thetennesseestar--2020-05-20--Whitmer Extends Order Allowing Pharmacies to Administer Emergency Refills

Michigan pharmacies will be able to continue to dispense emergency refills for up to 60 days ’ worth of medication after Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer extended an executive order designed to make accessing medications easier during the coronavirus pandemic .
The order allows pharmacists to dispense emergency refills of up to 60 days ’ worth of medication , as well as requires an insurer to cover early refills for up to 90 days ’ worth of supply .
The executive order also allows pharmacists to dispense treatments for COVID-19 according to government protocols .
“ As we continue to suppress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue to stay safer at home , ” Whitmer said in a statement .
“ By allowing patients to get a refill of their prescriptions for up to 60 days from a pharmacists , people can reduce their time traveling and in turn lower the chance of a second wave of COVID-19.
” The order also allows a pharmacist to temporarily operate a pharmacy in an area not designated on the pharmacy license .
This is the second time that this order has been extended .
It was originally issued on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The latest re-issuance is set to expire on June 16 .
As the coronavirus pandemic has continued to spread throughout Michigan , Whitmer has extended several executive orders , including those related to driver ’ s licenses , evictions and delivery of COVID-19 related goods .
Michigan currently has more than 52,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Tuesday , according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service .
More than 28,000 are recovered as of May 15 .
The City of Detroit is currently the hardest-hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city .
The death toll for the city is 1,276 .
The death toll for the state is currently 5,017 .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-20--Minnesota Senate Bill Would Require Governor to Seek Legislative Approval for Extending Future Peace

Minnesota Senate Bill Would Require Governor to Seek Legislative Approval for Extending Future Peacetime Emergencies

The Minnesota Senate passed a bill last week that would require the governor to obtain legislative approval before extending any future peacetime emergencies .
The bill , authored by Sen. David Osmek ( R-Mound ) , passed Friday in a vote of 36-31 , but failed to advance in the DFL-controlled House before the legislative session expired Sunday night .
Under current law , the governor can extend a peacetime emergency indefinitely for 30 days at a time , which Gov .
Tim Walz has done twice during the coronavirus pandemic .
State law only grants the Legislature the option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority vote from both the House and Senate .
Senate File 4519 would have changed that by requiring the governor to acquire legislative approval when extending an emergency declaration beyond 30 days .
“ I have repeatedly heard from my constituents that ‘ enough is enough.
’ Who do we trust our health and safety to ?
One Governor ?
Or the most trusted people in our communities like our bankers , teachers , ministers , doctors , and neighbors ?
” Sen. Bruce Anderson ( R-Buffalo ) said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bodies together to restore the balance of the branches of government and assist the governor throughout future peacetime emergencies for the health and safety of our constituents across Minnesota , ” he added .
The bill would also require the governor to give legislative leaders a notice of three days if he plans to extend an emergency declaration when the Legislature is not in session .
The bill prohibits the governor from canceling an emergency order and issuing a new one for the same emergency in order to avoid seeking legislative approval .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on three occasions to cancel Gov .
Walz ’ s current emergency declaration .
In the neighboring state of Wisconsin , the state ’ s Supreme Court overturned the governor ’ s stay-at-home order earlier this month because he didn ’ t consult with legislators before extending the order .
Minnesota ’ s current emergency declaration was extended May 13 for an additional 30 days .
“ Our government is built on the concept of the balance of power between our three branches of government , but as we ’ ve seen with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Gov .
Walz and his executive branch , the governor has had nearly total control over Minnesota and our policies regarding COVID-19 without the oversight of the Legislature , ” Osmek said of his bill .
“ While I respect the idea of maintaining emergency powers to react to immediate threats , there becomes a point in time where it affords the executive too much power to circumnavigate our democratic process and destroy any sense of transparency and accountability Minnesota had in place , ” he added .
Anthony Gockowski is managing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Background Photo “ Minnesota Capitol ” by McGhiever .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

Arizona State Rep. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) and 19 other legislators issued a statement following a video that went viral of three black students kicking two white students out of Arizona State University’s multicultural center. They demanded accountability and threatened to withhold funding from the university.
They announced, “It has come to light following the racially-motivated harassment of two students and their subsequent removal from one of the campus’ study facilities that ASU has allowed a culture of institutionalized racism and neo-segregation to take hold on its campus. The racially-charged removal of these students from the multicultural center begs the question of why Arizonans are being forced to spend tens, potentially hundreds, of millions of their hard-earned tax dollars on a building at a public university that some of our citizens are not allowed to use?”
Hoffman is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and concluded that he would “get to the bottom of this and take the appropriate action in the upcoming budget. Not one penny of taxpayer money should be appropriated to a public institution that in any way enables racism or neo-segregation. Period.”
ASU said it is investigating the incident. The angry students may have been “triggered” by a sticker on the laptop belonging to one of the white males, which said “Police Lives Matter,” and the slogan on the other white male’s shirt, which said “Did not vote for Biden.” They told the two young men, “You’re making this space uncomfortable” and “white is not a culture.” They said the Police Lives Matter sticker was racist.
One of the three told the students to leave, and another remarked, “This white man thinks he can take up our space, and this is why we need a multicultural space, because they think they can get away with this sh*t.” One of the two males packs up and leaves, and the other one stands up and looks like he might have been about to leave too.
A fundraiser was started for the harassed students on GoFundMe — one of the students mentioned in the video that he works 60 hours a week to support himself and his tuition, explaining that he’s not entitled — but GoFundMe removed it, refunding the money back to the donors. The company said it violated their “prohibited conduct policy,” which bans content that GoFundMe finds to be “in support of hate, violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination, terrorism, or intolerance of any kind.”
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-20--Rep. Tim Ryan Wants Mitch McConnell to Support a Bill That Helps Illegal Immigrants and Hinders Stat

Rep. Tim Ryan Wants Mitch McConnell to Support a Bill That Helps Illegal Immigrants and Hinders States’ Election Rights

Rep. Tim Ryan ( D-OH-13 ) sent a letter to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell Monday urging him to pass the HEROES Act , which is a $ 3 trillion bill aimed at helping Americans affected by the coronavirus .
“ On Friday , The House of Representatives acted by passing the Heroes Act , a bold legislative package that responds to the challenges this pandemic poses to our nation , ” he said .
“ Americans are depending on their Representatives and Senators to take swift and immediate action to bring relief .
I write today to urge you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consideration in the Senate.
” Last week , Ryan said that if Republicans do not act , they are turning their backs on the American people .
“ Four million people didn ’ t pay their rent , and the Republican Party says we don ’ t have any money to help you , ” the representative said .
“ Are you kidding me ?
Where do you guys live ?
” In his letter , Ryan described the House Democrat bill as extending the loan forgiveness deadline for borrowers from 8 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local governments nearly $ 1 trillion in aid and doing federal unemployment paychecks until January 2021 .
Ryan concluded his letter about the “ bold legislative proposal ” by asking McConnell if he is ready to take action .
“ This is not a time to hit pause on our congressional duties .
Our small businesses , our states and local governments , and ultimately , the American people are depending on Congress to take immediate action to bring relief , ” he said .
“ The House has acted , now will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to highlight certain aspects of the HEROES Act , he forgot to mention many other proposals included in the 1,815-page document .
Some of the things omitted from his letter include helping illegal immigrants and intruding in state elections .
The two ways this bill would help illegal immigrants is by giving them access to a stimulus fund and granting amnesty to the vast majority of people here illegally .
If this bill passes , illegal immigrants would be eligible for a $ 1,200 paycheck .
As for amnesty , the Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this policy will be illegals who have “ done some really bad things.
” Illegal immigrants who would be allowed to stay would be ones who are working in “ essential critical infrastructure labor or services ” during the coronavirus pandemic .
The piece of legislation lists off almost 16 pages of things that qualify under this category .
When it comes to elections , the HEROES Act wants all states to provide absentee ballots , eliminate the need to show identification to receive absentee ballots and create vote by mail rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate are slim .
Last week , Mitch McConnell said this bill was a “ parade of absurdities , ” according to Reuters .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] Photo “ Tim Ryan ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-20--Jason Lewis Files Lawsuit Against Gov. Walz Over Stay at Home Order

Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis announced Tuesday that he has filed a lawsuit against Gov .
Tim Walz over his stay-at-home order .
The lawsuit marks at least the third legal challenge to Walz ’ s stay-at-home order .
According to a press release from Lewis ’ s campaign , the lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District for the District of Minnesota .
“ This limitation on the number of people that may attend a gathering severely limits the Plaintiffs ’ ability to engage in Campaign Activities .
Said limitation also creates an unconstitutional ban on travel that violates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plaintiffs ’ constitutional rights has and continues to harm Plaintiffs , ” the complaint states .
Lewis released the following statement in announcing the lawsuit : What started as a fight against an invisible danger has morphed into a fight against a very clear and present danger , and that is a fight against unconstitutional power grabs being waged by radical liberals like Senator Tina Smith and Governor Tim Walz .
Whether it ’ s Senator Tina Smith holding COVID relief hostage to ram through her liberal agenda , or Governor Tim Walz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while jobs and small businesses go belly up , these power-grabbing politicians need to be held to account , for ourselves and posterity alike .
That is why today my campaign has filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota and has named the Governor as the defendant .
For over a month I have been on a “ Reopen Minnesota ” RV tour , meeting with small business owners across the state and helping them tell their stories and struggles .
The time has come to take the fight to the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying for some time now , the overreach from these unprecedented lockdowns has moved beyond economic hardship and favoritism into the realm of threatening our most basic liberties , including the fundamental right to travel and meet with friends and neighbors .
Our action serves notice on the state that it too has limits , especially when its arbitrary actions encroach on the freedoms of Minnesotans .
On behalf of all Minnesotans and future generations of Americans , I look forward to our day in court .
Attorney General Keith Ellison told MPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s executive orders “ are fully within his legal and constitutional authority , and my office will fully defend them in court.
” “ More than 17,000 Minnesotans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , and nearly 750 have died from it , ” Ellison said .
“ Jason Lewis is tying up our legal system with a frivolous , political lawsuit about how the pandemic has inconvenienced him personally while Minnesotans are caring for each other by staying safe at home.
” Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-20--Mayor Cooper Signs Order Requiring Face Masks in All Government Buildings

Nashville Mayor John Cooper signed an executive order Monday that requires anyone who enters a government building to wear a face mask .
Under the order , any employee or visitor must wear a face covering while inside any building or “ indoor space ” that is owned , managed , or leased by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County .
“ The health and well-being of all Metro employees and the residents who visit our facilities is of paramount importance .
Executive Order 7 is an important tool in our citywide COVID-19 response , ” Cooper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to remind everyone to continue wearing face coverings in all public settings , keep a safe distance from others , and frequently wash your hands .
A coordinated response is the best response , so we must remain united in our efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus and ensure a sustained economy reopening throughout Davidson County , ” he added .
Metro employees who are working alone in their offices are exempted from the order .
Exemptions are also made for children under the age of two , older children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properly or safely , and people who would jeopardize their health or safety by wearing a face mask .
Cooper said anyone who visits a Metro facility without a face mask will be provided with one .
The Metro Public Health Department then announced Tuesday that it will be providing free face masks to the public at four drive-through centers throughout the city .
Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine attempted to institute a policy requiring all retail customers in the state to wear a face mask , but walked back the idea after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far.
” According to the Metro Public Health Department , Davidson County has had 4,390 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 1,369 active cases .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ John Cooper ” by John Cooper .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Gov. Bill Lee Lifts Capacity Restrictions on Restaurants, Retail

Tennessee issued new business guidance Wednesday that will end capacity restrictions for restaurants and retail shops and permit large noncontact attractions to open in 89 of the state ’ s 95 counties .
Attractions that now can reopen include amusement parks , zoos , large museums and theaters .
Although the state will allow any number of people to be in restaurants and businesses , it will maintain its social distancing guidelines .
Restaurants still will be asked to keep tables 6 feet apart , and every business and attraction is urged to enforce social distancing .
Restaurants also will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Tennesseans have worked hard to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our state , and their efforts have allowed us to continue to reopen our economy further , ” Gov .
Bill Lee said .
“ These guidelines share best practices to ensure our state ’ s businesses can continue to operate in a way that protects customers and employees while putting people back to work.
” Six counties – Shelby , Madison , Davidson , Hamilton , Knox and Sullivan – have their own health departments are not subject to these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedules .
Democrats have criticized Lee for how quickly he ’ s reopening the economy .
Tennessee has had more than 18,000 COVID-19 cases and at least 305 deaths , according to the state department of health ’ s most-recent numbers .
The country has more than 1.54 million positive cases and at least 93,518 deaths .
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus .
COVID-19 symptoms appear within two to 14 days after exposure and include fever , cough , difficulty breathing , chills , repeated shaking with chills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throat and new loss of taste or smell .
Tyler Arnold reports on Virginia and Tennessee for The Center Square .

by Tom Joyce
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is leading a group of 21 attorneys general in an amicus brief regarding federal immigration law.
The attorneys general are asking the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold a federal statute to enforce federal immigration law in United States v. Hansen.
“In the middle of this man-made disaster at our southern border, we need every tool and law available,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a press release. “The last thing we need is anyone incentivizing migrants to come here illegally and further straining our social safety net. Border communities are being overwhelmed by the influx of people.”
A grand jury charged California resident Helaman Hansen with multiple crimes in 2017 for scamming hundreds of noncitizens out of more than $1 million by promising them a nonexistent path to citizenship.
According to the release, Hansen was charged under a federal statute for encouraging people to come to the United States illegally for “commercial advantage or private financial gain,” according to the release.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals then struck down the statute arguing that the words “encourage” and “induce,” in the law are too broad.
General Brnovich and the attorneys general argue in their amicus brief that the Ninth Circuit decision jeopardizes the constitutionality of criminal law in all 50 states. They worry that the decision may cause other state and federal courts to invalidate existing criminal laws.
The other attorneys general who signed the brief is from the states of: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
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Tom Joyce is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Mark Brnovich” by Mark Brnovich. Background Photo “U.S. Supreme Court” by AscendedAnathema. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Commentary: The American Media Has Betrayed America

There aren ’ t enough disparaging epithets in the English language to adequately describe “ journalists ” such as ABC Nightly News anchorman David Muir , the dashing 40-something actor who pretends to share important national news with America .
Five days a week , Muir recites agenda-driven propaganda as if it were truth , while his allies who run the social media monopolies throttle down , demonetize , shadowban , or flat out censor reports that conflict with his narrative .
One of Muir ’ s biggest crimes is his façade of objectivity .
Unlike the hosts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rabid Don Lemon , or MSNBC ’ s smirking Rachel Maddow , Muir isn ’ t obvious .
He spreads his phony lies and distortions with a straight face , never breaking character .
If you aren ’ t exposed to the other side of his stories , it works .
It isn ’ t just Muir , of course .
Other pretenders include CBS News ’ Norah O ’ Donnell , who along with her reporters never saw a Spanish consonant that didn ’ t require a hard roll and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it his business to debate candidate Trump in the 2016 presidential debates , instead of leaving that job to hapless Hillary .
Then there is the mediocrity who reports from the White House for NPR , who thinks everything has to do with race and gender , because flogging that obsession takes no work and reliably builds a career .
For over three years , and only with the occasional exception of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal , the entire American media establishment , online and offline , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-American lies .
They spread the Russian collusion hoax for nearly three years , shamelessly exaggerating every smug utterance from the loathsome House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) .
Again and again , they predicted that this time , Trump ’ s presidency was done for , and when Trump finally was exonerated , they just moved on to the next hoax .
The catalog of malpractice committed by these malicious partisan hacks who call themselves journalists in America is too vast to summarize .
The terrifying “ white nationalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a serious threat to the Republic and of whom we must live in perpetual fear .
The baseless smears of Justice Brett Kavanaugh .
The Ukraine impeachment .
The perennial “ climate crisis , ” which can always fill in whenever there isn ’ t some more useful phony story to spread .
And all of it , every single bit of it , was calculated to take down President Trump and stigmatize anyone and everyone who ever supported him or even just defended some of his actions .
The media ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic .
And if the national media establishment had not already demonstrated repeatedly that they are nothing more than a political action committee attached to the Democratic Party , more people would be fooled .
But as it is , the timing of the virus , the response to the virus , and the reporting on the virus : all of it is suspect .
The repercussions of media malpractice are more deaths , destruction of the constitution , and quite possibly an economic depression .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media covered this crisis with honesty .
Sure , in the early stages , nobody knew what to make of it .
But why were the only voices accorded credibility by the media those who called for a lockdown ?
Why were virologists and epidemiologists ignored if they suggested that maybe we should quarantine the sick and the at-risk , and allow healthy Americans to acquire herd immunity ?
Look to Sweden ’ s experience .
That approach is working there .
Worse , why has the media ignored every report or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that finds treatment with hydroxychloroquine , zinc sulfate , and azithromycin to be effective ?
Why have they persistently spread the lie that a seven-day course of hydroxychloroquine is dangerous , when millions of people have used it safely for years on end to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis ?
Why don ’ t we ever hear about doctors around the world who are successfully using this treatment to prevent COVID-19 in exposed patients and to cure it in patients who ’ ve tested positive ?
Why ?
Who is pulling the strings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Why is the media circus focused on vaccines that may be available sometime next year , and probably will only be partially effective , without offering the slightest concern that vaccines may already be over-prescribed ?
Everybody knows vaccines are an important tool for maintaining public health , but why has the media painted the issue black and white ?
Maybe getting as many as 90 vaccines before the age of 18 is too many .
Maybe vaccines should be used more judiciously .
Maybe people don ’ t want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have an “ immunity passport.
” The horrifying constitutional implications of where we ’ re headed as a nation during this dress rehearsal for martial law are not of interest to the media .
Along with the nauseating , infantile , feel-good , “ we ’ re all in this together ” corporate commercials that have rolled out in between the useless television newscasts , the only news coverage available paints people who object to the lockdown as , that ’ s right , Trump supporters .
Or white nationalists .
Or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t all of this be a conspiracy ?
Why wouldn ’ t a rational person at least consider that possibility , when this false , destructive news coverage is just the latest movement in a symphony the media has been performing for years , where the repetitive theme is that conservatives are bad , nationalists are bad , patriots are bad , liberals are good , globalists are good , and the Trump “ resistance ” is noble ?
It ’ s far too coordinated , too well-timed , too relentless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spontaneous product of independent deep thinkers like David Muir .
We are trained to think of conspiracies as though they are inherently impossible , something that only a deranged individual would seriously consider as a possible explanation for events .
That ’ s fine .
Don ’ t call it a conspiracy .
Call it a convergence of special interests that are smart enough to see where they want events to go , and therefore don ’ t require a score or a conductor .
The instrumentalists who play in this elite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve done .
They didn ’ t choose the Swedish approach , and because they didn ’ t , every small business , every small landlord , every single propertied interest that lacks massive reserves of cash and capital , is now going to get gobbled up by multinationals .
That ’ s a fact .
And as millions wait in the unemployment lines—spaced six feet apart , wearing stupid masks of dubious value—they will depend on government to pay their bills , and they will not expect any Chinese coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approve .
The media has always been powerful .
With the advent of social media , today they are more powerful than ever .
And they don ’ t care about Americans .
They don ’ t care about America .
They do the bidding of a global elite that wants to stamp out populist dissent around the world .
It wants to consolidate economic power in the hands of billionaires and corporations .
It wants to erase borders and nationalities .
It wants to drive billions of people out of rural areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Chinese coronavirus pandemic is a golden opportunity .
It ’ s not a conspiracy , though .
It ’ s just the conventional wisdom of the super-rich .
The media , if they cared , now more than ever would do their historic job , questioning this conventional wisdom .
Instead , they are tools .
It is unforgivable .
Edward Ring is a senior fellow of the Center for American Greatness and co-founder of the California Policy Center , which he co-founded in 2013 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--The Rev. Enoch Fuzz of Nashville Hospitalized

