thetennesseestar--2020-04-14--Mark Green Describes Plan to Bring American Companies Back from China

U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-07 ) said Monday he has sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to include incentives for American companies to move back from China .
Specifically , Green said in the letter that members of Congress should do this through any upcoming legislation they might consider while fighting COVID-19 .
“ Prior to the coronavirus outbreak , many American companies had moved their operations to the People ’ s Republic of China ( PRC ) , lured by incentives like lower costs and an abundance of cheap labor .
However , over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Congress have gone to great lengths to make the United States the best place in the world to do business .
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act slashed taxes , the President ’ s energy agenda has led to cheaper utilities , and right-to-work laws have made many states more attractive , ” Green said in the letter .
“ One of the big disincentives to American companies moving back to our soil is the cost .
For many , it is too expensive and too risky to undertake an international move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , as millions of Americans file for unemployment each week , and as we ’ ve been forced to make our own homemade masks out of scarves and bandanas , we need to bring our companies home.
” In his letter , Green said the country should temporarily allow American companies that move back from China to expense 100 percent of moving costs .
“ And , while I ’ m personally no fan of tariffs , we should pay for it with the existing tariffs President Trump levied on China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Green wrote .
“ The American people have suffered enough — and the American taxpayer has paid enough — for a virus they had no part in causing .
It ’ s time to let China pay for it.
” As The Tennessee Star reported last week , Green joined other Republicans in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo asking how his department will hold China accountable for its coronavirus misinformation campaign against America .
Since the discovery of the virus in December 2019 , China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hide its origination and early spread , Green said .
Green ’ s letter outlined China ’ s propaganda efforts over the course of months .
These include alleged coordination between Chinese health officials and the Chinese government to conceal the spread of COVID-19 and government-led propaganda campaigns to blame the United States .
They also include reported efforts by Chinese officials to silence doctors and expel American journalists from the country , Green said .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email @ @ @ @ @ @

by Virginia Allen
Republican governors are sending National Guard troops to the southern border.
Governors of Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia announced this week they will send troops and resources to Texas to support the work of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Operation Lone Star to secure the southern border.
“President [Joe] Biden’s failure at our southern border puts the entire country at risk,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. “States must now step up where the president has failed to repel illegals, fight the cartels, and stop human and drug trafficking.”
Sanders is sending 80 National Guard troops to the border in July. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will send troop but has not clarified how many, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also announced Thursday that he will send 100 National Guardsmen to Texas to help secure the southern border. Gov. Mike DeWine says he will send 14 State Highway troopers and supervisors to Texas for two weeks. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she will deploy about 50 National Guard troops to the border this summer.
Arkansas, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota join nine other GOP governors who have already pledged to send troops and resources to Texas to help secure the state’s border with Mexico.
“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement Wednesday.
“Given the intensive resource demands on Texas, the dangers posed by the fentanyl crisis, and impact of the border crisis on criminal activity to the Commonwealth, Virginia will do its part to assist the State of Texas’ efforts with the coordinated deployment of Virginia National Guard soldiers to assist in key aspects of their mission,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin is sending 100 troops and 21 supporting personnel to Texas from the commonwealth.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is sending up to 50 National Guard troops and airmen to the border for up to 30 days. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster says he will also send troops to the border but has yet to announce how may.
“The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison,” McMaster said in a statement Wednesday.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that she will send 100 National Guard troops and 30 Department of Public Safety personnel to the border.
The Republican governors’ decision to send troops to the southern border comes in response to Abbott’s request for states to join Texas and help secure the border through the work of Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security plan.
Nine GOP governors met with Abbott in Austin, Texas, on May 22 to discuss the border crisis. The meeting was held about a week after Abbott sent a letter to fellow governors asking them to help Texas secure the border.
The Texas governor applauded Idaho and Florida for already having sent border security resources and personnel to the Lone Star State to help secure the border and invited more governors to join in the “mission to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and send all available law enforcement personnel and resources to the Texas-Mexico border to serve alongside our thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers.”
Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced he will send 100 National Guard troops to the border and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen committed to send 10 state troopers to Texas to “help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border.”
Florida, Idaho, and Mississippi were among the first states to answer Abbott’s call for help.
On May 17, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced he was mobilizing a National Guard unit to the border.
“To keep Mississippians safe and limit the impact of our nation’s open borders, the Mississippi National Guard’s 112th Military Police Battalion has been mobilized and is supporting Customs and Border Protection officers and agents along the Southwest border.”
The day before Reeves’ announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida had “over 1,100 assets and resources available” to aid Operation Lone Star, including 800 National Guard soldiers and 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers.
“At my direction, state agencies, including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard, are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes,” DeSantis said. “While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”
Since the start of the Biden administration, Customs and Border Protection reports encountering more than 5.5 million illegal aliens at the southern border. Since fiscal year 2023 began on Oct. 1, CBP has encountered more than 1.4 million illegal aliens, about triple the number encountered at the southern border during fiscal year 2020.
CBP has seized a record 17,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border so far in fiscal year 2023, which ends Sept. 30, more than triple the total amount seized in all of fiscal year 2020.
– – –
Virginia Allen is a senior news producer and podcast host for The Daily Signal. She is the co-host of “The Daily Signal Podcast” and “Problematic Women.”
Photo “National Guard” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.


thetennesseestar--2020-04-14--Carol Swain Commentary: Ditching Rep. DeBerry Shows the True Colors of the Tennessee Democratic Part

Carol Swain Commentary: Ditching Rep. DeBerry Shows the True Colors of the Tennessee Democratic Party

Tennessee State Rep. John DeBerry , a black Shelby County Democrat , is an independent thinker , which at the moment makes him Public Enemy No .
1 in the eyes of the state ’ s Democratic Party .
Earlier this month , with most Americans distracted by the media ’ s nonstop coronavirus coverage , Janeita Lentz , another Shelby County Democrat and co-chair of the Memphis-Mid South Democratic Socialists of America , advanced a racist , cultist agenda .
Her mission : to oust a black Democratic incumbent deemed too uppity for the Tennessee Democratic Party ( TNDP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on April 6 , submitted a resolution to TNDP Chair Mary Mancini and Shelby County Chair Michael Harris requesting the removal of DeBerry , a 13-term house member , from the 2020 election ballot .
Rep. DeBerry , who has represented a 65 percent black Memphis district for 26 years , is also a Church of Christ minister who is pro-life and pro-school choice .
That makes him anathema for today ’ s Democratic Party .
An outspoken but gentle black man , he is a threat to the Democrats ’ long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressive agenda .
On April 8 , the majority white TNDP executive committee voted 41-18 , with two abstentions , to remove DeBerry from the ballot .
Rutherford County ’ s Brandon Thomas , a black member of the executive committee and a candidate in the August 2020 Democratic primary for House District 49 , is the only black known to have supported DeBerry ’ s removal from the ballot .
To bolster her case against DeBerry , Lentz provided 28 pages of evidence .
Included were a disbursement from DeBerry ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanderson ; a Tweet from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos thanking Rep. DeBerry for participating in an education reform roundtable ; Rep. DeBerry ’ s vote in favor of the fetal heartbeat bill , which was met by billboards purchased by Planned Parenthood ; his being the only Democrat endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses ( NFIB ) ; and a picture of the Tennessee Republican Prayer Caucus on January 17 , 2020 – with the comment “ John J. DeBerry , Jr. the only Democrat invited and in attendance.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement because all Tennessee legislators are invited , and many Democrats attend .
Then again , prayer is offensive to the edicts of the Church of Liberalism as espoused and embraced by Democrats nationwide .
Rep. DeBerry was never told of the challenge to his credentials or that the TNDP executive committee was meeting April 8 .
Several black Democrats wrote letters to Mancini on behalf of DeBerry .
Among those was Rep. Joe Towns , Jr. , whose sharply-worded letter emphasized that “ the overwhelming majority of the African-American community has vetted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than sufficient in Democratic values that reflect his district and the black community at large.
” TNDP Chair Mancini has accused DeBerry of opposing women ’ s health .
The latter should be interpreted as abortion .
Democrats use euphemisms such as “ reproductive health ” and “ women ’ s health ” to camouflage their devotion to pro-abortion views and make them more palatable to those who oppose killing the unborn .
One look at his voting record and population data demonstrates that DeBerry is standing up for the most vulnerable Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking to purge their party of pro-life Democrats such as DeBerry .
The Democratic Party in America has become a leftist “ take no prisoners ” cult in which the ends , regardless how immoral or unethical , justify the means .
Democratic politics as usual , ho-hum .
Many Christians continue to align with the Democratic Party , justifying it with cognitive dissonance that is the calling card of a party that openly defies Judeo-Christian values and principles and spits on the U. S. Constitution ( and , for good measure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little tent party that has no room for anyone , white or black , who dare disagree with their “ vision ” of the world .
It is a vision that takes us closer and closer to full-blown totalitarianism .
The Democratic Party has had a long history – well-documented – of anti-black racism that goes back to its founding .
It was the party of slavery ; it started the Civil War ; it opposed Reconstruction ; it founded the Ku Klux Klan ; it imposed segregation and Jim Crow racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought vigorously against civil rights laws in the 1950s and 1960s .
In my home state of Virginia , Senator Harry F. Byrd led the massive resistance against school integration .
More recently , the Democratic Party has been the party that has pushed for late-term abortions , and it has no problem with Planned Parenthood setting its clinics disproportionately in minority communities .
Voting along racial lines , the Democratic Party in Tennessee is seeking to deny black voters their candidate of choice .
They prefer a hand-picked black representative who will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party across the nation .
At this juncture , it is more important than ever for fair-minded individuals of all races to come together and reject the litmus tests and heavy-handed politics of the Tennessee Democrats as they seek to advance an agenda harmful to the people they seek to control .
Dr. Carol M. Swain is a former tenured professor at Vanderbilt and Princeton universities .
Her Be The People News blog and podcast empower individuals to think independently , understand their responsibilities , and make a difference in the world .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Tennessee Small Businesses Have Received More Than $4 Billion Under Paycheck Protection Program

More than 19,000 small businesses across Tennessee have received forgivable loans from the federal government under the Paycheck Protection Program .
The program was included in the Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act passed on March 27 and signed into law by President Donald Trump .
A total of $ 349 billion was set aside for the program , which is intended to help small businesses keep their workers on payroll during the coronavirus pandemic .
Small businesses can qualify for a maximum loan amount of up to two months of their average monthly payroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that amount , according to the U.S. Department of Treasury .
All loans are subject to a $ 10 million cap .
All businesses with 500 or fewer employees are eligible for the program , including independent contractors and people who are self-employed .
Businesses with more than 500 employees are still eligible if they can meet certain standards set by the Small Business Administration ( SBA ) .
According to the SBA , loans will be forgiven if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest , or utilities .
A report released Monday by the SBA notes that 19,074 small businesses in Tennessee have received a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program .
In total , small businesses across the state have received more than $ 4.7 billion in loans .
Nationally , the SBA has issued 1.03 million loans to small businesses .
As of Monday , more than $ 247 billion had been dispersed under the program .
The overall average loan size is $ 239,152 , the SBA ’ s report says .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued thus far have been $ 150,000 and under .
Small businesses in the construction industry have received the most loans , followed by the professional , scientific , and technical services industry , manufacturing , health care and social assistance , and accommodation and food services .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .

by Scott McClallen
Sixteen Michigan schools have been awarded $205,028 to develop Great Lakes-based science, technology, engineering, and math – STEM – programs.
“These grants will support freshwater literacy programs and offer students access to real world STEM experiences,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “Our Great Lakes are our greatest asset, and we must empower young Michiganders to learn more about them and continue advancing conservation efforts. Michigan’s economic competitiveness depends on a workforce proficient in STEM and committed to solving our biggest challenges. Investments like these will help prepare our kids to lead our state into the future.”
Grant proposals were submitted and reviewed through a competitive process. Selected projects study freshwater conservation and real-world experiences.
Grant awardees and amount are as follows:
Alcona Community Schools: $6,892 to expand 3-P learning by studying coastal and wetland habitats.
Alpena Public Schools: $8,078 so students can work as scientific researchers collecting data and making observations to determine if environmental issues are impacting the Thunder Bay River Watershed.
Avron Township School: $5,000 to adopt two beaches so it can participate in science lessons.
Atherton Community Schools: $10,000 to engage 195 middle and high school science students in 3-P learning through its “Health in Our Hands” curriculum.
Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District: $20,000 for 3-P learning to support teachers.
Farmington Public Schools: $15,870 to incorporate “student voice” in water steward topics and activate 3-P teaching
Forest Hills Central Woodlands ⅚ School: $20,000 to provide 3-P learning students, including transportation for all students to visit the Inland Seas Schooner and engage in the remotely operated vehicle program through Inland Seas Education Association.
Grand Rapids Montessori, Grand Rapids Public Schools: $8,862 to help students identify and solve habitat loss for local pollinators, bird and turtle species through a partnership with the John Ball Zoo.
Harrington Elementary School: $12,000 for Marshall Public Schools to partner with Albion College to develop “outdoors at school” curricula for grades K-5.
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency: $20,000 to support Southwest MiSTEM and the Kalamazoo Nature Center to establish a Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative hub to continue water stewardship education programs.
Mt. Morris Consolidated Schools: $15,000 to participate in the Flint River Green project, where students learn about the Flint River Watershed and its community impact.
Muskegon Area Intermediate School District: $15,000 to expand 3-P learning for 420 fourth grade students and 3-P training for 19 fourth grade teachers.
Pickfield Public Schools: $9,996 so students can gather water quality data from the local watershed.
Stanton Township Public Schools: $5,000 to train new teachers to carry out future Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative activities.
Washtenaw Intermediate School District: $20,000 to build a foundation for cross-district collaboration in support of freshwater-focused place-based education.
Wayne-Westland Community Schools: $13,330 to activate a 3-P learning program.
The grants continue the 2020 From Students to Stewards Initiative and the 2021 MiSTEM Transformative Playbook grants.
The Great Lakes account for over 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Commentary: Democrats Are Using the Wuhan Virus to Reframe Big Government Tyranny as Patriotism

Our friend Anne Sorock Segal and her colleagues at the Frontier Center , who conduct groundbreaking market research that is focused on reviving our American culture of self-governance , have just produced a fascinating study of how Democrats are reframing progressive Big Government as patriotism during the coronavirus panic .
And the leading figure in this recasting of old Democrat ideas is New York ’ s Far Left Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo , who has adopted what Ms. Sorock Segal calls a “ Progressive Patriot ” brand in the midst of the COVID-19 faceoff over how and when the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a hyperpartisan environment .
I know it is red versus blue .
Not anymore .
Not when it comes to this .
This is red , white and blue , ” said Governor Cuomo , thereby casting any opposition to his policies as unpatriotic .
In Sorock Segal ’ s view , Cuomo in doing so has adopted the three “ Progressive Patriot ” brand positionings the Frontier Center ’ s research tracked in their recent study , “ Progressive Patriotism “ : Reframe progressive principles as the mechanism for American exceptionalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American It will seem counter-intuitive to most conservatives for a brand on the Left to adopt this approach .
But , says Ms. Sorock Segal the Frontier Center ’ s polling found 34 % of progressives say they are “ very patriotic.
” Progressives also told the Frontier Center ’ s researchers they are have four values “ need-states , ” which until recently had not been satisfied by brands or messaging on the Left : Exceptionalism : I recognize that America is unique because it is committed to progressive principles : both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better than other countries for the future Anti-Elitism : By invoking the Constitution I am identifying a pathway for the everyday person to succeed in life Community : I support our well-being and solidarity as a people Peace of Mind : It is right to honor the history of our “ ties that bind ” What we found most interesting about this study is that it explains much of the Democrat political messaging during the coronavirus panic and how the establishment media and corporate liberals have picked-up and reinforced that messaging .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message of “ In It Together ” one sees on social media and on television .
Of course , we are not all “ In It Together ” because the bastions of the Democratic Party and Progressivism , such as the academy , television , government and teacher unions , etc .
are all getting paid during the Wuhan virus lockdowns , while those who are more likely to hold conservative values , such as small business people and the self-employed , are seeing their livelihoods and life ’ s work destroyed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate messaging also allows Democrat politicians and their allies in Progressive media and corporations to redefine Americanism away from our traditional ideas and values of rugged individualism and bottom-up action .
Instead , we are invited to substitute an all-embracing Nanny State that will provide safety and community in exchange for liberty .
While this seems outrageous to conservatives , it makes perfect sense to “ Progressive Patriots ” and completely justifies the actions of dangerous tyrants like Michigan ’ s Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky ’ s Democrat Governor Andy Beshear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and safety have trampled the Constitution with abandon .
Thus , government-imposed lists of what merchants can and can not sell and which merchants selling the same merchandise are open or closed is perfectly OK. And closing churches and using government decrees to prohibit the free-exercise of religion is justified by keeping the “ community ” safe .
Democrats have ( as usual ) quickly identified the messages necessary to extract the maximum political utility out of the COVID-19 epidemic and the associated panic .
If conservatives want to avoid having this panic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move our politics and culture further to the Left , then we must take seriously the lessons of the Frontier Center ’ s “ Progressive Patriotism ” study .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Crom Carmichael Dissects Trump Press Briefings Noting the Defunding of the World Health Organization

Crom Carmichael Dissects Trump Press Briefings Noting the Defunding of the World Health Organization and Keeping Journalists in a Reality Check

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. – Leahy was joined on the line by all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
During the third hour , Carmichael reviewed President Trump ’ s press briefings held this week pointing out his plans to defund the World Health Organization and eventually of the World Trade Organization .
He reflected on Monday ’ s briefing as particularly entertaining when the president turned the tables on journalists showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting .
Leahy : We are joined now on our newsmakers line by our good friend and the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
Good morning Crom .
Carmichael : Michael .
How are you , sir ?
Leahy : Well , I told Doug Kellet earlier in the five o ’ clock hour I believe I am beginning to suffer from studio fever .
Its sort of like cabin fever but it ’ s when you come in and you work in the studio with your gloves and your mask and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in studio with you and you can have a conversation with and look at them in the eye , you ’ ve got to talk to them on the phone .
It ’ s a little different and not quite as fun , I think .
Carmichael : Well one thing you can say is your guests can not claim that traffic was a problem .
( Laughs ) Leahy : That is funny Crom .
( Laughs ) What is your home studio like ?
Is it your office , your living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us typically from ?
Carmichael : I have a small office here that is actually Kathy ’ s office but I moved into here .
Carmichael : And I take my computer which has batteries .
I come in here and call in from Kathy ’ s office .
Leahy : There you go .
I ’ ve been on this long list of things that have to change and are a little different .
One is my workout regime has been typically to go to hot yoga in a studio where there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same air and I can ’ t do that anymore .
Or the Orange Theory Fitness workout studio .
Can ’ t do that anymore .
So I ’ m kind of in the land of oh , not doing so well in terms of the exercise regime .
Are you still able to do your exercise regime Crom ?
Or is that on hold ?
Carmichael : What I do is I record the daily press conference .
( Leahy chuckles ) And then when I watch it I actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while watching the press conference and doing some exercises .
It ’ s not optimal .
Then I do a good bit of walking .
Leahy : That is a pretty good plan Crom .
I might try that .
Do your workout while you are watching the very lengthy press conferences from the president .
Did you watch yesterday ’ s press conference by the way ?
Carmichael : I did .
I watched yesterday ’ s press conference but they kind of run together for me .
Carmichael : The one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Trump played soundbites of the press ( Leahy laughs ) because they were criticizing him for doing exactly what they did .
And he just merely ran some clips proving that .
And Jonathan Carl went absolutely ballistic .
Leahy : So that was yesterday and it was funny .
Jonathan Carl with ABC News which is what owned by Disney ?
Carmichael : That was Monday .
Because wasn ’ t yesterday ’ s was outside ?
Yesterday ’ s was outside .
Leahy : OK. You might be right .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from ABC .
And all of the networks had been trying to say that Trump did not act soon enough .
Trump did not act soon enough .
We know for a fact that Trump acted on January 31 when he shut down travel from China .
So what he did was he played a bunch of soundbites after January 31 of the media playing down the coronavirus ( Leahy laughs ) saying the flu is much worse and I don ’ t know why Trump ’ s making such a big deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be much worse .
He played maybe six or seven clips .
And Jonathan Carl was all mad , he asked who produced that ?
Who produced that ?
I want names .
Trump said it was people in my communication office .
We have well over 100 to pick from .
If you ’ d like I could do some more and in fact , I might .
( Laughter ) Carmichael : What was so revealing was the press ’ s reaction .
And Trump was actually really nice because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just could have mauled them for the way they reacted to that .
He could of just said , do you think that you all are above the truth ?
( Leahy laughs ) That ’ s a question Jonathan .
Answer the question .
You don ’ t get a free pass .
You are in the institution of the media the fourth estate you don ’ t get a free pass .
If you make up fake news about me and I point it out that ’ s fair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest fakers .
And that ’ s more or less what he did when he called him a third rate reporter .
At any rate , I think that was just fabulous .
I hope he does that some more .
The two pieces of big news to me was , one , Trump announced yesterday that he is going to shut down funding for the World Health Organization and he ’ s launching an investigation .
And that matters a lot .
And he said the World Trade Organization is next .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ re not going to keep funding organizations that treat us badly and that respond more favorably to dictatorial governments .
So we ’ re just not going to do that anymore .
I thought that was a big statement .
Leahy : I agree .
By the way Crom , you mentioned the travel ban on China that he put into effect on January 31 .
Immediately after that , the head of the World Health Organization condemned Trump ’ s travel ban as unnecessary .
Remember that ?
Carmichael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization is about to get a thorough investigation .
And that guy that runs it will not last long .
Fauci said nice things about that guy once but then he said , well I ’ m comparing him to his predecessor .
Carmichael : Just because you have somebody who is bad and better than worse doesn ’ t mean that you should stick with bad .
And so Trump is going to force some changes there .
And he ’ s going to keep talking about it .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations .
Leahy : On Saturday our good friend Steve Bannon had a special edition of War Room Pandemic .
We broadcasted that live at The Tennessee Star website via YouTube live-streaming .
What he said was very interesting .
Sometimes he foreshadows some of the actions of the president .
I don ’ t think it ’ s necessarily because he talks .
But he ’ s putting forth policy ideas that make sense .
He said , not a penny more to the World Health Organization and here ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge of it .
I thought it was pretty interesting .
Carmichael : Now that , ( Laughs ) that would be fabulous .
That would be fabulous .
Whoever is going to be the next person in charge is somebody that Trump is going to approve or we ’ re not going to fund them .
Leahy : I ’ m all for that .
Carmichael : And the World Health Organization , one of the reporters and I don ’ t know who she works for but says , why don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says , how do you know we ’ re not punishing China ?
You don ’ t know we ’ re not punishing China ?
So , my guess is there ’ s another shoe to drop in regards to China .
I don ’ t know if you saw the Sharyl Attkisson episode about the Batman of China ?
Carmichael : It ’ s really quite frightening what he ’ s doing .
They have over 300 bat viruses in that laboratory in Wuhan , China .
Think about that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
I believe that this is where this particular coronavirus-19 originated from .
I think it originated from that lab and I don ’ t think it originated from those wet markets .
Leahy : We may never know with certainty because the Chinese government is refusing to cooperate with any investigation into the origins of this virus .
Carmichael : China may be confronting the world over this .
Because this has been a worldwide catastrophe .
There is not anybody who has not been affected .
So China will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leahy : Except officials in the American Democratic Party in America AND the reporters in what I ’ m calling the Manchurian Media .
ABC , CNN , NBC , and MSNBC .
Carmicheal : And Joe Biden of course .
Leahy : And Joe Biden of course !
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Neil McCabe Considers Possible Joe Biden and Michelle Obama Democratic Presidential Ticket

On Wednesday ’ s 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 Michael Patrick Leahy spoke with special guest former Breitbart colleague and Washington journalist Neil McCabe .
During the third hour , McCabe weighed in on the prospect of Joe Biden becoming the Democratic presidential nominee with Michelle Obama as vice president .
Leahy : We are joined by our very good friend my former Breitbart college and Washington journalist Neil McCabe .
Good morning Neil .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has risen .
And Neil you and I have something in common .
We are Irish-Catholic .
I was an altar boy if you can believe that .
Leahy : Were you really ?
You weren ’ t there when they were doing the last mass in Latin , were you ?
Leahy : You are a younger man than I am because I knew all of the Latin responses way back when .
McCabe : When I started it would have been 1974 and there were still high school kids who helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would throw Latin stuff around with the priests and the ushers who would be hanging out .
But we have the Vatican surplice and we had a communion rail .
And then they got rid of the communion rail .
And then they went to the white robe with the ropes .
But I refused to switch .
( Leahy laughs ) I looked like some kind of acolyte or deacon or something with my Vatican surplice .
I refused to change .
Leahy : Speaking of the American religious tradition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden yesterday hearkened back to it .
He called for a great awakening to have everybody come and support Joe Biden .
I don ’ t know .
That seems like a bit of stretch to me .
McCabe : I think its kind of ironic though because somebody needs to wake up Joe Biden ( Leahy laughs ) .
That ’ s the great awakening .
Leahy : That is funny !
He ’ s sleeping in his basement in Wilmington , Delaware .
That ’ s what I think is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are a lot of crazy things .
There are senators who have endorsed Joe Biden and their own kids are in the videos of Joe Biden , basically running his hands up and down their bodies .
Leahy : I know .
Very awkward and creepy stuff .
McCabe : But this is the mistake that Republicans are going to make with Joe .
With Joe Biden , you can criticize his personality and insult him personally but people are going to vote based on the agenda .
They know what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And you and I worked very closely in 2016 for the Breitbart polling and people didn ’ t like Donald Trump .
The poll we put out on election day 2016 if I remember correctly , it was a 45 % strongly disapproval .
45 % strongly disapproval for Trump yet Pat Cadell told us he wins .
McCabe : Because America wants their country back .
McCabe : With Biden and the Democrats they are going to be talking about abortion and guns and taxes .
And the Republicans are not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to say we are the pro-life party .
The Republicans are not going to say we are the pro-gun party .
Just like we saw in Virginia .
They got rolled .
The Democrats ran on more abortion and less guns .
And the Republicans refused to contest it and the message that it sent is that we agree with the Democrats .
And so people are going to make the mistake that you can insult Joe Biden because its a layup right ?
But his agenda is what is really at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Achilles ’ heel of Republican consultants and staffers , they ’ re leftists .
They hate conservatives .
Leahy : The big question for you is what is the over-under of whether or not Joe Biden will actually be able to make it to November in terms of not entirely humiliating himself with the inability to put one sentence after another .
McCabe : Let me put it this way , Mike .
If I make the line July 4 will you take before or after that Joe Biden is the anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ d say he ’ ll be the nominee .
Leahy : Ahhhh , intrigue .
Roll out what the scenario would be to replace Joe Biden .
I guess you are assuming he will start revealing even further his cognitive difficulties .
McCabe : What will happen is they are going to have a virtual convention maybe right ?
McCabe : So a virtual convention you just basically do whatever you want .
What they are going to have is a virtual vice presidential nominee .
There is no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention anymore .
That ’ s even announced before the convention .
So what they do is they announce the VP for Biden and then when Biden is unable to continue that person moves up .
Leahy : So OK. Now here ’ s the thing .
Who is going to pick the VP ?
Will it be Biden or will it be… McCabe : Obama is running the Biden campaign because when Biden announced his new campaign manager was an Obama loyalist , basically Obama has taken over the campaign .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Rourke and Klobuchar and Buttigieg .
They all lined up and endorse Biden .
That ’ s why Bernie Sanders basically cow towed and said , ( Zombie voice ) “ Master , I will endorse Biden.
” Now Obama is calling the shots .
Leahy : So who does he pick for the VP ?
Who does Obama pick for vice president ?
McCabe : Obviously if you put Michelle Obama on the bottom of the ticket .
The plot of the Manchurian Candidate was that the senator who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the senator played the inspector in Barney Miller .
I forget his name .
The actor .
He was the VP guy and then brainwashed son kills the presidential nominee .
Leahy : Right .
In that movie the Manchurian Candidate .
Right .
Exactly .
McCabe : Wow !
If Michelle Obama was the VP nominee and give people time to metabolize and digest that .
And then Joe says I just can ’ t do it anymore .
Leahy : So it becomes Michelle Obama .
Is that what you see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be fun .
Cuomo would be devastating against Trump .
Leahy : But hey !
It ’ s 2020 .
Maybe there is some operation in Andrew Cuomo ’ s future ?
( Leahy laughs ) McCabe : The progressives don ’ t trust Cuomo .
There are reasons that he ’ s devastating against Trump .
Leahy : Yes .
He toes the line on a lot of ideological issues like gun control etc .
But he does evidence some practical leadership skills which you see in his press conferences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been to the degree possible , he ’ s been a reformer in New York .
In fact , especially in his early days of his first state of the state address could have been read by the Tea Party .
So he does have an understanding of what ’ s going on .
I think it would be very interesting if Michelle Obama was the vice presidential nominee .
That would be amazing .
Exquisite .
I don ’ t know if they have the guts to pull it off though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull it off , here ’ s the big question .
If they wanted to pull it off could they pull it off ?
McCabe : They can ’ t get Joe Biden elected President of the United States .
Whoever is the VP , if Joe Biden is nominated and elected that VP is going to be president .
There is no way Joe Biden gets elected or serves .
As long as the Republicans run on issues and not personal criticism .
Remember all the criticism they did of Bill Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : Not very much .
Neil McCabe , thanks so much for joining us .
Thanks again and have a great week .
Listen to the full third hour : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--#FreeTN Events Scheduled in Cities Across the State in Response to Stay at Home Order Extension

In response to Governor Bill Lee ’ s extension of the stay at home order until the end of April , # FreeTN events have been scheduled for this weekend in key cities across Tennessee .
Organizer Kim Edwards , a Nashville mom of three , is perhaps an unlikely person to be in such a position , but was selected as such by her friends also concerned about the extension of the statewide stay at home order .
Edwards ’ husband is a wedding DJ and they open their home for Airbnb rentals , both of which are completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders issued by Lee and Mayor John Cooper .
Edwards told The Tennessee Star that it ’ s not just their personal livelihood , but that of the Nashville area which is highly dependent on tourism and other large scale events which have been forced to be cancelled .
She told The Star that the message being received is that their entire future is no longer essential .
To the contrary , Edwards points out , “ Everyone is essential.
” “ This whole movement ” Edwards explained about # FreeTN , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance .
Everyone ’ s life is important , and there is a way to protect people ’ s safety that doesn ’ t infringe on our constitutional rights.
” Also involved in the movement , Edwards told The Star , are libertarians , medical freedom advocates and small business owners , all of whom agree that there has been overstepping by government .
The message of the # FreeTN movement is that Tennessee is ready to reopen while , at the same time , making efforts to take care of those that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special hours at grocery stores and isolation until herd immunity is developed .
Edwards strongly makes the point , “ Social distancing can not be the new way of life for Tennesseans , as Governor Lee has said , until there is a vaccine , ” adding , “ That just can ’ t happen.
” “ We ’ re all responsible for our own well-being ; you ’ re not responsible for my well-being , ” Edwards says .
“ It ’ s unfortunate that we ’ ve gotten to this place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events are scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday , April 19 and will be held at the main government building at the state ’ s major cities .
Details for these developing Facebook events in each city can be found here : A statewide # FreeTN event will be held at the Tennessee State Capitol on Monday , April 27 at 10 a.m. Further details can be found here .
Another group , Liberty Ignited , says that through the stay at home orders “ government has violated our inherent and constitutional rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens !
” Liberty Ignited has organized nationwide “ freedom alliance ” events at all state capitols on Saturday , April 25 at 1 p.m. for “ a show of civil disobedience that we will not be caged in our homes any longer !
” As The Star reported , the # ReopenTennessee movement started Monday on Twitter , and a “ Protect the 1 % , and let the 99 % return to work ” petition to Governor Lee was started Monday by a Knoxville physician and surgeon .
The petition can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .
Photo “ Protesters ” by # ReopenTN .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Clint Brewer: The November Election is Going to be a Referendum on the President’s Handling of the C

Clint Brewer: The November Election is Going to be a Referendum on the President’s Handling of the Coronavirus

Public affairs strategist and all-star panelist Clint Brewer joined 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. – Wednesday morning on the newsmakers line .
During the second hour , Brewer analyzed Trump ’ s recent press conference briefing suggesting that he be more conscious of his language with a November election on the horizon .
He noted that this election will be the first of its kind in the midst of a pandemic and will serve as a referendum for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking with our good friend and all-star panelist Clint Brewer .
I have a couple of questions that I want to ask you about .
Have you followed this constitutional back in forth federalism between the president and the states of who can open up the country ?
Is it the president ?
Is it the governor ?
Or is it some combination thereof .
Brewer : I mean I ’ m fairly conservative person Mike , ( Chuckles ) I ’ m going to probably default on the side of state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think a very unfortunate verbal misstep by the president in the press conference kind of flies in the face of a lot of very well accepted conservative principles .
The President of the United States does not have total power .
The president walked that back a little bit is my understanding the next day .
States have the right to do what they ’ re doing .
The federal government can ’ t force the re-opening of the economy .
I think the president needs to be a little circumspect in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing is about the president is if you don ’ t like something he says one day ( Laughs ) wait till the next day .
He kind of went on the edge of that constitutional federalism conflict yesterday and he did totally walk it back yesterday I thought .
But we ’ ll see .
We ’ ll see how that all works out .
Clearly he wants to pressure governors that are reticent to re-open .
I think he wants to pressure a lot of those states to begin re-opening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brewer : I think you are right but you can ’ t .
You can pressure them but you can ’ t force them .
We talked about this I believe last week .
We ’ re going to have an election in November and the president needs to remember that .
In the UK , leaders there are getting a bump for their handling of the crisis .
I just think that in western democracies thinking things can turn on a dime in terms of public opinion .
And if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still in the toilet and people are still getting sick the November election is going to be a referendum on the president ’ s handling on this .
Brewer : There ’ s a lot of time between now and November .
Leahy : A lot !
Can you imagine back in the impeachment vote was back in early February ?
It seems like a decade ago .
Brewer : Oh .
Yeah .
Your comment about , hey we ’ ll still having an election last week , I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checked Real Clear Politics for their poll aggregator .
Even Fox News ’ s poll has the president and Biden running head to head in a match-up .
The president needs to remember he ’ s got to run again and its a very different environment than he ran the last time .
It ’ s a different environment than anybody ’ s ever run in history .
Leahy : Ever in American history .
Let me switch gears here on the issue of public policy .
You ’ ve worked in state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things that I ’ ve noticed and I want to talk to you about this , it seems to me when we look at how to re-open .
I ’ ve been following very carefully a bunch of scientists that say until we have a vaccine to re-open the economy is to follow a policy that says test , trace , isolate .
In other words , massively increase our testing on this for those who test positive and isolate them .
And then do contact tracing .
Which has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 years .
Find out who ’ s tested positive and who ’ ve they ’ ve talked to .
Test them , and then isolate them .
To me , that seems to make an awful lot of sense .
The problem I see is that I don ’ t see state or local governments who are cash strapped to begin with , I don ’ t see them making the moves necessary to increase funding for these tests and to hire the public health workers to do the contact tracing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you were in your previous positions or an adviser to a governor and said we need to do this .
And you would say , yes we need to do this .
How would you go about doing it given the budget constraints we have right now ?
Brewer : Let ’ s talk about that at a local level and then at a national level .
Tennessee is fiscally one of the best run states in the country .
We carry very little debt .
We have one of the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our citizens .
Our tax structure is incredibly low and our cash reserves are healthy .
We have great stewardship by legislators and our governors .
So we are not necessarily in the same position that a lot of states are .
You bring up a good point .
I think we ’ re going to have bandwidth here .
How do you create a class of workers that don ’ t exist ?
How do you create an infrastructure that doesn ’ t exist ?
This brings back the state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
States can ’ t really rely on the federal government to stand those things up .
I think there has got to be a real public/private partnership wealth with healthcare companies and community colleges which we ’ re fantastic here in this state to create that working-class of healthcare workers to address this pandemic specifically .
Do all the things you are talking about .
Our state has a great approach to this when you locate an employer somewhere and they may need more workforce there ’ s usually a good partnership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state department of economic development , the governor ’ s office and the legislature to help community colleges create specific programs in geographical areas to feed employers people who are trained and ready to work in that industry .
They ’ ve done it in the auto industry for years .
They do particularly well in rural locations in the state .
We ’ ve got a model here that has worked for the private sector .
I think here in Tennessee we ’ ve got to reverse that and do what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the model that you are talking about is a sort of South Korea model… Brewer : …Which seems to be pretty successful .
I think what you heard the governor here talk about was ramping up testing and have a real focus on data and science .
And we ’ ve been one of the states per capita testing the most of any state out there .
Leahy : We are about 16th out of 50 .
Which is OK but I would see that this needs to be quintupled or increased by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible .
Of course , here we probably need about 10,000 contract tracers .
They have to be trained .
They have to be out there .
I know as an example of how not to do it in my view .
This authoritarian health director in Ohio wants to have a volunteer workforce to do it .
I can ’ t think of a worse idea .
Volunteers ?
Brewer : I think there can be some of that .
But you ’ ve got to have trained health professionals sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain of custody… Brewer : …That a test has to have .
You could use volunteers but I don ’ t think you could use them exclusively .
Remember , Tennessee is sort of the capital of healthcare administration .
Leahy : Hey Clint Brewer , thanks .
You ’ ll be back with us Friday at six o ’ clock .
Listen to the 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Bill Hagerty: ‘Chinese Regime Has Lied from the Very Outset’

Bill Hagerty , a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Tennessee , responded Tuesday to a report about inadequate safety measures at a Chinese research facility in Wuhan .
According to that report , in The Washington Post , two years ago U.S. Embassy officials visited this facility and twice warned Washington , D.C. officials about the lab ’ s “ risky studies on coronaviruses from bats.
” Hagerty , in a press release , said the following : “ The Chinese Communist regime has sought to conceal and destroy evidence from the outset , and we have learned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a Chinese research lab studying coronaviruses in bats more than two years ago .
Now , there is even greater evidence to support what we have known : the Communist Chinese regime has lied from the very outset , ” Hagerty said .
“ They prioritized a public relations campaign over a public health campaign – at the expense of the world ’ s health and economy .
We must hold them accountable for unleashing this on the world , and organizations like the WHO that parroted their propaganda must also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Communist Chinese regime is responsible for the crime of the century and the greatest cover-up in human history.
” As The Tennessee Star reported last week , Hagerty made similar remarks while appearing with host Lou Dobbs on FOX Business .
“ It ’ s been an enormously costly cover-up .
It has now cost over 94,000 lives worldwide .
Just here in America , 16,000 lives have been lost and still counting .
Over 17 million jobs and approximately $ 5 trillion worth of economic damage .
Lou , that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the century.
” Hagerty went on to say transparency on the part of the Chinese government “ would have made a tremendous difference.
” As a result , China caused the loss of 17 million U.S. jobs and put the world economy at risk , he added .
Hagerty went on to call China “ the greatest strategic threat that we confront today.
” The senator candidate also told Dobbs that he expects changes in the corporate world because of China ’ s cover-up .
“ I can ’ t imagine any American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Hagerty said .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Grassroots Leader Ben Cunningham Slams Governor Bill Lee Over Stay-at-Home Extension

In the wake of Governor Bill Lee ’ s extension of his stay-at-home order to the end of the month , long-time and respected grassroots leader Ben Cunningham wrote a hard-hitting letter to the governor asking for an immediate plan to quickly restore economic and personal freedom .
Cunningham is the founder of the Nashville Tea Party and Tennessee Tax Revolt , which resulted from then Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist attempting to implement a state income tax .
The hallmark of the successful revolt against the income tax was the thousands of Tennesseans who drove around the state capitol honking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standstill .
A similar approach was being used Wednesday in Lansing , Michigan in “ Operation Gridlock , ” as citizens of that state protest their governor ’ s stay at home order .
Reactions in Tennessee started Monday when Lee issued Executive Order No .
27 which extended temporary social distancing and stay-at-home provisions included in Executive Order Nos .
17 , 21 , 22 and 23 to April 30 .
The initial orders began on March 22 , with the prohibition of social gatherings of 10 or more , closing gyms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar facilities and directing restaurants , bars and the like to offer take-out or delivery options only and had an expiration date of April 6 .
On March 30 , additional orders were expanded to include close-contact personal services as well as entertainment and recreational gathering venues and extended the expiration dates to April 14 .
Also on March 30 , Executive Order No .
22 required that all persons in Tennessee stay at home unless engaging in essential activity or essential services through April 14 , which was a period of 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Executive Order No .
27 , making previous orders effective through April 30 , extends the period by an additional 16 days .
Cunningham reminded Lee of the Declaration of Rights contained in Article I , Section 1 of the Tennessee Constitution , “ All the power and authority you exercise is granted to you by the people of Tennessee.
” In light of the current situation , Cunningham observes , “ Your working assumption seems to be that Tennessee citizens must have their lives micro-managed because we are unable to judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People are sick and tired of this condescension , ” Cunningham says , as one who has a finger on the pulse of liberty-minded individuals in the state and across the country .
“ It is time for you to act like you are the public servant of a proud and capable people who are worthy of your respect and trust.
” “ I am asking you to IMMEDIATELY lay out a plan to quickly restore economic and personal FREEDOM and trust the people of Tennessee to be capable of living as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star , “ We have never been more separated from our state government than we are now.
” As a long-time activist himself , Cunningham urges fellow Tennesseans , “ Our elected officials have forgotten where their authority comes from and it is our job as citizens to remind them they are accountable to us , not to the bureaucrats and technocrats so worshiped by the press.
” “ We must hold them accountable and we must do what is necessary to preserve our freedoms.
” “ The governor and all other elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subjects .
We are free people and we must demand to be treated as such.
” Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .
Background Photo “ Bill Lee Press Conference ” by The Tennessean .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Intelligence Officials Are Taking a Serious Look at the Possibility Coronavirus Leaked from Wuhan La

Intelligence Officials Are Taking a Serious Look at the Possibility Coronavirus Leaked from Wuhan Lab: Report

The U.S. intelligence community is seriously considering the possibility that the novel coronavirus could have been accidentally released from a research lab in Wuhan , according to a report Tuesday .
“ It ’ s definitely a real possibility being bandied about at the high levels of the administration , ” one unnamed source with knowledge of China and national security told Yahoo News .
“ It ’ s absolutely being looked at very closely at the highest levels , ” another source with knowledge of the investigations told the outlet .
Citing the accounts of nine current and former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations into coronavirus , Yahoo News reported that the U.S. intelligence community is exploring all possible avenues by which the virus could have been unleashed into the human population , including the possibility that it spread naturally from a Wuhan wet market and the possibility that the virus could have been unintentionally released from research facilities that were known to be studying bat-based coronaviruses in Wuhan .
“ We are actively and vigorously tracking down every piece of information we get on this topic and we are writing frequently to update policymakers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the intelligence community “ has not come down on any one theory.
” However , the theory that the coronavirus is a man-made bioweapon has been dismissed by the intelligence community , Yahoo News reported .
The lab leak theory has picked up steam in media , academic circles and the government in recent weeks .
Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin reported Tuesday that the U.S. Embassy had sent two official warnings to Washington , D.C. , warning about inadequate safety at a Wuhan research lab that was studying bat-based coronaviruses after visiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ebright , a professor of chemical biology at Rutgers University , previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation in no uncertain terms that he believes it ’ s possible the virus could have been accidentally unleashed due to a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology .
After all , China ’ s top virologist on bat-borne viruses , Shi Zhengli , said in March that she frantically searched for evidence that any of her records in that lab were mishandled when she first learned of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from her lab ?
” she recalled thinking , according to the Scientific American .
“ I had never expected this kind of thing to happen in Wuhan , in central China , ” Shi added .
Shi now furiously denies that the novel coronavirus could have leaked from her lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology .
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas , who was largely ridiculed in the press in February for suggesting that research labs in Wuhan could be connected to the virus ’ s exposure to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April it was a reasonable question to ask given China ’ s record of dishonesty on its handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
“ After concealing the virus for many weeks in December and then minimizing its severity for most of January , they then peddle an origin story about the food market in Wuhan , ” Cotton said .
“ Given their dishonesty and the proximity of these labs , which we know were working with coronaviruses , it is only reasonable and responsible for us to ask the question and demand @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Feds Will Send Money to Tennessee Counties Losing Tax Revenue Because of COVID-19

U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-07 ) said the feds will deliver billions of dollars to prop up local governments that have lost substantial amounts of tax revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
This , after Williamson County Commissioner Gregg Lawrence told Green during a COVID-19 Tele-Town Hall this week that he and his colleagues need help .
Green held the event by telephone .
“ We are trying to assess the damage right now of how much tax revenue we are going to lose out of this , but we know right now we have lost about 20,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of tax revenue , sales taxes and other things , ” Lawrence said.
“ Budget-wise , we are really struggling to make our budgets this year , both in the city of Franklin and the county.
” Green said on the call that the feds have allocated hundreds of billions of dollars to go through the state governments and then down to the local communities for their lost sales tax revenues .
“ Our state will be impacted heavily because we are a sales tax state .
The mechanisms for accessing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Green said .
“ There is going to be more money for that .
I do believe that the next vote that will be held in Congress will be an increase to PPP , and I know they are in the Senate right now talking about adding at least $ 150 billion to the states and to the communities .
It probably will grow beyond that .
As soon as we have both mechanisms for distribution we will make sure that is on our website and that we include it on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s staff did not return The Tennessee Star ’ s request for comment Wednesday , nor did anyone from Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee ’ s office .
The Star emailed all 24 Williamson County commissioners Wednesday and asked if they will cut the county ’ s budget and/or raise property taxes to make up for the tax revenue shortfall .
The only county commissioner who responded , Paul Webb , would only say in an email that he and his colleagues are currently planning a “ status quo ” budget for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final guidance from state or federal officials about any funding for lost county revenues due to the stay-at-home orders .
I expect this will be coming soon as we are all preparing our budgets for next fiscal year and the budget challenges related to this unique event , ” Webb said .
“ We are in an unknown environment at this time .
I am relying on our dedicated staff in the mayor ’ s office to keep up with the latest information from Nashville and Washington regarding any funding coming to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time period.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Music Spotlight: Heidi Newfield

Music Spotlight: Heidi Newfield

Nashville , Tennessee – Even though I was familiar with the country/rock band , Trick Pony , the first time I was aware of Heidi Newfield the solo artist was when I heard “ Johnny and June ” on the radio in 2008 .
When I learned that Newfield was going to be one of the guests performing at the Her Song fundraiser for Thistle Farms at Third and Lindsley/Backstage Nashville , I got tickets to help a good cause and see some awesome female artists in an intimate setting .
Fortunately , I was able to meet and secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most beautiful , raw , bluesy voices I have ever heard .
What I did not know about her was how talented of a harmonica player she was .
Newfield was raised on a Quarter Horse ranch in Healdsburg , California outside of Santa Rosa .
She first got her love of harmonica from her grandfather who also played .
“ He played more straight harp and those campfire songs .
My family got together for every kind of birthday and holiday and at the end of every dinner , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held all of his harmonicas , and he would play some songs for us and I would sing a few songs acapella and that turned into me learning an instrument or two , ” she said .
“ For me , the harmonica has one of the most lonesome sounds I had ever heard and I was so drawn to it.
” Newfield began to seek out other harmonica players .
She started out listening to country records like Charlie McCoy and Mick Raphael who were her heroes .
But then she started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson and John Mayall .
“ I really got into the Delta Blues and Chicago Blues and Howlin ’ Wolf .
That ’ s when I realized that I had a voice that could not only sing country but also the blues , ” the singer said .
Although Newfield admits she had one brief lesson , you really can ’ t teach someone how to play the harmonica as it is a self-taught instrument .
Besides the country harpists , Newfield listened to the greats like Toots Thielemans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to master the instrument .
By listening to various harmonica players , it naturally turned her on those types of music , be it gospel , blues or soul .
“ [ The harmonica ] opened me up a whole other world of music , ” the California native said .
Newfield ’ s parents encouraged her to explore her singing talent .
As an early teen , she listened to Ernest Tubb , Loretta Lynn , Patsy Cline , but growing up in the late ’ 70s she started listening to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stones , AC/DC and Aerosmith .
At the age of 13 , she developed a love for country music and frequently made trips to Nashville to attend talent search events .
“ We didn ’ t know what we were doing , and we certainly didn ’ t have the money to be running me all over back and forth between Nashville , but they did their very best to try to support me , ” she recalled .
The singer got her big break in 1996 when she met a woman who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ musician named Keith Burns .
Together with bass guitarist Ira Dean , Burns was looking for a female vocalist to form a trio with two guys and a woman .
It was then that Trick Pony was born .
The group , struck a major recording deal in 2000 , being taken under Warner Records ’ wings .
Trick Pony would go on to create hit songs including “ Pour Me , ” “ On a Night Like This ” and “ It ’ s a Heartache.
” But her solo work and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June ” brought a fist full of Academy of Country Music nominations and brought her multi-faceted creativity into the forefront .
Most of the world is aware of the unique love story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash .
However , I was unaware of the connection that Newfield had to the famous couple until she mentioned it .
Newfield recorded a song with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings on the very first Trick Pony record in 2000 .
“ That day we just hit it off .
He was so lovely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how nervous I was he made me feel so comfortable , ” she said .
Johnny then invited her over to their lake house in Hendersonville to meet June .
“ June showed me around and she was so precious and she was everything I had hoped for and more , ” she said .
Newfield heard stories from their lives as they were starting out , the darker days and then up to the present time .
They hit it off so well and became friends which led to the following year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , being invited to spend Christmas at their home in Montego Bay , Jamaica .
On Christmas morning , when she was still groggy with sleep , Johnny knocked on her door and said , “ Wake up my beautiful child , it ’ s Christmas morning and I ’ ve got coffee on.
” Newfield continued , “ Getting to spend Christmas with them in such an intimate way is an experience I will never forget .
Their love and respect for one another was palpable .
It was precious to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they were older.
” Johnny and June both passed away in 2004 just months apart .
This inspired the line from the song , “ When you ’ re gone , I want to go too.
” Because of the quarantine and COVID-19 virus , Newfield felt compelled to delay the release of her highly anticipated solo album , “ The Barfly Sessions ” until August 2020 .
“ Because of this , we are having to slow down , we are having to be closer to our families , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And if we are doing things right , we are having to have conversations and read books and focus on the important things in our lives , ” she said .
In Nashville , after losing Joe Diffie and now John Prine , the illness has become very real to the country music family .
We both have friends who have been directly affected .
When Newfield and her fiance Matt King heard about Prine , she said , “ We cried in our kitchen tonight when we found out he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both realized we ’ d only met him once each , but both experiences equally important enough to remember for life .
John remembered your name .
He made such tender-hearted eye contact , he shook your hand and made you feel like you were long-lost family .
He wasn ’ t a show-boater or a grand-stander and he didn ’ t seem like he had much use for those that were.
” In the meantime , musicians are having to get their music out now in new and creative ways .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blessing and a curse , but you think ‘ How can I reach the public in a way I have never have done before ?
’ Social Media is a good tool for that .
You can see what other artists are doing , as well , ” she said .
Newfield is doing live sessions from her “ Heidaway ” every Sunday on Facebook at 6 p.m. CDT .
“ Not only does doing these live sessions lift the spirit of those quarantined , but it also lifts our spirits as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jump into a Bible hymn or some funky tune that nobody would expect me to do .
I also get to test out a few songs from “ The Barfly Sessions ” record , ” the country star said .
Additionally , she will do a random song or two live on Instagram .
Newfield has been doing music a little while longer than many I have interviewed in the past .
She started out without cellphones or tour buses and takes nothing for granted .
“ There ’ s not an ounce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m owed anything or that I am better than anybody , ” the singer said .
“ That kind of attitude and work ethic comes from the times of Johnny Cash and before where you had to work for every penny that you had .
Money and fame come and goes .
All you have to do is don ’ t quit .
Keep going .
Keep making music.
” You can follow Newfield on Facebook , Instagram , Youtube , and Twitter .
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Twitter .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Some Rural Tennesseans Unsure Where to Go for COVID-19 Tests

Rural Tennesseans who don ’ t know if their local health departments test for COVID-19 can visit the Tennessee Health Department ’ s website to learn of their nearest testing facility , an official with that agency said Wednesday .
Madison Toney , spokeswoman for the South Central Region of the Tennessee Department of Health , said facilities tied to that agency have tested people for COVID-19 since March 19 .
This , one day after a man from rural Hickman County told U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-07 ) that he and his wife would have to travel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The man , who identified himself only as Phillip from Centerville , relayed this news during Green ’ s COVID-19 Tele-Town Hall on Tuesday .
Phillip told Green that his wife checked into a hospital last month for respiratory issues .
“ She wasn ’ t checked for the coronavirus , even though I work at a hotel that took care of all kinds of people at the front desk , with some from Italy .
And she never did get a test , so we ’ re frightened .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go outside .
We follow the governor ’ s orders as far as social distancing [ goes ] , ” Phillip said .
“ But I do go out to the grocery store to make sure that I get things , but I don ’ t understand why we in Hickman County or Lewis County , or Dickson County have to go all the way to Nashville for a drive-thru .
Are they going to put testing sites in some of the rural areas in order for us to get the same kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Green told Phillip that his staff checked into the matter .
Every county health department in his congressional district , including Hickman , can do the test , Green said .
Staff at the Hickman County Health Department referred The Tennessee Star to Toney ’ s office .
We asked Toney if officials at county health departments in other arts of rural Tennessee test for COVID-19 .
“ Health care facilities in these rural areas may be testing , but we can not speak for them , ” Toney said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have an assessment site list online so if they are unsure of where to get tested they can go online to www.tn.gov/health where there is a COVID banner .
They can go to search and see where they can go to get tested .
But we can not put a clinic on that list unless they tell us.
” The Star asked Toney if people from rural counties who have to travel to another area risk spreading the virus when they come back home .
“ It ’ s based on exposure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where this person went and who this person was around .
I can ’ t say for certain.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Tennessee to Offer Free Testing for All Residents, Governor Announces

Tennessee will now offer free testing for the coronavirus for all of its residents , Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee announced on Wednesday .
Testing will be available even to those without “ traditional symptoms.
” “ As we look to reboot our state ’ s economy , we must have a greater understanding of how this virus is operating in Tennessee , ” Lee said in a statement .
“ Expanding our COVID-19 testing capacity allows more Tennesseans to have improved access to testing which will empower citizens to make informed health decisions.
” The testing will be available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming weekends , starting with April 18-19 .
The testing will also be available April 25-26 and May 2-3 .
Sites will be open throughout the day , with many opening at 9 a.m. “ Our clinical understanding of COVID-19 is changing rapidly and we need every Tennessean who isn ’ t feeling well , even outside of the traditional COVID-19 symptoms of cough , fever or difficulty breathing , to come out and get tested , ” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey in a statement .
Testing will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nurses and Tennessee National Guard medics .
Results are expected to be delivered to participants within 72 hours of testing , the governor said .
“ Until there is a vaccine for COVID-19 , quickly detecting this illness , isolating if ill and practicing social distancing are the most powerful tools we have to stop the spread and help our state return to work , ” Piercey said .
“ I encourage every Tennessean to remember : ‘ when in doubt , get a test ’ as we work to identify COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has more than 6,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Wednesday , according to the Tennessee Department of Health .
The death toll in the state is 135 .
Find the whole list of testing sites here .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Commentary: Reason, Emergencies, and Self-Government

As panic over the COVID-19 virus has gripped the country , the alarm has made it possible for many government officials to advance agendas that portend permanent accretions of power to themselves and diminution of others ’ freedoms .
There is nothing new about claims that ordinary people must surrender their goods and freedoms in exchange for salvation from real , hyped , or imagined emergencies .
These instances have occurred in societies ruled by magic , in ancient democracies and empires , in the context of religion , as well as under the presumed aegis of science .
Plagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computer problems ( remember Y2K ? )
, and global warming , have provided the fear .
Power stokes panic , which perverts all judgment and emboldens the willful .
In Western civilization , and in America especially , the specific consequences of such panics are smaller than the corrosive effects they have on the civilization and the regimes themselves—based as these are on reason .
What follows sketches the larger problem .
On April 8 , Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for classifying the relationship of COVID-19 infections to deaths , specifically : “ In cases where a definite diagnosis of COVID-19 can not be made , but it is suspected or likely ( e.g.
, the circumstances are compelling within a reasonable degree of certainty ) , it is acceptable to report COVID-19 on a death certificate as ‘ probable ’ or ‘ presumed.
’ ” The question proceeded from the fact that , as the number of deaths attributed to the Chinese coronavirus has risen , the number of deaths normally attributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , heart failure and complications from diabetes has declined significantly .
Fauci was asked to explain why .
Since the vast majority of serious COVID-19 cases occur in people with precisely such conditions , is it not possible that the high count of COVID-19 deaths is in part an artifact of CDC ’ s guidance ?
The integrity of the numbers regarding infections and deaths is of the highest importance because these numbers are the basis on which Fauci , followed by model makers , followed by politicians , have estimated COVID-19 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basis on which the state of emergency has been imposed , which is revolutionizing millions of lives .
Besides , these estimates are diverging from reality ever farther with each passing day .
Yet Fauci did not address the numbers ’ integrity .
He dismissed the question .
Above all , he dismissed the questioner ’ s right to ask it : “ You will always have conspiracy theories when you have very challenging public health crises .
They are nothing but distractions.
” Leave aside that Fauci and other unelected persons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , at most , they speak for the president of the United States .
For anyone to dismiss legitimate questions and questioners , thereby claiming a right to rule in defiance of reason , is to negate nature as our civilization understands it – especially in America .
This civilization is based on the book of Genesis .
And the United States of America is based on the Declaration of Independence .
Both affirm that the universe is created according to reason , and is intelligible by human reason ; both also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by one God , equally in the image and likeness of God .
As Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger summed it up in his 2006 Regensburg lecture , “ Not to act reasonably , not to act with logos , is contrary to the nature of God.
” The practical meaning of “ all men are created equal ” is that no one may rule anyone else without his consent .
And the consent of equals must be obtained by persuasion .
To impose strictures on someone else while dismissing reasonable questions as to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is an offense against our regime quite as much as it is on the individuals being treated as beings so inferior as to be placed beyond reason ’ s reach .
In the time of COVID-19 , the primary practical problem is that any number of persons who hold positions of power have taken to exercising their statutory authority—and often much more—to please themselves or to act out their dreams of power .
This has resulted in such assaults on common sense as the release from jail of common criminals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arresting and even jailing of those who defy orders to stay indoors or not work .
Just as galling is the coalescence of America ’ s ruling Left in demanding that the country remain shut down indefinitely , pending their own decision to release some restrictions conditioned on obeisance to their prescriptions for new ways of life .
Fauci himself has said that he would allow those who can be certified to have recovered from a COVID-19 infection to return to work—subject to twice-daily temperature checks .
Who gave him the right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consequences of all this is precisely the dismissal of argument .
Who are we , the presumably non-expert to question the experts ?
Reasonably , the question should be turned around : Who are you to presume to rule over me ?
Who gave you such authority ?
I did not .
Angelo M. Codevilla is a senior fellow of the Claremont Institute , professor emeritus of international relations at Boston University and the author of To Make And Keep Peace ( Hoover Institution Press , 2014 ) .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Senate Candidate Manny Sethi Wants American Companies in China to Come Back Home, Cites National Sec

Senate Candidate Manny Sethi Wants American Companies in China to Come Back Home, Cites National Security Concerns

Tennessee U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi laid out a plan Wednesday that would help get American companies out of China .
“ This Wuhan virus has exposed the truth : big business seeking big profits in China has left America vulnerable to an enemy who seeks to defeat America this century , Sethi said .
“ We can not get our people the ventilators , the drugs , and the personal protection equipment ( PPE ) they need because we don ’ t make them in America anymore.
” “ Our elites bought into the globalist lie that the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even if it meant getting them from an enemy who hates us , the Republican added .
“ That lie has been exposed by the Wuhan Virus .
It ’ s time for America to rely on America .
It ’ s time to bring our companies home and our jobs home .
It ’ s not an economic issue anymore , it ’ s a national security crisis.
” The doctor turned politician ’ s plan includes , according to his press release : • Allow tax exemptions and low interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from China back to the United States ; moving costs should be made tax deductible • Within 3 years hospital accreditation organizations should not accredit hospitals utilizing Chinese PPE • Within 3 years Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ( CMS ) should cease to reimburse any hospital/provider utilizing PPE not produced in the United States • Within 5 years CMS should cease to pay for any medications not produced within the United States • Support vocational education programs in schools across the United States to learn trade skills to produce PPE • Further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration and others that make it difficult for these companies to repatriate In the past , Sethi has also proposed America taking over its pharmaceutical products from the Chinese .
“ Too many of the most commonly used medications in the United States are produced in China because big pharmaceutical companies care more about saving a dollar by using cheap labor than putting the safety of Americans first , ” he said .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manny Sethi ” by Oliviaknoll .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Graham Slams ‘Incompetent’ WHO, Supports Trump’s Decision to Cut Funding

Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham slammed the World Health Organization as “ incompetent ” and supported President Donald Trump ’ s decision to cut the WHO ’ s funding .
Graham discussed POTUS ’ s decision in a statement Wednesday after Trump officially cut off U.S. funding for the WHO on Tuesday over the WHO ’ s contributions to China ’ s misinformation on the coronavirus pandemic .
The United States has been the WHO ’ s largest donor for many years .
“ The WHO ’ s reliance on China ’ s disclosures likely caused a twenty-fold increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be much more than that , ” Trump said Tuesday when he announced the decision .
“ The WHO has not addressed a single one of these concerns nor provided a serious explanation that acknowledges its own mistakes , of which there are many.
” “ Cutting off funding at this time is the right move , ” Graham said in his statement .
“ This is a critical time for worldwide public health and we can not afford China apologists running the WHO .
I support a suspension of funding by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the WHO.
” The South Carolina senator noted that he has “ a lot of respect ” for Bill Gates and Gates ’ s work in the public health arena , but said that “ Gates ’ decision to defend the performance of the WHO during the coronavirus crisis and current WHO leadership ignores overwhelming evidence of China bias and incompetence.
” “ If someone like Bill Gates were in charge of the WHO I would gladly support increased funding .
But I have lost all confidence in the current WHO leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He added : “ The world needs a competent WHO .
But the days of throwing money at an incompetent organization are over under President Trump ’ s leadership.
” Most other Republicans are on board with Trump ’ s decision to cut the WHO ’ s funding , and many Republican lawmakers have called for the president to do so .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Denmark Reopens Schools After a Month of Closures

Denmark reopened its kindergarten and elementary schools on Wednesday after it closed all schools on March 12 , according to the BBC .
The only students that went back to class are kids that are eleven years old or younger , the BBC reported .
In Denmark , kids are only required to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16 .
Denmark has established certain conditions for students when they returned .
For instance , children are not allowed to bring toys from home , and they must have washed their hands before coming to school , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entering the school grounds to pick up students , teachers are going to have students ready for parents to pick their children up outside the school .
While at school , children will play in smaller groups and be required to wash their hands often , according to the local.dk .
Director of the Danish Health Authority Søren Brostrøm said last week that young children are not being used as a coronavirus experiment test .
“ It ’ s not an attempt .
We do not use children , educators and teachers as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intention , ” he said , according to Finas.dk .
“ In our estimation , it is perfectly sound in terms of health , with the controlled reopening that is planned.
” As of Wednesday , Denmark has 6,681 confirmed coronavirus and 309 deaths , according to worldometers.info .
The number of people hospitalized in Denmark is currently at 380 people , which is down from a high of 535 on April 1 , statista.com ’ s data showed .
When the Danish country is compared to Tennessee , its numbers line up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right now , Tennessee has 6,079 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , 135 deaths and a total of 663 hospitalizations , Tennessee Department of Health numbers show .
Besides being close in coronavirus situations , the two entities have similar population sizes as well .
Denmark has 5.8 million people while Tennessee has a population of 6.8 million .
A key difference between Denmark and Tennessee is population density .
Denmark has more population density at 347 people per square mile compared to Tennessee ’ s population density of 167 people per square mile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mile , Tennessee is taking a different course than Denmark on its coronavirus handling .
As Denmark relaxed restrictions on its economy and social distancing , Tennessee extended its stay-at-home order till April 30 and closed the rest of the school year .
The University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model shows Tennessee ’ s coronavirus peak resource day is scheduled to happen Thursday while Denmark ’ s peak resource day is projected on May 4 .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Operation Gridlock Clogs Up Lansing in Protest of Whitmer’s Lockdown Policies

Thousands of protesters converged on the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to protest the most recent stay-at-home order passed down by Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer earlier this month .
The protesters were part of a rally hosted by the Michigan Conservative Coalition ( MCC ) called “ Operation Gridlock , ” which sought to fill the streets of Lansing with protesters in their cars .
The rally began at noon and ran until roughly 2 p.m. , according to the MCC .
“ Michigan ’ s typical small business owners obey laws , but they may not notice the progressive agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer , ” said Rosanne Ponkowski , President of the MCC , in a statement Wednesday morning .
“ Dope shops are open , while cigar shops are closed.
” Whitmer ’ s extension of the “ Stay Home , Stay Safe ” order will keep Michigan residents inside until the end of April .
It also places restrictions on stores , including limiting the number of customers inside at one time and requiring large stores to block off areas related to carpeting , flooring , furniture , garden centers , plant nurseries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tired of being treated like babies , ” said Marian Sheridan , an MCC co-founder , in a statement .
“ As adults , we now know what needs to be done to stay safe .
We also believe the liberal attack on the economy is becoming a serious threat right now.
” Rally attendees were encouraged to “ make noise and be disruptive , ” but stay inside their vehicles .
Some protesters came to the rally with signs .
“ Liberty once lost is lost forever , ” read a sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Detroit Free Press .
Another on the Capitol ’ s front lawn read “ Security without liberty is called prison , ” and “ Recall Whitmer ” was on another .
Lt. Darren Green of the Michigan State Police told the Detroit Free Press that traffic was backed up more than a mile around the capitol in several directions .
“ They ’ re doing a pretty good job of maintaining social distance , ” Green said .
“ They ’ re being respectful and not causing any issues at all.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other and not wearing masks , and police officers in the area were also not wearing masks , the Detroit Free Press reported .
The outlet also said that the Michigan State Police and the Lansing Police Department said there had only been on arrest as of 3 p.m. Whitmer said in a press conference that the rally “ is going to come at a cost to people ’ s health , ” although she respected the protesters ’ right to free speech , according to The Detroit News .
“ The sad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they don ’ t like being in this stay-home order , and they may have just created a need to lengthen it , ” Whitmer said .
“ …Just by congregating , they ’ ve made that a real possibility.
” Michigan currently has more than 28,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus , according the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services .
The death toll for the state is 1,921 .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan Traffic Around Capitol ” by Michigan Conservative Coalition .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Minnesota Legislature Passes Fourth COVID-19 bill, Addresses Affordable Insulin

The Minnesota Legislature passed two bills Tuesday that aim to make broad changes in response to COVID-19 and to create an affordable insulin program .
The House passed House File 3100 by a vote of 111-22 , followed by a unanimous Senate vote .
The bill was named The Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act after a 26-year old who died in 2017 while rationing his insulin medication because he couldn ’ t afford the $ 1,300 refill after he had aged out his parent ’ s insurance coverage .
“ Minnesotans should not lose their lives because they can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive , ” House Speaker Melissa Hortman , D-Brooklyn Park , said in a statement .
“ Thanks to the advocacy of thousands of Minnesotans , and to Representative Michael Howard ’ s dedicated leadership , this legislation is on its way to the Governor ’ s desk .
The Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act will provide emergency access , long-term affordability , require insulin manufacturers to be part of the solution , and is ready to implement right now.
” The Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act seeks to provide safety nets for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t afford their insulin to receive an emergency 30-day supply of insulin at their pharmacy for a co-pay of $ 35 .
Another provision would require insulin manufacturers to sell a 90-day supply of insulin for a maximum of $ 50 to eligible residents who have a family income below 400 percent of federal poverty guidelines .
That comes out to be about $ 51,000 for an individual .
Insulin manufacturers who don ’ t comply would be fined up to $ 3.6 million a year and $ 7.2 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new day in Minnesota for diabetics and this legislation will serve as a springboard for more creative legislative ideas regarding other expensive , life-sustaining medications , ” he said in a news release .
The House also passed HF 4556 , a fourth COVID-19 bill , 101-33 , which the Senate cleared 64-3 hours later .
The bill , if signed into law , would give $ 1.25 million to the Second Harvest food bank , allow local governments to meet and vote electronically , and ease technical requirements for commercial driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wills , courts , farmer-lender mediation and child support among business closures related to COVID-19 .
“ The top priority was to help the Governor react to the COVID virus – we ’ ve put more than $ 500 million in funding to prepare hospitals , clinics , nursing homes , and state agencies , and funding to support child care providers , small businesses , college students , and veterans , ” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka , R-East Gull Lake , said in a statement .
“ Today ’ s bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be dealt with as we continue with our response to the challenges caused by the virus.
” Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--Whitmer Signs Liquor Buyback Program for Bars and Restaurants and Extends Other Orders

Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer on Monday night signed Executive Order 2020-46 to allow the Michigan Liquor Control Commission ( MLCC ) to buy back spirits from eligible bars and restaurants that she ordered to close temporarily in response to COVID-19 .
Under the order , the MLCC can buy establishments ’ spirit inventory bought before March 16 at the full purchase price .
The MLCC is expected to meet Tuesday to take additional action and must accept all requests made from certain licensees by 5 p.m. Friday .
The order aims to alleviate financial loss from those establishments that haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol for almost a month .
Upon cash buyback , MLCC will hold the legal title to stores ’ spirits but won ’ t hold the physical spirit inventory until at least 90 days after the end of the declared emergency and disaster .
Liquor licensees approved for the program have until 90 days after the state ’ s emergency and disaster declarations are lifted to re-purchase the spirits at full price to regain their spirit title from the MLCC .
“ Michigan ’ s 8,500 on-premises liquor licensees continue to make unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 across our state , ” Whitmer said in a statement .
“ This buy-back program will help our bars and restaurants critical to Michigan ’ s economy weather the storm through this challenging time in our history.
” Whitmer also announced she was extending several other previous executive orders , including : Executive Order 2020-43 extended the closures of many public businesses , including libraries and gyms , and limits on restaurants to carryout and delivery services through April 30 ; Executive Order 2020-44 extended the suspension of seasonal load and time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to COVID-19 ; Executive Order 2020-45 allows administrative hearings to be held electronically for groups , including the Michigan Employment Relations Commission and the Unemployment Insurance Agency .
The extensions last through May 11 .
Executive Order 2020-47 extends expiration of valid drivers ’ licenses , state ID cards and commercial vehicle registrations through June 30 .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-16--DFL-Controlled House Blocks Two Resolutions to End Minnesota’s Peacetime Emergency

The DFL-controlled Minnesota House voted Tuesday against two resolutions that would have ended Gov .
Tim Walz ’ s peacetime emergency declaration and voided his coronavirus-related executive orders .
The first resolution , introduced by members of the New House Republican Caucus , failed to secure enough support to be debated and voted upon .
“ The legislators who blocked this resolution essentially voted to silence the people , ” Rep. Jeremy Munson ( R-Lake Crystal ) said in a press release .
“ The people are entitled to have their voices heard through their duly elected legislators .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to legislate .
The governor alone should not be writing policy for the entire state .
To circumvent state legislators and the people ’ s house in responding to this pandemic is wrong.
” Gov .
Walz extended his peacetime emergency declaration Monday for an additional 30 days and has issued 35 executive orders regarding the pandemic in just one month .
Rep. Steve Drazkowski ( R-Mazeppa ) said the governor ’ s emergency declaration “ has awarded him unprecedented power to fundamentally change our state without the input of the people.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all swore an oath to do our job .
Unfortunately , the representatives who blocked this resolution have shrunk from their responsibility as elected leaders , ” he added .
A second resolution to end the peacetime emergency was introduced by House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt ( R-Crown ) and was taken up for consideration but defeated in a vote of 57-76 .
Daudt ’ s resolution would have ended the peacetime emergency but kept executive orders aimed at protecting veterans , small businesses , and law enforcement in place .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending the stay at home order will have no measurable impact compared to an approach that protects the vulnerable while we gradually begin to reopen our economy , ” Daudt said in a statement .
“ If we can start this process now without harming public health , we can potentially avoid three weeks of additional economic devastation .
By no means are we suggesting flipping a light switch or putting lives at risk – under this plan , Minnesotans would continue to observe social distancing as they have been for weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep vulnerable individuals safe , ” he continued .
Every Democrat in the House voted against both resolutions during a Tuesday floor session .
In fact , House Speaker Melissa Hortman ( DFL-Brooklyn Park ) introduced a resolution to waive the House ’ s right to terminate the peacetime emergency for a 30-day period .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Minnesota Capitol ” by Gabriel Vanslette .
CC BY-SA @ @