that its rule will kick in on Tuesday at all 1,200 stores .
More than 80 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require customers to wear masks due to local and state regulations .
Target will hand out masks at entrances to those who need them .
The announcements come one day after the nation ’ s largest retailer , Walmart , said that it would mandate face shields for all customers starting Monday .
Starbucks , Best Buy , Kohl ’ s and Kroger Co. have also announced mandatory masks nationwide in recent days .
Retailers have hesitated to make masks mandatory nationwide out of fear of angering some customers over what , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political issue .
They have been reluctant to put employees in the position of becoming enforcers .
Confrontations with customers and store employees have played out in multiple incidents caught on video .
It was difficult to enforce such rules even in states that mandate face masks .
However , the recent surge of new virus cases — particularly in Florida , California , Texas and Arizona — has left them with no choice , retail experts say .
“ To be clear , we ’ re not asking our store employees to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Jon Roberts , the chief operating officer at CVS .
“ What we are asking is that customers help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering.
” Anne D ’ Innocenzio is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this April 6 , 2020 file photo , a customer wearing a mask carries his purchases as he leaves a Target store during the coronavirus pandemic in the Brooklyn borough of New York .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ major retailers that will require customers at all their stores to wear face coverings .
The Minneapolis , Minnesota-based discounter said Thursday , July 16 , that the policy will go into effect Aug .
1 .
( AP Photo/Mark Lennihan , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Carol Swain Takes Listener Calls Regarding Her Endorsement of Bill Hagerty

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the studio .
At the end of the second hour , Swain took listener calls regarding her recent endorsement of Bill Hagerty .
She explained her choice by citing the importance of the candidate ’ s history and record of service .
Leahy : Carol Swain , all-star panelist , and good friend is in the studio .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Republican primary .
It has lit up the phones .
Rob in Nashville wants to comment on this .
Good morning Rob .
Caller Rob : I don ’ t like Hagerty at all and I ’ m an openly gay Christian conservative .
I believe I have a unique perspective he will not live down begging and the moment he gets in its all over .
Plus with Sethi , being in the medical profession and how healthcare is such a huge thing right now , we need someone with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help guide proper legislation through the Senate .
Swain : First of all , I don ’ t know why the caller needed to indicate his sexual preference .
I ’ m not interested in that and I don ’ t think most other people are .
And when it comes to Sethi I try to look for the record of the candidates .
And so he ’ s running as a Christian conservative .
I ’ m being told he ’ s the most conservative candidate in the race .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been on the front lines of fighting conservative battles ever since I moved to Tennessee .
Whether it was helping the legislature on issues like Yes On One .
Fighting for Christian groups .
Getting the heat for being one of the early people to warn about radical Islam .
And calling out Black Lives Matter back in 2016 .
Calling them out as a Marxist group .
During all that time that I was fighting those battles , I did not see Manny Sethi .
I did not hear from him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have mattered if Christians had stood up and if more people would have stood up for the students .
And it ’ s not about me , its about other people .
So , that ’ s my response .
And everyone says they are going to go to Washington and get rid of Obamacare and reform healthcare but they don ’ t .
Leahy : Bill in Hendersonville , what ’ s your comment for Carol .
Bill : Thank you so much , buddy .
You are the last conservative voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really appreciate you and I appreciate Miss Swain .
Leahy : Bill , by the way , the check is in the mail .
So thank you for that comment .
Bill : I ’ m always here and I may not agree especially on the second caller .
What I wanted to say was I don ’ t think Trump should endorse anybody before the election .
I don ’ t think anybody ought to do that .
I want to get to the main point that you never had mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was Mitt Romney ’ s campaign manager .
Now I realize he was the nominee at that time and that was a time .
But I can ’ t stand the guy and my disgust for him is so visceral .
Swain : A lot of us feel absolutely the same way and Mitt has gotten worse and worse over the years .
Bill : He was his campaign manager .
Excuse me for interrupting .
Leahy : Bill , just as a point of fact , Bill Hagerty was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money for him in 2012 when he was the Republican nominee .