The Rev .
Enoch Fuzz of Nashville ’ s Corinthian Church is currently hospitalized and taking treatments for cancer , according to an emailed press release .
Fuzz , speaking from his room at Metro Nashville General Hospital , said he was taking chemotherapy Wednesday .
“ I ’ m a pretty sick fellow , but you know what , many people are praying for me and [ that includes ] every religion and faith , denomination and race , and I ’ m very appreciative .
I have cancer , ” Fuzz told The Tennessee Star Wednesday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s going to be a long journey .
If you don ’ t mind , I would personally thank everyone from the mayor and the city council to the guys on the street praying for me .
I would request that they double up on those prayers , including blacks , whites , Jews , and Gentiles .
I even ask atheists to pray for me.
” Fuzz checked in to the hospital Monday because he had difficulty breathing .
He ’ s tested negative for COVID-19 twice , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release described Fuzz as “ a noted community activist and organizer with successful records of connecting individuals and organizations for a plethora of ‘ whatever the cause may be.
’ ” “ Prior to his illness , Rev .
Fuzz was working with the distribution of food boxes and other needs of families affected by the storms and helping where he can by organizing assisting the needs of people connected to the Coronavirus epidemic , ” the press release said .
“ Rev .
Fuzz has also been an active board member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 years and supports the work of this hospital wholeheartedly.
” The press release went on to say that no visitors are allowed into the hospital during the pandemic .
Fuzz , in the press release , said he continues to encourage people to test for Covid-19 and take precautions with this disease and with their overall health .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--SCOTUS Grants Trump’s Request, Temporarily Blocks Disclosure of Mueller’s Grand Jury Documents

The Supreme Court temporarily blocked House Democrats on Wednesday from gaining access to a trove of grand jury documents from former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian intervention in the 2016 election .
The Court granted the Trump administration ’ s emergency request to keep the materials secret while the president ’ s legal team works to appeal their release .
The House Judiciary Committee went to the Court to gain access to the redacted material from Mueller ’ s 2019 report after the Department of Justice declined to produce the information upon Democrats ’ request .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed access to the redacted portions to determine if President Donald Trump committed an impeachable offense during the course of the Russia probe .
Mueller ’ s report in April 2019 concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election through trolling on social media , among other acts , but it failed to find collusion between Moscow and the president ’ s campaign .
The former FBI director also declined to conclude that the president interfered with the investigation .
House Democrats voted on two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 230-197 on the first article , with Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voting “ present ” and 229-198 on the second article .
None of the Republicans voted to impeach .
Republicans in the Senate acquitted him in February .
SCOTUS told the Trump administration that it must file a petition for review by June 1 .
The Court did not explain why it temporarily blocked the request , and the decision increases the odds that the matter will not be settled until after the 2020 election .
Chris White is a reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Trump Admin Indefinitely Extends Authority That Allows Immediate Return of Illegal Aliens

The Trump administration is extending an authority that allows immigration officers to immediately return illegal entrants along the U.S.-Mexico border for as long as it deems fit .
While the White House has chosen to renew an international agreement which blocks all non-essential traffic on its northern and southern borders , it has chosen to allow a specific health order to remain in place until the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) decides the COVID-19 crisis has waned .
Hours after news broke on Tuesday that the border closures would remain in place for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) announced that Title 42 , first put into place in response to the coronavirus outbreak , would remain in place at the discretion of the CDC director .
“ This order has been one of the most critical tools the Department has used to prevent the further spread of the virus and to protect the American people , DHS frontline officers , and those in their care and custody from COVID-19 , ” Chad Wolf , the acting secretary of DHS , said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to be kept out of facilities after they are “ encountered , ” which carries less legal ramifications than an “ apprehension.
” These aliens are also not technically “ deported , ” but “ expelled , ” a process that can be conducted much faster .
These technicalities allow Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) officials to quickly send illegal immigrants back over the Mexican border when possible , sharply mitigating the risk of an outbreak from an appended foreign national .
Data strongly suggests this authority has helped .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuccinelli , the second-highest official within the department , noted earlier this month that 80 % of border crossers have been turned back in an average of under two hours .
Conservative immigration experts lauded the administration ’ s decision to keep Title 42 in place .
“ The CDC ’ s extension of Title 42 restrictions at the nation ’ s borders is a necessary move that protects both American and migrant interests amidst the COVID-19 pandemic , ” Matthew Tragesser , spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform ( FAIR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced immigration , said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday .
“ COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in Latin America , so the restrictions are not unfounded .
Mexico alone has reported more than 730,000 positive cases .
Brazil has also recently overtaken Spain and Italy in total confirmed coronavirus cases to become the world ’ s fourth hardest-hit country during the pandemic , ” he continued .
Tragesser ’ s comments reflect a deteriorating situation in Latin America .
While the U.S. has made strides in controlling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading more rapidly south of the border .
President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he is considering a travel ban on Brazil as cases dramatically rise there .
“ The safety and wellbeing of front-line immigration authorities , American citizens , and lawful immigrants is now improved as the likelihood of the disease spreading into the interior of the country has diminished , ” Tragesser said , regarding the extension of Title 42 .
The rapid return of illegal entrants has also resulted in an enormous decline in the number of aliens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for example , the agency had more than 20,000 individuals in its custody .
The number of individuals currently in the CBP ’ s custody has dwindled to fewer than 100 — sharply reducing the chances of a viral outbreak .
Not everyone is excited about the continuation of Title 42 .
A spokesperson for an organization that represents immigration lawyers in the U.S. blasted the announcement .
“ How can those fleeing from violence and persecution NOT BE ‘ essential ’ travelers ?
!
” Gregory Chen , the director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association ( AILA ) tweeted on Tuesday in response to the Title 42 news .
The U.S. , Mexican , and Canadian governments agreed in late March to close off their borders for 30 days to all non-essential traffic , a response to the escalating coronavirus pandemic .
This international agreement was extended for another 30 days in April , and then extended once again on Tuesday .
“ The continuation of these two orders illustrates the President ’ s continued commitment to protecting the American people from a series of multifaceted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borders , including infectious diseases , ” Mark Morgan , the acting CBP commissioner , said Wednesday .
Morgan was referring to both the closure of non-essential traffic and Title 42 .
“ These policies will exist at our borders until the further introduction of [ COVID-19 ] into the United States has ceased to be a serious danger to the public health , ” Morgan said .
Nevertheless , much cross-border travel is still permitted under the temporary order .
Examples of “ essential ” travel that is still allowed include crossing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emergency response operations , public health services and anyone engaged in “ lawful cross-border trade.
” Trump has further tried to alleviate impacts of the coronavirus crisis by limiting the entrance of green card applicants who are currently living abroad .
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--US Birth Rates Continue to Fall as Millennials Put Off Having Kids

