thetennesseestar--2020-11-03--Virginia House Delegates Candidate Nick Freitas Talks Confidence With Absentee and In-Person Voting

Virginia House Delegates Candidate Nick Freitas Talks Confidence With Absentee and In-Person Voting Numbers

Live from Virginia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond , WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia , WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 ( 7-9 PM ) Hampton Roads , WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed House Delegates member Nick Freitas to the show .
During the show , Freitas weighed in on the current ground game and enthusiasm for Trump that he was seeing in Virginia and explained some of the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in regards to the local elections .
Fredericks : House of Delegates member running for Congress , Republican Nick Freitas .
Hey Nick , great to have you , man .
Freitas : Hey great to be on John .
Thank you .
Fredericks : Nick , one day to game day .
You ’ ve analyzed early voting I know the RNC is doing that in the key districts .
We got some of the analysis last night .
Early voting seventh , what are you seeing Nick ?
Freitas : So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the early voting than we expected to .
The vast majority of Republicans still plan to vote on Election Day .
And so our job was just to stay close to the Democrats with respect to early voting .
We ’ ve done well .
Overall voter turnout ’ s been very high .
And we ’ re excited about election day .
Fredericks : So when you say you ’ ve done better on the early voting than anticipated based on the RNC analysis , can you shed a little insight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So the idea was is if you ask the typical Democrat 75 percent of them were planning to vote early .
Typical Republicans , 75 percent were planning to vote on election day .
So you can see it ’ s a complete opposite with respect to how they ’ re gon na vote .
And so that ’ s what we anticipated the numbers to look like with early voting as well .
Whether it be absentee , whether it be early voting in person .
It hasn ’ t even been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been voting .
We would have a great turnout with respect to early voting but we ’ ve been calling through lists and we still have a lot of Republicans that plan to vote on election day .
So you know typically speaking if we would have at least gotten maybe 40 percent of the early vote we would have been pretty happy going into election day .
We ’ ve been beating those numbers .
And so we ’ re very confident going to election day that we ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And again we ’ re confident with our absentee numbers and we are confident with our early in-person numbers .
Fredericks : Well you know that is a consistent story I ’ ve been hearing in the second district also is that the numbers where the Democrats had to be on early voting , they ’ re simply not there .
They ’ re underperforming .
And then Republican areas where we didn ’ t expect to get as many were over performing .
And this seems to be a trend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re getting in Florida .
It ’ s the same trend we ’ re getting in Pennsylvania .
It ’ s a trend now we ’ re getting in Nevada .
It ’ s across the country .
And you look you juxtapose your race to Dave Brat against Spanberger in 2018 , I mean Spanberger had a massive one of the biggest ground games for a Congressional challenger I ’ ve ever witnessed in my lifetime .
And I ’ ve been covering this a long time .
I mean it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henrico just going to work at 5 a.m. and they had already tents up with coffee and donuts .
And they had this for days !
you don ’ t see that now Nick .
Freitas : No you don ’ t .
They have not had much of a ground game .
And even that the only time she ’ s really spending with voters because even the online presence hasn ’ t been much .
She ’ ll show up to an early voting site and she ’ ll spend some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got knockers all over the neighborhoods going out and actually talking to people .
Actually reaching out to voters and our online presence has been strong .
She ’ s really tried to win this thing in just constantly negative attack ads .
They are ads saying what a moderate she is even though she votes with Alexander Ocasio-Cortez 90 percent of the time .
So that ’ s how she ’ s trying to win that race .
I don ’ t think people are buying it .
I think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last debate .
Joe Biden was accidentally honest about what he wants to do with respect to the oil industry .
You know he ’ s got reports coming out about what his tax plan would actually do .
Look , we ’ re going into election day feeling good .
Fredericks : Tell me about what residents are saying .
I know you ’ re now going in the final days to lower propensity voters and to softies and swing voters .
When you go to their door nick and you meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I ’ m looking for specifics .
What is their trend ?
What are they saying ?
Freitas : So yeah , the trend tends to be one they ’ ll if they ’ ve been seeing the attack ads they might ask about an attack ad .
But honestly the response we ’ re getting from swing voters has been overwhelmingly positive .
So you know when we started knocking on doors and we will have knocked down close to 200,000 doors between us and we know some outside groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we ’ re not going out there knocking hard .
We ’ re knocking people that are either soft Republican or swing voters .
And generally what that means is that there ’ s some indication that the person in that House has voted both Republican and Democrat in the past or they might not consistently vote in every election .
So those are the people that we ’ re we ’ re spending our time talking to .
And a couple of the trends that we ’ re seeing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scared especially the closer you live to Richmond .
They ’ re worried about what went on in Richmond .
They ’ re worried about the rioting that took place .
They ’ re worried about the fact that the governor and the mayor didn ’ t do anything about it .
Some of the groups , not the protesters but the groups that actually engage in rioting are threatening to go into other areas .
They ’ re upset about schools being closed .
And they ’ re overall worried about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And part of that ’ s from a healthcare component and part of it is from the economy .
The idea that we would lockdown the economy again is something that people looking at .
And they , just you know , it ’ s hard enough for them to have kept their jobs , it ’ s hard enough for them to keep their businesses open .
And the idea that we ’ re going to go through a massive government lockdown under Joe Biden when the world health organization and medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that is not the right thing to do from an economic perspective or a healthcare perspective .
That ’ s the part .
And then contrast that with again we just have 33 growth in the third quarter you know predominantly in those places where they ’ re actually allowing people to get back to work safely and responsibly .
That ’ s what people want to see .
They want to see its plans for it .
They don ’ t want to keep hearing doom gloom and the new normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What is the plan to get through this ?
And we are offering one and the other side is not .
Fredericks : I think this has been consistent now across the country .
Trump is surging now Nick .
We look at the numbers now in Florida and Pennsylvania .
He had 58,000 people on a Saturday night .
Nick , who does that ?
I mean , this stuff is unheard of .
We have caravans going through Richmond .
We got another 35o people last night .
I did a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 people there yesterday in the rain .
Now we are doing one this evening in Richmond .
Tell everybody about the Tim Anderson one .
Freitas : We have the Tim Anderson one that you are going to be hosting .
We are going to have Daniel Gade there .
Leon Benjamin and I will be there .
Tim is going to be talking , and I think we ’ re going to have a great turnout for that as well .
And you are right .
They completely disregarded this in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enthusiasm .
I heard a speaker say it best the other day when we were having a rally up in Culpeper where we probably had 300 people come out and the speaker got up and said whoever is parked in the two places on the side of the parking lot that ’ s where the Biden rally is going to be .
There is no excitement on the other side .
There is a lot of hatred that has been in large part fostered by the media that is just openly hostile to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter what he does .
And they ’ ve tried to drive that narrative home for the last four years .
They ’ ve done everything they can to possibly obstruct him .
But ultimately when you look at the other side , our voters are excited about getting out for two reasons .
One , they feel like the President has made good on what he ’ d said he would do .
He said he ’ d cut taxes .
He cut them .
He said he ’ d cut regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were going to restore peace through strength and now we ’ ve got peace deals through the Middle East and the Balkans .
Democrats can ’ t even get peace deals in Portland .
( Fredericks laughs ) Listen to the full show here : Monday morning on The John Fredericks Radio Show , host John Fredericks welcomed Virginia House of Delegates candidate Nick Freitas to the show to discuss the Virginia election races and the enthusiasm for Trump that he was seeing on the ground .
Photo “ Nick Freitas ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia Capitol ” by Anderskev .
CC BY 3.0 .