Swain : There are so many lies out there .
And all of us voted for the Republican nominee so you have to look at what the feel was at the time .
Bill : Can I say one more thing ?
Real quickly .
Excuse me for interrupting .
Manny is hitting illegal immigration and it is not some side issue .
That is the main issue besides this Black Lives Matter treachery .
This craziness about taking away cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know how anybody could win anything with that in America unless America has gone farther than I thought .
I voted for Manny and I want fresh and somebody new .
I don ’ t want another Lamar Alexander .
But I was for Sessions too .
Here ’ s one thing I want to say .
It makes Trump look good with his record of endorsing people and winning so that ’ s the only reason I would .
I love Trump .
Go Trump !
America is in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose America after this election if these liars get in .
Thank you , Michael .
Leahy : Bill , thanks for your comment .
Carol , I think he ’ s got a clear point of view .
Swain : He certainly does .
And I think that a lot of the attacks on Bill Hagerty has been guilt by association .
Leahy : John in Nashville wants to weigh in .
John , you are on with Carol Swain and we are talking about her controversial endorsement of Bill Hagerty that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t even got to the comments on our website at tennesseestar.com about it .
John welcome .
Caller John : Thank you .
And thank you Miss Carol for your fight for the conservative message all across America .
I have been sharing your videos with as many people as I can .
And thank you for your clarity on your position on the candidates .
I think that will be helpful for many to choose from .
What was it about the conservative or the liberal message that really triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago ?
And I don ’ t know much about your previous history before you got into the conservative fight .
I don ’ t know if you were a liberal .
What is it about the message that triggered it for you ?
And what is it about those messages that are preventing liberals and center people from really moving to conservatism ?
Swain : I can tell you that I was a Democrat up until probably around 2000 I became an Independent and I stopped voting for Democrats but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After I had my Christian conversion experience I became increasingly conservative and at some point , I realized that I could not support candidates that stood for policies and positions that were antibiblical .
And so my faith guides everything that I do .
And I have noticed again and again candidates that say that they are Christian .
To win in the South you have to say that you are a Christian and all you have to say is Jesus to get the vote of a lot of people .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of times .
It ’ s very important to look at candidates and to look at their records and they ’ ve never been in office it ’ s a big gamble .
Leahy : John , thank you so much for your call .
The phone lines are lighting up .
Everybody wants to talk to Carol Swain .
We ’ ll get to some of the comments from our readers .
Some of them are really interesting Carol .
Listen to the second hour here : Tune in weekdays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Hawley Seeks Civil Rights Probe in Case of St. Louis Couple

O ’ FALLON , Missouri ( AP ) — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley on Thursday urged Attorney General William Barr to launch a federal civil rights investigation of St. Louis ’ elected prosecutor , accusing her of abuse of power in her investigation of a white couple who wielded guns while defending their home during a protest .
Mark and Patricia McCloskey are under Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner ’ s scrutiny for the June 28 confrontation when several hundred protesters marched by their $ 1.15 million mansion .
The couple accused protesters of knocking down an iron gate marked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street ” signs .
The McCloskeys , both in their 60s , emerged with weapons — him with a long-barreled gun , her with a small handgun .
Their actions , captured on video and viewed by millions , drew praise from some who said they were legally defending their home , but scorn from others who said they risked bloodshed by displaying the weapons .
Photos emerged as memes on both sides of the gun debate .
Gardner ’ s office was still investigating , but no charges have been filed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a letter to Barr that Gardner abused her power in seizing the couple ’ s guns , investigating them and pursuing a possible indictment .
He called her actions “ an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment.
” “ There is no question under Missouri law that the McCloskeys had the right to own and use their firearms to protect themselves from threatened violence , and that any criminal prosecution for these actions is legally unsound , ” Hawley wrote .
“ The only possible motivation for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivated attempt to punish this family for exercising their Second Amendment rights.
” Gardner , in a statement , said , “ I am deeply disappointed that a U.S .