Birth rates in the United States continue to fall as millennials put off having kids , and experts warn that coronavirus could make people less likely to have children .
Federal figures released Wednesday show that women in the U.S. had babies record-low rates in 2019 , causing the number of U.S. births to reach the smallest number in 35 years , the Wall Street Journal reports .
The data demonstrates that birth rates in the U.S. have not rebounded since the 2007-2009 recession when childbearing began declining .
U.S. women gave birth to about 3.75 million babies in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % from 2018 , the WSJ reports from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s National Center for Health Statistics figures .
CDC data show that fertility rates fell 2 % — 58.2 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44 — reaching the lowest levels since the government began tracking this data in 1909 , the publication reports .
Millennials are slower than their predecessors to form families , a tardiness that some say could be attributed to lack of financial security .
“ There are a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have two children , a larger family , and there ’ s something going on out there that makes people feel like they can ’ t do that , ” Melanie Brasher , assistant professor of sociology at the University of Rhode Island , told the WSJ .
The coronavirus could add to this decline in births , other experts warn .
Low paying jobs combined with high rents and unpredictable circumstances may cause Americans to pause before they start families , Dr. John Santelli , a Columbia University professor of population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press .
“ This unpredictable environment , and anxiety about the future , is going to make women think twice about having children , ” Dr. Denise Jamieson , chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University , told the AP .
Demographers are not even debating about whether there will be a decline in births caused by the pandemic , but rather about whether the decline in births will be lasting , the publication reports .
“ The decline due to COVID-19 might be different given the extent and severity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is caused by it , ” Hans-Peter Kohler , a University of Pennsylvania fertility researcher , told the AP .
Lead author for the CDC ’ s report Brady Hamilton said that it is unclear what exactly will happen with births in 2020 , since the impacts of the pandemic won ’ t be clear until late 2020 or early 2021 .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Crom Carmichael Details How Democratic Politicians Crush Their Own Constituents

On Wednesday ’ s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
At the end of the second hour , Leahy and Carmichael questioned how ultra-blue state governor ’ s power-hungry control of their states would play out with their constituents hoping to maintain their power positions .
They agreed that the media was an important accessory to their agendas in an effort to aid in the forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ 1984 ” ) .
Leahy : Crom that is Treasury Secretary Steve Mnunchin talking about all the money the federal government has been given to people .
Of course , if the governors hadn ’ t shut down all the states they wouldn ’ t have to give all that money away but they have .
Carmichael : Well , I think there were seven or eight states that did not fully close down and there were a couple of them that didn ’ t close down at all .
But since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago there have been a number of states and it looks like unfortunately its become just a political issue .
The blue-state governors other than the governor of Colorado seem to be doing everything they can to hurt their own citizens .
I have to say I simply don ’ t understand it at all .
Because I don ’ t even understand how the politics of it works to the benefit of Democrats to crush their own constituents and then say please vote for me .
Leahy : So I have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you like to hear it ?
Leahy : You and I grew up with the idea that we were all American citizens and part of this constitutional republic with civic duties and responsibilities .
And when elected into office as an elective representative or governor has a duty to the citizens to try to advance their welfare .
And we thought for many many years that that was the attitude shared by these folks .
I ’ m beginning to think that that ’ s not the case at all .
That they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are motivated by one word : power .
They want power and they are not animated whatsoever by any of the traditional American values that formed our constitutional republic .
Carmichael : I ’ m not disagreeing with that at all .
It ’ s obvious that they not only want power but they enjoy hurting people with it .
Carmichael : But my question is how do they think it advances their political well being ?
That ’ s the thing I don ’ t understand .
It ’ s one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all these people but it ’ s another thing to ask all these people that you ’ ve just crushed to vote for you .
Come November the citizens will get to weigh in on whether or not they think the Democrats crushing them is something that they think is desirable .
Leahy : Now we get to the second part of my theory and that is how they view average Americans .
You and I view Americans as independent thinkers and actors who act in their own self-interest .
I think related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply the authoritarian superiority view that I think all these Democrats have .
And they have a condescending view of the intellect and capability of average citizens .
Carmichael : I ’ m going to push back on that in this way .
When all these Democrats other than the ultra-blue states but I ’ m talking about the states that are blue .
Not New York .
Not Connecticut .
Not California for example .
Carmichael : And maybe not Oregon .
But Virginia and maybe Illinois .
But Virginia , Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania are probably the best examples for your point .
Carmichael : Well , Virginia is still a good one for what I ’ m trying to say here .
Governor Northam did not run as some power lusting person .
He ran two years ago ?
Carmichael : He ran as a reasonable person and so did the governor of Michigan , Pennsylvania , and North Carolina .
And now they are not .
It ’ s not as if they ran and said vote for me and I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll do whatever I want to .
In other words , it wasn ’ t what they ran on is not at all on what they are now doing .
Media are overpaid dumb people for the most part .
Carmichael : They are overpaid .
They lean left .
And they are paid a great deal of money to tow the party line .
That is what they are paid to do .
But politicians , you don ’ t get elected governor if you are stupid .
There is no towing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at the governor of Minnesota .
Minnesota , Illinois , Michigan , Pennsylvania , what these people are doing is almost like Germany .
Leahy : Let me add to that theory .
It ’ s how they view the average citizen .
The protagonist of 1984… Carmichael : I ’ m not questioning how they view them .
I ’ m talking about how they would at least be cynical enough to want to win an election .
Leahy : Now you just finished “ 1984 ” and the main character @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You are talking about the victim ?
It was Winston yes .
Leahy : Winston in this very short but compelling novel at the very beginning was resisting big brother .
The entire novel is about his resistance to big brother .
What Crom is the very last line of the book ?
Carmichael : Well he wasn ’ t resisting .
He was tortured .
Leahy : Winston came to a sudden realization .
He loved big brother .
Leahy : So , let me continue .
I think they believe they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their minds they think that the average citizen is gone through a Winston experience .
And it ’ s because of all this non-stop media presence .
So they think now their role is to simply guide Winston to love their authoritarian control more .
Carmichael : Let me say this .
I think what you just said is right on the money on their thinking .
Leahy : I ’ m trying to be useful .
Carmichael : No , no , no .
That ’ s really useful in the context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because unlike “ 1984 ” Winston didn ’ t have a choice in “ 1984.
” He was picked up by the equivalent of the Gestapo and he was taken into a torture chamber and he was tortured .
The governors don ’ t have that much power .
But they are still trying to abuse their population .
We ’ ll see how the population responds .
Leahy : That ’ s why I think that this election is going to be even more important than the 2016 election .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward here this morning Crom I think .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Commentary: We Were Never Asked About Lockdowns

Police officers dealing with the public have a fairly savvy approach to persuasion : first ask , then tell , then force .
It works because it accounts for the dignity and self-respect of others .
Uncertain rookie cops and bullies are the ones who forget to ask , adding unnecessary friction to encounters between citizens and the state .
In the early days of the coronavirus , everyone went from being carefree and complacent to scared in the blink of an eye .
We did not know what we were facing , other nations were taking extreme measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials created an overnight panic .
Quite voluntarily , most people avoided crowds , unnecessary trips to the store , going to the office , and anything that might increase their risk of catching the coronavirus .
Handshakes went out of style , as did restaurants , gyms , and travel .
Soon there was a run on surgical masks , which became so bad that authorities engaged in a “ noble lie ” to discourage their use by regular folks .
Now these same experts have reversed course , as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month ago .
In addition to these voluntary measures , mandatory lockdown measures were imposed to “ flatten the curve.
” They were supposed to save our hospitals and preserve limited ventilator resources .
While severe , this mostly made sense , as the risk seemed enormous , and the lockdowns were sold as a temporary measure .
As soon as the “ 15 days to slow the spread ” began to expire , however , the goalposts were moved .
New reasons to keep them in place were proffered , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus was so widespread .
After two months with little human contact , tens of millions of lost jobs , and far fewer hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus than the experts predicted , many have concluded that these lockdown measures were a mistake .
Even if they were once justifiable based on limited information , more and more people are convinced that continuing these measures any longer will be worse than the risks from the disease itself .
Even as some states have started to open , leaders in mostly blue states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These new measures border on the sadistic .
Mandatory mask orders have appeared in many locales .
In Los Angeles , which has been only moderately affected by the coronavirus , the lockdown has extended through the end of July .
Illinois ’ governor , J.B. Pritzker , decreed that only two passengers would be permitted on recreational boats , regardless of size and whether everyone aboard lives in the same household .
Michigan ’ s Democratic governor , Gretchen Whitmer , said her state ’ s harsh and ongoing restrictions were based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best facts.
” Skepticism and annoyance are now bubbling into anger and active resistance .
Protesters in Michigan have taken to carrying guns and making vague threats against their governor , who has taken a particularly hard line against all normal human activity .
In Fresno , California , demonstrators actively confronted the mayor and a city councilman at their homes .
In Dallas , the authorities tried to make an example of a hairdresser who reopened her salon .
Far from acting “ selfish , ” she explained how her employees needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As it has with the issue of global warming , the “ science vs. skeptic ” debate has become partisan .
About half the country , maybe more , simply do not trust the experts .
They don ’ t trust them on the facts , not least because they are consistently proven wrong by events , but they also don ’ t trust their motives or concern for the people they are hurting .
The common people especially resent how , instead of persuasion , the experts are so quick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , through an excellent HBO miniseries , the Soviet Union ’ s 1986 Chernobyl disaster came to life .
Lies about risk were widespread .
People were told for years that science proved the reactors were safe , only to be dragged from their radiation-contaminated homes with only the clothes on their back .
Certain observers , particularly on the Right , saw the series as a lesson in the evils of communism .
While it was indeed that , things also looked rather familiar .
Like our country today , the Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little people , whose lives and fates were controlled by authorities more concerned with saving face than doing the right thing .
As the series dramatized , individualized justice and truth were often suppressed in the name of ideology and scientific progress .
Rank and title counted for a lot , while common sense was often neglected .
The Soviet Union was a Communist regime , but it was chiefly a bureaucratic regime , where the bureaucracy ’ s managerial class had privileged lives and a hostile relationship to the common people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more individualistic , entrepreneurial , and freedom-loving people than those in Europe , whether East or West .
Our national life is much more than an abstract creed .
Our culture can be found as much in the Federalist Papers as in the advent of the road trip , music festivals , and , in the days of Prohibition , the speak-easy .
We are a restless , energetic , and unbridled people .
We are wont to question authority and bend rules that seem stupid and meddlesome .
Public health has always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At its worst , public health expresses a censorious , cautious , and schoolmarm instinct .
It is the force behind book-length warnings on the side of lawnmowers , the demise of dodgeball , and Prohibition itself .
If it is an American impulse , it ’ s the dark side of America ; the perversion of our “ can do ” spirit into relentless crusades against fun in the name of safety and science .
We all have our own priorities , weigh risks and benefits differently , and , until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things for ourselves .
The public health ideologue does not agree that risks of various kinds—including the voluntary risks of smoking , drinking alcohol , or driving motorcycles—are things that a free people should be allowed to do .
People Can Assess Risk for Themselves The lockdown crowd will invoke a countervailing principle : even people who believe in freedom will concede that you do not have the right to endanger others .
In the abstract , this is true .
But is anyone endangering others if they fail to abide by these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk for the vast majority of people , we have been told that social distancing is the means of safety .
If you avoid others , wash your hands , and wear a mask , you will be safe .
If avoiding others , wearing masks , and social distancing are so effective , then—like refraining from smoking or skydiving—the people who feel strongly about risk have the means of protecting themselves .
Perhaps vulnerable populations are well-served to follow these precautions .
Just as people can choose not to get on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in voluntary masking and social distancing .
The risks and benefits of living normally can be borne by those who want to live .
No one likes to be told what to do , whether by a bully cop or a bully doctor in a white lab coat .
This is especially so when the people doing the telling have done so in the form of arbitrary decrees after mayors and governors have handed over the keys to their public health experts .
No one elected Anthony Fauci or the freakishly unhealthy-looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania .
No one asked us if we would endure universal masking or indefinite shutdowns on their say so .
And , to the extent we were asked to give our consent for any of this , our consent for a lockdown was procured using false pretenses about its necessity , duration , and severity .
By channeling the frustration and skepticism of the general public , Donald Trump has become the tribune of the people .
While there is no obvious reason these issues should fall ideologically the way they do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changing politics .
Common sense and the interests of the common people are increasingly opposed to the managerial class , whether in business or government .
The next election is evolving into a referendum on managerial expertise .
A choice between sterile safety secured by expert rule , or common sense and freedom .
In other words , while the virus may be a unique and novel threat , the next election—like the one in 2016—will fundamentally be one about who we are .
We have the chance to affirm that we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in history books , a nation of Americans defined by their love of freedom .
Christopher Roach is an attorney in private practice based in Florida .
He is a double graduate of the University of Chicago and has previously been published by The Federalist , Takimag , The Journal of Property Rights in Transition , the Washington Legal Foundation , the Marine Corps Gazette , and the Orlando Sentinel .
The views presented are solely his own .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--GOP Senators ‘Increasingly Concerned’ Surveillance of Trump Associates Began Earlier Than Previously

GOP Senators ‘Increasingly Concerned’ Surveillance of Trump Associates Began Earlier Than Previously Known

Two Republican senators dramatically expanded their request for so-called Obama administration unmasking records on Tuesday , saying in a letter to the U.S. government ’ s top spy chief that they are “ increasingly concerned ” that surveillance of Trump campaign aides began earlier than the FBI has previously acknowledged .
Sens .
Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson sent a letter to acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell on Tuesday asking him to provide their committees unmasking records submitted for any Trump campaign associate between January 2016 through January 2017 .
“ Based on our investigation and recent press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surveillance of U.S. persons affiliated with the Trump campaign began earlier than the opening of the FBI ’ s Crossfire Hurricane investigation in late July 2016 , ” the senators wrote in a letter to Grenell .
“ It has become evident that the FBI , and possibly members of the U.S. Intelligence Community , were focused on U.S. persons affiliated with the Trump campaign in early 2016 , if not even earlier.
” The senators on May 13 released a list of 39 Obama administration officials who submitted requests during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn .
The records , which Grenell declassified earlier in May , showed that then-Vice President Joe Biden submitted a request for reports on Flynn .
Former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan also submitted requests for the reports .
Republicans have long questioned whether the FBI or CIA were monitoring Trump campaign associates before the FBI officially opened Crossfire Hurricane , the name for its counterintelligence investigation into a possible conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Kremlin .
The FBI opened the probe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Johnson noted that the Justice Department inspector general ( IG ) reported that FBI headquarters directed the New York Field Office to open a counterintelligence investigation in April 2016 against Carter Page , who had joined the Trump campaign a month before .
An FBI confidential human source , Stefan Halper , also met Page at a political conference on July 10 , 2016 , three weeks before the start of Crossfire Hurricane .
FBI agents claimed that Halper ’ s encounter with Page was “ serendipitous , ” and not part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aide , the IG report stated .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Lawmakers, Pro-Lifers Condemn Planned Parenthood for Allegedly Getting $80 Million in Coronavirus Fu

Lawmakers, Pro-Lifers Condemn Planned Parenthood for Allegedly Getting $80 Million in Coronavirus Funding

Lawmakers and pro-lifers slammed Planned Parenthood following a report from Fox News saying that the nation ’ s largest abortion provider of applied for and received over $ 80 million in coronavirus funding .
Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson Tonight reported Tuesday evening that 37 Planned Parenthood affiliates applied for and received a total of $ 80 million in coronavirus funding loans from the Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) .
Fox reported that the Small Business Administration ( SBA ) would contact the Planned Parenthood affiliates involved and letting these affiliates know that Planned Parenthood is not eligible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 500 employees .
The SBA told the Daily Caller News Foundation : “ We do not comment about individual borrowers.
” Planned Parenthood has not responded to multiple requests for comment .
News that Planned Parenthood applied and received the coronavirus funding comes after President Donald Trump took deliberate steps to prevent the nation ’ s largest abortion provider from receiving any of these funds .
Republican Florida Sen Marco Rubio and Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley both called for Planned Parenthood to immediately return the funds in statements following the Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambiguity in the legislation that passed or public record around its passage that organizations such as Planned Parenthood , whose parent organization has close to half a billion dollars in assets , is not eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program , ” Rubio said .
“ Those funds must be returned immediately.
” The Florida senator added that the SBA should investigate how the loans were made “ in clear violation of the applicable affiliation rules ” to discover whether “ Planned Parenthood , the banks , or staff at the SBA knowingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal options should be pursued , ” he said .
Hawley also said that if anyone who knowingly turned in false applications should be prosecuted , noting that if any parties “ knowingly falsified applications , they need to be prosecuted.
” The Missouri senator expressed his concerns in a Wednesday letter to the SBA .
“ Planned Parenthood is not a small business , ” Hawley said in the letter .
“ It is a multi-billion-dollar company.
” “ In the fiscal year ending last June , Planned Parenthood had $ 2.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in revenue , ” Hawley said .
“ The year before , Planned Parenthood paid its CEO more than $ 1 million .
And now , Planned Parenthood has diverted $ 80 million from actual small businesses during a global pandemic even though Planned Parenthood knew it was ineligible for this program.
” “ The money needs to be recovered and if anybody knowingly falsified applications , they need to be prosecuted , ” Hawley said in a Tuesday evening tweet .
Republican Tennessee Rep. Chuck Fleischmann called the move “ unconscionable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ ve spoken ( with ) many small business owners who NEED the Paycheck Protection Program to survive .
It is unconscionable that Planned Parenthood , which has nearly half a billion dollars in assets , was able to secure $ 80 million from this program.
” Pro-life leaders joined lawmakers in condemning the nation ’ s largest abortion provider for taking coronavirus funding .
March for Life President Tom McCluskey called the move “ appalling , ” and said in a statement that the funds were meant for “ legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current pandemic.
” “ The abortion giant is a multi-billion dollar industry that received over $ 1.5 BILLION in taxpayer funds over the last three years , reporting a gross profit of almost $ 245 million this past year alone , ” McCluskey said .
“ This is hardly an industry that needs bailing out.
” Both McCluskey and the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List emphasized that Planned Parenthood is primarily concerned with their own profit , which McCluskey says is “ garnered through preying on women and their unborn children and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic.
” “ Across the country , Planned Parenthood refused to cease its abortion operation in the wake of the pandemic , hoarding personal protective equipment and putting its staff and women at risk , ” the Susan B. Anthony List said in a press release .
“ It is rich that they , in turn , feel entitled to taxpayer dollars meant to help businesses in need.
” “ After decades of feeding at the taxpayer ’ s trough while running the nation ’ s largest abortion operation , they have nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the organization added , calling on Planned Parenthood to return the funding and thanking President Donald Trump for his “ strong commitment to stop taxpayer funding of abortion and abortionists like Planned Parenthood.
” Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Planned Parenthood Building ” by Fibonacci Blue .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Music Spotlight: Drew Baldridge

Music Spotlight: Drew Baldridge

The first time I heard Drew Baldridge was on Sirius XM ’ s The Highway as one of their iconic Highway Finds .
His songs “ Dance With Ya ” and “ Rebound ” resonated with their young audience .
The country singer was kind enough to talk with me over the phone about how he got his start .
Baldridge was born in 1992 and raised in the tiny village of Patoka , Illinois , among the farmland and the oil fields .
Like so many artists I have interviewed , he started singing in church .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my Dad when I was 16 .
Then I sang in bars when I was 17 .
Country music was always where my heart was .
I grew up farming with my grandpa so country music hit home with me , ” he said .
At the age of 19 , Baldridge moved to Nashville in 2011 where he dove into songwriting and played downtown at Tootsies where he honed his craft .
“ I ’ ve never had to have another job , ” he said .
From there , he went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 and two years later he got his first record deal .
“ Dance With Ya ” along with “ Rebound ” from the Dirt on Us album are the songs that jump-started his career .
He acknowledges that getting played on Sirius XM ’ s The Highway was a game-changer .
One of the artists that Baldridge acknowledged as influencing him most is the country crooner Josh Turner .
“ He blurred the lines .
He did country but he also did Gospel , ” he said .
“ I thought it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God ’ could be a number one country song.
” This influence led Baldridge to record songs like “ God ’ s People ” where he could share his testimony on what he believed .
The country singer said he is a proud open Christian .
To pay tribute to his religious beliefs , Baldridge puts out a song that recognizes God on every record .
With Dirt on Us , they put out the song “ Tractors Don ’ t Roll ” which acknowledges how farmers take Sunday as a day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the favorite songs I ’ ve ever written , ” he said .
While he was on a fall tour in 2019 with a group called Locash , they penned a song , “ Before You ” which Baldridge was working on to present to Katie , his girlfriend turned fiancé when he proposed .
He was to get engaged on March 16 in Paris .
But then two days before they were to leave , COVID 19 brought on the European travel ban .
The lyrics of the song he wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I never thought I ’ d fly to Paris and get down upon one knee.
” The song was done , mastered , and recorded ready to be released shortly after they announced their engagement .
“ I ’ ve got to somehow got to get down to the studio and change all this in two days and her not know about it , ” he said .
They ended up going to Aruba instead .
The day before they left he was able to change that line , to “ I never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island….
” He chronicled the whole event from the buying of the ring to the actual event on his GoPro and it became the footage for the music video .
“ It actually worked out better and now to have that video of me proposing , our story for the rest of my life , and to be able to show that to my kids one day , maybe even their kids one day , ” he said .
“ It ’ s going to be really awesome to have that forever.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the title track , “ Middle of Nowhere Kids ” was doing well on country radio when his record label shut down unexpectedly .
In January , his publishing contract was up as well .
He wondered if country music was what he was supposed to be doing .
However , one of the songs he wrote for the “ Middle of Nowhere Kids ” record was a relatable song called “ Senior Year.
” This song , inspired when a friend ’ s daughter posted a picture about how she was starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a completely different context .
With lyrics like … throwing caps up in the air/ Couple tough boys sheddin ’ tears/Never thought it ’ d disappear/Senior year…it has become an anthem of sorts for the Class of 2020 who have missed prom and graduation .
“ Their senior year literally disappeared for them , ” he said .
Since then , the song has taken on wings of its own .
“ Last week we were sitting on the Billboard chart at 53 with no label , no team , just me making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting this song .
Kids are making videos and TikToks .
It ’ s kind of been a whirlwind , ” Baldridge said .
“ Senior Year ” was written with songwriters Tim Nichols and Jordan Walker in about an hour and a half and in no way could they imagine what teens would be facing today .
“ God gave us that song at that moment for this moment .
I really believe that .
Music can have such an impact when presented at the right time , ” the Illinois native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many kids to hear “ Senior Year ” as possible .
Baldridge has been doing free Zoom concerts for seniors from the Class of 2020 .
If you know someone who would like a Zoom concert for their senior class , just message him via Facebook .
Even though this country singer/songwriter is currently without a label or publicist , it appears that Baldridge is hitting it on all cylinders during this unprecedented time for musicians and artists .
It just goes to prove that when God is on your side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow Baldridge on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , YouTube and Spotify .
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer .
You can follow her blog , Bethany Writes on Instagram and Twitter .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Seattle Asks for a $100 Million Relief Fund for Illegal Aliens

Seattle leaders called on the Washington state government Monday to establish a coronavirus relief fund that provides millions in cash assistance to illegal aliens .
The Seattle City Council passed a resolution Monday encouraging Democratic Gov .
Jay Inslee and state lawmakers to establish a Washington Worker Relief Fund to “ provide emergency economic assistance to undocumented Washingtonians , ” according to the Seattle Times .
City councillors are calling attention to illegal aliens in the state who do not qualify for federal assistance because of their immigration status , but have been suffering due to the declining economic conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The measure suggests the Washington Worker Relief Fund should begin with an initial allocation of $ 100 million .
“ Looking out for the most vulnerable in our community is even more critical in times of crisis , ” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a Monday statement .
“ It is all the more important to ensure we are not pushing people further into the shadows.
” The measure sailed through the city council by a vote of 9-0 , and enjoys support from the mayor ’ s office .
The non-binding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund for illegal aliens , but simply calls on Washington state to create one .
Seattle ’ s measure is the latest by liberal lawmakers across the country use taxpayer funds for aid to those living in the U.S. unlawfully .
California , for example , began accepting applications for a $ 125 million fund for illegal aliens in the state .
An organization involved in the program received so many calls that their phone lines crashed within the first hour .
Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced in April that his city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to low-income residents in the city , including illegal aliens .
Lawmakers in Washington , D.C. , are currently debating a bill passed by House Democrats that , if signed into law , would provide potentially billions in economic assistance to those living in the U.S. unlawfully .
Republican leaders have said the relief package is a non-starter .
It ’ s not immediately clear where Inslee , Washington ’ s governor , stands on Seattle ’ s resolution .
The governor ’ s office is researching “ how the state can best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to needed assistance , ” Inslee spokeswoman Tara Lee said to the Seattle Times .
“ The governor and his staff have had meetings with community leaders on this subject , as well as other pressing issues for immigrants , ” Lee said .
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Seattle City Council Members ” by Seattle.gov .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Volunteer Effort Seeks to Get a Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act on the Ballot in December

A volunteer effort is seeking to protect taxpayers from reckless government spending by putting a Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act on the ballot in December .
The goal of this act is to force the government to be fiscally responsible through a series of amendments to the charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County .
The Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act , part of a larger slate of good government initiatives , is the brainchild of local attorney and 4GoodGovernment Founder Jim Roberts .
Roberts is no stranger to political fights in Nashville , as the attorney representing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Fairgrounds and Save Fort Negley Park .
In both cases , the plaintiffs claim the Metro Nashville government broke the law in giving away public land to private entities .
The Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Roberts proposes consists of five separate amendments to the Metro charter , the goal of which is to “ stop the fiscal insanity and force the Metro Government to be more financially responsible.
” Roberts advises , “ Nashville was flat broke before the COVID-19 crisis , and the State was threatening to take over our city.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Treasury Justin Wilson made an appearance at Metro Nashville ’ s Budget and Finance and Public Works Joint Committee meeting on November 13 , 2019 .
Wilson ’ s message at the time was that if Nashville didn ’ t balance its budget by February , the state would intervene , The Tennessee Star reported .
“ Decades of over-borrowing and over-spending has nearly bankrupted us , ” said Roberts .
Nashville ’ s total outstanding debt is now up to $ 5.2 billion , which Roberts said requires that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received goes to paying bond interest.
” When the principal is factored in , total debt service represents more than 14 percent of Metro Nashville ’ s annual budget .
According to the budget presentation for the upcoming 2021 fiscal year , another $ 1.3 billion in bonds – which would increase the total debt by another 25 percent – have been authorized but not yet issued .
These debt obligations do not include the liability for Other Post-Employment Benefits ( OPEB ) , which is primarily health insurance for retirees .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , there is a huge unfunded future liability that was reported in 2017 to be nearly $ 3 billion and has only grown since .
According to budget documents , it is projected that Metro Nashville will finish up the current 2020 fiscal year , which ends on June 30 , with a budget shortfall of $ 215.8 million .
The financial impact of COVID-19 and the March tornado is expected to carry into the upcoming fiscal year 2021 , reducing revenue projections by another $ 281 million .
Yet , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget , he has proposed an additional $ 115.9 million , representing a five percent increase over this year ’ s original budget .
Cooper has that increase coming on the backs of Nashville ’ s property owners by way of a proposed 32 percent hike in the property tax rate , The Star reported .
Roberts declares , “ It is time for this nonsense to stop !
Fixing Metro ’ s budgetary mismanagement and financial incompetence should not come on the backs of innocent taxpayers.
” In addition , Roberts said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rein in its spending , cut waste , and stop giving away our city , parks and public lands for free.
” To those ends , Roberts is pursuing getting five amendments to Metro Nashville charter on the ballot in December 2020 , as follows : • Property Tax Rates .
Property Tax Rates shall not increase more than 2 % per year after January 1 , 2020 , without a voter referendum .
• No Give-away of Our Parks , Greenways , or Public Lands .
No part of a Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other real property shall be given away or conveyed without 31 votes of the Metro Council in favor .
Transfers of interest in real property shall only be at fair market value or greater based on an independent appraisal .
A voter referendum shall be required for transfers of interest in real properties valued over $ 5,000,000.00 , and for leases exceeding twenty ( 20 ) years , commencing after January 1 , 2020 .
• Issuance of Bonds .
All bonds issued or guaranteed after January 1 , 2020 , exceeding $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction of educational classrooms , public libraries , public healthcare buildings , and police and fire stations , and Charter protected facilities ) must be approved by voter referendum .
• Failed Promises : If a professional sports team leaves Nashville , or ceases playing professional games for more than twenty-four ( 24 ) months , all facilities and related commercial development shall revert to the people , and all related contracts shall be terminated , including land leased from the Nashville Fairgrounds .
• Metro ’ s Records Shall Be Open to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep a close eye on Metro ’ s actions and entitled to inspect its books and records for free and consistent with the Tennessee Open Records Act ’ s protections ( §10-7-501 , et seq ) .
A person or entity receiving more than $ 250,000 yearly in taxpayer funds or benefits agrees to be bound by this Amendment .
Persons or entities refusing to provide public records shall be barred from receiving public funds and liable for treble the Citizen ’ s damages , including attorney fees .
To get these amendments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on directly , bypassing Metro Council , it requires a petition signed by 10 percent of the Nashville-Davidson voters in the preceding general election .
As Roberts explained it to The Star , the number of signatures required will be determined from the August 6 election results .
Then , because of what Roberts referred to as a dishonest position that Metro legal previously took , the referendum will require a special election that will be held on December 5 for the amendments to get on the ballot .
Roberts said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the November 3 ballot , but the charter restricts amendments submitted by petition to once every two years .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--The Tennessee Star’s National Correspondent Neil McCabe Explains Ground Breaking Story of Treasury D

The Tennessee Star’s National Correspondent Neil McCabe Explains Ground Breaking Story of Treasury Dept. Whistle Blower and the Illegal Surveillance of General Mike Flynn

On Wednesday ’ s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Michael Patrick Leahy spoke with The Tennessee Star ’ s National Correspondent Neil McCabe on the newsmakers line .
During the third hour , McCabe disclosed recent information he acquired from a Treasury Department whistleblower who noted that the illegal surveillance of General Michael Flynn began in December of 2015 while he was a private citizen .
He also noted that not only was Flynn being surveilled but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Trump campaign staffers , and the Trump family as well .
Leahy : We are joined now by the great Neil W. McCabe who had a breaking story that is ricocheting around the world .
You were on the Howie Carr Show yesterday .
A Pittsburgh radio station and Lou Dobbs hit the story .
Neil this quite a story .
Give us an update on it if you would please .
McCabe : Of all the radio stations , of course , this is my home at The Tennessee Star Report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike .
Leahy : ( Laughs ) We ’ re always glad to have you on Neil .
To recap the story as you filed it and we reported it at The Ohio Star and The Tennessee Star on Monday .
Then we ’ ll talk about how its been reverberating through the news media in the past 48 hours .
McCabe : Well , what happened is there was a Treasury Department whistleblower and she , obviously nobody starts out as a whistleblower but was just a senior official in the Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told me around 2015 that she started seeing that the office of intelligence and analysis at the Treasury Department was pulling reports on financial transactions and financial records for General Mike Flynn .
Leahy : He was a private citizen then and wasn ’ t even connected with the Trump campaign at that time .
McCabe : That ’ s an interesting place to sort of reflect because Flynn was not a Trump supporter until later into 2016 .
The idea that this was somehow Trump-related is really stunning because now I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned with the Comey telegraphing declassified yesterday Flynn wasn ’ t Trump at all .
It was Flynn that they were after .
What this whistleblower did was she started watching it and doing her own investigation .
She reached out to another woman in the Treasury Department .
Both of them had worked in the intelligence community .
They looked at it and then they started raising questions .
By March of 2016 , they were asking serious questions and sending things around .
One of the things she said that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to surveil all American citizens and their private records have to go through a process through the Justice Department where they have to establish standard operating procedures , guidelines , logs , and different things that basically assert to the Justice Department .
Hey , we ’ ve got programs in place to protect the American people and everything here is legitimate .
There was no such program or approval by the Justice Department at Treasury specifically for this office .
And this is another thing that she complained about .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stunning revelation .
And then I also asked her , well was there anybody else who had their records pulled ?
She did tell me that in her paperwork Flynn is noted .
And she also refers to Paul Manafort having his records pulled .
So those are the two names that are sort of in the public space .
So she couldn ’ t really give me any other names she said .
But I did ask her , were there members of Congress ?
Yes .
Members of the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign in 2016 ?
Yes .
So I think what we see is that there was really a program by the Obama people and the Treasury to start checking out these people .
I will note that of the 37 names involved in unmasking or accessing the files of General Mike Flynn from the National Security Agency .
Leahy : That Grenell just release last week right ?
McCabe : Yes .
So there was a meeting on December 14 , 2016 , seven Treasury officials were accessing the Mike Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call with the Russian Ambassador Mike .
McCabe : And then Jack Lew , who is the Treasury Secretary .
Leahy : Former Obama chief of staff who then became the Treasury Secretary .
Wasn ’ t he the former Obama chief of staff or was he just involved in the Obama White House ?
McCabe : If he wasn ’ t chief of staff he was close .
But he certainly worked in the Clinton administration and the Clinton White House .
On January 12 Lew again is looking at this .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was inaugurated .
McCabe : So what ’ s interesting about this story as it came together is that I think a lot of people , myself included looked at this list of the 37 names .
Unmasking , of course , is when you surveil an American citizen and you can ’ t use their name because of the Fourth Amendment because there was no warrant for you to listen in and you ’ re targeting somebody else and this American happens to be there .
You have to protect the Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ok , who was this person talking to the Russian Ambassador .
And that ’ s what the unmasking is .
When that list came out I was like why were so many Treasury people on this list ?
Leahy : Yes .
Why ?
Now we know .
McCabe : Well you know , my wife and I share a checking account .
We share all our bank accounts because we are husband and wife .
But I know a lot of couples who don ’ t share banking accounts .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what someone is up to by looking at their debit card transactions .
That ’ s just a start .
Who ’ s to say ?
All of a sudden somebody gets $ 100,000 against their mortgage , that ’ s an interesting thing to know where that came from .
You see people buying tickets or a Nirvana CD or whatever .
You can learn a lot about people from their financial records .
Financial records are probably the most honest record of their life .
Leahy : According to the whistleblower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Treasury Department was illegally surveilling the financial records of Mike Flynn among others .
Then by August of 2016 , she and another person who worked in Treasury went and had a meeting with the Deputy Inspector General of the time who is now the Inspector General .
They said , well you have to do more to file a formal whistleblower complaint .
She did finally file that complaint in March of 2017 .
No action in March of 2017 .
And then she filed another report with the Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
Here ’ s the bottom line , this sounds like illegal activity according to the whistleblower at the Department of Treasury .
A whistleblower report filed .
Other reports filed before the appropriate people .
What has Treasury done with that information ?
McCabe : I reached out to the Treasury Department and I reached out and haven ’ t heard anything back from them yet .
And I reached out to the Inspector General ’ s office at the Treasury .
I did have a back and forth in email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a FOIA .
Leahy : Oh , that will come in what ?
10 years ?
McCabe : I actually have a FOIA from the Interior Department that goes back to 2011 .
McCabe : And that ’ s when I was writing for Human Events .
Everyone is gone .
The people involved are all gone .
Leahy : It takes a long time .
Crom Carmichael is in the studio and he wants to ask you a question about this .
Carmichael : So the surveilling started at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s what she said yes .
Carmichael : Now Flynn had been in the Obama administration then he had been fired from the Obama administration .
So was he was being surveilled was while he was part of the administration ?
Or was it in between when he was just a private citizen ?
McCabe : Flynn had retired from the army and as the Director of Defense Intelligence Agency in August of 2014 .
So he was a free citizen .
He was doing consulting .
I know he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : So he was not part of the Obama administration at that time .
Neil , we are going to be watching this like a hawk .
There are more installments on this story coming I believe .
So we ’ ll have you back next week to talk about it .
Neil McCabe , thanks for joining us today .
Carmichael : Yes .
It will be interesting to follow that .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Background Photo “ Treasury Department Building ” by Sealy j. CC BY-SA 4.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Ohio Judge Castigates DeWine, Acton Over Their ‘Oppressive’ Shutdown of Gyms

The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law , working on behalf of 35 independent gyms , struck a significant win for their right to exist by persuading a court to rule against Gov .
Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton ’ s “ oppressive ” shutdown of their businesses .
The Ohio Court of Common Pleas in Lake County on Wednesday handed down a decision that castigated DeWine and the health department director and granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the gym owners from being prosecuted for opening while awaiting a court trial .
The ruling is available in its entirety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
The ruling by Judge Eugene Lucci of the Lake County Court of Common Pleas enjoins , or forbids , the governor and Health Department director from “ imposing or enforcing penalties solely for non-compliance with the director ’ s order ” against gymnasiums , health clubs , fitness centers , gyms , and workout facilities.
” Lucci said that private property rights are fundamental rights in Ohio , and that the Ohio Department of Health has both violated those rights and exceeded its own authority in “ criminalizing lawful businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including severe criminal , civil , and equitable penalties ” Lucci said , “ The director has no statutory authority to close all businesses , including the plaintiffs ’ gyms … She has acted in an impermissibly arbitrary , unreasonable , and oppressive manner without any procedural safeguards.
” He also said some of the plaintiffs ’ businesses would not survive a lockdown of two months or longer .
Maurice Thompson , 1851 Center ’ s executive director , said , “ Constitutions are written to prevent governments from arbitrarily interfering in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that front , the call to action is clear : the governor and health director may no longer impose their own closures and regulations and write their own criminal penalties to enforce those regulations and closures .
We remain available to serve those who are caught in the state ’ s tangled web of unlawful orders.
” The center describes itself as , “ A non-profit , non-partisan law firm dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights of Ohioans from government .
The 1851 Center litigates constitutional issues related to property rights , taxpayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , and search and seizure.
” Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Dave Yost Files Brief on Behalf of 15 Republican State AGs That Support the Federal Government’s Dro

Dave Yost Files Brief on Behalf of 15 Republican State AGs That Support the Federal Government’s Dropping Its Case Against Michael Flynn

Attorney General Dave Yost led an effort of 15 Republican state attorneys general to file an amicus brief Monday that supports the federal government ’ s position of dismissing its case against Gen. Michael Flynn .
In early May , the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) dropped all charges against the former National Security Advisor .
“ After a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case , including newly discovered and disclosed information appended to the defendant ’ s supplemental pleadings … .
the Government has concluded that the interview of Mr. Flynn was untethered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI ’ s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn , ” the DOJ ’ s motion said .
After the DOJ dismissed the case , Emmet Sullivan , a district court judge in Washington D.C. , said he would let organizations and individuals submit amicus briefs determining whether the court should grant the government ’ s motion to dismiss .
Yost said what Sullivan did was an example of judicial activism .
“ Our founding fathers designed a system of government precisely to stop a branch of government from undertaking this type of overreach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
The amicus brief said there was “ no reason for the court to issue this solicitation because it has no say in the federal government ’ s decision not to prosecute.
” “ Simply put , ” Yost ’ s brief said , “ the decision not to pursue a criminal conviction is vested in the executive branch alone — and neither the legislature nor the judiciary has any role in the executive ’ s making of that decision.
” Furthermore , the brief argued that the district court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the decision to charge or not to charge , because such punditry disrobes the judiciary of its cloak of impartiality.
” “ The Court ’ s desire to assume the role of a prosecutor evinces a total lack of regard for the role that the separation of powers plays in our system .
Before the federal government may deprive a citizen of his freedom , it must navigate a number of hurdles , ” the brief said .
“ It must find a law that the citizen violated , a prosecutor willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other citizens willing to convict , and a court to uphold the legality of the prosecution.
” “ In other words , the judiciary is supposed to function as a constitutional check on deprivations of liberty — it is not supposed to remove constitutional checks on deprivations of liberty , ” the brief added .
“ But that is exactly what the Court would do by second-guessing the prosecutors ’ decision not to continue pursuing this case.
” The attorneys general in Alabama , Alaska , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma , South Carolina , Texas , Utah , and West Virginia joined Yost in the amicus brief .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Lawmaker Requests Investigation into COVID-19 Order for Long-Term Care Facilities, State to Provide

Lawmaker Requests Investigation into COVID-19 Order for Long-Term Care Facilities, State to Provide More Data This Month

A Michigan lawmaker has requested an investigation into Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s Executive Order 2020-84 , which forces some nursing homes below an 80 percent capacity to create a unit dedicated to caring for residents with COVID-19 .
“ Nursing homes are not hospitals , and no one expects them to be , ” Sen. Peter Lucido said in a statement .
“ They ’ re not equipped or prepared to handle the type of work or administer the type of care that hospitals provide.
” The Shelby Township Republican said he sent the letter to U.S. Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nessel .
“ Yet , somehow , knowing this , someone decided that people sick with COVID-19 should be sent into nursing homes and kept there , ” Lucido said .
“ This , despite the fact that some actual hospitals have gone virtually unused in the fight against COVID-19 .
It was completely illogical and further threatened the health of already vulnerable people residing at nursing home facilities as well as their caregivers.
” Robert Gordon , director of the Department of Health and Human Services ( MDHHS ) , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order favored transferring COVID-19 residents to nursing facilities before alternative care sites such as the TCF Center in Detroit because nursing homes have a better ability to care for the elderly .
Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said Monday the state ’ s number of COVID-19 positive long-term care residents has fallen over the past week to about 2,670 .
But she expects that number to increase with targeted testing , she said , which will allow them to isolate infected residents to prevent COVID-19 from spreading .
“ This week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of changes with regard to reporting from these facilities , including aligning with new federal reporting requirements and expanding these requirements for adult foster care facilities , assisted living facilities and homes for the aged , ” Khaldun said .
WDIV Local 4 reported that COVID-19 related nursing home residents in the tri-county Metro Detroit area , including Detroit , accounted for 1,464 deaths .
MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Suftin said there were 719 COVID-19 related deaths in nursing homes reported as of Monday , a number that is likely undercounted because of reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) with plans to provide skilled nursing facility data on its website by the end of May .
“ We are developing a reporting structure that will capture data consistent with the federal agency ’ s requirements , which will allow Michigan ’ s skilled nursing facilities to report to MDHHS and MDHHS to transmit the data to CDC/CMS , ” she wrote in an email .
“ This will eliminate the burden of facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state is capturing data consistent with our federal partners , ” Suftin said .
Executive Director of Michigan Rising Action Tori Sachs criticized Whitmer ’ s administration for not providing data sooner .
“ The Whitmer administration needs to immediately release the number of COVID-19 related deaths statewide in nursing homes and identify a plan to keep members of our most vulnerable population safe , ” Sachs said in a statement .
COVID-19 hit many long-term care facilities hard across the nation as residents fall into two major at-risk categories : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that compromise immune systems .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-21--Mayor Calls on Walz to Immediately Reopen Greater Minnesota Businesses

A mayor in Greater Minnesota called for immediately reopening businesses in his region in a letter sent Monday to Gov .
Tim Walz .
Cambridge Mayor James Godfrey pointed to the “ significant difference ” in the spread of the coronavirus in rural Minnesota compared to the Metro area .
Cambridge is located in Isanti County , which had just 20 confirmed cases and zero deaths as of Wednesday .
“ The City Council of the City of Cambridge has been very patient with your decisions in this regard , but with each subsequent extension of your order , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses wither on the vine .
It ’ s clear some may not survive another extension and there is extreme anxiety/frustration in our business community , ” Godfrey wrote in his letter .
He said some business owners want to reopen despite the governor ’ s executive orders and said they “ clearly are desperate.
” “ We have heard talk regarding what many believe is an unconstitutional seizure of their respective businesses , ” he continued .
The Cambridge City Council voted in favor of sending the letter to Walz during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the council is “ convinced that we need to do whatever we can to get these businesses open again.
” “ I hope you will regard small businesses in Greater Minnesota to the same extent you regard Metro area businesses , ” said Godfrey .
“ Our citizens will be able to determine where they can safely go .
Our businesses will do everything they can to ensure their place of business is safely operated.
” Godfrey concluded his letter by asking Walz to “ open all businesses in our region immediately.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what they believe is a one-size-fits-all response to the pandemic .
Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis took things a step further Tuesday by suing Gov .
Walz over his stay-at-home order , marking at least the third legal challenge to the governor ’ s executive actions .
Under the governor ’ s “ Stay Safe Minnesota ” order , bars , restaurants , and salons aren ’ t allowed to reopen until June 1 , when they can operate in a limited capacity .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Jim Godfrey ” by Jim Godfrey .