thetennesseestar--2020-05-25--Industry Officials: Deregulation Helps Freight Industry Thrive Without Federal Bailout

After $ 3 trillion in federal stimulus money went to individuals , corporations , hospitals and numerous industries , the Class 1 freight industry has maintained its transportation operations and provided critical resources nationwide without asking for , or receiving , federal taxpayer money .
Other industries and lawmakers can look to how the freight industry has weathered the economic downturn and coronavirus restrictions without receiving any federal bailout money , analysts note .
“ The freight rail industry is one of the most cost-effective and efficient transportation networks in the world , ” the American Railroads Association ( ARA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars in annual private investment – $ 25 billion on average – railroads maintain and modernize the nation ’ s nearly 140,000-mile private rail network to deliver for America.
” Research from Towson University ’ s Regional Economic Studies Institute found that in 2017 , Class I railroads ’ operations and capital investment supported over 1.1 million jobs , $ 219.5 billion in economic output , and $ 71.3 billion in wages , while also creating nearly $ 26 billion in total tax revenue .
In a typical week , railroads deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products .
A single rail car moves enough wheat for 258,000 loaves of bread , enough corn for 480,000 bags of Fritos , or enough barley for 94,000 gallons of beer , ARA states .
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) designated the freight railroad industry as “ critical ” and instructed state and local governments to ensure railroads keep goods moving in the face of stay-at-home orders .
Yet the industry received no federal coronavirus federal stimulus money despite a dramatic decline in shipments and lost revenue , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to do so , analysts argue , because of deregulation enacted 40 years ago under President Ronald Reagan .
The Staggers Rail Act of 1980 largely removed rigid price controls and operating requirements enabling companies to invest in upgrades and improvements to their intra-state network .
Compared to the bankruptcies of the 1970s after deregulation , “ America ’ s freight rail industry went from facing an existential crisis to being the envy of the world in just a few decades , ” Marc Scribner at Reason Foundation wrote .
“ During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s private freight railroads have become profitable again , with traffic volumes up 90 percent , productivity up 150 percent , inflation-adjusted average shipping rates down 45 percent , and accidents down 80 percent , ” Scribner added .
“ In recent years , freight railroads have been averaging $ 25 billion annually in network investment and their return on investment has risen from a two percent average during the 1970s to more than 10 percent during the 2010s.
” On recent earnings calls with investors , industry executives reported liquidity despite suffering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , automobile transportation , since production of automobiles has been halted for about two months .
Their financial condition is “ a testament to the wise business management practices within the industry , ” Ted Greener , ARA ’ s executive director for public affairs , told The Center Square .
“ It is worth noting that the rail industry has long fought against increased rate regulation in the sector by the federal government , ” he said .
“ It is safe to say that had such a regulatory scheme been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this pandemic , the industry would be on much less firm ground.
” Consumers and taxpayers have also not bailed out railroads , Steve Pociask at RealClearPolicy writes , because of “ a regulatory system , led by the U.S .
Surface Transportation Board , that to date has avoided utility-style rate or earnings regulation in the sector.
” Before the coronavirus shutdown , the agency was considering capping how much railroad companies could earn in a year , including imposing an across-the-board utility-style rate regulation .
But it was actually deregulation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary goods and services to Americans during the nationwide coronavirus shutdown , he and others argue .
“ For railroads , the impact of imposing these regulations would have a devastating effect on liquidity , ” Pociask said .
If rate caps were imposed , “ it stands to reason that investment in the rail network would fall , and quite likely so would its dependability and efficiency – just as companies that ship over rail will need those qualities during the hard slog back to economic recovery , ” he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mass transit industries that were reporting losses before the coronavirus ever hit , federal bailouts for the airlines , airports and mass transit totaled nearly $ 90 billion .
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-25--Ohio Dems ‘Outraged’ by Gov. DeWine’s Plan to Address COVID-19 Racial Disparities: ‘Too Little, Too

Ohio Dems ‘Outraged’ by Gov. DeWine’s Plan to Address COVID-19 Racial Disparities: ‘Too Little, Too Late’

Ohio Democrats said they were “ outraged ” by Gov .
Mike DeWine ’ s proposal for addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Ohio ’ s black population .
African Americans make up 14 percent of Ohio ’ s population , but represent 26 percent of positive COVID-19 cases , 31 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations , and 17 percent of COVID-19 deaths .
As a result , Gov .
DeWine formed a “ Minority Health Strike Force , ” which released a set of “ preliminary ” recommendations Thursday .
The task force called for establishing “ culturally appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities of color , ” expanding testing capacity and access for minorities and high-risk populations , using “ data to prioritize resources in the communities that have the highest need , ” and launching a “ culturally-sensitive outreach campaign that educates African Americans and communities of color on COVID-19.
” Other proposals included the creation of a new position in the Ohio Department of Health “ dedicated to social determinants of health and opportunity.
” House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes ( D-Akron ) said the governor ’ s recommendations represent the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hanging fruit , and such simple steps should have been implemented six weeks ago to have any significant impact.
” “ The governor had the chance to do something important today and he let us down , ” she continued .
“ While I appreciate the conversation today on the struggles communities of color have faced for generations that are usually overlooked and ignored , it is too little , too late for this pandemic.
” Sykes said she won ’ t be able to take anything the governor “ says on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ structural racism is the root cause of health disparities.
” “ The discussion today felt impersonal and insincere ; if he is unwilling to expose the real truth of the situation , he should move on .
As the state now reopens , the time for the strike force to strike and have any meaningful impact has passed , ” she concluded , calling the governor ’ s delay in action “ unforgivable.
” Rep. Stephanie Howse ( D-Cleveland ) , president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus , said African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio do not need recommendations , they need action and dedicated resources to reverse the irreplaceable harm racism has induced on minorities.
” “ Anything short of direct action is a disgrace and a clear message that our black and brown families and communities are not valued during these unprecedented times , ” she added , saying members of the Legislative Black Caucus were “ outraged ” by the governor ’ s proposal .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Photo “ House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes ” by the Ohio House of Representatives , and “ Gov .
Mike DeWine COVID-19 Press Briefing ” by The Ohio Channel .

One of the principles asserted by Governor Haslam in support of his IMPROVE Act and its proposed increase of 7 cents per gallon in the gas tax is that “users” of roads should pay for road construction.
The gas tax is proper, he argues, because people who purchase gas to fuel their cars are the users of roads, and the gas tax is the best mechanism to charge them for that usage.
For at least a decade, however, revenue sources originally designed to fund highway construction have been intermingled, and that “user” fee principle has not strictly been applied to the funding of road construction. The IMPROVE Act does not fully address the co-mingling of funds.
The Highway Fund receives road construction “user fee” revenues from gasoline tax, motor fuel tax, gasoline inspection tax, motor vehicle registration tax and the motor vehicle title fees. At least 25 percent of those road construction “user fees” go to the General Fund, Education and Debt Service.
Though the majority of these “user fee” revenues have been allocated to the Highway Fund, between 25 percent and 29 percent of those fees -ranging from $177 million to $196 million annually– have been diverted away from the Highway Fund between FY 2011-12 and FY 2017-18, as Table 1 below illustrates.
Table 1
Highway Fund ‘User Fees’ Allocated to Funds Other than the Highway Fund
FY 2011-12 to FY 2017-18
Fiscal Year Highway Fund”User Fees ” Directed to General Fund, Education & Debt Svc. As % of Highway Fund Total Sales & Use Tax Revenues Sales Tax $ to Highway Fund % Sales Tax to Highway Fund Data Source (Link to Document) Page of Data Source 2017-18 $187,100,000 26.2% $8,861,100,000 $22,600,000 0.26% Estimated 99 of 558 2016-17 $195,200,000 26.5% $8,564,100,000 $22,600,000 0.26% Revised Est. 98 of 558 2015-16 $189,572,000 26.2% $8,267,224,400 $22,625,400 0.27% Actual 97 of 558 2014-15 $177,611,900 25.1% $7,706,018,700 $38,165,000 0.50% Actual 97 of 550 2013-14 $196,234,300 28.9% $7,286,164,500 $53,797,600 0.74% Actual 97 of 542 2012-13 $194,365,000 28.4% $7,012,028,700 $60,902,800 0.87% Actual 97 of 545 2011-12 $193,243,800 28.2% $6,899,944,000 $64,574,000 0.94% Actual 111 of 656
The state of Tennessee budget documents detail the revenue sources and the basis of apportionment for those revenues. For every one of the “user fee” revenues, the Tennessee Code Annotated that directs funds away from the Highway Fund is cited.
There are also allocations to the Highway Fund, such as Gross Receipts Tax-Other and Beer Tax, that would otherwise be considered General Fund revenues, as the majority of those revenues are allocated to the General Fund. However, the increase of 25 to 29 percent to the Highway Fund is net the General Fund dollars.
In the upcoming 2017-18 budget year, the redistribution of “user fees” strictly to the Highway Fund would increase the Highway Fund by $187 million, and combined with the past six years would have added a total of $1.3 billion to the Highway Fund, all without a gas tax increase.
The co-mingling of funds goes both ways.
“Sales and Use Tax” revenues have been and continue to be allocated to the Highway Fund.
During Gov. Haslam’s administration, the percentage of state sales tax revenues allocated to the Highway Fund ranged between 0.26 and 0.94 percent. Essentially, the alternate “Hawk Plan,” named for Rep. David Hawk of Greenville, which allocates 0.25 percent of the sales tax revenues to the Highway Fund has been in effect for years to an even greater extent.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-25--Senator Warns of ‘Major Crisis’ in Minnesota Nursing Homes, Says No Indication Trend Is Reversing

A state senator warned of a “ major crisis ” in Minnesota ’ s long-term care facilities in a letter sent last week to Gov .
Tim Walz .
State Sen. Karin Housley ( R-St. Mary ’ s Point ) , chair of the Senate Family Care and Aging Committee , applauded the governor for releasing a “ five-point plan ” earlier this month on addressing the crisis , but said she has seen “ few indicators the trend is reversing.
” “ I have tried to sound the alarm again and again about what I believe is a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Housley said in the letter .
“ For months , our state ’ s focus has been on making sure hospitals are ready to handle a surge in COVID-19 patients .
As we prepared for a public health crisis similar to what New York was experiencing , it came at the expense of long-term care facilities , where the vast majority of our fatalities are occurring.
” As she notes in her letter , COVID-19 fatalities among nursing home residents have consistently accounted for 81 percent of the state ’ s total death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Minnesota ’ s 869 confirmed deaths were among residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities , the Department of Health reports .
A report from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity indicates that Minnesota ’ s 81 percent figure is higher than any other state in the nation .
The governor said in his “ five-point plan ” released May 7 that he would expand testing for residents and workers , provide facilities with testing support and personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , increase staffing levels , and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Guard May 14 to help nursing homes administer testing .
According to Housley ’ s letter , however , these steps have been insufficient in reversing the spread of the virus through long-term care facilities .
“ Governor , I am pleading with you to take immediate , decisive action to reverse this deadly trend , ” she said .
She asked the governor to consider some of her solutions to a number of ongoing problems in long-term care facilities , including a lack of “ clear , consistent guidelines for testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent Star Tribune report discovered that hospitals have discharged dozens of infected patients back into nursing homes , including homes with large outbreaks .
Housley said many facilities have “ serious concerns ” about a lack of PPE and other critical care supplies .
“ They were told they will not receive N95 respirators from the state stockpile and are experiencing a critical shortage of gowns , ” she said .
Other facilities are reluctant to test staff members because of insurance issues , since the “ responsibility for lab payment is unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear and immediate guidelines for how long-term care facilities will be reimbursed for testing of staff , regardless of which lab is utilized , ” Housley continued , noting that labs and the state health system are charging “ courier fees to long-term care facilities for each test ordered , creating a cost barrier to testing.
” “ While the Legislature is adjourned , I urge you to consider using the federal and state funds allocated for the COVID-19 response to long-term care facilities or calling the Legislature into special session to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My colleagues and I stand ready to partner with you on solutions that require legislative approval.
” Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ State Sen. Karin Housley ” by Minnesota Senate Republicans .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-25--Franklin-Based Clinic Settles Allegations of Fraud with the Feds

The Franklin-based Rinova The Wellness Group , PC has settled the federal government ’ s allegations that Medicare overpaid the company for claims that were non-payable due to fraudulent misrepresentations .
This , according to a press release the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee released this week .
The government alleged that Rinova misrepresented that it had provided services , when they were actually a continuation of services by the suspended company Pain MD , LLC , according to the press release .
U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rinova , led by former Pain MD physician Ben Johnson , acquired certain Tennessee assets of Pain MD clinics and leased other Virginia as sets of Pain MD clinics .
At the time , Medicare contractors had suspended all payments to Pain MD , based on credible allegations of fraud .
Rinova obtained new Medicare payment numbers , which according to the United States , amounted to an attempt to evade the Medicare payment suspension of Pain MD , so that Rinova could improperly obtain Medicare reimbursements while operating Pain MD ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same Pain MD employees , clinics , locations , and patients .
“ The Medicare contractor suspended payments to Rinova in June 2019 and revoked Rinova ’ s billing privileges in September 2019 , ” Cochran said ; adding , “ Rinova has now ceased its operations and no longer operates any pain clinics in Tennessee or elsewhere .
The settlement resolves the government ’ s claims that it overpaid Rinova for all of its services .
Under the settlement agreement , Rinova waived its claim to $ 379,961 in suspended Medicare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid an additional $ 53,151 .
The settlement has a total value of $ 482,224.
” The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation ’ s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services , Office of Inspector General investigated the matter , the press release said .
As The Tennessee Star reported in March , state officials charged three people , a married couple from Williamson County and a Knox County man , with TennCare fraud .
Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration officials announced this in separate press releases last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple , Heidi Smith , 42 , and her husband Robert Smith , 42 , both from Franklin , with TennCare fraud and theft of services related to information they allegedly provided to the state for TennCare eligibility .
Those authorities charged Heidi Smith with TennCare fraud and theft of services over $ 10,000 but under $ 60,000 .
Robert Smith , a dentist , faced the same theft of services charge .
“ Heidi Smith allegedly provided false information related to her household income in order to obtain TennCare healthcare insurance benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five children , ” an F & A press release said .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-25--Business Leader Erik Kiilunen Is Fighting to Reopen Michigan

After Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer issued executive orders forcing the closure of many of the state ’ s businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic , small-businessman Erik Kiilunen said he saw $ 600,000 in contracts disappear overnight .
“ My book of business for the next month and a half was just gone , ” he told The Daily Signal in a phone interview .
“ It really hit hard .
I didn ’ t have any choice .
I laid off everybody .
I said , ‘ Guys , we ’ ve got nowhere to go.
’ ” Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in Michigan , which was set to coincide with President Donald Trump ’ s visit to the state .
The event – a takeoff on the annual Take Your Child to Work Day – was sponsored by the group All Business is Essential , an effort Kiilunen launched after reopening his businesses in defiance of the state orders .
Trump on Thursday afternoon visited Ypsilanti , Michigan , where he met with African American leaders and then toured and delivered remarks at the Ford Rawsonville Components plant , part of the Ford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t meant to be shut down .
We did the right thing , but now it ’ s time to open it up , ” Trump said at the Ford plant .
He later added , “ To protect the health of our people , we must have a functioning economy … Americans who want to return to work should not be vilified .
They should be supported.
” Michigan has had one of the strictest coronavirus regimens for closures in the country , which has prompted protests throughout the state .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was stomping around the house , just frustrated that I had been shut down at that time about three weeks , ” said Kiilunen , who was too far away to meet with the president .
“ I ’ m thinking , ‘ Will somebody please speak what ’ s on my mind ?
’ And nobody would .
I caught a glimpse in the mirror and thought , ‘ You know what ?
If nobody else will , I will.
’ ” Whitmer ’ s executive order mandates retailers control crowd sizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every 1,000 square feet of floor space ; orders stores to “ refrain from the advertising ” of nonessential items ; closes off areas that sell “ carpet or flooring , furniture , garden centers and plant nurseries , and paint ” ; and bans residents from visiting other homes , stating “ public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons not part of a single household are prohibited.
” After deciding to speak out , Kiilunen set up an online Go Fund Me page to talk about restarting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It raised $ 10,000 in 48 hours , he said .
Then , after he got about 45 minutes of airtime on a local radio interview , he said his phone began ringing off the hook , and the Go Fund Me page raised an additional $ 20,000 .
With that , he bought 23 billboard spaces across the state that said : “ All Business is Essential.
” Kiilunen reopened his own businesses , giving employees the option of returning , but let them know their jobs would be there if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 % are back .
None of the workers caught the virus , he said , adding : Kiilunen takes exception to being called “ reckless , ” saying the governor is operating out of fear of what might happen .
I ask you , who is more reckless ?
If she shuts down the economy for five months , kills 50 % of the state ’ s income and puts another 2 million people destitute , then you go from 1.7 million unemployed to 2 [ million to ] 3 million unemployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and who is going to be responsible for the conditions people are living in , for the health problems we have , for the families we ’ ve destroyed , for the hospitals we ’ ve destroyed ?
I can put a number on that .
We can do that .
That ’ s guaranteed to happen .
This isn ’ t an ‘ if.
’ If we put this country into a depression , I promise you the destitution will be significantly higher than anything COVID can hope to make .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an activist and is a natural introvert , but once he started this , he established three goals : to “ eliminate fear , ” “ educate the public , ” and “ restart the economy.
” “ If you want to put me on a stage , I can do a stage if I have to , but let me go into a lab and build equipment or do something with chemistry , and I ’ m a happy man , ” he explained .
“ But when you start screwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no .
I ’ ve worked too long and too hard.
” He also criticized Whitmer for seeking a federal bailout of the state , one of several governors to do so .
“ The federal government does not produce any wealth .
All the federal government can do is take money from another state and give it to another state .
It can not create wealth , ” he said , adding : Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also the author of “ Tainted by Suspicion : The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.
” Image “ Erik Kiilunen , CEO of Kiilunen Manufacturing Group ” by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Tennessee Authorities Investigating String of Five Officer-Involved Shootings, Including Off-Duty Of

Tennessee Authorities Investigating String of Five Officer-Involved Shootings, Including Off-Duty Officer

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has opened investigations into five different officer-involved shootings in the last nine days , including the shooting of an off-duty Metro Nashville officer .
According to a statement from the Metro Nashville Police Department , Officer Darrell Osment was “ inexplicably ” shot in the back “ without warning or provocation ” while walking his dog Thursday night .
Osment said he was in plain clothes when he encountered a man he did not know on the street .
“ Just as they passed each other , Osment said the man suddenly and inexplicably shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Osment fell to the ground .
The man fired a second shot , which hit the ground near Osment .
Osment managed to get up and run .
The gunman got into a Ford Flex vehicle parked at a nearby church and drove away , ” the department said in its statement .
The suspect , identified as William Johnson , Jr. , was later killed after officers initiated a chase on Interstate 440 , according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation ( TBI ) .
Johnson reportedly fired several times at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since May 17 , the TBI has opened investigations into five officer-involved shootings across the state , including Osment ’ s shooting .
In a May 17 incident , officers with the Germantown Police Department were called to a domestic disturbance and encountered a man with “ several firearms who refused orders to drop his weapons.
” “ For reasons still under investigation , three officers fired at the man , fatally wounding him , ” the TBI said in a press release .
Early the next day , a man was killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to flee on foot during a routine traffic stop .
Another investigation was opened Thursday into an incident involving officers from the Hendersonville Police Department who were responding to a report of a domestic disturbance between a husband and wife .
“ Shortly after they arrived , officers encountered the husband , identified as James David Hochstetler , who was reportedly intoxicated and combative with officers .
For reasons still under investigation , the situation escalated and at least one officer fired his service weapon , striking Hochstetler , who was subsequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuries not immediately believed to be life-threatening , ” said the TBI .
On Sunday night , deputies with the Hawkins County Sheriff ’ s Office were shot at in a wooded area by a man who had climbed a tree and mentioned harming himself , the TBI announced in a press release .
All of the investigations are still active and ongoing .
The TBI doesn ’ t identify officers involved in the incidents .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected ] .
Photo “ Metro Officer Darrell Osment ” by Nashville.gov .

by Joe Mueller
Attorneys general from 26 states are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court decision upholding a California law banning the raising or importing pork, veal or eggs if the animals are confined.
The Supreme Court announced on March 28 that it would hear the pork industry’s challenge to California’s Proposition 12, a law restricting confinement practices in animal agriculture. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on Oct. 11.
Prop. 12 was approved by 63% of California voters in 2018. The law established minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens. It banned the sale of products from those animals if they were “confined in a cruel manner,” defined as in areas below minimum square-feet requirements.
The case, National Pork Producers Council v. Karen Ross, the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, focuses on the regulation of animal products outside of California by prohibiting the in-state sale of products traceable to the animal being confined in a “cruel manner.” The Pork Producers and others argue the law violates the Interstate Commerce Clause and general constitutional restrictions against “extraterritorial regulation.”
The brief filed by the attorneys general states California consumes 13% of the nation’s pork and imports 99.87% of pork consumed. The attorneys general argue the “entire impact of Proposition 12 will be visited on out-of-state producers that, though they have no vote in California, must remodel their farms (or reduce their herds) to comply with the law.”
“Under no circumstances should the state of California be allowed to dictate to Missouri farmers and ranchers how they can raise and confine breeding pigs, egg-laying hens, and veal calves,” Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement. “Further, California is attempting to impose their will on Missouri farmers and ranchers by threatening to deny entry into the California market if those farmers and ranchers don’t comply with their pointless regulations. Missouri’s farmers and ranchers have been tending to their land and livestock for generations, they don’t need Californian politicians telling them how to do their jobs.”
Of the 19 briefs filed with the Supreme Court on the case last week, all urged the court to reverse the lower court’s decision, with the exception of two neutral parties providing economic information.
A brief filed to persuade the Supreme Court not to hear the case was filed last year by The Humane Society of the United States, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Equality, The Humane League, Farm Sanctuary, Compassion in World Farming USA, and Animal Outlook. They stated the Pork Producers’ argument uses a “dormant Commerce Clause” to stop in-state sales of certain pork products from “animals confined in cruel and unsanitary conditions that threaten the health of California consumers. … Because that prohibition applies only to sales inside California, moreover, producers outside California are free to confine animals however they choose for products sold outside the state.”
States represented by the attorneys general are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
– – –
Joe Mueller covers Missouri for The Center Square. After seven years of reporting for daily newspapers in Illinois and Missouri, he spent the next 30 years in public relations serving non-profit organizations and as a strategic communications consultant.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Watchdog Group Lists Medical Companies Getting COVID-19 Stimulus Money

The Washington , D.C.-based Good Jobs First has released a list of healthcare providers nationwide who have accepted CARES Act money , and Tennessee entities are among them .
Good Jobs First officials announced the news in a press release on their website .
“ The 2020 Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act ( or CARES Act ) provides hundreds of billions of dollars in assistance to large and small corporations whose operations have been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic .
The public deserves to know which companies are receiving the assistance and whether aid is flowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate accountability , ” Good Jobs First officials said on their website .
“ Covid Stimulus Watch answers those needs .
It assembles CARES Act recipient data and combines it with information about each firm ’ s history of regulatory violations , previous government assistance , federal tax avoidance , and CEO and worker pay practices.
” The website lists , among others in Tennessee , Community Health Systems , HCA Healthcare , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , and the Chattanooga Hamilton County Hospital Authority , among others .
Covid Stimulus Watch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,400 grants and loans , is available to review at https : //covidstimuluswatch.org/ “ The HHS list contains more than 142,000 entries , but most of those are small amounts going to individual practitioners , ” said Good Jobs First research director Philip Mattera , who leads the work on Covid Stimulus Watch , in the press release .
“ We focused on awards of $ 500,000 or more going to larger hospital systems .
We enhanced the data by linking the individual facilities contained in the HHS list to their parent entity.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Covid Stimulus Watch total $ 15 billion in aid .
Apart from the Provider Relief Fund entries , Covid Stimulus Watch contains awards-plus accountability data on recipients-from five programs as they have so far been disclosed by companies individually in SEC filings : Paycheck Protection Program , Payroll Support Program ( for airlines ) , Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advances , Economic Relief Program and the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program .
The site has also captured the records pertaining to for-profit colleges included in the Education Department ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relief Fund .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Commentary: The Media-Education-Entertainment-Tech Complex’s Latest Victim

The History Channel premiered a three-part miniseries about Ulysses S. Grant Monday .
Produced by the arch-leftist and globalist Leonardo Di Caprio , with commentary by left-wing reparations activist Ta-Nehisi Coates , the show is based on Ron Chernow ’ s 2017 biography .
This is the same Chernow who excoriated President Trump at the 2019 White House Correspondents ’ Dinner and says Alexander Hamilton would have supported Trump ’ s impeachment .
But I am not interested in revisiting the endless spurious assertions we ’ re sure to hear from the people who produced what is sure to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberalism .
Trying to argue against it point by point will be a fruitless endeavor because you ’ re not just arguing against Ron Chernow , Ta-Nehisi Coates , and Leonardo Di Caprio .
You ’ re arguing against the combined powers of what passes for America ’ s media , education , entertainment , and tech industries .
Let ’ s call it the MEET complex .
The MEET complex is a just appellation for the largely unitary body that shapes contemporary American culture .
If “ politics is downstream of culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape the culture .
We Consume Their Products , They Fund Leftist Projects The average American spends 11 hours per day consuming the products the MEET complex offers in the form of news , education , entertainment , or browsing online .
At the moment , the MEET complex is firmly in the hands of leftists and their fellow travelers .
It will continue to steamroll traditional Americans as long as it is largely unchallenged and , most important of all , granted legitimacy by people who do not acknowledge or understand its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and consume in terms of news media is made and delivered by leftists .
The vast majority of news journalists are liberal .
“ From having near-parity with the journalist Republicans in the 1970s , Democrats today outnumber Republicans today by four to one , ” Investor ’ s Business Daily reported in 2018 .
In other words , when you read the newspaper or watch the news , you ’ re far more likely to encounter news written by and for liberals .
It ’ s just a fact .
Most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is packaged and delivered by leftists .
On average , there are 79 Democrats in elementary and secondary education for every 21 Republicans .
Since 1990 , teachers ’ unions have directed 95 percent of their political donations to Democrats .
When your kids go to public school and learn about\U.S .
history , it ’ s being taught by and for people who see the world through a leftist lens .
Even if your children go to private school , it ’ s likely they will be taught to see the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where their textbooks and teachers come from , are even more left-wing than the public schools .
At American universities only 3.8 percent of all professors identify as socially conservative .
Most of the entertainment you consume—television , movies , or educational documentaries—is made by and for leftists .
Most of the people who write the scripts for your movies are liberals ; most actors and actresses are on the left .
Most of the musicians you enjoy are liberals .
Most of the music executives who publish their works are liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch on TV and online are also liberals .
“ Individuals and firms in the television , movie , and music industries gave $ 84 million in campaign contributions during the 2016 election cycle , with 80 percent going to Democrats , ” notes Colby College sociologist Neil Gross .
While “ Hillary Clinton received three votes for every one that went to Donald Trump in Los Angeles county as a whole , actor-heavy areas like the Hollywood Hills recorded even more-lopsided tallies , ” Gross adds .
Hollywood ’ s money and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Finally , most of what you see when you use technology is also produced and curated by leftists .
Big Tech is overwhelmingly liberal .
One study by an online social media consulting firm claims that the average person who is online spends up to 40 minutes per day watching YouTube .
Just remember , YouTube employees have directed 93 percent of their political donations to Democrats and none to Republicans .
Maybe you like streaming content through Amazon Prime or Hulu or Netflix , the top-three providers of streaming content .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cash donations in 2016 to Democrats .
Hulu employees in 2016 gave 90 percent of their political donations to Democrats .
Netflix employees gave $ 47 to Democrats for every $ 1 they gave to Republicans since 2000 .
Let ’ s return to the History Channel ’ s Grant miniseries .
Chernow , despite his faults , did an admirable job in rehabilitating some of Grant ’ s better traits and showing him in a positive , sensible , and humane light .
The Claremont Review of Books review echoes most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s biography .
But the book also has its flaws .
To defeat whatever tropes are sure to come , you ’ re not just fighting the biased portrayal that the series is sure to offer .
You ’ re fighting an entire apparatus working to advance the MEET complex ’ s leftist narrative .
The media obviously is pushing it .
As Adam Gopnik noted in the New Yorker in 2017 , Chernow ’ s book contends there is nothing inherently new or wrong about identity politics : Chernow ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatally wounded by America ’ s intractable flaws dovetails nicely with the New York Times ’ 1619 Project .
Earlier this month , the Times won a Pulitzer Prize for its debunked “ scholarship , ” which places America ’ s founding not in 1776 but in 1619 when the first slave was forcibly transported to the British colony of Virginia .
This is the newspaper whose employees in 2016 and 2018 gave 95 percent and 100 percent of their campaign cash to Democrats .
The 1619 Project , like Chernow ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrities , educators , and tech bros making sure that it dominates American thinking and that conservatives respond to its critiques—which in itself grants it legitimacy .
Grant , like the 1619 Project , is yet more history taken up and presented by establishment education , entertainment , and tech .
There is already a “ Grant ” classroom curriculum based on Chernow ’ s book .
Now thousands of unsuspecting youths can be indoctrinated with Chernow ’ s arguments by thousands of unsuspecting teachers at best or social justice activists at worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary and specifically picked Coates and West Point ’ s Elizabeth Samet ( a left-wing English professor ) tells us the series will not just be mere “ infotainment.
” It will be advanced by our tech overlords who will make sure it ’ s the first thing that pops up when you search for “ Ulysses S. Grant ” whether that ’ s on Google , Yahoo , Amazon Prime or any other online search engine or content provider .
This is how ideas like those contained in productions like “ Grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects that touch on identity politics , sexuality , marriage , family , criminal justice , taxes , social welfare , drugs , and foreign policy become dogma in a generation .
Our schools get saturated with it .
Our media pumps it into our televisions and screens .
Our actors and actresses play in movies written by directors who conform to the narrative .
And our technology industry gently nudges us in the direction of what the Left calls “ mainstream ” through its algorithms and its pre-selected menus of what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fast forward a few decades and the old history that Grant sought to defeat is replaced with this entirely new narrative that becomes accepted by most people .
Then your future Democratic politician in 2040 or 2050 shows up downstream from the cultural change that was wrought by the MEET complex in 2020 to reap the benefits by crafting policy based on these half-truths and outright lies .
Taken together , the MEET complex is formidable in its ability to saturate the American public with its slanted propaganda .
It writes , teaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that might confirm right-leaning assumptions out of the story .
If you really want to defeat leftist propaganda , you first have to isolate and defeat the MEET complex .
We should stop reacting to the narratives they foist on us and instead direct our energies into both marginalizing the MEET complex and replacing it with our own by marching through these institutions as vigorously and purposefully as generations of leftists have already done to our great detriment .
That is one of the most pressing political questions of this generation .
Until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forever dance to the tune that the complex plays .
Hezekiah Kantor is a pseudonym for an American high school teacher and coach with a B.A .
from an Ivy League University and an M.A .
in teaching from a Jesuit college on the West Coast .
A teacher of the year in his first school district , he holds a National Board Certificate for Adult and Youth Social Studies .
He has an interest in politics , religion , economics , and military history .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--President Trump Says He Has a Chance ‘to Break the Deep State,’ Teases New Revelations from Declassi

President Trump Says He Has a Chance ‘to Break the Deep State,’ Teases New Revelations from Declassification

President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed recent disclosures of information regarding government surveillance of the Trump campaign , saying that it has afforded him a chance to “ break ” the so-called “ deep state.
” In an interview with journalist Sharyl Attkisson , Trump suggested that additional information is going to come out about the surveillance efforts .
“ Other things are going to come out , too .
And a lot of other things are going to come out , but you don ’ t even need other things , ” he said .
“ I would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump added .
Trump went on to accuse the “ deep state ” of trying to derail his presidency through the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government .
“ If it keeps going the way it ’ s going , I have a chance to break the deep state , ” Trump said .
“ It ’ s a vicious group of people .
It ’ s very bad for our country .
And that ’ s never happened before.
” Trump called former FBI Director James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe a “ bad guy.
” Trump praised Richard Grenell , the acting director of national intelligence , for declassifying and releasing a slew of documents related to investigations of the Trump campaign .
“ Richard Grenell is a superstar .
He had guts , he had courage to do what he did , ” Trump said .
He also said he has high hopes for Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe , who takes over for Grenell on Tuesday .
“ We have another superstar going in as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month , Grenell declassified a list of Obama administration officials who requested intelligence reports regarding Michael Flynn .
In April , Grenell declassified footnotes from a Justice Department inspector general ’ s report which showed that the FBI had evidence in 2017 that Russian intelligence operatives fed disinformation to Christopher Steele , the author of the anti-Trump dossier .
Grenell said Saturday the he is working on declassifying other documents related to the FBI ’ s investigation of Flynn .
“ When you look at what Richard Grenell has done in eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do anything for two and a half years .
They should have been exposing this.
” Trump criticized Dan Coats , who served as director of national intelligence through August 2019 .
“ Coats , he sat there , ” Trump said .
“ He didn ’ t do anything .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Marsha Blackburn Blasts Joe Biden Over Comments About African Americans

Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) said this past weekend that Joe Biden and other Democrats take black voters for granted and that President Donald Trump , a Republican , has a record of success with African Americans .
Blackburn said this when she appeared on FOX News .
As The Tennessee Star reported , Biden last week belittled any black voters who would not vote for him .
To that , Blackburn told FOX News host Sandra Smith that Biden “ must have missed the lesson from his mother.
” “ Think before you speak , ” Blackburn said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of African American voters .
They take it for granted .
They assume that you have to vote for them , and it is the exact same thing they do when it comes to gender .
They take women for granted .
You ’ re not fully a woman unless you ’ re supporting a Democrat .
That is their thought process .
They do not think that they need to earn your vote .
Your vote should be a given to them.
” Smith told Blackburn that Biden later took back his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgive him ?
Blackburn didn ’ t seem to think so .
“ Comments like this help individuals to realize what the Democrats truly think about different groups .
What they do is not think about what is good for the nation , what is good for everybody .
What they do is say we already have this vote .
We ought to get the other vote .
We ought to get that vote .
That is how they look at people .
Not as individuals but as groups as that is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , between the parties , ” Blackburn said .
“ When it comes to women they want you to be the Stepford Wives liberalism and tout and parrot everything that they say .
They take African American voters for granted .
President Trump has done more for the African American community than any president in recent history .
Look at what has transpired with the economy .
Lower unemployment .
Higher wages , prior to COVID , and these are things that the African American community has taken note of .
Individual freedoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump has a good record with the African American community and you will see the benefits of that in November.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Once a Staunch Opponent of De-Classification, Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff Now Calls for Releasing ‘Any

Once a Staunch Opponent of De-Classification, Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff Now Calls for Releasing ‘Any Flynn Transcripts’

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on Friday called for transparency in the release of a transcript of former national security adviser Michael Flynn ’ s phone calls in late December 2016 with a Russian ambassador .
“ We need to ensure a transparent and complete public record free of political manipulation , ” Schiff wrote in a letter to Richard Grenell , the acting director of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ( ODNI ) .
In making the request , Schiff follows on the heels of Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley , who first called for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials in February 2017 and again in May 2018 .
But Schiff ’ s call for transparency marks a shift in tone for the California Democrat , who has resisted the release of classified documents related to other aspects of the FBI ’ s investigation and surveillance of the Trump campaign .
Many of those documents , once released , have shown that the FBI mishandled intelligence in its investigation of the Trump campaign .
The documents also undermined the Steele dossier , which Schiff touted as evidence of collusion between the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2017 , congressional hearing .
Schiff led the charge throughout 2018 to oppose the release of FBI and Justice Department documents related to the dossier , which the FBI used to obtain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) orders against Trump campaign aide Carter Page .
Schiff opposed a GOP effort to release information about the FBI ’ s handling of the dossier , which was authored by former British spy Christopher Steele .
He asserted in interviews on CNN and MSNBC that the information would lead to a national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s relationships with foreign governments and confidential sources .
In an interview with CNN on Jan. 20 , 2018 , Schiff asserted that documents on those topics should not be released because the American public would not understand their significance .
“ Why not allow people to look at it and let Americans make the decision for themselves about whether it ’ s useful information or not ?
” CNN host Ana Cabrera asked Schiff .
“ Well , because the American people , unfortunately , don ’ t have the underlying materials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how distorted and misleading this document is , ” Schiff said .
He said that the Republican push to release the dossier-related documents was “ just designed to attack the FBI and Bob Mueller to circle the wagons for the White House.
” Schiff reiterated those comments in a Feb. 4 , 2018 interview with MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow regarding the pending release of a Republican memo laying out problems with the FBI ’ s investigation .
“ The real damage they have done is they have damaged the relationship between our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
They are going to be wary about sharing information because they won ’ t trust us to be responsible stewards of it , ” Schiff said of Republicans .
Schiff compared the release of information about FBI sources — in that case , Steele — to burning an FBI source used in terrorism investigations .
“ If you have a neighbor next door who is buying a lot of fertilizer and it seems odd because they don ’ t have a yard , are you going to think twice because if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbor and something is politicized , the political winds change and there ’ s an investigation , your identity is going to be revealed , ” Schiff said .
On Sept. 17 , 2018 , Schiff said on MSNBC that he opposed President Donald Trump ’ s order to declassify a batch of documents related to the Steele dossier and FBI ’ s probe .
Trump sought declassification of parts of the Carter Page FISA applications and notes from FBI interviews with a DOJ official who met with Steele .
Schiff urged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release the documents .
“ They ought to fearlessly defend their sources .
Otherwise , it will not only compromise them but other people will be unwilling to cooperate with our intelligence agencies because they will feel they won ’ t be protected , ” said Schiff .
“ You have to say no to this president because otherwise he will continue to ask for more and more and more , and the precedent and the danger it will set will be enormously destructive.
” The release of the information has not led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has instead raised questions regarding the credibility of Steele , a former British spy who was an FBI informant since 2013 .
A Justice Department inspector general ’ s ( IG ) report released on Dec. 9 said that the FBI made a series of “ significant ” errors and omissions related to the Steele dossier and its investigation of the Trump campaign .
The IG said that FBI investigators withheld information that undercut the bureau ’ s theory that Page and others on the Trump campaign conspired with Russia .
Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dossier told the FBI in early 2017 that the ex-spy misrepresented allegations in the salacious document .
The IG report also said that the FBI had evidence that Russian intelligence operatives fed disinformation to Steele .
On Friday , Schiff asked Grenell , the acting director of national intelligence , to declassify a transcript of Flynn ’ s Dec. 29 , 2016 phone call with Sergey Kislyak .
Earlier this month , Grenell declassified a list of Obama administration officials who submitted requests for intelligence reports that identified Flynn during the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first lawmaker to call for the release of the transcript .
On Feb. 15 , 2017 , Grassley and Sen. Dianne Feinstein called on the FBI and Justice Department to hand over the document .
The agencies refused to do so .
Grassley renewed the request in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on May 11 , 2018 .
The agencies have resisted previous calls to declassify and release other Trump-Russia documents .
Schiff has often defended the FBI and DOJ ’ s position .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying on Twitter Friday that he is in the process of declassifying any Flynn-related materials controlled by ODNI .
It is unclear if Grenell has control over the Flynn-Kislyak transcript since it is reportedly a product of FBI surveillance of the Russian diplomat .
Schiff ’ s office did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--In a Sharp Reversal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Will Host A High-Dollar Fundraiser for Joe Biden: Report

Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren made opposition to high-dollar campaign fundraisers a staple of her 2020 presidential campaign , swearing off such events for her campaign and criticizing opponents who didn ’ t , but now she ’ s reportedly hosting one for former Vice President Joe Biden .
“ I don ’ t do big-dollar fundraisers at all , ” Warren told “ Tonight Show ” host Jimmy Fallon in December 2019 .
She reiterated that sentiment repeatedly on the campaign trail and attacked former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg for courting wealthy donors .
But now she is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-dollar Biden donors on June 15 , The New York Times reported Saturday , citing three people with knowledge of the plans .
It isn ’ t the first time that Warren has apparently carved out a workaround to her pledge .
During the campaign , Warren spoke at high-dollar fundraising events for the Democratic National Committee , which would have backed Warren in the general election if she had been the nominee .
Warren previously reversed her pledge not to accept support from an outside super PACs .
She promised not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this campaign ” while launching her bid , but broke that pledge in February .
“ We reached a point a few weeks ago where all of the men who were still in this race and on the debate stage all had either super PACs or they were multi-billionaires and they could just rummage in their sock drawers and find enough money to be able to fund a campaign , ” Warren said while explaining the reversal .
Neither the Biden campaign nor Warren ’ s office returned the Daily Caller News @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Commentary: The Citizen Army Amassing in California to Recall Gavin Newsom and Challenge Democrat Su

Commentary: The Citizen Army Amassing in California to Recall Gavin Newsom and Challenge Democrat Supremacy

Even in deep-blue California , it is possible to achieve the impossible .
The technology to facilitate mass uprisings is mature and ubiquitous and will function with or without the complicity of the social media and search monopolies .
The political realignment we are witnessing in California is not partisan , it is not conservative or liberal , Right or Left , or Republican or Democrat .
It is comprised of old and young , rich and poor , black and white , and everyone else .
This is a mass uprising .
California ’ s pandemic shutdown isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brink , it ’ s taken away whatever remained of the trust that Californians had in their elected officials .
This mistrust is finding expression in a growing movement to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom .
Already , tens of thousands of California voters have signed up as volunteers to sign and circulate recall petitions .
That number is growing every week .
But that isn ’ t all .
Agendas are aligning .
Alliances are forming .
Newsom ’ s actions have forged a unity that transcends political ideology and defies conventional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Open California movement .
The Open California movement isn ’ t found on just one website or Facebook group , and its members are as diverse as California ’ s electorate .
What appears to be the largest group on Facebook is “ Reopen California , ” established on April 11 and already attracting over 170,000 members .
And along with large membership , there is high intensity , as exemplified in the Freedom Rally that took place on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on May 24 .
Along with Reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest Facebook group , there is “ Reopen California…NOW !
” ( 7,168 members ) , “ FULLY REOPEN CA NOW MOVEMENT , ” ( 6,350 members ) , “ Re-Open California # EndTheLockdown ” ( 5,124 members ) , and dozens more groups , many with thousands of members , even more with hundreds of members .
This just scratches the surface of the resistance that is forming .
There ’ s “ Californians Against Excessive Quarantine ” ( 13,460 members ) , “ Leaving California ” ( 10,500 members ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it Red California ” ( 31,484 members ) and “ Make California RED Again !
” ( 21,895 members ) .
There are thousands of smaller groups .
All of these have seen their membership surge in the past few weeks .
This is evidence that hundreds of thousands of Californians , if not millions , have been mobilized in resistance to the lockdown , and nearly all of them want to recall Gavin Newsom .
How many of these activists will sign a recall petition , or circulate one ?
And then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including two groups , already working together , “ Recall Gavin Newsom ” ( 42,673 members ) , and “ Recall Gavin 2020 , ” which has “ only ” 7,567 members , but is linked to 58 satellite Facebook groups , one for each California county , comprising over 25,000 total members .
Where else can we find natural allies of a grassroots recall movement in California ?
California ’ s Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has over 200,000 members .
Every one of them knows that Gavin Newsom is the leader of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes in America onto Californians .
Every one of them knows that if Gavin Newsom has his way , taxes are going to keep going up .
How many of them will vote for a recall ?
Then there are California ’ s dozens of local tax-fighting organizations from San Diego to Eureka , California ’ s Tea Party chapters , Second Amendment supporters , people who resist over-vaccinating their children , preppers , three-percenters , constitutional oath-keepers , and State of Jefferson rebels .
These groups add additional tens of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we ’ re just getting started .
The resistance in California is a mass movement , with broad populist appeal .
Gavin Newsom hasn ’ t done anything to control the takeover of our public education system by fanatics .
They have made it almost impossible to discipline students who are disruptive or even violent , turning many California schools into war zones where learning is impossible .
These same fanatics have turned basic sex education into extremist “ gender ” indoctrination .
Millions of parents are enraged by this , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recalling Gavin Newsom .
When you add it all up , it ’ s more than a movement , it ’ s an army , and recruits are everywhere .
What about California ’ s 2 million independent contractors whose jobs were threatened the day Newsom signed AB 5 ?
How many hundreds of thousands of them lost their jobs , or now have to worry about their jobs ?
What about the nearly 3.7 million Californians who have already filed for unemployment benefits in just the last two months because Gavin Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of just protecting the vulnerable ?
What about California ’ s now 4.6 million unemployed , more than 25 percent of the workforce ?
What about the Christian evangelical communities in California , with millions of voters , who are all appalled at what Newsom has done ?
And of course , what about the 4.5 million Californians who voted for Trump in 2016 , who are politically disenfranchised and determined to do something ?
Newsom ’ s problems have just begun .
California ’ s state and local governments faced unprecedented financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a light breeze was necessary to disrupt their finances , and what ’ s happening today is a hurricane .
And even after the economic weather stabilizes , the state government ’ s financial house of cards will remain scattered .
Newsom squandered his time in office , fixing nothing , only making problems worse .
And his attitude , which consistently favors cronies and noncitizens over normal hard-working Californians , is his undoing .
Despite rhetoric to the contrary , Newsom never cared about normal Californians who want affordable housing .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing again , he ’ s spending billions to subsidize “ affordable housing ” that costs taxpayers over $ 500,000 per unit .
Newsom also doesn ’ t care about people who want safe streets .
Instead of helping the homeless by getting them off the street and into treatment centers in places where they are affordable , he ’ s building shelters on some of the most expensive real estate on earth , and actually providing them drugs and alcohol .
Moreover , Newsom has locked Californians in their homes at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail and released thousands of prisoners .
Along with millions of civilians , expect plenty of members of law enforcement to support a recall of this governor .
Realignment is coming to California .
Gavin Newsom has provided the spark that lit the fire , illuminating decades of mismanagement and abuse by the one-party state .
Edward Ring is a senior fellow of the Center for American Greatness and co-founder of the California Policy Center , which he co-founded in 2013 .
Photo “ Gavin Newsom ” by JD Lasica CC2.0 and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Whitmer Says She Censors Herself So Trump Won’t Cancel Aid to Michigan

Democratic Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said she censors her criticisms of President Donald Trump to ensure that Michigan continues to receive aid from the federal government .
Asked in an Axios interview if she censors her comments about POTUS “ for the sake of continuing to receive federal assistance , ” Whitmer said , “ Yes.
” Whitmer also said she has worried about criticism from Trump over Twitter .
“ The worst night sleep that I ’ ve gotten in the last 10 weeks is when he has attacked me on Twitter , ” Whitmer told Axios .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her state over strict stay-at-home orders prohibiting Michigan residents from visiting their family and friends , holding public and private gatherings of any kind , and restricting which businesses may operate .
“ The Governor of Michigan should give a little , and put out the fire .
These are very good people , but they are angry .
They want their lives back again , safely !
See them , talk to them , make a deal , ” Trump tweeted May 1 .
The full Axios interview with Whitmer will air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her strict lockdowns , the Whitmer has not backed down .
Whitmer has said that her executive orders are “ not optional ” during a press conference .
“ I expect people to follow the law .
These executive orders are not a suggestion .
They ’ re not optional .
They ’ re not helpful hints , ” Whitmer said May 11 .
She also blamed politics for the pushback and protests against her orders .
“ There is a lot of politics at play here , unfortunately , ” Whitmer told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests are very political in nature instead of being focused on the stay-at-home order.
” “ But I ’ ve been focused on doing my job , and I ’ m going to keep doing that and I ’ m not going to apologize about that , ” Whitmer said , before adding , “ I ’ m not changing the way I run this state because of some protests .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--20-Year-Old Ohioan Charged in Plot to Kidnap and Kill Police Officers Wanted to Start ‘Uprising’

A 20-year-old Cleveland , Ohio man was charged Thursday by a federal grand jury for his attempted plot to ambush , kidnap , and kill law enforcement officers .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Christian Stanley Ferguson with attempted kidnapping .
“ Christian Ferguson was actively planning to ambush , kidnap , and even kill law enforcement officers in order to carry out his plot of a violent uprising , ” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman .
“ We must demonstrate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or to commit such heinous acts of violence in our community will not be tolerated.
” According to a criminal complaint filed in the case , Ferguson engaged in “ violent and extremist postings ” made on “ cross-platform social media communication applications.
” Over the course of several weeks , he discussed his desire to call police to report a false crime was in progress to prompt a response by law enforcement .
“ Specifically , he expressed an interest in a response by federal law enforcement because he believed they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steal .
He made statements about tactical options for killing multiple targets and the disposal of their bodies .
He reaffirmed his plan to ambush law enforcement , kill them , rob them of their weapons , and start an uprising , ” the complaint states .
Ferguson met “ on several occasions ” with individuals he was introduced to through an online chatroom to discuss his plans .
He engaged in practice drills with an AR-15 rifle and “ conducted reconnaissance in a dry run ” on one occasion .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the boundaries of the [ Cuyahoga Valley ] National Park to gauge response time by Park Rangers .
Ferguson believed four federal officers arrived and indicated that if that many officers respond to the actual event , they would likely have to kill them all , ” the complaint explains .
According to authorities , Ferguson was arrested without incident on May 8 and is currently in federal custody .
Eric B. Smith , special agent in charge at the FBI ’ s Cleveland office , said Ferguson ’ s “ primary mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel as he could.
” “ The primary mission for law enforcement officers and special agents is to protect the public , ” Smith said .
“ Thanks to the public for advising the FBI of the hateful and violent feelings Ferguson held for law enforcement .
This information led to the swift disruption of Ferguson ’ s plans and his reckoning with the criminal justice system.
” Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by Summit County Jail .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Minnesota’s Twin Cities Mayors Don’t Want to Let Churches Reopen, Archbishop Hits Back

The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul , both Democrats , said in a recent statement that they want churches in their cities to continue to “ hold services remotely.
” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ( pictured left ) and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter ( pictured right ) issued a join statement Saturday after Gov .
Tim Walz announced he would allow churches to resume in-person worship .
“ We ’ ve spoken with faith leaders from across our Twin Cities , and what we ’ ve heard loud and clear is a strong , unified commitment to protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold services remotely , ” said the statement .
“ Any large in-person gathering amid this pandemic puts people at risk.
” “ Regardless of your faith and beliefs , we all have a common obligation to our respective communities and congregations .
Let ’ s put their health and safety first , ” the statement continued .
Frey and Carter apparently didn ’ t speak with the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis before issuing their statement , according to a comment from Archbishop Bernard Hebda .
“ Mayor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charities has gathered hundreds of people in your city to safely feed them .
What makes you think we can ’ t come up with a safe plan to feed them spiritually ?
Wish you had asked someone at the Archdiocese , ” Hebda said on Twitter in response to the statement .
An updated order from Gov .
Walz issued Saturday lifts the 10-person cap on church services .
Under the new guidelines , places of worship are required to limit occupancy to 25 percent “ of the normal occupant capacity as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a maximum of 250 people in a single self-contained space.
” Walz issued the order after Catholic and Lutheran leaders in the state said they would reopen their churches this week , with or without the governor ’ s blessing .
Mayor Frey then joined CNN Monday morning and said allowing churches to increase attendance “ is a recipe in Minneapolis for a public health disaster.
” “ That is not the route that we intend or should be going on right now .
We are considering some form of an emergency regulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from gathering in one place , ” he revealed , noting that places of worship attract “ older , senior citizens ” who are “ singing and breathing and at times , even with physical distancing , they ’ re in close proximity to one another.
” Places of worship in Minnesota can open for larger groups beginning Wednesday .
President Donald Trump declared all churches “ essential ” during a Friday press conference and threatened to override governors who don ’ t comply .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Upper Peninsula Legislators Protest Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Early Termination of D

Upper Peninsula Legislators Protest Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Early Termination of Dickinson County Mining Lease

Two Upper Peninsula legislators are protesting the Michigan Department of Natural Resources scuttling of a plan to repurpose a dormant mine in the Upper Peninsula ’ s Dickinson County .
State Sen. Ed McBroom ( R-Waucedah Twp . )
( pictured left ) and State Rep .
Beau LaFave ( R-Iron Mountain ) ( pictured right ) issued statements in response to the DNR ’ s determination to terminate a lease with Saucon Minerals for a project located at the Groveland Mine .
“ Saucon Minerals had violated the terms of its leases with the state seven times in seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ed Golder told The Center Square via email .
“ The company then wanted to re-negotiate the leases at a time when doing so would have significantly reduced the payments the company would be making to the state for use of this public land .
Given that history with this particular company , the DNR thought there may be a better long-term use for the land , ” Golder said .
The lease was terminated three years early .
Saucon projected the plan would add 100 jobs to Dickinson County , which , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Census Bureau , is home to 25,239 .
The county ’ s median income is $ 48,996 and per capita income is $ 28,020 .
The percentage of people living in poverty is just under 11 percent .
The company projected its mining project would represent about $ 71 million in investment in Dickinson County .
Saucon ’ s plan was to use 100 million to 900 million tons of tailings from the shuttered iron mine , which is now state-owned land , near Iron Mountain .
Using technology developed in collaboration with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produce products for the iron and mineral industry as well as agricultural use .
The company projected it could produce 510,000 tons of iron ore concentrate and 548,000 tons of organic fertilizer and soil re-mineralizer material each year .
The company also provided plans to remediate the area once the tailing supply was depleted .
According to McBroom and LaFave , however , the DNR opted to terminate the lease in order “ solicit proposals this year for leasing the Groveland Mine property to a potential solar power developer , such as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell the electricity .
Gov .
Whitmer has made expanding solar projects in the state a high priority of her administration.
” “ The DNR refused to renew a lease for the Groveland Mine in Dickinson County with Saucon Minerals , a company with locations in Dearborn and Lapeer in April , ” McBroom said in his statement .
“ Saucon ’ s innovative plan for the Groveland Mine would have brought about 100 jobs to the area , both construction and operational , and it would have restored the property to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products from the previous operation , ” he said .
“ The company had reached out to the DNR in February to discuss renegotiating the leasing agreement , before the annual payment was due , and instead of having discussions and answering the company ’ s questions , the department issued a termination letter in mid-April.
” “ The department ’ s handling of this matter was both disingenuous and shameful , all because department bureaucrats were more interested in what they view as potentially a bigger fish on the line , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing , I would be real cautious entering into a leasing agreement with the DNR when they do not even properly communicate with its partners – one day you have an agreement , and the next you ’ re being kicked to the curb for the department ’ s potential newest shiny object , ” he said .
LaFave said the project was worth waiting for , “ but the department stands to attain more state revenue with the solar project and decided to cut bait.
” McBroom said the decision shows a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Saucon Minerals believes our project has substantial merits including creation of over 100 jobs , reclaiming the minerals deposited in the tailings ponds , remediating the site to its original habitat and producing an organic fertilizer that will increase crop yield , and reduce usage of chemical fertilizers , ” Rodney A. Apple , Saucon president and CEO , told The Center Square .
“ The Saucon Mineral partners support the development of solar power .
But it is not in the best interests of the environment or the economy to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solar panels effectively eliminating 100 jobs and the agricultural and environmental benefits of the products that we will produce , ” Apple said .
“ We think both projects can be accomplished .
There are many open areas in the U.P .
better suited for solar development .
So we believe the best alternative is to do both projects .
It ’ s a win-win solution for the local community , the state and the environment , ” he added .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .
Photo “ State Sen. Ed McBroom ” by Sen. Ed McBroom and “ State Rep .
Beau LaFave ” by Rep .
Beau LaFave .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Michigan Reports Lowest Daily Death Toll from Coronavirus Since March 22

Michigan reported its lowest single-day death count from the coronavirus since March over the weekend , with just five deaths in Sunday ’ s report .
The lowest daily report before Sunday was on March 22 , shortly after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the state , according to data analysis from the Detroit Free Press .
Memorial Day weekend may have affected Sunday ’ s reports , a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services told the Detroit Free Press .
Sunday also historically has yielded lower case counts and deaths .
Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus , according to the MDHHS .
The death toll for the state is 5,240 .
The City of Detroit is the area with the most cases , with 10,727 confirmed cases and 1,322 deaths .
Detroit is counted separately from its home of Wayne County , which has 9,089 confirmed cases and 1,042 deaths .
Wayne is followed by Oakland County at 8,226 confirmed cases and 955 deaths .
Macomb County has 6,516 confirmed cases and 778 deaths .
Kent , Genesee and Washtenaw Counties have 3,385 , 1,961 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MDHHS also reports that 33,168 people have recovered as of May 22 .
Recovered cases are defined as those who are alive 30 days post-onset of COVID-19 .
Numbers are updated if someone with a confirmed diagnosis dies of coronavirus-related causes after 30 days .
Michigan is currently ranked seventh among states hardest hit , according to data from the COVID Tracking Project .
It trails behind Texas , which has more than 55,000 confirmed cases in state .
New York has the most confirmed cases in the country at more than 362,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey at more than 155,000 confirmed cases .
There are currently more than 1.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
Find a full breakdown of Michigan data at the MDHHS website .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-26--Poll Shows Nearly Two-Thirds of Liberal Davidson County is Against Mayor Cooper’s Proposed 32 Percen

Poll Shows Nearly Two-Thirds of Liberal Davidson County is Against Mayor Cooper’s Proposed 32 Percent Property Tax Hike

A new Triton poll finds decidedly liberal Davidson County is solidly against Mayor John Cooper ’ s proposed 32 percent property tax hike .
The poll is available here .
It was conducted last Thursday and Friday by Triton Polling & Research and was paid for by Nashville Smart , a local 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) .
Lonnie Spivak , an election expert , is with Nashville Smart .
He spoke with The Tennessee Star about the poll Monday .
Spivak also will be on Tuesday morning ’ s The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am .
On Monday , Spivak said Nashville Smart , as a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) , has no position on whether the tax increase should pass , and that it commissioned the poll for informational purposes .
“ We wanted to judge what the public opinion of the tax increase is going into the budget season , ” Spivak said .
“ Metro Council doesn ’ t have the resources to poll.
” The Triton poll sampled 769 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Democrat , 28.8 percent Republican , 15.3 percent Independent and 2.4 percent Not Sure/Undecided .
Mayor Cooper had a 47.1 percent favorable rating , 25.6 percent unfavorable , and 25.7 had heard of him but had no opinion .
Regarding Cooper ’ s proposed property tax hike , 25.5 percent said they were for it and 64.8 percent were against it .
Spivak said that not only did a low number of people support the proposed tax increase but the same group who opposed the tax increase felt Cooper is doing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 66.4 percent ) .
So , the respondents are not against Cooper — just his tax increase .
The poll did not bode well for Metro Council members who may support the property tax hike .
The poll asked would the respondent be more likely or less likely to support a council member who supported the tax hike : 20.2 percent said more likely , while 58.5 percent said less likely .
Spivak said that 67.2 percent said the proposed tax increase would hurt affordable housing .
He said the poll used a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results , and the numbers were “ right on.
” Meanwhile , the Triton poll contrasts with the most recent annual Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville , which found that Cooper has an 80 percent approval rating , the highest of any mayor since the poll began , The Star reported last week .
Only 19 percent of respondents said they identify as Republicans .
Another 45 percent of respondents said they identify as Democrats , while 26 percent said they are Independents and 10 percent said they are “ something else.
” Only 21 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative ” or “ conservative , ” compared to 30 percent who said they are “ liberal ” or “ very liberal.
” The Vanderbilt poll has long been accused of leaning left and underreporting Republicans ’ chances in elections — such as saying Donald Trump was leading Hillary Clinton in Tennessee by 11 points , when he won by 26 .
Perhaps Vanderbilt ’ s poll is a product of its board members ’ worldviews .
Members include José González , co-founder of Conexion Americas ( illegal immigration advocacy ) , Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ franchise and the effort to build a stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds and a donor to former Mayor David Briley ) ; former Al Gore adviser Roy M. Neel ; and Lisa Quigley , chief of staff for Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper ( Mayor John Cooper ’ s brother ) .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-27--State House of Representatives Returns to Work, But Not to Normal

NASHVILLE , Tennessee – While the Tennessee House of Representatives returned to committee and subcommittee meetings this week , the situation was anything but normal .
The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned on March 19 , after passing a limited number of bills and a reduced fiscal 2021 budget , in the interest of slowing the spread of COVID-19 .
At the time , the General Assembly was to stand in adjournment until June 1 .
In preparation for going back into session , House subcommittee and committee meetings were scheduled for Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday following the Memorial Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings would number about four dozen , whereas this week totaled less than one-third of that .
The hefty calendars , however , more than offset the limited number of meetings with nearly 400 bills set to be taken up .
Visitors to the legislative home of the Cordell Hull Building could access the building only through the Fifth Avenue entrance , and not through the Sixth Avenue or Cordell Hull Tunnel entrances , had to be wearing face masks and have their temperatures taken before entering .
Tennessee Highway Patrol and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wore face masks .
Along with signs reminding of six-foot separations , there were blue painter ’ s tape markings at the dual staircase , directing those going up to the first-floor committee room level toward the right staircase and those going down to the left staircase .
The cafeteria area was open only to members of the General Assembly and staff , and the Senate side of the first-floor committee level was cordoned off to unauthorized personnel .
Only 40 percent of the House Hearing Rooms were scheduled for use and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of the member ’ s desks .
The large majority of audience seats were covered with cloths , leaving rows with only seats at the end of the aisles alternating with rows with a seat in the middle of the aisle available for use .
A legislative staff member sat outside the committee rooms , counting those entering and tracking the number of available seats remaining .
For the most part , availability of seats did not appear to be an issue , with only a few members of the public present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education Association , Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents , Beacon Center of Tennessee and American Federation for Children , as well as members of the media .
While the House committee and subcommittee schedule gave start times for the meetings , it was also stated that each meeting would immediately follow the preceding meeting .
As each meeting ended , a cleaning crew swept in to wipe down the House members ’ desks and witness tables .
In between each bill sponsor and witness , a staff member sitting in the room cleaned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coley ( R-Memphis ) chaired the first meeting of the day , House Higher Education Subcommittee .
It was likely his last , as Coley , who has served in the General Assembly since 2007 , previously announced he would not be pursing re-election .
Of the 17 bills on the calendar of the Higher Education Subcommittee , 15 were taken off notice by the bill sponsor .
While only two bills were discussed , the meeting lasted nearly two hours .
Both bills covered the same topic : prohibiting a public institution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student athlete ’ s name , image or likeness .
One bill , sponsored by Representative Joe Towns ( D-Memphis ) failed on a voice vote , and the other , sponsored by Representative Antonio Parkinson ( D-Memphis ) failed through a tie 4-4 vote , largely along party lines .
The trend of taking bills off notice continued in the House Curriculum , Testing and Innovation Subcommittee and the K-12 Subcommittee , with 11 of 19 and 21 of 32 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of note , the effort by Representative Bo Mitchell ( D-Nashville ) to delete any and all mentions of the Tennessee Education Savings Account ( ESA ) Pilot Program of the Tennessee code failed for the lack of a second .
Of course , even if Mitchell ’ s proposal passed all the way through the House , the Senate would also have to agree to delete the ESA Pilot Program , where it the legislation passed by a wider margin .
In an unusual move , Coley sent what is likely his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is passionate about – teacher ’ s annual evaluation criteria – to summer study .
Of the 114 bills put on Tuesday ’ s House committee and subcommittee calendars , only about 10 had previously passed the full state Senate , most of which were on the calendar of the House Judiciary Committee .
With the Judiciary Committee having a 5 p.m. start time for a 44-item calendar , including several controversial bills like permitless handgun carry and civil asset forfeiture , the meeting was still underway at publication deadline .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any bills the House passes in this second session of the 111th Tennessee General Assembly .
The only meeting the Senate has scheduled for this week is of the Finance , Ways and Means Committee , for which an Overview of COVID-19 Related Federal Funding by Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley is the only item on the agenda .
The week of July 1 , the Senate schedule shows committee meetings on Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday , although agendas are yet to be published .
Laura Baigert is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @

by Thomas Catenacci
A group of 27 Republican congressmen urged President Donald Trump to order a Justice Department-appointed special counsel investigation of “legitimate questions” about election irregularities.
The Republican congressmen asked Trump to direct Attorney General William Barr to appoint the special counsel, according to a letter obtained by Politico that was sent to the White House on Wednesday. Reps. Lance Gooden, Paul Gosar, Louie Gohmert, Scott Perry and Jody Hice were among the 27 congressmen who signed onto the letter.
“The American people deserve a definitive resolution to the uncertainty hovering over the outcome of our election, but legitimate questions of voter fraud remain unanswered,” the congressmen wrote.
Barr said on Dec. 1 that the Department of Justice has yet to find any evidence of election fraud that could sway the result, sparking criticism from conservatives. Trump hesitated when asked if he still had confidence in Barr.
“The Department of Justice has been asked on multiple occasions to launch an investigation into this matter, but inaction from the Department along with public comments made by the Attorney General indicate a lack of willingness to investigate the irregularities your campaign and other elected officials across the nation have alleged,” the Republican congressmen continued.
“The appointment of a Special Counsel would establish a team of investigators whose sole responsibility is to uncover the truth and provide the certainty America needs,” they added.
Several news organizations including The Associated Press and Fox News declared former Vice President Joe Biden the winner of the election on Nov. 7. Trump’s campaign has filed numerous lawsuits alleging widespread fraud, but courts across the country have handed the campaign many defeats.
Texas filed a new lawsuit against Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin Tuesday arguing the states altered their election procedures illegally. Alabama and Louisiana have expressed interest in joining the suit, according to Newsweek.
“Our Country stands at an important crossroads,” the lawsuit said. “Either the Constitution matters and must be followed, even when some officials consider it inconvenient or out of date, or it is simply a piece of parchment on display at the National Archives.”
“We ask the Court to choose the former,” it continued.
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-27--Commentary: Can the Economy Withstand a Second Round of COVID-19?

Some 100 million people in China are now back in lockdown as fears of a second wave surge .
Now that the US and the rest of the world is opening up , the probability of infection will most likely go up , as will the number of infections .
What does that mean for the economy ?
First , uncertainty and fear of another lockdown will negatively influence business decisions and overall economic recovery .
Even if your business survived the first wave , would you be willing to go all in , invest , rehire people , renew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you will be shut down in the autumn ?
Second , we should not underestimate how much the fear of the actual virus also influences people ’ s behavior .
Even if there were no lockdowns , some people would avoid eating out , going on holidays or even trips to the barber shop .
Some people will continue their changed behavior even if all restrictions were lifted , which means that for some businesses there will be no going back to business as usual , because there will be no business left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more risk-averse or skittish after financial uncertainty shocks , which is only natural .
Some people will be more frugal with their money , think twice whether they want to take out a loan to buy a new car if the current one is still running .
Frugality is a virtue and helps in the long term .
But in the short term it means that for some businesses going back to business as usual will be a process rather than an instantaneous snapback .
Speaking of processes , going back into business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exists numerous recommendations on how to ensure that even in places with low probability of infection ( i.e .
offices ) the employees are protected .
Recommended regular cleanings , plexiglass separators etc.—those cost money .
Moreover , in a litigious nation , no employer is sure whether he will not be held responsible if someone gets sick .
It is entirely possible that many companies are concerned that some time in the future someone will judge that an employer was acting too rashly , not cautiously enough , and is therefore liable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stops being guided by common sense and switches to “ how to avoid a lawsuit , ” you can expect some businesses to be very cautious .
Against all these setbacks , and expectations of a second , third , or whichever wave , people need to work and create again , or the economy will grind to halt .
People want to return to the jobs they still have .
If we are talking multiple waves , the whole language of the CARES Act of a one-time extraordinary payment in an extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stimulus checks are mere painkillers that mask the actual source of pain—people forced to not to work .
Their effect is limited , temporary , and in the worst cases , addictive .
Protracted periods of many people forced to do nothing destroys the economy , impoverishes taxpayers , and gives a dangerous amount of power to politicians .
The government could provide a stimulus by an absolutely aggressive removal of all unnecessary rules , regulations , licenses and certifications that serve purposes not of public safety , but merely barriers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing practicing heart surgery without education and skills here .
But why forbid medical professionals to practice across state lines ?
As for licensing hair braiding or arranging flowers—these regulations have no merit and should have been scrapped long ago .
This is no panacea , but it would help more than all the stimulus checks .
Finally , economies are resilient when people can quickly switch from doing what is no longer needed to doing what is demanded .
There is no way to isolate people from what is happening in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
Flexibility , not rigidity provides strength , and that is a recipe for dealing with future shocks .
If we use the COVID crisis as an opportunity to make the economy flexible and resilient , we will come out of this , economically bruised but not beaten , and prepared for however many more waves there might be .
Zilvinas Silenas became President of the Foundation for Economic Education ( FEE ) in May 2019 .
He served from 2011-2019 as the President of the Lithuanian Free Market Institute ( LFMI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free-market policy reform message to the forefront of Lithuanian public discourse .
In that role , he and the LFMI won two prestigious Templeton Freedom Awards ( 2014 and 2016 ) for Municipality Performance Index and the Economics in 31 Hours textbook , now used by 80 % of Lithuanian high school students .
Silenas holds degrees in economics from Wesleyan University and the ISM University of Management and Economics , and has served in numerous teaching and advisory roles .
He and his wife Rosita live in Atlanta where they enjoy exploring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the occasional pickup basketball game .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-27--Authorities Investigating Fatal Memorial Day Shooting, Eighth Officer-Involved Shooting This Month

Tennessee authorities announced Tuesday that they are investigating a Memorial Day shooting that resulted in the death of a Washington County man .
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation ( TBI ) , deputies with the Washington County Sheriff ’ s Office responded to a report around 11:40 p.m. of a male subject threatening to harm himself and a relative at home .
Deputies arrived at the scene and encountered Gary Dorton on the front porch , armed with a large knife .
“ Deputies asked Dorton to drop the knife , but he would not comply .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged one of the deputies , resulting in the deputy firing his service weapon , striking him .
Dorton still refused to drop the knife and attempted to cut himself .
At that point , deputies deployed a taser in order to subdue him , ” the TBI said in its press release .
First responders administered CPR immediately , but Dorton died at the scene .
The shooting marks the eighth officer-involved shooting in Tennessee this month and the sixth in the last 10 days , according to the TBI .
Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up investigations into six incidents since May 17 .
For comparison , the TBI investigated three officer-involved shootings in April and three in March .
In one incident , an off-duty Metro Nashville officer was “ inexplicably ” shot in the back “ without warning or provocation ” while walking his dog Thursday night .
The officer , Darrell Osment , has been released from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is recovering from home , the city government announced .
Most of the investigations are still active and ongoing .
The TBI doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Police Tape ’ by Tony Webster .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .