thetennesseestar--2020-07-21--POLL: Bill Hagerty Leads Manny Sethi by 3 Percentage Points

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty leads opponent Manny Sethi by 3 percentage points – 30 percent to 27 percent – although 32 percent of voters remain undecided , according to a new poll that an out-of-state firm released Monday .
John Couvillon of the Louisiana-based JMC Analytics and Polling published the results , which he said has a 4 percent margin of error .
Sethi and Hagerty want to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) .
JMC asked voters who they ’ d vote for if the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate were held today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d support Hagerty , while 27 percent would support Sethi .
Another candidate , George Flinn , would get 3 percent of the vote .
Exactly 8 percent would support another candidate .
And 32 percent of respondents remain undecided , according to the poll .
“ In summary , Bill Hagerty has a lead in the primary race for the U.S. Senate , but it ’ s not a secure lead against Manny Sethi , ” according to the JMC report .
According to the poll , Hagerty holds a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are included , although that lead is within the statistical margin of error .
“ From a geographic standpoint , his [ Hagerty ’ s ] strongest area is in the western part of the state .
Similarly , he runs strongest among ‘ very conservative ’ voters ( 40-31 percent/47- 36 percent if undecided ‘ leaners ’ are included ) , ” JMC reported .
“ Support also differs by the gender and age of the respondent : there is an 11 point gender gap ( 14 points with ‘ leaners ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while female respondents favor Hagerty .
Finally , Hagerty ’ s biggest lead ( 9 points/13 points with ‘ leaners ’ included ) is among those who are 65 years old or older.
” The poll also asked people whether they support wearing a mask to control the spread of COVID-19 .
“ On this subject , there was broad and overwhelming support among the Republican primary electorate .
Even Evangelicals ( thought to be more strongly conservative ) are in favor 50-33 percent , ” according to JMC .
“ Similarly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent ) among those at least 65 years old .
However , there is considerable ideological polarization on this issue : those who are very conservative are opposed 45-39 percent , while those who are very liberal are 96-4 percent in favor.
” Hagerty ’ s campaign emailed The Tennessee Star about the poll several hours before JMC even released it .
“ If it ’ s the poll they ran over the weekend , it was billed as the ‘ Tennessee Governor Republican Primary Election Survey , ’ ” said Hagerty campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake raising questions about what else the pollster glossed over.
” Sigler went on to call the JMC report “ a misleading poll intended to drive a false narrative.
” As The Star reported in 2018 , members of then-gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee ’ s campaign team had direct ties to JMC Analytics through two of its general consultants , Blake Harris and Jordan Gehrke .
In July of that year JMC released a poll showing Lee led the Republican gubernatorial primary for the first time .
Members of the Lee campaign did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm as they promoted the results of the supposedly independent poll , which , as reported , called into question the accuracy of the polling data .
Voters later that year went on to elect Lee as Tennessee ’ s new governor .
Monday ’ s poll also reported that U.S. President Donald Trump remains in good shape among Tennessee ’ s Republican electorate .
“ Among Republicans , Donald Trump remains popular , although his level of support is substantially different depending on the ideological predisposition of the respondent , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative voters , his approval is nearly unanimous , but that support sharply drops off among less conservative and non-partisan voters .
Similarly , his approval is 8:1 among Evangelical voters , but is only 52-45 percent among non-Evangelicals .
Similarly , his support drops off among the youngest ( 18-34 ) age group.
” JMC polled 33 percent of people on landlines and 67 percent of people through cell phones on July 18 and July 19 .
Exactly 600 people completed responses to 13 poll questions , according to the report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 95 percent confidence interval , was 4.0 percent , ” according to JMC .
“ The geographic breakdown of the respondents was as follows : 44 percent from eastern Tennessee , 45 percent from middle Tennessee , and 11 percent from western Tennessee.
” That geographic distribution significantly undercounts West Tennessee , and overcounts Middle and East Tennessee , when compared with previous statewide Republican primary results .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-07-20--Tech Drives Indexes Higher on Wall Street after Choppy Start

Big technology companies powered stocks higher on Wall Street Monday , adding to the market ’ s gains after a three-week winning streak .
The S & P 500 rose 0.84 % after being down 0.3 % in the early going .
Gains by technology and communication stocks and companies that rely on consumer spending outweighed losses elsewhere in the market .
The rally , which gained strength in the final hour of trading , nudged the benchmark S & P 500 index to a slight gain for the year and drove the Nasdaq composite to an all-time high .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ S & P 500 with a 7.9 % gain .
Citrix Systems was close behind finishing 7.6 % higher .
Microsoft also helped lift the market , rising 4.3 % .
Noble Energy climbed 5.4 % after the company agreed to be acquired by Chevron for $ 5 billion .
Technology and communications stocks and big e-commerce retailers like Amazon have benefited this year as the pandemic has forced people to largely stay home and rely increasingly on the internet for shopping , work and entertainment .
Among the losers have been banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week , you had the value trade come back for a few days , ” said Tom Martin , senior portfolio manager with Globalt Investments .
“ The pattern seems to be that most days lately have been favoring growth over value.
” The S & P 500 gained 27.11 points to 3,251.84 .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average , which was down for most of the day , added 8.92 points , or less than 0.1 % , to 26,680.87 .
The Nasdaq had its best day since the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or 2.5 % , to 10,767.09 .
The Russell 2000 index of small company stocks gave up 5.36 points , or 0.4 % , to 1,467.95 .
Treasury yields were mixed , reflecting caution among investors .
European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed .
Wall Street is coming off its third straight weekly gain following improvements in hiring , retail sales and other parts of the economy , along with rising hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine .
Underlying it all is massive aid for the economy and the promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Reserve .
The overall S & P 500 index has rallied back to within 4 % of its record set in February and is back to where it was in early June .
Still , worries remain that the rise of coronavirus counts across much of the country will derail efforts to reopen businesses shut down due to the pandemic .
“ Until we have more clarity around all these different issues , it wouldn ’ t surprise us if the market ended the year right where we are today , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute .
Investors have an eye on Washington as Congress returns this week to begin work with the White House on another trillion-dollar economic relief package against the backdrop a renewed surge in the outbreak .
The U.S. has now registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count of 140,500 than any other country .
The Fed ’ s efforts to support markets and expectations that Washington will deliver more financial aid to help Americans weather the economic downturn has been key in keeping markets mostly pushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If markets are allowed to trade in a vacuum without policy , you could see much more volatility , ” Samana said .
Traders were also looking ahead to a busy week of earnings reports from major U.S. companies , including Coca-Cola and Microsoft .
Expectations are low for companies ’ performance in the April-June quarter due to the pandemic , given the economic fallout from the broad business shutdowns and the rapid increase in unemployment as millions of Americans were laid off or furloughed .
But investors want to hear what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they expect their businesses to fare in the second half of this year and in 2021 .
“ The question is what are the early indications of the third quarter shaping up like ?
” Martin said .
The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 0.61 % from 0.63 % late Friday .
In the commodities markets , the price of benchmark U.S oil for August delivery reversed an early slide , gaining 22 cents to settle at $ 40.81 a barrel .
Brent crude oil for September delivery rose 14 cents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Veiga and Damian J. Troise are Business Writers for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : A man wearing a face mask walks past a bank ’ s electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange Monday , July 20 , 2020 .
Asian shares were mostly lower Monday as investors cautiously eyed the summit of European leaders discussing the pandemic crisis and coronavirus cases continued to soar in the U.S. ( AP Photo/Vincent Yu )

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--2020-07-20--Roy Den Hollander Found Dead, Linked to New Jersey Shooting that Killed Federal Judge’s Son, Injured

Roy Den Hollander Found Dead, Linked to New Jersey Shooting that Killed Federal Judge’s Son, Injured Husband – UPDATED

Investigators are examining a possible connection between the shooting at U.S. District Judge Esther Salas that killer her son and injured her husband and the body of a man found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Sullivan County , New York , a law enforcement official said .
The man , an attorney from New York City , is being investigated in connection with the shooting , a law enforcement official and a judiciary official told The Associated Press .
The man had appeared before the judge in the past , the officials said .
The officials could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity .
A gunman posing as a delivery person shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a Judge Salas and wounded her husband at their New Jersey home before fleeing , according to judiciary officials .
The shooting occurred Sunday evening at the Salas ’ North Brunswick home .
Her son , Daniel , was killed in the attack , Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press .
Her husband , defense lawyer Mark Anderl , was injured , Wolfson said .
Salas was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t injured , according to a judiciary official who wasn ’ t authorized to comment and spoke anonymously to the AP .
The perpetrator , believed to be a lone gunman posing as a FedEx delivery person , was not in custody , the official said .
The U.S .
Marshals and the FBI said in a series of tweets that they are looking for one suspect in the shootings .
Daniel Anderl , who was named to the Dean ’ s List this spring at The Catholic University of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge ’ s only child , the official said .
He was shot once in the chest with a semi-automatic weapon as he answered the door , while his father , just behind him , was struck several times , the official said .
“ I was shocked last night to hear news of Daniel Anderl ’ s tragic death Sunday evening in New Jersey .
Daniel was a rising junior , enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks , ” university President John Garvey wrote on Twitter .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fled the scene in a car , the official said .
Mark Anderl had surgery for his wounds Sunday night , the judiciary official said .
Messages were left with the hospital Monday seeking comment on his condition .
Salas , seated in Newark , was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2011 .
Prior to that , she served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in New Jersey , after working as an assistant public defender for several years .
Asked if officials thought the shooting was linked to the judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political unrest , Wolfson said , “ We really have no idea.
” Salas , born in California to a Cuban immigrant mother and Mexican father , spent most of her childhood in Union City , New Jersey .
After helping her family escape a devastating house fire , she acted as her mother ’ s translator and advocate , foreshadowing her career in law as she argued her family ’ s case to welfare officials , according to a 2018 magazine profile .
In the profile , Salas spoke of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal profession .
“ He ’ s been arguing with us since he could talk — practicing his advocacy skills , ” Salas told New Jersey Monthly .
“ I don ’ t want to dissuade him , but I was pulling for a doctor.
” Just last week , Salas was appointed to hear an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor “ high-risk ” customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial fraud case involving husband-and-wife “ Real Housewives of New Jersey ” reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice , whom Salas sentenced to prison for crimes including bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion .
Salas staggered their sentences so that one of them could be available to take care of their four children .
In 2017 , she barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings , ruling the man ’ s intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment .
Salas later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez , who backed Salas ’ s nomination to the federal bench , said in a statement Sunday night , “ My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family , and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.
” In an emailed statement , Democratic New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy called the shooting “ a senseless act ” and said “ this tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safer isn ’ t done.
” Maryclaire Dale and Mike Balsamo are reporters at The Associated Press .
AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and David Porter contributed to this report .
Balsamo reported from Washington , D.C. About the Headline Photo : Crime scene tape surrounds the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas , Monday , July 20 , 2020 , in North Brunswick , N.J. A gunman posing as a delivery person shot and killed Salas ’ 20-year-old son and wounded her husband Sunday evening at their New Jersey home before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( AP Photo/Mark Lennihan )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-21--Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, Four Others Arrested in $60 Million Bribery Case

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were arrested Tuesday in a $ 60 million federal bribery probe , a person briefed on the investigation confirmed .
U.S. Attorney David DeVillers ’ office would not discuss details of the case , which it planned to outline at a briefing later Tuesday .
Also arrested were Householder adviser Jeffrey Longstreth , longtime Statehouse lobbyist Neil Clark , former Ohio Republican Party chairman and consultant Matthew Borges and Juan Cespedes , co-founder of The Oxley Group in Columbus , the person told The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not authorized to discuss the case .
A sixth person was also sought , the person said .
FBI agents were at the farm of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder on Tuesday morning , hours ahead of the government ’ s planned announcement .
FBI agents were carrying out “ law enforcement activity ” on Householder ’ s property in Glenford in southeastern Ohio , FBI spokesman Todd Lindgren said , without providing details .
The Perry County Sheriff ’ s Office also confirmed it was assisting the FBI at Householder ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference by DeVillers , whose office planned to announce “ charges related to $ 60 million bribe to state official & associates.
” Messages were left with Householder at home and at the House communications office .
The Republican is in his second stint as House speaker following his tenure in the same position from 2001 to 2004 .
Householder , a veteran lawmaker , returned to state politics in 2016 after leaving more than a decade ago because of term limits .
At the time he left office , he and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for alleged money laundering and irregular campaign practices .
The government closed the case without filing charges .
After returning to the Ohio House fours years ago , Householder won a contentious fight to become House speaker in 2019 .
Julie Carr Smyth is a reporter at The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : This Wednesday , Oct. 30 , 2019 file photo shows Ohio State Representative Larry Householder ( R ) , of District 72 , stands at the head of a legislative session as Speaker of the House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the farm of Householder on Tuesday morning , hours ahead of a planned announcement of a $ 60 million bribe investigation by federal prosecutors .
( AP Photo/John Minchillo , File )

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--2020-07-22--Manny Sethi Campaign Asks Tennessee Stations to Stop Airing ‘False, Misleading Advertisement’

A Knoxville-based attorney wants television stations in Tennessee to stop airing an ad that says U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi donated to a leftist-progressive PAC in 2008 .
And if the stations don ’ t stop then they might face legal action .
Knoxville-based attorney Billy Stokes sent the letter to various stations at an unspecified date .
Members of Sethi ’ s campaign provided a copy of Stokes ’ letter to The Tennessee Star Monday .
Sethi is running against Bill Hagerty in the Republican primary to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting Ambassador Bill Hagerty , is running a false , misleading advertisement on your station attacking Dr. Manny Sethi , who is also running for U.S. Senate , ” Stokes wrote .
“ We ask you to cease and desist broadcasting the ad immediately.
” The ad said that Sethi donated to ActBlue .
ActBlue , the ad went on to say , advocates for liberal causes and supports leftists such as Bernie Sanders .
“ This claim is patently false .
ActBlue , the PAC in question , is a credit card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as a means of processing online donations .
ActBlue collects , processes , and distributes money from donors to candidates .
That is all , ” Stokes wrote .
“ ActBlue does not make independent expenditures .
ActBlue does not run commercials .
ActBlue does not even make strategic contributions to candidates .
In most Democratic primaries , all of the candidates use ActBlue to process donations .
Simply put : ActBlue does NOT advocate .
They are a conduit to candidates and nothing else .
To say otherwise , as this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sethi Campaign Chair Chris Devaney , in an emailed statement , told the media Monday that Hagerty “ is spending millions smearing Manny Sethi.
” “ He should stop hiding behind his Super PAC ’ s false attack ads and face Dr. Sethi like a man , ” Devaney said .
Stokes , in his letter , said the creators of the ad knew their attack on Sethi was false .
Stokes also said Sethi ’ s wife donated the money , and that she donated to a candidate , a friend from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sethi donated $ 50 to Democrat Congressional candidate Tom Peirrelo in 2008 through ActBlue .
Perriello won , but he served only one term .
In 2018 Perriello was hired by George Soros ’ s Open Society Foundation .
“ The ad , paid for by Standing with Conservatives PAC , is defamatory and false .
We ask that you immediately cease and desist the broadcast of this advertisement , ” Stokes wrote .
“ The Dr. Manny Sethi campaign is prepared to take immediate legal action if this false ad is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Star reported last week , Hagerty donated $ 1,000 each to the presidential campaigns of both Gore and George W. Bush in the year 2000 , according to FEC filings .
Those same filings also show that Hagerty donated to Romney ’ s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns .
Hagerty said last week that he is “ the true conservative that is running for office ” who worked to elect U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016 .
When asked on Monday , a spokesman for Sethi ’ s campaign would not say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Manny Sethi ” by Manny Sethi .
Background Photo “ Bill Hagerty Ad ” by Jacob Rubashkin .

The Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) recently revealed that 22 Arizonans have been indicted for drug-related charges following a multi-year investigation of a South Phoenix criminal street gang.
“According to the criminal complaints filed last week, in January 2020, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) began an investigation targeting a drug and firearms supplier in South Phoenix. In February 2021, in conjunction with the DPS investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Violent Street Gang Task Force began investigating the Lindo Park Crips (LPC), a criminal street gang operating in South Phoenix,” according to a press release from the USAO.
The release outlined that DPS and FBI investigators targeted LPC members and drug suppliers, ultimately leading to a major bust. Investigators reportedly found over 2,000 grams of cocaine, 35,000 counterfeit pills suspected to contain fentanyl, 26 grams of methamphetamine, four and a half grams of crack, 32 doses of MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy or XTC), and weapons, including 17 firearms and eight Glock conversion devices.
All 22 defendants are charged with either conspiracy to distribute cocaine or fentanyl, and some are charged with actual possession of the drugs. Furthermore, several are charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking.
According to the release, these charges incur heavy fines and jail time if convicted. For the drug charges, a conviction for conspiracy to distribute or intent to sell the amount of cocaine charged in the complaint carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine, while a conviction for the amount of fentanyl can be up to life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine. Moreover, a conviction for illegally possessing a firearm carries jail time up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
Most of the 22 individuals come from Phoenix, but others hail from cities across Arizona, including Avondale, Florence, Buckeye, and Goodyear. The youngest defendant is Jesus Salazar, 24, of Avondale, while the eldest is 62-year-old Terry Lee King of Phoenix.
The USAO stated that this case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCFETF) operation which seeks to dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States.
All defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
As The Arizona Sun Times reported, Border Patrol agents recently seized 4.2 kilograms of fentanyl and 2.1 kilograms of heroin at a highway checkpoint at the El Centro Station. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBS) said the drugs confiscated had an estimated street value of $190,000. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) states that as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, depending on the person’s tolerance. Based on that statistic, this bust alone involved enough fentanyl to kill over 2 million people.
According to statistics from CBS, 3,513.15 kilograms of illicit fentanyl were confiscated in May, which would hypothetically be enough to kill 1,756,575,000 people under the DEA’s metric.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Phoenix Police Department” by Phoenix Police Department.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Commentary: President Trump Is Ending the Obama-Biden Regulation to Rezone Neighborhoods Along Incom

Commentary: President Trump Is Ending the Obama-Biden Regulation to Rezone Neighborhoods Along Income and Racial Guidelines

President Donald Trump is ending the 2015 Obama-Biden era regulation Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing ( AFFH ) regulation , and has removed requirements that more than 1,200 cities and counties make changes to local zoning in order to qualify for $ 3 billion of annual community development block grants .
Appearing at the White House Rose Garden on July 14 , President Trump called enforcement of this regulation was a “ key element ” of former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s platform for president , saying it would “ abolish the suburbs… ” According to Biden ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama-Biden Administration ’ s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule requiring communities receiving certain federal funding to proactively examine housing patterns and identify and address policies that have a discriminatory effect.
” Trump explained , “ Enforce Obama-Biden ’ s radical AFFH — that ’ s the AFFH regulation that threatens to strip localities of federal affordable housing funds unless they change their zoning laws to fit the federal government ’ s demands .
So what you have — I mean , I ’ ve been watching this for years in Westchester , coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing built in a neighborhood.
” But with changes to the rule released in January , the zoning mandates have been repealed .
Trump said , “ I ’ m ending that rule .
I ’ m taking it out , so — I spoke with Ben Carson the other day .
We ’ re going to be taking it out .
I ’ ve watched that whole thing go , and now they want to make it twice as bad in the suburbs — in the suburbs .
Mothers aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t happy about that .
They worked hard to buy a house , and now they ’ re going to watch the housing values drop like a rock , and that has happened .
It dropped like a rock .
So we ’ re not going to do that ; we ’ re going to do the exact opposite.
” Under the new rule that was proposed by the Trump administration on Jan. 14 with comments that ended on March 16 , “ Jurisdictions are free to choose to undertake changes to zoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complying with the AFFH obligation ; however , no jurisdiction may have their certification questioned because they do not choose to undertake zoning changes.
” This differed drastically from the original 2015 regulation had included an explicit requirement calling for changes to local zoning , stating , “ This final rule , and Assessment Tools and guidance to be issued , will assist recipients of Federal funding to use that funding and , if necessary , adjust their land use and zoning laws in accordance with their existing legal obligation to affirmatively further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican-controlled House of Representatives adopted an amendment by U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar ( R-Ariz. ) to defund implementation of the regulation .
Later , a more moderate provision by Sen. Susan Collins ( R-Maine ) passed the Senate easily 87 to 9 in 2016 that barred the regulation from being used to affect local zoning .
The Collins amendment was eventually included in the 2017 omnibus , the 2018 omnibus , the 2019 omnibus , and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 , stating : “ None of the funds made available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Housing and Urban Development to direct a grantee to undertake specific changes to existing zoning laws as part of carrying out the final rule entitled ‘ Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing ’ … or the notice entitled ‘ Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Assessment Tool ’ … ” Now , there are plenty of non-discriminatory reasons why cities wouldn ’ t want the federal government to interfere with local zoning .
For example , it might result in property values declining .
Or , conversely , because demand for property would remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to zoning might still result in high prices , thereby mitigating the effects of reform to make housing more affordable .
In 2018 , I personally submitted comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development noting Congress had explicitly barred implementation of AFFH as written and that , to comply , the regulation would have to be rewritten to remove the zoning requirements and making any changes voluntary .
The Department found further legal justification for revising the AFFH rule to remove zoning mandates under 42 U.S. Code § 12705 ( c @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ the adoption or continuation of a public policy identified pursuant to subsection ( b ) ( 4 ) [ which includes local zoning ordinances as a potential barrier to affordable housing ] shall not be a basis for the Secretary ’ s disapproval of a housing strategy… ” This provision , per HUD , “ prohibits HUD from disapproving consolidated plans because a jurisdiction adopts or continues zoning ordinances or land-use policies.
” Meaning funds can not be denied on the basis of a city or county ’ s lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President Trump may be taking the additional step of scrapping the rule altogether .
Of course , a future Biden administration might not see things the same way .
Therefore , the President ought to press Congress to continue including the Collins amendment in future appropriations bills to prevent the federal government from dictating local zoning policy .
In the meantime , President Trump on his own is ending federal dictates and restoring local government control over zoning — the way it should be .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Photo “ Milwaukee Suburbs ” by Richard .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Chicago Police Report 14 Injured After Shooting Outside Chicago Funeral Home

CHICAGO , Illinois ( AP ) — Fourteen people were injured , one person was in custody and additional suspects were being sought after gunfire erupted outside a funeral home on Chicago ’ s South Side where at least one squad car was present , police officials said Tuesday .
First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter said mourners outside a funeral home were fired upon from a passing SUV .
Carter says several targets of the shooting returned fire .
The SUV later crashed and the occupants fled in several directions .
One person of interest has been taken into custody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults .
The victims were taken by the Chicago Fire Department to nearby hospitals in serious condition , said spokesman Larry Langford .
Arnita Geder and Kenneth Hughes said they heard gunshots while in their home watching television , adding that they came outside to find bodies that were shot up and “ laying everywhere.
” “ We thought it was a war out here , ” Geder told the Chicago Sun-Times .
“ It ’ s ridiculous all the shooting that ’ s going on out here , it really has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting .
It wasn ’ t immediately known if anyone other than attendees of the funeral were victims , nor if anyone in the SUV had been wounded .
The person in custody was uninjured , according to authorities .
A squad car was assigned to monitor the funeral as a precaution because of the sizable number of mourners attending , Carter said , adding that he was unaware of any warnings from community activists that trouble at the funeral was imminent .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could , ” Carter said .
The shooting comes as the Department of Homeland Security is planning to deploy dozens of federal agents to Chicago to deal with an uptick in violent crime in the city .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot , after threatening to sue if President Donald Trump acted without her permission , said Tuesday the city would be working with federal agents to fight crime .
Lightfoot has been skeptical of federal agents being sent to Chicago by Trump due to the controversy in Portland , Oregon , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of protests there over police brutality and racial injustice that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Lightfoot said she expects Chicago will receive resources that will plug into existing federal agencies that already work with the city , including the FBI , Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives .
Oregon ’ s governor and Portland ’ s mayor have expressed anger with the presence of the federal agents , saying that the city ’ s protests had started to ease just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has framed such protests in the nation ’ s large cities as a failure by “ liberal Democrats ” who run them , praised the officers ’ actions and said he was looking to send agents to other cities .
He pointed to rising gun violence in Chicago , the nation ’ s third-largest city , where more than 63 people were shot , 12 fatally , over the weekend .
About the Headline Photo : Chicago police investigate the scene of a mass shooting where more then a dozen people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chicago , Tuesday , July 21 , 2020 .
( Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--States Try Again to Block Coal Sales That Trump Revived

BILLINGS , Montana ( AP ) — A coalition of states , environmentalists and American Indians on Monday renewed its push to stop the Trump administration from selling coal from public lands after a previous effort to halt the lease sales was dismissed by a federal judge .
Joined by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and several environmental groups , Democratic attorneys general from California , New York , New Mexico and Washington state filed a lawsuit challenging the administration ’ s coal program in U.S. District Court in Montana .
They alleged the administration acted illegally when it resumed coal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to climate change and other concerns .
The case is among scores of legal challenges that environmentalists and their political allies have launched to counter the Trump administration ’ s push for more domestic energy production and less stringent regulations .
Interior Department spokesman Conner Swanson panned the lawsuit as a “ laughable attempt ” to revive an issue that the court already addressed .
Under Trump , the Department of Interior lifted a 2016 moratorium on federal coal sales and concluded they have limited environmental impacts .
“ The Department is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis by our career experts is lawful and based on the best available science , ” Swanson said .
Attorneys for the states and other plaintiffs in the case argued that the administration ’ s environmental review was flawed , because it was based on just four leases that were sold under Trump and did not look at hundreds of existing leases and potential future sales .
“ The Trump administration has repeatedly thrown out the rule book in order to benefit super polluting coal companies .
It ’ s not only immoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we intend to prove it , ” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement .
Federal coal sales account for about 40 % of U.S. coal production , primarily from large strip mines in western states including Wyoming , Colorado , Montana and Utah .
Coal mining companies saw demand for the fuel drop dramatically over the past decade due to competition from natural gas and renewable fuel sources .
Trump has sought to prop the industry back up , but that ’ s done little to slow its downward spiral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decline .
In May , U.S. District Judge Brian Morris said the administration had fixed its initial failures to consider the climate change consequences from ending the moratorium .
That ruling came after the administration in February released an analysis that said resuming coal sales would mean little difference over time in greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal .
But Morris declined to weigh in regarding the accuracy of the administration ’ s conclusions , saying only that the analysis was enough to fulfill the administration ’ s immediate obligations .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only from a handful of leases and failed to capture the cumulative , long-term impact of the coal program .
They argue the Interior Department analysis also ignored other harms , including damage to wildlife and the land from coal mining , pollution from burning the fuel and the vast quantifies of toxic ash that is generated by coal-burning power plants .
Matthew Brown is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : A BNSF Railway train hauling carloads of coal from the Powder River Basin of Montana and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mont.
, on July 15 , 2020 .
A coalition of states is renewing its push to stop the Trump administration from selling coal from public lands .
( AP Photo/Matthew Brown )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Teachers Unions Sue DeSantis for Trying to Open Schools

The nation ’ s largest teachers unions filed a lawsuit Monday against the State of Florida over a department of education emergency order , which demanded schools reopen in August .
The Florida Education Association was joined by the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association in suing Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis and Richard Corcoran , commissioner of the Florida Department of Education , according to a press release .
DeSantis ’ emergency order , issued on July 6 by the department of education , ordered all brick and mortar schools to open at least five days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one wants to be back in the classroom with students more than educators , but we must do so only if we can ensure it is done in a safe way , ” said Lily Eskelsen García , National Education Association president , according to the press release .
She continued : “ Unfortunately , Gov .
Ron DeSantis , like Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos , has no plan to solve the real issues facing public schools during a pandemic , and that ’ s a major concern to students , educators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emergency order violates Florida ’ s Constitution , which mandates that public schools are “ safe ” and “ secure.
” Floridians are constitutionally entitled to a safe reopening , the lawsuit said .
DeSantis has distanced himself from the emergency order , according to The New York Times .
The order was issued by the department of education , not him , he said at a Monday press conference .
However , DeSantis has said that if retailers could safely open , schools should be able to as well , Politico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely essential , ” DeSantis said on July 9 , according to Politico .
The Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics wrote a letter to DeSantis Sunday urging him to reconsider the department of education ’ s emergency order , Fox affiliate WOFL-TV reported .
Florida has seen a recent surge in coronavirus cases , according to data compiled by The Times .
Trump declared a national emergency in March as the coronavirus spread rapidly across the world .
Trump called for schools to reopen with in-person classes in an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also threatened to remove federal funding from school districts that open with remote learning .
“ Trump is politicizing opening schools , just as he did with wearing masks , ” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten in an op-ed Sunday .
“ No wonder a majority of American parents see it as risky for schools to reopen in the fall , including majorities across partisan lines.
” The National Education Association has 3 million members while the American Federation of Teachers has 1.7 million members , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--‘Shadow’ Lenders Can Leave College Students in the Dark

A new high school graduate may take out about $ 37,200 in student loans for college , according to a recent NerdWallet study .
And for many of them , that won ’ t be enough .
Thirty-eight percent of students borrow additional money for college via credit cards , home equity loans and other non-student loans , according to a May 2020 report from the Federal Reserve .
The Student Borrower Protection Center , a Washington , D.C.-based nonprofit , has dubbed this the “ shadow education finance market ” because these options can lack transparency .
“ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very little accountability or oversight , ” says Seth Frotman , executive director of the SBPC .
If you need loans to cover unexpected costs or attend a school that doesn ’ t qualify for traditional loans , here ’ s how to make sure you understand what you ’ re borrowing — and whether the investment will be worth it .
The line between student loans and loans marketed toward students can be murky .
Frotman says the latter are often just personal loans .
You could pay much more if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , if you borrowed a $ 2,000 personal loan at 20 % interest , you ’ d repay $ 3,179 over five years .
A private student loan at 10 % — roughly the highest current rate — would save you more than $ 600 over the same time frame .
The easiest way to avoid the shadow market is to borrow from the federal government .
You can apply for federal loans by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid , or FAFSA .
But if federal loans won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any alternative loan ’ s paperwork .
Beware features like high interest rates , double-digit fees and loans that don ’ t require a credit check .
And make sure payments will be affordable .
“ Some ( lenders ) are really good at obfuscating the risk , ” Frotman says .
Students should exhaust federal aid before turning to private options .
But you may need to explore alternatives if you want to attend a non-accredited school or program .
Accreditation is a process in which a third party reviews an institution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedures to its curriculum and more — to ensure its quality .
Only accredited programs can receive federal student aid .
If a school or program isn ’ t accredited , be cautious about taking on debt to attend it .
“ The inexperienced learner may hand over their credit card , and next thing you know , their bill is thousands of dollars , ” says Leah Matthews , executive director of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission .
“ And then ( the school ) disappears.
” Federal loans can be discharged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re enrolled .
But you ’ d likely still owe other debt borrowed to attend the school .
You can see if an entity is accredited via the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs .
For non-accredited options , look for other independent vetting — for example , if your state department of education has approved a career-based training program .
“ Non-accredited options ( aren ’ t ) bad or horrible ; there ’ s lots of good quality out there , ” says Matthews .
But students must do their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 2020 report , the SBPC says alternative lending products are “ frequently marketed toward borrowers at for-profit institutions.
” If you ’ re attending such a school , make sure you not only understand what type of debt you ’ re taking on , but also if you ’ ll get your money ’ s worth .
“ There are good and bad schools in every sector of higher education , ” says Steve Gunderson , president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities , a national membership organization for career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” You can find those in the Department of Education College Scorecard .
Look at information like median salary and median debt to help you better understand the potential value of a program .
If your program isn ’ t in the College Scorecard , be mindful of data that comes directly from a school around things like job placement — especially if the numbers sound too good to be true .
“ There are numerous stories of schools that shade their statistics , ” says Robert Shireman , director of higher education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent think tank The Century Foundation .
Be extra vigilant if you ’ re returning to school to add skills due to the economic effects of the coronavirus .
Shireman worries that for-profit schools will exploit the pandemic , becoming more aggressive with their marketing and lending .
“ We see virus and unemployment , and they see dollar signs , ” he says .
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet .
Ryan Lane is a writer at NerdWallet .
Email : [ email protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Headline Photo : In this Friday , June 1 , 2018 , file photo , graduates are silhouetted against the green landscape as they line up to receive their diplomas at Berkshire Community College ’ s commencement exercises at the Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox , Mass .
Some lenders advertise their products as a way to pay for college , but these aren ’ t technically student loans .
For unsuspecting students , that could lead to unnecessarily high costs and a lack of consumer protection .
( Gillian Jones/The Berkshire @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Over Half of Americans Oppose Removing Confederate Statues, WaPo Poll Finds

More than 50 % of Americans oppose removing public statues dedicated to Confederate generals , according to a Washington Post/ABC poll published Monday .
The poll showed 80 % of Republicans and 56 % of independents oppose removing such monuments , while 74 % of Democrats support ridding the country of statues commemorating the Confederacy .
Nearly 60 % of white people oppose their removal , as do about half of Hispanic people , the poll found .
Three-quarters of black Americans support removing statues of General Robert E. Lee , among other Confederate generals .
The poll , conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stiffer opposition to removing statues honoring former U.S. presidents who enslaved African Americans , with 68 % of Americans opposing such removals .
Only 25 % of people surveyed support their removal .
WaPo ’ s poll also revealed a stark division between black and white people on the subject .
Roughly 60 % of black people surveyed supported removing statues of former presidents who owned slaves , while 70 % of white people opposed removal , according to the poll , which had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans support the Black Lives Matter movement .
Black Lives Matter began during the Obama administration after the police-related killing of Trayvon Martin , according to the organization ’ s website .
The movement resurged following the death of George Floyd , a black man who died in May after a white police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck for nearly 9-minutes , video of the incident shows .
His death resulted in nationwide demonstrations and for calls to defund the police .
Nearly 62 % of white people say minorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in the criminal justice system , the poll found .
This figure rose 18 points since 2014 .
Nearly all black Americans – 97 % – believe there is unequal treatment .
Former Vice President Joe Biden told reporters at a news conference in June that he preferred that Confederate statues be removed while those of founding fathers who owned slaves should be left standing .
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June criminalizing destruction of monuments on federal property .
The order was a response to attempts to topple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Lafayette Square park .
“ I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument , statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. with up to 10 years in prison , per the Veteran ’ s Memorial Preservation Act , or such other laws that may be pertinent , ” the president tweeted .
“ This action is taken effective immediately , but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused .
There will be no exceptions !
” Chris White is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation .
Photo “ Confederate Monument in Arlington Cemetery ” by Tim Evanson .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Lamar Alexander Introduces Bill to Prepare for the Next Pandemic

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander , who also chairs the Senate Health Committee , this week introduced the Preparing for the Next Pandemic Act .
According to a press release that Alexander ’ s staff published on his website , the legislation “ will maintain sufficient onshore manufacturing for tests , treatments and vaccines , and rebuild state and federal stockpiles of supplies like masks and ventilators.
” “ In this internet age , attention spans are short , ” Alexander said in the press release .
“ Even with an event as significant as COVID-19 , memories fade and attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That makes it imperative that Congress act this year on needed changes in order to better prepare for the next pandemic.
” According to the press release , Alexander ’ s legislation does three things : • Onshore Manufacturing — Provides new , sustained funding – $ 5 billion over 10 years – to maintain sufficient onshore manufacturing for tests , treatments and vaccines so that when a new virus emerges , the United States has a facility ready to manufacture those products as quickly as possible .
• State Stockpiles— Provides new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 10 years – so states can create and maintain their own stockpiles of supplies such as masks and ventilators with help from the federal government .
• Federal Stockpiles— this legislation improves the federal Strategic National Stockpile by allowing the Federal government to work with companies to maintain additional supplies and manufacturing capacity so we are even better prepared for the next pandemic .
As The Tennessee Star reported last month , Alexander said Congress should act this year on “ needed changes ” to prepare for the next pandemic .
Alexander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee hearing where former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist testified about his calls 15 years ago for Congress to prepare for a pandemic .
Witnesses testified as to how the federal government , states , hospitals , and health care providers should prepare for another wave of COVID-19 and future pandemics .
This , based on lessons learned from COVID-19 and the past 20 years of pandemic planning , according to the press release .
“ While the nation is in the midst of responding to COVID-19 , the United States Congress should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local , state , and federal response worked , what could work better and how , and be prepared to pass legislation this year to better prepare for the next pandemic , which will surely come , ” Alexander said .
Earlier this month Alexander released “ Preparing for the Next Pandemic , ” a white paper outlining five recommendations for Congress to prepare Americans for the next pandemic .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Trump Excluding Those in U.S. Illegally from Reapportionment

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Tuesday that seeks to bar people in the U.S. illegally from being counted in congressional reapportionment , a move that drew immediate criticism and promises of court challenges .
Trump said that “ respect for the law and protection of the integrity of the democratic process warrant the exclusion of illegal aliens from the apportionment base , to the extent feasible and to the maximum extent of the President ’ s discretion under the law.
” Reapportionment is the redistribution of seats in the U.S. House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in each decennial census .
The Supreme Court blocked the administration ’ s effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census form , with a majority saying the administration ’ s rationale for the citizenship question — to help enforce voting rights — appeared to be contrived .
Dale Ho , director of the ACLU ’ s Voting Rights Project , said the order would be found unconstitutional by the courts .
“ The Constitution requires that everyone in the U.S. be counted in the census , ” Ho said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and choose .
He tried to add a citizenship question to the census and lost in the Supreme Court … We will see him in court , and win , again.
” The Census Bureau said last month that more than 90 million households had already responded to the 2020 Census with the majority doing it online .
People can still respond on their own online , over the phone or by mail — all without having to meet a census taker .
Only this past week , door-knockers started heading out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t yet answered the questionnaire .
Trump ’ s efforts to add the citizenship question drew fury and backlash from critics who alleged that it was intended to discourage participation in the survey , not only by people living in the country illegally but also by citizens who fear that participating would expose noncitizen family members to repercussions .
After the Supreme Court blocked the citizenship question from being asked , Trump ordered the Census Bureau to gather citizenship data from the administrative records of federal and state agencies .
That order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the overwhelming majority of states have refused to share information about driver ’ s licenses and ID cards .
However , four states with Republican governors are cooperating , with Iowa , South Carolina and South Dakota recently joining Nebraska in agreeing to share state driver ’ s license information with the U.S. Census Bureau .
Trump ’ s move comes in the lead-up to the November election as he is trying to motivate his base supporters with fresh action against illegal immigration , which was a mainstay of his 2016 campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when you could proudly declare , ’ I am a citizen of the United States.
’ But now , the radical left is trying to erase the existence of this concept and conceal the number of illegal aliens in our country ’ , ” Trump said .
“ This is all part of a broader left-wing effort to erode the rights of Americans citizens , and I will not stand for it.
” It ’ s not the first time that an attempt had been made to keep out immigrants living here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequent allocation of congressional seats .
In 1979 , the Federation for American Immigration Reform and several members of Congress sued , demanding that the 1980 census exclude undocumented immigrants from apportionment .
The case was dismissed , said Margo Anderson , a history professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee .
In Alabama , state officials and Republican U.S .
Congressman Mo Brooks are suing the Census Bureau to exclude people in the country illegally from being counted when determining congressional seats for each state .
“ It ’ s clear if true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will suck energy out of what the bureau is trying to do now , namely get the field enumeration going efficiently , ” said Anderson in an email .
by Kevin Freking and Mike Schneider are reporters for The Associated Press .
AP writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report .
Schneider reported from Orlando , Fla. About the Headline Photo : President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. , and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif. , in the Oval Office of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , in Washington .
( AP Photo/Evan Vucci )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Eldorado Finishes $17.3B Buyout of Caesars Entertainment

LAS VEGAS , Nevada ( AP ) — A Nevada company that started in 1973 with a single hotel-casino in Reno announced Monday it has completed a $ 17.3 billion buyout of Caesars Entertainment Corp. and will take the iconic company ’ s name going forward as the largest casino owner in the world .
Eldorado Resorts Inc. said the combined company will now own and operate more than 55 casino properties in 16 U.S. states , including eight resorts on the Las Vegas Strip .
“ We are pleased to have completed this transformative merger , ” Tom Reeg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now CEO of Caesars Entertainment Inc. said in a statement .
Reeg promised to welcome the combined company ’ s tens of thousands of employees and to create value for stakeholders using “ strategic initiatives that will position the company for continued growth.
” The buyout also affects Caesars properties in the United Kingdom , Egypt , Canada , Dubai and a golf course in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau .
The company vaulted over MGM Resorts International as the world ’ s largest casino operation .
Trading under the Caesars stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Anthony Carano , company president and chief operating officer .
“ We ’ re excited as a company and a family to lead such an iconic gambling company with 80,000 team members all over the country , ” Carano said .
The company plans to shed several properties to satisfy antitrust concerns raised before approvals were granted by the Federal Trade Commission and regulators in Indiana and New Jersey .
In Nevada , executives have said they may sell at least one Las Vegas Strip property .
Carano acknowledged the combined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt and has billions in additional obligations to VICI Properties and another real estate investment trust , Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc .
He said that the company was “ in a great financial position as Caesars going forward from here ” and will reduce debt .
Properties outside the U.S. will likely be sold , he said .
The New Jersey Casino Control Commission approved the deal Friday , after the combined company announced plans to sell Bally ’ s Atlantic City .
That will leave Caesars Entertainment with three of nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harrah ’ s and the Tropicana .
Executives promised federal regulators the company will sell sites in Kansas City , Missouri ; South Lake Tahoe , California ; and Shreveport , Louisiana .
Reeg told Indiana regulators that casinos in Evansville and Elizabeth would likely be sold , with a sale of a casino in Hammond possible .
In Las Vegas , the combined company now owns Caesars Palace , Paris Las Vegas , Planet Hollywood , Harrah ’ s Las Vegas , the Flamingo , Linq Hotel , Cromwell , Bally ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strip .
It will be one of the largest employers in Nevada .
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn will be the largest single shareholder , with more than 10 % of the combined company and three members on the new company board , Carano said .
Icahn acquired a large block of Caesars shares after that company emerged from bankruptcy protection in late 2017 .
Carano called the financier “ integral ” to the merger .
Eldorado founder Don Carano and his family developed a winemaking and casino empire that grew into 26 gambling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 states before the buyout .
Carano died in 2017 .
Anthony Carano , a grandson , counted nine family members still involved in company affairs .
Caesars Entertainment had some 65,000 employees before casino closures in March due to the coronavirus pandemic , including 30,000 in Nevada .
Most of its properties have reopened .
The merger also involves properties in Arizona , Colorado , Florida , Illinois , Iowa , Mississippi , North Carolina , Ohio , Pennsylvania and Maryland .
J.P. Morgan , Credit Suisse and Macquarie Capital served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ritter is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this June 24 , 2019 , file photo , the Eldorado Resort Casino stands in Reno , Nev. A Nevada company that started in 1973 in Reno has completed a $ 17.3 billion buyout of Caesars Entertainment Corp. and will take the iconic company ’ s name going forward as the largest casino owner in the world .
Eldorado Resorts said Monday , July 20 , 2020 , it now owns more than 55 casino properties in 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Review-Journal via AP , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Issues of Substance: Jeff Hartline Explains His Commentary for Endorsing Manny Sethi for the Tenness

Issues of Substance: Jeff Hartline Explains His Commentary for Endorsing Manny Sethi for the Tennessee US Senate Seat

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Jeff Hartline to the studio .
At the top of the second hour , Hartline weighed in on his recent commentary where he has endorsed Manny Sethi .
He explained the third and fourth paragraphs of the piece which cited the candidate ’ s differences of connectivity and substance .
Leahy : We are joined in studio by our good friend for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Good morning Jeff .
Hartline : Good morning Michael .
Good to be here .
Leahy : You called in on Thursday when Carol Swain was talking about her op-ed commentary supporting Bill Hagerty .
The former ambassador of Japan Bill Hagerty who is running for Senate .
Things are heating up in that Republican .
We had a poll by JMC Analytics that shows Hagerty up by three with 32 percent undecided .
That ’ s significant if true .
JMC Analytics .
I ’ ve seen their polling before .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poll showing Bill Lee in the lead the last couple of weeks before his election .
But I ’ ve reported on them often in Breitbart and they are basically a pretty good group .
Hartline : I ’ m not surprised by that .
Leahy : 32 percent of undecided is very interesting .
It seems to me this is heating up .
Lots of charges back and forth .
And we want to do at The Tennessee Star and The Tennessee Star Report is to give all of our readers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a decision here .
And so as part of that , people we know are invited to write their commentaries about who they favor .
And for the best ones , we bring them in and talk to them .
So Carol started that off with her endorsement of Bill Hagerty last week .
And you called in and had a healthy discussion with Carol .
Leahy : I thought it was good and very respectful .
Different points of view .
So I invited you , Jeff , to write your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And so here you are today willing to take all calls on why you support Manny Sethi and oppose Bill Hagerty .
I thought it was interesting .
A lot of your piece here you start off with issues of style .
Those seem to be something you led with .
Talk about that a little bit .
Hartline : For me , it ’ s not so much style maybe I didn ’ t speak clearly here or write clearly .
It was more about issues of substance .
And issues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tennessee over the last several years is that we ’ ve had our United States senators seeming to work against their own constituents as evidenced by the fact that Bob Corker couldn ’ t ’ even run for re-election .
Hartline : Couldn ’ t even run for election because he knew he wasn ’ t going to make it .
Leahy : Mercifully gone .
Thank God Marsha is there .
Hartline : This was an opportunity in my judgment to make a move in the right direction for the citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get the impression from being around ambassador Hagerty and listening to him speak .
Finally , we actually got to hear words from him on television .
He just seems so put together by somebody else as opposed to having a passion of his own .
That ’ s where I ’ m coming from .
Leahy : There are issues of style and substance in your commentary in the third in the fourth paragraphs .
You said , “ You had the opportunity to hear both candidates at a Wilson County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Your quote , “ Hagerty was completely unpolished as a speaker , completely oblivious to the people in the room whom most he never attempted to connect with and lacking in energy .
He did , however , remind us ad nauseam that he was endorsed by President Trump.
” Hartline : Yeah , we got that .
That came rolling through .
Leahy : “ Sethi , on the other hand .
Worked the room tirelessly , shaking hands , meeting voters of all ages and some non-voting youngsters , smiling broadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His remarks were crisp and energy-laden , connecting on issue after issue and making clear his intention to add one more Senator who would support the President ’ s efforts without fail.
” Those are your words .
Third and fourth paragraphs .
You do get a lot into the substance here , but that ’ s a style issue .
And you are not the first person to make that comment .
Hartline : I would say from a standpoint of connectivity of a candidate to a voter .
For instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know my wife .
Hartline : Exactly .
There is not a person in the world .
Leahy : She is a sainted wife and we know that to be true .
( Chuckles ) Hartline : There ’ s not a person in the world that ’ s running for office that could fool her .
If she had 30 seconds to sit in front of someone and have a conversation she ’ d be able to read them like a book .
When you are not willing to get out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to face it ’ s a problem .
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 .
Photo “ Manny Sethi ” by Manny Sethi .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Clint Brewer Weighs in on Current Polling for the Tennessee U.S. Senate Race

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed public affairs strategist Clint Brewer in the studio .
Leahy : We are in the studio with our good friend Clint Brewer .
We ’ ll get to the systemic racism discussion in the next segment .
But I want to talk a little bit here about an interesting story at The Tennessee Star and get your take on it .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louisiana .
They ’ ve done some pretty good polling in Louisiana .
They may or may not have some connection to the Sethi campaign .
I don ’ t know the details of that .
But it ’ s presented as an independent poll .
The result shows 30 percent for Hagerty and 27 percent for Sethi and 32 percent undecided .
That ’ s a very if true and they claim a four percent margin , if true , that ’ s a very very high undecided .
What do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s remarkably high this close to election day .
I don ’ t even know what to make of it , its so high .
I would think that people would have figured which corner they were in and would have gone to it by now .
And it doesn ’ t surprise me that the race is close .
It ’ s obviously getting to be a more competitive race as time goes on .
But yes , that ’ s shocking .
I don ’ t know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you ’ d have to look at how it ’ s always a debate in Tennessee how you sample the three grand divisions .
Leahy : I ’ m glad you brought that up .
So this was conducted July 17 to July 18 with the three grand divisions of West , Middle , and East .
It caught my attention because they did share the geographical breakdown and they only had 11 percent from West Tennessee .
That seems far far far too low for a Republican primary .
Brewer : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of politics probably associate Memphis with a pretty Democratic stronghold .
Which is true .
Brewer : The larger Shelby County is a massive block of Republican voters .
I ’ m no political scientist but that sounds low to me .
Leahy : And also George Flynn who is a nice guy and a doctor and made a lot of money with an invention .
A perennial candidate running again for Senate showed up at three percent in this poll and five percent in the others .
He ’ d probably get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being he ’ s from Memphis obviously you understand that there .
I would expect him to do a little bit better in this race of Tennessee .
Brewer : At this point , five percent is gold , right ?
Leahy : If the margin is as low as that poll says .
Now the Hagerty campaign says the margin is plus 17 for Hagerty in their internal poll .
I don ’ t know .
Leahy : Look , the polling narratives they come and go .
I do think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for full disclosure , you have worked for Bill Hagerty correct ?
Brewer : I have yes and Bill Hagerty is a friend and I certainly will be voting for him .
Leahy : Tell our listening audience in what capacity you worked for Bill .
Brewer : I was an assistant commissioner under Bill at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development when Bill Haslam was governor .
And worked with him for three years .
Leahy : And you ’ ve talked about his intelligence and hard work .
Generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regard for him .
Brewer : I think we would be incredibly fortunate to have Bill Hagerty as our U.S .
Senator .
I have not met anyone in my 50 years who is as intelligent and business savvy with an understanding of government politics and how to govern and how to lead more than Bill Hagerty .
I don ’ t know Dr. Sethi .
I don ’ t .
I had my mind made up before the race started .
Brewer : Yes .
Yes .
Myself and the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the way .
Leahy : I don ’ t know if you know this but President Trump has endorsed Bill .
Leahy : Did you know that ?
( Laughs ) Brewer : In all seriousness look , this is the kind of person in Bill Hagerty that you lay awake at night hoping and praying goes into public service .
He would just be a fine fine U.S .
Senator .
And I think would represent the state well .
I think he could do a lot of good for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story at tennseeestar.com .
Manny Sethi Challenges Bill Hagerty to a Debate .
Let me read this and get your reaction , Clint .
US Senate candidate on Manny Sethi on Monday invited opponent Bill Hagerty to join him for a public debate on major issues .
Sethi said in an email stated to the media on his Facebook page , early voting has begun and voters want to hear directly from Ambassador Hagerty and myself discussing our differences .
“ It ’ s simple and it ’ s time for Ambassador Hagerty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race .
And with COVID limiting voter interaction for the past few months most folks haven ’ t been able to hear from the candidates directly .
This is a great way to allow that to happen .
I look forward to debating him soon.
” Here ’ s what the Hagerty campaign said in response to that .
“ With just 16 days to go until election day our focus is sharing Bill ’ s positive conservative message with actual Tennessee voters .
Not partaking in political stunts with a desperate candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary.
” What ’ s your reaction to that ?
Brewer : ( Scoffs ) Well , a couple of things .
One , we were talking about this outside poll earlier .
There are outside polls and then the candidates have their own internal polls .
A debate challenge this late in the process coupled with a response that says we don ’ t need to debate you suggests that maybe the Hagerty campaign has some internal polling that says that they don ’ t have a need to get on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So you would say that this would indicate they believe they have a lead .
Leahy : And that they don ’ t want to give him the opportunity to punch into that lead .
Brewer : At the end of the day you are trying to win , right ?
This is a zero-sum game .
You ’ re not trying to have a good showing .
You are trying to win .
If they believe they ’ re up and they ’ re own numbers show that they are up then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them to take time to debate .
It ’ s not just the exposure on the stage it is the time it takes to prep for a debate properly .
That ’ s a lot of time you are not out there talking to people .
That ’ s a lot of time your staff has negotiated the terms of the debate and the setting .
It ’ s a lot of time .
I participated in running the Blackburn-Bredesen debate last time around at Cumberland University and setting that up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of man-hours in the month leading up to it to get the thing right .
It was very well done .
But it ’ s a time investment .
And you only have so much time on the trail between now and election day .
It sounds to me like the Hagerty campaign has a lead and doesn ’ t feel the need to give Dr. Sethi the airtime .
Leahy : What about the voters ?
Don ’ t the voters deserve to hear a debate between the two leading candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know .
It depends on who is putting on the debate .
Where is the debate ?
How is the debate televised ?
Are the voters actually going to be able to hear it ?
What are the media organizations ?
Who are the moderators ?
Who is choosing the questions ?
There are a lot of variables that can make a difference for a very substantive debate and one that ’ s just kind of a waste of time for everybody .
I think debates can be a value add for voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that every race demands that we have an old school political debate .
With all of the resources at their fingertips now .
If the voters haven ’ t heard their views yet , I don ’ t know if they are going to .
Leahy : On the political side , does that hurt Hagerty for not agreeing to a debate ?
Brewer : I don ’ t think so .
I think political debates are something that doesn ’ t have merit because I think they do have merit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m just not sure that ’ s there anymore .
Leahy : For the record , I favor debates for major candidates .
Brewer : I favor them too .
I don ’ t know that the majority of people that need to tune in tune in .
I think it may be more people like us .
Listen to the full third 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Manny Sethi ” by Manny Sethi .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Commentary: Trump’s Law and Order Agenda Is Making Black America Safer Again

In the wake of George Floyd ’ s death , America has been presented with a false narrative about blacks and law enforcement .
Elite progressive voices have pushed a radical idea : Law enforcement is the embodiment of bigotry in America and that “ defunding ” or even banning the police department is the solution that blacks want most .
But nothing could be further from the truth , as I explain in Chapter 4 , “ Stop or I ’ ll Shoot , ” of “ How Trump is Making Black America Great Again.
” It turns out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law and order as the rest of the country , if not more so .
For instance , it was only last month that Rasmussen released a poll showing that blacks are the most fearful of their communities becoming less safe if police are not around .
A staggering 67 % of blacks say that the growing criticism of America ’ s police will lead to a shortage of police officers and reduce public safety in the community where they live .
That ’ s a 3 percentage points higher fear level than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact is that black communities suffer far more from under-policing violent crime than from over-policing .
In a city like Chicago , the astronomical homicide rate has nothing to do with peace-officer shootings and is instead due to intentional underfunding of law enforcement .
This strangulation of the Chicago Police Department results in elevated emergency response times and a mounting list of unsolved homicides .
This is a concern across the nation .
Blacks know this , and that ’ s one reason why , contrary to media perceptions , black men disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men are only 6.2 % of the population , they make up more than 11 % of all law enforcement officers nationwide .
Here ’ s the truth : Time-tested traditional law enforcement solutions work , and that ’ s the reason that over the past three years , the Trump administration has pushed new grants for violent crime investigation , as well as higher funds to improve the skills of law enforcement personnel .
Consequently , neighborhoods have become safer in Memphis , Tennessee ; Tulsa , Oklahoma ; Indianapolis ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and due to greater coordination between local police and the feds .
But one city stands out : Chicago .
Liberal leaders like Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tend to express the issue of crime and policing in black neighborhoods in starkly Marxist terms ; i.e.
, that economic disparities and “ systemic racism ” are the primary cause of crime in black communities .
Notably , Lightfoot oversees one of the least business-friendly cities in the country .
Worse than the negative business climate , more Americans have been killed in Chicago than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq combined since Sept. 11 , 2001 .
This is why Trump appealed directly to Lightfoot and Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker two weeks ago , offering to bring needed resources and federal support to stop Chicago ’ s crime wave .
Black residents in Chicago are still waiting for the mayor to accept his offer .
When the left strangles law enforcement , inner-city residents—black and white—are hit with a double whammy .
They face high crime and limited economic opportunity .
Salary and employment cuts at the police department also disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , woke mob : Blacks , like all other Americans , want more law enforcement , not less .
It ’ s Not Government ’ s Responsibility to Protect You From Violent Crime Also , blacks know something that most woke elites don ’ t .
Private citizens have no constitutional right to police protection .
When you can ’ t sue the government for malfeasance when it fails to protect you from a violent crime , it is only logical that you ’ ll want greater funding for the police department and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a firearm to protect yourself .
A 1989 D.C .
Circuit Court decision involving the families of victims of brutal homicides has been replicated in courts all across the country .
The government is “ under no general duty to provide public services , such as police protection , to any individual citizen.
” In other words , if the police don ’ t show up , you ’ re on your own .
Less funding for the police makes this situation worse , not better .
The Right to Bear Arms Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latter front , blacks are seeking out lawful gun ownership in record numbers .
In fact , the National African American Gun Association , an organization that barely had four chapters in 2016 , has exploded its membership to over 110 chapters all across the country today .
The Second Amendment provides a vital way for blacks and whites to maintain autonomy and freedom .
And this right—frequently praised and supported by Trump—is increasingly the first ( and sometimes only ) line of defense for black families against the epidemic of violence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who look like them .
How Trump Is Making Black America Great Again Black Americans want what all other citizens want—safer communities and more police .
Trump ’ s defense of the Second Amendment and support for law enforcement rhetorically and financially have already benefited black America—both those who serve in blue and those whose neighborhoods have improved .
Gun ownership over the past three years has skyrocketed as more black Americans recognize the importance of supplementing law enforcement , not enabling crime .
Working collaboratively , inner-city communities can become safe places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosperity to the black community and to America overall .
Horace Cooper is co-chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board and author of “ How Trump is Making Black America Great Again : The Untold Story of Black Advancement in the Era of Trump .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Bill Hagerty Releases New TV Ad Attacking Manny Sethi

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty on Tuesday released a television ad that called out rival candidate Manny Sethi for not favoring the conservative agenda .
This , according to a press release that Hagerty ’ s staff posted on his campaign website that quoted campaign spokeswoman Abigail Sigler .
Hagerty ’ s campaign specifically called Sethi out for saying one thing and doing another , “ depending on where he lives and what is politically expedient at the time.
” “ Tennesseans can not trust Massachusetts Manny Sethi , who has been out on the campaign trail masquerading as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality he is the most liberal candidate in the race .
Facts are facts .
He didn ’ t donate a single dollar to Donald Trump ’ s campaign against Hillary Clinton and instead bankrolled Nancy Pelosi to help elect mob-rule radical Democrats to Congress , ” Sigler said .
“ Even worse , he promoted and defended Obamacare here in Tennessee .
You can see for yourself in the uncovered footage .
Tennesseans want their Senator to stand with President Trump and fight back against Nancy Pelosi and the bad policies implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperately wanted to be a part of .
President Trump knows he can count on Bill Hagerty because they ’ ve worked together for years and Bill has proven to be a trusted ally since day one ; it ’ s why the President endorsed Bill for Senate.
” Hagerty ’ s press release said Sethi , among other things , served on the board of the socialist Massachusetts Medical Society .
“ He is a coastal elite fraud , and Tennesseans deserve to know the truth , ” the press release said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hagerty leads Sethi by 3 percentage points – 30 percent to 27 percent – although 32 percent of voters remain undecided , according to a new poll that an out-of-state firm released Monday .
John Couvillon of the Louisiana-based JMC Analytics and Polling published the results , which he said has a 4 percent margin of error .
Sethi and Hagerty want to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) .
JMC asked voters who they ’ d vote for if the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters said they ’ d support Hagerty , while 27 percent would support Sethi .
Another candidate , George Flinn , would get 3 percent of the vote , while 8 percent would support another candidate .
And 32 percent of respondents remain undecided , according to the poll .
“ In summary , Bill Hagerty has a lead in the primary race for the U.S. Senate , but it ’ s not a secure lead against Manny Sethi , ” according to the JMC report .
According to the poll , Hagerty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undecided leaners are included , although that lead is within the statistical margin of error .
“ From a geographic standpoint , his [ Hagerty ’ s ] strongest area is in the western part of the state .
Similarly , he runs strongest among ‘ very conservative ’ voters ( 40-31 percent/47- 36 percent if undecided ‘ leaners ’ are included ) , ” JMC reported .
According to the poll ’ s crosstabs , Hagerty leads Sethi 31 percent to 16 percent in West Tennessee , and 30 percent to 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hagerty 30 percent to 29 percent in East Tennessee .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Manny Sethi ” by Bill Hagerty .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Michigan High School Fires Teacher After Pro-Trump Tweet

A Michigan high school is receiving backlash after it fired a teacher shortly after he tweeted “ Trump is our president.
” Varsity baseball coach and social studies teacher Justin Kucera said that Walled Lake school district gave him the option of being fired or resigning after he had tweeted his support of President Trump and for reopening schools , according to the Washington Free Beacon .
“ I was required to meet with [ human resources ] , the superintendent , and my principal [ on July 10 ] , ’ Kucera told the outlet .
“ They initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those tweets and they told me they would have a decision about my future employment in the upcoming days .
When they completed the meeting , I was told I had the option to either be fired or resign.
” Kucera had tweeted support of Trump on July 6 , as well as retweeted a message from the president saying “ schools must open in the fall.
” He said his intent was to unify , not divide .
“ I know a lot of people are just rooting for Trump to fail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that anybody should do that , ” Kucera told the Free Beacon .
“ Agree with him or not , you should want the president to do well .
I apologized that [ my tweet ] brought so much negative attention , but I ’ m not sorry for what I said.
” Multiple sources also told the outlet that Kucera refrained from bringing politics into the classroom .
The school district said it does not comment on personnel issues “ as a matter of policy and practice , ” according to The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are difficult times in our community and across our country.
” “ When issues arise there ’ s a temptation to view items through the lens of our fractured political discourse .
Walled Lake encourages students and staff members to engage each other with mutual respect and civility , ” the district told The Blaze .
“ We believe in the power of education and critical thinking .
We believe vigorous community discussion , done with civility and mutual respect , leads to productive and innovative outcomes .
In the Walled Lake Schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discourse and working together to make decisions that benefit our community.
” The Free Beacon also reported that several other teachers have made political remarks both inside and outside the classroom , but still kept their jobs .
Paulette Loe , a now-retired Walled Lake Western teacher , encouraged students to read an article from the Atlantic about how to beat Trump .
Nicole Estes , who is still employed at Keith Elementary School , called Trump a “ sociopath ” and a “ narcissist ” on Facebook in 2016 .
Jordyn Pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ Justin Kucera ” by Justin Kucera .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Republican Candidate Lacy Johnson Outraised Ilhan Omar in 2020’s Second Quarter

Lacy Johnson raised four times more in campaign contributions than Ilhan Omar ( D-MN-05 ) , the Democrat incumbent , during this year ’ s second quarter .
In a recent tweet , Johnson , the leading Republican candidate , detailed that his campaign took in $ 2 million , while Omar ’ s campaign posted only $ 471,000 in donations .
According to the Federal Election Commission , Omar has raised 22 percent more for her campaign in total .
She has taken in $ 3.8 million to date , while Johnson raised $ 3.17 million .
Currently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hand , while Johnson has half that amount .
Eighty percent of Johnson ’ s donations are unitemized , meaning they are less than $ 200 each and no identifying data is collected .
Small donations indicate that his campaign is as he claimed on Twitter recently is “ a grassroots campaign that counts on donations from patriots like you.
” Omar garnered a similar amount through unitemized contributions .
The campaigns differ in that Omar received more than twice as much in itemized donations at $ 1.5 million .
Most itemized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state .
As a candidate , Lacy is running in the Republican primary to represent Minnesota ’ s 5th Congressional District .
There are two other contenders : Danielle Stella , who has raised $ 136K to date , and Dalia al-Aqidi , who has taken in $ 181K .
Johnson ’ s campaign has two major items : “ Stop Ilhan : Learn the Truth about Ilhan Omar , ” and provide his constituents with an alternative representative who won ’ t take their votes for granted .
“ Ilhan Omar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” his campaign website states .
“ We must expose her extremism to the people of Minnesota.
” Johnson was born in Natchez , Mississippi , moved north and graduated from the University of Minnesota .
His career has been immersed mostly in software programming and systems engineering .
He helped found a charter school and heads a startup dedicated to aiding disadvantaged young people to establish high-tech careers .
The primary election will be held on August 11 .
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Minnesota permits no-excuse early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections offices .
The first day to vote early was June 26 , and the last day is August 10 .
Voter registration may be done online or via print forms until July 21 .
Voters may also register in person on Election Day or when they vote early .
Patrick J. McCloskey is a reporter at The Ohio Star .
Send tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--George Floyd Riots Caused Over $6 Million in Damages to Downtown Cleveland Businesses and Property O

George Floyd Riots Caused Over $6 Million in Damages to Downtown Cleveland Businesses and Property Owners

The wave of unrest in Cleveland that followed the controversial death of George Floyd caused an estimated $ 6.38 million in damages to downtown businesses and property owners , according to Downtown Cleveland Alliance ( DCA ) President and CEO Joe Marinucci .
DCA is a non-profit organization that works with downtown Cleveland entities to “ make it the most compelling place to live , work and play.
” Marinucci made these comments at a Cuyahoga County Board meeting on Monday , cleveland.com reports .
The DCA president estimated the damages came from $ 3.38 million in physical property destruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business from the May 30 riots .
DCA ’ s numbers reflect the 103 applications , 88 from businesses and 15 from property owners , that it received as a result of the vandalism done to downtown Cleveland , according to News5Cleveland .
The three top businesses that applied for the DCA ’ s fund for help were restaurants , retailers and fitness installations .
Paul Herdeg , the deputy chief economic development officer for Cuyahoga County , told the board that these downtown Cleveland businesses accrued around $ 2.07 million in losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To help businesses damaged during the George Floyd riots , the board approved $ 300,000 to the DCA fund , according to cleveland.com .
Business owners who applied for help will receive no more than $ 50,000 .
Downtown Cleveland is not the only place in Ohio that was damaged during the George Floyd riots .
At the Ohio Statehouse , protesters who defaced the Capitol on two separate occasions caused $ 158,000 in damages .
Earlier this month , state Rep. Jeff LaRe ( R-Violet Township ) introduced a bill that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prosecute crimes on state property in downtown Columbus .
This proposal comes after the City of Columbus failed to prosecute anyone who damaged the Ohio Statehouse .
“ I support the constitutional right of people to peacefully assemble and protest .
That ’ s an important cornerstone of our democracy , ” LaRe said in a statement .
“ But destruction and violence is a crime .
And when crimes are not prosecuted , it sends the message that the criminal activity is not only condoned but endorsed.
” Zachery Schmidt is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] .
Follow Zachery on Twitter @ zacheryschmidt2 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-22--Minnesota Lawmakers Pass Police Accountability Package

MINNEAPOLIS , Minnesota ( AP ) — The Minnesota Legislature passed a broad slate of police accountability measures early Tuesday that includes a ban on neck restraints like the one that was used on George Floyd before his death in Minneapolis .
The package also bans chokeholds and so-called warrior-style training , which critics say promotes excessive force .
It imposes a duty to intercede on officers who see a colleague using excessive force .
It changes rules on the use of force to stress the sanctity of life .
It makes changes in arbitration rules affecting police unions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people with mental health issues and autism .
The measure also creates a new advisory council for the state board that licenses officers .
“ This is a really a great bill , but it is only a first step , ” Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman , of Brooklyn Park , said at a news conference .
“ It paves the way for transformational change , but it doesn ’ t bring about transformational change.
” Democratic House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler , of Golden Valley , told reporters that Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powder keg ” as long as its racial inequities in health , education , income and policing continue to exist .
“ It is vitally important for the world to see us pass this legislation , ” Winkler said .
“ Of course , it ’ s more important to protect the lives of people in our state .
But Minnesota , I think , has suffered a severe reputational hit in the world .
And it ’ s because we have revealed the truth of our state , which is that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to racial equality .
And that can not continue.
” Passage came after nearly two months of difficult negotiations that followed Floyd ’ s death May 25 and the ensuring unrest that spread around the world over police brutality and racism .
The Black man was restrained face down in the street while handcuffed and with three officers holding him down , including a white officer who had a knee to Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
The Republican-controlled Senate sent the bill to Democratic Gov .
Tim Walz on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the special session .
The House approved the package 102-29 just before midnight .
Walz said he plans to sign it .
“ George Floyd ’ s death brought the need for meaningful police reform into sharp focus for Minnesotans across the state , ” the governor said in a statement .
“ After decades of advocacy by communities of color and Indigenous communities , the bipartisan passage of these measures is a critical step toward justice.
” Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka , of East Gull Lake , told WCCO Radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of really good things ” from both parties and was backed by law enforcement groups .
Walz had to call the special session , the second in as many months , to give lawmakers a chance to rescind the emergency powers he ’ s been using to respond to the coronavirus pandemic .
The House Democratic majority last week blocked a GOP effort to void those powers , just as it did in June .
Lawmakers then turned their attention to policing .
The governor will have to call another special session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he extends his emergency authority again .
And that would give lawmakers another chance to pass one of their main unfinished pieces of business , a public construction package known as a bonding bill .
They ’ ve been unable to agree on that all year .
The House voted 75-57 in favor of the $ 1.8 billion package early Tuesday .
But bonding bills require a three-fifths majority .
That would have required at least six votes from Republicans , who withheld their support in a dispute over Walz ’ s reliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break that would have benefited farmers and businesses trying to rebuild from the unrest that Democrats added to the package did not sway the House GOP .
Hortman said the outlook for passing a bonding bill next month is “ murky ” because the looming campaign season can only make passing it harder .
Steve Karnowski is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : House Speaker Melissa Hortman , DFL-Brooklyn Park , gavels in another special session Monday , July 20 , 2020 in St. Paul , Minn. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anne Neu , R-North Branch .
( Glenn Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP )