thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Chattanooga Left-Wing Activist Under Criminal Investigation Speaks to Middle School Students About P

Chattanooga Left-Wing Activist Under Criminal Investigation Speaks to Middle School Students About Political Activism

A left-wing activist in Chattanooga who allegedly vandalized property and allegedly used social media to attack the family of the judge overseeing her case served as guest speaker to middle school students and discussed political activism .
That activist , Marie Mott , is currently running for the Chattanooga City Council , according to her campaign ’ s Facebook page .
Mott spoke October 6 to sixth , seventh , and eighth-grade students at Brown Middle School in Harrison via Zoom , according to her Facebook page .
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judge Gary Starnes , who presided over her criminal case .
News of this did not please Hamilton County School Board member Rhonda Thurman .
Thurman said this week that Mott is “ not someone we need speaking in school.
” Mott , however , told The Tennessee Star this week that she has a history of working with children and helped build a reading center through her local church .
Mott also dismissed Thurman ’ s complaints , especially those concerning Mott ’ s legal issues .
“ If you don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do to talk to children then you don ’ t want anyone to talk to children .
How many of us have lied and not been caught ?
How many of us have taken something that didn ’ t belong to us and not been caught ?
” Mott asked .
“ My pending legal case based on my activism here has nothing to do with whether I have anything positive to offer children .
Anybody , as long as they have something positive to say to children , should talk to them.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle School officials should have vetted Mott before allowing her to speak .
“ It looks like at least two policies of ours were broken .
One , doing political activity at school .
Two , we have to have a background check before you can come into the school and do anything like that , and it looks like neither one of those were followed , ” Thurman said .
“ She still has to live by our policy .
She was not vetted .
There was political activity on school property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of those .
I don ’ t care what she ’ s done .
She still has to live by the same rules as everyone else , and so does the principal [ of the school ] and everybody else.
” Members of the Chattanooga Tea Party , on their Facebook page , said school officials should have balanced the presentation politically .
“ The question is…will these students get an opportunity to hear another viewpoint about citizen participation/activism ?
” members of the Chattanooga Tea Party asked .
“ Or is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leftist leaders to radicalize our young people ?
What about it , Brown Middle School leaders ?
” Officials with the Hamilton County School District did not return two requests for comment this week .
Mott , according to the Chattanooga-based News Channel 9 , admitted to removing a Hamilton County flag from the Hamilton County Jail and burning it .
The station reported in September that Judge Gary Starnes recused himself from Mott ’ s case , in which authorities also accused her of obstructing traffic .
Mott accused Starnes of supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was biased in favor of law enforcement .
Mott shared one of Starnes ’ Facebook posts to her own social media .
That post included a photo showing Starnes ’ grandson with a Blue Lives Matter flag , according to the station .
TBI spokeswoman Susan Niland told The Star Wednesday that her agency continues to investigate Mott .
“ In September , at the request of District Attorney General [ Neal ] Pinkston , TBI Special Agents began investigating an allegation against Marie Mott for retaliation for past actions and threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Niland said in an email .
“ The case remains active and ongoing at this time.
” Thurman , meanwhile , said “ that after something is done it is too late , and parents need to know what is going on with their children in schools.
” “ We can not allow things like this to happen .
These are people ’ s children , ” Thurman said .
“ They are not our property .
They belong to their parents.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Marie Mott ” by Marie Mott .

by Scott McClallen
First, COVID-19 disrupted classes in 2020, and now it’s teachers keeping kids out of class in 2022.
More than 29,000 Minneapolis students couldn’t attend class Monday as a teachers’ union strike entered its 10th school day.
The striking teachers are seeking a “living wage,” smaller class sizes, and “safe and stable schools.”
The strike began March 8 with the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) and Education Support Professionals (ESP) saying the groups were demanding “a living wage” for ESPs, smaller class sizes, and “safe and stable schools,” the union posted on Facebook.
In a video posted on Facebook page Sunday, union officials said they want ESPs to have a minimum $35,000 annual salary.
Teacher Chapter President Greta Callahan said parties have been negotiating.
“This contract needs to get settled,” Callahan said. “We want kids back in school and it feels like we are the only ones acting like that right now.”
Average teacher salaries in St. Paul are $85,000, compared to the average Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) teacher salary of $71,535.
World Population Review says the average Minnesota teacher makes $59,221.
The Sahan Journal reported that despite the high teacher salary, raises for the Minneapolis district have lagged in recent years.
MPS said it shared its “last, best, and final” offer on Sunday that includes: 2% cost of living increases, with up to 12% raises for new teachers, in year one of the contract and 2% increases for all in the second year.
Increase starting wages for 85% of current ESPs to $23 per hour or more, bringing most full-time ESPs close to $35,000 annually.
Increase wages over two years between 8.2% and 34.6% (depending on job classification), with an average increase of 15.6%.
Move the lowest-paid ESPs from $15.45 per hour to $18 per hour.
Pay ESPs $6,000 in bonuses ($3,000 in each of the next 2 years).
$3.5 million to additional hours for ESPs.
Four additional paid duty days for professional development.
“We know that our students want to be back in school with their teachers and ESPs and our staff desperately want to see our students,” Minneapolis School Board Chair Kim Ellison said in a video. “We believe this is the fastest way possible to get our students back to school.”
The proposal would cost $9.3 million in the first year and $13.4 million in the second.
“MPS is reaching beyond its financial means on behalf of our ESPs and will need to make more than $10 million in reductions for the next school year as a result,” the MPS website says.
“We’ll be back out on the line tomorrow fighting for safe and stable schools!” the MFT tweeted Sunday.
The state’s education funding formula is based on enrollment, which has declined at MPS from 32,732 in 2019 to in 2022, 29,100.
The school doesn’t have data on where the roughly 3,632 kids who left went, MPS media coordinator Crystina Lugo-Beach told The Center Square in an email.
MPS said all pre-K through 12th classes would be canceled “for the duration of the strike.” Axios reported that the district is facing a a $21.5 million budget deficit for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Minneapolis Public Schools” by Minneapolis Public Schools.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Commentary: Yes, the Polls Are Shifting

Commentary: Yes, the Polls Are Shifting

President Trump ’ s political obituaries count more reincarnations than a Hindu lifetime .
Perhaps , a slate of polls this week show yet another rebirth .
The president is surging in key battleground states , and at the national level , with 2016 ’ s most accurate pollsters showing Trump en route to battleground victories in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Florida , and Arizona .
At the national level , the Investor ’ s Business Daily ( IBD ) / TechnoMetrica Institute of Politics and Policy ( TIPP ) presidential election tracking poll has just four points between Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flirting with just two points last week .
That poll finds the president surpassing , at 46.3 percent , his 2016 number .
Crucially , IBD says Trump has his largest lead yet among seniors , and his smallest deficit among women , while Biden ’ s lead with independents matches its previous low of just two points .
Despite Biden ’ s lead , IBD finds 50 percent think their neighbors will vote Trump , while 35 percent say that of Biden .
Historically , voter expectation is more accurate than voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters .
Over at Rasmussen , the president ’ s approval rating hit 51 percent from Monday ’ s 52 percent high .
Rasmussen ’ s daily tracking poll also finds the race at just two points and within the margin of error .
Rasmussen on Monday had Trump leading Biden by 48 percent to 47 percent .
Today , Biden is at 49 percent to Trump ’ s 47 percent—a statistical dead-heat .
Biden was 12 points ahead according to that same metric four weeks ago .
Trump ’ s 51 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Obama ’ s 47 percent approval on the same day in 2012 , during Obama ’ s successful reelection bid .
Of course , the state level is where it really matters .
As a new Center for American Greatness/Insider Advantage poll of likely voters shows , Pennsylvania voters are shifting toward the president as the presidential election campaign enters its final days .
President Trump now leads with 48 percent to Joe Biden ’ s 46 percent in a state crucial to both nominees ’ chances of capturing the presidency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by three points .
Back then , that poll also found the Trump campaign struggling with voters over 65 , a worrying sign given those voters form the backbone of Republican support .
Yet , since the last presidential debate , the InsiderAdvantage poll shows Trump gaining with older voters and picking up support from younger voters heavily opposed to future COVID-19 lockdowns proposed by Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Strikingly , Matt Towery of InsiderAdvantage found Trump pulling 14 percent of the African American vote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016—a notion , he said , completely alien to his 20 years in polling .
Pennsylvania is proving problematic for the Democrats .
According to the New York Times , Biden is struggling in Philadelphia , running 10 points behind Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 margin .
President Trump is currently nine points ahead of where he was in 2016 when he won that state .
The Trafalgar Group , widely recognized as the most accurate state pollster in 2016 , today says the president has taken the lead in Pennsylvania with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the vote .
Earlier this month , Trafalgar showed President Trump edging Joe Biden in the crucial states of Michigan , Florida , and Arizona , and the political winds swelling behind President Trump .
In Michigan , Trump leads by 47 percent to Biden ’ s 45 percent .
In Florida , Trump leads 48 percent to 46 percent .
In Arizona , the president is four points clear of Biden with 48 percent of the vote .
Trafalgar also finds President Trump leading Joe Biden in North Carolina with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 46 percent .
These states are key to the president ’ s reelection strategy .
Winning the “ Core Three ” of Florida , North Carolina , and Arizona would leave the Trump campaign needing just one pick-up from the Rust Belt states to put him over 270 electoral college votes .
The Trafalgar Group is routinely derided by Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight .
Yet , Trafalgar earned the title of 2016 ’ s most accurate pollster in a year which Nate Silver gave Hillary Clinton a 71 percent chance of victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 percent chance of victory .
Trafalgar was the only pollster to predict Trump ’ s 2016 wins in Pennsylvania and Michigan .
And more recently , Trafalgar was the only pollster to predict the Florida gubernatorial race for Ron DeSantis .
The RCP average had Democrat Andrew Gillum some four points ahead going into Election Day .
What does Trafalgar ’ s chief pollster Robert Cahaly do differently ?
He accounts for a “ hidden Trump vote , ” which he says is even greater now than it was four years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Channel ’ s Sean Hannity he expected a Trump win .
“ I see the president winning with a minimum high 270s and possibly going up significantly higher based on just how big this undercurrent is , ” Cahaly said .
“ What we ’ ve noticed is that these polls are predominantly missing the hidden Trump vote .
There is a clear feeling among conservatives and people that are for the president that they ’ re not interested in sharing their opinions readily , ” he added .
“ These people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , if you ’ re not compensating for this , you ’ re not going to get honest answers.
” Some observers reject the shy voter theory despite strong evidence to the contrary .
The Democracy Institute , whose monthly polls have shown since June the president either winning or levelling the popular vote , find over 70 percent of Trump voters are reluctant to divulge their choice .
The Institute ’ s latest work finds President Trump leading Joe Biden by 46 percent to 45 percent .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iowa , Michigan , Minnesota , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin sits at four percent from 47 percent to Biden ’ s 43 percent .
This gives a projected Electoral College split of 320 to Trump and 218 to Biden .
Like Trafalgar , Democracy Institute director Patrick Basham said the hidden Trump vote has swelled since 2016 , heightening since a summer of riots and protests following the death of George Floyd .
Indeed , a recent study found nearly two-thirds of Americans were reticent to express their political beliefs for fear of @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Commentary: How to Restrain Big Tech Immediately

A year ago , University of Georgia professor Cas Mudde took to Twitter and asked : “ How do you manage to stay informed about political news and stay mentally balanced ?
” In his next tweet , he confessed too much time on social media was contributing to anxiety and depression .
With this , Mudde expressed a sentiment many social media users share .
As we discuss policy issues tied to social media—tech regulation , free speech , foreign influence—we shouldn ’ t lose sight of the damaging psychological effects of today ’ s information environment .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week before the election , but social media addiction is a public health issue .
Big Tech is the new Big Tobacco .
So what ?
Well , maybe the simplest solution to social media-induced wreckage is right in front of us : moderation .
Spend less time online , both personally and collectively .
Public health could be one of the most powerful strategies for restraining the power of Big Tech .
And it would save lives .
As the Netflix documentary “ The Social Dilemma ” chronicles , social media companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addicts .
The consequences aren ’ t pretty .
A 2017 study estimates that 210 million people suffer from social media addiction .
Other studies have found a negative correlation between social media addiction and life satisfaction .
Those who tweet constantly and post fabulous Instagram pics may suffer more than others , despite appearances to the contrary .
“ Peer influence , ” of course , is the name of the game .
Let ’ s not forget social media germinated in the highly competitive milieu of elite college students by way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media seem to keep us in a state of permanent adolescence , competing for ephemeral chits of online peer approval when we should be focusing on real-world problems like tent cities and deaths of despair .
Social media is the perfect addiction machine .
“ Just one more selfie to take the edge off.
” Unsurprisingly the young are the heaviest users of these platforms .
Ten percent of teens check their phones more than 10 times per night .
One study found that teens who spend five or more hours on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to exhibit depressive symptoms than counterparts who spend one hour on their phones .
Young , single women are more addicted to social media than any other group , which may explain their higher rates of depression .
What does this mean for society as these women age into maturity ?
Social media addiction is deadlier than most realize .
The National Safety Council estimates that 26 percent of all car crashes involve cell phones .
Teen suicide is up 57 percent since 2007 in eerily direct correlation to the growth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased by 52 percent between 2005 and 2017 among 18 to 25-year-olds , according to a study by the American Psychological Association—which cited digital media as a contributing factor .
There ’ s a lot of suffering behind those selfies and hot takes .
My journey has taken me from publicly predicting the weaponization of social media in geopolitics , to cheerleading pro-Trump media , to helping find solutions for the social and political impact of social media .
There ’ s a realpolitik aspect of today ’ s information environment .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can cause to an individual .
It is tempting to blame one set of people or another for our toxic information environment , but there ’ s a long history of new media causing massive social disruption .
Consider , for example , the connection between the printing press and the Thirty Years ’ War as a warning from history .
Like the printing press , social media brings many positives .
It has broadened democratic discourse , created new ways to connect and communicate , and unleashed new entertainment and educational opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than half the global population now uses social media .
It has become trendy among some journalists to portray today ’ s information environment as a dystopia .
A growing number are challenging First Amendment protections .
“ Too much information is corrupting the marketplace of ideas , ” the thinking goes .
“ Free speech is being weaponized against democracy.
” As much as I disagree with this assessment of the zeitgeist , I do agree our relationship with social media isn ’ t healthy .
The First Step : Admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to take breaks .
This month my “ sober October ” includes no alcohol or Twitter .
Alcohol and social media are more similar than might seem to be the case at first .
Both are socially ubiquitous , trigger physiological reactions , and are used as psychological copes .
Both have consequences for over-use .
With alcohol you get hangovers and bloating .
With social media you get anxiety and depression .
The Naked Mind is a popular book among those going sober .
It is remarkable how applicable its content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book ’ s goal is to empower people to define their relationship with alcohol on their terms , to rewire the unconscious triggers driving their behavior .
Sound familiar ?
“ Alcohol is the only drug on earth you have to justify not taking , ” writes author Annie Price in the book , pointing to its ubiquity in our culture .
“ Not true , ” I thought when reading this .
Social media is even more intertwined in our personal and work lives than alcohol .
For many people , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these platforms .
We are like bartenders with drinking problems .
There ’ s an urgent need to bring more consciousness to how we use social media , both individually and collectively .
The first step , I believe , is to admit we have a problem and exercise some moderation .
Another tweet , another selfie , another “ new connection ” or “ viral moment ” isn ’ t the solution , just like a morning shot to take the edge off isn ’ t what the problem drinker needs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ social and public policy solutions—to nudge us toward moderation .
We need to confront social media addiction as the public health crisis it is .
We need to restrain the power of Big Tech to spread mass addiction , in addition to all the other reasons for restraining its power .
Besides , why spend so much time on platforms that hate you ?
Just as with alcoholism and other addictions , a nagging question hangs in the air for many of us : is moderation even possible ?
Jeff is an entrepreneur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google Censorship ” by Mike Mackenzie .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe Discusses Bobulinski, the Biden’s, the Corrupt Media and How D

National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe Discusses Bobulinski, the Biden’s, the Corrupt Media and How Donald Trump Wins Because Americans Want to Keep Their Country

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe to the newsmakers line .
During the third hour , McCabe discussed the Tony Bobulinski interview on Tucker Carlson Tuesday highlighting that Joe Biden did have the knowledge of dealings and completely lied .
Leahy : On our newsmaker line is our good friend , Washington correspondent for The Tennessee Star and the Star News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neil .
McCabe : Michael , Crom , very good to be with you .
Leahy : Well six days until Election Day .
Did you watch the Tony Bobulinski interview with Tucker Carlson last night ?
McCabe : I mean , this is a very compelling sincere guy .
This is somebody who was reluctant to come forward .
But this is someone who has a story to tell and he was accused of being a Russian asset because he was telling the truth .
And it just tells you so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his story is not being told and when it is told it ’ s being repeated that he ’ s some kind of on agent provocateur for the Russians .
And the idea that Adam Schiff the chairman of the House Intel Committee is just going to beat the drum on this is Russia .
And I ’ m sure there are others on Capitol Hill who will join in on that .
I ’ m thinking about Chris Murphy from Connecticut .
And they just get away with it .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States it will be because not only of a rigged system because of the corruption of the mail-in ballot system , which breaks the chain of custody between the voter and the voting box .
The voter box where it goes in , right ?
Not only the corruption of the mail-in system , the vote harvesting , and everything else , but the corruption of a mainstream media and a social media oligarchy that will suppress news and then repeat wrong news .
McCabe : Lies and defamations and libels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and you think about how much play you know , some of these BS stories about the think about how much play ?
Forget Russian collusion .
Just the idea that there was a Russian server and Trump Tower that Putin was using to give instructions to the Trump campaign .
How many hours on cable news which was a piece of garbage and they called it the truth .
Then you have this man who is just saying chapter and verse .
Leahy : He ’ s a Navy veteran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmichael : Well as top-secret clearance by two different agencies of government .
So he ’ s clearly been his integrity has clearly been vetted at least by the intelligence agencies in Washington .
So Neil I agree with you and Tucker Carlson was sitting there with the actual , you know with copies of the actual documents and they were showing them on TV .
So the cover-up , we talked about this earlier in the show and that is that in order for a country to remain free the press needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people against the corruption in government .
And we now clearly have most of the mainstream media knowingly participating in the corruption .
Leahy : Yeah , it seems pretty obvious to me .
There were some stunners there to me Neil when he was talking about it does get very complicated , but one point of fact is this .
He said unequivocally I can tell you Joe Biden has said publicly he ’ d never discussed Hunter Biden ’ s foreign business dealings with anybody or with Hunter .
Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy veteran from a long line of family , father , and grandfather , brother who served in our Armed Forces with great distinction and national security clearance .
He said look , I met with Joe Biden for one hour on May 2 in 2017 at the Beverly Hills Hilton and we talked about this China deal .
The Sino Hawk deal where the Chinese Communist-controlled Chinese energy fund was going to put 10 million bucks into this venture .
Five million into capital and five million as a “ loan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then and the following day thereafter the Milken conference he discussed it with Joe Biden .
That ’ s a flat-out lie by Joe Biden .
McCabe : It ’ s a flat-out lie and he describes in great detail about how Biden came in .
How he sat behind the column so he wasn ’ t visible .
It was you know , he gave the whole thing .
And then of course was the idea that he was duped by the Bidens because behind his back Hunter he thought basically he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the CEO of a company and then Hunter has a personal relationship with Chairman Ye .
Leahy : Chairman Ye , Chinese energy company that is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party .
McCabe : Right and Germany now has a business relationship with Hunter outside of the company .
So they ’ re basically making decisions .
Then it turns out that the money this guy is running a company which he thought was going to be financed by Chairman Ye and it turns out that there is no such thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bidens .
Leahy : Yeah , and by the way , to follow the trail of the money so and this fits with the explanation that now Hunter Biden is the personal attorney for Chairman Ye of this Chinese Communist controlled major Chinese energy company that later ends up attempting to buy 14 percent of the Russian energy company .
The money goes five million bucks wire transferred from the Chinese Communist controlled energy company to a company called Hunt West LLC .
in Delaware .
And then over the course of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes to Hunter Biden ’ s law firm , which is only him and it ’ s called Awasco PC .
Carmichael : And let ’ s remember that the company that Bobulinski was recruited to run never got any money .
Carmichael : It never got any money .
And so the whole thing was a rouse now , by the way , what we ’ re talking about now with the Bidens it ’ s pretty much the same thing the Clinton Foundation did .
I mean , you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State .
She engineered the deal where the Russians bought the uranium company and got tens of millions of dollars in contributions to the Clinton Foundation as a result .
And so this is where the Bidens just simply are emulating the content that the Clintons .
McCabe : Question for you , Neil .
So this is a blockbuster story , the smoking guns all over the place .
Will the mainstream media over the next six days cover this story at all ?
Carmichael : No , I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCabe : I don ’ t mean to cut you off but you know , there was a story that was put out by the AP last night about Jenny Thomas the wife of Clarence Thomas that basically says , you know , it ’ s a hit piece on Jenny Thomas and it fixes it says Jenny Thomas uses her Facebook page to press unsubstantiated charges about the Biden family .
And it was dutifully re-tweeted by every mainstream media reporter in Washington D.C. like the entire White House .
So that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She ’ s using the freedom of speech to share the Biden content .
That ’ s the crime .
The crime of the Bidens is not the Bidens .
The crime is that people are talking about the Bidens .
The crime is , you know , Trump was accused of asking about the Bidens .
And so we had to impeach him because you can ’ t even ask a question .
I mean , that ’ s the charge .
Now Trump said he didn ’ t do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainians to help him understand what Biden was up to .
And for that , Colonel Vindman decided to call his buddy Eric Carmella , and then they called the House Democrats , and then they called his buddies in the Pentagon and got the whole deep state energized .
Leahy : One week from today when you ’ re on , what results will we be reporting from the election ?
What will we be reporting ?
Not to put you on the spot .
McCabe : Donald Trump wins because Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--20,000 Texas Mail-in Ballots Need to Be Redone Because of Barcode Problem

Approximately one-third the mail-in ballots in Tarrant County , Texas have been rejected by scanners due to a defect in their barcodes , the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported .
Heider Garcia , the county ’ s elections administrator , attributed the problem to the shop that printed that ballots , but assured that the ballots affected would still be counted , according to the Texas outlet .
The county ’ s election board is preparing to copy the misprinted absentee ballots onto new ballots and then scan those instead , Garcia said , adding that the board would likely have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Garcia also acknowledged that this was not the first time the issue has arisen , though he conceded that the volume of ballots this year would make redoing ballots more challenging .
“ We believe we have enough time and resources to do this , ” Garcia said , according to the Star-Telegram .
The Republican , Democratic and Libertarian parties have submitted 89 names of county residents to work on the board redoing the ballots , and they will be divided into pairs to redo the ballots .
No two members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be from the same political party , the Star-Telegram reported .
“ I can tell you that many of those people have been doing this for many years , ” said County Judge Glen Whitley .
“ They are experienced and I trust them and they ’ re working very well together.
” Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Mail in Ballots ” by Cindy Shebley .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Passion Gap: Managing Editor of The Ohio Star Jack Windsor Believes Ohio Will Go for Trump and Not t

Passion Gap: Managing Editor of The Ohio Star Jack Windsor Believes Ohio Will Go for Trump and Not the Biden Circle Celebration

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed The Ohio Star Managing Editor Jack Windsor to the newsmakers line to discuss early voting protocols and predictions in Ohio and how the state will go for Trump on November third .
Leahy : Crom Carmichael the original all panelist is in the studio with us and on the newsmaker line lightning in a bottle our managing editor in Ohio for The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jack .
Windsor : Good morning .
Mike , it ’ s good to be with you and Crom .
Thanks for choosing me today .
Leahy : Well , so we play every day now until the election at 6:15 we play electoral college roulette and today in today ’ s version .
And in today ’ s electoral college roulette I had Trump winning with 294 Electoral College votes to 254 for Joe Biden .
In that Ohio battleground state 18 electoral college votes .
I am looking Jack right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of polls .
Now a President Trump won Ohio , I think by about nine points in 2016 .
Do I have that right ?
Windsor : Yes , it is eight or nine depending on yes .
Leahy : So now the Real Clear Politics average of polls shows President Trump ahead in Ohio by less than one point , six-tenths of one percent .
I don ’ t know Jack that seems to be not really an accurate reflection of what ’ s going on in Ohio .
But you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you talk to the governor all the time ?
( Laughter ) Windsor : When he ’ ll talk to me .
Leahy : He loves to talk to you .
Carmichael : What are the rules in Ohio ?
When does a ballot have to be in order is it does a ballot have to be in by mail by the close of the polls on Election Day to be counted ?
Windsor : It ’ s actually I went back and checked it to be that night .
So it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 2 , but they can count it up to 10 days after the election .
So looking at the 13. they ’ ve already received according to Secretary of State LaRose well over 2 million mail-in ballots in the state of Ohio already .
Carmichael : But I have to still be they have to be in the night before to be counted later .
Carmichael : So if a ballot arrives the day after the election on Wednesday , it will not be counted .
Is that correct ?
Windsor : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As long as it is postmarked by the deadline they can receive it the third , the fourth , the fifth , the sixth , in the eighth , and ninth , 10th , so on and so forth .
And they will count it up until 10 days after the election .
I ’ m not sure that they ’ re going to get a lot of that .
It seems like the return has been pretty hefty upfront and frankly , you know what you ’ re seeing I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote on the day of the election if not close to the day of the election in-person early voting .
Carmichael : What ’ s the weather forecast for Tuesday ?
Do you know ?
Windsor : I ’ m going to call it sunshine man , sunshine , and 65 .
That ’ s what I ’ m going to say .
( Chuckles ) I don ’ t know .
You know seven days out probably 50 , you know the high 50s , overcast .
But we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great day .
Leahy : Now Jack the secretary of state up there is a Republican and it seems to me there ’ s a different sense of the level of voter fraud potential in Ohio compared to the neighboring state of Pennsylvania .
I think the general sense is there is going to be huge voter fraud in Pennsylvania for a number of reasons .
Now in Ohio , you do have democratically controlled areas where the local election commission Cincinnati , Cleveland , Columbus , you know are Democrat-controlled .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential of vote fraud in Ohio this year ?
Windsor : You know I ’ ve chosen not to lose sleep over it .
I ’ m going to pray that the controls that they have in place will work .
And you know , they ’ re going to make two announcements .
The night of the election and then there , you know final audited count a couple of days later .
Leahy : You think it ’ ll be a couple of days ?
Do you think they ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Windsor : I do I think so .
I really do I think that they ’ re going to intentionally try to make sure that they don ’ t drag it out , but they ’ re going to let us know how many outstanding ballots are out .
And it sounds like there are a lot .
But you know the momentum in Ohio to go back to your first question , I think Rasmussen had it 48 to 46 Biden back on the 20th .
But two important things have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s laptop and then Bobulinski went on Tucker Carlson last night .
And by the way , I add six points to those totals let ’ s .
Let ’ s be real clear about that .
Leahy : Just for mainstream media bias and methodological error .
Windsor : Bias and error .
And look the last couple of weeks some notable people Robert Reich who could write , came out and said look , we need to pass legislation to basically make it right for the rest of the people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean , these people are talking just really scary stuff .
So frankly , I don ’ t think people are as outspoken about their vote .
So I would add six points to it .
Again I ’ m going to stick with I think Trump wins Ohio by 10 points .
Leahy : By 10 .
So you haven ’ t seen anything to change your mind in the past week .
In fact , it sounds like on the ground in Ohio there is momentum moving towards Donald Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ m hearing from you ?
Windsor : Yes , despite , you know , the mainstream outlets that are really pounding the message of hey , oh my gosh there Trump rallies without masks this is dangerous .
I ’ ve actually seen photos of the rallies people are masking up believe it or not .
And you know , the other thing I ’ m seeing is Trump ’ s approval rating according to Rasmussen is up over 52 percent now .
And he and Biden have flip-flopped .
Monday they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 49 , 47 .
But a couple of key things the incumbent has 20 to 1 odds to win it several things are in place .
And I see those things in place .
Again the big being his approval is back at some of the high levels of his presidency at 52 percent .
The economy is heading back .
Trump is talking about opening the country and recovery , Biden ’ s talking about it dark winter and more restrictions .
The Left has gone too far left , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one deciding thing is what I call the passion gap .
Just watch the difference between a Trump rally and Biden circle celebration .
( Leahy chuckles ) Carmichael : The real question is how many people want to vote for somebody who is going to tell him to stay home for three months and not just tell him I mean force them to stay home for three months ?
Windsor : There is a rising tide in Ohio particularly as healthy kids and athletes and sports teams get canceled and been told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are healthy .
There ’ s a rising tide of frustration and anger in the state of Ohio .
And Trump ’ s message of look , we need to figure out how to open this thing up and protect our most vulnerable is resonating .
Leahy : So let me ask you about this .
You talked to a lot of people you do a lot of speaking engagements up there and not everyone you speak to , you know , has our conservative worldview .
Do you think the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorts of evidence to support it , is that breaking through in Ohio when apparently I mean who ’ s reporting it in Ohio besides The Ohio Star or talk radio , but I don ’ t see the local TV up there talking about it .
I don ’ t see The Columbus Dispatch or The Cleveland Plain Dealer reporting it or The Cincinnati Enquirer .
What ’ s your take on is this breaking through and changing some undecided mines there ?
Windsor : I think it will eventually I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s going to be a press conference later today by one of the intelligence communities , it might be the FBI .
And maybe there ’ ll be something there if this thing gets traction with the FBI , the CIA , whatever , or even a Senate committee , then it has to be reported .
But the bottom line is it is disgusting what we see in mainstream media outlets in the inability to really cover fully what ’ s going on both campaigns and both sides .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot has received attraction .
People are more concerned in media talking about you know , whether people are wearing masks at Trump rallies and oh my gosh , did he really pay $ 750 in taxes ?
I mean just ludicrous stuff that gets thrown out there and by the time it ’ s retracted , I mean , that ’ s the game , right ?
You throw out false information .
But by the time it gets retracted , it ’ s , you know , the few points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But you know , I ’ m hopeful .
I ’ m optimistic .
I think the right always wins .
I think good always wins and I think we will in this case Leahy : You ’ re often a guest on the great Bill Cunningham and Cincinnati when you talk to him what kind of sense of the country and the sense of Ohio do you get from him ?
Windsor : You know , he actually knows the governor personally .
I believe they went to college together .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or something together for a long time .
He ’ s frustrated when I ’ m on that when I ’ m on the line , he ’ s frustrated and what I hear is a couple of things .
People understand this virus now .
We have therapeutics now and they don ’ t want to be shutdown .
Leahy : They don ’ t want to be shut down or have a dark winter as Joe Biden says .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Hurricane Zeta Hits Louisiana with Flooding, Power Outages

NEW ORLEANS , Louisiana ( AP ) — Hurricane Zeta slammed into storm-weary Louisiana on Wednesday with New Orleans squarely in its path , pelting homes and businesses with rain and howling winds , knocking out power to thousands and threatening to push up to 9 feet of sea water inland in a Gulf Coast region already pounded by multiple storms this year .
Roads were flooded near the coast , where forecasters said Zeta made landfall around Terrebone Bay near Cocodrie , an unincorporated fishing village at the end of a highway with a marine laboratory but few if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ran off roofs in New Orleans ’ famed French Quarter , signs outside bars and restaurants swayed back and forth in the wind and palm trees along Canal Street whipped furiously .
A few trees were down , and one that fell across utility lines sparked a bright orange flash .
More than 100,000 customers were without electricity in Louisiana , including more than 77,000 in metro New Orleans .
Zeta had top sustained winds of 110 ( 177 kph ) as a Category 2 hurricane and was the 27th named storm of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with over a month left before it ends .
It set a new record as the 11th named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in a single season , well beyond the nine storms that hit in 1916 .
Tropical storm warnings were issued as far away as the north Georgia mountains , highly unusual for the region .
New Orleans has been in the warning areas of six previous storms that veered east or west this season .
This time , Zeta stayed on course .
Zeta had been predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 hurricane , but Louisiana residents awoke to updated forecasts predicting a Category 2 at landfall around the southeastern part of the state .
“ The good news for us — and look , you take good news where you can find it — the storm ’ s forward speed is 17 mph .
That ’ s projected to increase , and so it ’ s going to get in and out of the area relatively quickly , and then we ’ re going to be able to assess the damage more quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview on The Weather Channel .
Officials urged people to take precautions and prepare to shelter in place , and a business-as-usual atmosphere in the morning in New Orleans diminished as the storm neared and grew stronger .
Traffic slowed , and restaurants and coffee shops shut down .
“ This year , the storms have been coming back-to-back .
They ’ ve been avoiding New Orleans but finally decided to come , ” cookie shop worker Curt Brumfield said as he stowed empty boxes in trash cans outside and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the storm ’ s arrival .
Winds picked up and water rose above the docks in Jean Lafitte , a small fishing town south of New Orleans that takes its name from a French pirate .
Workers drove truckloads of sand to low-lying areas where thousands of sandbags were already stacked for previous storms .
“ We ’ re going to get a lot of water fast , ” said the mayor , Tim Kerner Jr. “ I ’ m optimistic regarding the tidal surge because of the speed of the storm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take it for granted.
” Zeta ’ s wind , rain and storm surge reached more than 150 miles ( 241 kilometers ) east of New Orleans .
In Mississippi , street lights swayed in Biloxi and the city of Pass Christian ordered all boats out of the harbor .
Dauphin Island , Alabama , shut off water and sewer service in areas that typically are swamped in storms .
New Orleans officials announced that a turbine that generates power to the city ’ s aging drainage pump system broke down Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was enough power to keep the pumps operating if needed , but little excess power to tap if other turbines fail , officials said .
Officials said they were running through contingencies should there be other equipment problems .
Forecasts called for anywhere from 2 to 6 inches ( 5 to 15 centimeters ) of rain to fall in the New Orleans area , but Zeta ’ s pace could mitigate the flood threat .
Before landfall , Zeta ’ s top winds had risen to just shy of a major , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. National Hurricane Center .
On Tuesday , Zeta raked across Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula , toppling trees and briefly cutting power to more than 300,000 people but causing no deaths .
It then regained strength over the Gulf of Mexico along a path slightly to the east of those of Hurricane Laura , which was blamed for at least 27 deaths in Louisiana in August , and Hurricane Delta , which exacerbated Laura ’ s damage in the same area weeks later .
Hurricane warnings stretched from Morgan City , Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Lake Pontchartrain and metropolitan New Orleans .
The deteriorating weather prompted early voting sites to close for hours in the western Florida Panhandle .
Tropical storm warnings were issued for a large swath of the South , from Louisiana and Mississippi into Alabama and Georgia , including all of the Atlanta area , where winds could gust up to 55 mph ( 89 kph ) early Thursday .
Winds could be “ especially severe ” in the southern Appalachian Mountains , where flash flooding is possible , the hurricane center said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and South Carolina planned to close Thursday or open late .
Edwards asked President Donald Trump for a disaster declaration ahead of the storm .
He and Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey both declared emergencies , as did Mayor Andrew “ FoFo ” Gilich in Biloxi , Mississippi .
Trump declared an emergency for Louisiana Tuesday evening .
An average season sees six hurricanes and 12 named storms .
This extraordinarily busy season has focused attention on climate change , which scientists say is causing wetter , stronger and more destructive storms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sally and Delta , Zeta will tie a record set in 1886 and repeated in 1985 for six hurricanes smacking the continental U.S. , according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
“ I ’ m physically and mentally tired , ” a distraught Yolanda Lockett of Lake Charles , one of about 3,600 evacuees from Laura and Delta still sheltering , said outside her New Orleans hotel .
Kevin McGill , Stacey Plaisance and Rebecca Santana are reporters for The Associated Press .
Plaisance reported from Laffite , Louisiana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Associated Press contributors include Gerald Herbert in New Orleans ; Jay Reeves , in Birmingham , Alabama ; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge , Louisiana ; Seth Borenstein in Kensington , Maryland ; Jeff Martin in Marietta , Georgia ; and Gabriel Alcocer in Cancun , Mexico .
About the Headline Photo : Jane McDow walks with her dog ‘ Duke ’ along the Lake Pontchartrain seawall in New Orleans , Wednesday , Oct. 28 , 2020 .
Hurricane Zeta is expected to make landfall this afternoon as a category 2 storm @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Disgusted by Jon Meacham Calling Trump Supporters Lizard Brains, Crom Carmichael Challenges ‘Histori

Disgusted by Jon Meacham Calling Trump Supporters Lizard Brains, Crom Carmichael Challenges ‘Historian’ to a Debate About the Power of Government

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist , Crom Carmichael to the studio to weigh in on the disgusting comments made by Jon Meacham after the presidential debate about Trump supporters .
It was remarkable to watch it in person .
I ’ ve never seen a general election debate actually in the room .
And one man was running for president of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a show on Fox .
And that may sound like an attempt at glibness , but it was the innate feeling I had to watching the president who dwells in this wilderness of mirrors to borrow a phrase from the Cold War where there are these code words and it ’ s a language that I ’ m sure makes sense to a certain segment of his base .
There is a lizard brain in this country .
Donald Trump is a product of the White man ’ s , the anguished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And there could be a twitch there .
Leahy : Well Crom Carmichael that was our fellow Nashvillian and I guess eminent historian Jon Meacham .
Carmichael : Those are not the words of somebody who ’ s really a kind or nice or honest person that seems at me .
Those are the words of a very very bad person and I hope that he will publicly apologize for calling fellow human beings lizards .
This is what Nazis did yeah , this is truly what the Nazis did to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the equivalent of anti-Semitism at the worst levels .
Dehumanizing .
Dehumanizing people with whom he disagrees .
This is disgusting .
He ’ s from New York .
So I understand , I understand that he has brought his New York values to Tennessee and I hope he takes them back to New York because we ’ ve had fun with him in the past .
But now what he ’ s done is he has now decided that he ’ s going to sink to the same levels as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by calling human beings lizards .
This is disgusting .
On a related subject , by the way , his favored candidate Joe Biden has graciously accepted the endorsement from an organization called Engage , which is a group of Muslims that are truly anti-semantic .
Truly anti-Israel and want the death of Israel .
And so here you have Jon Meacham calling Americans who support Trump lizard brains and you have this person that he loves and thinks it ’ s so smart which is weird in its own way that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud operation and is proud of it .
Leahy : And who wants to get rid of the oil industry .
Carmichael : And he wants to get rid of the oil industry .
Which I ’ m sure that Meacham uses fossil fuels in his own life .
But now he is endorsing a guy who is openly proud of accepting the endorsement from people that fraternize with Louis Farrakhan who has referred to Jewish people as apes and pigs .
And so this is where we are now in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people on our side do not want to dehumanize Jon Meacham ’ s of the world .
We just think that their thinking is no longer clear .
But they are very very similar to the Intelligentsia who supported tyrants in the past .
Leahy : So just to be clear Jon Meacham is not a lizard brain .
Carmichael : He is not a lizard brain .
Carmichael : Calling his fellow human beings an animal is a disgusting thing .
It is disgusting .
Leahy : Now , Mr. Meacham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any courage , you would come in here and you would talk with us .
You would sit down with us and you would explain your insult to half of America who supports Donald Trump by calling them lizard brains .
Carmichael : Now , by the way , I saw the same debate , but I was watching it on television and Frank Luntz was watching it with a group of undecided voters who said that Trump won the debate overwhelmingly over Biden .
And these were normal human beings who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain among them .
Carmichael : Well , we don ’ t know .
According to Meacham , anyone who is for Trump is a lizard brain and is also not just a lizard brain but is also an inherent racist .
And I will say this .
We were talking in the break that our country is now no longer divided by race , you maintain that it is divided by class .
Leahy : The argument is not original to me , Victor Davis Hanson made that argument and I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Meacham and the mainstream media .
These are people that think they are superior to the rest of us .
Carmichael : And he ’ s expressed it very clearly by saying those who disagree with them have the intelligence of a lizard .
And I will debate Jon Meacham any time that he wants to debate on the proper role of government and the nature of freedom in our society .
Leahy : Jon Meacham we are calling you out .
Crom Carmichael is calling you out right now Jon Meacham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you would accept that challenge .
Carmichael : And by the way , he just goes on on networks like CNN and MSNBC where he ’ s on there with a bunch of other haters .
Leahy : He ’ s an intellectual coward .
He is an intellectual coward .
And he associates himself , by the way with the Jeffrey Toobin ’ s .
He does .
He hangs out with them .
He spends a lot of time in New York .
Carmichael : He does .
With those people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toobin ’ s .
It ’ s all the ones that CNN , MSNBC because they all know Jeffrey Toobin .
And as Jeffrey Toobin himself said somebody who when he was referring to Kavanaugh , which he had no proof to support his allegation with Kavanaugh .
But he said that somebody who does what Kavanaugh did does it regularly .
That ’ s what he said .
Well , we know what Jeffrey Toobin does because he did it and there ’ s a video of it .
And that means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffrey Toobin .
Leahy : According to his own logic .
Carmichael : According to his own logic and he does that regularly and there are people who associate with Jeffrey Toobin who must know that it ’ s not possible to associate with somebody who is that perverted and not know it and yet they accepted him .
Leahy : Well , Jon Meacham , you ’ ve been called out .
Are you an intellectual coward or do you have some courage ?
Will you debate Crom Carmichael about the proper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now at 615- Mr. Meacham and accept that challenge .
We know when the phone doesn ’ t ring Crom , we know it will not be Jon Meacham .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Jon Meacham ” by Larry D. Moore .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .
Background Photo “ CNN Studio ” by DieselDemon .
@ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Nashville Think Tank Files Lawsuit Against Metro Nashville Over Sidewalks

Members of the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee this week filed a lawsuit against the city of Nashville on behalf of two homeowners that Metro officials forced to pay for public sidewalks .
Beacon officials said in an emailed press release that they are filing the case to prevent Metro officials from holding building permits hostage until individual property owners agree to pay for public infrastructure like sidewalks .
Beacon officials said in an emailed press release that Metro Nashville can not afford to pay for new sidewalks “ due to years of runaway spending and no fiscal restraint.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boucek told The Tennessee Star Wednesday that these policies “ contribute to the rising costs of housing in Nashville.
” “ This is also evidence of Nashville ’ s rickety fiscal structure .
They can not even afford to pay for basic infrastructure like sidewalks because of all the other stuff they are paying for , ” Boucek said .
“ To put it into perspective if my clients were J.W .
Marriott they would be getting preferential tax treatment , but because they are regular old Nashvillians the city is making them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the exact opposite of giving them tax breaks.
” Beacon officials , on their website , published an article citing how Metro Nashville ’ s policy has hurt two city residents .
“ Jim Knight bought a piece of property on Acklen Park Drive , which lacks sidewalks .
In Jim ’ s case , building sidewalks on Jim ’ s property would cause problems for the city .
Metro Public Works and the Stormwater Department determined that building a sidewalk there would cause drainage issues for the neighborhood , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he could build a modified sidewalk or pay a sizable fee to get out of the condition altogether .
Jim has thus far refused to pay , which is holding up his building project.
” Beacon also cited the case of Jason Mayes , who has a lot on McCall Street next to his parents .
“ Out of a desire to remain close , Jason and his wife planned to build their family home on that lot .
When he applied for a building permit , Nashville demanded he build a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his side of the street , ” Beacon said .
“ There are no sidewalks anywhere around the property .
Jason pleaded with the city to be relieved of this obligation .
The City made him comply anyway .
Jason wound up having to pay Nashville an $ 8,800 ‘ in lieu ’ fee before he could proceed with building his family ’ s home.
” Beacon officials said it makes no sense to demand sidewalks in exchange for a building permit .
They also said it is also unconstitutional .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local governments can not use their permitting authority to exact financial concessions unrelated to the intended use of the land from property owners , ” Beacon wrote .
“ But that ’ s exactly what Nashville is doing with sidewalks.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Report: U.S. Colleges Hid More Than $6.5 Billion in Foreign Funding

Many American colleges and universities failed to disclose more than $ 6.5 billion in funding and resources from foreign sources including China , Russia , Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates , and Qatar , The Washington Free Beacon reports .
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos unveiled a report last week detailing the massive failure .
“ The threat of improper foreign influence in higher education is real , ” DeVos said in a statement .
“ Transparency in foreign funding of higher education is not just something I think is a good thing ; it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement of that law was lax , but not anymore.
” The investigation by The Education Department was part of an effort to enforce a 1986 law requiring U.S. universities to disclose gifts and contracts of $ 250,000 or more from foreign sources .
With colleges going decades with little or no oversight , the law has become a priority for the Trump administration amid concerns over economic espionage and trade secret theft from abroad .
The department investigated 12 universities : Case Western Reserve , Cornell , Fordham , Harvard , Georgetown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & M and Yale Universities ; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ; and the Universities of Maryland and Texas and found billions in unreported financial ties .
The Education Department established an online portal in June to make it easier for schools to report foreign gifts and contracts valued at more than $ 250,000 , the portal recorded more than 7,000 transactions totaling nearly $ 4 billion .
Federal investigators found that some schools misreported the amounts of money they received .
The Washington Free Beacon reported at least two universities “ failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to campuses located in Doha , Qatar .
The Qatari government partially funded both campuses , fostering concerns that Qatar “ exerted its financial influence to stifle free speech.
” The report found at least 60 of the colleges and universities that filed through the portal had not submitted any reports between 1986 and June 2020 .
Their disclosures alone totaled more than $ 350 million during the July reporting period .
It was also found that every school investigated received funds from Huawei , the Chinese technology giant which has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
The company had targeted the majority of its higher education funding on issues important to national security , including nuclear science , robotics and online cloud services .
One U.S. university was found to be working with Chinese companies on a research project involving crowd surveillance and predictive AI behavior , “ which the Chinese government could potentially harness for nefarious purposes , ” according to the Education Department .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Social Media CEOs Get Earful on Bias, Warning of New Limits

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — With next week ’ s election looming , the CEOs of Twitter , Facebook and Google were scolded by Republicans at a Senate hearing Wednesday for alleged anti-conservative bias in the companies ’ social media platforms and received a warning of coming restrictions from Congress .
Lawmakers of both parties are assessing the companies ’ tremendous power to disseminate speech and ideas , and are looking to challenge their long-enjoyed bedrock legal protections for online speech .
The Trump administration , seizing on unfounded accusations of bias against conservative views , has asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have generally shielded the tech companies from legal responsibility for what people post on their platforms .
“ The time has come for that free pass to end , ” said Sen. Roger Wicker , chairman of the Senate Commerce , Science and Transportation Committee .
Wicker , R-Miss.
, said the laws governing online speech must be updated because “ the openness and freedom of the internet are under attack.
” He spoke at the opening of the hearing as Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey , Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify via video .
Wicker cited the move this month by Facebook and Twitter to limit dissemination of an unverified political story from the conservative-leaning New York Post about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
The story , which was not confirmed by other publications , cited unverified emails from Biden ’ s son Hunter that were reportedly disclosed by Trump allies .
Republicans led by President Donald Trump have accused the social media platforms , without evidence , of deliberately suppressing conservative , religious and anti-abortion views .
In their prepared testimony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proposals for changes to a provision of a 1996 law that has served as the foundation for unfettered speech on the internet .
Critics in both parties say that immunity under Section 230 enables the social media companies to abdicate their responsibility to impartially moderate content .
Zuckerberg acknowledged that Congress “ should update the law to make sure it ’ s working as intended.
” Dorsey and Pichai urged caution in making any changes .
“ Undermining Section 230 will result in far more removal of online speech and impose severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harmful content and protect people online , ” Dorsey said .
Pichai appealed to lawmakers “ to be very thoughtful about any changes to Section 230 and to be very aware of the consequences those changes might have on businesses and consumers.
” The session lacked the in-person drama of star-witness proceedings before the coronavirus .
The hearing room was nearly empty except for Wicker and a few colleagues , but their questioning was sharp as tempers flared among members .
“ Twitter ’ s conduct has by far been the most egregious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told Dorsey .
Cruz cited Twitter ’ s limitations on the newspaper story as part of “ a pattern of censorship and silencing Americans with whom Twitter disagrees.
” Sen. Brian Schatz , D-Hawaii , went after Republicans , saying the hearing was a “ sham.
” “ This is bullying , ” Schatz told the CEOs .
“ Do not let U.S. senators bully you into carrying the water ” for politicians seeking to discredit their opponents .
With their questions , Schatz said , the Republicans “ are trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a hit job ” on political leaders Trump earlier this year signed an executive order challenging the protections from lawsuits under the 1996 telecommunications law .
Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd told congressional leaders in a letter Tuesday that recent events have made the changes more urgent , and said the restrictions by Twitter and Facebook related to the newspaper story was “ quite concerning.
” Ajit Pai , chairman of the Federal Communications Commission , an independent agency , recently announced plans to reexamine the legal protections — an about-face from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social media giants are also under heavy scrutiny for their efforts to police misinformation about the election .
Twitter and Facebook have imposed a misinformation label on content from the president , who has about 80 million followers .
Trump has raised the baseless prospect of mass fraud in the vote-by-mail process .
Starting Tuesday , Facebook didn ’ t accept any new political advertising .
Previously booked political ads will be able to run until the polls close Nov. 3 , when all political advertising will temporarily be banned .
Google , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political ads after the polls close .
Twitter banned all political ads last year .
Democrats have focused their criticism of social media mainly on hate speech , misinformation and other content that can incite violence or keep people from voting .
They have criticized the tech CEOs for failing to police content , homing in on the platforms ’ role in hate crimes and the rise of white nationalism in the U.S. Facebook , Twitter and YouTube have scrambled to stem the tide of material that incites violence and spreads lies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusations of bias but have wrestled with how strongly they should intervene .
They have often gone out of their way not to appear biased against conservative views — a posture that some say effectively tilts them toward those viewpoints .
The effort has been especially strained for Facebook , which was caught off guard in 2016 , when it was used as a conduit by Russian agents to spread misinformation benefiting Trump ’ s presidential campaign .
Marcy Gordon reports for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : Twitter CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he speaks remotely during a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill , Wednesday , Oct. 28 , 2020 , in Washington .
The committee summoned the CEOs of Twitter , Facebook and Google to testify during the hearing .
( Greg Nash/Pool via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Blackburn Challenges Big Tech CEOs to Provide Transparency in Content Moderation

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) pushed Big Tech outlets on Wednesday to to provide more transparency to their content moderation practices .
Her remarks at the Senate Commerce Committee hearing were aimed at CEOs Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook , Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Sundar Pichai of Google , according to a press release .
Video of her remarks is available here .
“ There is a pattern of subjective manipulation of the information that is available to people from your platforms , ” Blackburn said .
“ What has driven additional attention to this is the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functional life is now being conducted online .
Because of this , more people are realizing that you are picking winners and losers .
Mr. Zuckerberg , years ago you said Facebook functioned more like a government than a company .
You ’ re beginning to insert yourself into these issues of free speech.
” Blackburn also spoke with Sohrab Ahmari of the New York Post and Sean Davis of The Federalist on an episode of Unmuted with Marsha .
Video is available here .
Both outlets have experienced censorship at the hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blackburn tweeted , “ I sat down with @ SohrabAhmari of @ nypost to get the full story of how @ Twitter @ jack censored the New York Post for reporting stories not approved by the DNC and mainstream media .
@ seanmdav @ FDRLST ” .
On October 14 , the New York Post ’ s Twitter account was locked to limit the sharing of its story on Hunter Biden ’ s sketchy foreign business dealings .
It remains locked today , and Twitter refuses to unlock it unless the Post deletes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s now been nearly two weeks : Has the “ fact-checking ” process been completed ?
Have our stories been allowed to recirculate ?
Because in the interval , neither Joe nor Hunter Biden has disputed the authenticity of the e-mails or the ownership of the hard drive .
In the interval , the director of national intelligence has ruled out that this story was Russian disinformation .
In the interval , the FBI and Justice Department have also ruled out Russian disinformation .
In the interval , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ( a Democratic-donating naval officer ) has come forward , on the record , to confirm the authenticity of another key e-mail thread we exposed.
” Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Biden’s Plan to ‘Transition Away’ from the Oil Industry Would Hurt New Mexico, Texas the Most

Both Republicans and Democrats are pushing back on comments Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made about “ transitioning away ” from the oil industry .
At the presidential debate Thursday night , Biden said , “ I would transition away from the oil industry , yes .
The oil industry pollutes , significantly .
It has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.
” Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , a Republican , replied , tweeting , “ Biden wants to ‘ transition ’ away from the oil industry .
He just killed paycheck [ s ] earned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to transition away from Texas .
Remember that on election day.
” While Texas ’ governor pushed back against Biden ’ s comments , New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham seems to embrace them .
New Mexico , the third largest oil-producing state in the U.S. , accounts for more than 30 percent of onshore natural gas production in the U.S. and nearly 60 percent of all onshore oil production .
But Lujan Grisham , for at least the second time during the campaign , plans to join an event Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden.
” “ Joe Biden told the world he wants to get rid of the oil industry and it ’ s abhorrent that our own Governor agrees , ” Larry Behrens , Western States Director for Power The Future , said in a Wednesday statement .
“ Governor Lujan Grisham has delivered massively high unemployment along with the fewest energy jobs in a decade , so it ’ s clear why she is working so hard to get a new job .
She simply doesn ’ t want to have to look New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye and be accountable.
” Oil and natural gas contribute $ 3.1 billion to New Mexico ’ s state budget , or 39 percent of the total .
Oil and natural gas revenue increased by $ 910 million from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2019 , the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association says .
Transitioning away from oil and gas “ would absolutely destroy New Mexico ’ s economy and kill thousands of middle-class jobs in our state , ” Behrens told The Center Square .
New Mexico Democrat Congresswoman Xochitl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependent on the oil and gas industry for jobs , said she disagreed with Biden ’ s plan .
She tweeted , “ Energy is part of the backbone of New Mexico ’ s economy .
We need to work together to promote responsible energy production and stop climate change , not demonize a single industry.
” The U.S. leads the world in crude export , with Texas , New Mexico and Louisiana leading the way .
Texas is the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the U.S .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EIA ) , Texas produced 41 percent of U.S. crude oil alone last year .
“ Texans know that the oil and natural gas industry anchors our economy and directly funds our roads , schools , emergency services and our Rainy Day Fund , ” the Texas Oil and Gas Association tweeted .
“ In fact , 86 % of Texas voters believe oil and natural gas provides a value to their life.
” Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Abhi Rahman said in response that “ Texas energy has failed under Donald Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own record on unemployment.
” But under the Trump administration , the EIA reports that the U.S. was the world ’ s largest oil producer , and in July 2019 , the U.S. was projected to become a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products in the fourth quarter of 2020 .
“ The United States has been a net energy importer since 1953 , but continued growth in petroleum and natural gas exports results in the United States becoming a net energy exporter by 2020 in all cases , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Outlook 2019 report , thanks to continuously growing shale production from the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico .
Biden ’ s plan to ban fracking would cost Texas 3.2 million jobs and a loss of $ 1.5 trillion to its GDP , according to a study published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ’ s Global Energy Institute earlier this year , “ Increased oil and gas production driven by hydraulic fracturing has been fueling America ’ s sustained period of growth over the past decade , while making us both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president of the U.S. Chamber ’ s Global Energy Institute , told WorldOil.com .
“ Our study shows that banning fracking would have a catastrophic effect on our economy , inducing the equivalent of a major recession and raising the cost of living for everyone across the country .
This bad idea should be abandoned.
” Nationally , oil and natural gas provide more than two-thirds of the energy Americans consume daily , according to the U.S. Energy Department .
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Justices Deny Fast, New Look at Pennsylvania Ballot Deadline

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would not grant a quick , pre-election review to a new Republican appeal to exclude absentee ballots received after Election Day in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania , although it remained unclear whether those ballots will ultimately be counted .
The court ’ s order left open the possibility that the justices could take up and decide after the election whether a three-day extension to receive and count absentee ballots ordered by Pennsylvania ’ s high court was proper .
The issue would take on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the crucial state in next week ’ s election and the votes received between Nov. 3 and Nov. 6 are potentially decisive .
The Supreme Court ruled hours after Pennsylvania ’ s Department of State agreed to segregate ballots received in the mail after polls close on Tuesday and before 5 p.m. on Nov. 6 .
President Donald Trump ’ s campaign suggested that those ballots will never be counted .
“ We secured a huge victory when the Pennsylvania Secretary of State saw the writing on the wall and voluntarily complied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received after the Nov. 3 deadline to ensure they will not be counted until the Supreme Court rules on our petition , ” Justin Clark , a deputy campaign manager , said in an interview .
The court , Clark said , deferred “ the most important issue in the case , which is whether state courts can change the time , place and manner of elections , contrary to the rules adopted by the Legislature.
” Pennsylvania ’ s Department of State could not immediately say Wednesday night whether it would revise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to count those ballots .
The Alliance for Retired Americans , which had sued in Pennsylvania state courts for an extended deadline , said the ruling means that ballots arriving during the three-day period after Election Day will be counted .
“ This is an enormous victory for all Pennsylvania voters , especially seniors who should not have to put their health at risk during the pandemic in order to cast a ballot that will be counted , ” Richard Fiesta , the alliance ’ s executive director , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not take part in the vote “ because of the need for a prompt resolution of it and because she has not had time to fully review the parties ’ filings , ” court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in an email .
Justice Samuel Alito , writing for three justices , indicated he would support the high court ’ s eventual review of the issue .
But , he wrote , “ I reluctantly conclude that there is simply not enough time at this late date to decide the question before the election.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4-4 , a tie vote that allowed the three-day extension ordered by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to remain in effect .
About the Headline Photo : Michael Imms , with Chester County Voter Services , gathers mail-in ballots after being sorted for the 2020 General Election in the United States , Friday , Oct. 23 , 2020 , in West Chester , Pa. ( AP Photo/Matt Slocum )


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Election Experts Warn Voters to Stop Sending in Ballots, Vote in Person Amidst USPS Delays

Election and postal experts have warned Americans to stop voting by mail as delays continue to hamper the postal system one week before the election .
With just seven days of voting left before the Nov. 3 election , sending a ballot through the United States Postal Service ( USPS ) system would risk a late delivery , election experts told the Washington Post .
The week of Oct. 16 was the 14th straight week where more than 10 % of first-class mail delivery was delayed .
“ If you haven ’ t requested a mail ballot yet , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Becker , executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research , told The Post .
“ I don ’ t care about the legal deadline ; it ’ s just too late in terms of getting it processed , getting it mailed to you and you being able to fill it out and return it.
” He added : “ You ’ re just putting too much pressure on yourself .
At this point , if you haven ’ t requested a mail ballot yet , plan to vote in person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Becker also said that voters who have requested an absentee mail-in ballot , but haven ’ t received it , should vote in person , according to The Post .
The USPS sent a checklist postcard to all U.S. households in September , which recommended that voters send their ballot “ at least seven days ” before Nov. 3 , The Post reported .
The postal service has already processed a record 523 million pieces of election mail including ballots , information pamphlets and campaign fliers .
“ The next two weeks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together to put a relentless focus on Election Mail , especially the volume of completed ballots going from voters to their respective offices , ” a USPS memo sent to employees last week said , according to The Post .
Postal workers are allowed to sort and postmark ballots themselves , a departure from regular protocol , the memo added , according to The Post .
Also , post offices are now authorized to create ballot-only lines and drive-through ballot drop-off areas .
Meanwhile , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in person rather than through mail-in , The Post reported .
Biden has been a strong proponent of voting by mail throughout the election , according to Harper ’ s Bazaar .
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic , a historic 76 % of Americans have been able to vote by mail in the general election , The New York Times reported .
More than 67 million people had voted as of Tuesday afternoon , 45 million of which were via mail ballots , according to The Election Project .
A survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June and September found that people who disapproved of President Donald Trump ’ s performance were more likely to vote by mail , according to Axios .
Seventy-four percent of registered voters who strongly disapproved of Trump said they would vote by mail while 77 % of those who strongly approved of the president said they were more likely to vote in person .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--New Protests Loom as Europeans Tire of Virus Restrictions

MILAN , Italy ( AP ) — Protesters set trash bins afire and police responded with hydrant sprays in downtown Rome Tuesday night , part of a day of public outpouring of anger against virus-fighting measures like evening shutdowns for restaurants and bars and the closures of gyms and theaters — a sign of growing discontent across Europe with renewed coronavirus restrictions .
Pedestrians and motorists returning home from work in Rome were taken by surprise when protesters , some of them hooded and members of an extreme-right political group , set afire to trash bins in Piazza del Popolo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hurled smoke bombs , state TV reported .
Police vans unleashed torrents of water to disperse them .
It was a fifth straight night of violent protest in Italy , following recent local overnight curfews in metropolises including Naples and Rome .
After protests Monday night turned violent in the financial capital of Milan , police arrested 28 people .
And in Italy ’ s industrial northern city of Turin , at least 11 were arrested , including two who smashed the window of a Gucci boutique and stripped a mannequin of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe is grappling with how to halt a fall resurgence of the virus before its hospitals become overwhelmed again .
Nightly curfews have been implemented in French cities .
Schools must close at 6 p.m. Schools have been closed in Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic .
German officials have ordered de-facto lockdowns in some areas near the Austrian border and new mask-wearing requirements are popping up weekly across the continent , including a nationwide requirement in Russia .
“ We would all like to live like before , but there are moments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Tuesday as the government held emergency meetings on the pandemic .
Yet in this new round of restrictions , governments are finding a less compliant public , even as the continent has seen over 250,000 confirmed deaths in the pandemic and last week recorded 46 % of the world ’ s new infections , according to the World Health Organization .
Over the weekend , police used pepper spray against protesters angry over new virus restrictions in Poland .
Spanish doctors staged their first national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest poor working conditions .
In Britain , anger and frustration at the government ’ s uneven handling of the pandemic has erupted into a political crisis over the issue of hungry children .
Scrambling to ease some of the financial pain caused by the latest restrictions on businesses , Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte ’ s Cabinet approved 5 billion euros ( $ 5.8 billion ) in economic relief .
The measures included extending unemployment benefits for unionized workers for up to six weeks , through January , financial aid for restaurants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cream parlors , taxi drivers and other sectors already hit hard by the lockdown earlier this year , and now reeling under the new restrictions with some businesses in danger of folding .
Also allocated were one-time 1,000 euro payments to free-lancers in the entertainment industry , pummeled by the cinema and theater closure , which lasts at least a month .
Conte said the alternative was another national lockdown to avoid overwhelming the national health service .
Italy registered more than 22,000 infections since the previous day .
Aiming to avoid lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of measures with surgical precision with the awareness they would have had a negative impact , ” Conte said .
On Tuesday , a dozen restaurant owners protested in front of Milan ’ s city hall while as many stadium concession stand owners waved banners at the Lombardy regional headquarters .
“ No one has thought of us , ” said Giacomo Errico , the Lombardy president of FIVA Commercio representing 6,000 concession stand owners in the northern region , among 40,000 nationwide , that have been out of work since February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and down the Italian peninsula , while more violent protests erupting at night , increasingly culminating with vandalism , looting and clashes with police .
Italy ’ s national prosecutor for terrorism and organized crime , Federico Cafiero de Raho , on Tuesday said subversives had infiltrated peaceful protests in the country .
He said they included proponents of the extreme right and anarchists on the extreme left .
Investigators have also looked into indications that organized crime groups in the Naples area provoked violence at a peaceful protest .
France has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending existing curfews , fully keeping residents at home on weekends or all week and closing non-essential businesses .
Since curfews were imposed a couple of weeks ago , French police have issued 14,000 fines , the interior minister said Tuesday .
Doctors are seeing growing pressure on France ’ s emergency services and intensive care wards , where COVID patients now take up more than half of the beds .
In Spain , the Canary Islands was seeking to pass a law demanding that visitors arrive at the popular archipelago off northwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test .
Russia , which has world ’ s fourth highest tally of 1.5 million confirmed cases , is resisting a second lockdown .
But with cases rising at over 15,000 a day , the health agency ordered all Russians to wear masks in crowded public spaces , including public transport , and in closed spaces like taxis and elevators .
Dr. Michael Ryan , WHO ’ s emergencies chief , said the European Union ’ s open borders might even need to be shut down again to “ take the heat out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There ’ s no question that the European region is an epicenter of disease right now , ” he said .
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said even more stringent measures should be applied to stop the virus .
Colleen Barry and Frances D ’ Emilio are reporters for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : Smoke billows as clashes broke out during a protest against the government restriction measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Turin , Italy , Monday , Oct. 26 , 2020 .
Protesters turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities and towns on Monday to vent anger , sometimes violently , over the latest anti-COVID-19 rules , which force restaurants and cafes to close early , shutter cinema , gyms and other leisure venues .
In the northern city of Turin , demonstrators broke off from a peaceful protest and hurled smoke bombs and bottles at police in the city square where the Piedmont regional government is headquartered .
( Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--Cancel Culture Claims Another: Virginia Military Institute Superintendent General Peay Resigns

Virginia Military Institute ( VMI ) Superintendent , retired four-star Army General J.H .
Binford Peay III ( ’ 62 ) , resigned on Monday .
Peay shared that Governor Ralph Northam prompted the resignation .
“ On Friday , 23 October 2020 , the Governor ’ s Chief of Staff conveyed that the Governor and certain legislative leaders had lost confidence in my leadership as Superintendent of Virginia Military Institute and desired my resignation.
” The general ’ s resignation followed allegations featured in a story by The Washington Post .
The article cited six incidents relating to race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ relentless racism.
” Peay has condemned racism and discrimination consistently , as well as supported diversity at VMI .
The retired general became superintendent in 2003 ; in recognition of his many leadership accomplishments at the institute , VMI ’ s Board of Visitors established an endowment in his honor .
It has achieved $ 28 million in funds for cadets and faculty .
VMI has ranked among the top five public colleges and universities under Peay .
Additionally , VMI ’ s racial diversity has increased from 16 percent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
The Post also relied on the history of the school ’ s first superintendent , General Francis Henney Smith , as proof of “ relentless racism.
” Smith was an abolitionist who believed freed slaves should be resettled back in Africa .
Additionally , the article recounted some strains that occurred during initial years of the school ’ s desegregation .
One of the accusers the article named was William “ Will ” Bunton , a redshirt junior on VMI ’ s football team .
Bunton alleged that racism is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always question his enrollment at the school .
The student-athlete also alleged that he ’ d stepped out of line to leave Vice President Mike Pence ’ s speech this fall , and subsequently endured three weeks ’ confinement to campus , demerits , and detentions .
Another , Keniya Lee ( ’ 19 ) , alleged that a professor glorified her father ’ s Ku Klux Klan ( KKK ) membership .
None of her classmates would sign an account verifying what Lee alleged had occurred .
She also claimed that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave her PTSD .
The Post also included one anonymous student who reported that another student threatened to lynch him .
The student who made the threat has since been expelled , according to the report .
In response to these allegations , Northam issued a letter informing VMI that it would be undergoing a third-party review for racism .
Northam is a 1981 graduate of VMI ; he faced controversy briefly last year for photos of him either in blackface or KKK robes circa 1984 .
Immediately , the institution responded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not racist and pledged full cooperation for a review .
“ Virtually all colleges in the 50 states can point to inappropriate behavior by their students or faculty members .
However , systemic racism does not exist here and a fair and independent review will find that to be true.
” Less than a week later , Peay tendered his resignation .
The letter totaled five sentences , in which he explained that he resigned at Northam ’ s request and would continue to support VMI .
The same day of Peay ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disavowed VMI for its “ culture of racial discrimination and oppression , ” and called for all public funding to cease .
“ We should not be allocating $ 19 million annually to a VMI that steadfastly refuses to change at a time when lower income students and diverse communities are refused free lunches and adequate educational opportunities .
The ‘ living monuments ’ to the confederacy must come down just like their bronze and stone counterparts.
” It is unclear as to what or who those “ living monuments ” are that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referenced his campaign for governor in his letter .
“ If the symbols of racism and the culture they encourage at VMI are not removed by the time I take office in 2022 , they will be during my Administration.
” Last month , the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation for Civil Rights Act compliance into Princeton University after its president claimed the school was “ systemically racist.
” A VMI parent of an alumni , Doug DeRito , shared with The Virginia Star that he was disappointed by Northam ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unfair that they basically forced him to resign .
Not only did they ask him to resign , it was by the Chief of Staff .
Northam didn ’ t even have the professional courtesy to call and talk to him about it.
” DeRito added that the cadets he knew never experienced racism in their presence there , though he did affirm the students ’ rights to speak up about what happened to them .
Rather , he stated the focus should be on Peay ’ s treatment in light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foremost , General Peay is an American hero .
He retired as a four-star general in the U.S. Army , served his country well .
He ’ s impacted a lot of cadets , both past and present military leaders in the armed forces including my son , in a positive way.
” Attorney and Richmond City Republican Committee Chairman Hayden Fisher ( ’ 95 ) told The Star that what The Post described doesn ’ t reflect VMI as a whole .
“ I ’ m sure there are incidents that occur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I was there .
No one has ever told me that they experienced racism while they were there .
I think systemic racism and incidental racism are two different things .
I think VMI ’ s been proactive in increasing diversity in participation and its core .
You ’ re always going to have a bad apple : but that ’ s incidental racism.
” Fisher added that he ’ s done civil rights work in his twenty years as a lawyer .
His experience led him to wonder why the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handles discrimination allegations .
“ Why are the executive and legislative branches getting involved in an investigation at VMI ?
We have passed laws and have courts that will handle those cases .
It ’ s a witch-hunt led by all Democrats .
There ’ s no effort to be bipartisan .
Racism exists , it does .
But it exists in pockets – it ’ s not systemic .
The way to address it is through the courts.
” Another VMI graduate , Lee Barnes ( ’ 69 ) , told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the individuals ’ experiences .
However , he stated that it was normal for the institute ’ s rigor and challenges to cause cadets to feel singled out at times – even he experienced it .
“ I understand that General Peay has put the ‘ M ’ back in ‘ VMI.
’ There ’ s not a person there that doesn ’ t have the feeling or the impression that someone doesn ’ t have it in for them .
Everybody feels that at some point .
General Peay really came in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a military institute.
” Since the beginning of his time at VMI , General Peay has successfully pushed for an increase in commission acceptance rates amongst graduating cadets .
In a Facebook post , State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) admonished Northam and the Democratic Party for vilifying VMI .
“ The attack on VMI is complete BS .
Just more cancel culture from the Marxist Democrat Party of Virginia who has already weaponized our public schools , colleges and universities to indoctrinate our kids .
If racism were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northam and my Democratic opponent for Governor 2021 Jennifer Carroll Foy , both of whom were both indoctrinated at VMI , need to resign .
The racist Democratic Party of Virginia had better clear the log out of its eye before it takes the speck out of VMI ’ s. ” Tuesday , Northam announced that the state would direct $ 116 million in CARES funding to higher education .
It is unclear whether VMI will be excluded in light of Fairfax ’ s threats to revoke government funding .
VMI has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brigadier General Robert “ Bob ” Moreschi will serve as the Acting Superintendent .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-29--U.S. Department of Interior Efforts Added $1.1 Billion to Michigan’s Economic Output in 2019

U.S. Department of Interior ( DOI ) activities supported a total of 7,590 jobs , $ 645 million in value added and $ 1.1 billion in economic output in Michigan in 2019 .
That ’ s according to a DOI report issued Monday .
The DOI ’ s Economic Report for Fiscal Year 2019 measures the department ’ s economic contributions through its management of federal lands and waters as well as investments in conservation and natural landscapes efforts as well as contributions to preserve the nation ’ s cultural heritage .
According to the report , DOI management in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits in five categories , which include Energy & Minerals ; Grants & Payments ; Grazing & Timber ; Payroll ; and Recreation .
Energy & Minerals accounted for $ 547 million in economic output ; Grants & Payments generated $ 174 million ; and Recreation stimulated $ 376 million in the state ; Payroll and Grazing , respectively , generated $ 41.3 million and $ 22,000 .
All told , according to the DOI , their work sparked private sector activities to generate $ 336 billion in economic output and the support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities facilitated include conventional and renewable energy , recreation , non-fuel minerals , irrigation .
“ The Trump Administration agenda for public lands management has been a major boon for communities throughout the country , ” DOI Secretary David Bernhardt said in a statement .
“ Especially this year , public lands have been a critical place of refuge for the American people and will continue to support the economic vitality of our country.
” According to the report , DOI-managed resources in 2019 produced 1.06 billion barrels of crude oil , 4.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 317 million tons of coal .
The department notes fiscal year 2019 was the first year DOI-managed leases surpassed 1 billion barrels , which is one reason the United States has risen to be the world ’ s top producer of crude oil and dry natural gas .
Production of oil , gas and coal on Interior lands and waters generated nearly $ 156 billion in economic output while creating approximately 665,000 jobs .
One-fifth of the nation ’ s energy supply came from Interior-managed lands and waters .
Additionally , energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and offshore areas resulted in approximately $ 12 billion in revenues .
The DOI reports this is nearly double the revenues generated in 2016 .
The DOI disburses energy lease revenues locally , where the monies fund schools , public services , conservation improvements , coastal restoration and infrastructure projects .
DOI oversight of national parks , refuges , campgrounds and other public land sites generated $ 60.6 billion in fiscal year 2019 economic output as well as supported 469,000 jobs , said the report .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .