thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Commentary: Mike Rowe Is Right on Every Worker Being Essential

Few people in history have seen more jobs up close than Mike Rowe , the longtime host of the Discovery Channel ’ s hit TV show Dirty Jobs .
Now the blue-collar icon has a message for those who say “ non-essential ” employees have no business working during the COVID-19 pandemic .
In a recent TV appearance with Dana Perino on “ The Daily Briefing , ” Rowe made it clear he ’ s not a fan of the terms “ essential ” and “ non-essential ” worker .
The problem with such a view , Rowe said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning and the economy makes no such distinction .
“ There ’ s something tricky with the language going on here , because with regard to an economy , I don ’ t think there is any such thing as a nonessential worker , ” Rowe said .
“ This is basically a quilt…and if you start pulling on jobs and tugging on careers over here and over there , the whole thing will bunch up in a weird way.
” Rowe ’ s message is precisely what FEE president and economist Zilvinas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article published at Townhall .
“ Allowing politicians to decide which businesses and products are ‘ essential ’ is an invitation for disaster , ” Silenas observed .
“ If we continue to deny these businesses the ability to do the one essential thing they are best at—providing goods and services to millions of everyday Americans—we risk more than unemployment or recession of stock price plunge .
We deprive ourselves of the best resource—our people—during the time of need.
” The truth is , all workers are essential .
Unfortunately , all too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is simply what ’ s convenient to state leaders making the decisions .
Few would suggest that liquor store owners are inherently more essential than pizza parlor owners—except perhaps state revenue collectors .
No doubt this is the same reason Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer concluded that lottery tickets are essential , but gardening seeds are not .
Liquor stores and lottery tickets aren ’ t especially “ essential ” to Americans , just state budgets .
But as one Washington State sheriff noted in April , this seems to be the criteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ essential ” and “ non-essential ” : whether it helps the government ’ s bottom line .
When the state picks winners and losers it ’ s not only unfair , however .
It ’ s also destructive .
As the great economist Leonard Read so artfully showed in the classic work “ I , Pencil , ” the economy is vast and interconnected .
Individuals can ’ t make anything themselves , not even a simple pencil .
Entrepreneurs and corporations rely on millions of others to provide the goods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central planner could possibly know all the materials that go into the countless life-sustaining products that propel our economy—and continue to propel us through the current pandemic .
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce politely pointed this out in March when they warned that many of the “ non-life-sustaining businesses ” closed by Gov .
Tom Wolf ’ s orders were in fact crucial to the supply chain of other businesses .
Nearly two months later , the consequences of shutting down “ non-essential ” businesses is even more apparent .
The US supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , small businesses , and American families at risk .
Economist Antony Davies and political scientist James Harrigan recently explained why these food disruptions are happening .
“ We can not declare one business ‘ unnecessary ’ without , by extension , declaring unnecessary every other business that relies on it , and every business that relies on those businesses , ” Davies and Harrigan write .
“ Food is necessary , and because of that delivery trucks are necessary , and because of that engine fuses and wiper blades are necessary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which fuses and blades are sold is necessary , and on and on.
” Harrigan and Davies make a similar point as Rowe using a different metaphor .
“ Our economy is not a series of individual supply chains .
It is a single , unified supply web .
Cut the web in any place and the whole structure weakens , ” they write .
Quilt or unified supply web , the point is the same .
If state leaders wish to persist in these harmful lockdowns , they should consider using classifications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as “ preferred ” workers and “ non-preferred ” workers .
Because Mike Rowe is correct : all workers are essential .
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has appeared in TIME magazine , The Wall Street Journal , CNN , Forbes , and Fox News .

by Jon Miltimore
Few people in history have seen more jobs up close than Mike Rowe, the longtime host of the Discovery Channel’s hit TV show Dirty Jobs.
Now the blue-collar icon has a message for those who say “non-essential” employees have no business working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a recent TV appearance with Dana Perino on “The Daily Briefing,” Rowe made it clear he’s not a fan of the terms “essential” and “non-essential” worker. The problem with such a view, Rowe said, is that such terms have little actual meaning and the economy makes no such distinction.
“There’s something tricky with the language going on here, because with regard to an economy, I don’t think there is any such thing as a nonessential worker,” Rowe said. “This is basically a quilt…and if you start pulling on jobs and tugging on careers over here and over there, the whole thing will bunch up in a weird way.”
Rowe’s message is precisely what FEE president and economist Zilvinas Silenas was getting at in a recent article published at Townhall.
“Allowing politicians to decide which businesses and products are ‘essential’ is an invitation for disaster,” Silenas observed. “If we continue to deny these businesses the ability to do the one essential thing they are best at—providing goods and services to millions of everyday Americans—we risk more than unemployment or recession of stock price plunge. We deprive ourselves of the best resource—our people—during the time of need.”
The truth is, all workers are essential.
Unfortunately, all too often what is deemed “essential” is simply what’s convenient to state leaders making the decisions. Few would suggest that liquor store owners are inherently more essential than pizza parlor owners—except perhaps state revenue collectors. No doubt this is the same reason Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer concluded that lottery tickets are essential, but gardening seeds are not.
Liquor stores and lottery tickets aren’t especially “essential” to Americans, just state budgets. But as one Washington State sheriff noted in April, this seems to be the criteria state leaders often use to determine what is “essential” and “non-essential”: whether it helps the government’s bottom line.
When the state picks winners and losers it’s not only unfair, however. It’s also destructive.
As the great economist Leonard Read so artfully showed in the classic work “I, Pencil,” the economy is vast and interconnected. Individuals can’t make anything themselves, not even a simple pencil. Entrepreneurs and corporations rely on millions of others to provide the goods and services they require. No single central planner could possibly know all the materials that go into the countless life-sustaining products that propel our economy—and continue to propel us through the current pandemic.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce politely pointed this out in March when they warned that many of the “non-life-sustaining businesses” closed by Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders were in fact crucial to the supply chain of other businesses.
Nearly two months later, the consequences of shutting down “non-essential” businesses is even more apparent. The US supply chain is creaking, putting many sectors, small businesses, and American families at risk.
Economist Antony Davies and political scientist James Harrigan recently explained why these food disruptions are happening.
“We cannot declare one business ‘unnecessary’ without, by extension, declaring unnecessary every other business that relies on it, and every business that relies on those businesses,” Davies and Harrigan write. “Food is necessary, and because of that delivery trucks are necessary, and because of that engine fuses and wiper blades are necessary, and because of that plastic packaging in which fuses and blades are sold is necessary, and on and on.”
Harrigan and Davies make a similar point as Rowe using a different metaphor.
“Our economy is not a series of individual supply chains. It is a single, unified supply web. Cut the web in any place and the whole structure weakens,” they write.
Quilt or unified supply web, the point is the same.
If state leaders wish to persist in these harmful lockdowns, they should consider using classifications that are at least more intellectually honest, such as “preferred” workers and “non-preferred” workers.
Because Mike Rowe is correct: all workers are essential.
– – –
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing/reporting has appeared in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, and Fox News.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--War for Eternity: Inside Bannon’s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers Author Ben Teitelbaum Joi

War for Eternity: Inside Bannon’s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers Author Ben Teitelbaum Joins The Tennessee Star Report

In a special interview on Wednesday ’ s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Leahy interviewed Ben Teitelman who wrote the book called “ War for Eternity : Inside Bannon ’ s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers.
” During the third hour , Teitelman discussed what inspired him to write his book and how he came to meet Steve Bannon .
He added that he found something unique in Bannon that was tapping into the “ spiritual significance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guest , Benjamin Teitelbaum a professor of music and ethnography from the University of Colorado got his start playing the Nickel Harpa .
Teitelbaum : A pleasure to be with you .
That is correct .
Leahy : You are the author of a book called “ War for Eternity : Inside Bannon ’ s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers.
” And just for the record , Steve Bannon is a good friend of mine .
He hired me at Breitbart in 2012 .
Leahy : And we ’ ve been good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interested in making sure we interviewed you .
So welcome here to The Tennessee Star .
How did you , somebody that ’ s an expert in the Nickel Harpa ?
Not the one in West Virginia .
Leahy : You got a Ph.D. at Brown .
You ’ re now a professor at the University of Colorado and you specialize in ethnology and music .
How did you become interested in talking to Steve Bannon ?
Teitelbaum : It ’ s quite a story and again it ’ s a pleasure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I actually as time went on political actors ’ interest in music .
But when you do that for a decade or so as I have you end up studying lots of ideas as well .
You end up studying politics .
Sometimes music loosens people up and they will talk to you about other things than if you said you were a political scientist .
Long story short , over that period of time , I ended up learning about a particular type of ideology that was exceedingly rare and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we heard that Steve Bannon knew about this ideology .
Very very rare stuff .
Just a few New York Times reports .
And when I heard about it , afterward it took me about a year to get on his radar .
Leahy : I can imagine what that was like Ben .
( Laughter ) By the way , let me compliment this part of your book .
I ’ ve worked with Steve for over a decade now and very good friends .
I think you captured the essence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you described a typical phone conversation with Steve .
No salutations right ?
Teitelbaum : Yes .
( Laughs ) I ’ ve never seen anything like except in a movie where someone will call you with no hello .
When the business is done the call ends .
Leahy : I have thousands and thousands of emails back and forth and hundreds of phone conversations .
I ’ ve never had a phone conversation with Steve Bannon that ’ s lasted more than 60 seconds .
Leahy : You did a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capturing his personality .
I want to say that .
Teitelbaum : It ’ s a wonderful endorsement .
when you write a book like this it ’ s so easy especially with someone like Steve to fall into stereotypes about somebody .
I ’ ve tried to write it to show who he is .
And I was going to say he ’ s very short on the phone but if you get to him and you sit down with him , with three hours plus .
And that ’ s very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in front of them he ’ ll give you his time .
Leahy : Very well read guy too .
Tell us obscure philosophy .
It ’ s got a description that will be a little misleading .
But tell us a little bit Teitelbaum : It ’ s called traditionalism and that sounds like nothing essentially .
Traditionalists think things were better before .
And that ’ s kind of true in this case but is much much more elaborate .
It ’ s a very unusual way of looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most part almost always as every day that goes by things are getting a little bit worse .
And the only way things are going to get better is when things really really get bad .
If you can follow me through all of that .
Leahy : Let me read from your book which is interesting .
Page 76 of your book .
I marked this down , Bannon ’ s modifications of the traditionalist standard often derived from his attempts to avoid the school ’ s most politically dangerous and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subordination of non-whites and the poor .
And also execute a daring fusion with populism and American nationalism .
I thought that fusionism idea , which is an idea from the American Conservative movement in the 1950s , I thought it was very insightful for you to use that term .
Teitelbaum : He ’ s doing something that really we haven ’ t seen anywhere in world history .
And I ’ ve been consulting widely with my colleagues in the university world about this .
He sees a certain what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the American working class .
Particularly the rural working class , not be as cosmopolitan and globalist as you would expect .
And in his case , he believes that if you prioritize the interests of the American working class a lot of things will happen that typically politicians aren ’ t interested in talking about .
Not only might the paycheck be bigger in his mind but these people might go on a spiritual journey .
And again that ’ s not the certain thing you ’ d expect a politician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t talk about collective spirituality or collective culture that often .
Leahy : Why do you think Steve agreed .
When you finally got to Steve , why do you think he agreed to an interview with a professor who teaches in the music department of a more left-leaning institution .
The University of Colorado-Boulder .
Why do you think he agreed to these extensive series of interviews with you ?
Teitelbaum : Well it started slow .
To be honest Michael , I think I got it because I worked it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his doorstep and kind of made myself a nuisance .
Leahy : Was this at the Breitbart Embassy in Washington , D.C. ?
Teitelbaum : This was in New York .
I ’ ve been to the embassy a number of times yes .
Teitelbaum : It is .
It is for sure .
But I think that long term he saw that I was genuinely curious and that I had expertise in this particular theory of traditionalism .
And it goes a long way .
I think you can tell , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are genuinely interested in somebody or do anything funny people respond to that .
And you stick with them .
You stay on it .
You stay upfront .
And you give insights into how you ’ re thinking and people open up to you .
You just got to stick to it .
Leahy : What do you think Steve Bannon in your view is trying to accomplish ?
Teitelbaum : Right now he ’ s trying to accomplish a reformulation of American nationalism on the one hand .
But also of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different vision for the world that he ’ s pushing right now and is now primarily aimed at isolating China .
And this is going on and if you follow the news we ’ re hot off a weekend when the Chinese Communist Party attacked them in their state-run media .
Leahy : What did they say ?
That ’ s news to me .
Tell us what they said .
Teitelbaum : I ’ m shocked that it hasn ’ t been reported more .
In one of their newscasts , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Steve Bannon is propagating against China .
We need to pay the world for this virus .
Steve Bannon is a right-wing extremist .
He is an agent of chaos and needs to be disregarded and blah blah blah .
Very very strange because they usually do not comment in those ways in this forum .
Especially somebody who ’ snot even in government right now .
Leahy : Why do you feel they felt the need to undermine Steve Bannon .
Why is the Chinese Communist Party attacking Steve Bannon ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible reasons .
One is that there has been increased attention to the fact that Steve has been pushing diplomatically against the communist party and getting reception with fairly high scaled actors .
I ’ m going to be shameless and say I might have something to do with that attention .
Leahy : Will you come back to this program next week perhaps and how well your book is being received generally .
Teitelbaum : It would be an honor yes .
Listen to the full third hour : Tune in weekdays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Ben Teitelbaum ” by The University of Colorado .
Photo “ War for Eternity : Inside Bannon ’ s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers ” by Amazon .

In a special interview on Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Leahy interviewed Ben Teitelman who wrote the book called “War for Eternity: Inside Bannon’s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers.”
During the third hour, Teitelman discussed what inspired him to write his book and how he came to meet Steve Bannon. He added that he found something unique in Bannon that was tapping into the “spiritual significance of the working class.”
Leahy: Our guest, Benjamin Teitelbaum a professor of music and ethnography from the University of Colorado got his start playing the Nickel Harpa.
Teitelbaum: A pleasure to be with you. That is correct.
Leahy: You are the author of a book called “War for Eternity: Inside Bannon’s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers.” And just for the record, Steve Bannon is a good friend of mine. He hired me at Breitbart in 2012.
Teitelbaum: Wow.
Leahy: And we’ve been good friends ever since. He was very interested in making sure we interviewed you. So welcome here to The Tennessee Star. How did you, somebody that’s an expert in the Nickel Harpa? Not the one in West Virginia.
Teitelbaum: That is correct.
Leahy: You got a Ph.D. at Brown. You’re now a professor at the University of Colorado and you specialize in ethnology and music. How did you become interested in talking to Steve Bannon?
Teitelbaum: It’s quite a story and again it’s a pleasure to be with you, Michael. So, I actually as time went on political actors’ interest in music. But when you do that for a decade or so as I have you end up studying lots of ideas as well. You end up studying politics. Sometimes music loosens people up and they will talk to you about other things than if you said you were a political scientist.
Long story short, over that period of time, I ended up learning about a particular type of ideology that was exceedingly rare and was just completely blown away when in 2016-17 we heard that Steve Bannon knew about this ideology. Very very rare stuff. Just a few New York Times reports. And when I heard about it, afterward it took me about a year to get on his radar.
Leahy: I can imagine what that was like Ben. (Laughter) By the way, let me compliment this part of your book. I’ve worked with Steve for over a decade now and very good friends. I think you captured the essence of him. I was laughing out loud when you described a typical phone conversation with Steve. No salutations right?
Teitelbaum: Yes. (Laughs) I’ve never seen anything like except in a movie where someone will call you with no hello. When the business is done the call ends.
Leahy: I have thousands and thousands of emails back and forth and hundreds of phone conversations. I’ve never had a phone conversation with Steve Bannon that’s lasted more than 60 seconds.
Teitelbaum: I don’t doubt it.
Leahy: You did a great job, by the way, capturing his personality. I want to say that.
Teitelbaum: It’s a wonderful endorsement. when you write a book like this it’s so easy especially with someone like Steve to fall into stereotypes about somebody. I’ve tried to write it to show who he is. And I was going to say he’s very short on the phone but if you get to him and you sit down with him, with three hours plus. And that’s very rare for someone too. If you are in front of them he’ll give you his time.
Leahy: Very well read guy too. Tell us obscure philosophy. It’s got a description that will be a little misleading. But tell us a little bit
Teitelbaum: It’s called traditionalism and that sounds like nothing essentially. Traditionalists think things were better before. And that’s kind of true in this case but is much much more elaborate. It’s a very unusual way of looking at history time cycles.
And that for the most part almost always as every day that goes by things are getting a little bit worse. And the only way things are going to get better is when things really really get bad. If you can follow me through all of that.
Leahy: Let me read from your book which is interesting. Page 76 of your book. I marked this down, Bannon’s modifications of the traditionalist standard often derived from his attempts to avoid the school’s most politically dangerous and damning dogmas.
Notably, it theorized the subordination of non-whites and the poor. And also execute a daring fusion with populism and American nationalism. I thought that fusionism idea, which is an idea from the American Conservative movement in the 1950s, I thought it was very insightful for you to use that term.
Teitelbaum: He’s doing something that really we haven’t seen anywhere in world history. And I’ve been consulting widely with my colleagues in the university world about this. He sees a certain what should see, a certain spiritual significance with the American working class.
Particularly the rural working class, not be as cosmopolitan and globalist as you would expect. And in his case, he believes that if you prioritize the interests of the American working class a lot of things will happen that typically politicians aren’t interested in talking about.
Not only might the paycheck be bigger in his mind but these people might go on a spiritual journey. And again that’s not the certain thing you’d expect a politician to talk about. Politicians don’t talk about collective spirituality or collective culture that often.
Leahy: Why do you think Steve agreed. When you finally got to Steve, why do you think he agreed to an interview with a professor who teaches in the music department of a more left-leaning institution. The University of Colorado-Boulder. Why do you think he agreed to these extensive series of interviews with you?
Teitelbaum: Well it started slow. To be honest Michael, I think I got it because I worked it for a year and just showed up at his doorstep and kind of made myself a nuisance.
Leahy: Was this at the Breitbart Embassy in Washington, D.C.?
Teitelbaum: This was in New York. I’ve been to the embassy a number of times yes.
Leahy: That’s an experience, isn’t it?
Teitelbaum: It is. It is for sure. But I think that long term he saw that I was genuinely curious and that I had expertise in this particular theory of traditionalism. And it goes a long way. I think you can tell, you’re an interviewer.
If you are genuinely interested in somebody or do anything funny people respond to that. And you stick with them. You stay on it. You stay upfront. And you give insights into how you’re thinking and people open up to you. You just got to stick to it.
Leahy: What do you think Steve Bannon in your view is trying to accomplish?
Teitelbaum: Right now he’s trying to accomplish a reformulation of American nationalism on the one hand. But also of geopolitics. It is a very very different vision for the world that he’s pushing right now and is now primarily aimed at isolating China. And this is going on and if you follow the news we’re hot off a weekend when the Chinese Communist Party attacked them in their state-run media.
Leahy: They attacked Steve Bannon?
Teitelbaum: Yes.
Leahy: What did they say? That’s news to me. Tell us what they said.
Teitelbaum: I’m shocked that it hasn’t been reported more. In one of their newscasts, they had an editorial segment where they said that Steve Bannon is propagating against China. We need to pay the world for this virus.
Steve Bannon is a right-wing extremist. He is an agent of chaos and needs to be disregarded and blah blah blah. Very very strange because they usually do not comment in those ways in this forum. Especially somebody who’snot even in government right now.
Leahy: Why do you feel they felt the need to undermine Steve Bannon. Why is the Chinese Communist Party attacking Steve Bannon?
Teitelbaum: I think there are two possible reasons. One is that there has been increased attention to the fact that Steve has been pushing diplomatically against the communist party and getting reception with fairly high scaled actors. I’m going to be shameless and say I might have something to do with that attention.
Leahy: Will you come back to this program next week perhaps and how well your book is being received generally.
Teitelbaum: It would be an honor yes.
Leahy: “War for Eternity: Inside Bannon’s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers”
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. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Ben Teitelbaum” by The University of Colorado. Photo “War for Eternity: Inside Bannon’s Far-Right Circle of Global Power Brokers” by Amazon.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--‘Schiff Caves’: House Intel Chairman Will Release Russia Probe Transcripts

Rep. Adam Schiff said Wednesday he will soon release dozens of transcripts from the House Intelligence Committee ’ s Russia investigation , ending a lengthy partisan standoff over publication of the documents .
A spokesman for Schiff made the announcement after the release of a letter from Richard Grenell in which the acting director of national intelligence said he would publish the 53 transcripts on his own if the California Democrat refused to do so .
On Tuesday , Republicans on the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees accused Schiff of “ blocking ” the release of the transcripts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , when under GOP control , to release the transcripts of interviews with Obama administration officials , Trump campaign associates and others .
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence ( ODNI ) completed a review of 43 of the transcripts in June 2019 .
A review of the other 10 was recently completed .
“ I urge you to honor your previous public statements , and your committee ’ s unanimous vote on this matter , to release all 53 cleared transcripts to Members of Congress and the American public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in his letter to Schiff .
“ I am also willing to release the transcripts directly from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , as to ensure we comply with the unanimous and bipartisan vote to release the transcripts , ” Grenell continued .
Schiff ’ s office tried to turn the tables on Grenell in the statement on Wednesday .
“ After more than a year of unnecessary delay , the ODNI has finally concluded its protracted classification review of the Committee ’ s transcripts , and it also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its improper insistence on reviewing key transcripts , which the Committee appropriately rejected , ” a spokesman for Schiff said in a statement , according to CNN .
“ Our review of ODNI ’ s newly proposed redactions will be as expeditious as possible given the constraints of the pandemic , and we look forward to releasing these transcripts.
” The Intelligence panel interviewed several FBI officials whose activities during Crossfire Hurricane — the probe of the Trump campaign — were scrutinized in a Justice Department inspector general ’ s investigation .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI made 17 “ significant ” errors and omissions in applications for surveillance authorization against campaign aide Carter Page .
Many of the errors involved the FBI ’ s handling of information related to Christopher Steele , whose dossier the bureau used to justify wiretapping Page .
One transcript to be released is from an interview with Michael Gaeta , an FBI agent who was Steele ’ s handler .
The committee will also release transcripts of interviews with David Kramer , a former aide to Sen. John McCain who leaked the Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Background Photo “ DOJ Building ” by Policeguy31 .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

by Chuck Ross
Rep. Adam Schiff said Wednesday he will soon release dozens of transcripts from the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation, ending a lengthy partisan standoff over publication of the documents.
A spokesman for Schiff made the announcement after the release of a letter from Richard Grenell in which the acting director of national intelligence said he would publish the 53 transcripts on his own if the California Democrat refused to do so.
On Tuesday, Republicans on the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees accused Schiff of “blocking” the release of the transcripts.
The House Intelligence Committee voted in September 2018, when under GOP control, to release the transcripts of interviews with Obama administration officials, Trump campaign associates and others.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) completed a review of 43 of the transcripts in June 2019. A review of the other 10 was recently completed.
“I urge you to honor your previous public statements, and your committee’s unanimous vote on this matter, to release all 53 cleared transcripts to Members of Congress and the American public as soon as possible,” Grenell said in his letter to Schiff.
“I am also willing to release the transcripts directly from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, as to ensure we comply with the unanimous and bipartisan vote to release the transcripts,” Grenell continued.
Schiff caves! But we’ll believe it when we see it. https://t.co/PlYZFvP689 — House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) May 6, 2020
Schiff’s office tried to turn the tables on Grenell in the statement on Wednesday.
“After more than a year of unnecessary delay, the ODNI has finally concluded its protracted classification review of the Committee’s transcripts, and it also appears the White House has now abandoned its improper insistence on reviewing key transcripts, which the Committee appropriately rejected,” a spokesman for Schiff said in a statement, according to CNN.
“Our review of ODNI’s newly proposed redactions will be as expeditious as possible given the constraints of the pandemic, and we look forward to releasing these transcripts.”
The Intelligence panel interviewed several FBI officials whose activities during Crossfire Hurricane — the probe of the Trump campaign — were scrutinized in a Justice Department inspector general’s investigation.
A report from the IG said that the FBI made 17 “significant” errors and omissions in applications for surveillance authorization against campaign aide Carter Page.
Many of the errors involved the FBI’s handling of information related to Christopher Steele, whose dossier the bureau used to justify wiretapping Page.
One transcript to be released is from an interview with Michael Gaeta, an FBI agent who was Steele’s handler. The committee will also release transcripts of interviews with David Kramer, a former aide to Sen. John McCain who leaked the Steele dossier to BuzzFeed News.
– – –
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Background Photo “DOJ Building” by Policeguy31. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Chinese State Media Attacks Steve Bannon After Calling CCP ‘Enemies of All Mankind’

The propaganda arms of the Chinese Communist Party have set their sights on Steve Bannon , a former White House chief strategist and vocal critic of China ’ s Communist regime .
Bannon now hosts a popular radio show called “ War Room : Pandemic ” and has dedicated numerous segments and even whole shows to exposing the evils of the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) .
“ Xi Jinping and his radical cadre of gangsters have the blood of the world on their hands .
They must be held accountable for this death and economic devastation .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the existential threat of the CCP – not simply to the world , but in particular , to the people of China , ” Bannon said in an April statement .
In an interview with The Tennessee Star Report , Bannon said the coronavirus pandemic is “ the sole responsibility ” of the CCP and called it a “ biological Chernobyl.
” “ They are the enemies of the United States .
They are the enemies of all mankind .
They have a tremendous amount of money .
A tremendous amount of influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You try to take them on , you better be prepared to get punched because they punch hard , ” Bannon said .
As predicted , the CCP is now punching back .
China Central Television ( CCTV ) called Bannon a “ shameless anti-Chinese pioneer ” who wants to “ make the world in chaos.
” The propaganda network further accused “ sinister American politicians ” of cooperating with Bannon to “ take advantage ” of the crisis .
The China Global Television Network ( CGTN ) , another state-operated outlet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called him a “ modern day demagogue.
” “ His vitriolic offensive against the Communist Party of China is also an attempt to gain political relevance at a time when Bannon has been operating at the fringes of American politics , unable to undo his rapid fall into oblivion since first leaving the White House , ” another article claimed .
A final article said the “ biggest threat facing the U.S. ” is not the coronavirus , but “ right-wing populists ” like Bannon .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Steve Bannon ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

The propaganda arms of the Chinese Communist Party have set their sights on Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist and vocal critic of China’s Communist regime.
Bannon now hosts a popular radio show called “War Room: Pandemic” and has dedicated numerous segments and even whole shows to exposing the evils of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“Xi Jinping and his radical cadre of gangsters have the blood of the world on their hands. They must be held accountable for this death and economic devastation. We look forward to enlightening our listeners on the existential threat of the CCP – not simply to the world, but in particular, to the people of China,” Bannon said in an April statement.
In an interview with The Tennessee Star Report, Bannon said the coronavirus pandemic is “the sole responsibility” of the CCP and called it a “biological Chernobyl.”
“They are the enemies of the United States. They are the enemies of all mankind. They have a tremendous amount of money. A tremendous amount of influence. A tremendous amount of power. You try to take them on, you better be prepared to get punched because they punch hard,” Bannon said.
As predicted, the CCP is now punching back. China Central Television (CCTV) called Bannon a “shameless anti-Chinese pioneer” who wants to “make the world in chaos.”
The propaganda network further accused “sinister American politicians” of cooperating with Bannon to “take advantage” of the crisis.
The China Global Television Network (CGTN), another state-operated outlet, has published several articles attacking Bannon and called him a “modern day demagogue.”
“His vitriolic offensive against the Communist Party of China is also an attempt to gain political relevance at a time when Bannon has been operating at the fringes of American politics, unable to undo his rapid fall into oblivion since first leaving the White House,” another article claimed.
A final article said the “biggest threat facing the U.S.” is not the coronavirus, but “right-wing populists” like Bannon.
– – –
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Steve Bannon” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Crom Carmichael on Steve Bannon: ‘He Is a Tremendous Threat to the Chinese Communist Party’

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast live from Music Row on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined in studio by the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
At the end of the third hour , Carmichael discussed how Steve Bannon has become a threat to the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) by rallying the world to unite against them .
He added that he found it interesting that the author of War for Eternity Ben Teitelbaum who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Colorado has managed to pick up on something that Steve Bannon is messaging and the CCP finds threatening .
Leahy : I ’ m curious , your role here was to be the analyst of that interview I just conducted with Ben Teitelbaum from the University of Colorado who wrote a book called War for Eternity about Steve Bannon .
What was your take about that interview ?
Carmichael : It was short obviously .
I couldn ’ t really tell where he would describe himself .
Carmichael : I would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would say this , he strikes me as someone that is quite curious .
He strikes me as a person even if he leans left he ’ s open-minded which is unusual .
Leahy : You ’ ve made that point before .
Which I agree with by the way .
A lot of people on the left are not open-minded .
Carmichael : No , they ’ re not .
They ’ re not .
This guy is a person who strikes me as someone who would consider the possibility that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you are a simple-minded person meaning that you think every problem is A causes B and solve for A and you fix B .
Which is what most people on the left are .
Then this guy is curious .
Now there was one part to be honest with you Michael where I was phasing out just a little bit and was not listening as well as I should have .
He was talking about some group or something was attacking Bannon and used a bunch of language about how he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
All these terrible terrible things .
Was he talking about The New York Times or CNN ?
( Leahy laughs ) I missed that part .
Who was he talking about ?
Carmichael : Oh !
( Leahy laughs ) I ’ m so sorry .
I ’ m so sorry .
Leahy : I fell for that one .
You got me !
( Laughter ) Ahhh , you got me .
Carmichael : I was just having a little fun .
Leahy : That was good .
That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : But isn ’ t it interesting how the language and the attacks by the Communist Chinese Party sound a lot like The New York Times and CNN ’ s repertoire of the Trump administration ?
Leahy : It ’ s almost as if they have the same talking points .
( Carmichael chuckles ) It ’ s almost as if !
Carmichael : Maybe they go to the same place to get their words of the day .
Leahy : How extraordinary is it Crom that the leadership of the Chinese Communist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an un-elected official because of the ideas that he ’ s promoting that basically say that the rest of the world needs to unite against the atheist dictatorial Chinese Communist Party .
Carmichael : And we need to be very very clear on the distinction here just like when I attack government unions .
I ’ m not attacking government employees .
I ’ m attacking the union thugs who run the unions .
Most government employees are very good people .
And they try to do a good job but they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unions with work rules and whatnot that make it very very difficult for them to do their jobs effectively .
Effectively as they could .
And they know that .
I ’ ve had many of them tell me that .
And so now you look at the Chinese Communist Party .
It ’ s a very small group of people relative to the population of China .
And they are thugs .
The Communist Chinese Party is in the business of promoting and keeping the power for the Communist Chinese Party just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep their own power .
Leahy : And they are getting rich .
Carmichael : Well very rich .
And they love their power .
So Bannon now has become a threat .
And if the world did unite and if they saw the Chinese Communist Party as an existential threat to proper world order and not the world order that exists today .
Because of the world order that existed prior to Trump , the Chinese Communist Party was rocketing to the top of the heap .
And now you have Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are saying this is bad for the world .
This is not just bad for the United States , this is bad for the world .
So , therefore , he is a tremendous threat to the Chinese Communist Party .
Leahy : And as Ben Teitlebaum the author of the book , War for Eternity , seemed to indicate , he thinks it ’ s perhaps the kind of publicity Steve ’ s message is getting that is beginning to unite opposition to China and that ’ s why they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes .
And within the country of China , any journalist who gets any kind of traction at all attacking the Communist Chinese Party something bad happens to that person .
The Chinese Communist Party will not allow dissent .
Look what the Chinese Communist Party is trying to do in Hong Kong .
Look what they do to their own people .
Look what they did to the American journalists who were trying to report on the Wuhan Virus .
Bannon is on to something and its interesting that this fellow has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re going to have Ben Teitelbaumback on .
Carmichael : That would be great .
Leahy : If he ’ s got the time we ’ ll make him a regular guest .
He ’ s a very interesting guy who ’ s approached this with an open mind .
Crom , it is a delight having you back in the studio .
Studio freedom week continues phase one and hopefully , we ’ ll move into phase two next week .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Steve Bannon ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast live from Music Row on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined in studio by the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael.
At the end of the third hour, Carmichael discussed how Steve Bannon has become a threat to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by rallying the world to unite against them. He added that he found it interesting that the author of War for Eternity Ben Teitelbaum who is also a music professor at the University of Colorado has managed to pick up on something that Steve Bannon is messaging and the CCP finds threatening.
Leahy: I’m curious, your role here was to be the analyst of that interview I just conducted with Ben Teitelbaum from the University of Colorado who wrote a book called War for Eternity about Steve Bannon. What was your take about that interview?
Carmichael: It was short obviously. I couldn’t really tell where he would describe himself.
Leahy: Probably a little bit leaning left.
Carmichael: I would like to of heard him describe himself. I would say this, he strikes me as someone that is quite curious. He strikes me as a person even if he leans left he’s open-minded which is unusual.
Leahy: You’ve made that point before. Which I agree with by the way. A lot of people on the left are not open-minded.
Carmichael: No, they’re not. They’re not. This guy is a person who strikes me as someone who would consider the possibility that problems are complex as opposed to simple. If you are a simple-minded person meaning that you think every problem is A causes B and solve for A and you fix B. Which is what most people on the left are. Then this guy is curious.
Now there was one part to be honest with you Michael where I was phasing out just a little bit and was not listening as well as I should have. He was talking about some group or something was attacking Bannon and used a bunch of language about how he’s this and he’s that. All these terrible terrible things. Was he talking about The New York Times or CNN? (Leahy laughs) I missed that part. Who was he talking about?
Leahy: The Chinese Communist Party.
Carmichael: Oh! (Leahy laughs) I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.
Leahy: I fell for that one. You got me! (Laughter) Ahhh, you got me.
Carmichael: I was just having a little fun.
Leahy: That was good. That was very good. (Laughter)
Carmichael: But isn’t it interesting how the language and the attacks by the Communist Chinese Party sound a lot like The New York Times and CNN’s repertoire of the Trump administration?
Leahy: It’s almost as if they have the same talking points. (Carmichael chuckles) It’s almost as if!
Carmichael: Maybe they go to the same place to get their words of the day.
Leahy: How extraordinary is it Crom that the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is attacking Steve Bannon who is an un-elected official because of the ideas that he’s promoting that basically say that the rest of the world needs to unite against the atheist dictatorial Chinese Communist Party.
Carmichael: And we need to be very very clear on the distinction here just like when I attack government unions. I’m not attacking government employees. I’m attacking the union thugs who run the unions. Most government employees are very good people.
And they try to do a good job but they’re put in straight jackets by these unions with work rules and whatnot that make it very very difficult for them to do their jobs effectively. Effectively as they could. And they know that. I’ve had many of them tell me that. And so now you look at the Chinese Communist Party.
It’s a very small group of people relative to the population of China. And they are thugs. The Communist Chinese Party is in the business of promoting and keeping the power for the Communist Chinese Party just like the union thugs jobs are to keep their own power.
Leahy: And they are getting rich.
Carmichael: Very rich.
Leahy: Very rich.
Carmichael: Well very rich. And they love their power. So Bannon now has become a threat. And if the world did unite and if they saw the Chinese Communist Party as an existential threat to proper world order and not the world order that exists today. Because of the world order that existed prior to Trump, the Chinese Communist Party was rocketing to the top of the heap.
And now you have Trump and the Bannons of the world who are saying this is bad for the world. This is not just bad for the United States, this is bad for the world. So, therefore, he is a tremendous threat to the Chinese Communist Party.
Leahy: And as Ben Teitlebaum the author of the book, War for Eternity, seemed to indicate, he thinks it’s perhaps the kind of publicity Steve’s message is getting that is beginning to unite opposition to China and that’s why they’re going after Steve Bannon.
Carmichael: Yes. And within the country of China, any journalist who gets any kind of traction at all attacking the Communist Chinese Party something bad happens to that person. The Chinese Communist Party will not allow dissent.
Look what the Chinese Communist Party is trying to do in Hong Kong. Look what they do to their own people. Look what they did to the American journalists who were trying to report on the Wuhan Virus. Bannon is on to something and its interesting that this fellow has picked up on it.
Leahy: We’re going to have Ben Teitelbaumback on.
Carmichael: That would be great.
Leahy: If he’s got the time we’ll make him a regular guest. He’s a very interesting guy who’s approached this with an open mind. Crom, it is a delight having you back in the studio. Studio freedom week continues phase one and hopefully, we’ll move into phase two next week.
Listen to the full third hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Steve Bannon” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Crom Carmichael Talks Smug Historians and Their Selective Memory of Historical Facts

Broadcasting live from Music Row Wednesday 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. – Leahy was joined in-studio by all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
During the second hour , Carmichael reflected on past CSPAN clips featuring historians Jon Meacham and Michael Beschloss who spoke with a disposition of smug arrogance which permeated during their interviews while they selectively discussed politics and Trump from a biased historical position .
Leahy : In the studio with us six feet away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a flag of Kurdistan on it our good friend .
Not wearing a mask but wearing his official Crom Carmichael hazmat suit .
Crom , good morning .
How are you today ?
Carmichael : Good morning Michael .
How are you , sir ?
Leahy : I am just continually astonished at the hypocrisy of the left over the past couple of days .
You ’ ve been sending me all sorts of clips that illustrate the hypocrisy of the left .
Carmichael : It ’ s fascinating because the clips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them was an interview with our good friend who we ’ ve never met and local historian who ’ ve we ’ eve never met Jon Meacham… Leahy : I can tell you exactly who it was .
Somebody who has actually interviewed me once .
Willie Geist who back in 2012 in my twelve minutes of appearances on Morning Joe where I got the icy stare from Mika Brzezinski but they were nice to me because Tom Brokaw told them to be nice to me .
Willie Geist was interviewing Jon Meacham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Meacham interviewing Michael Beschloss .
And they said , look just so we ’ re clear here , Michael said Jon ’ s not asking me any questions that I don ’ t already know the answers to because we ’ re are best friends .
So that was a nice context .
But when you get two people who are historians and they are historians of the left .
Neither one of them would want to admit that because they like to think they are just historians .
Carmichael : Thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close .
Carmichael : Not even close .
And here ’ s one part that absolutely just floored me because I watched the whole thing including the questions from the audience .
I ’ ve never seen an audience that had more Trump Derangement Syndrome than these audiences .
It ’ s like you can ’ t get in with a ticket unless your groveling all over the floor because you hate Trump .
This was back before the Mueller Report came out .
Carmichael : And in each case , they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was being very smug and Michael Beschloss was being very smug .
And Bob Woodward .
This was also before that report came out .
they were all being very smug about how they thought that when the facts came out Trump would be doomed .
But one thing that Woodward said that I thought was fascinating was that he acknowledged that Trump gave every single document to the Mueller team that Mueller requested .
Every , single , one .
Carmichael : No cover-up .
No obstruction .
None .
Zero .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden and Tara Reade .
Whether or not Tara Reade is telling the truth , that ’ s a different question .
What is Joe Biden doing ?
Joe Biden referred the matter to the some Senate person who he knew under the law couldn ’ t provide the information .
And he won ’ t let the University of Delaware… Carmichael : A public university that has a vow of silence with him that they changed only recently because they said that the information would be released two years after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he ’ s been out of public service for more than two years .
But now he ’ s running for president so they ’ ve changed it .
The hypocrisy of these people !
At one point Beschloss was asked a question about the Middle East war .
About the period between 2003 and forward and he very smugly said , well there ’ s not been enough time to have passed for me to give you a historical perspective .
So the opinions that I give are based on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep understanding of the situation , blah blah blah .
Then the next question was about Trump which he very happily gave his opinion on Trump .
Leahy : Because he didn ’ t have a deep understanding of… Carmichael : Of way back then .
Carmichael : But he has a deep understanding of today .
It just absolutely cracked me up .
Leahy : Let us illustrate .
We have one of these clips that you ’ re talking about from this 2018 interview of Jon Meacham interviewed by Willie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it ’ s basically Meacham pontificating about the president ’ s push back against Mueller and how the president was supporting fake news .
Leahy : So there ’ s Jon Meacham pretending that Trump ’ s criticism of Mueller who ’ s been totally discredited .
Leahy : And the press was somehow fake news and dictatorial .
Carmichael : Obviously , if it were dictatorial it would be bad for our democratic society .
Why he says , I don ’ t want to go there and talk about Nazism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dictator .
( Leahy laughs ) I have read his books but I ’ ve started looking at him more because he ’ s now a Nashvillian and this is one arrogant , pompous person .
It is just astounding .
And he ’ s not just arrogant and pompous , he ’ s wrong .
He may be pretty good when he goes back a couple of 100 years .
He may be , but in judging the recent past because what I ’ ve done here is , and I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reading another story then there was a little sidebar and clicked it and started to watch and end up watching two or three of these one-hour interviews .
Complete with the questions and answers .
And this feeds into this guy from London that I sent you the information on .
Leahy : Oh .
Ok .
This is a funny story .
Carmichael : It ’ s not funny .
This is outrageous !
There is nothing funny about someone who ’ s done what he did because of the pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of people .
Go ahead .
Leahy : The guy ’ s name is Neil Ferguson .
He ’ s a United Kingdom academic .
He ’ s the guy that put together the college model that said two million people will die in the United States by the coronavirus funded by the way by Bill and Melinda Gates .
Big proponent now of social distancing in the UK .
They followed all of his plans .
What has he done personally ?
Carmichael : And by the way , he not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he actually applauded the way that the Chinese Communist Party treated their own people .
And I ’ m talking about the thuggish way that they treated them which is ten times worse than the mayor of Chicago .
Leahy : Looking them up .
Carmichael : Literally locking them up .
Grabbing and taking them from their homes to places nobody knew where they were going .
He endorsed that .
Because he said its that important .
Then he ends up coming down with COVID-19 and invites his married mistress over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside the zone where he ’ s infected .
I don ’ t know whether or not he infected her or not because she ’ s married and has two children .
Leahy : That was very thoughtful of him .
Carmichael : Michael , he ought to go to prison for things like this because of the pain and suffering that he has caused other people .
Lori Lightfoot , the mayor of Chicago has said if you are caught outside that is a crime and you will go to prison .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a haircut or go to the beauty salon .
Carmichael : Except she did .
And she got caught and makes an excuse for it that ’ s it ’ s ok .
This is what is so maddening about Jon Meachams of the world and the Michael Bleshlosses of the world and the Robert Woodwards of the world .
They sit up there with their wine and brie crowd and talk about the hoi polloi which are the people who are losing their jobs and livelihoods all because of government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these historians can ’ t see .
Listen to the second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Jon Meachem ” by Larry D. Moore .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

Broadcasting live from Music Row Wednesday 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. – Leahy was joined in-studio by all-star panelist Crom Carmichael.
During the second hour, Carmichael reflected on past CSPAN clips featuring historians Jon Meacham and Michael Beschloss who spoke with a disposition of smug arrogance which permeated during their interviews while they selectively discussed politics and Trump from a biased historical position.
Leahy: In the studio with us six feet away from me, not wearing a mask with a flag of Kurdistan on it our good friend. Not wearing a mask but wearing his official Crom Carmichael hazmat suit. Crom, good morning. How are you today?
Carmichael: Good morning Michael. How are you, sir?
Leahy: I am just continually astonished at the hypocrisy of the left over the past couple of days. You’ve been sending me all sorts of clips that illustrate the hypocrisy of the left.
Carmichael: It’s fascinating because the clips that I sent you, one of them was an interview with our good friend who we’ve never met and local historian who’ve we’eve never met Jon Meacham…
Leahy: Jon Meacham.
Leahy: I can tell you exactly who it was. Somebody who has actually interviewed me once. Willie Geist who back in 2012 in my twelve minutes of appearances on Morning Joe where I got the icy stare from Mika Brzezinski but they were nice to me because Tom Brokaw told them to be nice to me. Willie Geist was interviewing Jon Meacham.
And then the other one was Jon Meacham interviewing Michael Beschloss. And they said, look just so we’re clear here, Michael said Jon’s not asking me any questions that I don’t already know the answers to because we’re are best friends. So that was a nice context. But when you get two people who are historians and they are historians of the left. Neither one of them would want to admit that because they like to think they are just historians.
Leahy: Objective.
Carmichael: That they’re objective.
Leahy: Not.
Carmichael: Thank you. They’re not even close.
Leahy: Not even close.
Carmichael: Not even close. And here’s one part that absolutely just floored me because I watched the whole thing including the questions from the audience. I’ve never seen an audience that had more Trump Derangement Syndrome than these audiences. It’s like you can’t get in with a ticket unless your groveling all over the floor because you hate Trump. This was back before the Mueller Report came out.
Leahy: Ahhhh.
Carmichael: And in each case, they were all being very smug. Jon Meacham was being very smug and Michael Beschloss was being very smug. And Bob Woodward. This was also before that report came out. they were all being very smug about how they thought that when the facts came out Trump would be doomed. But one thing that Woodward said that I thought was fascinating was that he acknowledged that Trump gave every single document to the Mueller team that Mueller requested. Every, single, one.
Leahy: No cover-up there.
Carmichael: No cover-up. No obstruction. None. Zero. Now let’s compare that to Joe Biden and Tara Reade. Whether or not Tara Reade is telling the truth, that’s a different question. What is Joe Biden doing? Joe Biden referred the matter to the some Senate person who he knew under the law couldn’t provide the information. And he won’t let the University of Delaware…
Leahy: A public university.
Carmichael: A public university that has a vow of silence with him that they changed only recently because they said that the information would be released two years after he was out of public service. Well, he’s been out of public service for more than two years.
But now he’s running for president so they’ve changed it. The hypocrisy of these people! At one point Beschloss was asked a question about the Middle East war. About the period between 2003 and forward and he very smugly said, well there’s not been enough time to have passed for me to give you a historical perspective.
So the opinions that I give are based on a deep dive into the facts. And a deep understanding of the situation, blah blah blah. Then the next question was about Trump which he very happily gave his opinion on Trump.
Leahy: Because he didn’t have a deep understanding of…
Carmichael: Of way back then.
Leahy: 15 years before.
Carmichael: But he has a deep understanding of today. It just absolutely cracked me up.
Leahy: Let us illustrate. We have one of these clips that you’re talking about from this 2018 interview of Jon Meacham interviewed by Willie Geist. This is clip two. And it’s basically Meacham pontificating about the president’s push back against Mueller and how the president was supporting fake news.
(Jon Meacham clip plays)
Leahy: So there’s Jon Meacham pretending that Trump’s criticism of Mueller who’s been totally discredited.
Carmichael: And the press.
Leahy: And the press was somehow fake news and dictatorial.
Carmichael: Obviously, if it were dictatorial it would be bad for our democratic society. Why he says, I don’t want to go there and talk about Nazism but I’ll call Trump a dictator. (Leahy laughs) I have read his books but I’ve started looking at him more because he’s now a Nashvillian and this is one arrogant, pompous person. It is just astounding. And he’s not just arrogant and pompous, he’s wrong.
He may be pretty good when he goes back a couple of 100 years. He may be, but in judging the recent past because what I’ve done here is, and I just kind of fell into it. I was reading another story then there was a little sidebar and clicked it and started to watch and end up watching two or three of these one-hour interviews. Complete with the questions and answers. And this feeds into this guy from London that I sent you the information on.
Leahy: Oh. Ok. This is a funny story.
Carmichael: It’s not funny. This is outrageous! There is nothing funny about someone who’s done what he did because of the pain that he has caused to tens of millions of people. Go ahead.
Leahy: The guy’s name is Neil Ferguson. He’s a United Kingdom academic. He’s the guy that put together the college model that said two million people will die in the United States by the coronavirus funded by the way by Bill and Melinda Gates. Big proponent now of social distancing in the UK. They followed all of his plans. What has he done personally?
Carmichael: And by the way, he not only was in favor of social distancing he actually applauded the way that the Chinese Communist Party treated their own people. And I’m talking about the thuggish way that they treated them which is ten times worse than the mayor of Chicago.
Leahy: Looking them up.
Carmichael: Literally locking them up. Grabbing and taking them from their homes to places nobody knew where they were going. He endorsed that. Because he said its that important. Then he ends up coming down with COVID-19 and invites his married mistress over to his place while he is still inside the zone where he’s infected. I don’t know whether or not he infected her or not because she’s married and has two children.
Leahy: That was very thoughtful of him.
Carmichael: Michael, he ought to go to prison for things like this because of the pain and suffering that he has caused other people. Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago has said if you are caught outside that is a crime and you will go to prison. And she is adamant that nobody can get a haircut or go to the beauty salon.
Leahy: Except…
Carmichael: Except she did. And she got caught and makes an excuse for it that’s it’s ok. This is what is so maddening about Jon Meachams of the world and the Michael Bleshlosses of the world and the Robert Woodwards of the world. They sit up there with their wine and brie crowd and talk about the hoi polloi which are the people who are losing their jobs and livelihoods all because of government and people like Andrew Cuomo and the hypocrisy that these historians can’t see.
Listen to the second hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Jon Meachem” by Larry D. Moore. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--International Investigation of Alleged US War Crimes Pushed By Groups with Terror Ties, Report Finds

Palestinian organizations with ties to terror groups spearheaded an International Criminal Court ( ICC ) investigation into alleged war crimes by the United States in Afghanistan , a report by a Jerusalem think tank found .
The ICC recently authorized an investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan .
However , a report released Tuesday by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs ( JCPA ) questions the legitimacy of the actors behind the complaint as well as the impartiality of the chief prosecutor herself .
“ The International Criminal Court ( ICC ) has returned as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy .
But the debate this time not only influences American interests but also the interests of its key allies , especially Israel , ” read the opening of the JCPA report .
Since 2017 , the International Federation for Human Rights ( FIDH ) and the Center for Constitutional Rights ( CCR ) pushed the ICC — an international tribunal located in the Netherlands — to investigate the United States ’ role in Afghanistan , according to the JCPA .
Members of the CIA and U.S. military forces committed war crimes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan , the groups said .
The court initially rejected the request in April 2019 .
However , Fatou Bensouda , the ICC ’ s chief prosecutor , authorized an opening of the investigation in March 2020 .
FIDH , an umbrella organization based in France that is comprised of more than 180 human-rights groups around the world , has been “ deeply involved ” in the anti-Semitic Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel , according to the JCPA report .
Shawan Jabarin was elected as the vice president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serves as the group ’ s secretary general .
Jabarin , despite being considered a human-rights activist by FIDH and some Palestinian groups , has been arrested and jailed for his involvement with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP ) , according to the JCPA .
The PFLP is a Marxist-Leninist group that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States , the European Union and other countries .
Jabarin , who has been convicted of his terror ties with the PFLP by the Israeli government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to travel bans by Israel and Jordan for his alleged terror activities , according to the report .
Despite accusations and arrests by the Israeli government , he has denied any connection to the Marxist terror group .
The Center for Constitutional Rights is a nonprofit organization based in New York City that specializes in legal representation of imprisoned people .
The CCR is also involved in initiatives to boycott , divest and sanction the Israeli government , the JCPA report stated .
The JCPA also questioned Bensouda ’ s impartiality in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the ICC ’ s chief prosecutor , Bensouda has maintained close ties with FIDH for years .
In 2015 , she visited FIDH headquarters in Paris , and a press release from FIDH regarding that visit described that the two have “ enjoyed a close relationship with the Court ” since its beginnings .
This press release was archived by the JCPA .
The Gambian lawyer also participated in FIDH ’ s 40th Congress as one its main speakers in 2019 .
After Bensouda declared her intention to launch an investigation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that year followed through on threats to revoke her U.S. visa .
Bensouda officially authorized the investigation in March 2020 .
Another major aspect to the JCPA ’ s report are the ties between the groups behind the investigation against the United States and another ICC investigation against Israel .
Bensouda announced in December 2019 that she had sufficient evidence to begin investigating “ war crimes ” allegedly committed by Israel in the West Bank , Gaza and East Jerusalem .
The announcement was the culmination of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Al Mezan , Al-Dameer and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights — all of which hold ties to the designated terror organizations Hamas and the PFLP , according to the report .
The organizations leading the charge against Israel enjoyed the same legal assistance as the groups that led the charge against the United States , the JCPA report noted .
Nada Kiswanson van Hooydonk , a Swedish-Palestinian lawyer , is the legal representative of the victims in the case involving the United States and Afghanistan .
Kiswanson has also given legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the group ’ s submission against Israel , the JCPA said .
Additionally , Katherine Gallagher , an attorney for CCR , also has alleged involvement with the ICC case against Israel .
Gallagher said during an April 13 webinar that the “ way the United States is treating the ICC both to protect its own and to protect Israeli officials is the way dictatorships operate .
This is not acting like a country guided by the rule of law.
” Additionally , Jabarin not only serves as a secretary general for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive director of Al-Haq since 2006 .
Al-Haq is a leader in BDS campaigns , has ties to the PFLP though Jabarin and has made sympathetic comments about Hamas , according to the NGO Monitor .
Regardless , an ICC investigation likely won ’ t lead to any substantial ramifications for the United States .
The International Criminal Court was created in 1998 through an international treaty — the Rome Statute .
While then-President Bill Clinton signed the Rome Statute in 2000 , he did not deliver to the Senate for ratification — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a binding commitment for the country .
The Bush administration further rejected the ICC ’ s authority by notifying the United Nations that the United States has no intention of ratifying the agreement .
Additionally , the ICC only has jurisdiction over states that have no effective legal system to prosecute heinous criminals , according to the JCPA .
“ Nonetheless , American critics of the court rightfully are concerned that the ICC could be abused so that warrants could be issued to drag American military personnel in front of the court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military has its own system for investigating allegations of military misconduct , ” the report stated .
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Jason Hopkins
Palestinian organizations with ties to terror groups spearheaded an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes by the United States in Afghanistan, a report by a Jerusalem think tank found.
The ICC recently authorized an investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. However, a report released Tuesday by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) questions the legitimacy of the actors behind the complaint as well as the impartiality of the chief prosecutor herself.
“The International Criminal Court (ICC) has returned as a central issue of debate in American foreign policy. But the debate this time not only influences American interests but also the interests of its key allies, especially Israel,” read the opening of the JCPA report.
Since 2017, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) pushed the ICC — an international tribunal located in the Netherlands — to investigate the United States’ role in Afghanistan, according to the JCPA. Members of the CIA and U.S. military forces committed war crimes and crimes against humanity regarding the armed conflict in Afghanistan, the groups said.
The court initially rejected the request in April 2019. However, Fatou Bensouda, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, authorized an opening of the investigation in March 2020.
FIDH, an umbrella organization based in France that is comprised of more than 180 human-rights groups around the world, has been “deeply involved” in the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, according to the JCPA report.
Shawan Jabarin was elected as the vice president of FIDH in May 2013, and he serves as the group’s secretary general.
Jabarin, despite being considered a human-rights activist by FIDH and some Palestinian groups, has been arrested and jailed for his involvement with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), according to the JCPA.
Jabarin was imprisoned for three years for his ties to the PFLP, according to the report. He once said on an Al-Haq website that he lost count of how many times he’s been jailed by Israeli authorities.
The PFLP is a Marxist-Leninist group that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and other countries.
Jabarin, who has been convicted of his terror ties with the PFLP by the Israeli government, has also been subjected multiple times to travel bans by Israel and Jordan for his alleged terror activities, according to the report. Despite accusations and arrests by the Israeli government, he has denied any connection to the Marxist terror group.
The Center for Constitutional Rights is a nonprofit organization based in New York City that specializes in legal representation of imprisoned people. The CCR is also involved in initiatives to boycott, divest and sanction the Israeli government, the JCPA report stated.
The JCPA also questioned Bensouda’s impartiality in the case.
A Gambian lawyer who serves as the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Bensouda has maintained close ties with FIDH for years. In 2015, she visited FIDH headquarters in Paris, and a press release from FIDH regarding that visit described that the two have “enjoyed a close relationship with the Court” since its beginnings. This press release was archived by the JCPA.
The Gambian lawyer also participated in FIDH’s 40th Congress as one its main speakers in 2019.
After Bensouda declared her intention to launch an investigation of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that year followed through on threats to revoke her U.S. visa. Bensouda officially authorized the investigation in March 2020.
Another major aspect to the JCPA’s report are the ties between the groups behind the investigation against the United States and another ICC investigation against Israel.
Bensouda announced in December 2019 that she had sufficient evidence to begin investigating “war crimes” allegedly committed by Israel in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. The announcement was the culmination of a campaign by four Palestinian groups: Al-Haq, Al Mezan, Al-Dameer and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights — all of which hold ties to the designated terror organizations Hamas and the PFLP, according to the report.
The organizations leading the charge against Israel enjoyed the same legal assistance as the groups that led the charge against the United States, the JCPA report noted.
Nada Kiswanson van Hooydonk, a Swedish-Palestinian lawyer, is the legal representative of the victims in the case involving the United States and Afghanistan. Kiswanson has also given legal assistance to Al-Haq and had direct involvement in the group’s submission against Israel, the JCPA said.
Additionally, Katherine Gallagher, an attorney for CCR, also has alleged involvement with the ICC case against Israel.
Gallagher said during an April 13 webinar that the “way the United States is treating the ICC both to protect its own and to protect Israeli officials is the way dictatorships operate. This is not acting like a country guided by the rule of law.”
Additionally, Jabarin not only serves as a secretary general for FIDH, but has served as the executive director of Al-Haq since 2006. Al-Haq is a leader in BDS campaigns, has ties to the PFLP though Jabarin and has made sympathetic comments about Hamas, according to the NGO Monitor.
Regardless, an ICC investigation likely won’t lead to any substantial ramifications for the United States.
The International Criminal Court was created in 1998 through an international treaty — the Rome Statute. While then-President Bill Clinton signed the Rome Statute in 2000, he did not deliver to the Senate for ratification — a necessary step for it to become a binding commitment for the country.
The Bush administration further rejected the ICC’s authority by notifying the United Nations that the United States has no intention of ratifying the agreement.
Additionally, the ICC only has jurisdiction over states that have no effective legal system to prosecute heinous criminals, according to the JCPA.
“Nonetheless, American critics of the court rightfully are concerned that the ICC could be abused so that warrants could be issued to drag American military personnel in front of the court, regardless of the fact that the U.S. military has its own system for investigating allegations of military misconduct,” the report stated.
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Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--CBS News Accused of Staging COVID-19 Testing Line in Michigan

A CBS News crew pulled medical professionals off the floor at the Cherry Medical Center in Grand Rapids , Michigan , and asked them to line up their vehicles outside a COVID-19 drive-through testing site , a new report from Project Veritas claims .
James O ’ Keefe , the founder and CEO of Project Veritas , said an insider “ witnessed the whole thing and came to Project Veritas because he knew we would protect him.
” “ The insider told us that medical personnel were taken away from treating patients and making the line longer for actual patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Nick Ross , a corporate cleaning site supervisor at the Cherry Health Facility , told Project Veritas that the “ news crew wanted more people in the line because they knew it was scheduled.
” “ It ’ s just annoying because we could have done other stuff , ” one registered nurse said in an undercover recording obtained by Project Veritas .
“ We knew they were coming .
We had no clue that we were going to have to , like , do fake patients , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not stage anything at the Cherry Health Facility , ” but did reveal that one of the clinic ’ s “ chief officers told at least one staffer to get in the testing line along with real patients.
” “ These allegations are alarming .
We reached out to Cherry Health to address them immediately .
They informed us for the first time that one of their chief officers told at least one staffer to get in the testing line along with real patients .
No one from CBS News had any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said that their actions did not prevent any actual patients from being tested .
We take the accuracy of our reporting very seriously and we are removing the Cherry Health portion from the piece , ” said the statement .
The footage was used to accompany a “ CBS This Morning ” interview with Tasha Blackmon , the president and CEO of Cherry Health .
Alison Mauro , another registered nurse recorded on hidden camera , said she and her colleagues working the drive-through testing site didn ’ t even administer real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were a couple of real patients , which made it worse , ” she said .
Blackmon told Project Veritas that her company “ and CBS News had nothing to do with that line , ” but declined to comment further after viewing the Project Veritas report .
CBS News admitted in March that it aired footage of an overcrowded Italian hospital in a report about New York City .
Editors note : Neil McCabe , The Tennessee Star and Star News Network National Correspondent , also serves as a contract communications @ @ @ @ @

A CBS News crew pulled medical professionals off the floor at the Cherry Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and asked them to line up their vehicles outside a COVID-19 drive-through testing site, a new report from Project Veritas claims.
James O’Keefe, the founder and CEO of Project Veritas, said an insider “witnessed the whole thing and came to Project Veritas because he knew we would protect him.”
“The insider told us that medical personnel were taken away from treating patients and making the line longer for actual patients waiting for the COVID-19 test,” he said.
Nick Ross, a corporate cleaning site supervisor at the Cherry Health Facility, told Project Veritas that the “news crew wanted more people in the line because they knew it was scheduled.”
“It’s just annoying because we could have done other stuff,” one registered nurse said in an undercover recording obtained by Project Veritas.
“We knew they were coming. We had no clue that we were going to have to, like, do fake patients,” she added.
CBS News said it “did not stage anything at the Cherry Health Facility,” but did reveal that one of the clinic’s “chief officers told at least one staffer to get in the testing line along with real patients.”
“These allegations are alarming. We reached out to Cherry Health to address them immediately. They informed us for the first time that one of their chief officers told at least one staffer to get in the testing line along with real patients. No one from CBS News had any knowledge of this before tonight. They also said that their actions did not prevent any actual patients from being tested. We take the accuracy of our reporting very seriously and we are removing the Cherry Health portion from the piece,” said the statement.
The footage was used to accompany a “CBS This Morning” interview with Tasha Blackmon, the president and CEO of Cherry Health.
Alison Mauro, another registered nurse recorded on hidden camera, said she and her colleagues working the drive-through testing site didn’t even administer real COVID-19 tests.
“We pretended. There were a couple of real patients, which made it worse,” she said.
Blackmon told Project Veritas that her company “and CBS News had nothing to do with that line,” but declined to comment further after viewing the Project Veritas report.
CBS News admitted in March that it aired footage of an overcrowded Italian hospital in a report about New York City.
Watch the full video below:
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Photo “Project Veritas Video” by Project Veritas.
Editors note: Neil McCabe, The Tennessee Star and Star News Network National Correspondent, also serves as a contract communications manager for Project Veritas.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Ohio House GOP Members Move to Limit Dr. Acton’s Emergency Declaration Powers

Ohio State House Republicans on Wednesday approved a move to limit the Health Department ’ s emergency declaration powers .
GOP members of the House State and Local Government Committee passed an amendment to a 2019 regulatory reform bill that would limit orders from the health department , led by Dr. Amy Acton , to 14 days , Cleveland.com said .
The amendment to Senate Bill 1 says an order could only be extended if it receives approval from the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review , a 10-member panel split among House and Senate members from both parties .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency order or act on it , it would be ended .
Senate President Larry Obhof , R-Medina , said he would consider any action the House approves , The Columbus Dispatch reported .
He told reporters he ’ s open to reviewing and revising the statutes that give DeWine and Acton the authority , but he also praised the governor ’ s response to the coronavirus outbreak , saying it put Ohio ’ s economy in better position than other Midwest states to quickly rebound .
Gov .
Mike DeWine said Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on other things .
He tweeted , “ My administration is focused on the important things we need to do to help businesses responsibly reopen while protecting Ohioans ’ health and safety , ” DeWine stated .
“ This week alone , this included increasing coronavirus testing and tracing , balancing Ohio ’ s budget , and working on plans to move Ohio ’ s economy forward .
Ohioans need their legislators focused on these important issues .
Creating more uncertainty regarding public health and employee safety is the last thing we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ohio ’ s economy.
” The House amendment also makes clear that any Ohioan may seek a court order requiring the governor or state health director to comply with the committee oversight requirement , Fox 19 reported .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Ohio House Floor ” by Anthony-22 .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

Ohio State House Republicans on Wednesday approved a move to limit the Health Department’s emergency declaration powers.
GOP members of the House State and Local Government Committee passed an amendment to a 2019 regulatory reform bill that would limit orders from the health department, led by Dr. Amy Acton, to 14 days, Cleveland.com said.
The amendment to Senate Bill 1 says an order could only be extended if it receives approval from the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, a 10-member panel split among House and Senate members from both parties. If the group declines to approve the emergency order or act on it, it would be ended.
Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Medina, said he would consider any action the House approves, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
He told reporters he’s open to reviewing and revising the statutes that give DeWine and Acton the authority, but he also praised the governor’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying it put Ohio’s economy in better position than other Midwest states to quickly rebound.
Gov. Mike DeWine said Republicans were creating uncertainty and they should work on other things.
He tweeted, “My administration is focused on the important things we need to do to help businesses responsibly reopen while protecting Ohioans’ health and safety,” DeWine stated. “This week alone, this included increasing coronavirus testing and tracing, balancing Ohio’s budget, and working on plans to move Ohio’s economy forward. Ohioans need their legislators focused on these important issues. Creating more uncertainty regarding public health and employee safety is the last thing we need as we work to restore consumer confidence in Ohio’s economy.”
My statement on the proposed legislative amendments regarding state public health orders ⬇ #InThisTogetherOhio #StaySafeOhio #ResponsibleRestartOhio pic.twitter.com/zpm9twKgCW — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 6, 2020
The House amendment also makes clear that any Ohioan may seek a court order requiring the governor or state health director to comply with the committee oversight requirement, Fox 19 reported.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Ohio House Floor” by Anthony-22. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Gov. Walz Created Budget Deficit, Will Use Tax Increases to Fix It, Lawmaker Says

The economic shutdown has turned Minnesota ’ s projected $ 1.5 billion budget surplus into a $ 2.4 billion deficit , state officials announced Tuesday .
“ A deficit of $ 2.426 billion is now projected for the current biennium , which is almost a $ 4 billion change compared to the February forecast .
Revenues are expected to be $ 3.611 billion lower and spending , including appropriations enacted since February , is expected to be $ 391 million higher , ” Minnesota Management and Budget ( MMB ) announced in a press release .
Reacting to the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Gov .
Tim Walz “ took a sledgehammer to Minnesota ’ s economy and we are all suffering for that decision.
” “ We knew our state ’ s economy would be impacted by the pandemic itself .
However , the governor has exacerbated that pain by shutting down our state economy .
That shutdown has interrupted normal state government revenue streams and created this new deficit , ” he said in a statement .
“ In addition to destroying livelihoods across the state , the governor has sent us from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has $ 2.35 billion stashed away in its rainy-day fund , which can be used to “ mitigate the budgetary impact of the crisis , ” MMB said .
However , Drazkowski said the projected deficit will have an enormous impact on the crafting of the next biennial budget during next year ’ s legislative session .
Since the state constitution requires lawmakers to balance the budget , spending cuts or tax increases will have to be used to address the shortfall .
Drazkowski urged Minnesotans to “ remain vigilant ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget deficit .
“ Gov .
Walz has created a budget problem , and he is going to ask Minnesotans for a bailout .
The governor will use this budget shortfall as an excuse to increase taxes , ” he said .
“ However , we can not allow state government to double-dip into the pockets of hard-working Minnesotans .
The new budget projection demonstrates that Minnesota needs to limit government , cut budgets , and not take more money from Minnesotans who are already struggling due to Gov .
Walz ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .

The economic shutdown has turned Minnesota’s projected $1.5 billion budget surplus into a $2.4 billion deficit, state officials announced Tuesday.
“A deficit of $2.426 billion is now projected for the current biennium, which is almost a $4 billion change compared to the February forecast. Revenues are expected to be $3.611 billion lower and spending, including appropriations enacted since February, is expected to be $391 million higher,” Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) announced in a press release.
Reacting to the news, Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) said Gov. Tim Walz “took a sledgehammer to Minnesota’s economy and we are all suffering for that decision.”
“We knew our state’s economy would be impacted by the pandemic itself. However, the governor has exacerbated that pain by shutting down our state economy. That shutdown has interrupted normal state government revenue streams and created this new deficit,” he said in a statement. “In addition to destroying livelihoods across the state, the governor has sent us from a surplus to a deficit.”
Minnesota currently has $2.35 billion stashed away in its rainy-day fund, which can be used to “mitigate the budgetary impact of the crisis,” MMB said.
However, Drazkowski said the projected deficit will have an enormous impact on the crafting of the next biennial budget during next year’s legislative session. Since the state constitution requires lawmakers to balance the budget, spending cuts or tax increases will have to be used to address the shortfall.
Drazkowski urged Minnesotans to “remain vigilant” in the coming months as lawmakers grapple with the budget deficit.
“Gov. Walz has created a budget problem, and he is going to ask Minnesotans for a bailout. The governor will use this budget shortfall as an excuse to increase taxes,” he said. “However, we cannot allow state government to double-dip into the pockets of hard-working Minnesotans. The new budget projection demonstrates that Minnesota needs to limit government, cut budgets, and not take more money from Minnesotans who are already struggling due to Gov. Walz’s decision to shut down our economy.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].