thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Stonewall Jackson Removed from Richmond’s Monument Avenue

RICHMOND , Virginia ( AP ) — Work crews wielding a giant crane , harnesses and power tools wrested an imposing statue of Gen. Stonewall Jackson from its concrete pedestal along Richmond , Virginia ’ s famed Monument Avenue on Wednesday , just hours after the mayor ordered the removal of all Confederate statues from city land .
Mayor Levar Stoney ’ s decree came weeks after Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ordered the removal of the most prominent and imposing statue along the avenue : that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee , which sits on state land .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been stalled pending the resolution of several lawsuits .
The Jackson statue is the latest of several dozen Confederate symbols to be removed from public land in the U.S. in the five weeks since the police death of George Floyd sparked a nationwide protest movement .
In most instances , state or local governments moved to take down monuments in response to impassioned demonstrators , but in a few cases —including several other Virginia Confederate statues — protesters toppled the figures themselves .
Also this week , Mississippi retired the last state flag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle emblem .
Confederate statues were erected decades after the Civil War , during the Jim Crow era , when states imposed new segregation laws , and during the “ Lost Cause ” movement , when historians and others tried to depict the South ’ s rebellion as a fight to defend states ’ rights , not slavery .
In Richmond , the first major monument — the Lee statue — was erected in 1890 .
Work crews spent several hours Wednesday carefully attaching a harness to the massive Stonewall Jackson statue and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its base .
A crowd of several hundred people who had gathered to watch cheered as a crane lifted the figure of the general atop his horse into the air and set it aside .
“ This is long overdue , ” said Brent Holmes , who is Black .
“ One down , many more to go.
” Eli Swann , who has lived in Richmond for 24 years , said he felt “ an overwhelming sense of gratitude ” to witness the removal of the statue after he and others have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others to be taken down .
He said that as a Black man , he found it offensive to have so many statues glorifying Confederate generals for “ fighting against us.
” “ I ’ ve been out here since Day 1 , ” Swann said .
“ We ’ ve been seeing the younger people out here , just coming and constantly marching and asking for change .
And now finally the change is coming about.
” Flatbed trucks and other equipment were spotted at several other monuments as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues on municipal land , including one of Confederate Gen. J.E.B .
Stuart .
Mayor Stoney said it will take several days to remove them .
The mayor said he also was moving quickly because protesters have already toppled several Confederate monuments and he is concerned that people could be hurt trying to take down the gigantic statues .
“ Failing to remove the statues now poses a severe , immediate and growing threat to public safety , ” he said , noting that hundreds of demonstrators have held protests in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the removal of the statues is “ long overdue ” and sends a message that the city of Richmond — the onetime capital of the Confederacy — is no longer a place with symbols of oppression and white supremacy .
“ Those statues stood high for over 100 years for a reason , and it was to intimidate and to show Black and brown people in this city who was in charge , ” Stoney said .
“ I think the healing can now begin in the city of Richmond , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the day a new state law took effect granting control of the monuments to the city .
The law outlines a removal process that would take at least 60 days to unfold .
But during a City Council meeting Wednesday morning , Stoney balked as the council scheduled a special meeting for Thursday to formally vote on a resolution calling for the immediate removal of the statues .
“ Today , I have the ability to do this through my emergency powers , ” Stoney said .
“ I think we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Jackson statue about an hour later .
During Wednesday ’ s meeting , city councilors expressed support for removing the statues , but several councilors said the council needed to follow the proper legal process .
Interim city attorney Haskell Brown said any claim that Stoney has the authority to remove the statues without following the state process would contradict legal advice he has previously given the council and administration .
Stoney and several city councilors said they were concerned that the statues have become a public safety hazard during weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd in Minneapolis .
In Portsmouth last month , a man was seriously injured when protesters tried to pull down a Confederate statue .
Denise Lavoie and Alan Suderman are reporters for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : Work crews remove the statue of confederate general Stonewall Jackson , Wednesday , July 1 , 2020 , in Richmond , Va. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has ordered the immediate removal of all Confederate statues in the city , saying he was using his emergency powers to speed up the healing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederacy amid weeks of protests over police brutality and racial injustice .
( AP Photo/Steve Helber )

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — Work crews wielding a giant crane, harnesses and power tools wrested an imposing statue of Gen. Stonewall Jackson from its concrete pedestal along Richmond, Virginia’s famed Monument Avenue on Wednesday, just hours after the mayor ordered the removal of all Confederate statues from city land.
Mayor Levar Stoney’s decree came weeks after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the removal of the most prominent and imposing statue along the avenue: that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, which sits on state land. The removal of the Lee statue has been stalled pending the resolution of several lawsuits.
The Jackson statue is the latest of several dozen Confederate symbols to be removed from public land in the U.S. in the five weeks since the police death of George Floyd sparked a nationwide protest movement.
In most instances, state or local governments moved to take down monuments in response to impassioned demonstrators, but in a few cases —including several other Virginia Confederate statues — protesters toppled the figures themselves. Also this week, Mississippi retired the last state flag in the U.S. that included the Confederate battle emblem.
Confederate statues were erected decades after the Civil War, during the Jim Crow era, when states imposed new segregation laws, and during the “Lost Cause” movement, when historians and others tried to depict the South’s rebellion as a fight to defend states’ rights, not slavery. In Richmond, the first major monument — the Lee statue — was erected in 1890.
Work crews spent several hours Wednesday carefully attaching a harness to the massive Stonewall Jackson statue and using power tools to detach it from its base. A crowd of several hundred people who had gathered to watch cheered as a crane lifted the figure of the general atop his horse into the air and set it aside.
“This is long overdue,” said Brent Holmes, who is Black. “One down, many more to go.”
Eli Swann, who has lived in Richmond for 24 years, said he felt “an overwhelming sense of gratitude” to witness the removal of the statue after he and others have spent weeks demonstrating and calling for it and others to be taken down. He said that as a Black man, he found it offensive to have so many statues glorifying Confederate generals for “fighting against us.”
“I’ve been out here since Day 1,” Swann said. “We’ve been seeing the younger people out here, just coming and constantly marching and asking for change. And now finally the change is coming about.”
Flatbed trucks and other equipment were spotted at several other monuments as well. The city has roughly a dozen Confederate statues on municipal land, including one of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. Mayor Stoney said it will take several days to remove them.
The mayor said he also was moving quickly because protesters have already toppled several Confederate monuments and he is concerned that people could be hurt trying to take down the gigantic statues.
“Failing to remove the statues now poses a severe, immediate and growing threat to public safety,” he said, noting that hundreds of demonstrators have held protests in the city for 33 consecutive days.
Stoney said the removal of the statues is “long overdue” and sends a message that the city of Richmond — the onetime capital of the Confederacy — is no longer a place with symbols of oppression and white supremacy.
“Those statues stood high for over 100 years for a reason, and it was to intimidate and to show Black and brown people in this city who was in charge,” Stoney said.
“I think the healing can now begin in the city of Richmond,” he said.
Stoney’s move came on the day a new state law took effect granting control of the monuments to the city. The law outlines a removal process that would take at least 60 days to unfold.
But during a City Council meeting Wednesday morning, Stoney balked as the council scheduled a special meeting for Thursday to formally vote on a resolution calling for the immediate removal of the statues.
“Today, I have the ability to do this through my emergency powers,” Stoney said. “I think we need to act today.”
Work crews arrived at the Jackson statue about an hour later.
During Wednesday’s meeting, city councilors expressed support for removing the statues, but several councilors said the council needed to follow the proper legal process.
Interim city attorney Haskell Brown said any claim that Stoney has the authority to remove the statues without following the state process would contradict legal advice he has previously given the council and administration.
Stoney and several city councilors said they were concerned that the statues have become a public safety hazard during weeks of protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In Portsmouth last month, a man was seriously injured when protesters tried to pull down a Confederate statue.
– – –
Denise Lavoie and Alan Suderman are reporters for The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: Work crews remove the statue of confederate general Stonewall Jackson, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has ordered the immediate removal of all Confederate statues in the city, saying he was using his emergency powers to speed up the healing process for the former capital of the Confederacy amid weeks of protests over police brutality and racial injustice. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Seattle Police Dismantle ‘Occupied’ Zone, Arrest More Than 30

SEATTLE , Washington ( AP ) — Seattle police turned out in force early Wednesday at the city ’ s “ occupied ” protest zone , tore down demonstrators ’ encampments and used bicycles to herd the protesters after the mayor ordered the area cleared following two fatal shootings in less than two weeks .
Television images showed police , many in riot gear , confronting dozens of protesters at the “ Capitol Hill Occupied Protest ” zone that was set up near downtown following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Wearing helmets and wielding batons and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at dawn .
Officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder on several streets while others created a makeshift fence with their bicycles , using it to push protesters back away from the center of the zone .
As residents of the neighborhood near the city ’ s downtown watched from balconies , police cleared out the protesters ’ tents from a park within the zone and made sure no one was left in the park ’ s bathrooms .
At one point , a loud bang was heard in the park , followed by a cloud of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allen Jones II , said some demonstrators attempted to stay put but were surprised by the early intervention by officers who were “ trampling everything I seen in sight , flipping tables.
” “ People were trying to hold their ground but you could see the cops literally storm through people ’ s beds while they were sleeping .
And literally say ‘ If you don ’ t get out , we will force you out or arrest you , ' ” he said .
One man dressed in black was peacefully lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the wet ground until their small group was handcuffed and detained .
By late morning , police said 32 people had been arrested for failure to disperse , obstruction , assault and unlawful weapon possession .
“ Our job is to support peaceful demonstration but what has happened on these streets over the last two weeks is lawless and it ’ s brutal and bottom line it is simply unacceptable , ” Police Chief Carmen Best told reporters .
Police also tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside .
One officer took down a sign saying “ we are not leaving until our demands are met : 1 .
Defund SPD by 50 % now .
2 .
Fund Black Communities .
3 .
Free all protesters.
” After police dispersed the protesters , heavy equipment was brought in to remove the concrete barriers that demonstrators had erected to block roads .
Debris from the encampments was carted away on flatbed trucks as officers strung yellow caution tape from tree to tree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the operation to clear out protesters , officers investigated several vehicles that circled the area after police saw people inside them “ with firearms/armor , ” police said in a tweet , adding that the vehicles did not appear to have “ visible license plates.
” The protesters had occupied several blocks around a park for about two weeks and police abandoned a precinct station following standoffs and clashes with the protesters , who called for racial justice and an end to police brutality .
Police acted after Mayor Jenny Durkan issued the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since demonstrations at the East Precinct area began on June 8th , two teenagers have been killed and three people have been seriously wounded in late-night shootings , ” police tweeted .
“ Police have also documented robberies , assaults , and other violent crimes .
The tweet added that “ suspects in recent shootings may still be in the area , and because numerous people in the area are in possession of firearms.
” Best said she supports peaceful demonstrations but that the zone had “ become lawless and brutal .
Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area.
” There had been mounting calls by critics , including President Donald Trump , to remove protesters following the fatal shootings .
A group of local business owners sued the city , claiming that officials abandoned the area and made it impossible to run businesses because there was no police or fire protection .
After police cleared out the zone , U.S. Attorney General William Barr praised Best for what he called “ her courage and leadership in restoring the rule of law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightly committed to continue the substantive discussion while ending the violence , which threatens innocent people and undermines the very rule-of-law principles that the protesters profess to defend , ” Barr said in a statement .
Protesters have said they should not be blamed for the violence in the area .
Martha Bellisle and Lisa Baumann are reporters for The Associated Press .
Associated Press video journalist Aron Ranen contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : Protesters stand holding up their arms in front of a road blocked by police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early Wednesday , July 1 , 2020 , in Seattle .
Police in Seattle have torn down demonstrators ’ tents in the city ’ s so-called occupied protest zone after the mayor ordered it cleared .
( AP Photo/Elaine Thompson )

SEATTLE, Washington (AP) — Seattle police turned out in force early Wednesday at the city’s “occupied” protest zone, tore down demonstrators’ encampments and used bicycles to herd the protesters after the mayor ordered the area cleared following two fatal shootings in less than two weeks.
Television images showed police, many in riot gear, confronting dozens of protesters at the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone that was set up near downtown following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Wearing helmets and wielding batons and rifles, officers converged on the area at dawn. Officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder on several streets while others created a makeshift fence with their bicycles, using it to push protesters back away from the center of the zone.
As residents of the neighborhood near the city’s downtown watched from balconies, police cleared out the protesters’ tents from a park within the zone and made sure no one was left in the park’s bathrooms. At one point, a loud bang was heard in the park, followed by a cloud of smoke.
One protest organizer, Derrek Allen Jones II, said some demonstrators attempted to stay put but were surprised by the early intervention by officers who were “trampling everything I seen in sight, flipping tables.”
“People were trying to hold their ground but you could see the cops literally storm through people’s beds while they were sleeping. And literally say ‘If you don’t get out, we will force you out or arrest you,'” he said.
One man dressed in black was peacefully lead away in handcuffs and other demonstrators sat on the wet ground until their small group was handcuffed and detained.
By late morning, police said 32 people had been arrested for failure to disperse, obstruction, assault and unlawful weapon possession.
“Our job is to support peaceful demonstration but what has happened on these streets over the last two weeks is lawless and it’s brutal and bottom line it is simply unacceptable,” Police Chief Carmen Best told reporters.
Police also tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside. One officer took down a sign saying “we are not leaving until our demands are met: 1. Defund SPD by 50% now. 2. Fund Black Communities. 3. Free all protesters.”
After police dispersed the protesters, heavy equipment was brought in to remove the concrete barriers that demonstrators had erected to block roads. Debris from the encampments was carted away on flatbed trucks as officers strung yellow caution tape from tree to tree warning people not to reenter.
During the operation to clear out protesters, officers investigated several vehicles that circled the area after police saw people inside them “with firearms/armor,” police said in a tweet, adding that the vehicles did not appear to have “visible license plates.”
The protesters had occupied several blocks around a park for about two weeks and police abandoned a precinct station following standoffs and clashes with the protesters, who called for racial justice and an end to police brutality.
Police acted after Mayor Jenny Durkan issued the order for protesters to leave.
“Since demonstrations at the East Precinct area began on June 8th, two teenagers have been killed and three people have been seriously wounded in late-night shootings,” police tweeted. “Police have also documented robberies, assaults, and other violent crimes.
The tweet added that “suspects in recent shootings may still be in the area, and because numerous people in the area are in possession of firearms.”
Best said she supports peaceful demonstrations but that the zone had “become lawless and brutal. Four shootings–-two fatal—robberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area.”
There had been mounting calls by critics, including President Donald Trump, to remove protesters following the fatal shootings.
A group of local business owners sued the city, claiming that officials abandoned the area and made it impossible to run businesses because there was no police or fire protection.
After police cleared out the zone, U.S. Attorney General William Barr praised Best for what he called “her courage and leadership in restoring the rule of law in Seattle.”
“Chief Best has rightly committed to continue the substantive discussion while ending the violence, which threatens innocent people and undermines the very rule-of-law principles that the protesters profess to defend,” Barr said in a statement.
Protesters have said they should not be blamed for the violence in the area.
– – –
Martha Bellisle and Lisa Baumann are reporters for The Associated Press. Associated Press video journalist Aron Ranen contributed to this report.
About the Headline Photo: Protesters stand holding up their arms in front of a road blocked by police in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone early Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Seattle. Police in Seattle have torn down demonstrators’ tents in the city’s so-called occupied protest zone after the mayor ordered it cleared. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--‘An Amazing Deal’: U.S. Secures Most of Global Remdesivir Supply

The United States has secured nearly the entire global supply of remdesivir , a drug that has been effective in fighting coronavirus .
Remdesivir , which is manufactured by American pharmaceutical giant Gilead , has proven to help patients with coronavirus recover faster , according to The Guardian .
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) secured more than 500,000 doses of the drug , accounting for the vast majority of Gilead ’ s July , August and September supply , according to a Monday press release .
“ President Trump has struck an amazing deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19 , ” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar .
“ To the extent possible , we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it.
” The deal has led some Europeans to cry foul .
“ They ’ ve got access to most of the drug supply [ of remdesivir ] , so there ’ s nothing for Europe , ” said Dr. Andrew Hill , senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University , according to The Guardian .
“ This is the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mechanism for access ?
” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an emergency use authorization of remdesivir on May 1 .
Gilead owns a patent for the drug making it impossible for pharmaceutical companies around the world to replicate it , The Guardian reported .
“ FDA ’ s emergency authorization of remdesivir , two days after the National Institutes of Health ’ s clinical trial showed promising results , is a significant step forward in battling COVID-19 and another example of the Trump Administration moving as quickly as possible to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azar said in a statement at the time .
The announcement of the deal comes as coronavirus cases continue to spike nationwide , according to The New York Times .
California , Arizona and Texas are among states that are experiencing new highs in daily cases .
The U.S. is “ going in the wrong direction ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said at a Senate hearing Tuesday , according to The Washington Post .
Fauci said he wouldn ’ t be surprised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases per day .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Thomas Catenacci
The United States has secured nearly the entire global supply of remdesivir, a drug that has been effective in fighting coronavirus.
Remdesivir, which is manufactured by American pharmaceutical giant Gilead, has proven to help patients with coronavirus recover faster, according to The Guardian. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secured more than 500,000 doses of the drug, accounting for the vast majority of Gilead’s July, August and September supply, according to a Monday press release.
“President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it.”
The deal has led some Europeans to cry foul.
“They’ve got access to most of the drug supply [of remdesivir], so there’s nothing for Europe,” said Dr. Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University, according to The Guardian. “This is the first major approved drug, and where is the mechanism for access?”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an emergency use authorization of remdesivir on May 1. Gilead owns a patent for the drug making it impossible for pharmaceutical companies around the world to replicate it, The Guardian reported.
“FDA’s emergency authorization of remdesivir, two days after the National Institutes of Health’s clinical trial showed promising results, is a significant step forward in battling COVID-19 and another example of the Trump Administration moving as quickly as possible to use science to save lives,” Azar said in a statement at the time.
The announcement of the deal comes as coronavirus cases continue to spike nationwide, according to The New York Times. California, Arizona and Texas are among states that are experiencing new highs in daily cases.
The U.S. is “going in the wrong direction” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a Senate hearing Tuesday, according to The Washington Post. Fauci said he wouldn’t be surprised if the U.S. soon began seeing 100,000 new cases per day.
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Commentary: Blue States Have Been Hit Much Harder by COVID-19

In March , data guru Nate Silver wrote about the different ways blue states and red states were experiencing the COVID-19 epidemic , noting that “ states Clinton won do have considerably more total reported cases.
” COVID-19 was not just a blue state problem though .
Silver pointed out that cases in red states were increasing far more rapidly .
“ Nine of the 10 states that have seen the most rapid increase in coronavirus from Monday to Thursday are states that voted for Trump in 2016 , ” Silver wrote .
Days later , The Atlantic published an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unique Threat to the South.
” The article saw similar ominous signs for red states , particularly a “ four-state arc of Louisiana , Mississippi , Alabama , and Georgia.
” Months later we have a more complete picture of the data , which shows blue states have borne the brunt of the COVID devastation .
Eleven of the 12 states ( including the District of Columbia ) with the highest COVID-19 fatality rates are traditional blue states .
Leading the way , unsurprisingly , is New York , which posted the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per capita ( 1,611 per 1M ) .
* New Jersey is not far behind New York , however ( 1,478/1M ) .
These states are followed by Connecticut , Massachusetts , Rhode Island , and the District of Columbia .
Just one red state—Louisiana , seventh highest with 680/1M—cracked the top twelve .
The question is , why ?
After all , blue states tended to have the most stringent lockdowns .
Indeed , eight red states—Arkansas , Iowa , Nebraska , North Dakota , South Dakota , Oklahoma , Utah and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( though some took less severe measures ) .
None of these states were among the states hardest hit by COVID-19 .
The data could lend support to epidemiologists—John Ioannidis .
Anders Tegnell , and others—who have expressed skepticism on the efficacy of lockdowns .
“ Blind lockdown of entire populations has questionable added benefits , ” Ioannidis , the C.F .
Rehnborg Chair in Disease Prevention at Stanford University , recently wrote in the medical journal BMJ .
A second reason could stem from other policy decisions .
Several states hardest hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed controversial policies that prohibited nursing homes from refusing to admit patients released from hospitals because they had the coronavirus .
Public health experts and trade association leaders had questioned the policies , noting older populations were the most at-risk and most nursing homes lack the resources to effectively quarantine COVID carriers .
One 31-year-old health care worker told The New York Times the policy was “ a sentence of death for all the older patients.
” The policy could explain why several states—New York , New Jersey , Michigan , and Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The policy of sending recovering Covid patients back to nursing homes is the only policy of which I ’ m aware that seems unambiguously relevant for explaining differences we ’ ve observed between states with outlier death rates and the rest of the country , ” Jeffrey Clemens , a Harvard trained economist and associate professor at the University of California-San Diego , told me in an email interview .
Following public outcry of the policy , many states shifted course .
Politico recently reported that many states , including Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities to admit COVID carrying residents by offering financial incentives , “ raising the risks of spreading infections and substandard care for seriously ill patients.
” A third possibility is that blue states tend to have higher urban density , which in theory could make spreading of the virus easier .
Eight of the states hardest hit by the coronavirus—New Jersey , Rhode Island , Massachusetts .
Connecticut , Maryland , Delaware , New York and Pennsylvania—are also among the ten densest states in the US .
While urban density might seem like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , a recent World Bank report analyzing data from China suggested this was not actually the case .
“ On the contrary , cities with the highest coronavirus infection rates were those with relatively low population densities , in the range between 5,000 to 10,000 people per square kilometer , ” the authors found .
Dr. Mary T. Bassett , director of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard , agreed , saying it ’ s a mistake to blame population density for the spread of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as overcrowding .
“ Everything we know so far about the coronavirus tells us that blaming density for disease is misguided , ” Bassett wrote in The New York Times .
The truth is we don ’ t yet know with any degree of certainty why blue states have suffered more throughout the COVID-19 pandemic .
It ’ s safe to say numerous variables—health care system quality and access , underlying health and age of the population , policy decisions , habits of hygiene , etc.—all play a role .
It also must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not through the pandemic .
Cases continue to climb—in part due to increased transmission , and in part through expanded testing , which increased from 345,000 tests per day in May to 478,000 in June—and red states could yet see similar results .
For now , however , the record is clear : blue states have experienced far worse devastation from COVID-19 .
*All numbers current as of June 24 , 2020 .
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Forbes , Fox News , and the Star Tribune .

by Jon Miltimore
In March, data guru Nate Silver wrote about the different ways blue states and red states were experiencing the COVID-19 epidemic, noting that “states Clinton won do have considerably more total reported cases.”
COVID-19 was not just a blue state problem though. Silver pointed out that cases in red states were increasing far more rapidly.
“Nine of the 10 states that have seen the most rapid increase in coronavirus from Monday to Thursday are states that voted for Trump in 2016,” Silver wrote.
Days later, The Atlantic published an article titled “The Coronavirus’s Unique Threat to the South.”
The article saw similar ominous signs for red states, particularly a “four-state arc of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.”
Months later we have a more complete picture of the data, which shows blue states have borne the brunt of the COVID devastation.
Eleven of the 12 states (including the District of Columbia) with the highest COVID-19 fatality rates are traditional blue states. Leading the way, unsurprisingly, is New York, which posted the highest deaths, total (31,346) and per capita (1,611 per 1M).* New Jersey is not far behind New York, however (1,478/1M). These states are followed by Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia. Just one red state—Louisiana, seventh highest with 680/1M—cracked the top twelve.
The question is, why?
After all, blue states tended to have the most stringent lockdowns. Indeed, eight red states—Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming—declined to issue stay-at-home orders at all (though some took less severe measures).
None of these states were among the states hardest hit by COVID-19.
The data could lend support to epidemiologists—John Ioannidis. Anders Tegnell, and others—who have expressed skepticism on the efficacy of lockdowns.
“Blind lockdown of entire populations has questionable added benefits,” Ioannidis, the C.F. Rehnborg Chair in Disease Prevention at Stanford University, recently wrote in the medical journal BMJ.
A second reason could stem from other policy decisions. Several states hardest hit by the coronavirus were among those that passed controversial policies that prohibited nursing homes from refusing to admit patients released from hospitals because they had the coronavirus.
Public health experts and trade association leaders had questioned the policies, noting older populations were the most at-risk and most nursing homes lack the resources to effectively quarantine COVID carriers. One 31-year-old health care worker told The New York Times the policy was “a sentence of death for all the older patients.”
The policy could explain why several states—New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, among them—experienced higher rates of fatality.
“The policy of sending recovering Covid patients back to nursing homes is the only policy of which I’m aware that seems unambiguously relevant for explaining differences we’ve observed between states with outlier death rates and the rest of the country,” Jeffrey Clemens, a Harvard trained economist and associate professor at the University of California-San Diego, told me in an email interview.
Following public outcry of the policy, many states shifted course. Politico recently reported that many states, including Massachusetts and Michigan, are now prodding eldercare facilities to admit COVID carrying residents by offering financial incentives, “raising the risks of spreading infections and substandard care for seriously ill patients.”
A third possibility is that blue states tend to have higher urban density, which in theory could make spreading of the virus easier. Eight of the states hardest hit by the coronavirus—New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts. Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania—are also among the ten densest states in the US.
While urban density might seem like an obvious link to the spread of COVID-19, a recent World Bank report analyzing data from China suggested this was not actually the case.
“On the contrary, cities with the highest coronavirus infection rates were those with relatively low population densities, in the range between 5,000 to 10,000 people per square kilometer,” the authors found.
Dr. Mary T. Bassett, director of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard, agreed, saying it’s a mistake to blame population density for the spread of COVID-19, noting population density is not the same as overcrowding.
“Everything we know so far about the coronavirus tells us that blaming density for disease is misguided,” Bassett wrote in The New York Times.
The truth is we don’t yet know with any degree of certainty why blue states have suffered more throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s safe to say numerous variables—health care system quality and access, underlying health and age of the population, policy decisions, habits of hygiene, etc.—all play a role.
It also must be noted that we’re still not through the pandemic. Cases continue to climb—in part due to increased transmission, and in part through expanded testing, which increased from 345,000 tests per day in May to 478,000 in June—and red states could yet see similar results.
For now, however, the record is clear: blue states have experienced far worse devastation from COVID-19.
*All numbers current as of June 24, 2020.
– – –
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, and the Star Tribune.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Boston Arts Commission Votes to Remove Abraham Lincoln Statue

The Boston Arts Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to take down the city ’ s historic Emancipation Memorial after activists demanded the statue ’ s removal .
The memorial depicts Abraham Lincoln standing with one arm raised over a freed slave crouched on his knees .
Broken chains are depicted around the black man ’ s wrists and the word “ emancipation ” is written at the statue ’ s base .
The statue was funded largely by contributions from former slaves , according to WBZ 4 .
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh , a Democrat , supported the vote to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Square , according to WBZ4 .
Walsh was reportedly already considering the statue ’ s removal .
“ As we continue our work to make Boston a more equitable and just city , it ’ s important that we look at the stories being told by the public art in all of our neighborhoods , ” Walsh said in a statement , according to WBZ 4 .
“ After engaging in a public process , it ’ s clear that residents and visitors to Boston have been uncomfortable with this statue , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s role in the abolitionist movement .
I fully support the Boston Art Commission ’ s decision for removal and thank them for their work , ” Walsh added .
Activists protesting racial inequality across the U.S. have demanded the removal of various historical statues now seen as racist .
Black Lives Matter protesters previously promised to pull down the original Emancipation Memorial in Washington D.C. Friday , though the statue is still standing .
Boston ’ s memorial is a replica of the Washington D.C. statue and has been standing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Hill .
Tony Bullock from Dorchester , Massachusetts , started a petition to remove the statue , which has received over 9,000 signatures .
“ I ’ ve been watching this man on his knees since I was a kid .
It ’ s supposed to represent freedom but instead represents us still beneath someone else .
I would always ask myself ‘ If he ’ s free why is he still on his knees ?
’ No kid should have to ask themselves that question anymore , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Boston statue ’ s removal has not been decided , WBZ4 reported .
The Boston Art Commission and the Office of the Mayor did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation for comment .
Mary Rose Corkery is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Mary Rose Corkery
The Boston Arts Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to take down the city’s historic Emancipation Memorial after activists demanded the statue’s removal.
The memorial depicts Abraham Lincoln standing with one arm raised over a freed slave crouched on his knees. Broken chains are depicted around the black man’s wrists and the word “emancipation” is written at the statue’s base.
The statue was funded largely by contributions from former slaves, according to WBZ 4.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, supported the vote to remove the statue from Boston’s Park Square, according to WBZ4. Walsh was reportedly already considering the statue’s removal.
“As we continue our work to make Boston a more equitable and just city, it’s important that we look at the stories being told by the public art in all of our neighborhoods,” Walsh said in a statement, according to WBZ 4.
“After engaging in a public process, it’s clear that residents and visitors to Boston have been uncomfortable with this statue, and its reductive representation of the Black man’s role in the abolitionist movement. I fully support the Boston Art Commission’s decision for removal and thank them for their work,” Walsh added.
Activists protesting racial inequality across the U.S. have demanded the removal of various historical statues now seen as racist.
Black Lives Matter protesters previously promised to pull down the original Emancipation Memorial in Washington D.C. Friday, though the statue is still standing.
Boston’s memorial is a replica of the Washington D.C. statue and has been standing in Park Square for more than 100 years, according to the Hill.
Tony Bullock from Dorchester, Massachusetts, started a petition to remove the statue, which has received over 9,000 signatures.
“I’ve been watching this man on his knees since I was a kid. It’s supposed to represent freedom but instead represents us still beneath someone else. I would always ask myself ‘If he’s free why is he still on his knees?’ No kid should have to ask themselves that question anymore,” the petition said.
A date for the Boston statue’s removal has not been decided, WBZ4 reported.
The Boston Art Commission and the Office of the Mayor did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation for comment.
– – –
Mary Rose Corkery is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Neil McCabe Discusses Complacent Republicans and Trump’s Lack of a Second Term Agenda

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. – host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil McCabe to the newsmakers line .
During the third hour , McCabe weighed in on Republicans ’ complacent behavior to mail-in voting but noted that they might have a good chance of retaking the House with only 18 votes needed .
He somberly admitted that a Biden presidency would result in a restructuring of police departments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after former Trump administration officials .
Leahy : Our Washington and National Correspondent for The Tennessee Star and our related newspapers , good friend , long time colleague , Neil McCabe is on the line .
Good morning Neil .
McCabe : Michael , very good to be with you .
Leahy : Neil , we ’ re starting the second half of 2020 and I ’ ll ask you the same question I asked Crom earlier .
Is the second half of 2020 going to be as crazy as the first half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know the old line ?
All that ’ s left now is the tears .
( Chuckles ) I will tell you this .
We have only begun to see the insanity in this country .
And remember not only is there election day but we ’ re going to have to watch as all 50 states have different dates where they validate the election .
McCabe : Where they are going to fight over the electoral college .
I covered for Breitbart the formal processing and election of the president with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden presiding over the Senate where literally when every state came forward with their tally to have the Democratic congressmen and congresswomen objecting .
At one point Joe Biden yelled at one of them saying “ Hey !
It ’ s over !
” ( Leahy laughs ) But it ’ s never over Michael .
McCabe : It wasn ’ t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor .
( Leahy laughs ) Leahy : Or that famous line from Animal House .
Well , I think that ’ s a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington , D.C. basically Animal House on steroids now ?
Or is the country like Animal House ?
McCabe : All those kids in Animal House grew up to be congressmen and senators .
McCabe : Exactly .
It ’ s a very scary thing when speaking of a movement conservative .
To see how quickly the police reform bills make it to the Senate floor .
To think that for gun owners which have been a backbone of the Republican post-Watergate resurgence of the Republican Party .
Gun owners are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s no denying .
Every two years John Cornyn the Texas Senator will file his national conceal carry bill and it doesn ’ t even make it to the Judiciary Committee .
Everyone ’ s buying guns and that the one act that the gun owners want is a national concealed carry .
It doesn ’ t ’ move .
Look at the pro-life movement .
Paul Ryan personally blocked the Heartbeat Bill from coming to the floor in the last session .
Not because it was going to lose .
Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And yet I just saw the House voting on the big infrastructure bill .
Whenever the Left wants something on the floor it goes to the floor .
And a lot of times the Republicans give it to them .
This is the phrase they use on Capitol Hill .
We just want to get it off the table .
It ’ s a distraction .
We ’ ll just give it to them so we can talk about what we want .
And what we want never comes Mike .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the event that Joe Biden is elected president and in the event the Democrats keep the House and in the event , the Democrats take the Senate , what will be the first two or three bills passed by that Congress ?
McCabe : Well I think there ’ s definitely going to be a bill to make Washington , D.C. a state .
I think there is definitely going to be some of this , they call it defunding police .
It ’ s not really defunding the police .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to rebuild the police forces into more cronyism .
It ’ s sort of like they get more a part of their machine politics .
And I think you are going to see an effort to go after former members of the Trump administration certainly .
McCabe : Because they accuse President Trump of using law enforcement and the criminal justice system for political purposes and I ’ m thinking oh really ?
It ’ s going to be scary .
But I will say again there ’ s a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
And that the polls are wrong .
McCabe : If you compare the House popular votes for House candidates 2016-2018 there was a drop off at 20 percent for Republican candidates in 2018 .
And there was only a two percent drop for Democrats .
If you consider that the Democrats maxed out their turnout for Hillary and then maxed it out again in 2018 I don ’ t know how where their new votes are going to come from .
But there will be all those Republican voters who did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 million born Republican voters showing up for these House candidates , that ’ s going to pick up all the Senate candidates as well .
And so the margins for the Democrats in the House are very close .
It ’ s basically 18 to 19 votes with retirements and deaths and things .
I ’ m not sure exactly what the number is today .
You basically have 200 Republicans and you need 218 to take over , well that ’ s really doable .
Especially in a presidential year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie when they are asked if they support the president or not .
What they want to see if the president has any fight left in him .
If the president feels he has a fight left in him people will back him .
But if he just sort of caves and says your right the police are the problem people are going to stay home .
Carmichael : Neil this is Crom Carmichael .
Question for you .
In Kentucky , we finally got the results of an election that was held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the mail-in ballots , not absentee ballots .
Mail-in .
Where they mailed the ballot out to people who did not request an absentee ballot .
I think there is going to be massive voter fraud .
How do you account for that ?
McCabe : That should be a big problem .
One of the issues is that the Republican National Committee has ignored the movement by former President Barack Obama and his former Attorney General Eric Holder to redistrict everything .
The reason that Mark Meadows resigned from his House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House is because they redistricted him and he didn ’ t want to fight in that new district .
Same thing .
Absentee ballot .
Mail-in ballot .
The Republican National Committee has done nothing to meet the challenge .
The Democrats invented this mail-in and early voting because 15 years ago the Republican Party had so-called tiger teams that would come in and they would come in three days before an election and they would just ramp up very quickly get out the vote .
They ’ d do media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ running and all of a sudden these guys would show up and they would just super energize the campaign for the last three days .
And it was very effective .
So the Democrats to counter this Republican tactic during this 72 tiger team they invented the early voting .
They literally , the Republican Party just sort of watches it as it happens .
They practiced it in Alabama for that special election in 2017 .
Look at what happened in the off elections of Virginia in 2017 and 2019 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a very scary thing .
It ’ s a very good point .
Leahy : Last question for you Neil .
You mentioned if President Trump has any fight in him that the Republicans will follow him .
Does the president still have a fight in him ?
Leahy : Not really ?
How can you tell ?
And why does he not have a fight in him ?
McCabe : There is no new agenda for a second term .
Where is it ?
If you look at it , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Where was the fight over immigration ?
Where was that big vote where you ’ re not sure how it ’ s going to go ?
The president has never gone to Capitol Hill with a vote that he thought he was going to lose or he could possibly lose .
He ’ s never been one to lose on principle which is something Reagan and Nixon did .
And that creates an emotional bond with your supporters .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Neil McCabe ” by One America News Network .

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. – host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil McCabe to the newsmakers line.
During the third hour, McCabe weighed in on Republicans’ complacent behavior to mail-in voting but noted that they might have a good chance of retaking the House with only 18 votes needed. He somberly admitted that a Biden presidency would result in a restructuring of police departments and that the Democrats would continue to go after former Trump administration officials.
Leahy: Our Washington and National Correspondent for The Tennessee Star and our related newspapers, good friend, long time colleague, Neil McCabe is on the line. Good morning Neil.
McCabe: Michael, very good to be with you.
Leahy: Neil, we’re starting the second half of 2020 and I’ll ask you the same question I asked Crom earlier. Is the second half of 2020 going to be as crazy as the first half?
McCabe: (Laughs) Do you know the old line? All that’s left now is the tears. (Chuckles) I will tell you this. We have only begun to see the insanity in this country. And remember not only is there election day but we’re going to have to watch as all 50 states have different dates where they validate the election.
Leahy: Yes!
McCabe: Where they are going to fight over the electoral college. I covered for Breitbart the formal processing and election of the president with the electoral college with Vice President Joe Biden presiding over the Senate where literally when every state came forward with their tally to have the Democratic congressmen and congresswomen objecting. At one point Joe Biden yelled at one of them saying “Hey! It’s over!”(Leahy laughs) But it’s never over Michael.
Leahy: It’s never over.
McCabe: It wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor. (Leahy laughs)
Leahy: Or that famous line from Animal House. Well, I think that’s a good comparison isn’t Neil? Is the Washington, D.C. basically Animal House on steroids now? Or is the country like Animal House?
McCabe: All those kids in Animal House grew up to be congressmen and senators.
Leahy: Well, Senator Blutarsky, right?
McCabe: Exactly. It’s a very scary thing when speaking of a movement conservative. To see how quickly the police reform bills make it to the Senate floor. To think that for gun owners which have been a backbone of the Republican post-Watergate resurgence of the Republican Party. Gun owners are very much a part of that.
There’s no denying. Every two years John Cornyn the Texas Senator will file his national conceal carry bill and it doesn’t even make it to the Judiciary Committee. Everyone’s buying guns and that the one act that the gun owners want is a national concealed carry. It doesn’t’ move. Look at the pro-life movement.
Paul Ryan personally blocked the Heartbeat Bill from coming to the floor in the last session. Not because it was going to lose. Paul Ryan blocked it because it would pass. And yet I just saw the House voting on the big infrastructure bill. Whenever the Left wants something on the floor it goes to the floor.
And a lot of times the Republicans give it to them. This is the phrase they use on Capitol Hill. We just want to get it off the table. It’s a distraction. We’ll just give it to them so we can talk about what we want. And what we want never comes Mike.
Leahy: Let me ask you this. In the event that Joe Biden is elected president and in the event the Democrats keep the House and in the event, the Democrats take the Senate, what will be the first two or three bills passed by that Congress?
McCabe: Well I think there’s definitely going to be a bill to make Washington, D.C. a state. I think there is definitely going to be some of this, they call it defunding police. It’s not really defunding the police. What they are going to do is they are going to rebuild the police forces into more cronyism. It’s sort of like they get more a part of their machine politics. And I think you are going to see an effort to go after former members of the Trump administration certainly.
Leahy: Oh yes. Absolutely.
McCabe: Because they accuse President Trump of using law enforcement and the criminal justice system for political purposes and I’m thinking oh really? It’s going to be scary. But I will say again there’s a very good chance that the Republicans retake the House. And that the polls are wrong.
Leahy: Ah!
McCabe: If you compare the House popular votes for House candidates 2016-2018 there was a drop off at 20 percent for Republican candidates in 2018. And there was only a two percent drop for Democrats. If you consider that the Democrats maxed out their turnout for Hillary and then maxed it out again in 2018 I don’t know how where their new votes are going to come from.
But there will be all those Republican voters who did not show up. If you have 12 million born Republican voters showing up for these House candidates, that’s going to pick up all the Senate candidates as well. And so the margins for the Democrats in the House are very close. It’s basically 18 to 19 votes with retirements and deaths and things. I’m not sure exactly what the number is today.
You basically have 200 Republicans and you need 218 to take over, well that’s really doable. Especially in a presidential year. You and I both know that people lie when they are asked if they support the president or not. What they want to see if the president has any fight left in him. If the president feels he has a fight left in him people will back him. But if he just sort of caves and says your right the police are the problem people are going to stay home.
Carmichael: Neil this is Crom Carmichael. Question for you. In Kentucky, we finally got the results of an election that was held over a week ago because of all of the mail-in ballots, not absentee ballots. Mail-in. Where they mailed the ballot out to people who did not request an absentee ballot. I think there is going to be massive voter fraud. How do you account for that?
McCabe: That should be a big problem. One of the issues is that the Republican National Committee has ignored the movement by former President Barack Obama and his former Attorney General Eric Holder to redistrict everything. The reason that Mark Meadows resigned from his House seat and is now working at the White House is because they redistricted him and he didn’t want to fight in that new district. Same thing.
Absentee ballot. Mail-in ballot. The Republican National Committee has done nothing to meet the challenge. The Democrats invented this mail-in and early voting because 15 years ago the Republican Party had so-called tiger teams that would come in and they would come in three days before an election and they would just ramp up very quickly get out the vote.
They’d do media. All of sudden you have some guy running and all of a sudden these guys would show up and they would just super energize the campaign for the last three days. And it was very effective. So the Democrats to counter this Republican tactic during this 72 tiger team they invented the early voting.
They literally, the Republican Party just sort of watches it as it happens. They practiced it in Alabama for that special election in 2017. Look at what happened in the off elections of Virginia in 2017 and 2019. The Republicans just watch it. It’s a very scary thing. It’s a very good point.
Leahy: Last question for you Neil. You mentioned if President Trump has any fight in him that the Republicans will follow him. Does the president still have a fight in him?
McCabe: Not really.
Leahy: Not really? How can you tell? And why does he not have a fight in him?
McCabe: There is no new agenda for a second term. Where is it? If you look at it, where have been the fights on Capitol Hill? Where was the fight over immigration? Where was that big vote where you’re not sure how it’s going to go? The president has never gone to Capitol Hill with a vote that he thought he was going to lose or he could possibly lose. He’s never been one to lose on principle which is something Reagan and Nixon did. And that creates an emotional bond with your supporters.
Leahy: Exactly.
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 “Neil McCabe” by One America News Network.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Gun-Toting Restaurateur Upsets 5-Term Colorado Congressman

DENVER , Colorado ( AP ) — A pistol-packing restaurant owner who has expressed support for a far-right conspiracy theory has upset five-term U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in Colorado ’ s primary elections .
Tipton became the fourth House member to lose renomination bids this year .
Republican Reps. Steve King of Iowa and Denver Riggleman of Virginia , and Democrat Daniel Lipinski of Illinois , have already been ousted by challengers .
He lost Tuesday to Lauren Boebert , the owner of a gun-friendly restaurant in a western Colorado town called Rifle .
“ Everything that I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is real because it only means that America is getting stronger and better , and people are returning to conservative values , ” she told interviewer Ann Vandersteel .
Boebert won the primary for Colorado ’ s 3rd Congressional District after a campaign in which she accused Tipton of not being sufficiently pro-Donald Trump even though the president had endorsed Tipton .
Trump congratulated Boebert on Twitter , saying , “ Congratulations on a really great win.
” She will run in November ’ s general election against Diane Mitsch Bush , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic nomination on Tuesday by defeating businessman James Iacino .
Tipton defeated Mitsch Bush in the 2018 election to represent the 3rd Congressional District , which encompasses a swath of southern and western Colorado .
Tipton conceded in an email sent by his longtime campaign consultant Michael Fortney .
“ ( Third ) District Republicans have decided who they want to run against the Democrats this November , ” Tipton wrote .
“ I want to congratulate Lauren Boebert and wish her and her supporters well.
” Boebert made a name for herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polis ’ orders to close businesses to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
She opened her Shooters Grill restaurant in defiance of closure orders .
Boebert confronted then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O ’ Rourke during a stop last year by in the Denver suburb of Aurora , questioning him on suggestions he ’ d confiscate guns — a moment that landed her on Fox News .
“ A sober look at the Tipton Record shows a back-burner representative that has failed to live up to his conservative chops that he touted on his Tea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a recent Aspen Times column .
“ If his record lived up to his campaign rhetoric , I wouldn ’ t feel so compelled to run.
” About the Headline Photo : Businesswoman Lauren Boebert speaks during a watch party in Grand Junction , Colo. , after polls closed in Colorado ’ s primary , Tuesday , June 30 , 2020 .
Boebert defeated five-term Rep. Scott Tipton in the Republican primary in the 3rd Congressional District .
( McKenzie Lange/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP )

DENVER, Colorado (AP) — A pistol-packing restaurant owner who has expressed support for a far-right conspiracy theory has upset five-term U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in Colorado’s primary elections.
Tipton became the fourth House member to lose renomination bids this year. Republican Reps. Steve King of Iowa and Denver Riggleman of Virginia, and Democrat Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, have already been ousted by challengers.
He lost Tuesday to Lauren Boebert, the owner of a gun-friendly restaurant in a western Colorado town called Rifle.
“Everything that I’ve heard of Q, I hope that this is real because it only means that America is getting stronger and better, and people are returning to conservative values,” she told interviewer Ann Vandersteel.
Boebert won the primary for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District after a campaign in which she accused Tipton of not being sufficiently pro-Donald Trump even though the president had endorsed Tipton. Trump congratulated Boebert on Twitter, saying, “Congratulations on a really great win.”
She will run in November’s general election against Diane Mitsch Bush, a former state lawmaker who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday by defeating businessman James Iacino. Tipton defeated Mitsch Bush in the 2018 election to represent the 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses a swath of southern and western Colorado.
Tipton conceded in an email sent by his longtime campaign consultant Michael Fortney.
“(Third) District Republicans have decided who they want to run against the Democrats this November,” Tipton wrote. “I want to congratulate Lauren Boebert and wish her and her supporters well.”
Boebert made a name for herself after loudly protesting Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ orders to close businesses to fight the coronavirus pandemic. She opened her Shooters Grill restaurant in defiance of closure orders.
Boebert confronted then-Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke during a stop last year by in the Denver suburb of Aurora, questioning him on suggestions he’d confiscate guns — a moment that landed her on Fox News.
“A sober look at the Tipton Record shows a back-burner representative that has failed to live up to his conservative chops that he touted on his Tea Party-inspired campaign trail,” Boebert wrote in a recent Aspen Times column. “If his record lived up to his campaign rhetoric, I wouldn’t feel so compelled to run.”
– – –
About the Headline Photo: Businesswoman Lauren Boebert speaks during a watch party in Grand Junction, Colo., after polls closed in Colorado’s primary, Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Boebert defeated five-term Rep. Scott Tipton in the Republican primary in the 3rd Congressional District. (McKenzie Lange/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel via AP)


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Background Checks, a Metric for Gun Sales, Hit All-Time High

Historic numbers of background checks to purchase or possess a firearm were done in June , a trend in a year marked by uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic , a subsequent economic recession , protests over racial injustice and calls to reduce police funding .
FBI numbers released Wednesday show that 3.9 million background checks were conducted last month , the most since the system was created in November 1998 to ensure felons and other prohibited people could not buy or possess a firearm .
The previous monthly record came in March , when 3.7 million checks were done .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top 10 weeks for background checks .
Halfway through 2020 , just over 19 million checks have been done , more than all of 2012 and each of the years before that .
Background checks are the key barometer of gun sales , but the FBI ’ s monthly figures also incorporate checks for permits that some states require to carry a firearm .
Each background check also could be for the sale of more than one gun .
Firearm sales traditionally increase during presidential election years , fueled by fears among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrict their rights .
But this year has seen a series of previously unheard-of numbers as one crisis after another has emerged : the coronavirus , demonstrations over racial inequality and police brutality , as well as deep political divisions among Americans .
Adjusted to reflect only gun purchases , the number of checks for June was up nearly 136 % over June 2019 , according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation , which represents gunmakers .
That adjusted figure was 2.2 million , the group said .
“ Civil unrest , rioting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are unquestionably motivating factors of why this trend is increasing .
Americans are right to be concerned for their personal safety , ” said Mark Oliva , director of public affairs for the group .
Oliva said gun purchases are a reasonable reaction to the political climate .
“ Politicians who entertain notions of defunding police departments are the same ones who call for strict gun control and even outright confiscation , ” he said .
“ These figures aren ’ t push polls .
They are representative of Americans from all walks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking responsibility for their rights and their safety.
” Gun control advocates worried that those buying a gun for personal safety may not have enough training to handle or store it correctly .
The eye-popping numbers began at the beginning of the year and continued to crush records amid the nation ’ s crises .
So far , this year has seen half of the 10 busiest days on record and seven of the 10 busiest weeks — half of them in June .
At the beginning of the pandemic , as states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic turmoil , long lines snaked outside of some gun shops and people emptied shelves of ammunition .
Protests that began in late May , with some calling for defunding law enforcement , stirred some people ’ s worries about defending themselves if police are unable to respond to calls .
An estimated 40 % of those purchasing firearms are first-time buyers , the National Shooting Sports Foundation said .
“ I ’ m extremely concerned about those people who , in this time of uncertainty and fear , have been sold on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times , when you ’ re feeling out of control , your possession of a firearm will satisfy that fear , ” said David Chipman , senior policy director for the Giffords gun control group .
Chipman , a retired agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , said the numbers are not mere blips .
“ This can no longer be characterized as a spike .
This is a sustained uptick in sales that has continued for an unprecedented amount of months now , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this Thursday , June .
18 , 2020 , photo , West Quincy Pawn Shop owner Lionel Hammond poses for a photo in the gun section of the store which Hammond pointed out has a noticeably low stock in West Quincy , Mo .
At West Quincy Pawn Shop , Hammond said sales have been off the charts and that he can ’ t keep merchandise on the shelves as buyers are using their governmental stimulus money to buy firearms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Jake Shane/Quincy Herald-Whig via AP )

Historic numbers of background checks to purchase or possess a firearm were done in June, a trend in a year marked by uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic, a subsequent economic recession, protests over racial injustice and calls to reduce police funding.
FBI numbers released Wednesday show that 3.9 million background checks were conducted last month, the most since the system was created in November 1998 to ensure felons and other prohibited people could not buy or possess a firearm. The previous monthly record came in March, when 3.7 million checks were done. Each week in June is now in the top 10 weeks for background checks.
Halfway through 2020, just over 19 million checks have been done, more than all of 2012 and each of the years before that.
Background checks are the key barometer of gun sales, but the FBI’s monthly figures also incorporate checks for permits that some states require to carry a firearm. Each background check also could be for the sale of more than one gun.
Firearm sales traditionally increase during presidential election years, fueled by fears among gun owners that the next president could restrict their rights. But this year has seen a series of previously unheard-of numbers as one crisis after another has emerged: the coronavirus, demonstrations over racial inequality and police brutality, as well as deep political divisions among Americans.
Adjusted to reflect only gun purchases, the number of checks for June was up nearly 136% over June 2019, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gunmakers. That adjusted figure was 2.2 million, the group said.
“Civil unrest, rioting, looting and calls to defund police are unquestionably motivating factors of why this trend is increasing. Americans are right to be concerned for their personal safety,” said Mark Oliva, director of public affairs for the group.
Oliva said gun purchases are a reasonable reaction to the political climate.
“Politicians who entertain notions of defunding police departments are the same ones who call for strict gun control and even outright confiscation,” he said. “These figures aren’t push polls. They are representative of Americans from all walks of life who are taking action and taking responsibility for their rights and their safety.”
Gun control advocates worried that those buying a gun for personal safety may not have enough training to handle or store it correctly.
The eye-popping numbers began at the beginning of the year and continued to crush records amid the nation’s crises. So far, this year has seen half of the 10 busiest days on record and seven of the 10 busiest weeks — half of them in June.
At the beginning of the pandemic, as states issued stay-at-home orders and worries emerged about economic turmoil, long lines snaked outside of some gun shops and people emptied shelves of ammunition. Protests that began in late May, with some calling for defunding law enforcement, stirred some people’s worries about defending themselves if police are unable to respond to calls.
An estimated 40% of those purchasing firearms are first-time buyers, the National Shooting Sports Foundation said.
“I’m extremely concerned about those people who, in this time of uncertainty and fear, have been sold on the gun industry narrative that in uncertain times, when you’re feeling out of control, your possession of a firearm will satisfy that fear,” said David Chipman, senior policy director for the Giffords gun control group.
Chipman, a retired agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the numbers are not mere blips.
“This can no longer be characterized as a spike. This is a sustained uptick in sales that has continued for an unprecedented amount of months now,” he said.
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Lisa Marine Pane is a reporter for The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: In this Thursday, June. 18, 2020, photo, West Quincy Pawn Shop owner Lionel Hammond poses for a photo in the gun section of the store which Hammond pointed out has a noticeably low stock in West Quincy, Mo. At West Quincy Pawn Shop, Hammond said sales have been off the charts and that he can’t keep merchandise on the shelves as buyers are using their governmental stimulus money to buy firearms, jewelry, televisions and other electronics. (Jake Shane/Quincy Herald-Whig via AP)


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Citing Racial Bias, San Francisco Will End Mug Shots Release

SAN FRANCISCO , California ( AP ) — San Francisco police will stop releasing the mug shots of people who have been arrested unless they pose a threat to the public , as part of an effort to stop perpetuating racial stereotypes , the city ’ s police chief announced Wednesday .
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said the policy , which goes into effect immediately , means the department will no longer release booking photos of suspects to the media or allow officers to post them online .
Booking photos are taken when someone is arrested .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person is prosecuted for the alleged crime , which undermines the presumption of innocence and helps perpetuate stereotypes .
Jack Glaser , a public policy professor at the University of California Berkeley who researches racial stereotyping and whose work Scott consulted , said data shows Black people who are arrested are more likely to have their cases dismissed by prosecutors .
“ That may be just part and parcel of the same issue that police will stop and search Blacks at a lower threshold of suspicion in the first place and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be unsubstantiated , ” Glaser said .
But the mug shots live on .
Numerous websites post photos of mug shots online , regardless of whether anyone was convicted of a crime , and then charge a fee to those who want their photo taken down .
The phenomenon prompted California ’ s attorney general to charge one of the biggest operators with extortion , money laundering , and identity theft .
That contributes to Americans making an unfair association between people of color and crime , Scott said .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this will be something that others might consider doing as well , ” he said .
Large cities like Los Angeles and New York already have policies against releasing booking photos but make exceptions .
For example , the New York Police Department , the nation ’ s largest , releases information on arrests but doesn ’ t put out mug shots unless investigators believe that will prompt more witnesses to come forward or aid in finding a suspect .
Georgia and New York stopped releasing booking photos in an effort to curtail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture and booking information .
But San Francisco will be the first to adopt the policy as part of an effort to stop spreading negative stereotypes of minorities , something Scott , who is Black , said he has experienced when not in uniform .
“ You walk into a department store and you get followed around and the security is looking at you suspiciously , I ’ ve experienced that , ” Scott said .
He said limiting the release of mug shots of people who have not been proven guilty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the perception the public has about race and crime that is often bolstered when the booking photos are published in the news media .
In San Francisco , the only exceptions will be if a crime suspect poses a threat or if officers need help locating a suspect or an at-risk person , Scott said .
Under the policy , the release of photos or information on a person who is arrested will also require approval from the police department ’ s public relations team .
Olga R. Rodgriguez is a reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Headline Photo : This April 29 , 2016 , file photo , shows a patch and badge on the uniform of a San Francisco police officer in San Francisco .
The San Francisco Police Department will stop releasing mugshots of people arrested unless they pose a threat in an effort to stop perpetuating racial stereotypes , the police chief announced Wednesday , July 1 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/Eric Risberg , File )

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) — San Francisco police will stop releasing the mug shots of people who have been arrested unless they pose a threat to the public, as part of an effort to stop perpetuating racial stereotypes, the city’s police chief announced Wednesday.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said the policy, which goes into effect immediately, means the department will no longer release booking photos of suspects to the media or allow officers to post them online.
Booking photos are taken when someone is arrested. They are often made public whether or not the person is prosecuted for the alleged crime, which undermines the presumption of innocence and helps perpetuate stereotypes.
Jack Glaser, a public policy professor at the University of California Berkeley who researches racial stereotyping and whose work Scott consulted, said data shows Black people who are arrested are more likely to have their cases dismissed by prosecutors.
“That may be just part and parcel of the same issue that police will stop and search Blacks at a lower threshold of suspicion in the first place and so, their arrests are more likely to be unsubstantiated,” Glaser said.
But the mug shots live on.
Numerous websites post photos of mug shots online, regardless of whether anyone was convicted of a crime, and then charge a fee to those who want their photo taken down. The phenomenon prompted California’s attorney general to charge one of the biggest operators with extortion, money laundering, and identity theft.
That contributes to Americans making an unfair association between people of color and crime, Scott said.
“This is just one small step but we hope this will be something that others might consider doing as well,” he said.
Large cities like Los Angeles and New York already have policies against releasing booking photos but make exceptions. For example, the New York Police Department, the nation’s largest, releases information on arrests but doesn’t put out mug shots unless investigators believe that will prompt more witnesses to come forward or aid in finding a suspect. Georgia and New York stopped releasing booking photos in an effort to curtail websites that charge people to remove their picture and booking information.
But San Francisco will be the first to adopt the policy as part of an effort to stop spreading negative stereotypes of minorities, something Scott, who is Black, said he has experienced when not in uniform.
“You walk into a department store and you get followed around and the security is looking at you suspiciously, I’ve experienced that,” Scott said.
He said limiting the release of mug shots of people who have not been proven guilty of a crime will remove a key contributor to the perception the public has about race and crime that is often bolstered when the booking photos are published in the news media.
In San Francisco, the only exceptions will be if a crime suspect poses a threat or if officers need help locating a suspect or an at-risk person, Scott said. Under the policy, the release of photos or information on a person who is arrested will also require approval from the police department’s public relations team.
– – –
Olga R. Rodgriguez is a reporter for The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: This April 29, 2016, file photo, shows a patch and badge on the uniform of a San Francisco police officer in San Francisco. The San Francisco Police Department will stop releasing mugshots of people arrested unless they pose a threat in an effort to stop perpetuating racial stereotypes, the police chief announced Wednesday, July 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Bill Hagerty Issues Statement After Iran Issues Arrest Warrant for Donald Trump

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty this week released a statement after Iran issued an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump for taking out the top Iranian general and known terrorist Qasem Soleimani .
“ Soleimani was a terrorist with the blood of Americans on his hands .
Thanks to President Trump ’ s decisive leadership , the world is a much safer place because Soleimani is dead , ” Hagerty said in the press release .
“ Iran ’ s issuing of the arrest warrant against President Trump and the men and women who fought to eliminate Soleimani is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attempt to distract from Soleimani ’ s strong ties to radical Islamic terrorism .
If Joe Biden were president , Qasem Soleimani would still be plotting to kill Americans .
Strong leadership means standing up to radical Islamic terrorism and that ’ s exactly what President Trump has done .
As your Senator , I will work side by side with him and never stop fighting to defeat radical Islamic terrorism.
” As The Tennessee Star reported this week , Hagerty criticized U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts after he joined the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law “ requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.
” “ John Roberts got it wrong again .
Instead of protecting the unborn and ensuring the safety of women , yet again it appears that Chief Justice Roberts made a politically-calculated decision and sided with the liberals , ” Hagerty said Monday .
“ This ruling , along with the recent decision to uphold Obama ’ s DACA program , is a strong reminder as to how important it is to keep the Republican Senate majority and re-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we can put strict constitutionalists on the bench .
Joe Biden and a Democrat Senate majority would confirm liberal , activist justices who will legislate from the bench .
We need more constitutionalist justices and judges on the federal bench .
As your next Senator , I ’ ll work with President Trump to confirm justices who respect the Constitution and the rule of law.
” Abortion opponents vented their disappointment and fury on Monday after the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision to strike down a Louisiana law that would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Qasem Soleimani ” by Khamenei .
CC BY 4.0 .

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty this week released a statement after Iran issued an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump for taking out the top Iranian general and known terrorist Qasem Soleimani.
“Soleimani was a terrorist with the blood of Americans on his hands. Thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership, the world is a much safer place because Soleimani is dead,” Hagerty said in the press release.
“Iran’s issuing of the arrest warrant against President Trump and the men and women who fought to eliminate Soleimani is nothing but a political stunt – in an attempt to distract from Soleimani’s strong ties to radical Islamic terrorism. If Joe Biden were president, Qasem Soleimani would still be plotting to kill Americans. Strong leadership means standing up to radical Islamic terrorism and that’s exactly what President Trump has done. As your Senator, I will work side by side with him and never stop fighting to defeat radical Islamic terrorism.”
As The Tennessee Star reported this week, Hagerty criticized U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts after he joined the liberal justices in overturning Louisiana’s law “requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.”
“John Roberts got it wrong again. Instead of protecting the unborn and ensuring the safety of women, yet again it appears that Chief Justice Roberts made a politically-calculated decision and sided with the liberals,” Hagerty said Monday.
“This ruling, along with the recent decision to uphold Obama’s DACA program, is a strong reminder as to how important it is to keep the Republican Senate majority and re-elect President Trump for four more years so that we can put strict constitutionalists on the bench. Joe Biden and a Democrat Senate majority would confirm liberal, activist justices who will legislate from the bench. We need more constitutionalist justices and judges on the federal bench. As your next Senator, I’ll work with President Trump to confirm justices who respect the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Abortion opponents vented their disappointment and fury on Monday after the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision to strike down a Louisiana law that would have curbed abortion access.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Qasem Soleimani” by Khamenei. CC BY 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-02--Crom Carmichael: Thugs and the Terrorists Now Rule Our Cities at the Behest of Democrats

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. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
At the end of the third hour , Carmichael continued to describe the Democratic Party as the party of violence pointing out its history within the KKK and now with Black Lives Matter as it ’ s current militant wing .
Leahy : Crom I have three words for you .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d like you to comment on those .
Fear , reason , and power .
Carmichael : This is a little bit of what we were talking about at the end .
There ’ s a story here of the two senators from Connecticut who are demanding that Subway stop allowing open carry in any of their restaurants across the entire country .
Leahy : These are the two United States senators ?
Leahy : Is that the headquarters of Subway ?
Carmichael : Yes .
They are headquartered there but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators don ’ t care what the state legislators and governors of the various states laws are in those states .
They are demanding that Subway for their stores anywhere in the country to put a rule in that if you have a gun you can not enter a Subway .
Even though it ’ s legal within the state where that Subway exists .
Now , what does the CEO of Subway do in the face of this ?
And here ’ s the problem that that person has .
These two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone if they choose to and call the folks at Black Lives Matter and say go destroy a half dozen Subways .
Just go and destroy them at 3 a.m. Carmichael : Just go destroy them and then let ’ s see if the CEO changes his mind .
If he doesn ’ t , then go destroy 12 more .
That ’ s where we are right now in this country .
And you saw that with the couple in St. Louis who was scared to death and are so scared and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to kill them they now support them .
Leahy : Well , they supported them before .
They said they support the Black Lives Matter movement .
They are attorneys .
They got rich by suing the St. Louis Police Department and others .
Leahy : When this Black Lives Matter crowd broke into their private residential area , trespassed , destroyed property .
Some of them were armed threatened their houses and to kill them and burned down their house they come out with their guns and said you are not coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know .
But they still support them .
Even though that happened to them they realize that if they come out against Black Lives Matter that their home will be attacked again .
That ’ s there is nobody there to protect them .
Leahy : What they said in their statement is that the people in the crowd who claimed to be Black Lives Matter supporters were mostly white .
That ’ s what they said .
Carmichael : Doesn ’ t even matter .
The Black Lives Matter crowd is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about Black lives .
It ’ s a political arm of the Democratic party .
Leahy : Thugs .
The brownshirts is what they called them in Germany before the rise of the Nazi Party .
Carmichael : That ’ s where we are now .
These companies like Coca Cola and Verizon and Starbucks .
Starbucks doesn ’ t want to have their stores trashed .
So when the Left tells Starbucks to quit advertising on Facebook until Facebook changes its policies and cancels any conservative thinking Starbucks says yes sir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t shoot !
Don ’ t break my glass and destroy my stores .
Leahy : Because I have an asset value here that ’ s very high .
Carmichael : And there is nobody to protect them .
And here ’ s the problem and I ’ ve said this before .
If you are playing in a basketball game and the goal is to win then the rules are determined by the referee .
So if one side is kicking the other side in the crotch and stealing the ball because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground you have a choice .
You can either lose the game or you can respond in kind .
And unfortunately , this gets into Just War Theory .
Leahy : The problem with your analogy there is this , the referee in that game will allow the other side to kick you .
Carmichael : No .
Not necessarily .
Not necessarily .
If those people have gone out there and destroyed the mayor ’ s home and had given her the change to get out of her house so there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private property because she said property is just property and doesn ’ t matter .
And if the police wouldn ’ t arrest anybody then what is that mayor going to do the next time other people ’ s property is at risk ?
She might treat it differently .
We are in a place right where the thugs and the terrorists rule our cities .
And they do it at the behest of Democrats .
I hate to keep saying Democrats , Democrats , Democrats but they run all the cities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Don ’ t you think to call the party now the Democrat Party is a misnomer ?
Carmichael : It still is !
It ’ s the Democratic Party .
The Democratic Party has a history of violence .
Leahy : They are getting worse .
Carmichael : And they are now getting worse .
The KKK had millions of members at one time .
And the Democrat Party used the KKK to terrorize everyone that disagreed with them .
And that could be Black people and it was a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been Republicans in the south .
And they killed Republicans too .
This is now the KKK of today .
Black Lives Matter and Antifa , they don ’ t care about Black people .
This is a political power organization .
Leahy : It ’ s power .
We started this segment talking about reason , fear , and power .
Carmichael : Yes .
And it ’ s very machiavellian .
The ends justify the means .
Leahy : Yes .
There is no guiding principle other than power .
Carmichael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leahy : There is no respect for life .
No respect for property .
And no respect for the rule of law .
Carmichael : This is why when Neil said he just thinks this is the beginning of it .
Unless there is pushback then it is just the beginning of it .
Leahy : And that ’ s the point Tucker Carlson has been making every night .
That ’ s why his ratings are up so high .
Carmichael : By the way , that ’ s not anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 “ CHOP-Seattle ” by Benjamin Morawek .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

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. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio.
At the end of the third hour, Carmichael continued to describe the Democratic Party as the party of violence pointing out its history within the KKK and now with Black Lives Matter as it’s current militant wing.
Leahy: Crom I have three words for you.
Carmichael: What’s that? (Laughs)
Leahy: Here are the three words. I’d like you to comment on those. Fear, reason, and power.
Carmichael: This is a little bit of what we were talking about at the end. There’s a story here of the two senators from Connecticut who are demanding that Subway stop allowing open carry in any of their restaurants across the entire country.
Leahy: These are the two United States senators?
Carmichael: Two United States senators from Connecticut.
Leahy: Is that the headquarters of Subway?
Carmichael: Yes. They are headquartered there but the point is that these two Connecticut senators don’t care what the state legislators and governors of the various states laws are in those states. They are demanding that Subway for their stores anywhere in the country to put a rule in that if you have a gun you cannot enter a Subway. Even though it’s legal within the state where that Subway exists.
Now, what does the CEO of Subway do in the face of this? And here’s the problem that that person has. These two senators can just simply pick up the phone if they choose to and call the folks at Black Lives Matter and say go destroy a half dozen Subways. Just go and destroy them at 3 a.m.
Leahy: It’s coming, isn’t it?
Carmichael: Just go destroy them and then let’s see if the CEO changes his mind. If he doesn’t, then go destroy 12 more. That’s where we are right now in this country. And you saw that with the couple in St. Louis who was scared to death and are so scared and the very people they said were threatening to kill them they now support them.
Leahy: Well, they supported them before. They said they support the Black Lives Matter movement. They are attorneys. They got rich by suing the St. Louis Police Department and others.
Carmichael: Ok.
Leahy: When this Black Lives Matter crowd broke into their private residential area, trespassed, destroyed property. Some of them were armed threatened their houses and to kill them and burned down their house they come out with their guns and said you are not coming here. That crowd.
Carmichael: I know. But they still support them. Even though that happened to them they realize that if they come out against Black Lives Matter that their home will be attacked again. That’s there is nobody there to protect them.
Leahy: What they said in their statement is that the people in the crowd who claimed to be Black Lives Matter supporters were mostly white. That’s what they said.
Carmichael: Doesn’t even matter. The Black Lives Matter crowd is not black and they don’t care about Black lives. It’s a political arm of the Democratic party.
Leahy: Thugs. The brownshirts is what they called them in Germany before the rise of the Nazi Party.
Carmichael: That’s where we are now. These companies like Coca Cola and Verizon and Starbucks. Starbucks doesn’t want to have their stores trashed. So when the Left tells Starbucks to quit advertising on Facebook until Facebook changes its policies and cancels any conservative thinking Starbucks says yes sir.
Leahy: Hands up!
Carmichael: Hands up don’t shoot! Don’t break my glass and destroy my stores.
Leahy: Because I have an asset value here that’s very high.
Carmichael: And there is nobody to protect them. And here’s the problem and I’ve said this before. If you are playing in a basketball game and the goal is to win then the rules are determined by the referee. So if one side is kicking the other side in the crotch and stealing the ball because the person with the ball collapses on the ground you have a choice. You can either lose the game or you can respond in kind. And unfortunately, this gets into Just War Theory.
Leahy: The problem with your analogy there is this, the referee in that game will allow the other side to kick you.
Carmichael: No. Not necessarily. Not necessarily. If those people have gone out there and destroyed the mayor’s home and had given her the change to get out of her house so there’s no bodily injury and destroyed private property because she said property is just property and doesn’t matter.
And if the police wouldn’t arrest anybody then what is that mayor going to do the next time other people’s property is at risk? She might treat it differently. We are in a place right where the thugs and the terrorists rule our cities. And they do it at the behest of Democrats. I hate to keep saying Democrats, Democrats, Democrats but they run all the cities that experience all of this mayhem.
Leahy: Don’t you think to call the party now the Democrat Party is a misnomer?
Carmichael: It still is! It’s the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party has a history of violence.
Leahy: They are getting worse.
Carmichael: And they are now getting worse. The KKK had millions of members at one time. And the Democrat Party used the KKK to terrorize everyone that disagreed with them. And that could be Black people and it was a lot of Black people. Or it could have been Republicans in the south. And they killed Republicans too. This is now the KKK of today. Black Lives Matter and Antifa, they don’t care about Black people. This is a political power organization.
Leahy: It’s power. We started this segment talking about reason, fear, and power.
Carmichael: Yes. And it’s very machiavellian. The ends justify the means.
Leahy: Yes. There is no guiding principle other than power.
Carmichael: That’s all it is.
Leahy: There is no respect for life. No respect for property. And no respect for the rule of law.
Carmichael: This is why when Neil said he just thinks this is the beginning of it. Unless there is pushback then it is just the beginning of it.
Leahy: And that’s the point Tucker Carlson has been making every night. That’s why his ratings are up so high.
Carmichael: By the way, that’s not anything new. That’s human nature.
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 “CHOP-Seattle” by Benjamin Morawek. CC BY-SA 2.0.