Senator would intervene in a local matter that is under investigation.
” Hawley isn ’ t the only high-level Republican to express concerns about Gardner ’ s investigation .
The case caught the attention of President Donald Trump , who spoke about it in a phone conversation with Gov .
Mike Parson on Tuesday .
When he was in the Legislature , Parson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” law that justifies deadly force for those who are defending their homes from intruders .
He said the McCloskeys “ had every right to protect their property.
” Several Black leaders in St. Louis have expressed support for Gardner .
The Rev .
Darryl Gray , who has led several protests , said her critics are creating a volatile situation .
“ Kim has received death threats from all across this country and in the climate that this president has created , Mike Parson and Josh Hawley are simply piling on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fires of hatred and discord in this country , ” Gray said .
Gardner , St. Louis ’ first Black circuit attorney , has been at odds with some in the St. Louis establishment since her election in 2016 .
Most notably , her office charged then-Gov .
Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy in 2018 for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extra-marital affair .
The charge was eventually dropped but Greitens resigned in June 2018 .
Gardner hired a private investigator , former FBI agent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Greitens .
Attorneys for Greitens accused Tisaby of lying during a deposition , and a judge indicted Tisaby for perjury in June 2019 .
Tisaby denied wrongdoing and his case is pending .
Gardner also has often butted heads with police leaders , especially after she developed an “ exclusion list ” of more than two dozen police officers who were barred from serving as primary witnesses in criminal cases over what Gardner called credibility concerns .
The move angered Police Chief John Hayden , who also is Black .
In January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city , the local police union and others of a coordinated and racist conspiracy aimed at forcing her out of office .
The lawsuit also accused “ entrenched interests ” of intentionally impeding her efforts to reform racist practices that have led to a loss of trust in the criminal justice system .
The McCloskeys are personal injury attorneys .
Their home was initially incidental to the June 28 protest — it was simply on the route demonstrators were taking to the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson .
The Democratic mayor drew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook Live the names and addresses of some who had called for defunding police .
St. Louis , like many cities across the country , has faced numerous demonstrations in the weeks since George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis , and some demonstrators have pushed for the reallocation of police funding , including a few who want the department to be completely abolished .
The McCloskeys ’ attorney , Albert Watkins , said they are longtime civil rights advocates and support the message of the Black Lives Matter movement .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three protesters — who were white — violently threatened the couple , their property and that of their neighbors .
A letter released July 1 by more than three dozen of the McCloskeys ’ neighbors condemned “ the behavior of anyone who uses threats of violence , especially through the brandishing of firearms , to disrupt peaceful protest , whether it be in this neighborhood or anywhere in the United States.
” Jim Salter is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this June 28 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patricia McCloskey , standing in front their house along Portland Place confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson ’ s house in the Central West End of St. Louis .
Sen. Josh Hawley on Thursday , July 16 , 2020 , urged Attorney General William Barr to launch a federal civil rights investigation of St. Louis ’ elected prosecutor , accusing Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner of abusing her power in her investigation of the McCloskey ’ s who wielded guns while defending their home during a protest .
( Laurie Skrivan/St @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Georgia Governor Kemp Overrides All Local Mask Mandates

Republican Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp issued an executive order Wednesday prohibiting local municipalities from establishing mask mandates for people who go out in public .
His order prevents any municipality from enforcing a mask order that is more restrictive than the one at the state level , The Hill reported .
The order nullifies more than 15 mandates that have already been issued by local governments throughout the state , according to The Associated Press .
Instead of a mask mandate , the state order says that masks are “ strongly encouraged , ” except when eating , drinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Previous executive orders – and now this order – state no local action can be more or less restrictive than ours .
We have explained that local mask mandates are unenforceable .
The Governor continues to strongly encourage Georgians to wear masks in public , ” said Candice Broce , a spokeswoman for Kemp , The Hill reported .
Kemp ’ s order stands in contrast to those issued by governors in other states .
Democratic governors across the country have mandated masks when out in public , and Republican governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Alabama , Republican Gov .
Kay Ivey announced a statewide mask mandate Wednesday , referencing the skyrocketing number of cases in the state .
Her order mirrors those of other Republican governors as well .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott issued a statewide mask mandate on July 2 .
West Virginia Gov .
Jim Justice followed suit on July 7 , according to local outlet WVVA .
Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Brian Kemp ” by Brian Kemp .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Ilhan Omar Has Paid Her Husband’s Firm Over $1.1 Million, New Records Show

Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar ’ s total campaign payments to her husband ’ s consulting firm now exceed seven figures after reporting additional funds paid to the company in the second quarter of 2020 .
Omar ’ s campaign reported payments totaling $ 228,000 to E Street Group , the consulting firm run by her husband , Tim Mynett , in a filing with the Federal Election Commission ( FEC ) released Tuesday , bringing her total payments to the company to more than $ 1.1 million since August 2018 .
Omar ’ s campaign spending with E Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounted for about 44 % of its total expenditures , according to the Washington Free Beacon , which first reported the FEC filing Wednesday .
Omar has faced considerable scrutiny over her payments to Mynett ’ s firm since August 2019 , when it was first reported that she was allegedly having an affair with the consultant while both were still married to other people .
The congresswoman continued paying Mynett ’ s firm for consulting services despite receiving an FEC complaint by the conservative National Legal and Policy Center ( NLPC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being used illegally to further their affair .
The NLPC ’ s complaint focused on $ 21,547 in travel expenses Omar ’ s campaign disbursed to E Street Group beginning April 1 , 2019 , which closely aligned with an accusation by Mynett ’ s ex-wife in a divorce filing that he had confessed on April 7 to being “ romantically involved ” with Omar .
Mynett ’ s ex-wife , Beth Mynett , said in her divorce filing that her husband ’ s “ more recent travel and long work hours now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affair with Rep. Omar than with his actual work commitments.
” The NLPC argued in its complaint that Omar ’ s travel payments to E Street Group “ must be considered personal in nature ” if it was used to benefit the alleged affair between Omar and Mynett .
Both Omar and Mynett divorced their respective spouses by the end of 2019 , all the while denying they were having an affair .
But on March 12 , the couple announced they had tied the knot .
Omar responded to criticism of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s firm later in March , saying she pays fair market value for E Street Group ’ s services .
“ My relationship with Tim began long after this work started , ” Omar tweeted .
“ We consulted with a top FEC campaign attorney to ensure there were no possible legal issues with our relationship .
We were told this is not uncommon and that no , there weren ’ t. ” Omar added that at any one time more than eight employees from E Street Group could be doing work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mailers , fundraising and political support .
NLPC CEO Peter Flaherty wrote Wednesday that while it is not illegal for members of Congress to pay family members through their political campaigns for services rendered , “ the scale of Mynett ’ s compensation from the Omar campaign is unprecedented.
” Omar ’ s campaign did not return a request for comment .
Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Ilhan Omar and Tim Mynett ” by CAIR .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Democratic Challengers in 10 Key Senate Races Outraise Republicans by $34 Million

Democrats hoping to unseat Republicans in 10 key U.S. Senate races outraised their opponents by $ 34 million over the three month quarter ending June 30 , Federal Election Commission filings show .
The 10 Democrats raised a total of $ 86 million compared to the $ 52 million that Republicans raised , Reuters reported .
Republican Sens .
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky were outraised by approximately $ 5.6 million and $ 5.2 million respectively , FEC filings show .
“ If they are defending these seats , that suggests there are really no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center , a conservative think tank , told Reuters .
The only offensive opportunity for Republicans is likely the Alabama Senate race in which Democratic Sen. Doug Jones , who defeated Republican Roy Moore in the 2017 special election , will take on former Auburn University football coach and Republican nominee Tommy Tuberville .
The race is rated as “ lean Republican , ” according to The Cook Political Report .
Five of the races in which incumbent Republicans were outraised – Arizona , Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – are rated as toss up elections , according to the Cook Political Report .
The Senate races in South Carolina and Kentucky are rated as “ likely Republican.
” The races in Alaska , Georgia and Iowa were the others that saw Democratic challengers outraise incumbent Republicans , according to Reuters .
However , Republicans have an overall cash advantage , Reuters reported .
Races in Arizona and Montana , where Democrats hope to unseat Sens .
Martha McSally and Steve Daines , were the only races out of the 10 where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , incumbent Republicans are down in Arizona , Colorado , Iowa , Maine , North Carolina and Georgia , according to recent polls .
There are currently 53 Republicans , 45 Democrats and 2 independents who caucus with Senate Democrats , making the difference in party representation six seats .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--GOP Caps Attendance for Convention Over Coronavirus Concerns

The Republican National Committee announced Thursday morning that it would restrict attendance for the party ’ s convention next month in Jacksonville , Florida .
The announcement comes a day after the RNC announced that they would move the convention outdoors due to growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic , The Hill reported .
The decision comes as positive cases are skyrocketing across the state , according to a Johns Hopkins University database .
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a letter that only the 2,500 delegates would be allowed to attend the convention during its first three days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will then open up to delegates and their guests for the final night on Aug. 27 , when President Donald Trump is set to deliver his acceptance speech .
The event was originally set to occur in Charlotte , North Carolina , but was moved to Jacksonville in June after Democratic Gov .
Roy Coope refused to let the event proceed without social distancing guidelines and masks in place .
“ When we made these changes , we had hoped to be able to plan a traditional convention celebration to which we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made to comply with state and local health guidelines , ” McDaniel said in a letter obtained by The Washington Post .
Trump ’ s acceptance speech is set to take place outdoors in order to accommodate a larger crowd , AP reported .
The convention will also provide on-site temperature checks , face coverings and coronavirus testing .
“ We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump ’ s administration and his re-nomination for a second term – while also doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” McDaniel said , according to the Post .
Though the majority of the convention is set to take place in Jacksonville , Trump will be officially re-nominated in Charlotte , where a smaller group of delegates will cast proxy votes , AP reported .
The GOP convention is set to look much different than the Democratic convention , when delegates are expected to vote for presumptive nominee Joe Biden remotely , USA Today reported .
Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Carol Swain Weighs in on Her Commentary by Comparing Hagerty and Sethi

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the studio .
During the second hour , Swain discusses her top commentary at The Tennessee Star in which she endorses for Bill Hagerty for U.S .
Senator .
Leahy : It ’ s Thursday and we are joined in-studio live by our good friend , all-star panelist , former Vanderbilt professor , and former candidate for mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carol Swain .
Good morning .
Swain : You mean I got out of bed .
( Giggles ) Leahy : Well Carol you did it again .
You generated some controversy .
Swain : You mean I got out of bed .
Leahy : Well you know its very interesting as you know we have a very hotly contested Senate primary here .
The United States Senate primary to replace Senator Lamar Alexander .
The election is August 6 .
Two very strong candidates .
Former Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ In full disclosure , we like them both .
They both advertise on the tennesseestar.com and The Tennessee Star Report .
Swain : So they both are helping your financial bottom line .
Swain : I know you like them both .
Leahy : Of course , we like them both .
And we try to report on it in a straight forward way .
And are supporters and they have both been on the program here .
Leahy : And they ’ ve both been in here .
We ’ ve talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interesting because the president while Bill Hagerty was ambassador to Japan endorsed him almost a year ago and people said the president endorsed him so its a done deal .
But Dr. Manny said you know what ?
He can endorse who he wants and he ’ s running a very good campaign .
The polls show it neck and neck .
Manny ’ s got some momentum .
Bill Hagerty has a record and probably a bigger bank account .
But Manny has got enough money .
It ’ s a fascinating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tell us about this top commentary .
Swain : First of all , as you know I initially planned to sit it out and not endorse publicly .
Leahy : We talked about that .
You told me that you were probably going to sit it out when the last time we discussed this .
But you always surprise me , Carol .
Swain : Well , there is so much at stake .
And I am working closely with the Trump administration and with the GOP .
And our nation is at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need someone who can hit the ground running and who understands Washington and who does have the president ’ s back .
Who is trustworthy .
And I initially was not happy with President Trump for entering the Senate race so early because there were many other people that probably would have run had the president not indicated his choice .
But we know that the president has experienced repeatedly people who have gone into office and who really have backstabbed him and that are untrustworthy .
And his selection of Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on his knowledge of Bill .
Bill ’ s relationship with Don , Jr. No one can dispute Don , Jr. ’ s conservatism or the fact that he has his father ’ s back .
Those are some of the reasons that I believe that President Trump made the decision that he did .
Leahy : It ’ s interesting .
I think you are quite right in your analysis that the fact that he endorsed Bill Hagerty so early caused many people who might have otherwise run not to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those people .
What I find interesting when I look at them I don ’ t see a lot of differences on the issues .
You did address some of these issues in your commentary .
It ’ s the top commentary on the tennesseestar.com .
And the title of the commentary is Carol Swain Commentary : Bill Hagerty is My Choice For the U.S. Senate .
Tell us about the issues when you look at these two candidates .
How do you distinguish them ?
Swain : For one thing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Hagerty has 19 issue positions and these are issues that affect the state as well as the national and international scene .
And he has knowledge of the world .
I ’ ve heard him speak and he ’ s talking about issues that I really care about in a way that I want them addressed .
When I hear Manny Sethi he spends a lot of time talking about illegal immigration and his faith .
We ’ ve been down that road before with Bill Lee .
I think that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s very important for you to focus on the issues affecting the state , the nation , and the international scene .
And your faith should influence everything you do .
But if you are living a Christian life that should not be something that you have to have on your website and in every commercial .
I think that it excites Christian conservatives and I ’ m a Christian conservative .
We get excited when someone says Jesus .
And Republican candidates know that and Republican strategists know that .
All they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bible Belt is to use faith as a way to push a candidate as opposed to issues .
And we know that those candidates have repeatedly disappointed us .
I believe that there is a place for experience .
If you have a candidate who is not experienced and they go to Washington or they go to lead a state they are going to be dependent on their advisors because they are really not going to fully understand the political scene .
I am speaking as a political scientist , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 years .
Leahy : You have a Ph.D. in political science .
Swain : Yes .
I taught it for 28 years but I studied it for far longer .
And I ’ ve watched the candidates .
And my first book , Black Faces and Black Interests the Representation of African Americans in Congress .
I traveled all across the country with White and Black members of Congress .
And so I watched these candidates very closely and their styles and what they did and what was and was not effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , at Princeton , I was tenured as a congressional scholar .
And we do look at candidates I guess maybe differently .
Leahy : Interesting .
What I thought was very interesting in your piece , and by the way , not in this segment but in the next segment we are going to look at some of our readers who have responded to your commentary .
Swain : And I would be happy to talk with any of them .
Leahy : I know this about Carol .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything .
Swain : And I used to be terribly shy .
Leahy : I know .
How did that happen ?
Swain : I had a Christian conversion experience late in life in 1999 .
The Lord just removed my fear of public speaking because he impressed on my mind that he had given me a message bigger than me and that I should just focus on the message .
And once I realized that I only had to please God than it didn ’ t matter if people laughed at me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really took the pressure off .
And it released me to be able to speak .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Bill Hagerty ” by Bill Hagerty .
Photo “ Manny Sethi ” by Manny Sethi .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--MS-13 Members Charged with Crimes Ranging from Terrorism to Murder

One suspected MS-13 member has been charged with terrorism , another faces the death penalty and other reported gang leaders face charges of kidnapping , murder and racketeering , the Department of Justice announced Wednesday .
The investigation and indictments targeted leaders of the MS-13 , and represent the first time a member of the organization has been charged with terrorism , according to a DOJ press release .
“ In 2017 , the President directed the Department of Justice to go to war against MS-13 , and we did just that , ” Republican Attorney General William Barr said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordination with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security , the Justice Department ’ s law enforcement components have successfully investigated , charged , and arrested command and control elements of MS-13 responsible for murder , ” Barr said .
Eight MS-13 members were indicted on charges of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering in connection with six murders , two attempted murders , kidnapping , firearms offenses and narcotics in the Eastern District of New York , according to the DOJ .
Melgar Diaz of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first MS-13 member to be charged with terrorism , the DOJ said .
Diaz was charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists , conspiring to kill or maim people overseas , conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries , conspiring to finance terrorism and conspiring to engage in narco-terrorism , according to the DOJ .
He was also charged with drug trafficking and racketeering conspiracy .
The DOJ also announced that it will seek the death penalty for MS-13 member Alexi Saenz after he was indicted in 2017 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York .
Two of the murders were committed with a machete and baseball bat , the DOJ said .
Thirteen MS-13 members were indicted on charges of Continuing Criminal Enterprise , weapons and narcotics distribution in the District of Nevada , according to the DOJ .
Among the members indicted were leaders of the “ Hollywood Locos ” and “ Los Angeles Program , ” the DOJ said .
“ MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization , whose criminal activities respect no boundaries , ” Joint Task Force Vulcan Director John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only way to defeat MS-13 is by targeting the organization as a whole , focusing on the leadership structure , and deploying a whole-of-government approach against a common enemy.
” The Joint Task Force Vulcan was created in August 2019 with the goal of dismantling MS-13 , according to the DOJ .
President Donald Trump directed the government to “ coordinate a whole-of-government approach to dismantle transnational criminal organizations , such as MS-13 , and restore safety for the American people , ” in a 2017 executive order .
The task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the U.S. , according to the DOJ .
Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Carol Swain Answers Comments to Her Tennessee Star Commentary Endorsing Bill Hagerty

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the studio .
At the top of the third hour , Swain responded to comments on her endorsement of Bill Hagerty and addressed his past affiliation as a finance manager for Mitt Romney in 2012 .
Leahy : We are joined now in the studio by the brave and always ready to articulate .
Swain : I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t help it .
( Chuckles ) Leahy : I know .
Carol Swain has a point of view and she ’ s going to express it .
( Laughs ) Swain : I was thinking about when I came out of my mother ’ s womb .
( Chuckles ) Leahy : There you go .
The controversial and well-read and well-circulated commentary by Carol Swain endorsing Bill Hagerty for the United States Senate .
We already got a lot of calls .
I want to point out Carol that you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level .
You were on the Laura Ingraham show a couple of weeks ago and Raymond Arroyo was the substitute host .
Today at one o ’ clock you are on Fox Business News with Charles Payne .
Tell us about that .
Swain : I will be on Making Money with Charles Payne .
I don ’ t know the topic yet .
Leahy : But you are flexible .
Swain : I ’ m flexible .
They sometimes change topics when I ’ m sitting in the chair .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want to have you on because you are able to respond to whatever it is .
I wanted to talk a little bit here about the responses so far to your top commentary .
Both Bill Hagerty and Manny Sethi advertise with us at The Tennessee Star and The Tennessee Star Report .
We like them both .
They ’ ve been on the program .
We ’ ve had Jeff Webb from Varsity Brands endorse Manny and we had him on and he had his reasons .
But if you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in on this now would be a good time .
We will have both candidates in between now and the election .
Early voting starts tomorrow .
If you want to talk with Carol call in now .
Carol , as is often the case when you write a commentary for us at The Tennessee Star lots of traffic .
Lots of shares .
And lots of comments .
We have about 45 or 60 comments and it ’ s growing rapidly .
Swain : Don ’ t read them all .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of them .
Leahy : I ’ ll read them .
Cindy says nope .
RINO .
That ’ s what Cindy says to your article .
Andrew says , “ Trump and Swain , those are two very strong endorsements .
“ Ok. That ’ s what Andrew says .
Danny says , “ It seems we have a decent choice this time .
Maybe the second-place finisher will be Bill Lee ’ s replacement at the end of his first term.
” I like that comment .
Swain : That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here ’ s what Michael says which is something we hear often .
He was Romney ’ s presidential campaign finance manager .
I don ’ t trust him .
What would you say to Michael ?
Swain : Romney was the Republican nominee in 2012 .
He needed a finance manager .
I supported Romney at the end .
A lot of us did .
And I think Romney became more and more bizarre over the years .
Somewhere along the way , he realized he ’ d never be president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bitter .
Leahy : Yes .
He ’ s just an odd duck , isn ’ t he ?
Very narcissistic I think .
Swain : He is .
He is .
Leahy : So BJ says the following , “ I am so disappointed in your decision to support him .
He is a RINO and involved with Muslims who have ill will for this country .
He supported the soccer stadium and was friends with Megan Barry .
He is friends with Lamar Alexander , Bob Corker , and Bill Haslam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessean ’ s any favors just a lot of harm.
” Swain : Well my impression of Bill and watching him is that he is a nice person and he has a diverse set of friends .
And he has been very kind to me .
Most of the RINOs , the real RINOs don ’ t give me the time of day .
Leahy : Well , there you go .
Swain : They don ’ t even speak to me .
( Chuckles ) Leahy : By the way , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t think you talked to the Hagerty campaign , did you ?
Leahy : About that you were going to endorse him ?
Swain : They knew that I was going to endorse him .
But they did not see it .
Leahy : They didn ’ t see it .
Swain : They did not script it or become involved in it .
Leahy : Marcos in Nashville wants to talk with you , Carol .
Welcome , Marcos .
Caller Marcos : Hey good morning .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m kind of tired of all the vitriol and Hagerty just seems to get out there with an in your face hatred .
Leahy : Hold on .
Let Carol respond to that .
Leahy : Marcos , you said in your face hatred .
Do you have an example of in your face hatred from Hagerty ?
Marcos : Yes .
In all his advertisements he says the crazy out of control liberals .
Swain : Well , they are crazy and out of control .
Leahy : That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s just factually descriptive .
Marcos : Well , you may think so but as a Christian , I don ’ t understand where all the hate comes from .
Swain : You wouldn ’ t believe the hate that I ’ m getting for endorsing Hagerty .
Listen to the full third hour : 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 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-17--Michigan Investigates Alleged Shakedown By Unemployment Agency Workers Accused of Stealing Benefits

The State of Michigan is investigating whether new employees of the Unemployment Insurance Agency ( UIA ) are stealing funds from jobless residents , multiple media outlets report .
The workers are accused of stealing and charging clients to receive their benefits more quickly , WDIV reported .
This is happening even as Michigan is among several states experiencing fraudulent claims being submitted , and they temporarily stopped payments .
The agency hired Deloitte to help investigate fraudulent claims , The Center Square reported .
Over 2.2 million claims have been filed during the COVID-19 shutdown order by Whitmer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but many have not yet been handled .
The allegation is the workers are reportedly charging users to get their benefits sooner as thousands of residents continue to wait for their unemployment payments , Michigan Rising Action said .
Tori Sachs , executive director of Michigan Rising Action took Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer to task .
The Whitmer administration ’ s failure to resolve the ongoing problems with unemployment payments and stop potential employee fraud is hurting Michigan families across our state .
The results of the investigation into UIA employee fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public along with a real plan and timeline to ensure every Michigander who qualifies for unemployment finally receives their payment .
The UIA added hundreds of workers to process the higher volume from the pandemic shutdown , WXYZ reported .
Michigan ’ s UIA workers are not the only people accused of stealing unemployment benefits .
Maryland is investigating a scheme that stole over $ 500 million using identity theft to submit false claims , Forbes reported .
Officials believe over 47,500 claims were forged .
Maine , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Secret Service in May said a Nigerian crime-ring was responsible for a large volume of unemployment insurance fraud .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Unemployment Insurance Claims Office ” by Bytemarks .
CC BY 2.0 .