thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--State GOP to Take Up House District 18 Primary Challenge Wednesday, Votes to Charge Candidates a Fee

State GOP to Take Up House District 18 Primary Challenge Wednesday, Votes to Charge Candidates a Fee to Run as a Republican

FRANKLIN , Tennessee – At Saturday ’ s meeting of the Tennessee Republican Party ( TRP ) State Executive Committee , the majority voted to charge candidates for certain offices a fee to run as a Republican and won ’ t take up the issue of the House District 18 primary challenge until Wednesday .
TRP Chairman Scott Golden told The Tennessee Star he wasn ’ t sure why some people thought that the challenge to the House District 18 primary results would be taken up at Saturday ’ s meeting and said it wasn ’ t “ because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited state law , T.C.A .
2-17-106 , which states “ The trial of an election contest shall be held not less than fifteen ( 15 days ) nor more than fifty ( 50 ) days from the day the complaint is filed.
” Golden said he received the challenge on August 18 , putting September 2 at the 15-day mark .
Additionally , Golden cited T.C.A .
2-17-104 , which reads in part , “ The state primary board shall hear and determine the contest and make the disposition of the contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although he didn ’ t include the last part , “ including setting aside the election if necessary.
” Gina Oster , one of the two candidates in the House District 18 Republican primary on August 6 , has contested the results of a victory by Eddie Mannis , because of crossover voting from Democrats .
Oster maintains that the number of crossover votes from those who have a history of voting in the last four Democratic primaries is more than enough to offset the 99-vote margin in the race .
During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked about the lack of attachments that were referenced in documents provided to the SEC members .
Golden told The Star after the meeting officially adjourned that he assumed what Coleman was referring to was related to Oster .
Golden said , “ I couldn ’ t bring up anything attached , so I printed off what I could print off , ” from what he received in an email from Oster .
On the tables were three piles of documents left for each of the SEC members at the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first was a list of the 2020 Tennessee Presidential electors .
The second was a packet held with a binder clip that included agendas and other documents for the day ’ s meeting .
The third had a two-page letter from the law firm and lobbying group Baker Donelson on behalf of Eddie Mannis sitting atop a five-page document that appeared to be the basis for Oster ’ s contest against Mannis .
According to documents Oster provided to The Star , her five-page document titled “ Oster Discussion ” was sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email along with 10 other back-up documents .
All 10 of the documents had a reference such as “ Ex .
1 ” followed by a description that corresponded to the exhibits referenced throughout Oster ’ s discussion document .
None of that back-up documentation was included in the information provided to the SEC members at Saturday ’ s meeting .
Golden has called a separate meeting of the State Primary Board ( SPB ) to hear the contest of the House District 18 election for Wednesday , September 2 via conference call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press , in accordance with Tennessee Sunshine Laws , Golden said .
The SPB consists of the members of the SEC , but are a separate and distinct body as provided for in T.C.A .
2-13-102 .
As the Chair , Golden has the authority through the SEC Rules and Regulations to set the agenda , rules and order for hearing the arguments and has tentatively laid out the schedule for the SPB meeting : 6:00 p.m. C.D.T .
– Start and overview of contest by SPB Chair Scott Golden 6:15 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote by roll call Robert ’ s Rules of Order will govern the SPB ’ s debate after the arguments have been heard .
A majority vote of the SPB present and voting will resolve the contest , including dismissal of the contest or overturning of the election .
There is no option for appeal of the SPB ’ s decision .
In other matters , the SEC voted to advance a recommendation by its Political Committee to charge candidates a fee to run as a Republican .
With some confusion over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recount , it was determined that a majority voted in favor of the measure .
The fee , according to the political committee proposal , would be equal to 2.5 percent of the annual salary of the elected position and would apply to candidates running for the offices of U.S. Senate , U.S. House of Representatives , state Senate and state Representative .
Through discussion during the meeting with the members of the full SEC who were present , it was decided to add the office of governor to the list .
Payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise , would be due when they qualify to run .
The assumption is that first-time candidates would be able to use campaign funds for the payment of their fee .
The issue will next be taken up by the SEC Rules & Bylaws Committee before being taken up by the full body of the SEC .
Two issues taken up by the Rules & Bylaws Committee – the vouching procedure , which Golden used to determine that House District 18 candidate Eddie Mannis was a bona fide Republican , and a county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a separate meeting of that committee that will be scheduled in the future .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--NFIB Survey: 1 in 5 Small Business Owners Say They Will Close If Economic Conditions Don’t Improve W

NFIB Survey: 1 in 5 Small Business Owners Say They Will Close If Economic Conditions Don’t Improve Within Six Months

More than 20 percent of small business owners said they will have to close permanently if current economic conditions do not improve within the next six months , according to a survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business .
The largest small business association in the U.S. , headquartered in Nashville , conducted the survey to assess the financial health of small businesses .
The survey found that 21 percent of small business owners said they will have to close without improved economic conditions within the next six months .
An additional 19 percent said they will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months under current economic conditions .
Holly Wade , NFIB Director of Research and Policy Analysis , said that while small businesses are “ adapting to the abrupt shifts in consumer spending , managing customer and employees ’ health and safety , ” complying with state and local mandates has created additional stress .
“ Many of them still need more financial assistance just to keep their doors open and staff on payroll , ” she said .
Of the small businesses that were able to receive a mostly forgivable loan through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PPP ) , 84 percent said they have used the entire amount they received .
Nearly half of PPP loan borrowers ( 47 percent ) anticipate that they will need additional financial support over the next 12 months .
If eligible , and if offered , 44 percent said they would apply or re-apply for a second PPP loan .
Most small business owners surveyed said they do not expect business conditions to improve to normal levels until next year at the earliest .
Only 19 percent said they expected conditions to improve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Roughly 52 percent said it won ’ t be before sometime in 2021 ; 20 percent said sometime in 2022 when business conditions improve .
So far , sales levels remain at 50 percent or less than they were pre-COVID for about 20 percent of those surveyed .
CARES Act extended unemployment benefit funding hurt small businesses , respondents said .
About 32 percent said the extra $ 600 per week that employees received “ hurt their business by making it harder to hire or re-hire workers.
” Roughly 3 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wage to employees to encourage them to come back to their job ; 4 percent said they agreed to have an employee continue working at reduced hours so they could also receive the $ 600 per week payment .
As a result of the $ 600 weekly payments , about 68 percent of workers received more income than they did when they were working , a report published by the Foundation for Government Accountability found .
Roughly one in five individuals on unemployment received at least double the amount of their prior wage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per week , or about $ 23,000 annually , has been receiving $ 832 per week in unemployment benefits , more than $ 43,000 annually , for example .
About 21 percent of the small business owners surveyed by NFSB reported they had an employee take COVID-19 related paid sick leave or family leave as mandated and offered through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ( FFCRA ) .
Among them , only 30 percent said they had claimed the tax credit or an advance refund for reimbursement of these costs .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFSB survey designed to assess the impact of state and national coronavirus shutdowns on small business operations , economic conditions , and utilization of the targeted small business loan programs .
Bethany Blankey is a contributor to The Center Square .

by Eric Lendrum
The United States Capitol Police (USCP) announced on Thursday that the department is currently investigating 29 officers, and has suspended six, for their actions during the protests at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, according to CNN.
A department spokesman said that “Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman has directed that any member of her department whose behavior is not keeping in line with the Department’s Rules of Conduct will face appropriate discipline.” The six who were suspended will still be receiving pay, and the 29 total officers under investigation is nearly three times the amount of officers who were previously announced as being under investigation back in January.
Pittman said that, as part of the ongoing investigations, the USCP was “reviewing video and other open source materials of some USCP officers and officials that appear to be in violation of Department regulations and practices.” Some Democrats, including Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), have claimed, without evidence, that some officers openly supported the protesters, allowed them inside, and even guided them around the interior of the building.
During the mostly peaceful protests, Trump supporters entered the Capitol out of protest of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, as the questionable electoral college results were being formally tabulated by Congress. One Trump supporter, Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, was shot in the neck by a plainclothes police officer at close range; the officer who killed her will not be facing any charges for her death.
Several other people died that same day due to sudden medical conditions that had nothing to do with the protests, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick; Sicknick has been confirmed to have died of a stroke after it was erroneously reported that he had been beaten to death by protesters with a fire extinguisher.
– – –
Eric Lendrum reports for American Greatness.
Photo “Capitol Police” by Elvert Barnes. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Mitch McConnell Campaign Hires Covington Catholic Student Nick Sandmann as Grassroots Director

The reelection campaign of Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Friday that it had hired as a grassroots director Nicholas Sandmann , the Kentucky teen who was catapulted into national prominence last year due to an incident at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington , D.C. Sandmann was among the teen students from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills , KY , who in January of 2019 were videotaped in what initially appeared to be an aggressive confrontation of an elderly Native American man , Nathan Phillips , at the Lincoln Memorial .
Footage of the incident—in which many students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely over social media and news outlets , leading to national outrage , death threats against the students , and condemnatory statements from both the school and the Roman Catholic diocese that oversees it .
Full footage of the incident eventually revealed that , contrary to earlier reports , the teens had not instigated the confrontation with Phillips , with the students ’ diocese subsequently exonerating them of any wrongdoing .
Sandmann would eventually go on to obtain settlements in defamation lawsuits against both CNN and the Washington Post .
McConnell Campaign Manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign was “ excited to have Nicholas on Team Mitch.
” “ Along with our already strong team , his efforts to bring people together all across Kentucky will be critical to Senator McConnell ’ s victory this November , ” Golden said .
Sandmann spoke at the Republican National Convention earlier this week , slamming the media for what he said was a politically motivated attack against him .
He urged the country to vote for Donald Trump in November , styling him as “ a president who calls the media out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a narrative instead of reporting the facts .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--UAE Formally Ends Israel Boycott Amid US-Brokered Deal