Live from Virginia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond, WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia, WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 (7-9 PM) Hampton Roads, WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed House Delegates member Nick Freitas to the show.
During the show, Freitas weighed in on the current ground game and enthusiasm for Trump that he was seeing in Virginia and explained some of the main concerns that voters relayed during door-knocking sessions in regards to the local elections.
Fredericks: House of Delegates member running for Congress, Republican Nick Freitas. Hey Nick, great to have you, man.
Freitas: Hey great to be on John. Thank you.
Fredericks: Nick, one day to game day. You’ve analyzed early voting I know the RNC is doing that in the key districts. We got some of the analysis last night. Early voting seventh, what are you seeing Nick?
Freitas: So we’re actually doing far better on the early voting than we expected to. The vast majority of Republicans still plan to vote on Election Day. And so
our job was just to stay close to the Democrats with respect to early voting. We’ve done well. Overall voter turnout’s been very high. And we’re excited about election day.
Fredericks: So when you say you’ve done better on the early voting than anticipated based on the RNC analysis, can you shed a little insight on that?
Freitas: Sure. So the idea was is if you ask the typical Democrat 75 percent of them were planning to vote early. Typical Republicans, 75 percent were planning to vote on election day. So you can see it’s a complete opposite with respect to how they’re gonna vote. And so that’s what we anticipated the numbers to look like with early voting as well. Whether it be absentee, whether it be early voting in person. It hasn’t even been close to that.
And so Republicans have been voting. We would have a great turnout with respect to early voting but we’ve been calling through lists and we still have a lot of Republicans that plan to vote on election day. So you know typically speaking if we would have at least gotten maybe 40 percent of the early vote we would have been pretty happy going into election day. We’ve been beating those numbers. And so we’re very confident going to election day that we’re going to have a really good in-person turnout. And again we’re confident with our absentee numbers and we are confident with our early in-person numbers.
Fredericks: Well you know that is a consistent story I’ve been hearing in the second district also is that the numbers where the Democrats had to be on early voting, they’re simply not there. They’re underperforming. And then Republican areas where we didn’t expect to get as many were over performing. And this seems to be a trend. It’s the same trend we’re getting in Florida. It’s the same trend we’re getting in Pennsylvania. It’s a trend now we’re getting in Nevada. It’s across the country.
And you look you juxtapose your race to Dave Brat against Spanberger in 2018, I mean Spanberger had a massive one of the biggest ground games for a Congressional challenger I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime. And I’ve been covering this a long time. I mean it was stellar. I remember driving down Henrico just going to work at 5 a.m. and they had already tents up with coffee and donuts. And they had this for days! you don’t see that now Nick.
Freitas: No you don’t. They have not had much of a ground game. And even that the only time she’s really spending with voters because even the online presence hasn’t been much. She’ll show up to an early voting site and she’ll spend some time there. Meanwhile, we’ve got knockers all over the neighborhoods going out and actually talking to people. Actually reaching out to voters and our online presence has been strong. She’s really tried to win this thing in just constantly negative attack ads.
They are ads saying what a moderate she is even though she votes with Alexander Ocasio-Cortez 90 percent of the time. So that’s how she’s trying to win that race. I don’t think people are buying it. I think the President did an excellent job in the last debate. Joe Biden was accidentally honest about what he wants to do with respect to the oil industry. You know he’s got reports coming out about what his tax plan would actually do. Look, we’re going into election day feeling good.
Fredericks: Tell me about what residents are saying. I know you’re now going in the final days to lower propensity voters and to softies and swing voters. When you go to their door nick and you meet with them I always ask this question. And I’m looking for specifics. What is their trend? What are they saying?
Freitas: So yeah, the trend tends to be one they’ll if they’ve been seeing the attack ads they might ask about an attack ad. But honestly the response we’re getting from swing voters has been overwhelmingly positive. So you know when we started knocking on doors and we will have knocked down close to 200,000 doors between us and we know some outside groups that are knocking too by election day. And we’re not going out there knocking hard.
We’re knocking people that are either soft Republican or swing voters. And generally what that means is that there’s some indication that the person in that House has voted both Republican and Democrat in the past or they might not consistently vote in every election. So those are the people that we’re we’re spending our time talking to. And a couple of the trends that we’re seeing is people are one, they’re scared especially the closer you live to Richmond.
They’re worried about what went on in Richmond. They’re worried about the rioting that took place. They’re worried about the fact that the governor and the mayor didn’t do anything about it. Some of the groups, not the protesters but the groups that actually engage in rioting are threatening to go into other areas. They’re upset about schools being closed. And they’re overall worried about the government’s response to COVID.
And part of that’s from a healthcare component and part of it is from the economy. The idea that we would lockdown the economy again is something that people looking at. And they, just you know, it’s hard enough for them to have kept their jobs, it’s hard enough for them to keep their businesses open. And the idea that we’re going to go through a massive government lockdown under Joe Biden when the world health organization and medical experts after medical exporters come forward and said that is not the right thing to do from an economic perspective or a healthcare perspective. That’s the part.
And then contrast that with again we just have 33 growth in the third quarter you know predominantly in those places where they’re actually allowing people to get back to work safely and responsibly. That’s what people want to see. They want to see its plans for it. They don’t want to keep hearing doom gloom and the new normal that the Democrats are offering us. What is the plan to get through this? And we are offering one and the other side is not.
Fredericks: I think this has been consistent now across the country. Trump is surging now Nick. We look at the numbers now in Florida and Pennsylvania. He had 58,000 people on a Saturday night. Nick, who does that? I mean, this stuff is unheard of. We have caravans going through Richmond. We got another 35o people last night. I did a rally in Virginia Beach where there were 300 people there yesterday in the rain. Now we are doing one this evening in Richmond. Tell everybody about the Tim Anderson one.
Freitas: We have the Tim Anderson one that you are going to be hosting. We are going to have Daniel Gade there. Leon Benjamin and I will be there. Tim is going to be talking, and I think we’re going to have a great turnout for that as well. And you are right. They completely disregarded this in 2016 to their peril which is the enthusiasm. I heard a speaker say it best the other day when we were having a rally up in Culpeper where we probably had 300 people come out and the speaker got up and said whoever is parked in the two places on the side of the parking lot that’s where the Biden rally is going to be.
There is no excitement on the other side. There is a lot of hatred that has been in large part fostered by the media that is just openly hostile to the President. It doesn’t matter what he does. And they’ve tried to drive that narrative home for the last four years. They’ve done everything they can to possibly obstruct him. But ultimately when you look at the other side, our voters are excited about getting out for two reasons.
One, they feel like the President has made good on what he’d said he would do. He said he’d cut taxes. He cut them. He said he’d cut regulations. He cut them. He said we were going to restore peace through strength and now we’ve got peace deals through the Middle East and the Balkans. Democrats can’t even get peace deals in Portland. (Fredericks laughs)
Listen to the full show here:
– – –
Monday morning on The John Fredericks Radio Show, host John Fredericks welcomed Virginia House of Delegates candidate Nick Freitas to the show to discuss the Virginia election races and the enthusiasm for Trump that he was seeing on the ground.
Photo “Nick Freitas” by Nick Freitas. Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Anderskev. CC BY 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-03--Aid Applications Open for Michigan Businesses Flooded by Rain

Applications are now open for Michigan ’ s small businesses impacted by excess rain from Oct. 1 , 2019 through June 2 , 2020 .
The U.S. Small Business Administration ( SBA ) is making Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $ 2 million available to eligible small businesses , agricultural cooperatives , and nonprofits in Clinton , Gratiot , Ionia , Isabella , Midland , Montcalm , Saginaw , and Shiawassee counties .
The SBA extended the loans following the Secretarial Disaster Declaration obtained by Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer from U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is welcome news for Michigan businesses that had to endure one of the wettest years on record in Michigan , ” Whitmer said in a statement .
“ I ’ m glad the federal government has recognized the need for this support , and I am eager to continue working with them to further assist Michigan businesses.
” In June 2019 , Whitmer requested a USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation for the entire state of Michigan to provide relief to farmers impacted by historic rainfall .
The USDA designated more than 40 Michigan counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
When Perdue issues a disaster declaration for crop damage , the SBA issues a declaration to eligible entities affected by the same disaster .
Applicants may apply online , receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications here .
Applicants should apply under SBA declaration # 16760 , and can call SBA ’ s Customer Service Center at ( 800 ) 659-2955 or email them .
Applications are due no later than June 21 , 2021 .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .
Photo “ Michigan Farmer ” by Jeffrey Smith CC BY-ND 2.0 .

by Scott McClallen
Applications are now open for Michigan’s small businesses impacted by excess rain from Oct. 1, 2019 through June 2, 2020.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is making Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million available to eligible small businesses, agricultural cooperatives, and nonprofits in Clinton, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Midland, Montcalm, Saginaw, and Shiawassee counties.
The SBA extended the loans following the Secretarial Disaster Declaration obtained by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue last year.
“This is welcome news for Michigan businesses that had to endure one of the wettest years on record in Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I’m glad the federal government has recognized the need for this support, and I am eager to continue working with them to further assist Michigan businesses.”
In June 2019, Whitmer requested a USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation for the entire state of Michigan to provide relief to farmers impacted by historic rainfall.
The USDA designated more than 40 Michigan counties as primary disaster areas beginning in November 2019.
When Perdue issues a disaster declaration for crop damage, the SBA issues a declaration to eligible entities affected by the same disaster.
Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications here. Applicants should apply under SBA declaration #16760, and can call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email them.
Applications are due no later than June 21, 2021.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Michigan Farmer” by Jeffrey Smith CC BY-ND 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Ousted Democrat John DeBerry Loses House District 90 to Torrey Harris

Incumbent John DeBerry lost Tennessee ’ s House District 90 to Democratic candidate Torrey Harris on Tuesday .
DeBerry lost by nearly 55 points , or just over 11,000 votes .
Although DeBerry had served the office as a Democrat for the last 26 years , the Democratic Party removed him from the primary ballot in April over disagreements with his views on abortion and education .
After , Governor Bill Lee passed a law allowing DeBerry to file as an independent candidate .
In a previous interview with The Tennessee Star , DeBerry explained that he was entirely unaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was too late .
“ I was given absolutely no notice .
I found out on late Monday and got details on Tuesday .
And the vote was on Wednesday .
And that ’ s how fast it went .
How quickly it went .
I was given no time to mouth a defense or say anything.
” In later interviews , DeBerry divulged that the Democratic Party mainly took issue with his pro-life beliefs .
Harris lost against DeBerry in the 2018 primary by about 20 points or just over 1,000 votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical of DeBerry ’ s position on penalties against assaults on first responders .
DeBerry experienced and participated in the civil rights movement firsthand , and has condemned the riots in Minneapolis and Kenosha .
Harris ’ s win marked history as Tennessee ’ s first openly bisexual state representative .
The newly-elected representative came to Memphis in 2011 with over a decade ’ s worth of involvement in activism .
According to Statistical Atlas , the district is predominantly Black and White , with about eight percent of citizens unemployed .
Nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school diploma , and 34 percent have a higher degree .
The 95th percentile of individuals have a median household income up to $ 174,000 – the 80th percentile caps at about $ 70,000 .
After Harris won the race , he posted a picture of himself wearing a jacket with the names of Black individuals that died during interactions with the police .
“ I won !
I am Tennessee State Representative Torrey Harris with 78 percent of the votes !
# Memphis # Elections # Democrat # JoeBiden # BlackLivesMatter # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any remarks on the election by press time .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Torrey Harris ” by Torrey Harris .
Photo “ John DeBerry ” by Glenn Casada .

Incumbent John DeBerry lost Tennessee’s House District 90 to Democratic candidate Torrey Harris on Tuesday. DeBerry lost by nearly 55 points, or just over 11,000 votes.
Although DeBerry had served the office as a Democrat for the last 26 years, the Democratic Party removed him from the primary ballot in April over disagreements with his views on abortion and education.
After, Governor Bill Lee passed a law allowing DeBerry to file as an independent candidate.
In a previous interview with The Tennessee Star, DeBerry explained that he was entirely unaware he’d been removed until it was too late.
“I was given absolutely no notice. I found out on late Monday and got details on Tuesday. And the vote was on Wednesday. And that’s how fast it went. How quickly it went. I was given no time to mouth a defense or say anything.”
In later interviews, DeBerry divulged that the Democratic Party mainly took issue with his pro-life beliefs.
Harris lost against DeBerry in the 2018 primary by about 20 points or just over 1,000 votes. The freshman state representative has been critical of DeBerry’s position on penalties against assaults on first responders. DeBerry experienced and participated in the civil rights movement firsthand, and has condemned the riots in Minneapolis and Kenosha.
Harris’s win marked history as Tennessee’s first openly bisexual state representative. The newly-elected representative came to Memphis in 2011 with over a decade’s worth of involvement in activism.
According to Statistical Atlas, the district is predominantly Black and White, with about eight percent of citizens unemployed. Nearly 50 percent of individuals hold a high school diploma, and 34 percent have a higher degree. The 95th percentile of individuals have a median household income up to $174,000 – the 80th percentile caps at about $70,000.
After Harris won the race, he posted a picture of himself wearing a jacket with the names of Black individuals that died during interactions with the police.
“I won! I am Tennessee State Representative Torrey Harris with 78 percent of the votes! #Memphis #Elections #Democrat #JoeBiden #BlackLivesMatter #iMadeHistory4TimesTonight.”
DeBerry didn’t issue any remarks on the election by press time.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Torrey Harris” by Torrey Harris. Photo “John DeBerry” by Glenn Casada.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Republicans Dominate the 2020 Tennessee Election Cycle

Tennessee ’ s elections were called for Republicans across the board not long after the polls closed on Tuesday night and the red state remained red , for the most part .
One state-level seat flipped in Davidson County : a blue dot surrounded by red .
On the national scale , President Donald Trump won with an approximate 23 point lead over Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
That lead is 3 points shy of his 2016 victory against Hillary Clinton .
A total of just over 3 million votes were reported .
Absentee votes favored Biden by just under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate to win Tennessee was Bill Clinton in both elections in the 1990s .
For U.S. Senate , Republican candidate Bill Hagerty triumphed over Democratic candidate Marquita Bradshaw .
Hagerty led by nearly 27 points , and enjoyed closer margins in the three Democratic counties of Shelby , Haywood , and Davidson than Senator Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) enjoyed in 2018 .
The last Democratic U.S .
Senator to win the seat was Al Gore in the 80s .
Bradshaw hasn ’ t conceded the election by press time .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were challenged took the victory , and did so with better margins than in 2018 .
In the sole open seat in District 1 , Republican Diane Harshbarger beat Democrat Blair Walsingham by 52 points to succeed Phil Roe .
Both Districts 2 and 3 saw Republican incumbents Tim Burchett and Chuck Fleischmann lead Democrats Renee Hoyos and Meg Gorman by nearly 37 points each .
Republican Scott DesJarlais secured District 4 from Democrat Christopher Hale with about 33 points .
Republican John Rose retained District 6 with almost a 50 point lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 , Republican Mark Green beat Democrat Kiran Sreepada by about 43 points .
And David Kustoff won District 8 from Democrat Erika Stotts Pearson with about 39 points .
The sole Democratic incumbent challenged , Steve Cohen , won by about 57 points against Republican Charlotte Bergmann .
Although the state legislature Republicans were confident about carrying all of their incumbent seats , Democrat Heidi Campbell upset Steve Dickerson by four points .
The 2016 election was a portent for the flip : Clinton won the district ’ s vote by about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within deep blue Davidson County .
Republicans maintained the only open seat through Page Wally , who received 52 points over Civil Miller-Watkins .
Out of the 16 races , Republicans won 14 seats and Democrats won two .
Of all 99 seats in the state House , six were open .
Five of the six open seats were assumed by Republicans , and one to the Democrats .
Democrat challenger Torrey Harris upset incumbent John DeBerry by 54 points .
Two of the elected made history as the first openly gay state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 and Harris for District 90 .
Tennessee is currently the third-worst for voter turnout – about 1.8 of the 4.9 million didn ’ t vote .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .

Tennessee’s elections were called for Republicans across the board not long after the polls closed on Tuesday night and the red state remained red, for the most part. One state-level seat flipped in Davidson County: a blue dot surrounded by red.
On the national scale, President Donald Trump won with an approximate 23 point lead over Democratic candidate Joe Biden. That lead is 3 points shy of his 2016 victory against Hillary Clinton. A total of just over 3 million votes were reported. Absentee votes favored Biden by just under one percent.
The last Democratic presidential candidate to win Tennessee was Bill Clinton in both elections in the 1990s.
For U.S. Senate, Republican candidate Bill Hagerty triumphed over Democratic candidate Marquita Bradshaw. Hagerty led by nearly 27 points, and enjoyed closer margins in the three Democratic counties of Shelby, Haywood, and Davidson than Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) enjoyed in 2018. The last Democratic U.S. Senator to win the seat was Al Gore in the 80s. Bradshaw hasn’t conceded the election by press time.
In the House, all seven Republican incumbents that were challenged took the victory, and did so with better margins than in 2018. In the sole open seat in District 1, Republican Diane Harshbarger beat Democrat Blair Walsingham by 52 points to succeed Phil Roe.
Both Districts 2 and 3 saw Republican incumbents Tim Burchett and Chuck Fleischmann lead Democrats Renee Hoyos and Meg Gorman by nearly 37 points each. Republican Scott DesJarlais secured District 4 from Democrat Christopher Hale with about 33 points.
In District 5, Democratic incumbent Jim Cooper went uncontested.
Republican John Rose retained District 6 with almost a 50 point lead over Democrat Christopher Finley. In District 7, Republican Mark Green beat Democrat Kiran Sreepada by about 43 points. And David Kustoff won District 8 from Democrat Erika Stotts Pearson with about 39 points.
The sole Democratic incumbent challenged, Steve Cohen, won by about 57 points against Republican Charlotte Bergmann.
Although the state legislature Republicans were confident about carrying all of their incumbent seats, Democrat Heidi Campbell upset Steve Dickerson by four points. The 2016 election was a portent for the flip: Clinton won the district’s vote by about 26 points, and the area is within deep blue Davidson County.
Republicans maintained the only open seat through Page Wally, who received 52 points over Civil Miller-Watkins. Out of the 16 races, Republicans won 14 seats and Democrats won two.
Of all 99 seats in the state House, six were open. Five of the six open seats were assumed by Republicans, and one to the Democrats. Democrat challenger Torrey Harris upset incumbent John DeBerry by 54 points.
Two of the elected made history as the first openly gay state representatives: Republican Eddie Mannis for District 18 and Harris for District 90.
The state House race favored majority Republicans, 72 seats to 26.
Tennessee is currently the third-worst for voter turnout – about 1.8 of the 4.9 million didn’t vote.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--More Evidence That Nashville Mayor John Cooper Misled Public About COVID-19 Data Is Forthcoming, Met

More Evidence That Nashville Mayor John Cooper Misled Public About COVID-19 Data Is Forthcoming, Metro Council Member Says

Even more emails are coming that reveal how Nashville Mayor John Cooper and members of his staff mishandled the COVID-19 emergency , Metro Council Member At-Large Steve Glover told The Tennessee Star Wednesday .
This , on the same week that the Nashville-based FOX 17 published emails showing that Cooper ’ s staff downplayed the number of COVID-19 cases coming from the city ’ s bars and restaurants .
Cooper later ordered those bars and restaurants closed .
“ Candidly , Cooper ’ s level of transparency on this will get an F from me .
They pretend like there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really wasn ’ t , ” Glover said .
Glover , when asked , would not share more details .
Members of Cooper ’ s staff did not return our request for comment .
This week FOX 17 showed how Cooper ’ s senior advisor Benjamin Eagles , preceding a July 2 press conference , wanted public officials to suppress the correct number of COVID-19 cases originating out of bars and restaurants .
“ Remember , this was an important press conference : the mayor was about to shut down bars and move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the time , there were only three cases traced to restaurants and just 19 traced back to bars .
The health department says it also knew of six other cases that had not been officially recorded , ” the station reported .
“ So , a total of 28 cases traced back to bars and restaurants since March – less than 1 percent of all the contact-traced cases in Nashville .
So how would the city tell Nashville citizens it was closing bars and heavily restricting restaurants based on such few cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Office carefully chose the wording for the July 2 press conference in an attempt to leave out the low number of cases in bars and restaurants because they were worried the public wouldn ’ t understand the severity of the situation.
” Glover told The Star that Nashville needs to open back up completely .
“ Multiple people are now panicking because they are going to lose their places to live because they simply can ’ t make the living they were making .
You literally have 25 percent of the workday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waitresses and bartenders are basically not able to work , ” Glover said .
“ Therefore you are trying to pay 100 percent of your bills on 75 percent of your time capacity .
It is not working .
It is my sincerest hopes that we open everything up and realize that people need to be safe .
We know a lot more about it [ COVID-19 ] than we used to .
It breaks my heart .
Literally these folks are just trying to make a living and pay their bills.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Even more emails are coming that reveal how Nashville Mayor John Cooper and members of his staff mishandled the COVID-19 emergency, Metro Council Member At-Large Steve Glover told The Tennessee Star Wednesday.
This, on the same week that the Nashville-based FOX 17 published emails showing that Cooper’s staff downplayed the number of COVID-19 cases coming from the city’s bars and restaurants. Cooper later ordered those bars and restaurants closed.
“Candidly, Cooper’s level of transparency on this will get an F from me. They pretend like there was [transparency]. But there really wasn’t,” Glover said.
“There are more emails coming.”
Glover, when asked, would not share more details.
Members of Cooper’s staff did not return our request for comment.
This week FOX 17 showed how Cooper’s senior advisor Benjamin Eagles, preceding a July 2 press conference, wanted public officials to suppress the correct number of COVID-19 cases originating out of bars and restaurants.
“Remember, this was an important press conference: the mayor was about to shut down bars and move restaurants back to 50 percent capacity. At the time, there were only three cases traced to restaurants and just 19 traced back to bars. The health department says it also knew of six other cases that had not been officially recorded,” the station reported.
“So, a total of 28 cases traced back to bars and restaurants since March – less than 1 percent of all the contact-traced cases in Nashville. So how would the city tell Nashville citizens it was closing bars and heavily restricting restaurants based on such few cases? New emails show the Mayor’s Office carefully chose the wording for the July 2 press conference in an attempt to leave out the low number of cases in bars and restaurants because they were worried the public wouldn’t understand the severity of the situation.”
Glover told The Star that Nashville needs to open back up completely.
“Multiple people are now panicking because they are going to lose their places to live because they simply can’t make the living they were making. You literally have 25 percent of the workday for these establishments that these bands and waitresses and bartenders are basically not able to work,” Glover said.
“Therefore you are trying to pay 100 percent of your bills on 75 percent of your time capacity. It is not working. It is my sincerest hopes that we open everything up and realize that people need to be safe. We know a lot more about it [COVID-19] than we used to. It breaks my heart. Literally these folks are just trying to make a living and pay their bills.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Commentary: Save Our Democracy!

Commentary: Save Our Democracy!

I have said all along that I thought President Trump would win reelection .
The question was whether he would win by a big enough margin to insulate himself from the machinations of fraud , on the one hand , and litigation , on the other .
I believe that Donald Trump did win the election last night .
By my count he had chalked up well over the requisite 270 electoral votes necessary to win reelection .
That was a little past midnight .
I repaired to the arms of Morpheus confident that November 4 would ratify what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evening of November 3 .
No such luck .
No sooner had my head hit the pillow than the Democrats in the urban centers of states where Trump was leading—in Detroit , Pittsburgh , Philadelphia , Atlanta , Milwaukee—stopped counting the votes .
Why would they do this ?
Because they wanted to stanch the flow of votes going to Trump and buy themselves time to determine how many votes they would need to win .
Finding the votes later on is never a problem .
That ’ s what we pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed novel in 1960 when Richard Daley went to Cook Country to secure the election for JFK .
When I went to bed last night , President Trump was comfortably ahead in Wisconsin .
Close your eyes : poof : 100,000 ballots suddenly appear in Wisconsin with Joe Biden ’ s name on them .
Stand by for similar feats of magic .
Although common , this outrageous practice is a direct assault on our democracy .
Trump presumably will fight it in court .
But I think he should take a page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those and maybe other hot spots ( Phoenix comes to mind ) over the next couple of days .
Bring the fight to the people and , just as important , bring the people to the fight .
The Democrats are not sitting idly by , they are busy “ harvesting ” votes .
Donald Trump needs to mobilize the public with a series of high-profile “ Save Our Democracy ” rallies .
He was performing at 3 , 4 , or 5 rallies a day for the last couple weeks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show back on the road one last time .
If the Democrats complain that the campaign is over he can rebaptize the events as “ peaceful protests.
” That ’ s what Antifa and BLM do when they take to the streets .
The contrast with the threatened scenes of mayhem , arson , and looting by the Left will afford a useful visual .
As many people have observed , Trump ’ s followers wave American flags .
Democratic supporters prefer to burn them .
I suspect that such Save Our Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , just as Trump ’ s campaign rallies did these past weeks .
There is no way that Sleepy Joe Biden could compete with them .
Not only would they dramatize the extent and enthusiasm of Trump ’ s support , they would also serve as a salutary reminder that Trump , unlike so many Republican politicians , is willing to fight to assure a free , open , and fair election .
They would have the additional attraction of driving the Left even more beyond the pale than than they already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take pleasure in the sufferings of others , but I am willing to make an exception in the case of the anguish such rallies would cause among the people who have spent the last four years trying to destroy the president and anyone who came into his orbit .
Save Our Democracy !
It has a ring to it .
I hope team Trump will consider organizing a bunch of them now , today .
Roger Kimball is editor and publisher of The New Criterion and the president and publisher of Encounter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editor of many books , including The Fortunes of Permanence : Culture and Anarchy in an Age of Amnesia ( St. Augustine ’ s Press ) , The Rape of the Masters ( Encounter ) , Lives of the Mind : The Use and Abuse of Intelligence from Hegel to Wodehouse ( Ivan R. Dee ) , and Art ’ s Prospect : The Challenge of Tradition in an Age of Celebrity ( Ivan R. Dee ) .

by Roger Kimball
I have said all along that I thought President Trump would win reelection. The question was whether he would win by a big enough margin to insulate himself from the machinations of fraud, on the one hand, and litigation, on the other.
I believe that Donald Trump did win the election last night. By my count he had chalked up well over the requisite 270 electoral votes necessary to win reelection. That was a little past midnight. I repaired to the arms of Morpheus confident that November 4 would ratify what was essentially a fait d’accompli on the evening of November 3.
No such luck. No sooner had my head hit the pillow than the Democrats in the urban centers of states where Trump was leading—in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Milwaukee—stopped counting the votes. Why would they do this? Because they wanted to stanch the flow of votes going to Trump and buy themselves time to determine how many votes they would need to win. Finding the votes later on is never a problem. That’s what we pay corrupt party apparatchiks to do. It seemed novel in 1960 when Richard Daley went to Cook Country to secure the election for JFK. When I went to bed last night, President Trump was comfortably ahead in Wisconsin. Close your eyes: poof: 100,000 ballots suddenly appear in Wisconsin with Joe Biden’s name on them. Stand by for similar feats of magic.
Although common, this outrageous practice is a direct assault on our democracy. Trump presumably will fight it in court. But I think he should take a page from his own playbook and hold rallies in those and maybe other hot spots (Phoenix comes to mind) over the next couple of days. Bring the fight to the people and, just as important, bring the people to the fight.
The Democrats are not sitting idly by, they are busy “harvesting” votes. Donald Trump needs to mobilize the public with a series of high-profile “Save Our Democracy” rallies. He was performing at 3, 4, or 5 rallies a day for the last couple weeks of the campaign. He should take the show back on the road one last time. If the Democrats complain that the campaign is over he can rebaptize the events as “peaceful protests.” That’s what Antifa and BLM do when they take to the streets. The contrast with the threatened scenes of mayhem, arson, and looting by the Left will afford a useful visual. As many people have observed, Trump’s followers wave American flags. Democratic supporters prefer to burn them.
I suspect that such Save Our Democracy rallies would attract tens of thousands of people, just as Trump’s campaign rallies did these past weeks. There is no way that Sleepy Joe Biden could compete with them. Not only would they dramatize the extent and enthusiasm of Trump’s support, they would also serve as a salutary reminder that Trump, unlike so many Republican politicians, is willing to fight to assure a free, open, and fair election. They would have the additional attraction of driving the Left even more beyond the pale than than they already are. It’s not nice to take pleasure in the sufferings of others, but I am willing to make an exception in the case of the anguish such rallies would cause among the people who have spent the last four years trying to destroy the president and anyone who came into his orbit.
Save Our Democracy! It has a ring to it. I hope team Trump will consider organizing a bunch of them now, today.
– – –
Roger Kimball is editor and publisher of The New Criterion and the president and publisher of Encounter Books. He is the author and editor of many books, including The Fortunes of Permanence: Culture and Anarchy in an Age of Amnesia (St. Augustine’s Press), The Rape of the Masters (Encounter), Lives of the Mind: The Use and Abuse of Intelligence from Hegel to Wodehouse (Ivan R. Dee), and Art’s Prospect: The Challenge of Tradition in an Age of Celebrity (Ivan R. Dee).


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Commentary: Republicans Leading in the Senate May Save America from Democratic One-Party Rule

States are still counting votes in Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Nevada , Georgia and North Carolina — and with disputed deadlines currently allowing absentee ballots to still be received days after the election in Pennsylvania and North Carolina — it is simply too close to call the presidential race .
President Donald Trump carried Ohio , Florida and Iowa by big margins despite many mainstream news polls saying he would lose those states handily — which are little better than astrology at this point — and is still promising to take the race for the White House to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging any late ballots that come in .
But in the Senate , Republicans have won key races in South Carolina , Iowa and Montana , and retaken the Alabama Senate seat , and at the moment appear to be leading in Michigan , Georgia , Maine and North Carolina .
Democrats have picked up seats in Arizona and Colorado .
That ’ s not yet enough for Democrats to win a majority — they need three new net seats plus the White House to break ties .
There ’ s still a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least one runoff in Georgia coming later this year .
But if the GOP ’ s Senate lead holds , even if former Vice President Joe Biden manages to win the White House , he may do it without winning the Senate — making him the first Democrat entering a first term not to also win both the House and the Senate since before Franklin Roosevelt .
In fact , when Democrats win the White House , they usually win the House and the Senate — sweeping a trifecta of total power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
FDR did it in 1932 , Truman did it in 1948 , Kennedy did it in 1960 , Lyndon Johnson did it in 1964 , Jimmy Carter did it in 1976 , Bill Clinton did it in 1992 and Barack Obama did it in 2008 .
You have to go all the way back to 1884 when Grover Cleveland won the White House and the House , but not the Senate , that a Democrat would enter power without both chambers .
That ’ s significant .
That would make Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s still too early to call — the weakest Democratic President in modern history and make any radical Biden-Harris agenda practically dead on arrival .
No amending the Judiciary Act of 1869 to pack the Supreme Court .
No fast track to expediting judicial appointments in lower courts .
No statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico .
In short , no mandate to govern .
It all gets held up .
Instead , Biden would be forced to contend with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , who decisively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , Democrats will likely find themselves wishing that had enacted a phase four stimulus legislation before the election .
Now , even if Biden ekes out a victory , they ’ re likely to get much less from a Republican Senate .
Again , the results are not all in yet , either for the Senate or the White House .
It ’ s too close and with so many ballots left to be counted , too early to say .
As the nation watches to see what happens in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep their eyes on the Senate , which Republicans appear to be holding .
At the end of the day , it may be the only thing keeping us from the jaws of Democratic one-party rule .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government .

by Robert Romano
States are still counting votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina — and with disputed deadlines currently allowing absentee ballots to still be received days after the election in Pennsylvania and North Carolina — it is simply too close to call the presidential race.
President Donald Trump carried Ohio, Florida and Iowa by big margins despite many mainstream news polls saying he would lose those states handily — which are little better than astrology at this point — and is still promising to take the race for the White House to the Supreme Court with litigation, presumably challenging any late ballots that come in.
Anything could happen.
But in the Senate, Republicans have won key races in South Carolina, Iowa and Montana, and retaken the Alabama Senate seat, and at the moment appear to be leading in Michigan, Georgia, Maine and North Carolina. Democrats have picked up seats in Arizona and Colorado.
That’s not yet enough for Democrats to win a majority — they need three new net seats plus the White House to break ties. There’s still a lot of counting to go, and at least one runoff in Georgia coming later this year.
But if the GOP’s Senate lead holds, even if former Vice President Joe Biden manages to win the White House, he may do it without winning the Senate — making him the first Democrat entering a first term not to also win both the House and the Senate since before Franklin Roosevelt.
In fact, when Democrats win the White House, they usually win the House and the Senate — sweeping a trifecta of total power. Woodrow Wilson did it in 1912. FDR did it in 1932, Truman did it in 1948, Kennedy did it in 1960, Lyndon Johnson did it in 1964, Jimmy Carter did it in 1976, Bill Clinton did it in 1992 and Barack Obama did it in 2008.
You have to go all the way back to 1884 when Grover Cleveland won the White House and the House, but not the Senate, that a Democrat would enter power without both chambers. That’s significant.
That would make Biden, should he win — and again, it’s still too early to call — the weakest Democratic President in modern history and make any radical Biden-Harris agenda practically dead on arrival.
No eliminating the filibuster.
No amending the Judiciary Act of 1869 to pack the Supreme Court.
No fast track to expediting judicial appointments in lower courts.
No Green New Deal.
No statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico.
No bans on hydraulic fracturing.
No national, Congressionally imposed lockdown.
No tax hikes.
No public option socialized medicine.
In short, no mandate to govern.
It all gets held up. Instead, Biden would be forced to contend with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who decisively won his own reelection bid.
For example, Democrats will likely find themselves wishing that had enacted a phase four stimulus legislation before the election. Now, even if Biden ekes out a victory, they’re likely to get much less from a Republican Senate.
Again, the results are not all in yet, either for the Senate or the White House. It’s too close and with so many ballots left to be counted, too early to say.
As the nation watches to see what happens in the White House, the American people should also keep their eyes on the Senate, which Republicans appear to be holding. At the end of the day, it may be the only thing keeping us from the jaws of Democratic one-party rule.
– – –
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--U.S. Officially Withdraws from Paris Agreement on Climate Change

The U.S. officially withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change Wednesday , the Associated Press reported .
The 2015 agreement was ratified by 189 countries and six more have signed , but have yet to ratify , the AP reported .
President Donald Trump sparked criticism and support after announcing the U.S ’ s withdrawal in 2017 , according to another AP report .
“ Having the U.S. pull out of Paris is likely to reduce efforts to mitigate , and therefore increase the number of people who are put into a life-or-death situation because of the impacts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the science , ” Engineering Professor Natalie Mahowald at Cornell University , said , according to the AP .
The agreement ’ s purpose includes decreasing the world ’ s temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius , according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change .
Talks regarding the agreement are scheduled for 2021 in Glasgow , Scotland , the AP reported .
“ We will continue to work with our global partners to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change and prepare for and respond to natural disasters , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation by a State Department spokesperson .
“ Just as we have in the past , the United States will continue to research , innovate , and grow our economy while reducing emissions and extending a helping hand to our friends and partners around the globe , ” Pompeo continued .
The spokesperson told the DCNF the U.S. is the world ’ s number one disaster relief provider and continues to support worldwide environmental safety and natural disasters .
“ The United States supports a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improves energy security while protecting the environment with affordable and reliable clean energy technologies , ” the spokesperson continued .
“ U.S .
net greenhouse gas emissions dropped over 10 percent from 2005 to 2018 , even as our economy grew over 25 percent.
” “ We remain committed to energy access worldwide with the deployment of reliable and affordable clean energy technologies , ” the spokesperson added .
Mahowald and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change didn ’ t immediately respond to the DCNF ’ s requests for comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Paris Climate Accord Agreement ” by UNclimatechange .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Mary Rose Corkery
The U.S. officially withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
The 2015 agreement was ratified by 189 countries and six more have signed, but have yet to ratify, the AP reported. President Donald Trump sparked criticism and support after announcing the U.S’s withdrawal in 2017, according to another AP report.
“Having the U.S. pull out of Paris is likely to reduce efforts to mitigate, and therefore increase the number of people who are put into a life-or-death situation because of the impacts of climate change: this is clear from the science,” Engineering Professor Natalie Mahowald at Cornell University, said, according to the AP.
The agreement’s purpose includes decreasing the world’s temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Talks regarding the agreement are scheduled for 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland, the AP reported.
“We will continue to work with our global partners to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change and prepare for and respond to natural disasters,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation by a State Department spokesperson. “Just as we have in the past, the United States will continue to research, innovate, and grow our economy while reducing emissions and extending a helping hand to our friends and partners around the globe,” Pompeo continued.
The spokesperson told the DCNF the U.S. is the world’s number one disaster relief provider and continues to support worldwide environmental safety and natural disasters.
“The United States supports a balanced approach that promotes economic growth and improves energy security while protecting the environment with affordable and reliable clean energy technologies,” the spokesperson continued. “U.S. net greenhouse gas emissions dropped over 10 percent from 2005 to 2018, even as our economy grew over 25 percent.”
“We remain committed to energy access worldwide with the deployment of reliable and affordable clean energy technologies,” the spokesperson added.
Mahowald and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change didn’t immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
– – –
Mary Rose Corkery is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Paris Climate Accord Agreement” by UNclimatechange. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Democrats’ Massive Fundraising Haul Barely Moved the Needle in Key Senate Races

Sen. Lindsey Graham fared nearly as well on Tuesday against a Democratic challenger who spent more than $ 100 million in the 2020 cycle as he did against his opponent in 2014 , who raised a paltry $ 525,000 for that campaign .
Graham ’ s stronger-than-expected showing highlights one of the most startling patterns to emerge from the election Tuesday : historic campaign contributions to Democrats against incumbent Senate Republicans did not pay off .
In four hotly contested races , the Democratic candidates raised $ 125 million more ( $ 288 million versus $ 163 million ) than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compiled by the Associated Press , the Republicans in those races won by almost the same margins as they did in 2014 .
The strong Republican showing is likely to help the GOP retain control of the Senate .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fared better on Tuesday against Democratic challenger Amy McGrath in his Kentucky race than he did against his opponent in 2014 , Alison Lundergan Grimes .
According to the AP , McConnell leads McGrath by 20.4 percentage points , 58.2 to 37.8 % .
McGrath raised $ 88 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any Senate candidate ( behind Harrison in South Carolina ) .
McConnell raised $ 50 million .
McConnell defeated Grimes in 2014 by 15.5 percentage points , while outraising her by a $ 31 million to $ 19 million margin .
Sen. Joni Ernst and Thom Tillis , the Republican incumbents in Iowa and North Carolina , respectively , also fared as well on Tuesday as they did in 2014 , despite facing heavy fundraising deficits .
Ernst was declared the victor over Theresa Greenfield by a margin of 51.8-45.2 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ record for an Iowa Senate race , versus $ 23 million for Ernst .
Ernst won in 2014 by a 52.1-43.8 % margin .
She and her opponent raised $ 12 million each in that race .
Tillis ’ race against Cal Cunningham has not been called , but the Republican is currently leading by the same margin he won by in 2014 .
He is leading Cunningham 48.7-46.9 % despite being outspent $ 21 million to $ 46 million .
Tillis won in 2014 , 48.8-47.3 % , and was also outspent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Center for Responsive Politics .
Harrison ’ s resounding loss to Graham is likely to cause the most soul-searching for Democrats .
Democrats had high hopes for Harrison , a former DNC official who previously served as chairman of the Democratic party in South Carolina .
Polls had Harrison running neck-and-neck with Graham , who has become a prominent target because of his close alliance with President Donald Trump and his role in confirming Trump-appointed judges Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
Vox , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harrison-Graham race an unexpected battleground state in an article on Oct. 22 .
The Guardian , the British newspaper , posited that Harrison might pull the upset of 2020 .
Harrison ’ s historic fundraising numbers also generated headlines of their own in prominent U.S. newspapers .
The New York Times marveled at Harrison ’ s “ astonishing ” $ 57 million cash haul in the most recent fundraising quarter .
According to the Center for Responsive Politics , Harrison raised $ 107 million to Graham ’ s $ 69 million during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than $ 106 million more than Graham ’ s challenger in 2014 , Brad Hutto .
According to the Center for Responsive Politics , Graham raised $ 11 million in that contest compared to Hutto ’ s $ 524,230 haul .
Graham received nearly the same vote share in both races .
With 88 % of precincts reporting , Graham defeated Harrison 55.8-42.9 % .
The Republican defeated Hutto 55.3-38.8 % in 2014 .
Republicans also held ground in Kansas on Tuesday despite historic contribution levels to Democrat Barbara Bollier ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % to win the Senate seat , according to the Associated Press .
Bollier , a state senator , outraised Marshall by a margin of $ 24 million to $ 6 million .
Marshall will replace outgoing Republican Sen. Pat Roberts .
In 2014 , Roberts won his race against businessman Greg Orman , 53.1-42.5 % .
Roberts raised more money in that race , $ 8 million , than Marshall did this cycle .
Orman raised one-fourth the amount Bollier drew into her campaign .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jaime Harrison ” by Jaime Harrison .
Photo “ Amy McGrath ” by Amy McGrath .

by Chuck Ross
Sen. Lindsey Graham fared nearly as well on Tuesday against a Democratic challenger who spent more than $100 million in the 2020 cycle as he did against his opponent in 2014, who raised a paltry $525,000 for that campaign.
Graham’s stronger-than-expected showing highlights one of the most startling patterns to emerge from the election Tuesday: historic campaign contributions to Democrats against incumbent Senate Republicans did not pay off.
In four hotly contested races, the Democratic candidates raised $125 million more ($288 million versus $163 million) than Republican incumbents.
But according to results compiled by the Associated Press, the Republicans in those races won by almost the same margins as they did in 2014. The strong Republican showing is likely to help the GOP retain control of the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fared better on Tuesday against Democratic challenger Amy McGrath in his Kentucky race than he did against his opponent in 2014, Alison Lundergan Grimes.
According to the AP, McConnell leads McGrath by 20.4 percentage points, 58.2 to 37.8%.
McGrath raised $88 million for her race, the second highest of any Senate candidate (behind Harrison in South Carolina). McConnell raised $50 million.
McConnell defeated Grimes in 2014 by 15.5 percentage points, while outraising her by a $31 million to $19 million margin.
Sen. Joni Ernst and Thom Tillis, the Republican incumbents in Iowa and North Carolina, respectively, also fared as well on Tuesday as they did in 2014, despite facing heavy fundraising deficits.
Ernst was declared the victor over Theresa Greenfield by a margin of 51.8-45.2%. Greenfield raised $47 million, a record for an Iowa Senate race, versus $23 million for Ernst.
Ernst won in 2014 by a 52.1-43.8% margin. She and her opponent raised $12 million each in that race.
Tillis’ race against Cal Cunningham has not been called, but the Republican is currently leading by the same margin he won by in 2014.
He is leading Cunningham 48.7-46.9% despite being outspent $21 million to $46 million. Tillis won in 2014, 48.8-47.3%, and was also outspent $11 million to $25 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Harrison’s resounding loss to Graham is likely to cause the most soul-searching for Democrats.
Democrats had high hopes for Harrison, a former DNC official who previously served as chairman of the Democratic party in South Carolina.
Polls had Harrison running neck-and-neck with Graham, who has become a prominent target because of his close alliance with President Donald Trump and his role in confirming Trump-appointed judges Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Vox, the liberal political website, declared the Harrison-Graham race an unexpected battleground state in an article on Oct. 22. The Guardian, the British newspaper, posited that Harrison might pull the upset of 2020. Harrison’s historic fundraising numbers also generated headlines of their own in prominent U.S. newspapers.
The New York Times marveled at Harrison’s “astonishing” $57 million cash haul in the most recent fundraising quarter.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Harrison raised $107 million to Graham’s $69 million during the entire 2020 cycle.
With 86% of the expected vote in, Graham led Harrison by nearly 15 percentage points, a margin that was nearly as large as his 2014 victory over a state senator who raised about $524,000 to Harrison's over $100,000,000. — Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) November 4, 2020
Harrison raised more than $106 million more than Graham’s challenger in 2014, Brad Hutto.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Graham raised $11 million in that contest compared to Hutto’s $524,230 haul.
Graham received nearly the same vote share in both races.
With 88% of precincts reporting, Graham defeated Harrison 55.8-42.9%. The Republican defeated Hutto 55.3-38.8% in 2014.
Republicans also held ground in Kansas on Tuesday despite historic contribution levels to Democrat Barbara Bollier’s campaign.
Rep. Roger Marshall defeated Bollier 53.8-41.3% to win the Senate seat, according to the Associated Press. Bollier, a state senator, outraised Marshall by a margin of $24 million to $6 million.
Marshall will replace outgoing Republican Sen. Pat Roberts. In 2014, Roberts won his race against businessman Greg Orman, 53.1-42.5%.
Roberts raised more money in that race, $8 million, than Marshall did this cycle. Orman raised one-fourth the amount Bollier drew into her campaign.
– – –
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Jaime Harrison” by Jaime Harrison. Photo “Amy McGrath” by Amy McGrath.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Seeking Inclusion, Grammys Change Name of a Music Category

NEW YORK , New York ( AP ) — The Grammy Awards have changed the name of their best world music album category to the best global music album , an attempt to find “ a more relevant , modern and inclusive term.
” The Recording Academy said in a statement that the new name “ symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism , folk and ‘ non-American ’ that the former term embodied.
” “ As we continue to embrace a truly global mindset , we update our language to reflect a more appropriate categorization that seeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music from around the world , ” the statement said .
The step comes some five months after the Academy made changes to several Grammy Awards categories , including renaming the best urban contemporary album category to best progressive R & B album .
It also follows a similar recent step made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , which changed the name of its best foreign language film Oscar to best international feature film .
In the last few years , the winners of the now-global music album category @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Soweto Gospel Choir ’ s “ Freedom ” and Ladysmith Black Mambazo ’ s “ Shaka Zulu Revisited.
” The Academy said the newly named category ” will continue to provide a home for influential music from all parts of the globe yet bringing with it a fresh perspective fueled by authenticity , diversity and direct inclusion into our process.
” Mark Kennedy is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : The red carpet appears prior to the start of the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Grammys are changing the name of its best world music album category to the best global music album , an attempt to find “ a more relevant , modern and inclusive term.
” The Recording Academy said the new name “ symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism.
” The step comes some five months after the Academy made changes to several Grammy Awards categories , including renaming the best urban contemporary album category as best progressive R & B album .
( Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP , File )

by Mark Kennedy
NEW YORK, New York (AP) — The Grammy Awards have changed the name of their best world music album category to the best global music album, an attempt to find “a more relevant, modern and inclusive term.”
The Recording Academy said in a statement that the new name “symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism, folk and ‘non-American’ that the former term embodied.”
“As we continue to embrace a truly global mindset, we update our language to reflect a more appropriate categorization that seeks to engage and celebrate the current scope of music from around the world,” the statement said.
The step comes some five months after the Academy made changes to several Grammy Awards categories, including renaming the best urban contemporary album category to best progressive R&B album.
It also follows a similar recent step made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which changed the name of its best foreign language film Oscar to best international feature film.
In the last few years, the winners of the now-global music album category include Angelique Kidjo’s “Celia,” Soweto Gospel Choir’s “Freedom” and Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s “Shaka Zulu Revisited.”
The Academy said the newly named category ”will continue to provide a home for influential music from all parts of the globe yet bringing with it a fresh perspective fueled by authenticity, diversity and direct inclusion into our process.”
– – –
Mark Kennedy is a reporter for The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: The red carpet appears prior to the start of the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2020. The Grammys are changing the name of its best world music album category to the best global music album, an attempt to find “a more relevant, modern and inclusive term.” The Recording Academy said the new name “symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism.” The step comes some five months after the Academy made changes to several Grammy Awards categories, including renaming the best urban contemporary album category as best progressive R&B album. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Louisiana Passes Amendment Saying There Is No Constitutional Right to Abortion

Louisiana voters passed an amendment to the state constitution Tuesday evening establishing that there is no constitutional right to an abortion .
The New York reported Tuesday that 65 % of Louisiana voters supported Amendment 1 , “ Love Life Amendment , ” an amendment stating that nothing in the Louisiana state constitution protects the right to abortion or abortion funding .
Louisiana also has a trigger law automatically banning all abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned , according to NBC News .
“ We are protecting our state ’ s taxpayer dollars and reaffirming Louisiana ’ s pro-life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people should have a say in this , ” said the sponsor of the measure , Democratic state Sen. Katrina Jackson , NBC News reported .
“ We ’ ve been working hard to get the word out about what this amendment does and what it doesn ’ t do , ” added Louisiana Right to Life Associate Director Angie Thomas .
“ This amendment will make sure that Louisiana ’ s current pro-life laws are protected and can ’ t be undermined by a couple of judges.
” Abortion advocates argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the amendment unfairly impacts access to abortion .
“ We have several cases heading towards the Supreme Court , and any one of them could be a case that undermines abortion rights or overturns abortion protections , ” associate director of state issues at the Guttmacher Institute Elizabeth Nash told NBC News .
Michelle Erenberg , executive director of the abortion-rights group Lift Louisiana , said the amendment is part of a long strategy to strip the right to an abortion .
“ This is a critical moment for an amendment like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added Michelle Erenberg , executive director of the abortion-rights group Lift Louisiana .
“ If we do see Roe v. Wade overturned , it would be used to bolster and solidify the Legislature ’ s efforts to outright ban abortion in the state.
” Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Mary Margaret Olohan
Louisiana voters passed an amendment to the state constitution Tuesday evening establishing that there is no constitutional right to an abortion.
The New York reported Tuesday that 65% of Louisiana voters supported Amendment 1, “Love Life Amendment,” an amendment stating that nothing in the Louisiana state constitution protects the right to abortion or abortion funding. Louisiana also has a trigger law automatically banning all abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned, according to NBC News.
“We are protecting our state’s taxpayer dollars and reaffirming Louisiana’s pro-life stance. We also believe that our people should have a say in this,” said the sponsor of the measure, Democratic state Sen. Katrina Jackson, NBC News reported.
BREAKING: @AP reports that Louisiana has passed Amendment 1, which establishes there is no constitutional right to an abortion. pic.twitter.com/JRaECGhLhe — Catherine Hadro (@CatSzeltner) November 4, 2020
“We’ve been working hard to get the word out about what this amendment does and what it doesn’t do,” added Louisiana Right to Life Associate Director Angie Thomas. “This amendment will make sure that Louisiana’s current pro-life laws are protected and can’t be undermined by a couple of judges.”
Abortion advocates argued that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, the amendment unfairly impacts access to abortion.
“We have several cases heading towards the Supreme Court, and any one of them could be a case that undermines abortion rights or overturns abortion protections,” associate director of state issues at the Guttmacher Institute Elizabeth Nash told NBC News.
Michelle Erenberg, executive director of the abortion-rights group Lift Louisiana, said the amendment is part of a long strategy to strip the right to an abortion. “This is a critical moment for an amendment like this to be on the ballot,”added Michelle Erenberg, executive director of the abortion-rights group Lift Louisiana. “If we do see Roe v. Wade overturned, it would be used to bolster and solidify the Legislature’s efforts to outright ban abortion in the state.”
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Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Oregon Votes to Decriminalize Certain Amounts of Meth, Heroin, Cocaine

Oregon residents on Tuesday voted to decriminalize certain possession amounts of hard drugs .
Roughly 60 % of Oregonian voters favored making it no longer a crime to possess a “ non-commercial ” amount of methamphetamine , heroin and cocaine , among others , according to The Hill .
Those caught with the specified amount of narcotics face a $ 100 fine , but the penalty can be avoided by undergoing a health assessment , the Hill reported .
“ Oregon made history tonight by becoming the first state to decriminalize drug possession !
, ” the Drug Policy Alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DrugPolicyAct led this campaign with @ voteYESon110 to make this visionary initiative a reality !
” “ This victory is truly transformative , ” the advocacy group continued .
Both New Jersey and Arizona voted to decriminalize marijuana , and Washington D.C. made hallucinogenic mushrooms legal in 2020 ballot measures , according to the Hill .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won the state of Oregon , according to both the Associated Press and the New York Times .
Jake Dima is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transportation .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Jake Dima
Oregon residents on Tuesday voted to decriminalize certain possession amounts of hard drugs.
Roughly 60% of Oregonian voters favored making it no longer a crime to possess a “non-commercial” amount of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, among others, according to The Hill. Those caught with the specified amount of narcotics face a $100 fine, but the penalty can be avoided by undergoing a health assessment, the Hill reported.
“Oregon made history tonight by becoming the first state to decriminalize drug possession!,” the Drug Policy Alliance tweeted Tuesday. “Our c4 @DrugPolicyAct led this campaign with @voteYESon110 to make this visionary initiative a reality!”
“This victory is truly transformative,” the advocacy group continued.
Oregon made history tonight by becoming the first state to decriminalize drug possession! Our c4 @DrugPolicyAct led this campaign with @voteYESon110 to make this visionary initiative a reality! This victory is truly transformative. #Election2020 🙂#OREGON pic.twitter.com/3TrrGguh3x — Drug Policy Alliance (@DrugPolicyOrg) November 4, 2020
Both New Jersey and Arizona voted to decriminalize marijuana, and Washington D.C. made hallucinogenic mushrooms legal in 2020 ballot measures, according to the Hill.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won the state of Oregon, according to both the Associated Press and the New York Times.
– – –
Jake Dima is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Oregon Capitol” by Oregon Department of Transportation. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--Attorney General Mark Herring Fights Trump’s Order on Diversity Training

Ahead of the election , Attorney General Mark Herring asked President Donald Trump to rescind his executive order on diversity training .
Herring co-signed a letter complaining about the potential limitations imposed on “ implicit bias training for federal contractors and federal grantees.
” Implicit bias refers to the idea that individuals aren ’ t aware of their attitudes or stereotypes about others .
This idea is very similar to critical race theory ( CRT ) , which asserts that racism is inherent and permanent within all aspects of American political , social , and economic structures – or , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Attorney General , William Tong , authored the letter .
Herring is listed as one co-signer of 17 other Democratic attorney generals from California , Massachusetts , Colorado , Michigan , Delaware , Minnesota , Hawaii , Nevada , Illinois , New Jersey , Maryland , Oregon , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , Vermont , and Wisconsin .
President Donald Trump ’ s order was issued at the end of September .
The letter criticized the president for the order ’ s language .
The attorney generals claimed that the president denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nowhere did the order deny the existence of unconscious bias .
The order mentioned the two words , “ unconscious ” and “ bias , ” separately .
In reference to bias , the order prohibited assigning bias to an individual due to their race or sex .
As for unconsciousness , the order prohibited claiming individuals are unconsciously and inherently racist , sexist , or oppressive due to their race or sex .
These two separate prohibitions were categorized under what the order called “ race or sex scapegoating.
” Further down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inherently impact “ certain groups ” and can lead to racism , sexism , and general discrimination .
“ However , implicit biases are fueled by stereotypes and can cause judgments which result in disparate outcomes based on race , ethnicity , gender , sexual orientation , religion , age , or social-economic status .
These biases have been embedded in our unconscious through years of exposure to harmful cultural stereotypes and narratives .
In certain settings , like the workplace , implicit biases may impede collaboration and affect understanding , judgments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a way that is harmful to members of certain groups .
In turn , they can perpetuate and justify racist and sexist policies , practices and behaviors .
To eliminate harmful bias , research suggests that conscious awareness of one ’ s own implicit biases is critical.
” Their pushback against the order indicates that no matter the outcome of the election , states will fight to maintain government-funded training on diversity , equity , and inclusion .
After listing its grievances , the letter asked that the president include written clarification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the order ’ s application to the states , as well as its impact on “ racial justice.
” “ Equal justice under the law will not be achieved until we acknowledge and reckon with the racial inequities that persist in our society .
The nationwide movement for racial justice has heightened awareness of not only how we treat each other as individuals , but also the role systems play in affording , or restraining , the advancement of particular groups.
” Of the attorney generals signed onto the letter , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one was Hispanic , one was Asian Indian , and ten were White .
In Herring ’ s press release , he stated that the executive order was “ vague and contradictory.
” The attorney general then listed his involvement mandating training on implicit bias and racial bias as part of “ 21st century policing skills.
” Last year , Herring dropped out of the gubernatorial race after admitting he ’ d worn blackface as an undergraduate .
The attorney general had criticized Governor Ralph Northam ’ s blackface incident only four days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Mark Herring ” by Mark Herring .

Ahead of the election, Attorney General Mark Herring asked President Donald Trump to rescind his executive order on diversity training.
Herring co-signed a letter complaining about the potential limitations imposed on “implicit bias training for federal contractors and federal grantees.” Implicit bias refers to the idea that individuals aren’t aware of their attitudes or stereotypes about others.
This idea is very similar to critical race theory (CRT), which asserts that racism is inherent and permanent within all aspects of American political, social, and economic structures – or, “systemic racism.”
Connecticut’s Democratic Attorney General, William Tong, authored the letter. Herring is listed as one co-signer of 17 other Democratic attorney generals from California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Michigan, Delaware, Minnesota, Hawaii, Nevada, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. President Donald Trump’s order was issued at the end of September.
The letter criticized the president for the order’s language. The attorney generals claimed that the president denied that unconscious biases exist. However, nowhere did the order deny the existence of unconscious bias.
The order mentioned the two words, “unconscious” and “bias,” separately. In reference to bias, the order prohibited assigning bias to an individual due to their race or sex.
As for unconsciousness, the order prohibited claiming individuals are unconsciously and inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive due to their race or sex. These two separate prohibitions were categorized under what the order called “race or sex scapegoating.”
Further down, the letter argued that harmful biases inherently impact “certain groups” and can lead to racism, sexism, and general discrimination.
“However, implicit biases are fueled by stereotypes and can cause judgments which result in disparate outcomes based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or social-economic status. These biases have been embedded in our unconscious through years of exposure to harmful cultural stereotypes and narratives. In certain settings, like the workplace, implicit biases may impede collaboration and affect understanding, judgments, actions and decisions on an unconscious level in a way that is harmful to members of certain groups. In turn, they can perpetuate and justify racist and sexist policies, practices and behaviors. To eliminate harmful bias, research suggests that conscious awareness of one’s own implicit biases is critical.”
Their pushback against the order indicates that no matter the outcome of the election, states will fight to maintain government-funded training on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
After listing its grievances, the letter asked that the president include written clarification. The attorney generals cited uncertainty as to the order’s application to the states, as well as its impact on “racial justice.”
“Equal justice under the law will not be achieved until we acknowledge and reckon with the racial inequities that persist in our society. The nationwide movement for racial justice has heightened awareness of not only how we treat each other as individuals, but also the role systems play in affording, or restraining, the advancement of particular groups.”
Of the attorney generals signed onto the letter, three were Black, one was Asian, one was Hispanic, one was Asian Indian, and ten were White.
In Herring’s press release, he stated that the executive order was “vague and contradictory.” The attorney general then listed his involvement mandating training on implicit bias and racial bias as part of “21st century policing skills.”
Last year, Herring dropped out of the gubernatorial race after admitting he’d worn blackface as an undergraduate. The attorney general had criticized Governor Ralph Northam’s blackface incident only four days earlier.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mark Herring” by Mark Herring.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-05--TRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for November 5

Welcome to the Thursday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update !
We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 ( and after…if need be ! )
.
Election Day has come and gone , and the nation is currently awaiting results in several key battleground states .
There was a high level of optimism from President Trump ’ s campaign about how this election would go .
The campaign amassed the single largest grassroots efforts in American political history , coupled with record turnout by supporters at rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , turnout eclipsed 2016 numbers well before Election Day .
The polling once again proved to be wildly inaccurate .
While much of the polling by left-leaning newspapers , pollsters and news networks predicted a Joe Biden victory by a comfortable margin , returns indicated that this race would be much , much closer .
And as it turned out , the election will ultimately be decided by the results coming out of Arizona , Michigan , Nevada , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania , North Carolina and Georgia .
Some outlets called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden , which combined with the other states Biden claimed on Tuesday night gives the former vice president 264 electoral votes .
The most recent check on the race in Nevada has Biden leading President Trump by less than 8,000 votes .
A Biden victory in Nevada or any of the other states that haven ’ t already been “ Called ” would secure the necessary 270 electoral votes to make Biden the 46th President of the United States .
But the Trump campaign will not go quietly into the night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania and Georgia seeking that the counting of ballots be stopped , while the campaign has sought a recount in Wisconsin .
Trump ’ s son Eric was joined by Rudy Giuliani and Pam Bondi in Philadelphia on Wednesday , where they staged a press conference to provide an update on the lawsuits and to claim victory in the keystone state .
“ It ’ s the last thing we wanted to , but it ’ s blatant corruption , ” Eric Trump said .
Election workers gathered inside the Philadelphia convention center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But according to the campaign , and an account from a volunteer named Jeremy Mercer , those overseeing things in Philadelphia have illegally shielded volunteers from observing the process of evaluating mail ballots and determining whether they were properly filled out , postmarked and signed .
“ We ’ re there supposedly observing , but we can ’ t see anything , ” Mercer said .
Mercer spent upwards of 20 hours as a volunteer at the convention center , and he claims that election workers positioned him upwards of 50 feet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observe workers handling ballots .
“ This is among one of the most anti-democratic things I ’ ve ever encountered , ” Giuliani said .
“ We were supposed to be allowed , by law , to observe the counting of the ballots , and not a single republican has been able to look at the ballots .
The ballots could be from Mars for all we know.
” Check back every day for more Trump Virginia campaign updates !
John Fredericks is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation .

Welcome to the Thursday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).
Election Day has come and gone, and the nation is currently awaiting results in several key battleground states.
There was a high level of optimism from President Trump’s campaign about how this election would go. The campaign amassed the single largest grassroots efforts in American political history, coupled with record turnout by supporters at rallies.
In states where early voting took place, turnout eclipsed 2016 numbers well before Election Day.
The polling once again proved to be wildly inaccurate. While much of the polling by left-leaning newspapers, pollsters and news networks predicted a Joe Biden victory by a comfortable margin, returns indicated that this race would be much, much closer.
And as it turned out, the election will ultimately be decided by the results coming out of Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.
Some outlets called the races in Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin for Biden, which combined with the other states Biden claimed on Tuesday night gives the former vice president 264 electoral votes. The most recent check on the race in Nevada has Biden leading President Trump by less than 8,000 votes. A Biden victory in Nevada or any of the other states that haven’t already been “Called” would secure the necessary 270 electoral votes to make Biden the 46th President of the United States.
But the Trump campaign will not go quietly into the night. The campaign filed lawsuits in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia seeking that the counting of ballots be stopped, while the campaign has sought a recount in Wisconsin.
Trump’s son Eric was joined by Rudy Giuliani and Pam Bondi in Philadelphia on Wednesday, where they staged a press conference to provide an update on the lawsuits and to claim victory in the keystone state.
“It’s the last thing we wanted to, but it’s blatant corruption,” Eric Trump said.
Election workers gathered inside the Philadelphia convention center where a massive counting operation is ongoing. But according to the campaign, and an account from a volunteer named Jeremy Mercer, those overseeing things in Philadelphia have illegally shielded volunteers from observing the process of evaluating mail ballots and determining whether they were properly filled out, postmarked and signed.
“We’re there supposedly observing, but we can’t see anything,” Mercer said. Mercer spent upwards of 20 hours as a volunteer at the convention center, and he claims that election workers positioned him upwards of 50 feet away and provided binoculars for him to observe workers handling ballots.
“This is among one of the most anti-democratic things I’ve ever encountered,” Giuliani said. “We were supposed to be allowed, by law, to observe the counting of the ballots, and not a single republican has been able to look at the ballots. The ballots could be from Mars for all we know.”
Check back every day for more Trump Virginia campaign updates!
– – –
Photo “President Trump” by The White House.
John Fredericks is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star.
He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation.