thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--Analysis: The Connection Between the George Floyd Protest, the Nashville Budget, and ‘Killer Bill’

There have been a number and variety of both high-profile and lesser-publicized events in Nashville that at first glance are seemingly unrelated – but are actually connected by way of the groups that have been involved with them .
The first and most notable event took place on Saturday , May 30 , when the Music City ’ s protests over the death of George Floyd on May 25 turned into a violent riot .
The statue of a former state legislator was toppled at the Capitol , police cars smashed , Nashville ’ s historic city hall was vandalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set on fire , dozens of businesses on Broadway were vandalized and explicit graffiti covered surfaces along the rioters ’ path on downtown streets .
All of this stands in stark contrast to the COVID-related shutdown over the past two months of the entertainment and hospitality businesses Nashville is so well known for .
While the weekend protest was promoted as a “ I Will Breathe ” rally – inspired by Floyd ’ s final words – one member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said days prior to the event that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and white supremacy protest .
The second event was just a few days later , when the Metro Nashville Council met on June 2 to discuss Mayor John Cooper ’ s budget for fiscal year 2021 .
A new budget must go into effect on July 1 , and if no other version gets passed , Nashville will automatically get Mayor Cooper ’ s version with a 32 percent property tax increase .
While a public hearing on the budget was scheduled , in-person attendance at the meeting was “ discouraged in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and welfare , ” according to the meeting agenda .
A phone number was provided for the purpose of live input when the agenda item was called up during the course of the meeting .
The public hearing portion of the marathon 11-hour Council meeting was dominated with more than a hundred nearly identical calls on the phone and in person for Nashville ’ s police department – more broadly referred to as “ public safety ” – to be defunded and the funds to instead be allocated to “ public goods ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have seemed organic and spontaneous , the promotion and coordination of the efforts came by way of eight groups involved in The Nashville People ’ s Budget Coalition .
The Coalition has prepared a professionally-appearing 35-page budget document dated May 26 , just one day after Floyd ’ s death , that essentially calls for defunding Nashville police .
In its budget document , the Coalition says it is “ building a Nashville where public safety includes communities with fully funded education , access to housing and health care , and freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coalition ’ s points – “ too often , budgets reflect the priorities of elected officials and power brokers who make decisions behind closed doors and pursue the interests of a few at the expense of our communities , ” could be agreed to by far-ranging political extremes and everyone in between .
The Coalition ’ s main point of contention is “ public safety ” expenditures , the vast majority of which – $ 362.5 million of Mayor Cooper ’ s 2021 budget – goes towards Nashville ’ s “ criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Department ( MNPD ) , Sheriff , jails , courts and the district attorney .
As specific examples of misguided criminal legal system capital spending , the Coalition points to $ 12 million for two MNPD helicopters , $ 1.6 million for the MNPD Mounted Patrol barn and $ 17.2 million on the new Sheriff ’ s headquarters .
The funding Mayor Cooper proposes for the operation of the criminal legal system is more than that for all of health care , social services , affordable housing , transit , infrastructure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rental and tax relief services combined – what the Coalition refers to as public or social goods .
This is where there is likely to be less bipartisan agreement on which activities and associated funding are within government ’ s purview , especially in light of the protest-turned-riot just a few days prior to the Council meeting discussion .
De-funding police departments has now become a growing national mantra that includes leaders from America ’ s two largest cities with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announcing reductions in the LAPD budget increases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant reductions in NYPD ’ s $ 6 billion budget .
Interestingly , just a few weeks prior , some of the country ’ s state and local leaders were using law enforcement to enforce COVID-19 related stay-at-home executive orders against those who went to church or to protest the violation of their constitutionally-protected rights .
In a meeting of the Tennessee House State Committee last week , a bill advanced that says that the governor or chief executive officer of a local government shall not require a law enforcement agency or an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private business , restrict the freedom to assemble peaceably or restrict the freedom to travel .
At least one Democrat member of the Committee , who happens to be part of the Nashville delegation , asked who would enforce the executive orders if law enforcement could not do it .
In a matter of weeks , in many of the locales with the strictest stay-at-home orders enforced by law enforcement , close-contact riots have taken place over consecutive days and there are calls to defund the police .
If the wide-ranging expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too has their militarization through tactical vehicles , aircraft , weapons , surveillance equipment , and night-vision equipment , among others , which had its start in the National Defense Authorization Act of 1997 Section 1033 Surplus Program which allowed the transfer of excess Department of Defense equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies .
While initially a windfall to law enforcement agencies , the issue of upkeep and obtaining replacements when the handed-down DoD equipment is beyond its useful life undoubtedly results in higher future operational and capital expenditures .
Military-style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different image from that of the approachable neighborhood patrolman of the past and , as the Coalition says , “ that many experience more as a threat than a means of protection.
” While not calling for a reduction in Mayor Cooper ’ s proposed 32 percent property tax increase or cutting spending , the Coalition says that “ without also implementing a massive and well-funded tax relief program [ it ] will impose a significant burden on predominantly Black and low-income communities already burdened by decades of divestment from public goods.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines were prepared and by member groups of the Coalition , which include Black Lives Matter Nashville , Free Hearts , Gideon ’ s Army , Music City Riders United ( MCRU ) , No Exceptions Prison Collective , People ’ s Alliance for Transit , Housing & Equity ( PATHE ) , Southerners on New Ground Nashville ( SONG Nashville ) and Workers ’ Dignity / Dignidad Obrera .
The talking points were recited repeatedly and almost verbatim by speakers at the Council meeting , according to Metro Council member-at-large Steve Glover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Council .
Meanwhile , those who oppose Mayor Cooper ’ s 32 percent property tax increase were unable to get through on the call-in number despite repeated calls over a period of several hours .
The third incident that went more or less unpublicized was a very disturbing protest that took place outside the Governor ’ s mansion on May 21 .
While that protest took place prior to the other two events , it was the Nashville People ’ s Budget Coalition that revealed the names of some of the groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gruesome protest .
The protesters , shutting down the street in front of the executive residence , lined the wrought-iron fence with mock body bags , coffins and tombstones in a twisted display meant to represent lives lost in the state ’ s prisons due to the coronavirus .
As the groups demanded the mass release of prisoners , they hung banners on the fencing that read “ Killer Bill Lives Here.
” The Nashville People ’ s Budget Coalition lists eight member groups that , through their websites or Facebook pages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their recent activities .
Black Lives Matter Network is a chapter-based national organization working for the validity of Black liberation movement of which Black Lives Matter Nashville is a local chapter with the guiding principles of diversity ; restorative justice ; globalism ; queer affirming ; unapologetically black ; collective value ; empathy ; loving engagement ; transgender affirming ; black villages ; black women ; black families ; intergenerational .
A major participant in the protest-turned-riot , Black Lives Matter Nashville ’ s Facebook page shared the May 30 event which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Revolution Rally ( Murder of George Floyd ) Solidarity for Victims of Police Brutality & White Supremacy .
Listed as participating is The Brother ’ s Round Table , KEVA Inc. , Equity Alliance , DADS , Bullets Have No Eyes , Motorcycles Clubs of Nashville , WNEO , Black Panthers , Gideon ’ s Army , NAACP , Nashville United , 92Q , JohnSmithMarketing.com , Black People Making Moves , Nation of Islam , African American Cultural Alliance and TN Activist Coalition .
Free Hearts is an organization led by formerly incarcerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and advocacy to families impacted by incarceration , with the ultimate goals of reuniting families and keeping families together .
Free Hearts ’ Facebook page included a post , “ Here is what you can say about the Mayor ’ s proposed budget.
” The day after the Council meeting , there was a follow-up post , “ Last night was inspiring , but the work doesn ’ t end here .
It ’ s only just beginning .
Our coalition knows that police and jails ultimately do not keep us safe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ next steps as we push to demand a budget that meets the needs of black and indigenous folks , people of color , and working class folks in Nashville by divesting from policing and investing in the communities we deserve to live and thrive in .
Stay tuned for critical next action steps in the days to come as we prepare for Council ’ s final vote on June 16 !
# defundpolice # defendblacklives # wekeepussafe ” In an earlier post from May 21 , Free Hearts referred to the Governor as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protest at the executive residence along with the post , “ A call to action demanding Gov .
Bill Lee to use his Clemency powers and to change policies that are killing our people , our family , our friends , our loved ones everyday that they are incarcerated .
Sick , elderly , disabled , parole/probation—let them go !
# ClemencyNow # FreeThemAll ” Gideon ’ s Army ’ s mission is to “ act collectively , boldly and strategically as a unified force for all children .
We eliminate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save our children from death and incarceration and guide them on a secure path to success.
” A video on the organization ’ s Facebook page said that they were not part of the May 30 protest-turned riot cautioned against agitators , spoke passionately against those tactics and promoted more strategic approaches .
Regarding the Metro Council meeting , the organization reported on Facebook , “ over nearly 11 hours , more than 125 called in or showed up in person to tell Metro Council what you want to see in a true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funded education , affordable housing , transit , social services , libraries , community centers , and all the things that keep us safe in ways that policy & jails never will.
” Music City Riders United ( MCRU ) is an organization of public bus riders fighting for equitable transit to meet the needs of working-class Nashvillians .
MCRU continues to address racial and economic inequities in Nashville both in transit and more widely as a project of Workers ’ Dignity , an umbrella organization of low-wage workers organizing for economic justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared a Bus Route Report Card and determined that Nashville ’ s WeGo public transit system is not adequately serving the city ’ s workforce and ridership , and Metro Nashville Public Works and the Tennessee Department of Transportation are failing riders in providing pedestrian safety near bus stops , according to 619 bus riders on 316 different routes reported through surveys of 10 standards of quality conducted between May and October 2018 .
MCRU posted to Facebook a step-by-step guide for calling in to provide public comment at the Metro Council meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our fight is even stronger because we ’ re part of the movement to build a People ’ s Budget with the Nashville People ’ s Budget Coalition.
” No Exceptions Prison Collective is a grassroots initiative in Nashville dedicated to transforming the social segregation of prison by advocating that there be no exceptions to the abolition of slavery .
The organization maintains that abolition of slavery or involuntary servitude in the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution , which excepted punishment for a crime , created a carve out for slavery ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass incarceration via the prison industrial complex .
In addition to being a contributor to the Coalition budget , according to a Facebook post , director Jeannie Alexander was at the peaceful downtown Nashville protest on June 4 and on May 21 “ joined fellow Tennessee Organizing for Power Statewide Coalition members today in an action highlighting the rising death toll from Governor Bill Lee ’ s policies which cost the lives of Tennesseans.
” “ We shut down the street in front of the Governor ’ s plantation today with a display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fence with bodybags , coffins , and tombstones to represent the precious lives lost to his cruelty.
” People ’ s Alliance for Transit , Housing and Employment ( PATHE ) , which stands for the ordinary people of Nashville and against the greedy , “ is a coalition of ordinary people – renters , unhoused people , transit employees , construction workers , bus riders , students , activists and other concerned residents – that came together because we were tired of city leaders working only for the interests of developers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Instead , we ’ ve demanded the city powers that be take necessary steps to address Nashville ’ s crises in housing , transportation , and employment.
” PATHE is a movement for 31,000 affordable homes , the lack of which is “ a crisis that is hurting thousands of Nashville residents with one of the largest divisions of haves and have-nots in our lifetime.
” PATHE believes that the housing crisis is urgent with skyrocketing rent causing displacement while the rich and powerful continue to profit from it and calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a basic human right .
Southerners on New Ground ( SONG ) Nashville is “ a regional Queer Liberation organization made up of people of color , immigrants , undocumented people , people with disabilities , working class and rural and small town , LGBTQ people in the South .
SONG ’ s mission is a home for LGBTQ liberation across all lines of race , class , abilities , age , culture , gender , and sexuality in the South .
We build , sustain , and connect a southern regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transform the region through strategic projects and campaigns developed in response to the current conditions in our communities .
SONG builds this movement through leadership development , intersectional analysis , and organizing.
” SONG shared a Facebook post by Tennessee Organizing for Power Statewide about the May 21 protest at the Governor ’ s mansion to demand mass release from Tennessee prisons that included a photo montage from the protest .
Workers ’ Dignity / Dignidad Obrera is a worker center organizing for economic justice and dignity , especially low-wage workers facing abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism , and immigrants facing increased ICE raids and detention .
The organization has monthly training meetings for “ members ” who need help in recovering unpaid wages , as explained a YouTube video in Spanish with English subtitles .
Workers ’ Dignity is fighting for a fully-funded equitable public transit system with MCRU and housing for all including 31,000 affordable homes through PATHE .
The organization had a live video from the May 30 protest on its Facebook page as well numerous posts about the Coalition ’ s budget proposal , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metro Council meeting .
Most if not all of the organizations appear to be linked to Tennessee Organizing for Power Statewide ( TOPS ) , a coalition of over 40 justice-oriented and grassroots groups located across the state .
Established in February 2019 , the coalition envisions new possibilities for public safety that are rooted in fully resourced communities , according to the “ About ” section of the TOPS Facebook page .
TOPS is noticeably more forward in asking on its Facebook page for donations directly or on behalf of the Nashville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual groups that make up the Coalition , or the Nashville Economic Justice Alliance , Health and Free Tennessee , The Equity Alliance Fund and The Equity Alliance .
The TOPS website reveals an extensive list of demands “ surrounding the ongoing issues Tennesseans are facing that re now exacerbated by COVID-19.
” The demands are broken into several wide-ranging categories including jails , detention centers and Tennessee Department of Corrections , prison release , housing , workers ’ rights , economic justice , healthcare , voting rights , as well as education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page , TOPS was live during the May 21 protest at the Governor ’ s mansion , posting “ Families and organizers from across TN , are demanding that Gov .
Lee grant our people # ClemencyNow # FreeThem All ” Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .

There have been a number and variety of both high-profile and lesser-publicized events in Nashville that at first glance are seemingly unrelated – but are actually connected by way of the groups that have been involved with them.
The first and most notable event took place on Saturday, May 30, when the Music City’s protests over the death of George Floyd on May 25 turned into a violent riot.
The statue of a former state legislator was toppled at the Capitol, police cars smashed, Nashville’s historic city hall was vandalized with broken windows, spray paint and set on fire, dozens of businesses on Broadway were vandalized and explicit graffiti covered surfaces along the rioters’ path on downtown streets.
All of this stands in stark contrast to the COVID-related shutdown over the past two months of the entertainment and hospitality businesses Nashville is so well known for.
While the weekend protest was promoted as a “I Will Breathe” rally – inspired by Floyd’s final words – one member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said days prior to the event that it was referred to as a stop police brutality and white supremacy protest.
The second event was just a few days later, when the Metro Nashville Council met on June 2 to discuss Mayor John Cooper’s budget for fiscal year 2021. A new budget must go into effect on July 1, and if no other version gets passed, Nashville will automatically get Mayor Cooper’s version with a 32 percent property tax increase.
While a public hearing on the budget was scheduled, in-person attendance at the meeting was “discouraged in order to protect the public health, safety and welfare,” according to the meeting agenda.
A phone number was provided for the purpose of live input when the agenda item was called up during the course of the meeting.
The public hearing portion of the marathon 11-hour Council meeting was dominated with more than a hundred nearly identical calls on the phone and in person for Nashville’s police department – more broadly referred to as “public safety” – to be defunded and the funds to instead be allocated to “public goods” or “social goods.”
While it may have seemed organic and spontaneous, the promotion and coordination of the efforts came by way of eight groups involved in The Nashville People’s Budget Coalition.
The Coalition has prepared a professionally-appearing 35-page budget document dated May 26, just one day after Floyd’s death, that essentially calls for defunding Nashville police.
In its budget document, the Coalition says it is “building a Nashville where public safety includes communities with fully funded education, access to housing and health care, and freedom from policing and jails.”
Some of the Coalition’s points – “too often, budgets reflect the priorities of elected officials and power brokers who make decisions behind closed doors and pursue the interests of a few at the expense of our communities,” could be agreed to by far-ranging political extremes and everyone in between.
The Coalition’s main point of contention is “public safety” expenditures, the vast majority of which – $362.5 million of Mayor Cooper’s 2021 budget – goes towards Nashville’s “criminal legal system” including the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), Sheriff, jails, courts and the district attorney.
As specific examples of misguided criminal legal system capital spending, the Coalition points to $12 million for two MNPD helicopters, $1.6 million for the MNPD Mounted Patrol barn and $17.2 million on the new Sheriff’s headquarters.
The funding Mayor Cooper proposes for the operation of the criminal legal system is more than that for all of health care, social services, affordable housing, transit, infrastructure, libraries, parks, community centers and rental and tax relief services combined – what the Coalition refers to as public or social goods.
This is where there is likely to be less bipartisan agreement on which activities and associated funding are within government’s purview, especially in light of the protest-turned-riot just a few days prior to the Council meeting discussion.
De-funding police departments has now become a growing national mantra that includes leaders from America’s two largest cities with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announcing reductions in the LAPD budget increases and New York city council members calling for significant reductions in NYPD’s $6 billion budget.
Interestingly, just a few weeks prior, some of the country’s state and local leaders were using law enforcement to enforce COVID-19 related stay-at-home executive orders against those who went to church or to protest the violation of their constitutionally-protected rights.
In a meeting of the Tennessee House State Committee last week, a bill advanced that says that the governor or chief executive officer of a local government shall not require a law enforcement agency or an officer to enforce executive orders that close a private business, restrict the freedom to assemble peaceably or restrict the freedom to travel.
At least one Democrat member of the Committee, who happens to be part of the Nashville delegation, asked who would enforce the executive orders if law enforcement could not do it.
In a matter of weeks, in many of the locales with the strictest stay-at-home orders enforced by law enforcement, close-contact riots have taken place over consecutive days and there are calls to defund the police.
If the wide-ranging expectations of police departments have increased, so too has their militarization through tactical vehicles, aircraft, weapons, surveillance equipment, and night-vision equipment, among others, which had its start in the National Defense Authorization Act of 1997 Section 1033 Surplus Program which allowed the transfer of excess Department of Defense equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies.
While initially a windfall to law enforcement agencies, the issue of upkeep and obtaining replacements when the handed-down DoD equipment is beyond its useful life undoubtedly results in higher future operational and capital expenditures.
Military-style vehicles and personal equipment also presents quite a different image from that of the approachable neighborhood patrolman of the past and, as the Coalition says, “that many experience more as a threat than a means of protection.”
While not calling for a reduction in Mayor Cooper’s proposed 32 percent property tax increase or cutting spending, the Coalition says that “without also implementing a massive and well-funded tax relief program [it] will impose a significant burden on predominantly Black and low-income communities already burdened by decades of divestment from public goods.”
A series of points along these lines were prepared and by member groups of the Coalition, which include Black Lives Matter Nashville, Free Hearts, Gideon’s Army, Music City Riders United (MCRU), No Exceptions Prison Collective, People’s Alliance for Transit, Housing & Equity (PATHE), Southerners on New Ground Nashville (SONG Nashville) and Workers’ Dignity / Dignidad Obrera.
The talking points were recited repeatedly and almost verbatim by speakers at the Council meeting, according to Metro Council member-at-large Steve Glover, despite requests to the contrary by the Council.
Meanwhile, those who oppose Mayor Cooper’s 32 percent property tax increase were unable to get through on the call-in number despite repeated calls over a period of several hours.
The third incident that went more or less unpublicized was a very disturbing protest that took place outside the Governor’s mansion on May 21.
While that protest took place prior to the other two events, it was the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition that revealed the names of some of the groups that took part in the earlier, gruesome protest.
The protesters, shutting down the street in front of the executive residence, lined the wrought-iron fence with mock body bags, coffins and tombstones in a twisted display meant to represent lives lost in the state’s prisons due to the coronavirus.
As the groups demanded the mass release of prisoners, they hung banners on the fencing that read “Killer Bill Lives Here.”
Coalition Member Groups
The Nashville People’s Budget Coalition lists eight member groups that, through their websites or Facebook pages, describe their organizations, missions and some of their recent activities.
Black Lives Matter Network is a chapter-based national organization working for the validity of Black liberation movement of which Black Lives Matter Nashville is a local chapter with the guiding principles of diversity; restorative justice; globalism; queer affirming; unapologetically black; collective value; empathy; loving engagement; transgender affirming; black villages; black women; black families; intergenerational.
A major participant in the protest-turned-riot, Black Lives Matter Nashville’s Facebook page shared the May 30 event which was called “I Will Breathe” Revolution Rally (Murder of George Floyd) Solidarity for Victims of Police Brutality & White Supremacy. Listed as participating is The Brother’s Round Table, KEVA Inc., Equity Alliance, DADS, Bullets Have No Eyes, Motorcycles Clubs of Nashville, WNEO, Black Panthers, Gideon’s Army, NAACP, Nashville United, 92Q, JohnSmithMarketing.com, Black People Making Moves, Nation of Islam, African American Cultural Alliance and TN Activist Coalition.
Free Hearts is an organization led by formerly incarcerated women that provides support, education, and advocacy to families impacted by incarceration, with the ultimate goals of reuniting families and keeping families together.
Free Hearts’ Facebook page included a post, “Here is what you can say about the Mayor’s proposed budget.”
The day after the Council meeting, there was a follow-up post, “Last night was inspiring, but the work doesn’t end here. It’s only just beginning. Our coalition knows that police and jails ultimately do not keep us safe. Together #wekeepussafe. We are readying next steps as we push to demand a budget that meets the needs of black and indigenous folks, people of color, and working class folks in Nashville by divesting from policing and investing in the communities we deserve to live and thrive in. Stay tuned for critical next action steps in the days to come as we prepare for Council’s final vote on June 16! #defundpolice #defendblacklives #wekeepussafe”
In an earlier post from May 21, Free Hearts referred to the Governor as #KillerBill and included a video of the protest at the executive residence along with the post, “A call to action demanding Gov. Bill Lee to use his Clemency powers and to change policies that are killing our people, our family, our friends, our loved ones everyday that they are incarcerated. Sick, elderly, disabled, parole/probation—let them go! #ClemencyNow #FreeThemAll”
Gideon’s Army’s mission is to “act collectively, boldly and strategically as a unified force for all children. We eliminate the root causes of the prison pipeline, save our children from death and incarceration and guide them on a secure path to success.”
A video on the organization’s Facebook page said that they were not part of the May 30 protest-turned riot cautioned against agitators, spoke passionately against those tactics and promoted more strategic approaches.
Regarding the Metro Council meeting, the organization reported on Facebook, “over nearly 11 hours, more than 125 called in or showed up in person to tell Metro Council what you want to see in a true “public safety” budget: fully funded education, affordable housing, transit, social services, libraries, community centers, and all the things that keep us safe in ways that policy & jails never will.”
Music City Riders United (MCRU) is an organization of public bus riders fighting for equitable transit to meet the needs of working-class Nashvillians. MCRU continues to address racial and economic inequities in Nashville both in transit and more widely as a project of Workers’ Dignity, an umbrella organization of low-wage workers organizing for economic justice and the dignity of all.
MCRU prepared a Bus Route Report Card and determined that Nashville’s WeGo public transit system is not adequately serving the city’s workforce and ridership, and Metro Nashville Public Works and the Tennessee Department of Transportation are failing riders in providing pedestrian safety near bus stops, according to 619 bus riders on 316 different routes reported through surveys of 10 standards of quality conducted between May and October 2018.
MCRU posted to Facebook a step-by-step guide for calling in to provide public comment at the Metro Council meeting on the budget. “This year our fight is even stronger because we’re part of the movement to build a People’s Budget with the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition.”
No Exceptions Prison Collective is a grassroots initiative in Nashville dedicated to transforming the social segregation of prison by advocating that there be no exceptions to the abolition of slavery. The organization maintains that abolition of slavery or involuntary servitude in the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which excepted punishment for a crime, created a carve out for slavery’s continued existence that is embodied through mass incarceration via the prison industrial complex.
In addition to being a contributor to the Coalition budget, according to a Facebook post, director Jeannie Alexander was at the peaceful downtown Nashville protest on June 4 and on May 21 “joined fellow Tennessee Organizing for Power Statewide Coalition members today in an action highlighting the rising death toll from Governor Bill Lee’s policies which cost the lives of Tennesseans.”
“We shut down the street in front of the Governor’s plantation today with a display of these deaths. We lined his fence with bodybags, coffins, and tombstones to represent the precious lives lost to his cruelty.”
People’s Alliance for Transit, Housing and Employment (PATHE), which stands for the ordinary people of Nashville and against the greedy, “is a coalition of ordinary people – renters, unhoused people, transit employees, construction workers, bus riders, students, activists and other concerned residents – that came together because we were tired of city leaders working only for the interests of developers, big corporations, and the rich.”
“Instead, we’ve demanded the city powers that be take necessary steps to address Nashville’s crises in housing, transportation, and employment.”
PATHE is a movement for 31,000 affordable homes, the lack of which is “a crisis that is hurting thousands of Nashville residents with one of the largest divisions of haves and have-nots in our lifetime.”
PATHE believes that the housing crisis is urgent with skyrocketing rent causing displacement while the rich and powerful continue to profit from it and calls for solutions that treat dignified, affordable housing as a basic human right.
Southerners on New Ground (SONG) Nashville is “a regional Queer Liberation organization made up of people of color, immigrants, undocumented people, people with disabilities, working class and rural and small town, LGBTQ people in the South. SONG’s mission is a home for LGBTQ liberation across all lines of race, class, abilities, age, culture, gender, and sexuality in the South. We build, sustain, and connect a southern regional base of LBGTQ people in order to transform the region through strategic projects and campaigns developed in response to the current conditions in our communities. SONG builds this movement through leadership development, intersectional analysis, and organizing.”
SONG shared a Facebook post by Tennessee Organizing for Power Statewide about the May 21 protest at the Governor’s mansion to demand mass release from Tennessee prisons that included a photo montage from the protest.
Workers’ Dignity / Dignidad Obrera is a worker center organizing for economic justice and dignity, especially low-wage workers facing abuse by employers, bus riders confronting transit racism, and immigrants facing increased ICE raids and detention. The organization has monthly training meetings for “members” who need help in recovering unpaid wages, as explained a YouTube video in Spanish with English subtitles.
Workers’ Dignity is fighting for a fully-funded equitable public transit system with MCRU and housing for all including 31,000 affordable homes through PATHE.
The organization had a live video from the May 30 protest on its Facebook page as well numerous posts about the Coalition’s budget proposal, including talking points to be used during the Metro Council meeting.
Most if not all of the organizations appear to be linked to Tennessee Organizing for Power Statewide (TOPS), a coalition of over 40 justice-oriented and grassroots groups located across the state.
Established in February 2019, the coalition envisions new possibilities for public safety that are rooted in fully resourced communities, according to the “About” section of the TOPS Facebook page.
TOPS is noticeably more forward in asking on its Facebook page for donations directly or on behalf of the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition, the individual groups that make up the Coalition, or the Nashville Economic Justice Alliance, Health and Free Tennessee, The Equity Alliance Fund and The Equity Alliance.
The TOPS website reveals an extensive list of demands “surrounding the ongoing issues Tennesseans are facing that re now exacerbated by COVID-19.”
The demands are broken into several wide-ranging categories including jails, detention centers and Tennessee Department of Corrections, prison release, housing, workers’ rights, economic justice, healthcare, voting rights, as well as education and children.
According to its Facebook page, TOPS was live during the May 21 protest at the Governor’s mansion, posting “Families and organizers from across TN, are demanding that Gov. Lee grant our people #ClemencyNow #FreeThem All”
—
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star.


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--Tennessee Officials Charge Fayette County and Mississippi Women with TennCare Fraud

Tennessee officials have charged two women in separate cases , one from Fayette County and another from Mississippi , with TennCare fraud .
Authorities charged Shuvonda Barnett , 36 , ( pictured left ) of Rossville , with 48 counts of TennCare fraud and two counts of theft of services over $ 10,000 but under $ 60,000 , according to a Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration press release .
“ Barnett is accused of falsely reporting her income in order to obtain TennCare benefits for herself and her three children , ” the press release said .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fees and claims on behalf of Barnett and her children.
” The theft of services charges are class C felonies , and the TennCare fraud charges are class D felonies .
If convicted , Barnett could face penalties of up to a maximum of 606 years in prison .
District Attorney General Mark E. Davidson of Fayette County is prosecuting , the press release said .
According to another press release , authorities charged Shenika V. Vason , of Holly Springs , MS , ( pictured right ) with 19 counts of TennCare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over $ 10,000 but under $ 60,000 .
“ The charges allege that she reported a Tennessee address to state officials when she and her children were residing in Mississippi , ” the press release said .
“ As a result , TennCare paid $ 11,197.10 in fees and claims on behalf of Mason and her children.
” If convicted , Mason could face penalties of up to a maximum of 243 years in prison for the charges .
The theft of services charge is a class C felony , and the TennCare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davidson is prosecuting this case as well , the press release said .
The OIG , which is separate from TennCare , began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated over 5,760 criminal cases leading to more than $ 10.8 million ordered in restitution to TennCare .
This has helped lead to a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $ 163.6 million for TennCare , according to the latest figures .
To date , authorities have charged 3,158 people with TennCare fraud , the press release said .
Chris Butler is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Tennessee officials have charged two women in separate cases, one from Fayette County and another from Mississippi, with TennCare fraud.
Authorities charged Shuvonda Barnett, 36, (pictured left) of Rossville, with 48 counts of TennCare fraud and two counts of theft of services over $10,000 but under $60,000, according to a Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration press release.
“Barnett is accused of falsely reporting her income in order to obtain TennCare benefits for herself and her three children,” the press release said.
“In all, TennCare paid $35,773.90 in fees and claims on behalf of Barnett and her children.”
The theft of services charges are class C felonies, and the TennCare fraud charges are class D felonies. If convicted, Barnett could face penalties of up to a maximum of 606 years in prison. District Attorney General Mark E. Davidson of Fayette County is prosecuting, the press release said.
According to another press release, authorities charged Shenika V. Vason, of Holly Springs, MS, (pictured right) with 19 counts of TennCare Fraud and one count theft of services over $10,000 but under $60,000.
“The charges allege that she reported a Tennessee address to state officials when she and her children were residing in Mississippi,” the press release said.
“As a result, TennCare paid $11,197.10 in fees and claims on behalf of Mason and her children.”
If convicted, Mason could face penalties of up to a maximum of 243 years in prison for the charges. The theft of services charge is a class C felony, and the TennCare fraud charges are class D felonies. Davidson is prosecuting this case as well, the press release said.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated over 5,760 criminal cases leading to more than $10.8 million ordered in restitution to TennCare. This has helped lead to a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to the latest figures. To date, authorities have charged 3,158 people with TennCare fraud, the press release said.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--OPEC, Allied Nations Extend Nearly 10M Barrel Cut by a Month

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) — OPEC and allied nations agreed Saturday to extend a production cut of nearly 10 million barrels of oil a day through the end of July , hoping to boost energy prices hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic .
Ministers of the cartel and outside nations like Russia met via video conference to adopt the measure , aimed at cutting out the excess production depressing prices as global aviation remains largely grounded due to the pandemic .
It represents some 10 % of the world ’ s overall supply .
However , danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oil Minister Mohamed Arkab , the current OPEC president , warned attendees that the global oil inventory would soar to 1.5 billion barrels by the mid-point of this year .
“ Despite the progress to date , we can not afford to rest on our laurels , ” Arkab said .
“ The challenges we face remain daunting.
” That was a message echoed by Saudi Oil Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman , who acknowledged “ we all have made sacrifices to make it where we are today.
” He said he remained shocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil futures plunged below zero .
“ There are encouraging signs we are over the worst , ” he said .
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak similarly called April “ the worst month in history ” for the global oil market .
The decision came in a unanimous vote , Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei of the United Arab Emirates wrote on Twitter .
He called it “ a courageous decision and a collective effort deserving praise from all participating producing countries.
” OPEC has 13 member states and is largely dominated by oil-rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the plus-accord have been led by Russia , with Mexico under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador playing a considerable role at the last minute in the initial agreement .
Crude oil prices have been gaining in recent days , in part on hopes OPEC would continue the cut .
International benchmark Brent crude traded Saturday at over $ 42 a barrel .
Brent had crashed below $ 20 a barrel in April .
The oil market was already oversupplied when Russia and OPEC failed to agree on output cuts in early March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even a moderate cut because it would have only served to help U.S. energy companies that were pumping at full capacity .
Stalling would hurt American shale-oil producers and protect market share .
Russia ’ s move enraged Saudi Arabia , which not only said it would not cut production on its own but that it would increase output instead and reduce its selling prices in what became effectively a global pricing war .
Prices collapsed as the coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness it causes largely halted global travel .
That also hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Donald Trump .
But Trump welcomed the earlier deal , as U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette did on Saturday with the extension .
“ I applaud OPEC-plus for reaching an important agreement today which comes at a pivotal time as oil demand continues to recover and economies reopen around the world , ” Brouillette wrote on Twitter .
Under a deal reached in April , OPEC and allied countries were to cut nearly 10 million barrels per day until July , then 8 million barrels per day through the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day for 16 months beginning in 2021 .
However , some countries produced beyond their quotas set by the deal .
One of them was Iraq , which remains decimated after the yearslong war against the Islamic State group .
On Saturday , Iraq Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said in statement that Baghdad had “ renewed its full commitment ” to the OPEC+ deal .
“ Despite the economic and financial circumstances that Iraq is facing , the country remains committed to the agreement , ” Jihad said .
Analysts had expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cuts of 10 million barrels per day by one more month , but not longer , since the level of demand is still fluctuating .
“ If the demand is great , countries like Russia will want to produce more oil , so they probably won ’ t want to get locked into a longer-term deal that may not help them , ” said Jacques Rousseau , managing director at Clearview Energy Partners .
John Gambrell reports for The Associated Press .
The AP ’ s Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barkindo ” by OPEC .

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — OPEC and allied nations agreed Saturday to extend a production cut of nearly 10 million barrels of oil a day through the end of July, hoping to boost energy prices hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Ministers of the cartel and outside nations like Russia met via video conference to adopt the measure, aimed at cutting out the excess production depressing prices as global aviation remains largely grounded due to the pandemic. It represents some 10% of the world’s overall supply.
However, danger still lurks for the market. Algerian Oil Minister Mohamed Arkab, the current OPEC president, warned attendees that the global oil inventory would soar to 1.5 billion barrels by the mid-point of this year.
“Despite the progress to date, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels,” Arkab said. “The challenges we face remain daunting.”
That was a message echoed by Saudi Oil Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, who acknowledged “we all have made sacrifices to make it where we are today.” He said he remained shocked by the day in April when U.S. oil futures plunged below zero.
“There are encouraging signs we are over the worst,” he said.
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak similarly called April “the worst month in history” for the global oil market.
The decision came in a unanimous vote, Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei of the United Arab Emirates wrote on Twitter. He called it “a courageous decision and a collective effort deserving praise from all participating producing countries.”
OPEC has 13 member states and is largely dominated by oil-rich Saudi Arabia. The additional countries part of the plus-accord have been led by Russia, with Mexico under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador playing a considerable role at the last minute in the initial agreement.
Crude oil prices have been gaining in recent days, in part on hopes OPEC would continue the cut. International benchmark Brent crude traded Saturday at over $42 a barrel. Brent had crashed below $20 a barrel in April.
The oil market was already oversupplied when Russia and OPEC failed to agree on output cuts in early March. Analysts say Russia refused to back even a moderate cut because it would have only served to help U.S. energy companies that were pumping at full capacity. Stalling would hurt American shale-oil producers and protect market share.
Russia’s move enraged Saudi Arabia, which not only said it would not cut production on its own but that it would increase output instead and reduce its selling prices in what became effectively a global pricing war.
Prices collapsed as the coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness it causes largely halted global travel. That also hurt U.S. shale production, drawing the ire of President Donald Trump. But Trump welcomed the earlier deal, as U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette did on Saturday with the extension.
“I applaud OPEC-plus for reaching an important agreement today which comes at a pivotal time as oil demand continues to recover and economies reopen around the world,” Brouillette wrote on Twitter.
Under a deal reached in April, OPEC and allied countries were to cut nearly 10 million barrels per day until July, then 8 million barrels per day through the end of the year, and 6 million a day for 16 months beginning in 2021.
However, some countries produced beyond their quotas set by the deal. One of them was Iraq, which remains decimated after the yearslong war against the Islamic State group.
On Saturday, Iraq Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said in statement that Baghdad had “renewed its full commitment” to the OPEC+ deal.
“Despite the economic and financial circumstances that Iraq is facing, the country remains committed to the agreement,” Jihad said.
Analysts had expected OPEC and the other nations to extend the cuts of 10 million barrels per day by one more month, but not longer, since the level of demand is still fluctuating.
“If the demand is great, countries like Russia will want to produce more oil, so they probably won’t want to get locked into a longer-term deal that may not help them,” said Jacques Rousseau, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners.
– – –
John Gambrell reports for The Associated Press. The AP’s Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed to this report.
Photo “Mohammad Barkindo” by OPEC.


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--Montgomery Bell Academy to Remove Statue of Confederate Soldier Sam Davis

A Tennessee school says it will remove the statue of Confederate soldier Sam Davis from its campus within a week .
Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville says on Twitter that the decision was made because the school strives to be an inclusive community , not one that is , or is perceived as , racist or supportive of values that demean or marginalize others .
Davis , a native of Tennessee , was captured by Union soldiers in the 1860s and hanged for refusing to reveal the name of a spy .
“ It was placed on the campus because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection to one of MBA ’ s predecessor schools and the attributes of loyalty and friendship associated with his life and story , ” the school said of the statue Thursday on Twitter .
“ We recognize the ways in which this story and Sam Davis ’ s association with the Confederacy have become increasingly troubling , particularly as perspectives on the past have shifted.
” Other Confederate symbols have come down in the South amid protests over George Floyd ’ s death 12 days ago at the hands of police in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school for boys in 7th through 12th grade .

A Tennessee school says it will remove the statue of Confederate soldier Sam Davis from its campus within a week.
Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville says on Twitter that the decision was made because the school strives to be an inclusive community, not one that is, or is perceived as, racist or supportive of values that demean or marginalize others.
Davis, a native of Tennessee, was captured by Union soldiers in the 1860s and hanged for refusing to reveal the name of a spy.
“It was placed on the campus because of Sam Davis’s pre-Civil War connection to one of MBA’s predecessor schools and the attributes of loyalty and friendship associated with his life and story,” the school said of the statue Thursday on Twitter. “We recognize the ways in which this story and Sam Davis’s association with the Confederacy have become increasingly troubling, particularly as perspectives on the past have shifted.”
MBA understands the concerns about the Sam Davis statue, and we will remove the statue from the campus within the week. It was placed on the campus because of Sam Davis's pre-Civil War connection to one of MBA's predecessor schools and the attributes of loyalty and friendship… — Montgomery Bell Academy📚 (@MontgomeryBell) June 4, 2020
Other Confederate symbols have come down in the South amid protests over George Floyd’s death 12 days ago at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Montgomery Bell Academy is a private school for boys in 7th through 12th grade.
– – –
Photo “Sam Davis Statue” by Montgomery Bell Academy.


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--Commentary: Enemies of Homeschooling Are Scared – and They Should Be

Nearly every family with kids has gotten a taste of homeschooling over the past two months .
In an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 , at least 124,000 schools have closed for over 55 million children in the U.S. At the same time , opponents of homeschooling launched several unfounded attacks on the practice .
For example , The Washington Post ran an opinion piece claiming “ homeschooling during the coronavirus will set back a generation of children , ” and a Salon article said that “ homeschooling as a result of the pandemic will likely worsen education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy and nation ’ s social well-being.
” The most relentless attacks on homeschooling , however , have come from publications affiliated with Harvard University .
Harvard Magazine initially released an article on “ The Risks of Homeschooling , ” highlighting the work of Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Bartholet , who calls for a presumptive ban on the practice because she believes it “ violates children ’ s right to a ‘ meaningful education ’ and their right to be protected from potential child abuse.
” Harvard Law School also planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer , co-organized by Bartholet , on the “ problems of educational deprivation and child maltreatment that too often occur under the guise of homeschooling.
” Since then , The Harvard Crimson published the column “ In Defense of Elizabeth Bartholet ” by a Harvard University employee and The Harvard Gazette released an interview with Bartholet titled “ A Warning on Homeschooling.
” Although the attacks on homeschooling lack situational awareness – coming just as parents and students try to make the best of the situation they ’ re in during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understandable if one ’ s goal is to reduce the number of homeschoolers in the long-run .
About a month ago , I pointed out that when it comes to the numbers , the enemies of homeschooling might be freaking out because they have nothing to gain and everything to lose from the lockdown .
Even in the unlikely event that every single family decides that they do not like their test-drive of homeschooling , the post-pandemic proportion of homeschoolers would simply return to the pre-coronavirus level of about 3 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who figure out that they do not like homeschooling – or at least the watered-down version of it during a crisis – weren ’ t homeschooling anyway .
But , imagine if only 2 % of the families with children who attended government schools before the lockdown decide to continue homeschooling post-pandemic .
Because around 50 million children attended public schools before the lockdown , that 2 % change would lead to around one million more homeschoolers next year .
Because around 1.7 million students were homeschooled before the lockdown , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. homeschool population .
According to a story by Insider , Bartholet admitted “ she ’ s concerned that families who weren ’ t homeschooling prior to the pandemic will decide to go that route , even after schools reopen.
” Bartholet is right about one thing – the data show that enemies of homeschooling freedom indeed have a lot to worry about .
The first evidence on the subject , a nationally representative survey conducted by EdChoice and Morning Consult , found that 52 % of families reported having a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of COVID-19 , whereas only 26 % of families reported having a less favorable view of homeschooling .
More recently , a national online survey conducted by RealClear Opinion Research found that 40 % of parents say they are more likely to homeschool or virtual school after the lockdown , whereas only 31 % reported the opposite .
Just this week , a survey conducted by USA Today and Ipsos found that 60 % of parents are likely to continue homeschooling this fall even if schools reopen .
Additionally , the poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being “ very likely ” to continue homeschooling this fall .
While some of these families would be considering homeschooling because they ’ re scared to send their children to school during a pandemic , the openness to homeschooling is especially compelling because home education during a pandemic is arguably the worst-case scenario for what homeschooling could actually look like .
The shift to homeschooling was involuntary and abrupt this spring , and the lockdown means that children aren ’ t able to access social learning activities such as theaters , museums , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorable the responses would have been if the families were able to test-drive real homeschooling .
To attempt to more closely address the specific question of how many families will actually switch over to homeschooling , I conducted a non-representative informal survey of 1,330 parents using my social media accounts and the Reason Foundation website .
In the survey , I asked parents where they sent their youngest school-aged child before the COVID-19 lockdown and where they plan to send that same child after the lockdown .
My informal , unscientific survey found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had children attending government schools before the lockdown report that they currently plan to continue homeschooling even after the lockdown .
Anything approaching that number would represent a huge change in the education system .
Around 50 million children were in government schools before the lockdown , so a 15 % transfer to homeschooling would increase the U.S. homeschooling population by about 7.5 million students , which would approximately quintuple the current number of homeschoolers .
However , the results of this survey should be considered with caution since the respondents are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general population of families .
Although each of these data points is imperfect , they all point in the same direction and tell a similar story : homeschooling could rise substantially next year .
These results make sense .
Anecdotally , families are reporting that their children are less anxious , more “ relaxed , ” “ reading better , ” and “ so much happier.
” Some parents have even reported that they officially unenrolled their children from the government school because they are committed to continue homeschooling after the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect that families will want to continue homeschooling even after conventional schools reopen .
Images and videos from other countries can give Americans a glimpse of what schooling might look next fall when schools would be reopening before a vaccine is available — and some families might be reluctant to send their children back to those environments .
For example , an image from a school reopening in France showed young children each trapped in one-person play spaces outside during recess .
A viral video from an elementary school in Canada showed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look when students returned .
The teacher said that there would be one-way hallways , desks six feet apart , and that the gym , library , playground , and cafeteria would all be closed .
Many commentators on social media asked if the video was a parody , and some people pointed out that the video was a fantastic advertisement for homeschooling .
One of the main purported benefits of conventional schooling is that children might experience positive forms of socialization .
However , the just-released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could largely reduce some of the opportunities for kids to socialize .
Regardless of how one feels about the costs and benefits of the CDC guidelines themselves , they are likely to keep some families from sending their children back to conventional schools next year .
In fact , RedState ’ s Kira Davis said that “ I will not send my child back to our very excellent local public school if it looks anything like this.
” But these data aren ’ t the only thing that should worry enemies of homeschooling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the practice don ’ t hold water .
Harvard ’ s Elizabeth Bartholet calls for a presumptive ban on homeschooling because she believes it “ violates children ’ s right to a ‘ meaningful education ’ and their right to be protected from potential child abuse.
” Those claims are not supported by the evidence .
A peer-reviewed systematic review of the evidence shows that homeschoolers generally fare better academically and socially than their peers in government schools .
A 2018 review of the evidence found that “ homeschooled children are abused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the general public , and no evidence shows that the home educated are at any higher risk of abuse.
” However , we do have evidence of real educational failures and abuse in government schools .
For example , a review of the literature conducted by the Department of Education estimated that one in 10 children in government schools would experience some type of educator sexual misconduct by the time they graduate from high school .
And the Nation ’ s Report Card just reported that only 15 % of eighth grade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and three out of four students are not proficient in civics or geography .
By Bartholet ’ s own logic , these results suggest she should be calling for a presumptive ban on government schooling , not homeschooling .
Bartholet generalizes extreme outliers to justify a presumptive ban on the practice for everyone – but only when it comes to homeschooling .
A ban punishes all families for the actions of a few bad actors .
Bartholet understands that her own logic is faulty – or at least it appears she did back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia Today in 2014 , Elizabeth Bartholet refuted her own current-day argument to ban homeschooling for everyone based on rare instances of negative events such as abuse .
When the interviewer cited rare cases of abuse to argue against the current form of international adoption , Bartholet pointed out that “ people who do not like international adoption love the fact that occasionally scandals show up because those scandals can be used as a way to shut down international adoption.
” Bartholet ’ s argument was clear in 2014 : We shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She was right .
But the professor should apply that same logic to the homeschooling debate in 2020 and rethink her proposal to ban the practice .
Things aren ’ t looking good for the enemies of homeschooling .
Their arguments to take away our right to educate our own children at home lack evidence and logic .
Families are also figuring out that homeschooling can work better than conventional schooling , and the latest data indicate that there may be a massive spike in the proportion of homeschoolers next year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately lead to parents finding out what education systems work best for their kids and to an expansion of educational freedom .
Corey DeAngelis , Ph.D. is the director of school choice at Reason Foundation , the executive director at Educational Freedom Institute , and an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute .
Photo “ Homeschooling ” by IowaPolitics.com CC2.0 .

by Corey DeAngelis
Nearly every family with kids has gotten a taste of homeschooling over the past two months. In an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, at least 124,000 schools have closed for over 55 million children in the U.S. At the same time, opponents of homeschooling launched several unfounded attacks on the practice. For example, The Washington Post ran an opinion piece claiming “homeschooling during the coronavirus will set back a generation of children,” and a Salon article said that “homeschooling as a result of the pandemic will likely worsen education for students and pose serious problems to the economy and nation’s social well-being.”
The most relentless attacks on homeschooling, however, have come from publications affiliated with Harvard University. Harvard Magazine initially released an article on “The Risks of Homeschooling,” highlighting the work of Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Bartholet, who calls for a presumptive ban on the practice because she believes it “violates children’s right to a ‘meaningful education’ and their right to be protected from potential child abuse.”
Harvard Law School also planned to host a now-cancelled anti-homeschooling conference this summer, co-organized by Bartholet, on the “problems of educational deprivation and child maltreatment that too often occur under the guise of homeschooling.”
Since then, The Harvard Crimson published the column “In Defense of Elizabeth Bartholet” by a Harvard University employee and The Harvard Gazette released an interview with Bartholet titled “A Warning on Homeschooling.”
Although the attacks on homeschooling lack situational awareness – coming just as parents and students try to make the best of the situation they’re in during the pandemic – the persistent backlash might be more understandable if one’s goal is to reduce the number of homeschoolers in the long-run. About a month ago, I pointed out that when it comes to the numbers, the enemies of homeschooling might be freaking out because they have nothing to gain and everything to lose from the lockdown.
Even in the unlikely event that every single family decides that they do not like their test-drive of homeschooling, the post-pandemic proportion of homeschoolers would simply return to the pre-coronavirus level of about 3% of the school-aged population. This is because the people who figure out that they do not like homeschooling – or at least the watered-down version of it during a crisis – weren’t homeschooling anyway.
But, imagine if only 2% of the families with children who attended government schools before the lockdown decide to continue homeschooling post-pandemic. Because around 50 million children attended public schools before the lockdown, that 2% change would lead to around one million more homeschoolers next year. Because around 1.7 million students were homeschooled before the lockdown, that would be around a 59% jump in the U.S. homeschool population.
According to a story by Insider, Bartholet admitted “she’s concerned that families who weren’t homeschooling prior to the pandemic will decide to go that route, even after schools reopen.”
Bartholet is right about one thing – the data show that enemies of homeschooling freedom indeed have a lot to worry about.
The first evidence on the subject, a nationally representative survey conducted by EdChoice and Morning Consult, found that 52% of families reported having a more favorable view of homeschooling as a result of COVID-19, whereas only 26% of families reported having a less favorable view of homeschooling.
More recently, a national online survey conducted by RealClear Opinion Research found that 40% of parents say they are more likely to homeschool or virtual school after the lockdown, whereas only 31% reported the opposite.
Just this week, a survey conducted by USA Today and Ipsos found that 60% of parents are likely to continue homeschooling this fall even if schools reopen. Additionally, the poll found that 30% of parents reported being “very likely” to continue homeschooling this fall.
While some of these families would be considering homeschooling because they’re scared to send their children to school during a pandemic, the openness to homeschooling is especially compelling because home education during a pandemic is arguably the worst-case scenario for what homeschooling could actually look like. The shift to homeschooling was involuntary and abrupt this spring, and the lockdown means that children aren’t able to access social learning activities such as theaters, museums, or team sports. Just imagine how favorable the responses would have been if the families were able to test-drive real homeschooling.
To attempt to more closely address the specific question of how many families will actually switch over to homeschooling, I conducted a non-representative informal survey of 1,330 parents using my social media accounts and the Reason Foundation website. In the survey, I asked parents where they sent their youngest school-aged child before the COVID-19 lockdown and where they plan to send that same child after the lockdown. My informal, unscientific survey found that around 15% of families who had children attending government schools before the lockdown report that they currently plan to continue homeschooling even after the lockdown.
Anything approaching that number would represent a huge change in the education system. Around 50 million children were in government schools before the lockdown, so a 15% transfer to homeschooling would increase the U.S. homeschooling population by about 7.5 million students, which would approximately quintuple the current number of homeschoolers.
However, the results of this survey should be considered with caution since the respondents are likely more predisposed to switch to homeschooling than the general population of families.
Although each of these data points is imperfect, they all point in the same direction and tell a similar story: homeschooling could rise substantially next year. These results make sense. Anecdotally, families are reporting that their children are less anxious, more “relaxed,” “reading better,” and “so much happier.” Some parents have even reported that they officially unenrolled their children from the government school because they are committed to continue homeschooling after the lockdown.
There’s another reason to expect that families will want to continue homeschooling even after conventional schools reopen. Images and videos from other countries can give Americans a glimpse of what schooling might look next fall when schools would be reopening before a vaccine is available — and some families might be reluctant to send their children back to those environments.
For example, an image from a school reopening in France showed young children each trapped in one-person play spaces outside during recess. A viral video from an elementary school in Canada showed a teacher explaining how a typical day would look when students returned. The teacher said that there would be one-way hallways, desks six feet apart, and that the gym, library, playground, and cafeteria would all be closed. Many commentators on social media asked if the video was a parody, and some people pointed out that the video was a fantastic advertisement for homeschooling.
One of the main purported benefits of conventional schooling is that children might experience positive forms of socialization. However, the just-released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for reopening schools could largely reduce some of the opportunities for kids to socialize. Regardless of how one feels about the costs and benefits of the CDC guidelines themselves, they are likely to keep some families from sending their children back to conventional schools next year. In fact, RedState’s Kira Davis said that “I will not send my child back to our very excellent local public school if it looks anything like this.”
But these data aren’t the only thing that should worry enemies of homeschooling. Their arguments for a presumptive ban on the practice don’t hold water. Harvard’s Elizabeth Bartholet calls for a presumptive ban on homeschooling because she believes it “violates children’s right to a ‘meaningful education’ and their right to be protected from potential child abuse.”
Those claims are not supported by the evidence. A peer-reviewed systematic review of the evidence shows that homeschoolers generally fare better academically and socially than their peers in government schools. A 2018 review of the evidence found that “homeschooled children are abused at a lower rate than are those in the general public, and no evidence shows that the home educated are at any higher risk of abuse.”
However, we do have evidence of real educational failures and abuse in government schools. For example, a review of the literature conducted by the Department of Education estimated that one in 10 children in government schools would experience some type of educator sexual misconduct by the time they graduate from high school. And the Nation’s Report Card just reported that only 15% of eighth grade students are proficient in U.S. history, and three out of four students are not proficient in civics or geography. By Bartholet’s own logic, these results suggest she should be calling for a presumptive ban on government schooling, not homeschooling.
Bartholet generalizes extreme outliers to justify a presumptive ban on the practice for everyone – but only when it comes to homeschooling. A ban punishes all families for the actions of a few bad actors. Bartholet understands that her own logic is faulty – or at least it appears she did back in 2014.
In an interview with Russia Today in 2014, Elizabeth Bartholet refuted her own current-day argument to ban homeschooling for everyone based on rare instances of negative events such as abuse. When the interviewer cited rare cases of abuse to argue against the current form of international adoption, Bartholet pointed out that “people who do not like international adoption love the fact that occasionally scandals show up because those scandals can be used as a way to shut down international adoption.”
Bartholet’s argument was clear in 2014: We shouldn’t generalize extreme outliers to the population. She was right. But the professor should apply that same logic to the homeschooling debate in 2020 and rethink her proposal to ban the practice.
Things aren’t looking good for the enemies of homeschooling. Their arguments to take away our right to educate our own children at home lack evidence and logic. Families are also figuring out that homeschooling can work better than conventional schooling, and the latest data indicate that there may be a massive spike in the proportion of homeschoolers next year. The difficult circumstances of the pandemic may ultimately lead to parents finding out what education systems work best for their kids and to an expansion of educational freedom.
– – –
Corey DeAngelis, Ph.D. is the director of school choice at Reason Foundation, the executive director at Educational Freedom Institute, and an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute.
Photo “Homeschooling” by IowaPolitics.com CC2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--California Sheriff Deputy Damon Gutzwiller Killed, Two Others Injured in Ambush-Style Attack by Air

California Sheriff Deputy Damon Gutzwiller Killed, Two Others Injured in Ambush-Style Attack by Air Force Sgt. Steven Carrillo

SANTA CRUZ , Calif. ( AP ) — A Northern California sheriff ’ s deputy was killed and two law enforcement officers wounded Saturday when they were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect , authorities said .
The U.S. Air Force confirmed Sunday that the suspect was an active duty sergeant stationed at Travis Air Force Base .
Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , 38 , was shot and killed in Ben Lomond , an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz , Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said .
A second deputy was injured , and a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot in his hand , Hart said .
Gutzwiller “ was a beloved figure here at the sheriff ’ s office , ” the sheriff said .
“ Damon showed up today to do his job , to keep this community safe , and his life was taken needlessly , ” a visibly shaken Hart said .
The suspect , Steven Carrillo , 32 , was shot during his arrest and was being treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries , Hart said .
The Sheriff ’ s Department and the FBI are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman confirmed Sunday that Carrillo had arrived at Travis Air Force Base in June 2018 and was a member of the 60th Security Forces Squadron .
Carrillo ’ s wife Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo , who was also in the Air Force , was found dead in an off-base hotel in May 2018 while she was stationed in South Carolina .
She was 30 .
Her death was investigated by the Sumter County Sheriff ’ s Office , in coordination with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations , and ruled a suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Saturday in Santa Cruz County , deputies responded to a 911 call around 1:30 p.m. about a suspicious van .
The caller said there were guns and bomb-making devices inside , Hart said .
When deputies arrived , the van pulled away and the deputies followed .
The van went down a driveway at Carrillo ’ s home and the deputies were ambushed by gunfire and explosives after getting out of their vehicle .
Gutzwiller was wounded and later died at a hospital .
Another deputy was wounded by gunfire or shrapnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect fled .
Carrillo attempted to carjack a vehicle and was wounded while being arrested .
Hart said Carrillo was taken to the hospital for treatment and would be charged with first-degree murder .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom extended condolences to Gutzwiller ’ s family and ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff in honor of the slain deputy .
“ He will be remembered as a hero who devoted his life to protecting the community and as a loving husband and father , ” Newsom said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a town of about 6,000 people tucked up in the Santa Cruz mountains .
Resident Kathy Crocker brought a bouquet to the sheriff ’ s office as Hart gave a news conference about the shootings .
“ It just breaks my heart that this keeps happening , ” she said , as teary-eyed deputies entered the building .
Martha Mendoza reports for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : This photo provided by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Office shows Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller .
Gutzwiller was shot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in Ben Lomond , an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz , Calif. , when he and two other law enforcement officers were ambushed by a suspect .
( Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Office via AP )

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California sheriff’s deputy was killed and two law enforcement officers wounded Saturday when they were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect, authorities said.
The U.S. Air Force confirmed Sunday that the suspect was an active duty sergeant stationed at Travis Air Force Base.
Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was shot and killed in Ben Lomond, an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said. A second deputy was injured, and a third officer from the California Highway Patrol was shot in his hand, Hart said.
Gutzwiller “was a beloved figure here at the sheriff’s office,” the sheriff said.
“Damon showed up today to do his job, to keep this community safe, and his life was taken needlessly,” a visibly shaken Hart said.
The suspect, Steven Carrillo, 32, was shot during his arrest and was being treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Hart said. The Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are investigating.
A Travis Air Force Base spokesman confirmed Sunday that Carrillo had arrived at Travis Air Force Base in June 2018 and was a member of the 60th Security Forces Squadron. Carrillo’s wife Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo, who was also in the Air Force, was found dead in an off-base hotel in May 2018 while she was stationed in South Carolina. She was 30. Her death was investigated by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and ruled a suicide, according to the Air Force.
On Saturday in Santa Cruz County, deputies responded to a 911 call around 1:30 p.m. about a suspicious van. The caller said there were guns and bomb-making devices inside, Hart said.
When deputies arrived, the van pulled away and the deputies followed. The van went down a driveway at Carrillo’s home and the deputies were ambushed by gunfire and explosives after getting out of their vehicle.
Gutzwiller was wounded and later died at a hospital. Another deputy was wounded by gunfire or shrapnel and struck by a vehicle as the suspect fled.
Carrillo attempted to carjack a vehicle and was wounded while being arrested.
Hart said Carrillo was taken to the hospital for treatment and would be charged with first-degree murder.
Gov. Gavin Newsom extended condolences to Gutzwiller’s family and ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff in honor of the slain deputy.
“He will be remembered as a hero who devoted his life to protecting the community and as a loving husband and father,” Newsom said in a statement.
The shooting shocked Ben Lomond, a town of about 6,000 people tucked up in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Resident Kathy Crocker brought a bouquet to the sheriff’s office as Hart gave a news conference about the shootings.
“It just breaks my heart that this keeps happening,” she said, as teary-eyed deputies entered the building.
– – –
Martha Mendoza reports for The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: This photo provided by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office shows Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller. Gutzwiller was shot and killed Saturday, June 6, 2020, in Ben Lomond, an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz, Calif., when he and two other law enforcement officers were ambushed by a suspect. (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office via AP)


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--Thales Academy to Host Parent Interest Meeting Tuesday Night

Thales Academy , a college preparatory network of independent Pre-K-12 schools , will be hosting a parent interest meeting Tuesday night regarding its new campus in Franklin , Tennessee .
The informational meeting is scheduled for June 9 at 6:30 p.m. at The Gate Community Church , the address of which is : 3835 Carothers Parkway , Franklin , TN 37067 .
Thales Academy is a secular school and is not affiliated with The Gate Church .
Thales Academy founder Bob Luddy and two campus administrators will deliver a presentation and take questions .
Franklin joins Richmond , Virginia as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2020-2021 academic year .
Both are scheduled to open in July .
The Franklin campus will begin with grades K-3 during its first year and expand from there .
In addition to Franklin and Richmond , Thales Academy operates eight schools in North Carolina .
In each community , Thales Academy is working with local groups who want to give students and parents in their area the opportunity to be part of a high-quality , low-cost private education based on traditional Judeo-Christian values .
The Thales model emphasizes Direct Instruction rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reading , writing , and arithmetic for K-5 students , and a classical curriculum for 6-12 students .
“ Direct Instruction is a teaching methodology , ” Rachael Bradley , principal of the Franklin campus , said in a recent interview with The Tennessee Star Report .
“ There are over 50 years of research behind it .
It ’ s a data-driven , mastery-based program .
So all our children are achieving mastery .
It allows us to skill group the children so we can meet the needs of everyone sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast-paced , ” she said .
“ And we maximize student engagement .
So everybody is learning and is engaged every minute of the school day.
” Another factor that sets Thales Academy apart is its ability to provide a high-quality , private education at a low cost .
Tuition , for instance , is $ 5,300 annually for elementary school , and $ 6,000 annually for junior high and high school .
These costs , Luddy has suggested , are roughly half of the “ quality private school price ” in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a K-5 school that has 500 kids , students , we have a principal and she has an administrative assistant .
And that ’ s it .
So all these plethora of jobs that exist in the public schools , they don ’ t exist in our schools .
That ’ s huge , ” said Luddy , noting that his schools “ don ’ t have virtually any bureaucracies.
” The school announced in April that it is offering a significant tuition reduction to “ offset the effects of the struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic “ Due to the economic effects of statewide closures , we have decided to reduce tuition to help make our affordable tuition model even more accessible to families in the Franklin area during this challenging time , ” Luddy said in April .
For more information , visit the Thales Academy website here , or read The Tennessee Star ’ s feature story on Luddy .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] @

Thales Academy, a college preparatory network of independent Pre-K-12 schools, will be hosting a parent interest meeting Tuesday night regarding its new campus in Franklin, Tennessee.
The informational meeting is scheduled for June 9 at 6:30 p.m. at The Gate Community Church, the address of which is: 3835 Carothers Parkway, Franklin, TN 37067. Thales Academy is a secular school and is not affiliated with The Gate Church.
Thales Academy founder Bob Luddy and two campus administrators will deliver a presentation and take questions.
Franklin joins Richmond, Virginia as locations Thales Academy has identified for expansion in the 2020-2021 academic year. Both are scheduled to open in July. The Franklin campus will begin with grades K-3 during its first year and expand from there. In addition to Franklin and Richmond, Thales Academy operates eight schools in North Carolina.
In each community, Thales Academy is working with local groups who want to give students and parents in their area the opportunity to be part of a high-quality, low-cost private education based on traditional Judeo-Christian values. The Thales model emphasizes Direct Instruction rather than Common Core to learn the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic for K-5 students, and a classical curriculum for 6-12 students.
“Direct Instruction is a teaching methodology,” Rachael Bradley, principal of the Franklin campus, said in a recent interview with The Tennessee Star Report.
“There are over 50 years of research behind it. It’s a data-driven, mastery-based program. So all our children are achieving mastery. It allows us to skill group the children so we can meet the needs of everyone sitting in the classroom. It’s fast-paced,” she said. “And we maximize student engagement. So everybody is learning and is engaged every minute of the school day.”
Another factor that sets Thales Academy apart is its ability to provide a high-quality, private education at a low cost. Tuition, for instance, is $5,300 annually for elementary school, and $6,000 annually for junior high and high school. These costs, Luddy has suggested, are roughly half of the “quality private school price” in North Carolina.
“So if you look at a K-5 school that has 500 kids, students, we have a principal and she has an administrative assistant. And that’s it. So all these plethora of jobs that exist in the public schools, they don’t exist in our schools. That’s huge,” said Luddy, noting that his schools “don’t have virtually any bureaucracies.”
The school announced in April that it is offering a significant tuition reduction to “offset the effects of the struggling economy” brought on by the coronavirus pandemic
“Due to the economic effects of statewide closures, we have decided to reduce tuition to help make our affordable tuition model even more accessible to families in the Franklin area during this challenging time,” Luddy said in April.
For more information, visit the Thales Academy website here, or read The Tennessee Star’s feature story on Luddy.
– – –
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--New Senate Legislation Targets Foreign Theft of US Research

A new bill looks to grant the government additional oversight on foreign access to U.S. research and intellectual property .
The legislation comes as a response to recent incidents of high-security concern which concern China ’ s relationship with the US , including Chinese programs that seek to recruit American scientists , and the widespread failure of U.S. universities to report foreign funding .
According to the Wall Street Journal , the bill would increase the authority of the State , Justice , and Education Departments to monitor the work of foreign research , as well as U.S. universities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This bill follows a lengthy investigation into Chinese theft of U.S. research and intellectual property conducted by Senators Rob Portman ( R-Ohio ) and Tom Carper ( D-Del . )
, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations , respectively .
In November 2018 , Portman and Carper undertook an investigation into Chinese talent recruitment programs and identified significant security risks posed by the Thousand Talents Plan ( TTP ) , over which they say the Chinese Communist Party is able to “ exert exceptional levels of control.
” Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeks to acquire U.S. intellectual property , but that the U.S. has no counter-strategy that effectively confronts this threat .
“ These talent plans are a win-win for China , ” said Portman .
“ China wins twice .
First , the American taxpayer funds China ’ s research and development .
Second , China uses that research to improve its economic and military status .
This is unacceptable… ” Portman and Carper followed up these investigations with a March report that explores the level of Chinese involvement in U.S. educational institutions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs such as university-hosted Confucius Institutes and highlighted the laxity of the Department of Education in forcing colleges to fully report foreign funding .
“ I think we all agree that the relationship we have with China is complicated .
There is some good , there is some bad .
It is in both of our countries ’ interest , in my view , to have a healthy relationship and have an exchange of new ideas , have the ability to collaborate where appropriate .
But we can not allow this continued theft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Senate hearing as a conclusion to his and Carper ’ s presentation of their findings .
“ My hope is this legislation will send a firm but fair signal to China to change their behavior , respect our laws when it comes to research , and see the wisdom of our research values here in the United States of openness , of transparency , reciprocity , of integrity , and most importantly , merit-based competition.
” Maria Copeland is a Virginia Campus Correspondent for CampusReform.org .
Follow Maria on Twitter at @ @ @

by Maria Copeland
A new bill looks to grant the government additional oversight on foreign access to U.S. research and intellectual property.
The legislation comes as a response to recent incidents of high-security concern which concern China’s relationship with the US, including Chinese programs that seek to recruit American scientists, and the widespread failure of U.S. universities to report foreign funding.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the bill would increase the authority of the State, Justice, and Education Departments to monitor the work of foreign research, as well as U.S. universities that operate using funds from outside America.
This bill follows a lengthy investigation into Chinese theft of U.S. research and intellectual property conducted by Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, respectively.
In November 2018, Portman and Carper undertook an investigation into Chinese talent recruitment programs and identified significant security risks posed by the Thousand Talents Plan (TTP), over which they say the Chinese Communist Party is able to “exert exceptional levels of control.” Their findings indicated not only that China strategically seeks to acquire U.S. intellectual property, but that the U.S. has no counter-strategy that effectively confronts this threat.
“These talent plans are a win-win for China,” said Portman. “China wins twice. First, the American taxpayer funds China’s research and development. Second, China uses that research to improve its economic and military status. This is unacceptable…”
Portman and Carper followed up these investigations with a March report that explores the level of Chinese involvement in U.S. educational institutions. The report detailed the risks of Chinese-sponsored programs such as university-hosted Confucius Institutes and highlighted the laxity of the Department of Education in forcing colleges to fully report foreign funding.
“I think we all agree that the relationship we have with China is complicated. There is some good, there is some bad. It is in both of our countries’ interest, in my view, to have a healthy relationship and have an exchange of new ideas, have the ability to collaborate where appropriate. But we cannot allow this continued theft of taxpayer-funded research,” Portman said at the Senate hearing as a conclusion to his and Carper’s presentation of their findings.
“My hope is this legislation will send a firm but fair signal to China to change their behavior, respect our laws when it comes to research, and see the wisdom of our research values here in the United States of openness, of transparency, reciprocity, of integrity, and most importantly, merit-based competition.”
– – –
Maria Copeland is a Virginia Campus Correspondent for CampusReform.org. Follow Maria on Twitter at @mariatcopeland.


thetennesseestar--2020-06-08--Sen. Lindsey Graham Says He’s Been Denied Access to FBI Employees Who Interviewed Key Dossier Source

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) said Sunday that he has been denied access to interview an FBI agent and FBI analyst who met with a key source for the Steele dossier who disavowed the salacious document .
Graham has sought interviews with the FBI case agent and supervisory intelligence analyst to discuss their interview in January 2017 with the primary source for Christopher Steele , the former British spy who investigated the Trump campaign for Democrats .
Steele ’ s source disputed many of the allegations attributed to him in the dossier , which the FBI used to obtain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carter Page .
The FBI and Justice Department failed to disclose those red flags in applications to federal judges for authority to surveil Page .
“ I made a request to interview the case agent and the intel analyst…and they ’ re denying me the ability to do that , ” Graham said in an interview on Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures.
” “ I ’ m going to keep working the system.
” Graham , who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee , did not say whether the FBI or Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI employees .
Graham is considering a subpoena for 53 current and former government officials as part of a sweeping review of the investigation of the Trump campaign ’ s possible ties to the Russian government .
Graham has said he wants to get to the bottom of how information from the source was handled at the FBI and Justice Department .
“ The question is did the case agent and intel agent refuse to tell the system about exculpatory information ?
Does the fault lie with two or three people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Graham said on Fox News .
“ Here ’ s what I think .
Every time there was a stop sign for Carter Page or Flynn , the system moved forward because the people at the top did not want to stop.
” Graham said he plans to call former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to find out whether they knew that Steele ’ s source disputed information in the dossier .
“ I find it hard to believe that McCabe and Comey did not know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in January oh , by the way , the documents you ’ re using to get a warrant against Carter Page , the Steele dossier , it ’ s a bunch of hearsay , bar talk and garbage , ” Graham said .
One of the agents who took part in the initial interviews with the source is Stephen Somma , a counterintelligence investigator in the FBI ’ s New York field office .
The IG reported faulted Somma — who is identified as “ Case Agent 1 ” — for numerous errors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation of the Trump campaign .
Two Justice Department officials also took part in the interview with the Steele source and failed to disclose the information that undermined the dossier .
Graham is seeking to interview one of those officials , David Laufman .
Laufman served as chief of the Justice Department ’ s counterintelligence division through 2018 .

by Chuck Ross
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Sunday that he has been denied access to interview an FBI agent and FBI analyst who met with a key source for the Steele dossier who disavowed the salacious document.
Graham has sought interviews with the FBI case agent and supervisory intelligence analyst to discuss their interview in January 2017 with the primary source for Christopher Steele, the former British spy who investigated the Trump campaign for Democrats.
Steele’s source disputed many of the allegations attributed to him in the dossier, which the FBI used to obtain surveillance warrants against former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The FBI and Justice Department failed to disclose those red flags in applications to federal judges for authority to surveil Page.
“I made a request to interview the case agent and the intel analyst…and they’re denying me the ability to do that,” Graham said in an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“I’m going to keep working the system.”
Graham, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not say whether the FBI or Justice Department have blocked his request to interview the FBI employees.
Graham is considering a subpoena for 53 current and former government officials as part of a sweeping review of the investigation of the Trump campaign’s possible ties to the Russian government.
Graham has said he wants to get to the bottom of how information from the source was handled at the FBI and Justice Department.
“The question is did the case agent and intel agent refuse to tell the system about exculpatory information? Does the fault lie with two or three people, or was it a system out-of-control?” Graham said on Fox News.
“Here’s what I think. Every time there was a stop sign for Carter Page or Flynn, the system moved forward because the people at the top did not want to stop.”
Graham said he plans to call former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to find out whether they knew that Steele’s source disputed information in the dossier.
“I find it hard to believe that McCabe and Comey did not know that the Russian subsource told the FBI in January oh, by the way, the documents you’re using to get a warrant against Carter Page, the Steele dossier, it’s a bunch of hearsay, bar talk and garbage,” Graham said.
One of the agents who took part in the initial interviews with the source is Stephen Somma, a counterintelligence investigator in the FBI’s New York field office. The IG reported faulted Somma — who is identified as “Case Agent 1” — for numerous errors and omissions in the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign.
Two Justice Department officials also took part in the interview with the Steele source and failed to disclose the information that undermined the dossier. Graham is seeking to interview one of those officials, David Laufman. Laufman served as chief of the Justice Department’s counterintelligence division through 2018.
– – –
Chuck Ross is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.