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) — The ruler of the United Arab Emirates issued a decree Saturday formally ending the country ’ s boycott of Israel amid a U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries .
The announcement now allows trade and commerce between the UAE , home to oil-rich Abu Dhabi and skyscraper-studded Dubai , and Israel , home to a thriving diamond trade , pharmaceutical companies and tech start-ups .
The announcement further cements the Aug 13 deal opening up relations between the two nations , which required Israel to halt its contentious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought by the Palestinians .
But Palestinians so far have criticized the accord as undercutting one of its few bargaining chips with Israelis in moribund peace negotiations .
The state-run WAM news agency said the decree formally ending the boycott came on the orders of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan , the ruler of Abu Dhabi and the Emirates ’ leader .
WAM said the new decree allows Israelis and Israeli firms to do business in the UAE , a U.S.-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli goods .
“ The decree of the new law comes within the UAE ’ s efforts to expand diplomatic and commercial cooperation with Israel , ” WAM said .
It lays out “ a road map toward launching joint cooperation , leading to bilateral relations by stimulating economic growth and promoting technological innovation.
” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the decree .
“ This is an important step toward advancing peace and prosperity in the region , ” he said .
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said in a statement the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards peace , which will yield substantial economic and commercial achievements for both people while strengthening the stability in the region.
” Already , some Israeli firms had signed deals with Emirati counterparts .
But the repeal of the law widens the likelihood of other joint ventures , such as in aviation or in banking and finance .
Dubai International Airport , home to the long-haul carrier Emirates , has been the world ’ s busiest for international travel for years .
The Dubai International Financial Center also hosts major firms who trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets .
Dubai already has a major gold market and growing diamond trade .
Emirati firms likely also want to access Israeli technological know-how .
Some already had even before the deal — with the cybersecurity firm DarkMatter reportedly hiring Israeli military-trained hackers .
On Monday , the first direct commercial flight by Israel ’ s flagship carrier El Al is expected in Abu Dhabi , carrying U.S. and Israeli officials including President Donald Trump ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner .
Telephone calls already can be made between the nations .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UAE ’ s books since just after the country ’ s formation .
That law mirrored the widely held stance by Arab nations at that time that recognition of Israel would only come after the Palestinians had an independent state of their own .
Hanan Ashrawi , a senior Palestinian official , criticized the UAE ’ s decree Saturday as undercutting the efforts of the Boycott , Divest and Sanctions movement targeting Israel .
Israel has accused BDS activists of seeking to delegitimize its existence .
“ While ( hashtag ) BDS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of peaceful resistance & responsible , ethical investment & consumer responsibility to hold Israel to account , this happens !
” Ashrawi wrote on Twitter .
Hamas , the Islamic militant group governing the Gaza Strip since seizing it in 2007 , has reiterated its rejection of the UAE-Israel deal and the ending of the boycott .
The decree “ boosts the normalization with the Israeli occupation and legitimizes it on the Palestinian land , ” Hamas official Bassem Naim said .
The decree shows the UAE ’ s eagerness to advance ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade amid an economic slowdown , said Elham Fakhro , the senior Gulf analyst at the International Crisis Group .
“ The decision sends a clear message that the UAE is committed to its decision to normalize relations with Israel , ” Fakhro said .
“ It does also raise questions about possible repercussions for anyone in the country calling for the boycott of Israeli goods , now that doing so contradicts the state policy.
” The UAE is becoming the third Arab nation after Egypt and Jordan to currently have diplomatic relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public distrust of Israel persists in those nations , the UAE never fought a war against Israel , nor did it have a historic Jewish population .
In recent years , the UAE has held quiet talks with Israel and allowed Israelis with second passports into the country for trade and talks .
Opening ties may also help the Emirates access advanced American weaponry , like the F-35 fighter jet that right now only Israel flies in the Mideast .
Sheikh Khalifa has ruled the UAE since 2004 .
He suffered a stroke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underwent emergency surgery .
He has been rarely seen since in public , though state media typically publishes images of him around Islamic holidays .
Abu Dhabi ’ s crown prince , Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , has served as the UAE ’ s day-to-day ruler since Sheikh Khalifa ’ s stroke .
Sheikh Mohammed has focused on increasing the Emirates ’ military might amid his suspicions of Iran — an enmity shared by Israel .
While Sheikh Khalifa holds the title of president , the UAE is governed by autocratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s oil-rich capital , has grown increasingly powerful since the UAE ’ s founding in 1971 despite each sheikhdom largely governing its own affairs .
The decree comes after a trip through the Mideast in recent days by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who hoped to build on the UAE-Israel deal .
The accord also came as a major foreign policy win to Trump as he campaigns ahead of the November election against Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
Both Israel and the UAE have viewed the Republican president as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter for The Associated Press .
AP writer Fares Akram in Gaza City , Gaza Strip , contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : Women wearing face masks against the coronavirus walk past United Arab Emirates and Israeli flags at the Peace Bridge in Netanya , Israel , Sunday , Aug. 16 , 2020 .
The UAE flag was displayed to celebrate last week ’ s announcement that Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations .
( AP Photo/Ariel Schalit )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Commentary: Coronavirus and the Perils of Disease Modeling

I ’ m pleased to announce the third in AIER ’ s book series on the virus : Coronavirus and Disease Modeling .
This follows Coronavirus and Economic Crisis and Coronavirus and Economic Recovery .
The third book focuses on the fallacies of epidemiological modeling and the social and economic planning that instituted its inspiration .
Everything from anthills to traffic patterns to slime molds to schools and herds of animals and cities are observed , studied , and analyzed for insights into how aggregates operate .
The conditions under which living things move in lockstep , and the advantages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fertile subcategory of study across both the physical and social sciences : within zoology , botany , microbiology , economics , sociology , and so on .
The body collective dominates scientific inquiry .
But in every amassed group—even those with what barely passes for consciousness , at least from the human perspective—there are individuals that break away .
They move outside , against , or in any event away from the community or prevailing trend : the bird that flees the flock , the bee that abandons the hive .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arts , outsiders tend to be celebrated .
Writers , musicians , poets , painters , sculptors , and actors are so often misfits , and their creations embrace the plight and purpose of accidental or intentional nonconformists .
Inventors , scientists , and other creators are at times notably eccentric , as were their forefathers , the shamans ( some interesting speculation about who is beyond the scope of this article ) and healers .
Across the spectrum of life , deviation from the norm occurs , despite good reasons for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mutual protection , rudimentary information sharing , network benefits , and so on .
But to borrow a programming adage , are mavericks a bug or a feature ?
After decades and perhaps centuries of discarding or ignoring them , science appears ( however slowly ) to be coming around to the study of outlier behavior .
According to mathematical biologist Corina Tarnita of Princeton University : Published in March 2020 , just about when the lockdowns pursuant to the novel coronavirus pandemic began , Tarnita and team ’ s PLoS paper “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ albeit contextually ) : “ Are loners incidental byproducts of large-scale coordination attempts , or are they part of a mosaic of life-history strategies ?
” And this goes on elsewhere in the animal kingdom as well .
Other research points in a similar direction .
Are these individuals and klatches a product of pure randomness , biological flukes , or cogs in a deeper , evolutionary machine ?
Although that question has not been a scientific priority , there have been some empirical trailheads : “ Theoretical investigations of such loner behaviors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of existing studies have suggested that , at least in some systems , they could be a means of spatiotemporal niche partitioning that promotes diversity.
” There is no evidence that the propensity to idiosyncratic behavior is heritable , and thus “ there exists no empirical evidence , in any system , that loners are anything more than chance stragglers [ . ]
” The authors go on to explain how in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum ( a strange and fascinating creature with the ability to convert from thousands of unicellular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like ” creature ) there are certain cells which do not , as the vast majority do , join in its multicellular life stage .
While in that state they remain “ invulnerable to the threats of the multicellular stage but capable of reachieving multicellularity via their offspring , ” their behavior “ may constitute insurance against such threats and therefore be critical ” to the colony ’ s survival .
Broader still , It is of course possible to take conclusions far further than is warranted .
And there is a vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can sometimes account for differences between otherwise identical individuals , and human choice .
But a growing acceptance that individuals and small dissident clusters are consequential , and thus critical to holistic understanding of systems , is a huge step forward for scientific inquiry in the natural and social sciences .
Of particular importance to the topics covered in this book , there are hints that even computational approaches to the social sciences are at the cusp of embracing this awareness .
As an interdisciplinary 2015 George Mason University master ’ s thesis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( ABMs ) , And thus , as a corrective , the author discusses “ using computer-generated narratives describing the behavior of an individual agent as an alternate method for evaluating the micro-level behavior of an ABM , ” and goes on to detail ways to identify and study “ interesting ” individual agents .
Doing so may provide deeper insights or highlight flaws in the assumptions or design of economic , epidemiological , or any other such simulation .
In the meantime , it is jarring to think that highly-trained people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought are so late to arrive at the notion that individuals of any sort straying from a community , in any case exhibiting drift , is nontrivial .
The rogue elephant here , the person refusing to wear a mask there : perhaps intransigence , but perhaps responding to an arcane dictate beyond the explicitly knowable .
Computer models and simulations have fed fear and enlivened tyranny .
Many millions of people in the real world continue to suffer and , indeed , die under pandemic policies wrought by the output of iteratively-run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social value of the asocial , in which our individual hopes , fears , personalities , and relationships are no longer assumed away or subsumed by mathematical averages , is a subtle but monumental breakthrough .
Here ’ s hoping it continues .
Peter C. Earle is an economist and writer who joined AIER in 2018 and prior to that spent over 20 years as a trader and analyst in global financial markets on Wall Street .
His research focuses on financial markets , monetary issues , and economic history .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Reuters , NPR , and in numerous other publications .
Pete holds an MA in Applied Economics from American University , an MBA ( Finance ) , and a BS in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Minnesota College Student Pleads Guilty to Offering Support to Terrorists

Minneapolis college student Tnuza Jamal Hassan pleaded guilty to attempting to provide support to the foreign terrorist organization , Al-Qaeda .
According to the defendant ’ s guilty plea and court documents , Hassan , while a student at St. Catherine University in St. Paul , Minnesota , drafted and anonymously delivered a letter encouraging two other students to join al-Qaeda .
However , she denied involvement with the letter in a later interview with FBI agents .
On September 18 , 2017 , Hassan purchased two roundtrip tickets- one from Minneapolis to Dubai , United Arab Emirates and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hassan admitted she planned to travel to Kabul and join al-Qaeda with no intention of returning to the U.S .
The next day , she traveled from Minneapolis to Dubai , but she was unable to enter Kabul because she did not have a visa .
Documents also revealed that Hassan attempted to set several fires to the St. Catherine University campus on January 17 , 2018 .
At this time , she was living in a dormitory without the university ’ s permission .
Hassan admitted her attempt to burn down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States ’ opposition to al-Qaeda .
Hassan has been charged with one count of first-degree arson in Ramsey County District Court .
Campus Reform reached out to St. Catherine University for a statement but did not hear back in time for publication .
Jezzamine Wolk is a reporter for Campus Reform .
Prior to taking on her current position , Jezzamine served as an associate producer for Fox & Friends First on the Fox News Channel .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--New Poll Shows Trump Overtaking Biden in Michigan

President Donald Trump is leading former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of the November election in the battleground state of Michigan , according to a Republican-leaning poll published Friday .
The president carries a narrow 46-45 lead Biden in the state , a poll published by the Trafalgar Group shows .
The poll , conducted between Aug. 14 and Aug. 23 , comes a day after Trump wrapped up the Republican National Convention , and less than a week after the Democratic National Convention .
The poll surveyed 1,048 respondents and carries a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people the firm polled were between the ages of 45 and 64 , and white people made up 81 % of respondents .
Polling website FiveThirtyEight gives Trafalgar Group a “ C- ” rating in May for accuracy and methodological performance .
Biden is ahead of Trump in Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Arizona , Florida and North Carolina , according to a CNBC poll released Wednesday .
Trump won Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , and Michigan by a total of just 77,000 votes in 2016 .
Biden also leads Trump nationally by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed .
The former vice president leads by five points in Wisconsin , a state currently engulfed in riots after the police shooting of Jacob Blake Sunday .
Trump ’ s re-election campaign and pro-Trump super PAC America First Action reportedly halted television and radio ads in Michigan in June amid concerns of underperformance in the battleground state , The New York Times reported in July .
America First Action cut Michigan from its ad buy in July and instead rolled out ads in Arizona and North Carolina .
Chris White is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Photo “ Donald Trump and Joe Biden ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Over 100 Former Staffers Under Bush 43, McCain and Romney Endorse Biden for President

Over 100 former staffers for former President George W. Bush , the late Sen. John McCain and Sen. Mitt Romney endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden for president Thursday , Politico reported .
“ What unites us now is a deep conviction that four more years of a Trump presidency will morally bankrupt this country , irreparably damage our democracy , and permanently transform the Republican party into a toxic personality cult , ” Romney Alumni for Biden said in an open letter .
Thirty-four former staffers from the Utah Republican ’ s 2012 presidential campaign signed the letter , Politico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also endorsed Biden in an open letter saying , “ Given the incumbent ’ s lack of competent leadership , his efforts to aggravate rather than bridge divisions among Americans , and his failure to uphold American values , we believe the election of former Vice President Biden is clearly in the national interest.
” One of the organizers of the letter was Arizona Republican ’ s longtime speechwriter , Mark Salter , The New York Times reported .
“ We have different views of Joe Biden and the Democratic party platform – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of it – but we all agree that getting Donald Trump out of office is clearly in the national interest , ” Salter told the NYT .
Twenty-one former staffers for George W. Bush also published an open letter saying “ Over the past four years we , as a nation , have struggled with truth .
Conspiracy theories have been legitimized and facts have been dismissed.
” “ As former public servants , we believe that decency in government must not be allowed to die on the vine .
We must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returns to the Office of the President , ” the letter added .
Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Joe Biden .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Three-Quarters of Democratic Voters Still Believe Trump Campaign Colluded with Russia

Three-quarters of Democratic voters believe that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to steal the 2016 election , according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen .
Asked whether it was more likely that Trump colluded with Russia in 2016 or that the Obama administration spied on the Trump campaign that year , 73 % of Democrats said the Russia collusion theory was more likely to have occurred .
In contrast , 67 % of Republicans expressed more belief in the claim that the Obama administration spied on Trump during that election .
Overall , 43 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russia story .
The Russia collusion theory dominated headlines and politics for roughly the first three years of the Trump administration .
A 22-month , special counsel probe led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller concluded without finding evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government to steal the 2016 election .
The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted by Rasmussen using a mixed-mode approach from August 20-22 .
To see this poll ’ s cross-demographic tabulations , click here .
To see this poll ’ s methodology and @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--AP Source: Big Ten Working on Multiple Options for Football

Big Ten coaches , athletic directors and medical personnel are working on multiple plans for staging a football season — including one that would have the league kicking off as soon as Thanksgiving weekend .
The conference is in the early stages of a complicated process that also involves broadcast partners and possible neutral site venues , a person with direct knowledge of the conference ’ s discussions told The Associated Press .
The person spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the Big Ten was not making public its efforts to have a football season that starts in either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal Sentinel first reported the Big Ten was considering a possible Thanksgiving start to the season .
The Big Ten announced on Aug. 11 it was postponing its fall football season because of concerns about playing during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The Pac-12 soon followed suit , but six other major college football conferences , including the powerhouse Southeastern Conference , are still forging ahead toward a season that will start in September .
The Big Ten and first-year commissioner Kevin Warren have faced push back and criticism ever since , including a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want the decision overturned .
The Big Ten ’ s decision and the subsequent backlash have trickled into politics in this election year , with Democrats and Republicans pointing fingers over who is responsible for taking away college football in the Midwest .
“ No , I want Big Ten , and all other football , back – NOW , ” President Donald Trump tweeted .
“ The Dems don ’ t want football back , for political reasons , but are trying to blame me and the Republicans .
Another LIE , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against !
“ Any plan will need the approval of university presidents and chancellors , and the Big Ten will only play if certain benchmarks related to the coronavirus — such as transmission rates , testing capacity and availability , and testing accuracy — are met in each of the 11 states that are home to the league ’ s 14 schools .
“ If they are met , that ’ s when they ’ ll get back , ” the person told AP .
Several coaches , including Ohio State ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sooner the Big Ten can start a delayed season the better .
Day has endorsed starting in early January and that idea has been on the table practically since the decision to postpone came down , the person said .
Starting in late fall was an idea some coaches laid out earlier this week , the person said .
One option includes playing games at domed stadiums across the Midwest , including in Indianapolis , Minneapolis and Detroit , another person with knowledge of the discussions told AP on condition of anonymity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ help broadcast partners televise the games and help avoid potential complications of playing through winter weather .
A two pronged-plan , laying out a framework for how a season can be staged and what benchmarks need to be met for it to be safe enough to play during the pandemic , could be rolled out by the Big Ten within two weeks , the first person said .
Ralph D. Russo is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this June 4 , 2019 , file photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren talks to reporters after being named Big Ten Conference Commissioner during a news conference in Rosemont , Ill. After the Power Five conference commissioners met Sunday , Aug. 9 , 2020 , to discuss mounting concern about whether a college football season can be played in a pandemic , players took to social media to urge leaders to let them play .
( AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Commentary: Democrats File Bill to Defund Virginia State Police by 25 Percent

Virginia Democrats have been playing a bit of a cat-and-mouse game over defunding Virginia law enforcement professionals as punishment for standing up to the BLM/Antifa mobs that have destroyed places such as Downtown Richmond .
Looks like this Friday , the payback was delivered .
Back in May , Delegate Lee Carter ( D-Manassas ) joined a protest where he got a dose of pepper spray after a confrontation with police .
On Friday , Virginia Democrats are allowing Delegate Carter to apply the coup de grace and follow through on his promise to defund the police with a budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget by 25 % while punishing local deputies and police by a further $ 41 million in cuts .
Meanwhile , Delegate Kay Kory ( D-Fairfax ) proposed cuttingmillions from the School Resource Officer ( SRO ) program , even though in a recent U.Va .
study , a majority of students have said that such officers make them feel safer .
And , on a party-line vote , Senate Democrats passed their proposal to eliminate the mandatory penalty for anyone who assaults a police officer .
This bill will now come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will make it much harder for law enforcement in Virginia .
Of course , national Democrats have been denying the left-wing push to defund and dismantle law enforcement as a downright lie .
The media has faithfully reported this narrative .
But no one reported on Carter ’ s budget amendment today .
One truly has to wonder why .
Either way , Carter ’ s open threats to law enforcement now seem to have taken legislative form .
Which begs the question with regards to Democratic efforts to defund Virginia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Should we believe the left-wing narrative ?
Or our lying eyes ?
The proof is right here for those with eyes to see .
Shaun Kenney is the editor of The Republican Standard , former chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Fluvanna County , and a former executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Ohio Lawmakers Demand Action on Nuclear Bailout Bill Amid Corruption Scandal

Democrats want lawmakers to take action on House Bill 6 , a ratepayer-funded bailout of nuclear power plants in Ohio , when the state House convenes next week , but one Republican says any replacement must prioritize nuclear energy .
The bill faces new scrutiny after a federal grand jury indicted former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder , R-Glenford , and four others as part of a $ 60 million “ public corruption racketeering conspiracy ” to pass the legislation .
“ When corruption is revealed , it is important we as lawmakers act quickly to fix what has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , D-Lakewood , and Michael J. O ’ Brien , D-Warren , said in a Thursday letter to members of the House of Representatives .
Last month , the lawmakers introduced legislation , House Bill 738 , to repeal the bill , but it has not yet been assigned to a committee .
“ Our constituents are telling us that this issue requires our immediate attention and action , and every day that passes further erodes the public ’ s trust in this institution and in each of us , ” they added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discharge petition , “ a seldom-used parliamentary maneuver.
” According to House rules , “ a bill can be discharged from a committee with the signatures of a majority of members ( 50 ) once the bill has sat in committee for 30 days , ” they wrote .
HB6 created a new Ohio Clean Air Program to support nuclear energy plants and some solar power facilities .
Electricity consumers fund the program , potentially bringing in up to $ 85 million in the 2021 fiscal year , with a surcharge that runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Akron-based FirstEnergy Solutions said it planned to close Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor near Toledo and Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry .
FirstEnergy Solutions filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 and emerged earlier this year as Energy Harbor .
Several high-profile Republicans , including Gov .
Mike DeWine , have called for the repeal of the legislation .
Senate President Larry Obhof , R-Medina , told The Columbus Dispatch the state Senate would take up a repeal of HB6 when it meets in September .
The press secretary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Friday afternoon request for comment .
However , in a Friday op-ed , state Rep. D.J .
Swearingen , R-Huron , said any repeal of HB 6 “ must also contain an immediate replacement bill that prioritizes Davis Besse and nuclear energy .
“ Some may argue that the free market should decide which businesses succeed and fail , ” Swearingen wrote .
“ I understand and appreciate those arguments .
However , the reality is that Davis-Besse has not been operating in a free market in a long time .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as wind and solar have received taxpayer subsidies while providers like Davis-Besse have not received any subsidies , ” Swearingen added .
“ That is not a free and fair market .
This is an issue to address with regards to our energy grid going forward.
” Last month , the state House voted unanimously to remove Householder from his leadership post .
Lawmakers subsequently elected state Rep. Bob Cupp , R-Lima , as his replacement .
Todd DeFeo is a contributor to The Center Square .
Photo “ Perry Nuclear Powerplant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Lawsuit Filed Over Ballot Language in Ongoing Battle Over Amendment 1 Redistricting

Virginia Lieutenant Governor candidate Paul Goldman , a Democrat , filed a lawsuit Thursday against the State Board of Elections in the ongoing controversy over Amendment 1 redistricting .
The suit argues that the ballot question on the amendment uses misleading language to unfairly skew voter perception .
Although people will assume they have a fair summary before them , Goldman argues this is not the case .
“ It ’ s one of the things I can tell you as a lawyer – the summary is slipshod.
” In an interview with The Virginia Star , Goldman stated a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary to inform the people properly of what they ’ re voting for or against .
He said the current summary is an “ insulting ” assessment of Virginians ’ ability to analyze policy .
“ What could be more unfair than having people vote for something that ’ s not on the ballot ?
” The suit cites eleven grievances with the ballot ’ s wording , and relies on textual precedence from the Virginia Constitution and James Madison .
Additionally , the suit makes issue of the omission of language , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn the Supreme Court into a legislative body , as well the criteria proposals necessary to make the amendment work .
Goldman says a fuller description of the amendment would give voters pause .
“ Citizens will say , ‘ Wait a minute .
Do we want to put this in the Constitution , where we ’ re never gon na get it out ? '
” Polling places will offer a supplementary packet with further information on the amendment .
However , Goldman argues that few , if any , people would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the accuracy of the ballot before them .
“ The ballot itself needs a fair , transparent summary of its key provisions .
Essentially , they put a campaign statement on the ballot , ” said Goldman .
“ The public should have the right to know what they ’ re voting on.
” Goldman is not the only one critical of the amendment .
The newly-created Fair Districts political action committee ( PAC ) also opposes it .
They claim it will give politicians power to gerrymander .
However , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will increase bipartisanship and fair voting .
Aside from his personal stance , Goldman , who once served at the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia , emphasized that the suit ’ s intent is to improve the ballot description .
“ If they insist on their amendments , I ’ m going to insist on a fair ballot question .
My remedy ?
Draft some fair language !
And , put it on the ballot , ” he said .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Paul Goldman ” by NoblesTV .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Despite Concern From Police, Virginia Legislators Cutting Funding, Protection For Law Enforcement Of

Despite Concern From Police, Virginia Legislators Cutting Funding, Protection For Law Enforcement Officers

As Virginia legislators push forward with criminal reform bills , police warn that reform will leave officers without enough tools and protections to do their jobs .
Last week , the Senate passed a bill that , if it becomes law , will end mandatory minimum felony sentences for those who assault police .
Other measures being considered include bans on choke holds , elimination of no-knock warrants , and an end to qualified immunity .
State Delegate Lee Carter ( D-Manassas City ) has also proposed an amendment that would cut 2021 state funds to local police by over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 percent from 2020 .
The cuts are bundled with broad cuts across the budget aimed at reducing COVID-19 spending , but are a big change compared to the over $ 8 million cut originally proposed .
“ This would of course be an unprecedented effort to cut funding for local police , ” Delegate Rob Bell ( R-Albemarle ) said .
“ It ’ s disgusting that you have people that know nothing about law enforcement , the dangers of this job , that are making these decisions to change laws without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous this job could be , ” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said .
He warned that removing minimum sentencing guidelines could have serious consequences .
“ All that does is it invites somebody to assault a law enforcement officer , ” Chapman said .
“ I think that ’ s reprehensible.
” “ There ’ s got to be something significant that stops people from thinking that they have the freedom to assault any kind of [ law enforcement officer ] , ” Chapman added .
Chapman noted that choke holds are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations where an officer is fighting for their life .
He said there is also a push to ban less-than-lethal force like pepper spray , tasers , and batons .
“ What that does is it puts law enforcement officers in a position where they have nothing but lethal force or nothing at all , ” Chapman said .
“ The best that you can do is defend yourself with your fists and nothing else , or , you ’ re going to have to go all the way with a handgun , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend yourself and the next thing you know , somebody ’ s catching this on videotape.
” Chapman also warned against removing qualified immunity , a legal protection that keeps individual officers from being sued unless they have violated the law .
He said , “ If they take away qualified immunity that means anyone that is a law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth of Virginia would be susceptible to having to pay out a civil suit.
” Chapman warned that the combination of these kinds of laws together would be dangerous .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ responding to situations not of your own choosing .
You ’ re put in a position where it becomes easy for someone to assault you .
Then you have really no means of defending yourself , and then you can get sued when you do try to defend yourself .
When you look at all these things , when you put them together , it ’ s a disaster , an absolute disaster.
” The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police ( VACP ) is opposed to ending qualified immunity and removing minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are extremely concerned that passing these two proposals will result in a mass exodus of good officers from this profession .
This also will make recruitment of highly qualified candidates nearly impossible in the future .
With an average starting salary hovering in the mid $ 40k range , who would want to do this job ?
Many agencies already are experiencing resignations or early retirements due to this fear , ” VACP Executive Director Dana Schrad wrote in a letter .
Chapman noted that most law enforcement officers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context of millions of police to citizen interactions , with only a few resulting in bad incidents .
Chapman said , “ You have to look at each [ case ] individually and see what happens with each contact , how they respond , whether they were pushed , whether they were shoved , but what I ’ ve seen out there from the videos … I think law enforcement officers have exercised amazing restraint under a lot of harassment.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Virginia State Police ” by Virginia State Police .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--OSU Protesters Tackle Big Ten Football Decision

Outrage is growing as Ohio State University remains silent about the Big 10 ’ s decision to postpone football .
In an open letter on the decision , Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren said : Citing the pandemic as the reasoning behind the postponing of fall sports Warren stated “ we understand the disappointment and questions surrounding the timing of our decision to postpone fall sports , especially in light of releasing a football schedule only six days prior to that decision.
” Warren ’ s statements seemed to be contradicted by OSU Athletics Director Alex Smith said that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together to ensure that the season would have continued , as usual , with just a slight delay , instead of a full postponement .
Smith thanked Johnson saying “ I am so grateful to her for all her efforts in support of our student-athletes and a traditional fall season.
” Kristina Johnson said in a statement “ As a former collegiate athlete whose career in sports was cut short by circumstances beyond my control , I deeply feel the pain , frustration , and disappointment that all our players , coaches and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are feeling today.
” Hundreds of protesters gathered at OSU ’ s Horseshoe to demand answers and to show their discontent about the decision by the conference to cancel the previously scheduled season .
A speaker at the rally called on the big 10 to revisit the decision saying : “ These Buckeyes fans are asking the presidents , the commissioners , the Big 10 , Kevin Warren , and everyone who gets paid six figures to make sure these kids can play safe and have a chance for a national championship.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans holding signs calling for transparency and the re-opening of football , booed at the mention of Warren ’ s name .
President of the Football Parents of Ohio State Amanda Vass echoed the demands for transparency and shock at the cancellation of fall sports : “ We had a schedule August 5th… what happened ?
” President Trump called for the reinstatement of the Big 10 ’ s fall season on Twitter , calling the decision a political maneuver .
Ohio Governor Mike Dewine has recently okayed the reopening of all sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While a number of restrictions will be enforced on both players and spectators , K-12 students , amateur , professional and even collegiate sports will be allowed to proceed almost as normal .
It is unclear what risks college athletes face or pose that high school and even professional athletes do not .
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Ben on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Ohio State Football Game ” by Steven Miller .
CC BY @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-08-30--Carol Swain Says Tennessee Titans’ Ryan Tannehill ‘Ill-Informed’ About Race in America

Former Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain said Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill doesn ’ t need anyone to debate him about America ’ s supposed racism — instead , as far as this topic goes , he needs to get educated .
Swain told The Tennessee Star Saturday that Tannehill “ is ill-informed ” about history and topics of race .
As reported Saturday , Tannehill said America “ was founded on racist ideas.
” He promptly demanded social change .
“ If America was the country being described then people wouldn ’ t risk their lives to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Tannehill and some of the activists are describing , ” Swain said .
“ If America ever became that country then it would cease to be America .
I don ’ t think it will become that kind of country unless the political left gains control and destroys what we have worked so hard to build.
” Swain said the Left ’ s current focus on “ systemic racism ” does not accurately portray America and the opportunities that Blacks have had by virtue of Blacks and Whites working together .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his generation have never had it better in America , and it is false to say police officers shoot Black men and women to the point that they fear they won ’ t come home alive , ” Swain said .
“ That is a false portrayal of the data , and it is something that the media is advancing .
I think it is very destructive to our nation.
” Swain recommended that Tannehill and his teammates visit the 1776 Unites website , which contains scholarly articles , many of which Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details a more accurate history of race in America .
But the Left ’ s current narratives , Swain said , “ are very destructive because they create anger and hatred.
” “ If we don ’ t pull back from what is taking place right now then I think that we will have racial conflict that we ’ ve never anticipated between Blacks and Whites , ” Swain said .
“ I would argue the racism cuts in more than one direction .
We see racism taking place , but it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blacks .
There ’ s racism coming from racial and ethnic minorities and Whites themselves against each other .
That too is not acceptable.
” Tannehill and his teammates announced on Twitter that the best way to take a stand against systemic racism was to not have practice that day .
The Titans ’ virtue signaling didn ’ t impress some of their fans , some of whom mocked the team and said they weren ’ t giving them any more of their money .
According to Forbes , Tannehill signed a four-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the 2019 NFL season .
Swain said Tannehill and his teammates must recognize that they may talk politics , if they so desire — but they also need to understand that consequences might await .
“ People choose as consumers where they want to spend their money , ” Swain said .
“ If everything is politicized , and White people are demonized then why would White people or patriots who love our nation want to spend money to be insulted ?
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Email tips to [ email protected ] Background Photo “ Tennessee Titans Message ” by Tennessee Titans .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Tennessee Once Again Extends COVID-19 State of Emergency

NASHVILLE , Tennessee ( AP ) — Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee has once again extended the state of emergency until the end of September .
Lee , a Republican , initially imposed the state of emergency on March 12 in order to free up funding and relax rules regarding the treatment and containment of COVID-19 .
He extended the order on Friday , the day before it was set to expire .
The state of emergency urges — but does not require — people wear masks when out in public and urges limited activity , maintain social distancing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recreational gatherings will remain limited to 50 or more people — though places of worship are still exempt , as well as weddings , funerals and related events .
Other provisions will also remain in place , such as expanding access to telehealth services , continuing delivery of alcohol services and allowing prescriptions to be available in 90-day supplies .
Additionally , Lee extended provisions allowing officials to meet electronically , rather than in person , as long as they provide some sort of electronic access to the public .
Finally , Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to allow remote notarization and witnessing of documents .

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary.
CROM CARMICHAEL:
Michael, yesterday, the Supreme Court heard a very, very important case, Texas versus Biden. And the Wall Street Journal wrote a very interesting article about that case. It appeared on Monday. So it was before the case was heard. There was a law passed in 1996 and Biden voted for the law. The law says that migrants who are, ‘Not clearly and beyond doubt, (not reasonable doubt, beyond doubt,) entitled to be admitted shall be detained.’ It goes on to say that the law also says that DHS can parole individual migrants on a case by case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
That’s what the law that was passed in 1996 says. According to some reports I read this morning about the hearing yesterday, the case by case part of the 1996 law is what some justices may try to hang their hat on to allow Biden to eliminate or rescind Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy on the basis that we only can detain 34,000 illegal immigrants at the same time. That’s all we can detain. And so Trump said we can’t follow the law, so we’re going to make them stay in Mexico.
Now, the left says, well, you can’t make them stay in Mexico because Mexico won’t necessarily agree to that. Well, they already have. Under Trump they did agree to it and they did do it. So it’s not a function of whether or not Mexico can and will do it because they did do it under pressure, but they did do it. This is going to be a very interesting decision that will come down from the courts to see whether or not the courts believe that the law itself has written is what the administration should adhere to. I think that decision will come out very quickly. I don’t think it’ll be months. I think it will be weeks, and maybe even days before that decision comes out.
Listen to the Crommentary:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Commentary: Meet the Democrats’ Newest Strategist

Her name is Vicky Osterweil .
It ’ s a pity that she is only emerging on the scene now .
Had her ideas enjoyed broad circulation even a month ago , she could have made a major and clarifying contribution to the Democratic Party ’ s platform .
Many commentators , from the Left as well as the Right , grumbled that the Democrats ’ convention lacked a clear policy agenda .
Sure , we all knew in general outline what they were about – they were “ against racism , ” “ against white supremacism , ” above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But the policy particulars that flowed from these sentiments were more adumbrated than stated directly .
Vicky Osterweil ( formerly Willie ) fills in some blanks .
Too bad she didn ’ t have a spot speaking at the convention .
She sums up so much of what the Democrats are about today .
Like Joe Biden ( and like his mentor Barack Obama ) , she is passionately committed to “ fundamentally transforming the United States of America.
” Peeking out of his basement in May , Joe Biden saw “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vicky Osterweil agrees .
“ [ W ] e need a total transformation of our society , ” she writes in her new book .
“ This society we live in under capitalism is entirely structured around the production [ and ] circulation of commodities .
It is a cruel system , built for the creation and revocation of things not for the flourishing of people.
” In her interview with Stephen Colbert earlier this month , Joe Biden ’ s running mate Kamala Harris cheerfully noted that the “ protests ” coruscating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop.
” “ This is a movement , ” she explained , smiling .
The riots “ are not going to let up and they should not and we should not.
” Osterweil sees Harris ’ bet and raises it .
She , too , regards the riots as part of a “ movement for liberation , ” a movement that is just getting started .
I mentioned Osterweil ’ s new book .
It is called In Defense of Looting : A Riotous History of Uncivil Action .
I should note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used here does not mean “ uproariously funny.
” In means “ having to do with riots , ” i.e.
, violent insurrectionary action : looting , destroying property , burning things down .
These are the actions that Osterweil recommends to bring about that “ total ” or “ fundamental ” transformation of society that she , like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris , longs to bring about .
Osterweil ’ s great virtue is her frankness .
You always know where you stand with her .
When she says “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a defense of that “ method of direct redistribution of wealth , from the store owners and capitalists to the poor.
” In case there is any confusion , she took the opportunity afforded by a respectful profile on NPR to clear things up : “ the mass expropriation of property , mass shoplifting during a moment of upheaval or riot .
That ’ s the thing I ’ m defending.
” According to Osterweil , “ Looting represents a material way that riots and protests help the community.
” How ?
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people to solve some of the immediate problems of poverty and by creating a space for people to freely reproduce their lives rather than doing so through wage labor.
” Looting , she writes , is “ a practical immediate form of improving life ” ( though not , of course for the store owners or capitalists who are looted ) .
Basically , it ’ s a variation of Willie Sutton ’ s response to the question of why he robbed banks : “ because that ’ s where the money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sutton .
And so it is with Vicky Osterweil .
“ Everything in the store goes from being a commodity to becoming a gift , ” she explains .
“ Less abstractly , looting is usually followed up by burning down the shop ” and by the looters throwing out on to the street some of the items they have looted .
Thus , “ Looting involves not only taking wealth directly but also immediately sharing that wealth , which points to the collapse of the system by which diluted things produce value.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system by which diluted things produce value ” brings us to the center of Osterweil ’ s argument .
To bring about that “ total ” or “ fundamental ” transformation we keep hearing the Democrats talk about , Osterweil argues we need to go to the root of the problem : private property .
“ The right to property , ” she explains , “ is innately , structurally white supremacist : support for white supremacy involves a commitment to property and the commodity form.
” How could the Democrats have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a form of white supremacy .
It is also sexist , though that old-fashioned term does not appear in this very up-to-date book .
Instead , Osterweil talks a great deal about “ gender ” and its involvement with politics .
This is something that gave an interviewer at the Huffington Post a little thrill .
“ I was really intrigued , ” she said , “ by your argument that looting and rioting are not masculine and in certain ways are actually quite femme .
[ “ Femme ” ?
Alas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have you talk a little bit about why you see the idea of violence in the form of rioting and looting as not macho per se , and why we could see it as a more feminine kind of approach.
” Osterweil doesn ’ t disappoint .
“ The way that a riot empowers you is , first of all , it makes it easier to live your life because you get lots of stuff for free , and it makes it much easier to reproduce your life .
But they also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowering , community-reinforcing events.
” As she puts it in her book , “ Riots are violent , extreme , and femme as fuck : they rip , tear , burn , and destroy to give birth to a new world.
” You can see why Osterweil describes In Defense of Looting as “ an act of gratitude ” to the Ferguson rioters .
Pioneers that they were , they did indeed help pave the way .
And you can see , too , why A Defense of Looting is also a blanket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cops Are Bastards ” is the charming title of one chapter ) .
As I write , Amazon lists In Defense of Looting as its “ # 1 New Release.
” Her publisher describes the book as “ [ a ] fresh argument for rioting and looting as our most powerful tools for dismantling white supremacy.
” This of course is deeply misleading .
Already in 1840 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon , posing the question “ What is property ?
” answered “ Property is theft ” ( La propriété , c ’ est le @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Marx and Engels added all the rhetorical paraphernalia about the evils of “ wage labor , ” capitalism , private property , and so on .
I wonder whether Osterweil intends to liberate her own private property by redistributing the royalties she earns or whether , to take it one step further , she plans to loot and torch the offices of her publisher , Hachette , one of those evil big corporations she claims to abominate .
It will be interesting to see .
You might have thought that all such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dustbin of history or at least ( what amounts to the same thing ) into the rancid purlieus of the academy .
But clearly it lives on in the addled brains of Democratic stars like Bernie Sanders ( the real brains of the Biden operation ) and newcomers like the pathetic Vicky Osterweil , who , according to her publisher ’ s bio , is “ a writer , editor , and agitator and a regular contributor to The New Inquiry .
Her writing has also appeared in The Baffler , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Al Jazeera America.
” Who would doubt it ?
At some point when looking through In Defense of Looting , I wondered whether it wasn ’ t the latest enterprise by Titania McGrath or some other comedic genius .
Sadly , I conclude that Osterweil is in earnest .
She claims that her defense of looting and violence against property is not also a defense of violence against persons .
But a look at what happened in Washington , D.C. to Rand and Kelley Paul the other night highlights the speciousness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Pauls , and had it not been for the police , they would surely have been physically attacked .
A popular saying on the Left in the 1930s was that Communism is just “ liberalism in a hurry.
” Vicky Osterweil may be traveling a bit faster than the contemporary Democratic Party .
But they are catching up fast .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Trump Supporter Killed in Antifa-BLM Riot Clash in Portland

PORTLAND , Oregon ( AP ) — One person was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland , Oregon , as a large caravan of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the streets , police said .
It wasn ’ t clear if the shooting was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by protesters in the city ’ s downtown .
An Associated Press freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then observed police medics working on the body of the victim , who appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer , a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past .
Police did not release any additional details and were at the scene investigating late Saturday .
“ Portland Police officers heard sounds of gunfire from the area of Southeast 3rd Avenue and Southwest Alder Street .
They responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest .
Medical responded and determined that the victim was deceased , ” the Portland Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been the site of nightly protests for more than three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Many of them end in vandalism and violence , and hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested by local and federal law enforcement since late May .
The caravan arrived downtown just as a protest planned for Saturday was getting underway .
Police made several arrests before the shooting and advised residents to avoid the city core .
The chaotic scene came two days after Trump invoked Portland as a liberal city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican National Convention as part of his “ law and order ” re-election campaign theme .
The caravan marked the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters have rallied in the city .
Trump and other speakers at this week ’ s convention evoked a violent , dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans .
The pro-Trump rally ’ s organizer , who coordinated a similar caravan in Boise , Idaho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a video posted on Twitter Saturday afternoon that attendees should only carry concealed weapons and the route was being kept secret for safety reasons .
The caravan had gathered earlier in the day at a suburban mall and drove as a group to the heart of Portland .
As they arrived in the city , protesters attempted to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges .
Videos from the scene showed sporadic fighting , as well as Trump supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using bear spray as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The shooting happened shortly before 9 p.m. Pacific , several hours after the caravan began arriving in Portland .
The Black Lives Matter demonstrations usually target police buildings and federal buildings .
Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city ’ s mayor and some in the Black community have decried the violence , saying it ’ s counterproductive .
Early Saturday morning , fires set outside a police union building that is a frequent site for protests prompted police to declare a riot .
An accelerant was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debris that was laid against the door of the Portland Police Association building , police said in a statement .
At least one dumpster had also been set on fire in the street nearby .
The commotion followed a sit-in in the lobby of the Portland mayor ’ s condominium building Friday night .
Gillian Flaccus is a reporter with The Associated Press .
AP freelancer Paula Bronstein contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : A man is treated after being shot Saturday , Aug. 29 , 2020 , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t clear if the fatal shooting late Saturday was linked to fights that broke out as a caravan of about 600 vehicles was confronted by rioters in the city ’ s downtown .
( AP Photo/Paula Bronstein )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--College Towns Growing Alarmed Over Outbreaks Among Students

RALEIGH , North Carolina ( AP ) — As waves of schools and businesses around the country are cleared to reopen , college towns are moving toward renewed shutdowns because of too many parties and too many COVID-19 infections among students .
With more than 300 students at the University of Missouri testing positive for the coronavirus and an alarming 44 % positivity rate for the surrounding county , the local health director Friday ordered bars to stop serving alcohol at 9 p.m. and close by 10 p.m. Iowa ’ s governor has ordered all bars shut down around The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the mayor of Tuscaloosa , Alabama , did the same in the hometown of the state ’ s flagship university .
“ What we ’ re seeing in our violations is they ’ re coming late at night , ” said Stephanie Browning , head of the health department for Columbia , Missouri .
“ Big groups gathering .
They ’ re not wearing their masks , they ’ re not social distancing.
” In Utah , the city council in Provo overrode a mayoral veto to pass a mask mandate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizing large mask-less gatherings , days before students return to Brigham Young University from around the country .
But the council was nevertheless worried that college students sharing dorms , bathrooms and showers could become “ super-spreaders ” and bring the virus off campus , council chair George Handley said .
“ We ’ re already seeing what ’ s happened across the country at other universities , ” he said .
But a recent warehouse party organized by a BYU student ’ s promotional company called Young/Dumb also raised concern when pictures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online .
BYU , owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , has its own rules requiring masks on campus .
Requirements for indoor public spaces in town will help people stay healthy and businesses stay open , Handley said .
“ This is actually about preserving our way of life , it ’ s not about destroying it — contrary to what some people say , ” Handley said .
The outbreaks since students began returning to campus in the past few weeks have heightened tensions between colleges and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local politicians and university officials .
Meanwhile , California announced a four-tiered , color-coded plan Friday for gradually reopening businesses after abandoning a reopening attempt earlier this summer .
It requires counties to meet certain benchmarks showing progress in controlling the virus .
In Arizona , another deadly hot spot this summer , a drop in transmission numbers allowed the Phoenix and Tucson areas to reopen gyms and some bars .
The U.S. has recorded over 180,000 deaths from the coronavirus and 5.9 million confirmed infections .
Worldwide , the death toll is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 24.5 million cases .
Drugmaker Gilead Sciences said Friday that U.S. regulators are now allowing use of experimental antiviral drug remdesivir for all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 .
It said the Food and Drug Administration has expanded its emergency use authorization , which lets doctors administer the IV drug during the pandemic .
Until now , that was limited to patients with severe COVID-19 .
Remdesivir previously was shown to shorten treatment by about four days for hospitalized patients with severe disease , compared with those getting standard supportive care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been blamed in part on young people ignoring mask and social distancing requirements .
In Iowa ’ s Story County , home to Iowa State , 74 % of new cases over the past seven days were among people ages 19 to 24 , Gov .
Kim Reynolds said Thursday .
In the same time period , 69 % of new cases in Johnson County , the home of the University of Iowa , were in that age group .
“ It is increasing the virus activity in the community , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population , ” Reynolds said .
Fueled in part by clusters where college students are returning to classes , Kansas has had its highest seven-day increase in coronavirus cases .
Gov .
Laura Kelly said outbreaks on college campuses and fraternities and sororities are at least a factor in the surge .
“ We can not continue to go down this path , ” she told reporters Friday .
The University of Alabama has recorded over 1,000 cases on campus since the fall semester began last week .
In closing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two weeks , Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said that an unchecked spread of the virus threatens both the health care system and the local economy if students have to be sent home for the semester for remote learning .
Three of North Carolina ’ s largest public universities have abruptly halted in-person undergraduate instruction and directed students to move out of the dorms after hundreds tested positive following their return to campus .
More than 800 have been infected at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and over 670 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill , which has shifted to online classes , wrote an open letter Thursday to the mayor outlining steps the university is taking to curb off-campus parties .
“ We recognize the very real problems with the behaviors of some of our fraternities and sororities , ” the letter said .
Oyeronke Popoola , a 17-year-old freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill who moved out of her dorm , said that administrators , not students , deserve most of the blame for the virus-related problems after they ushered students back to campus .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning , but they wanted the money , ” she said .
And she said fraternities and sororities weren ’ t the only ones at fault among the students : “ I feel like Greek life gets a lot of blame , which is understandable , but there are other students who were meeting without masks.
” The problems did not change the thinking of other schools around the country .
The University of Virginia announced Friday that it is moving ahead with plans to offer in-person instruction for the fall semester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two weeks to assess the spread of COVID-19 .
“ We know some will be delighted to hear this news and others will be disappointed , ” a university statement said .
“ To be frank , it was a very difficult decision , made in the face of much uncertainty , and with full awareness that future events may force us to change course.
” Bryan Anderson , Jim Salter and Lindsay Whitehurst are reporters for The Associated Press .
Salter reported from O ’ Fallon , Missouri , Whitehurst from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from around the world contributed .
About the Headline Photo : In this Aug. 21 , 2020 , file photo , Georgia College and State University freshmen Ashlynn Anglin , right , and Meghan Murphy , second from right , wear face masks as they talk while walking through the campus in Milledgeville , Ga. As more and more schools and businesses around the country get the OK to reopen , some college towns are moving in the opposite direction because of too much partying and too many COVID-19 infections among students .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ File )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Jeff Bezos’ Net Worth Reaches $200 Billion

Jeff Bezos , the founder and CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post , solidified his status as the world ’ s wealthiest man after his net worth reached the $ 200 billion mark , according to the Daily Caller .
Bezos reached the astounding milestone on Wednesday , with the Caller noting that he is not alone in expanding his wealth during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown , which has significantly increased business for Amazon due to the rise in online shopping .
Two other prominent CEOs who saw their net worths reach significant landmarks are Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Musk , who both reached $ 100 billion .
Bezos and Amazon have come under heavy fire in recent months from both political parties , for widely varying reasons .
Some Democrats have criticized him for his immense wealth and a near-monopoly on online shopping with Amazon , while Republicans , including President Donald Trump , have criticized him and the Washington Post for their overwhelmingly left-wing bias in their “ reporting ” of the news .
The American economy , while clearly on the rise from the worst of the coronavirus lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of Americans out of work due to the virus .
There are still roughly 16 million Americans out of work , although the unemployment rate recently fell below 10 percent .
The stock market has also made significant gains in recent days , with the Nasdaq and S & P both achieving record highs , and the DOW Jones nearly back to the same level it was at right before the virus first hit .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Coronavirus Worries Force Election Officials to Get Creative

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — The coronavirus has upended everyday life in ways big and small .
What happens when those disruptions overlap with voting ?
Thousands of state and local election officials across the U.S are sharing ideas and making accommodations to try to ensure that voters and polling places are safe amid an unprecedented pandemic .
Some are finding ways to expand access to voter registration and ballot request forms .
Others are testing new products , installing special equipment or scouting outdoor voting locations .
Here are virus-related obstacles voters could face during this unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the solutions being tried : What if you need a voter registration form or absentee ballot application and all the normal go-to places are closed or open by appointment only ?
It ’ s a problem nationwide .
The most recent American Library Association survey found that 62 % of U.S. libraries , which are sources for voting documents , were fully closed while another 26 % were offering only curbside service .
Likewise , the vast majority of state motor vehicle departments — the largest source of voter registrations nationally and of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — are operating on limited hours , at reduced capacity or by appointment only , according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators .
Appointments in New Mexico , as just one example , are being scheduled two months out .
Benjamin Hovland , chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission , said 40 states have online voter registration , a particular benefit during the pandemic .
The commission has beefed up its website , www.vote.gov , with links to register in all 50 states .
Among states , Ohio has earned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Frank LaRose struck partnerships with grocers and newspapers to distribute absentee ballot applications this spring , and he ’ s tapped breweries to promote voter registration in the fall : “ Beer drinking and democracy go together , ” he said of the program , noting the pivotal role of pubs in Colonial America .
Perhaps the most pressing worry of most voters is how polling places will be kept virus-free .
A CDC study conducted after Wisconsin ’ s primary , the first in-person election after states began issuing stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s new COVID-19 cases in the days after the election were among voters , a warning to other states .
As an example of how seriously they ’ re responding , California issued 50 pages of instructions to its election boards last month calling for site-specific virus prevention plans and extensive training .
That ’ s on top of CDC-recommended guidelines that include social distancing , wearing masks and frequent hand-washing .
In Maine , single-use pens have replaced the usual “ I Voted ” stickers for marking the occasion Nov. 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for touchscreen voting , while Indiana and Louisiana are among states offering latex finger coverings .
Voters might see Plexiglas shields at some check-in tables , and poll workers dressed head-to-toe in protective gear .
Voting machines and poll books will be sanitized on a regular schedule throughout the day .
Public-private partnerships also are taking shape .
Anheuser-Busch , the beer maker , is distributing 8 million ounces of hand sanitizer in coordination with the National Association of State Election Directors and others .
Sanitizer is expected to be placed liberally around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RB Sigma has donated more than 450,000 surgical masks for use by poll workers and voters .
What if you plan to vote in person but receive a positive COVID-19 diagnosis , and it ’ s too late to request a mail-in ballot ?
Or perhaps you ’ ve traveled out-of-state and gotten held up by a virus-related travel restriction .
Planning ahead to vote early or by mail is still the best way to avoid getting tripped up by a virus diagnosis , quarantine or travel restriction ahead of Election Day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roy Cooper said his state is working to open more early voting locations to accommodate such concerns .
Dealing with voters who are sick is nothing new .
In Alaska , for example , anyone unable to vote in person because of age , illness or a disability can appoint a personal representative to pick up and deliver their ballot .
Many states provide similar options for emergencies — though often not right up until Election Day .
If you simply have no choice , election officials say to show up at your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accommodated .
Separate voting stations , far from the rest , are being set up where possible to accommodate those who know or suspect they ’ re infected with the virus and decide to self-report .
Ari Schaffer , a spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , said State Farm Arena in Atlanta is large enough to have a separate voting station for those who have a positive COVID-19 test , though not all polling locations will be .
In Iowa , curbside voting already available to voters with disabilities was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary .
Polling locations also were consolidated in some cases into larger venues , such as school gymnasiums , auditoriums and stadiums , to allow for social distancing .
What if you , or a fellow voter , choose not to wear a mask , as election and health officials are pretty much universally recommending ?
States are mostly stopping short of requiring masks on Election Day because voting is a protected right .
The most common scenario envisioned is that voters who decline to wear a mask will be offered one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be directed to a voting station away from other voters , where possible .
In some locations , no other voters would be allowed inside until the person has voted .
All the virus-related precautions states are pursuing will likely increase the average time it ’ s expected to take to cast a ballot .
That ’ s yet another reason to heed the advice state and local elections officials are giving most often this year : Make a plan to vote and prepare early .
Julie Carr Smyth is a reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryan Anderson in Raleigh , N.C. ; Cedar Attanasio in Sante Fe , N.M. ; Becky Bohrer in Juneau , Alaska ; and Kate Brumbeck in Atlanta contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : In this July 14 , 2020 , file photo , election worker Adonlie DeRoche , seated , wears a mask and face shield behind Plexiglas for safety during the coronavirus pandemic , while handing a ballot and single-use pen to a voter during the primary election in Portland , Maine .
Thousands of U.S. election officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will keep voters and polling places safe from infection .
( AP Photo/David Sharp , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Martha Boneta Commentary: It Is Time to Declare Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction

When it comes to Fentanyl , it is hard for us to think beyond the sheer human tragedy .
It is hard for us to think beyond the 32,000 lost to overdoses from this drug in 2018 – up from 28,000 the year before .
It is hard for us to think beyond the suffering James Rauh of Cleveland has endured .
His son , Thomas , injured himself in a roller-blading accident and was prescribed opioids to deal with the pain .
The son became addicted , turned to heroin and died when unbeknownst to him , he injected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided by the drug dealer .
It ’ s horrific to think Thomas Rauh died of a drug that was ordered from China over the internet and delivered by the US Postal Service .
And most of the people who overdose , do not choose to take Fentanyl ; rather , it is surreptitiously added to other drugs by unscrupulous dealers looking to make their product stretch further , as well as introduce the highly addictive synthetic opioid and increase their profits .
It ’ s hard to think beyond the economic damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Economic Advisers put the cost of the opioid epidemic at $ 2.5 trillion over the four years ending in 2019 .
But think beyond the tragedy and cost we must – because the threat is , incredibly , bigger than this .
It has become – in practice although not yet in legal force – a weapon of mass destruction .
It is being unleashed on our population now in tiny , controlled doses by those seeking to profit at others ’ expense .
But groups in the Middle East and elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass destruction , and this drug has proven its viability .
When Chechen terrorists took over a theater in Moscow in 2002 , authorities pumped a chemical through the vents .
The chemical killed all the militants and 130 of the 850 hostages .
The Russians never identified the substance they used , but it is believed to be Carfentanil , among the most dangerous of the 1,400 known analogues to Fentanyl .
Carfentanil is 40 times stronger than Fentanyl but 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 5,000 times stronger than heroin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much , which makes it almost an economic imperative for drug dealers to use Carfentanil , if they can obtain it , to “ cut ” their own drugs and deliver a more intense high to their customers .
A piece of Carfentanil the size of a grain of salt can be fatal .
A kilogram could kill up to 50 million people – roughly the population of South Korea .
Developed as a tranquilizer for elephants and hippos , Carfentanil is so toxic zoo officials wear hazmat suits to sedate the animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye or nose could be fatal .
The 52,000 pounds of its less-toxic cousin Fentanyl the Mexican Navy seized off one ship in 2019 is enough to kill 11.5 billion people , or 1.5 times the world ’ s population .
Today , Fentanyl and its analogues are produced almost exclusively by small pharmaceutical firms in China .
The Trump administration basically forced China to outlaw the production and distribution of Fentanyl , but the laws are not enforced and widely ignored .
Drug cartels in Mexico also have begun to produce Fentanyl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is even evidence it is being produced in the United States with smuggled ingredients and equipment .
The Department of Homeland Security , which has issued a Material Threat Determination on Fentanyl , sees the drug as a “ potential mass casualty weapon ” whose “ high toxicity and increasing availability are attractive to threat actors seeking nonconventional materials for a chemical weapons attack , ” and the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission sees it as “ a form of chemical warfare.
” These agencies have it right .
Chemical weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destruction , and , given the definition in federal statute of a weapon of mass destruction – any weapon “ designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release , dissemination or impact of toxin or poisonous chemicals or their precursors ” – Fentanyl and its analogues definitely qualify .
In honor of his son and the hundreds of thousands affected by this scourge , James Rauh has begun a petition drive to urge the US government to declare Fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction .
This would enable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Homeland Security , Drug Enforcement Agency , Department of Defense and other relevant federal agencies to work together more effectively and produce the necessary administrative directives to eliminate this threat .
I have signed it , and I hope you will too .
The US policy for use of nuclear weapons has two prongs – it says we will shoot first if we perceive a threat and that we treat chemical weapons the same as nuclear .
As James Rauh knows all too well , it ’ s too late for us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it is not too late to treat the threat Fentanyl and its analogues pose as the weapons of mass destruction they are .
Martha Boneta is an American policy advisor , commentator , and farmer .
Martha is also the President of Vote America First .
Photo “ Addiction ” by Rehab Center Vita CC4.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Report: Voter Fraud In Virginia Could Top 10 Percent

Jury roll data in one county suggests around 10 percent of registered Virginia voters may be ineligible to vote , according to a white paper written by a voter integrity watchdog group called the National Election Integrity Task Force ( NEITF ) .
“ I ’ m not surprised by it at all , ” Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow Hans Von Spakovsky told The Virginia Star in an exclusive interview about the NEITF white paper , which was first reported about in the Washington Free Beacon .
Von Spakovsky served three years on the electoral board in Fairfax County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While there , he requested a comparison of the electoral board ’ s records with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles ( DMV ) .
“ They found almost 300 individuals that were registered to vote in Fairfax County , yet when they went to get their driver ’ s license , they presented documents indicating that they were not U.S. citizens , ” he said .
As a member of the electoral board , Von Spakovsky took them off the voter rolls – but he said close to half of them had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NEITF ’ s claim stems from a 2019 report by the Prince William County ’ s circuit court that found that 2.7 percent of potential jurors summoned were non-citizens .
John Mills , the NEITF spokesman , said that ’ s a problem by itself .
“ [ T ] he Virginia court system guidance [ is ] predominantly pulled from registered voter databases.
” According to Mills , at the time of his inquiry , Prince William officials told him there were no other sources for the jury data .
Currently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that once each year its list of prospective jurors is pulled from both voter registration lists and DMV lists .
Although Mills declined to make the white paper public , Public Interest Legal Foundation President J. Christian Adams agrees that there is a problem with ineligible people being registered voters .
Adams said the existence of non-citizens on juror rolls suggests problems with either voter databases or jury recusal forms .
Some jurors may claim to be non-citizens to dodge their legal jury duty requirement .
“ They have to say under oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do jury duty because I ’ m not a citizen , ’ and they have to say under oath when they register to vote that they are a citizen.
” Adams said , adding , “ I told you I ’ ve seen the jury recusal forms , there ’ s a problem there.
” Von Spakovsky wants to see laws forcing county clerks to automatically send jury recusal data to elections officials , which would help identify both people voting illegally and people dodging jury duty .
Mills is also troubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to the 2.7 percent of non-citizens , undeliverable summons ( 5.9 percent ) , non-English speakers ( 1.8 percent ) and felons ( .9 percent ) total 11.3 percent of the county ’ s voters , which Mills says could be fraudulent and similar patterns could hold true across much of Virginia .
However , Adams said it is lawful for a non-English speaker to vote , and pointed to section 203 of the Voting Rights Act , which requires ballots to be available in other languages .
But extrapolating from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might not accurately represent the whole state , according to Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Demographer Hamilton Lombard .
Lombard added that for a given weakness , “ some counties may be more susceptible to voter fraud than others , based on their characteristics .
In the case of Prince William , at least a quarter of its population is foreign born , double Virginia ’ s rate of 12.5 percent .
So the analysis of its jury pools was more likely to find non-citizens in the pool than in most other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Virginia Department of Elections ( ELECT ) Andrea Gaines told The Star in an email , “ Virginia is often recognized for its strong list maintenance programs .
The Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission ’ s ( JLARC ) September 2018 report on ELECT gave positive reviews of our list maintenance program as well as the Election Assistance Commission.
” JLARC conducts reviews of various state programs for the General Assembly .
Their report on ELECT summarized , “ Virginia uses a fairly robust process to maintain its voter registration list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidance.
” ELECT audits its voter lists yearly , and the 2019 report lists the processes they use to remove non-eligible voters , including comparing their database with the USPS National Change of Address registry .
ELECT mails a forwardable mailer to the original address , and if the voter does not respond within 30 days , the voter is placed on an ‘ Inactive List.
’ Inactive voters can still vote , but the law requires extra documentation and a signature saying they are a qualified voter at their address .
ELECT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 states and Washington D.C. to identify voters registered in multiple states .
North Carolina and Tennessee do not participate in the database , making it difficult to identify Virginia voters who are also registered in either state .
ELECT mails confirmation mailers to the Virginia addresses of voters registered in multiple states , and sends cancellation mailers to their out-of-state address .
The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Record Exchange sends monthly updates and an annual list of felony records to ELECT .
The DMV also periodically sends lists of individuals who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However Adams said faulty DMV data is a major way non-citizens accidentally end up on voter rolls .
He pointed to glitches in other states like Pennsylvania , which had an error in their DMV system that allowed some non-citizens to register to vote , according to the Washington Times .
“ I ’ ve seen plenty , plenty , of voter registration forms where the individual marks ‘ No ’ to the question ‘ Are you a U.S. citizen ?
’ They check the box ‘ No ’ and they still get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them in my hands , ” Adams said .
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-31--Minnesota Will Receive $300 Weekly in Unemployment Benefits Under FEMA Grant

The Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) approved for Minnesotans to receive $ 300 in weekly unemployment benefits this fall .
FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor issued the grant through the Lost Wages Supplemental Payment Assistance program .
The approval comes one day after Governor Tim Walz announced his decision on Friday to apply for additional unemployment payments .
Walz explained this was a necessary decision based on the continued COVID-19 mandates .
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan added that the Lost Wages Assistance program does some good , but not enough .
“ The Lost Wages Assistance program is important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it is not part of a comprehensive package to help workers and businesses struggling as this pandemic continues .
What we need is our federal patterns to come together to provide well-planned and thorough relief for Minnesotans and other Americans in need.
” The Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Program is administered by Minnesota ’ s Department of Employment and Economic Development ( DEED ) .
The program issued a news update that stated to expect no response on the application for at least another week .
However , FEMA approved the request the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the payments will apply toward are : July 26th through August 1st , August 2nd through August 8th , and August 9th through August 15th .
“ We will continue requesting funds on a week-by-week basis each week thereafter , until FEMA runs out of funding for this program , ” states the website .
At the beginning of this month , President Trump authorized FEMA to issue $ 44 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund ( DRF ) toward lost wage payments .
The funding created the Lost Wages Assistance program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasury transfers funds into Minnesota ’ s Unemployment Insurance Program .
DEED estimates payments may begin anytime from September 5th to 12th .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .