thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Commentary: Former CIA Officer Says Terrorists Will Learn from COVID

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic , the media warned breathlessly of “ chatter ” that terrorists—domestic and international—were planning to exploit and spread the virus .
So far no such plots have developed , but a former CIA officer warns that the lessons terrorists have learned from the inept and politicized response to the pandemic , if exploited , may be more dangerous to us than terrorist use of the virus itself .
In his chapter for a new book published by the Center for Security Policy , Defending Against BioThreats : What We Can Learn from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defenses Against Pandemics and Biological Weapons , Charles Faddis argues that the pandemic has exposed several weaknesses likely to be exploited in the future by terrorists planning bio-terror attacks .
Establishing a serious bioweapons program has long been a goal of international terror groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS , although both groups have made attempts with minimal success .
In 2009 , an al-Qaeda cell in Algeria reportedly was wiped out by bubonic plague in a bioweapons project that went badly for the jihadist group .
In 2014 , an ISIS laptop captured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a fatwa authorizing the use of weapons of mass destruction .
One important lesson terrorists are likely to learn from COVID ?
The demonstrably weak security of biolabs .
As Faddis illustrates , the failure at the Wuhan laboratory , from where COVID-19 is believed to have escaped , is the rule rather than the exception .
Poor security is likely to make stealing , rather than developing , a bioweapon the preferred method of future terrorist efforts .
But the COVID-19 outbreak also shows what can be done with naturally occurring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to human contact .
As a result , terrorists are likely to realize they have wasted time and effort emphasizing research on weaponizing organisms , when simply spreading a naturally occurring disease through what Faddis calls “ biological martyrs , ” may be sufficient to cause worldwide disruption .
That is particularly true if major air travel and borders remain open due to political reasons , as was the case between Iran and China , and would have been true in the United States as well if President Trump had not taken swift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to .
The lockdowns and social and political unrest related to the COVID-19 pandemic also make clear that terrorists can achieve significant aims even without the risks and higher security surrounding access to pathogens with high lethality rates .
For al-Qaeda in particular , economic devastation has often been as motivating as mass casualties in determining their target priorities .
Much needs to be done to improve U.S. biodefense to combat this threat , particularly when it comes to international cooperation .
Part of the problem , Faddis says , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries , early detection of pandemics is premised on international cooperation among scientists and policymakers .
But the obstructive role played by China and—at Chinese insistence—the World Health Organization ( WHO ) during the COVID-19 crisis raises serious questions about how we prepare for future pandemics .
As Faddis notes , previous tabletop exercises used by government officials to prepare to control pandemics have assumed all parties are willing and cooperative participants .
They rarely consider the possibility that there may be deliberate efforts to spread the disease either by terrorists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retrospect , that assumption is a disastrous one .
He writes , Another example where competition rather than cooperation rules during a pandemic is in the acquisition of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
While the United States had programs intended to stockpile PPE for pandemic threats , those stockpiles were substantially depleted under the Obama Administration and had not been restocked .
When the pandemic hit , the United States found itself competing with other nations to acquire the necessary gear .
This was complicated by covert Chinese efforts to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chinese companies distributing defective or mislabeled equipment .
Faddis emphasizes the need to bring manufacturing of critical PPE back to U.S. shores as a necessary step for defending against the next pandemic .
One truism of the terrorism world is that tactics that work are sure to be repeated .
While COVID-19 was not driven by terrorists , events clearly have demonstrated the economic , psychological , and societal impact a major pandemic can create .
It would be irrational to assume that terrorists will not attempt to duplicate those results through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current crisis .
If we are to prevent such threats , we must learn as well .
Kyle Shideler is the Director of the Counter-Islamist Grid ( CIG ) .
You can follow him at @ ShidelerK on Twitter .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Google Deliberately Alters Search Results for Breitbart News

As the 2020 election draws nearer , search engine and tech giant Google is being exposed as engaging in election interference by artificially altering search results to negatively impact right-wing sites , as reported by Breitbart .
Breitbart reports that its own visibility on Google search results has been reduced by as much as 99.7 percent of its previous performance since the 2016 election .
In contrast to its performance in April of 2016 , when it was among the top ten search results for 355 key search terms , it now ranks in the top ten of only one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July of this year .
Overall search traffic to Breitbart from the Google search engine is down by 63 percent from 2016 , with an accompanying graph showing the massive decline taking place abruptly in mid-2017 .
The censorship has focused on several particular subjects , including Breitbart ’ s coverage of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
On May 1st , a search for Joe Biden on Google would generate as much as 30,000 views on Breitbart .
But on May 5th , that number suddenly dropped to zero , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the organic search results .
Big Tech censorship of conservatives has become even more apparent in 2020 , with some platforms even directly censoring President Donald Trump .
Most recently , President Trump spoke out in defense of a group of doctors who gave a press conference in front of the Supreme Court addressing misinformation about the coronavirus and explaining why Hydroxychloroquine is the most effective treatment of the virus yet ; Twitter and other platforms have attempted to delete and suppress videos of the doctors ’ comments , including temporarily suspending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lendrum reports for American Greatness .
Photo “ Google Censorship ” by Mike Mackenzie .
CC BY 2.0 .

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


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Music Spotlight: Ava Paige

Music Spotlight: Ava Paige

Nashville , Tennessee – When I went to see Heidi Newfield sing at the Her Song fundraiser for Thistle Farms at Third and Lindsley/Backstage Nashville in March of 2020 one of the unannounced performers was a young girl named Ava Paige who sang one of the most beautiful songs I had ever heard , “ Even Jesus Cried.
” It turns out this 15-year-old who is battling leukemia wrote the song with Nashville ’ s ( the TV show ) Charles Esten .
I immediately wanted to know more about this extraordinary songwriter/performer .
However , I felt I needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer treatments were complete before I approached her .
Ava Paige was six years old when she found her grandfather ’ s guitar stowed in a closet .
“ There are videos of me strumming the guitar , trying to sing , and I can ’ t hold a tune , no matter what .
But my Grandpa would hold the chord and I would strum it and I just fell in love [ with music ] , ” she said .
Her mom realized she was serious about learning the guitar and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Paige ’ s first guitar teacher was Andy May at Shiloh Music in Mount Juliet , Tennessee .
Her next teacher was Corban Calhoun who continues to be her teacher to this day .
When you hear Paige perform , not only does she have stunning vocals , but she has an innate talent that comes from years of practice along with the technical music theory lessons that Calhoun has provided .
Paige started singing publicly when she was ten years old .
“ Being born and raised here , we used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venues and stuff .
I really decided I wanted to pursue music when I was ten years old and got to sing [ ‘ Love Shack ’ karaoke ] with Kelly Clarkson , ” she said .
“ It was super cool and got some media attention and it boosted my love for performing.
” After that , she started visiting some of the many writer ’ s rounds that available in Nashville on any given night .
Eventually , she got invited to join the writer ’ s rounds .
At age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gig near Broadway on 2nd Avenue at the George Jones Museum .
She had that gig for about three years until her diagnosis of leukemia .
Because of her late nights , Paige started doing online school in 7th grade .
Now with her cancer treatments and COVID-19 , this has turned out to be a perfect education path for the busy teen .
She follows the same curriculum and calendar as the regular public schools .
However , “ online school has been the best thing for me , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ songwriter and performer .
She continues to write for herself and others in a safe environment .
Not only that , but she is also pitching songs to the Sync Community for movies and television .
She said , “ It ’ s becoming a big part of Nashville .
Now the publishers are trying to catch up with the Sync World.
” I wanted to find out how this teen got connected with Charles “ Chip ” Esten .
Esten ’ s daughter , Addie , used to have leukemia .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Because of this , he still does a lot with the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society and Vanderbilt Hospital where Paige is/was getting her treatments .
The hospital knew she was a performer so she got invited to be a part of their Cheers for Children fundraising event where she met Esten .
“ Charles ended up opening for me which was kind of crazy .
We ended up connecting after that and set up a ‘ write ’ .
” she said .
Paige lists some of her songwriting influences as being Chris Stapleton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to name a few .
One of the places where McBryde got her start was at Nashville ’ s The Local Music Row Freak Show where Paige has been privileged to play for the past few years .
They became friends and McBryde even came to visit her at the hospital .
Another person who has influenced the talented songwriter is Travis Meadows .
On the surface , they seem like an unlikely pair , but like so many , she was drawn to his distinctive story-telling ability .
His songs just “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go.
” She started posting covers of his songs ( “ Desperate Man ” , “ Better Boat ” , “ Riser ” to name a few ) where they eventually got connected via social media .
“ Just watching him write is a sight to behold .
He puts so much emotion into all of his songs .
They are all so incredible , ” the singer said .
Another one of her most inspirational songs is “ Hope Comes In ” which features Jeffrey East .
With lyrics like “ Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going/The road , you ’ re on feels like a dead-end/When you feel the door is closing/That ’ s when hope comes in .
Like every great songwriter , her circumstances guide her songwriting and you know she is telling her truth .
Besides knowing over 300 cover songs , Paige ’ s original compositions such as “ Today is Good ” , “ Anchor ” , “ Little Less Broken ” , “ Prettier Poison ” and “ Ride ” prove that she is a force to be reckoned with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just remarkable for a 15-year-old , it ’ s remarkable for anyone .
Paige was diagnosed with cancer in July 2019 and had to cancel over 40 performances .
A lot of her older friends have had to go back home and work because they can no longer perform in Nashville to the coronavirus restrictions .
She realizes she is blessed to still be supported by her parents .
Her mother continues to be her awesome “ momager ” but when things get back to normal ( for herself and the world ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outside team .
Before COVID-19 hit , she was bouncing back and starting to do shows again .
Even before the virus , she was wearing masks and bringing her own microphone .
She is building up her stamina and writing songs almost daily .
Her doctors know she was born to perform and are doing everything in their power to see that they can safely make that happen .
Her tentative goal is to release an EP next year .
In a couple of years when Ava Paige has beaten cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is no doubt that she will be performing center stage , taking Nashville by storm and setting the world on fire .
We can ’ t wait to see what life holds for her .
You can follow Ava Paige on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , and YouTube .
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer .
You can follow her blog , Bethany Writes , Instagram , and Twitter .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Troubles Abound, Boeing Losses Bloom to $2.4 Billion in Second Quarter

Boeing lost $ 2.4 billion in the second quarter and the company will slow production and cut more jobs as demand for commercial aircraft shrinks during the coronavirus pandemic .
The loss was far worse than Wall Street expected ; so was the decline in revenue , which fell 25 % .
“ The reality is the pandemic ’ s impact on the aviation sector continues to be severe , ” CEO David Calhoun said .
He said airlines are delaying purchases , slowing down deliveries and deferring elective maintenance , “ all of which affects our business and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it will take around three years to return to 2019 passenger levels .
On Tuesday , an airline industry trade group said air travel won ’ t recover to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024 , a year longer than its previous forecast .
The International Air Transport Association cited the inability of the United States and developing countries to contain the coronavirus .
With interest from airlines in new planes fading , Boeing Co. said Wednesday it will slow its production of the 787 and 777 models and delay the introduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 777X , by a year until 2022 .
The company will study whether to close one of its two factories that make the 787 ; one is near Seattle , the other in South Carolina .
And Boeing will stop building the cargo-carrying version of its giant 747 in 2022 , signaling the end of the line for the iconic jumbo jet .
The company pushed back the expected return of the troubled 737 Max , which has been grounded since March 2019 after two crashes that killed 346 people .
Chief Financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the company to resume Max deliveries in the fourth quarter , one quarter later than Boeing ’ s most recent estimate .
Boeing has 450 finished Max jets stacking up at various locations .
Smith said it expects to deliver most of them by late next year – potentially a desperately needed source of cash for the aircraft builder .
The FAA has recently taken steps toward recertifying the plane , including having FAA pilots test Boeing fixes to the flight-control system implicated in the crashes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they were to get recertification , but it doesn ’ t solve the problem of customer demand , ” said Peter McNally , an analyst for business research firm Third Bridge .
Major U.S. airlines reduced their plans to expand flying after the number of reported coronavirus infection spiked .
The company is still carrying out layoffs outlined in April , and Calhoun said Wednesday that the new round of production cutbacks “ will take a toll on future employment ” that wasn ’ t anticipated back in the spring .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this mode at least through the end of the year and partly into first quarter of next year , ” he said .
Boeing said about 19,000 employees will leave this year , including 6,000 who left by June 30 .
The Chicago-based company had 161,100 workers at the start of the year .
Calhoun said the defense unit is hiring , and Boeing still expects a net workforce reduction of around 10 % , or 16,000 people , by year-end .
So far this year , Boeing deliveries of new airliners are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders , but also 382 cancellations , mostly for the troubled Max .
Another 323 orders , also mostly for Max planes , were removed from Boeing ’ s backlog because of uncertainty about the deals going through .
Aircraft lessor AerCap said Wednesday that it canceled orders for 15 Max jets ; it still has 80 on order .
The second quarter would have been worse for Boeing if not for its defense and space business , which depends on contracts with governments and has been largely insulated from the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year ago .
The pandemic has compounded Boeing ’ s problems , which began with the grounding of its 737 Max airliner in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people .
The company has been forced to lay off thousands of workers , cut spending and suspend its dividend and share buybacks .
It also issued $ 25 billion in new debt on the private market , which avoided the need to take coronavirus-relief money from the federal government this spring .
The second-quarter loss included write-downs for production slowdowns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus outbreaks in Boeing factories .
It compared with a loss of $ 2.94 billion in the same quarter last year , when Boeing took a $ 5.6 billion charge to cover compensation it owes airlines for the Max grounding .
The company reported a loss per share , after special items , of $ 4.79 .
The average forecast of 20 analysts in a FactSet survey was a loss of $ 2.57 per share .
Revenue fell to $ 11.81 billion , down from $ 15.75 billion a year earlier .
Analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FactSet .
Boeing shares fell about 4 % in afternoon trading .
They were down 49 % this year , compared with a gain of less than 1 % for the S & P 500 .
David Koenig is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this April 10 , 2019 , file photo a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane being built for India-based Jet Airways lands following a test flight at Boeing Field in Seattle .
Boeing says it lost $ 2.40 billion in the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more downbeat view about the airplane market because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Boeing said Wednesday , July 29 , 2020 , it now expects the airline industry will take longer to recover from the pandemic , and that will limit aircraft sales .
( AP Photo/Ted S. Warren , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Oregon Governor Says U.S. Agents Will Start Leaving Portland

PORTLAND , Oregon ( AP ) — Federal agents who have clashed with protesters in Portland , Oregon , will begin a “ phased withdrawal ” from the city , Gov .
Kate Brown said Wednesday .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement the plan negotiated with Brown over the last 24 hours includes a “ robust presence ” of Oregon State Police in the downtown of the state ’ s largest city .
“ State and local law enforcement will begin securing properties and streets , especially those surrounding federal properties , that have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , ” Wolf said .
Agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will begin leaving the city ’ s downtown area on Thursday , Brown said .
Federal Protective Service agents — who are always posted at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse — will work alongside state police to guard the exterior of the courthouse and a limited number of other federal agents will remain inside the courthouse , she said .
Wolf said that although federal agents will leave the downtown area , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ until we are assured that the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other federal properties will no longer be attacked and that the seat of justice in Portland will remain secure.
” If conditions in Portland “ improve significantly , ” then the U.S. government will reassess its staffing levels in the city , he said .
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler applauded the end of what he called “ an illegal occupation ” in a lengthy Twitter post , saying the news came on the same day that the City Council would vote on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiative to voters in November .
“ The federal occupation of our community has brought a new kind of fear to our streets .
Federal agents nearly killed a demonstrator , and their presence has led to increased violence and vandalism in our downtown core , ” he said .
“ The work of reform deserves our community ’ s full and complete attention , and I know that Portlanders will stay engaged.
” Before departing Wednesday for a trip to Texas , President Donald Trump insisted federal troops would not leave Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Either they ’ re gon na clean up Portland soon , or the federal government is going up , and we ’ re gon na do it for them , ” he said .
The announcement was an abrupt about-face from just two days earlier , when the U.S. government said it might send more federal agents to Portland instead .
The U.S .
Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security had been weighing this week whether to send in more agents .
The marshals were taking steps to identify up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in case they were needed to relieve or supplement the deputy marshals who work in Oregon , spokesman Drew Wade said .
Brown , who worked with Vice President Mike Pence on the withdrawal , cautioned Wednesday that the departure of the Border Protection and immigration agents may not immediately resolve the conflict at the courthouse .
Protests have roiled Portland for more than two months since the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died after being pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer .
Like many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlight and call for an end to racial injustice , but they had increasingly focused on federal property even before the U.S. agents arrived .
“ I have grown increasingly concerned at the nightly confrontation between local community members and federal officers .
We need to recognize that the protests in Portland are not solely about the federal presence , ” Brown said .
Many protesters want to see the Portland Police Bureau defunded and are angry that officers used tear gas on protesters multiple times before the federal government arrived and tensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the federal agents was a chance to address that anger and begin to make improvements in community policing .
“ I will work with community leaders and elected officials to take bolder action to reform our police practices — including those of the Portland Police Bureau .
We need to get this right , ” she said .
The nightly Portland protests often spiral into violence as demonstrators target the U.S. courthouse with rocks , fireworks and laser pointers .
Federal agents respond with tear gas , so-called less-lethal ammunition and arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tear down a fence erected to protect the building , set fires in the street and hurled fireworks , Molotov cocktails and bricks , rocks and bottles at the agents inside .
Authorities this week reinforced the fence by putting concrete highway barriers around it .
Demonstrators near the courthouse Wednesday were met before dawn with tear gas , pepper balls and impact munitions fired by agents , the Oregonian newspaper reported .
Gillian Flaccus and Jonathan Lemire are reporters for The Associated Press .
Lemire reported from Washington .
About the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by smoke as they push back demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Wednesday , July 29 , 2020 , in Portland , Ore. ( AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Co-Founder of the Tea Party Movement Jenny Beth Martin Remembers the Late Lloyd Marcus

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed co-founder and national coordinator of the Tea Party Patriots Jenny Beth Martin to the newsmakers line .
During the second hour , Martin reflected on the recent passing of Lloyd Marcus from the Tea Party movement describing him as well-liked by everyone within the party .
She added that it was his faith in God and positivity that will be most remembered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : We are joined now on our newsmakers line by my very good friend Jenny Beth Martin who is the co-founder of the Tea party Patriots back in 2009 and is now the President of Tea Party Patriots Citizen Action Fund .
Jenny Beth , it ’ s a sad day because we are here to talk about the passing of our very good friend Lloyd Marcus .
Tell us about how you first met Lloyd .
Martin : I met him face to face the first time that I met you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ California right after our first round of Tea Party ’ s back in February of 2009 to meet face to face at PJTV .
I met you and him and Mark Meckler and Eric Odum for the very first time .
And Amy Kremer traveled with me to that .
Lloyd was such a good part of the Tea Party movement .
He brought a musical talent and a focus on culture .
That ’ s what he was doing the very first time that I met him .
Leahy : He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was very talented musically .
And he took a lot of grief because he was a Black conservative who supported the Tea Party movement .
His personal character I think strikes me as just compelling .
Tell us about his character and what kind of person he was .
Martin : I met him and learned that he was a Christian man .
And I at the time I was going through a personal financial crisis .
I had just lost my house within the month prior to that meeting .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people understood a little bit about my background .
And he talked to me about how he had been through his own personal financial crisis .
And how he and his wife had financial issues .
But even as he talked about it I could tell he had a sense of peace and a faith in God and a faith in Jesus .
He was calm .
And it helped me think , OK.
I ’ m standing next to somebody who has been where I have been and survived it and come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was something that was very important to me .
I didn ’ t really want to come out and just be a bitter angry person .
Leahy : He was a very positive person .
It was interesting if you recall because all of the early Tea Party organizers were very passionate about the cause of limited government and free markets and fiscal responsibility .
We all had sort of our points of view .
And on occasion , we would have some heated discussions the right way .
( Laughter ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steady .
Got along with everybody .
Martin : He really did .
And he had a smile .
And there was drama in the Tea Party movement .
Honestly Michael there is always going to be friction when you have different and very strong-willed passionate valued people who are focused on the values that they care about and people gathering together .
There will always be a little bit of disagreement here and there .
And you have to learn how to get passed that and move on .
Yet with Lloyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do that .
I never heard an unkind word about him in the Tea Party movement or in the conservative movement .
Everywhere he went people genuinely liked him .
They liked his smile .
They liked what he had to say .
And he had a passion as well .
But his passion really and truly I talked about it and I think of him in terms of politics but everyone who knew him also knows that he was focused on his faith and that God gave him a sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to everyone who knew him .
Leahy : We were exchanging emails to talk about our memories of Lloyd and you said something that was quite profound and true .
You said I don ’ t think I ’ ve ever heard one negative word spoken personally about him .
I think that ’ s true .
Martin : Yes .
I think that it is very true .
Of course , the Left is going to be the Left and do what they do and attack people .
Maybe not always people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And they attacked Lloyd .
But the people within the conservative movement and the Tea Party movement I never heard one negative thing said about him .
And if you reached out and asked him if he could share some information to his list he was always willing to do that .
He reached out to us from time to time asking if we would share information about a new song or an op-ed that he wrote for American Thinker .
And it was a pleasure to do that for him because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody , nobody has ever said anything bad or negative about it within the Tea Party movement that I can remember .
Leahy : Another thing that strikes me about him , again this is something you wrote about him .
He built bridges rather than burning them down .
Martin : That is so true .
He really did build bridges .
Sometimes people especially in the early early days of the Tea Party movement there were people and bridges being burned .
Not only would he go through without burning anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe had disagreements and find a way to smooth those over and remember what we are focused on .
It takes real talent .
Leahy : It does .
I was just going to say I remember when we all got together in Los Angeles back in 2009 and we were doing the PJTV program .
It was very intense and very positive .
And there came Lloyd amongst us and would sing one of his songs , the Tea Party Anthem and it just sort of brought harmony to the group that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was .
That Tea Party Anthem he went around the entire country with the Tea Party and singing that song and riling up the crowd .
And getting them excited about the speakers who would be there .
And it was just really an amazing thing to watch .
I ’ m not positive that I ’ m right on this detail but I ’ m pretty sure that right before we did the Tax Day Tea Parties on April 15 there was an event in Orlando I think the weekend before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that event .
It was a massive event .
I remember when we watched that on television thinking that we were building something much bigger than we ever realized .
We really were beginning to build a movement .
Leahy : So he came up in early April .
We did several programs on PJTV which was the beginning of internet television .
We had a round table .
You and I were there .
And Amy Kremer , Mark Meckler , and Eric Odum .
And we were sort of setting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 , 2009 Tea Parties .
Lloyd was there and he would perform on air .
Then on the 15th , I think you went to Atlanta for the event there .
And Lloyd went up to Sacramento I think and performed with Neil Cavuto from FOX was there and performed in front of a crowd of 20,000 and brought down the house .
It was spectacular with his Tea Party Anthem song .
Martin : Yes .
And it really was just amazing to watch him make a crowd be really excited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we cared about .
And at that time it really was the Tea Party Anthem .
I think that was in the Tea Party movie that Luke Livingston did .
I ’ m just really going to miss Lloyd .
Learning about his death was a very sad day .
Leahy : And not only was he an entertainer he was a pretty good writer .
He wrote from 2008 to just his passing last week .
He wrote once or twice a week for American Thinker .
And he called himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is right .
And when I was reading what people over at the American Thinker wrote about him as a tribute to him they said that he was one of their most prolific writers .
That there were some weeks that he would write three or four pieces .
I didn ’ t realize that he was writing quite that much .
I knew that he wrote there and he was regularly writing there .
And I found that as an interesting bit to learn .
Leahy : He also provided energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d call him up and he would come .
Just a great guy and we miss him so much .
Jenny Beth Martin thanks so much for joining us today and good luck in fighting the good fight .
Martin : Thank you , Michael .
And thank you for bringing us together with Lloyd .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Lloyd Marcus .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Biden Says He’ll Announce Vice President Pick in August

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Tuesday that he will announce his vice presidential running mate in the first week of August , the Washington Post reported .
Biden did not say precisely what day he will announce his vice presidential choice , CNN reported .
The former Vice president made the announcement during a news conference after a speech in Delaware .
“ I ’ m going to have a choice in the first week in August , ” Biden said , according to the WaPo .
“ And I promise I ’ ll let you know when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden has said previously that he will choose “ a woman of color ” as his running mate by August , the New York Post reported .
Other candidates reportedly in consideration as Biden ’ s running mate include Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , according to CNN .
Politico published an article Tuesday that said Biden had chosen Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris for his running mate on August 1 , the Daily Caller reported .
Politico called the post a “ mistake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note .
The now-deleted language about Harris ’ selection included a quote purportedly from Biden that said Harris was “ a worthy opponent and a worthy running mate , ” according to Politico .
Harris previously ran as Biden ’ s rival to be the Democratic presidential nominee in the 2020 election .
Both Harris and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice are under consideration to be Biden ’ s running mate , CNN reported .
Both Rice and Biden had served under former president Barack Obama , Politico reported Monday .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after CNN asked him whether he will meet in person with potential vice president picks , CNN reported .
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation for comment .
Mary Rose Corkery is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Kodak Company Flips to Pharma

Kodak Company Flips to Pharma

A Kodak moment for the books : the former film giant flipped to pharma in a move aimed to rejuvenate the company after nearly two decades of hardship .
Several reports state that Kodak branched out to offset the large-scale loss of its film business – punctuated by a bankruptcy in 2012 after the concept of the digital camera that it invented rendered many of its product offerings obsolete .
Initial talks of Kodak ’ s new active pharmaceutical ingredients ( APIs ) division , branded “ Kodak Pharmaceuticals , ” began as early as a few months ago according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the move shouldn ’ t be all that surprising .
“ When the pandemic started , Kodak wanted to see what we could do to participate .
We were making hand sanitizers , face shields , PCB boards for ventilators .
And we started going down this path , but it was so early there was nothing really to mention .
We ’ ve always been a chemical and chemistry company .
For over 100 years we ’ ve been doing chemistry , ” Continenza stated .
“ We realized we could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could do more and they kind of reached out , and we found a path that makes a lot of sense for the American public to help bring the pharmaceutical protections back to America.
” The International Development Finance Corporation ( DFC ) loaned the photo company Kodak $ 765 million to address the chronic national shortage of essential ingredients for generic drugs .
Kodak ’ s new drug-producing division will apply the loan toward repurposing and expanding existing facilities in Rochester , New York and St. Paul , Minnesota – effectively creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website states : “ These efforts complement DFC ’ s global response to both the health-related and economic impacts of COVID-19.
” Due to the coronavirus ’ strain on foreign manufacturers , the U.S. is burdened with an alarming national shortage of essential ingredients for generic drugs .
Under President Trump ’ s Defense Production Act ( DPA ) – the first of its kind under Executive Order 13922 allowing the DFC and the Department of Defense to work jointly strengthening domestic supply chains in response to COVID-19 – the DFC was able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortage .
“ Kodak is proud to be a part of strengthening America ’ s self-sufficiency in producing the key pharmaceutical ingredients we need to keep our citizens safe , ” Continenza said .
“ By leveraging our vast infrastructure , deep expertise in chemicals manufacturing , and heritage of innovation and quality , Kodak will play a critical role in the return of a reliable American pharmaceutical chain.
” While 90 percent of all prescriptions in the U.S. are for generic drugs , less than 10 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production is from India and China , Newsweek reports .
Also , China sources 80 percent of the active ingredients in drugs Americans take , according to Fox News .
The foreign drug manufacturers have come under repeated public scrutiny for selling dangerous and ineffective drugs to the U.S. Their repeated offenses in light of the coronavirus largely influenced the DFC ’ s initiative with Kodak , said Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy at the White House , Dr. Peter Navarro .
“ If we have learned anything from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are dangerously dependent on foreign supply chains for their essential medicines , ” said Navarro .
In a statement Tuesday , the president said the deal was “ a momentous step toward achieving American pharmaceutical independence.
” Trump then associated the Kodak loan with his administration ’ s efforts these past four years to stimulate American industry and lessen our dependence on foreign countries .
President Trump also thanked Governor Andrew Cuomo and his representatives for their help in facilitating the loan .
This is the 33rd use of the Defense Production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 3 million of investments into private sectors producing ventilators , N95 masks , gowns , test kits , and more .
In response to the announcement , Kodak shares have jumped nearly 2,000 percent , equating to a reported twenty-fold increase in market capitalization at about $ 2.2 billion and triggering a series of trading halts .
Once Kodak Pharmaceuticals is fully operational , it is projected to produce as much as 25 percent of all active ingredients in generic drugs .
This will mean that pharmaceutical production will account for 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , Continenza said .
For now , Kodak Pharmaceuticals won ’ t be making these drug ingredients anytime soon – Continenza stated it would take a little over three years to phase-in completely .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Detroit Police Chief James Craig Cites Unified City, Not Backing Down for Peaceful City Among Protes

Detroit Police Chief James Craig Cites Unified City, Not Backing Down for Peaceful City Among Protests

Detroit Police Chief James Craig credited the city ’ s success in remaining peaceful during nationwide protests and riots with having a city that has stood together and a police force that refuses to give up “ the ground to the radicals.
” In an appearance on Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday , Craig told Carlson that “ we don ’ t retreat here in Detroit.
” “ We weren ’ t giving up ground to the radicals ; we just didn ’ t do it , ” Craig said .
“ …Detroiters are fed up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not talking about the peaceful protesters .
I ’ m talking about the core group , these misguided radicals that have tried to incite violence in our city.
” Protests started shortly after the killing of George Floyd earlier this year in Minneapolis .
Craig said that having a city that comes together and city leadership that supports the Detroit Police Department have been key in quelling violence .
“ We have a city that has stood together , ” Craig said .
Craig , who lived in Detroit during the riots in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police for more than 40 years , said in a May appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight that he can not support the mob mentality seen in rioters , who he later called “ misguided radicals.
” “ We support the anger , we don ’ t support the mob mentality , ” Craig said .
“ We just can ’ t support it.
” He also said that Detroit understands what “ defines community and neighborhood policing.
” “ So many get it wrong when they just talk at their community , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Although Detroit protests have been largely peaceful , the rest of the city has seen an uptick in violence , according to the Detroit Free Press , with homicides spiking 31 percent and shootings by 53 percent .
More than 40 federal agents will be coming to the city to help manage the increase in violence , the outlet reported .
The agents clarified that they were only coming to help with city-wide problems , rather than harass protesters .
Craig said Detroit has said “ enough is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence in the city .
“ Detroiters are fed up with these radical protesters , ” he said .
“ …They said , ‘ we ’ re not going to put up with it.
’ ” Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ James Craig ” by Fox News .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Analysis: The Republicans’ Path to a House Majority in 2020

The House of Representatives is in play and Republicans have a real shot at recapturing control of the lower chamber after their dismal performance in 2018 .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D.-Calif. ) deserves credit for her success passing legislation and articles of impeachment , but that it more a testament to her mastery of the whip count than her overwhelming numbers .
House Democrats are holding , if not a slim majority , a fragile one .
In the House today , there are 232 Democrats and 198 Republicans with four vacancies and 1 Libertarian , Michigan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district .
If one puts the Amash seat back in the GOP column , House Republicans only need to pick up 19 seats to reach 218 – the simple majority .
Pelosi ’ s majority is so fragile , she had to put down rebels in her own ranks , who sought to block her from being Speaker .
Had someone the imagination to pull it off , that small faction of House Democrats could have thrown in with the GOP and stolen the gavel out of her hand .
There is plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts , but for now if we look at turnout as a measure of passion , we can see how House Republicans have the advantage of having President Donald J. Trump at the top of the ticket .
In 2016 , voters gave House Republicans 63,173,815 votes compared to 61,776,554 votes for House Democrats .
This is even more remarkable when you consider that Republicans left two dozen Democrats unchallenged .
In 2018 , House Republican turnout dropped to 50 , 861,970 , for a 20 percent fall .
House Democrats also dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall off .
Incredibly , Democrats were able to sustain their enthusiasm , while the Republicans experienced what was a typical downturn in the midterms .
Just for comparison , House Democratic turnout for 2012 , the year President Barack Obama won a second term was 59,645,531 , which then dropped to 35,624,357 in 2014 – a 40 percent drop .
Going back to 2018 , despite the 10 million fewer votes for GOP House candidates , there were 25 House races that were decided by 3 percentage points or fewer – nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage point or less .
Now , consider what would have happened if 10 million more votes showed up for the House Republicans – that is absolutely going to happen in 2020 .
That is , House Republican turnout returns to peak – leaving the House Democrats to maintain their peak turnout for the third cycle in a row .
Another factor in favor of House Republicans is that 31 House Democrats are sitting in districts Trump won in 2016 – and most of them voted to impeach the president .
In 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won by more than 30 percentage points .
Going into the 2018 midterms , Speaker Paul D. Ryan ( R.-Wis. ) announced his retirement at the end of his term , but he did not step down .
Instead , he insisted on remaining at the head of both the House and the House Republicans until the congressional session ended in January 2019 .
Consider this , when Ryan took the gavel in 2015 , he had at 247 , the largest GOP House majority since 1929-1931 congressional session , when the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan sticking around was to leave his succession unresolved and to render his conference ’ s top fundraiser a lame duck .
The result was that as House Democrats mobilized to recapture control of the House , Ryan and his team coasted through to the election , leaving 40 Democrats without challengers .
The goal is 218 .
If Republicans hold 199 and find 19 other seats , they control the House .
Trump is sure to provide the coattails and if there is not a repeat of 40 empty ballots , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCabe is a Washington-based national political reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network .
In addition to The Star newspaper , he has covered the White House , Capitol Hill and national politics for One America News , Breitbart , Human Events and Townhall .
Before coming to Washington , he was a staff reporter for Boston ’ s Catholic paper , The Pilot , and the editor of two Boston-area community papers , The Somerville News and The Alewife .
McCabe is a public affairs NCO in the Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Iraq as a combat historian .
Photo “ People Voting ” by Wyofile .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Commentary: Unions Delivered Democrat Votes for Householder to be Speaker – SB 4 Is Part of the Payb

Commentary: Unions Delivered Democrat Votes for Householder to be Speaker – SB 4 Is Part of the Payback

Without Ohio House Democrats , pressured by labor unions and encouraged by “ dark money , ” Larry Householder would not be Speaker .
The media reported this from the beginning .
“ Labor unions urge Ohio House Democrats to back Republican Larry Householder for speaker , ” headlined the Cleveland Plain Dealer on December 12 , 2018 .
That same evening The Columbus Dispatch declared , “ Unions telling House Democrats to back Householder for speaker.
” Following the announcement last week of Householder ’ s arrest , the issue of union influence came up again .
NPR ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democrats swung the vote for speaker to Householder at the beginning of session in January 2019 .
Then-Speaker Ryan Smith received the majority of Republican votes , but twenty-six union-backed Democrats joined twenty-six Republicans to hand Householder the gavel .
The situation was far from normal .
Former House Minority Leader Fred Strahorn explained to Hannah News , “ We — well , the majority of my ( Democratic ) caucus , not me — broke a 120-year tradition to make Larry Householder speaker .
The way this has worked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room , and majority of those people pick somebody , and the opposition honors that .
The majority caucus ought to have who they want as their leader .
That ’ s about understanding the institution and valuing it , so they don ’ t have chaos — so that you don ’ t have bad things like this easily available .
Had we just simply honored the 120-year tradition , none of this would have ever occurred.
” After being asked how much blame the Democrats have for the Householder speakership , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t harbor ill will toward anybody … but the majority of Republicans chose Ryan Smith .
A majority of Democrats chose Larry Householder .
… I ’ m not going to take a dig at them , but those numbers speak volumes as to how we got to this place .
At the end of the day , the majority of Republicans did do the right thing and picked Ryan Smith.
” While Strahorn avoided harsh criticism of his colleagues , political columnist Jason Williams writing for the Cincinnati Enquirer , did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Householder cut a deal with most House Democrats through their union supporters .
He promised not to push right-to-work legislation if they backed him for speaker , ” Williams wrote on July 28 .
“ A majority of House Democrats chose their allegiance to labor over doing the right thing , ” added Williams .
“ It ’ s a classic example of Democratic politicians being controlled by unions.
” The consequences were damning .
Now much attention is being given to the criminal allegations concerning Householder and House Bill 6 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ only example of quid pro quo .
Just as much attention should be focused on the successful but unethical – and likely illegal – amendment to Senate Bill 4 that expanded prevailing wage .
“ Prevailing wage was a key issue for Householder , ” noted Bobby Mitchell , a Republican candidate for the 78th House District primary who was not supported by the Speaker and his team .
“ I agreed to be interviewed by the caucus , Larry ’ s people .
I didn ’ t know him from Adam .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ picking people who would support Householder ’ s agenda , and that included a commitment to expand prevailing wage for the unions .
As a small government conservative , that was not something I would do , so they passed on me and picked a lapdog instead.
” Senate Bill 4 was publicly debated and passed by the Senate in 2019 .
Its purpose was to increase the state ’ s ability to build K-12 classrooms .
The legislation moved to the House where it was publicly debated and passed by the Finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engineered the prevailing wage expansion floor amendment .
It was the second attempt to sneak the language into a Senate bill , and this time they succeeded .
In the press conference detailing the arrest of Householder and associates last week , U.S. Attorney David DeVillers stated , “ Make no mistake , these allegations are bribery , this was quid pro quo .
This was pay to play.
” Amended Senate Bill 4 is a clear example of that .
No hearings , no opportunity for the public to testify , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the House floor .
Taxpayers and local governments will pay the price of inflated construction costs for Transportation Improvement Districts thanks to this crooked deal – as much as 20 % more .
It was the first time in 89 years Republicans voted to turn their backs on their free market values to enrich unions , and their political allies , at the expense of local governments , Ohio taxpayers and the Legislature ’ s credibility .
Beth Lear is the vice president of government affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors of @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Attorney General Barr Tells House Judiciary Committee There Is a Separate Investigation Into Unmaski

Attorney General Barr Tells House Judiciary Committee There Is a Separate Investigation Into Unmaskings

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-OH-04 ) asked Attorney General William Barr about “ unmaskings ” in a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday .
The committee grilled Barr on a number of other topics as well , including police reform .
Unmasking , according to a story by CBS News , means this : U.S. intelligence agencies routinely conceal the identities of U.S. persons whose identities are included in intercepted communications of foreign officials , and senior government officials can request those identities be revealed , or “ unmasked , ” to provide a better understanding of the intelligence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime , but publicly disclosing the person ’ s identity or spreading it for political purposes can be unlawful .
Video of the grilling is available in this C-SPAN video here .
Jordan ’ s questions about unmasking begin around the 2:03:30hr mark .
Here is a transcript of Jordan ’ s and Barr ’ s remarks on unmaskings : Jordan : Thirty-eight people unmasked Michael Flynn ’ s name 49 times in a two-month timeframe .
Seven people at the Treasury Department unmasked Michael Flynn ’ s name .
Is this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Barr : I ’ ve asked another U.S. attorney to look into the issue of unmasking because of the high number of unmaskings and some that do not readily appear to have been in the line of normal business .
Jordan : Wait a minute .
So , I want to be clear .
So , there is another investigation on that issue specifically going on at the Justice Department right now ?
Can you give us that U.S. attorney ’ s name , or is that something you ’ re comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas is looking specifically at the fact— Jordan : Thirty-eight people 49 times unmasked Michael Flynn ’ s name , and probably other unmaskings that took place in the final days of the Obama-Biden administration .
Is that accurate ?
Barr : Actually , a much longer period of time .
Jordan : Even before then ?
Jordan : Thank you .
I appreciate that .
That ’ s information that the committee did not know .
Barr in May appointed John Bash , U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials submitted against Trump associates .
He is working with U.S. attorneys John Durham and Jeff Jensen , who are looking into aspects of the Trump-Russia investigation .
Republican senators in May released a list of 39 Obama officials who asked for intelligence reports during the presidential transition period that identified Flynn , who was to serve as national security adviser .
Those who asked for reports included Joe Biden , FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director John Brennan .
The DOJ moved to drop the Flynn case after internal memos were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to Flynn ’ s 2017 guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts , Fox News reported .
Bash was confirmed by the Senate to his post as U.S. attorney on Nov. 9 , 2017 , his biography says .
Before that , he served as a Special Assistant to the President and as an Associate White House Counsel .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Jim Jordan and AG Bill Barr ” by @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Ohio State House Representatives Introduce Bills to Revise State Campaign Finance Laws

Ohio state House Representatives introduced two pieces of legislation Monday that aims to reform state campaign finance laws .
These bill proposals come a week after Speaker of the House Larry Householder and four other people were arrested by the FBI .
These five men are accused of “ worked to corruptly ensure that HB 6 went into effect by defeating a ballot initiative to overturn the legislation .
The Enterprise received approximately $ 60 million into Generation Now from an energy company and its affiliates during the relevant period , ” according to the DOJ press release .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) 737 , which was introduced by State Reps. Gayle Manning ( R-North Ridgeville ) and Jessica Miranda ( D-Forest Park ) , would update Ohio ’ s campaign finance laws to reflect changes the federal level made to campaign finance laws after the 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission .
If the bill became law , it would place “ additional reporting requirements on entities that make political contributions , ” according to the state House of Representatives ’ press release .
“ We can not continue down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should aspire to pursue what should be when it comes to campaign finance reform , ” Manning said .
“ I believe that we must move past the unethical activities that we have recently discovered that went into House Bill 6 and push for a better , cleaner and trustworthy set of rules for Ohioans that we represent .
Ohio Lt .
Governor Jon Husted , who introduced a similar bill while he was a state senator , is glad to see this topic taken up again .
Husted ’ s Senate bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 128th General Assembly .
“ I introduced this bill requiring transparency a decade ago , and if it had become law then , Ohio would be in a much better place today , ” Husted said .
“ I appreciate the leadership of Rep. Gayle Manning in taking the initiative to introduce this bill again .
Perhaps enough lessons have been learned to get it passed this time.
” The second piece of legislation , The Ohio Anti-Corruption Act , would make dark money groups name their funders and disclose their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s press release .
In the bill introduced by state Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney ( D-Cleveland ) and Allison Russo ( D-Upper Arlington ) , it outlines three changes to Ohio campaign finance laws : Close Dark Money Loopholes – Non-profit corporations like 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) s and limited liability companies ( LLCs ) have become vehicles for big money special interests to hide their spending .
These companies currently do not have to disclose their funders .
The Ohio Anti-Corruption Act closes these loopholes , requiring these corporations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence elections .
Require Transparency – The Ohio Anti-Corruption Act will strengthen disclosure by requiring corporations and LLCs to tell us more about their true owners and the actual source of funds behind the deceptively benign names of their organizations .
The integrity of our democracy depends on openness and accountability .
Strengthen Ban on Foreign Money – Under the Ohio Anti-Corruption Act , domestic corporations with foreign owners and decision makers will be banned from spending in our elections .
Large foreign companies also won ’ t be able to get around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American subsidiary funded mostly with foreign money to spend unlimited sums in our elections .
“ Recent allegations involving the Speaker and House Bill 6 demonstrate just how necessary serious campaign finance reform is , ” Russo said .
“ This bill will strengthen transparency and accountability so that dark money and corruption can not subvert the will of the people who elected us to serve .
Ohioans deserve better from their government , and this bill ensures the best interests of our constituents remain front and center.
” Zachery Schmidt is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] .
Follow Zachery on Twitter @ zacheryschmidt2 .
Photo “ Ohio Statehouse ” by MJ .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Ohio Teachers Union Calls for Online Classes as Schools Deal with Covid

The Ohio Education Association ( OEA ) called for remote learning in counties more heavily affected by the coronavirus .
The teachers union , which represents over a hundred thousand teachers , made the demand in a press release Tuesday urging the state to “ enact stronger measures to keep students and educators safe.
” This recommendation comes on the heels of several central Ohio schools announcing they would be starting the school year entirely online .
Citing teachers ’ concerns and an internal poll in which “ 69 percent of education professionals statewide ” reported that they “ do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to reopen safely in the fall.
” The OEA urged that all “ purple and red ” counties in the states Corona Virus reporting system “ open only for remote instruction as long as it is necessary.
” 23 Ohio counties are considered at red or purple as of Thursday , according to cleveland.com .
The teachers union also called for “ greater accountability and enforcement ” of measures such as “ masks , sanitization , and social distancing protocols.
” The OEA also had concerns about schools in less affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or cure for COVID-19 is widely available , schools in all counties , including Level 2 ( orange ) and Level 1 ( yellow ) should be permitted to open for in-person instruction only if all CDC requirements can be fully met.
” With the union ’ s board of directors saying “ No education employee in any setting should be forced to choose between their livelihood and their health or safety.
” A number of Central Ohio school districts such as Gahanna Jefferson , Bexley City , Hilliard , Upper Arlington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Columbus City have already decided to , or are likely to decide to start the school year with online-only programs .
Columbus City School District Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon detailed the reasoning behind the move in an open letter published yesterday .
Dixon said not being able to have some form of in-person learning in September that “ the risk of bringing back 50,000 students and 9,000 employees to our buildings in the fall is far too great.
” Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-07-30--Opioid Overdoses Rise in State During Coronavirus Pandemic

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reporting significant increases in opioid overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic .
MDHHS reported emergency medical services ( EMS ) in the state responded to a 33 percent increase in opioid overdoses from April to May of this year .
The department adds that opioid overdoses increased by 26 percent from the prior year during the period between April and June .
MDHHS notes each Michigan region experienced an increase in overdoses and , as well , every demographic group experienced a rise in overdoses ( except for residents aged 65 year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveal white residents experienced greater increases of overdoses during the April-June reporting period , it also noted the average monthly rate of EMS responses among black residents was 219.8 per 100,000 residents , as compared to 123.4 per 100,000 residents among white residents .
“ Opioid overdoses kill far too many Michiganders , and it ’ s a double tragedy that the pandemic has exacerbated this crisis , ” Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun , chief deputy for health and chief medical executive , said in a statement released Wednesday .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use disorder , please take steps to prevent overdose deaths – like carrying naloxone and never using alone.
” Not every overdose results in a trip to the hospital emergency room , however .
MDHHS reported a 14.3 percent increase in patients refusing transportation to the hospital in the period measured between April and June – almost double the number of refusals during the same time period in 2019 .
Total emergency room visits during the April-June period this year dropped 38 percent from the same period in 2019 , but increased 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states it ’ s too early to determine if the number of deaths due to opioid overdoses have increased or decreased .
MDHHS urges Michiganders to use the following treatment and safer drug use resources : • Access resources to support the mental and physical health of those with substance use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic .
• Contact your primary care provider before you run low on necessary medications .
• If you need access to a medical provider , contact your nearest Federally Qualified Health Center for support .
• Ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All and NEXT Distro will mail naloxone at no cost to anyone in Michigan .
Individuals can request naloxone online .
MDHHS has also created an online naloxone portal where community organizations can request free naloxone .
• Practice safer drug use ( safety practices that prevent overdose deaths ) and encourage others to do the same .
More information is available in Safer Drug Use during the COVID-19 Outbreak .
• Never Use Alone is a service anyone can call while using drugs .
The caller will be connected to a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they drop off the line or don ’ t respond to a return call .
Call 800-484-3731 or visit NeverUseAlone.com to learn more .
• Find an SSP near you that can provide sterile needles , naloxone and other life-saving resources .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-31--Mark Green Calls Out James Clyburn for Selective Harassment of Republican Governors

U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-07 ) sent a letter to Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Chairman James Clyburn ( D-SC-06 ) and called on him to rescind what Green called partisan attacks on COVID-19 response efforts in Tennessee .
This , according to a press release that Green published Wednesday on his website .
Green , in his press release , said U.S. Rep. Clyburn had also attacked Republican governors in three other states .
“ I am writing to you expressing my severe concern over your letters to four states led by Republican governors , including my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The White House Coronavirus Task Force report has 21 states listed as being ‘ in the red zone.
’ Yet , for some reason , only four of these states , all with Republican governors , were on the receiving end of your letter , ” Green wrote .
Green went on to say that Tennessee ’ s leaders , “ from the Governor to county health departments and school boards , have worked tirelessly to respond to this pandemic since Day One.
” “ Whether or not one agrees with each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grant you or this Committee any right to selectively harass certain states led by governors of the opposite political party , ” Green said in his letter .
“ Why have you not requested the same documents from Democrat-led states with an explosion of cases , such as California , or states that have botched their response like New York ?
Your letters today reek of partisanship .
It is wrong to capitalize on a pandemic by playing political games .
I urge you to rescind your requests to these states so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important : protecting our people.
” As The Tennessee Star reported this week , Green took to the floor of the House of Representatives and said nearly 100,000 Americans would still live among us if China had warned the United States earlier about COVID-19 .
And by that , Green said he meant just one week earlier would have made a difference .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary.
CROM CARMICHAEL:
Michael, yesterday, the Supreme Court heard a very, very important case, Texas versus Biden. And the Wall Street Journal wrote a very interesting article about that case. It appeared on Monday. So it was before the case was heard. There was a law passed in 1996 and Biden voted for the law. The law says that migrants who are, ‘Not clearly and beyond doubt, (not reasonable doubt, beyond doubt,) entitled to be admitted shall be detained.’ It goes on to say that the law also says that DHS can parole individual migrants on a case by case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
That’s what the law that was passed in 1996 says. According to some reports I read this morning about the hearing yesterday, the case by case part of the 1996 law is what some justices may try to hang their hat on to allow Biden to eliminate or rescind Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy on the basis that we only can detain 34,000 illegal immigrants at the same time. That’s all we can detain. And so Trump said we can’t follow the law, so we’re going to make them stay in Mexico.
Now, the left says, well, you can’t make them stay in Mexico because Mexico won’t necessarily agree to that. Well, they already have. Under Trump they did agree to it and they did do it. So it’s not a function of whether or not Mexico can and will do it because they did do it under pressure, but they did do it. This is going to be a very interesting decision that will come down from the courts to see whether or not the courts believe that the law itself has written is what the administration should adhere to. I think that decision will come out very quickly. I don’t think it’ll be months. I think it will be weeks, and maybe even days before that decision comes out.
Listen to the Crommentary:
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thetennesseestar--2020-07-31--Commentary: The Only Way to Punish the Left

Leftists are trying to destroy America , her Constitution , her honor , and the patriots who love her .
The corrupt leftists are on the streets of blue cities and are Democrats in positions of leadership in the United States government .
The chaos you ’ ve seen on television every night for nearly two months ( or not seen lately if you watch mainstream media ) is horrifying , but it is routinely ignored—if not encouraged—by the leadership of the Left .
“ People will do what they do , ” Nancy Pelosi said regarding the mob ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Independence Day .
The everyday American ( of whatever hue ) is rightfully horrified at the amount of criminal activity he sees daily on the streets of once-great cities .
Riots and a surge in violent crime combined with the Wuhan virus leave many people afraid even to go to their mailboxes .
We are staying away from our downtowns , avoiding our normal routes through towns , moving into the suburbs if we can , and for self-protection , we are buying guns in record numbers .
We have watched more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after night , violent rioting and protesting while the # fakenews call these criminals “ peaceful protesters ” even after the criminals break into private property , loot , murder a young woman for saying “ all lives matter , ” cause millions of dollars of damage , and have killed 22 people so far .
Meanwhile , more than 50 kids have been shot in St. Louis this year alone .
Eighteen-month-old Davell Gardner was killed while sleeping in his stroller in Brooklyn just this month .
The legacy media have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law-and-order position “ escalating ” and harmful to people attending these “ peaceful protests.
” They ignore the burned out buildings , toppled statues , broken windows , garbage , graffiti , Molotov cocktails , and other objects used by the mobs to injure , maim , and kill people .
The cowardly mayors of these cities capitulate to the ever-changing demands of the criminals while defunding and demoralizing the police officers who stand between the everyday American and the dangerous mobs .
These Democratic politicians work desperately to blame President Trump for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
The spying and attempted coup that began before Barack Obama left office wasn ’ t as overtly violent as what we are seeing now on the streets , but it was every bit as criminal as the physical toppling of our once-great cities .
Leftists on television , in government , and in our cities see everyday Americans not as fellow citizens but as their enemies .
They have come to that conclusion in a variety of ways , but they all get to this action item : ordinary Americans don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States is an evil place and should be dismantled , so we must be shut up , shut down , doxxed , and not tolerated .
After years of nightly news and opinion shows endlessly cramming the lies of their Trump/Russia story into the brains of the trusting masses , the same daily programs are shamefully silent on the recent revelations that have been coming to light .
If you ’ ve watched ABC , NBC , CNN , or MSNBC , I doubt you would have learned of the proof that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not because they had reason to be suspicious , but because they simply wanted to find dirt on the incoming administration .
You would be hard-pressed to find the stories decrying the continuation of the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn , though the FBI had nothing on him , and decided to set a perjury trap for him instead .
When the Trump-Russia collusion hoax failed to take out the Trump Administration , House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) and his confederates concocted the oh-so-brilliant Trump-Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he knew concerning the so-called whistleblower .
The media overtly dismissed the massive Biden/Ukraine scandal just beneath their noses , and instead went along with the absurd Trump-Ukraine-because-we-failed-on-Russia narrative the Democrats were peddling .
Anarchists , Antifa , and the Marxist section of Black Lives Matter took advantage of George Floyd ’ s death in May to hijack the sorrow and anger of the moment to push their destructive agenda to the forefront .
Floyd ’ s cause has been lost in the scuffle of angry rioters , looted stores , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one seeking the erasure of history , the destruction of government and policing , and the unraveling of the social fabric of our nation that holds us together as a people .
A nation divided against itself is a nation that can not stand , and our enemies are gleefully watching its collapse from the inside .
Four years ago now , we began this insane roller coaster ride of a presidency beginning with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden directing the FBI to spy on the Republican presidential candidate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was criminal .
Three years of attempted coups by the opposition party and its minions in the media should be criminal .
Burning down cities , looting , and shooting people is criminal .
If these myriad injustices inflicted on the American people are not repaired by the justice system now , the consequences will be felt for the foreseeable future .
This is the moment in history for ordinary Americans to stand up with courage and make this coming election a red tidal wave .
Angela Kelley is the Director of Operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensive professional background in higher education and program management .
She loves politics and genealogy and is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-31--Vice President Mike Pence Joins Thales Acadmey Founder Bob Luddy in Raleigh, North Carolina for Roun

Vice President Mike Pence Joins Thales Acadmey Founder Bob Luddy in Raleigh, North Carolina for Roundtable

Here is a transcript of what Vice President Mike Pence said while participating in a roundtable discussion on Wednesday talking about how to reopen schools safely .
Pence : Thank you Bob Luddy and the great team here at Thales Academy .
Thank you again for the hospitality .
Thank you for your example .
Thank you for proving that even through all of the days through which we ’ ve passed and the sacrifices that all of us have made that we can continue to open up North Carolina again .
And also open up North Carolina ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So thank you all very very much .
It ’ s an honor to be with you .
With that , I ’ d be happy to turn it over to the Secretary of Education for her remarks .
And then I ’ d love to hear more about the great great efforts here at Thales Academy .
DeVos : Thank you first of all .
( Applause ) Mr. Vice President thank you so much for helping draw attention to the imperative of getting kids back to school .
Your leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is so important and I ’ m so grateful to have your focus on this and I know I join the education leaders here from Apex Academy here by saying thank you .
Thank you for thinking about the kids and their futures .
And a special thanks to Bob Luddy for your visionary leadership and for really providing opportunities for kids who need it most .
It ’ s just a pleasure to be able to visit one of your schools here and to see students back in the classroom again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that all eight of your campuses are open again .
I think if I have my numbers right there are about 3,500 students between the eight campuses that are all back in school learning .
It ’ s really great to hear about your year-round model too and the shutdown situation in the spring now you are back in July with kids that have missed that opportunity in the spring that are now back together and picking up right where they left off .
And that ’ s really a very commendable thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other schools should be thinking about .
We know that the summer slide is certainly a reality .
And you are addressing that in a very very upfront and creative way .
The vice president and I are here today because we believe every student in North Carolina and across America must get back to school .
So it ’ s not a matter of if schools reopen its a matter of how they do so safely .
And how schools reopen is best left to local leaders because they know their students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations in their specific areas .
There is not a national superintendent nor should there be .
Therefore there is not a national plan for reopening .
Education is perhaps the most local issue there is .
And Thales is a great example more schools could emulate .
You didn ’ t wait for guidance from the Department of Education .
You didn ’ t ask for permission .
Your families wanted kids back in school .
You wanted kids back in school .
Teachers wanted to be back in school .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and to do it safely .
And I know if the situation requires it for families that really need it or request it you offer a robust and fully functional remote and distance learning plan for students who are in unique situations .
More education leaders here in North Carolina can pivot as well and do it well and do what ’ s right for all students .
There are too many schools in this state and others that are ignoring parents and students in keeping schools closed .
Giving families essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual learning which we know for all too many students simply doesn ’ t work .
Ultimately all of education needs to rise and meet the needs of each and every student .
And students and their families shouldn ’ t have to conform to a one size fits all approach .
And parents and kids can ’ t be held captive to others ’ fears or agendas .
Students and their parents deserve choices to go somewhere else if their school is falling short or if it doesn ’ t ’ work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to support their child ’ s education should go with them .
Education needs to rise and meet the need of each and every student .
It can ’ t be said enough .
Students and their families again should not have to conform to a one size fits all approach .
For more than three decades I ’ ve talked about the need to rethink education .
And to expand education options for all students .
It ’ s a passion the president and the vice president share .
This moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Students need it .
Families are demanding it and teachers need it .
So we ’ re working with Congress right now to ensure that students and especially the most vulnerable have the options and the resources and the freedom needed to keep learning this fall at the places and in the ways that make the most sense for them and work for them .
Families here recently won the hard-fought freedom to use the education savings account in addition to the voucher programs that serve nearly 14,000 students in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note that today that we are announcing the Department of Education our Rethink Education Model Grant as part of the CARES Act that North Carolina will be the winner and recipient of .
There is more good news for students in North Carolina as a result .
But still , there is great demand and more parents calling for more mechanisms of school choice now .
Senator Tim Scott recently took a bold step towards answering that call .
He grew up in a single-parent household in a forgotten community .
He knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country need access to more educational opportunities .
Senator Scott ’ s School Choice Now Act must be part of any relief package to help all students return safely to school this fall .
Education funding should ultimately be about the students and go with the students no matter the school setting .
And certainly , if a student ’ s assigned school refuses to open this fall and forces families to learn remotely with no other option families should have the option to take the funding set aside for their child ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will educate their child full time .
Congress should seize this real and important opportunity to expand and offer all education options at all schools and to all students across America .
There are silver linings to this virus and its results and implications .
We just need to look for them .
And in the case of students look for doing what ’ s right to meet the needs of each and every student across the country .
Again thanks to Bob Luddy for your leadership here in North Carolina and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what can be .
And giving us the opportunity to visit you here today and see the great job that you are doing .
Thank you so much .
Luddy : Thank you very much , Secretary DeVos .
The first question and comment will go to Hillary Herman and it will be related to , can you tell us the challenges of opening school and keeping them safe this year ?
Herman : One of the biggest challenges has been being flexible .
Especially being a school that really thrives on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for academics .
We ’ ve really had to shift our thinking and shift the thinking of our teachers to focus more on taking the time to do the sanitation measures that we ’ ve put in place .
And so that ’ s been the number one challenge of just being flexible and understanding that it ’ s not going to look the same and being ok with that .
Because we can still really provide high-quality experiences for our kids and keep them safe .
We just need to sanitize frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behaviors .
And take some additional measures in our classrooms and in our schools .
Pence : I heard the kids talk about it .
Pence : Arm ’ s length hands down .
Then they know they are going to be far enough apart .
Is that right ?
Pence : The kids understand it ’ s going to be different .
It ’ s not going to be the same but it ’ s going to be school .
Herman : Absolutely .
There are a lot of things the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just different procedures for the most part and retraining them on things they ’ ve been previously trained on .
Things like walking in a line look different .
Things like arrival and dismissal time look very different to the kids .
They start their day getting a temperature check .
That ’ s different for them .
We are used to it .
Parents are completing daily health screenings for students as well .
So it really takes a village also .
You have to have the support of the parents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Luddy has been a huge support for all of us in making this happen .
Luddy : The same question to Miss Ashley for the Roseville Thales 6th through 12 school .
Miss Ashley : Working with the older students they are more independent and can understand what ’ s going on but we ’ ve had to teach to be a problem solver .
So while the school day does look different in terms of routines and procedures to prevent the spread of germs .
Whether it ’ s going down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those different routines and having them understand the why behind it .
At the upper-grade levels they are extremely helpful .
They enjoy technology and they enjoy technology in the classroom but they are also social beings that want to see their friends .
They want to collaborate .
So we just have to figure out how to do that safely and think outside the box on solutions .
Pence : That ’ s great .
It ’ s different for my wife who is an art teacher .
She now has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have an art classroom where the children usually come to the classroom .
She ’ ll come to the classroom .
You see teachers adjusting around that ?
The kids are adjusting around that ?
Miss Ashley : ( Inaudible talk ) and look for areas that we could have either teacher travel or students travel differently .
Wearing masks .
Different conversations .
As long as the students understand why and how to do that they are just happy to be back in the building .
Pence : Yes .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really could .
Luddy : Could you talk about the importance of having new school instruction ?
Herman : I think first and foremost being able to see and understand what ’ s happening while students are learning and certainly with our direct instruction model .
So much of what we do depends on what ’ s immediately happening .
How they are responding .
Their level of engagement .
That gets a little bit more challenging when you try to implement it in a virtual model .
I feel that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful model .
We ’ re better able to gauge where students are and assess their learning and meet their needs by having them right in front of us .
And just in general for their well being it ’ s pretty amazing to walk around the schools right now .
And just feel the vibe of happiness among the students .
Some times you have kids that they don ’ t want to wake up in the morning and go to school but you know they are happy to be here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those learning opportunities just to get to be here .
Miss Ashley : I think we also had an obligation to our families .
We have a lot of working families where it was hard to juggle working at home and trying to be a teacher .
And we just felt the obligation of if we were going to come but how are we going to come back and how do we meet the needs of the families we were serving and our students .
We are excited to be back in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers .
They wanted to see their friends .
It provides a different stimulation to learn within the classroom than to learn from home .
Pence : Ashley makes a great point .
We want to open up our schools again because it ’ s the best for our kids .
Academically and for their whole well being .
Make no mistake about it , this is the best for working families .
I saw one student recently that only 20 percent of single parents are able to work from home .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts in high relief how important it is for working families especially courageous single moms and dads to have their kids back in school so they can go back out and get back to work .
I appreciate your raising that .
It very much is a driving force .
Right after whats best for our kids is what ’ s best for working families .
Luddy : Denise Kent is the leader of Franklin Academy Public Charter School which is not allowed to open due to state rules .
Kent : We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Academy and our remote learning started up again on July 20 .
And we will be in remote learning until August 17 .
Unfortunately , Governor Cooper made the decision of how schools could open midway through our work week right before school started so we didn ’ t have enough time to flush out what plan b would look like .
If you are familiar with North Carolina ’ s Plan B is pretty strict .
Its limited density .
Masks inside and outside .
You need to refrain from band class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to shut down water fountains .
So there is a lot that goes into Plan B .
And what we are seeing here as a public charter school is we have to follow what DHHS says and Governor Cooper says .
We don ’ t have the flexibility as a private school does .
So we ’ re taking the next four weeks while providing online learning .
Getting our buildings ready because we can only have limited density in the building which means about 50 percent of our students can come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence : You will have some start earlier ?
Some come early in the morning ?
Kent : It will not be beneficial for working families .
It ’ s going to be difficult to manage .
Because half of our children will attend school on Monday and Tuesday .
The other half will attend on Thursday and Friday .
We close down on Wednesday and do remote learning only on Wednesday and to do a deep cleaning .
And these are all requirements of the state .
We will still continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fragile children or children who just can ’ t come back to school for whatever the reason may be .
As I was speaking with the senator earlier it would be great if we had Plan A or Plan C only in North Carolina .
We open up and open up fully with measures in place to be successful .
Plan B really forces LEAS and professional units to remote only or you are wasting all of this time trying to figure out all these things .
We need all of our kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the soft skills .
Kent : Five days a week .
I think our biggest challenge if we were open five days a week or open up in Plan B is procuring cleaning supplies .
We are having a lot of difficulties getting the appropriate cleaning supplies to clean at regular intervals .
We are looking at taking our whole school of K-12 and making it a block schedule to minimize transitions .
So instead of being kindergarten , you go straight to reading class and your reading teacher is going to teach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But she ’ s also going to teach you science and social studies .
So we are going to minimize those transitions as much as possible because we do group students according to skill or ability .
Pence : Could you go to five days this week ?
Do you believe you could operate five days this week safely ?
Kent : We could go to five days next week if I had enough cleaning supplies .
Pence : So the president is calling for $ 105 billion for education .
Kent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have masks .
And we have some PPEs .
I have thermometers for our staff .
We are looking for spray , Lysol wipes , Clorox wipes .
Pence : Got it .
Tough one .
But if you had the cleaning supplies you could open up .
Pence : Five days a week and safely operate your school .
Kent : And also offer virtual academy for our families .
Pence : You mentioned a very good point I thought and that was that there are medically vulnerable kids .
When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go help two young boys who touched my life deeply who had muscular dystrophy .
There are medically vulnerable children that we want to make accommodations for .
Pence : As well as coming from families where there are people with underlying conditions .
Basically , if you had the cleaning supplies you could open up ?
Kent : Absolutely .
Five days a week .
And that would all of our students that instruction .
Under Plan B is what we are doing is we are forced to pick and chose which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have offered the opportunity for our special education to come four days a week as opposed to just two .
To help pick up some of that summer slide .
The virtual learning that occurred last year was not up to par for anybody .
DeVos : I was just going to mention that under the CARES Act there were $ 13 million that went to K-12 schools .
Although it ’ s been distributed to all of the states , less than two percent of that has been drawn down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies .
We can ’ t get our hands on them .
Every time we find a supplier its either they ’ ve been told by the state that they can only supply hospitals and first responders or they are being quoted at astronomical prices .
For example , I was quoted this week for a canister of 75 at $ 19.75 a can .
Pence : Got it .
Thank you very much and thank you for your leadership .
Luddy : As a classroom teacher , what is your biggest challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teacher your work is hard .
Your wife would probably agree with that .
Pence : Yes she would .
But she loves it .
It ’ s a calling .
Miss Allison : Exactly .
So we are regularly asked to give 100 percent of ourselves mentally physically and emotionally .
This year has really been no different except I feel the stakes are a lot higher .
I ’ ve seen co-workers struggling with their own health and the health of their families while still trying to provide that high-quality education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder than ever before .
I feel like my responsibilities have quickly doubled .
However , teachers do it because they love it .
The pressure of providing that safe learning environment for virtual and in-person learners is definitely challenging .
But again we are here doing the hard work because we want to be .
So I think just time is probably the hardest challenge right now as a classroom teacher .
Pence : And I got the impression that you think there is no substitute for in-class learning at all ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be back .
Virtual learning was challenging and we made it work because that ’ s what we needed to do .
But just losing that interaction with students made the work even harder .
We kind of lost sight of the work we were doing .
Being in person is a great reminder seeing students even though they ask for hugs we can ’ t give them the hugs .
But just having the interaction and building those relationships is a lot easier when you are in person .
Pence : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gratitude to teachers .
It ’ s great to meet you and the fact that many teachers have families of their own and at home looking at their families and teaching kids and how grateful we are for all the hard work that you ’ ve done .
And part of opening up our schools again is putting teachers back where they belong in front of the classroom where they can make a difference and the best for their families .
Great words Allison .
Luddy : Kelly as a parent could you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience of having children in school now ?
Parent Kelly : Thank you for having me .
Hands down the most immediate and visible thing that we have as parents are the improved mental health of our kids .
And I have been floored of how quickly that was visible .
I have one daughter that tends to be a little more anxious but after this shutdown , than she had been down and angry and anxious .
And she returned to school and within that one day she came back joyful an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to relaxed parents and happy parents .
I think it ’ s been a trickle effect across the families .
And we are hearing that from all kinds of parents .
I ’ m just one parent .
All parents are saying their kids ’ eyes are brighter .
Their kids are dancing with joy .
Their kids are the happiest they ’ ve been in months .
I don ’ t think we realized how quickly it would be shown .
And how important school was to our kids .
So the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by far the most important to me that ’ s immediate .
And that transfers to physical health .
So I feel like they ’ ll be healthy .
As their mental health was declining I felt that their immune systems were probably getting worse .
And so I think that that ’ s the first thing .
And as a side note , we ’ d have to watch my 100-year-old grandmother be locked in her nursing home .
And she ’ s gone from being very healthy to not healthy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a balance needs to be struck .
And it ’ s young and old .
we need to be advocates for these people .
And I am so grateful to Mr. Luddy for opening the schools to our kids because it ’ s been hugely impactful .
The other biggest value is that learning has improved .
The teachers have to that .
My kids are learning so much better .
And I feel like it is giving our kids the education progress that their generation deserves .
And we lost months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Thales Academy .
So I feel like those that didn ’ t have that opportunity are falling even further behind .
My one child did not retain as much .
The learning was less effective .
They weren ’ t as happy or motivated and it was frustrating in the house to be the parent and it was frustrating for them .
The in-person matters for their educational progress .
So thank you very much for having me .
Pence : Really great words Kim .
I love it .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our kids too .
When they are happy , you are happy .
Parent Kelly : And that weight was been lifted day one .
Pence : That ’ s such a moving story about how in one day you said your daughter came home from school happy .
Parent Kelly : We have heard that from many many parents .
We all have been talking about it because it was so visible and so immediate .
Pence : Kids belong in school .
And I just want to promise you that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country to get our kids back so we can see more and more bright and shining faces coming home .