thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Michigan Judge Rejects Lawsuit to Overturn Election Results: ‘The People Have Spoken’

A federal judge on Monday denied a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Nov. 3 , 2020 , election results in favor of President Donald Trump , saying it would “ ignore the will of millions of voters.
” U.S. District Court Judge Linda Parker of Michigan ’ s Eastern District in Detroit wrote the opinion .
The “ lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs seek – as much of that relief is beyond the power of this Court – and more about the impact of their allegations on People ’ s faith in the democratic process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Parker wrote .
The lawsuit was preceded by at least four others aiming to change state election results , but all were unsuccessful , with one judge deeming the allegations “ not credible.
” Similarly , Parker , an Obama appointee from 2014 , wrote : “ With nothing but speculation and conjecture that votes for President Trump were destroyed , discarded or switched to votes for Vice President Biden , Plaintiffs ’ equal protection claim fails.
” “ The closest Plaintiffs get to alleging that election machines and software changed votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wayne County is an amalgamation of theories , conjecture , and speculation that such alterations were possible , ” Parker wrote .
Last week , Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani spent hours in a Lansing committee hearing claiming election fraud , much of which were derived from conspiracy theories already debunked by election officials .
On the same day , U.S. Attorney General William Barr said he hadn ’ t seen election fraud on a scale that could have changed the election results .
The lawsuit , brought by Michigan Republicans and conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to decertify the Nov. 3 election results and “ to transmit certified election results that state that President Donald Trump is the winner of the election , ” among other things .
The lawsuit follows a tense presidential election and certification process .
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers on Nov. 17 initially deadlocked on election certification results .
But in an abrupt change , the two Republican members changed their votes .
Later , they attempted to rescind those votes , citing threats to their families .
Republican Wayne County Canvasser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her family and graphic photos of naked , dead women and a photo of her daughter “ letting me know that that ’ s what ’ s going to happen to my daughter.
” On Sunday , armed protesters gathered at Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ’ s home to protest election results .
“ This mob-like behavior is an affront to basic morality and decency , ” Nessel said in a statement .
“ In a civil society , there are many ways to peaceably assemble and demonstrate.
” Whitmer tweeted Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials , no matter their party , are dangerous and unacceptable .
This must stop .
Now is the time to come together against our common enemy : COVID-19.
” Whitmer never condemned the threats against the Republican election officials , although Nessel did start an investigation .
Powell ’ s lawsuit targeted Whitmer , Benson and the Board of State Canvassers .
“ If granted , the relief would disenfranchise the votes of the more than 5.5 million Michigan citizens who , with dignity , hope , and a promise of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election , ” Parker wrote .
“ The Court declines to grant Plaintiffs this relief.
” Trump lost Michigan by 154,000 votes to presumptive President-elect Joe Biden .
The Board of State Canvassers certified the results on Nov. 23 .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Photo “ Judge Linda Parker ” by FBA Michigan .
“ Michigan Eastern District Courthouse Hallway ” by United States Michigan Eastern District @ @

by Scott McClallen
A federal judge on Monday denied a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Nov. 3, 2020, election results in favor of President Donald Trump, saying it would “ignore the will of millions of voters.”
U.S. District Court Judge Linda Parker of Michigan’s Eastern District in Detroit wrote the opinion.
The “lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs seek – as much of that relief is beyond the power of this Court – and more about the impact of their allegations on People’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government,” Parker wrote.
The lawsuit was preceded by at least four others aiming to change state election results, but all were unsuccessful, with one judge deeming the allegations “not credible.”
Similarly, Parker, an Obama appointee from 2014, wrote: “With nothing but speculation and conjecture that votes for President Trump were destroyed, discarded or switched to votes for Vice President Biden, Plaintiffs’ equal protection claim fails.”
“The closest Plaintiffs get to alleging that election machines and software changed votes for President Trump to Vice President Biden in Wayne County is an amalgamation of theories, conjecture, and speculation that such alterations were possible,” Parker wrote.
Last week, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani spent hours in a Lansing committee hearing claiming election fraud, much of which were derived from conspiracy theories already debunked by election officials.
On the same day, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said he hadn’t seen election fraud on a scale that could have changed the election results.
The lawsuit, brought by Michigan Republicans and conservative lawyer Sidney Powell, sought a court order to decertify the Nov. 3 election results and “to transmit certified election results that state that President Donald Trump is the winner of the election,” among other things.
The lawsuit follows a tense presidential election and certification process.
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers on Nov. 17 initially deadlocked on election certification results. But in an abrupt change, the two Republican members changed their votes.
Later, they attempted to rescind those votes, citing threats to their families.
Republican Wayne County Canvasser Monica Palmer said she received threats against her family and graphic photos of naked, dead women and a photo of her daughter “letting me know that that’s what’s going to happen to my daughter.”
On Sunday, armed protesters gathered at Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home to protest election results.
Attorney General Dana Nessel and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer quickly decried the protesters.
“This mob-like behavior is an affront to basic morality and decency,” Nessel said in a statement. “In a civil society, there are many ways to peaceably assemble and demonstrate.”
Whitmer tweeted Sunday night, “Threats against our elected officials, no matter their party, are dangerous and unacceptable. This must stop. Now is the time to come together against our common enemy: COVID-19.”
Threats against our elected officials, no matter their party, are dangerous and unacceptable. This must stop. Now is the time to come together against our common enemy: COVID-19. https://t.co/MtCoEyqxQG — Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) December 7, 2020
Whitmer never condemned the threats against the Republican election officials, although Nessel did start an investigation.
Powell’s lawsuit targeted Whitmer, Benson and the Board of State Canvassers.
“If granted, the relief would disenfranchise the votes of the more than 5.5 million Michigan citizens who, with dignity, hope, and a promise of a voice, participated in the 2020 General Election,” Parker wrote. “The Court declines to grant Plaintiffs this relief.”
Trump lost Michigan by 154,000 votes to presumptive President-elect Joe Biden. The Board of State Canvassers certified the results on Nov. 23.
Read the full 36 page order here.
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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org.
Photo “Judge Linda Parker” by FBA Michigan. “Michigan Eastern District Courthouse Hallway” by United States Michigan Eastern District Court.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Warnock Would Be ‘Rubber Stamp’ for Democratic Agendas Including Packing Supreme Court, Senator Loef

Warnock Would Be ‘Rubber Stamp’ for Democratic Agendas Including Packing Supreme Court, Senator Loeffler’s Campaign Says

Raphael Warnock would be a “ rubber stamp ” for radical Democratic agendas that include packing the Supreme Court , the campaign for U.S .
Senator Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) said .
Loeffler ’ s campaign on Monday rapped Warnock for repeatedly deflecting questions on the topic .
Warnock has refused repeated questions on the topic , including Sunday at the Atlanta Press Club debate .
Stephen Lawson , Loeffler ’ s deputy campaign manager , said in a statement , “ By repeatedly refusing to answer the question , it ’ s clear that radical liberal Raphael Warnock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court with liberal justices .
Packing the Supreme Court would be an unchecked power grab — creating a new legislative branch , fast-tracking the far-left ’ s socialist agenda , and handing radical Democrats permanent power.
” “ Not only would Warnock support Court packing , he would also be a rubber stamp for Chuck Schumer to raise taxes , socialize healthcare , pass the Green New Deal , defund the police , and gut our military .
On January 5th , Georgia voters are going to reject Warnock ’ s radical agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kelly Loeffler back to the United States Senate , ” Lawson said .
Video clips of his refusals may be watched here .
“ I ’ m really not focused on it , ” Warnock said during the debate .
“ And I think that too often , the politics in Washington has been about the politicians.
” Also , in an interview , available on the video , he said , “ I think they ’ re trying to divide us.
” When asked again , he said , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns of ordinary people here in Georgia.
” Warnock is running in the Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff election against Loeffler , the incumbent .
Also running in the election is incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue ( R-GA ) against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff .
Republicans must win at least one of those races to hold onto Senate control to prevent Democrats from possibly pushing an agenda that includes court-packing , the Daily Caller News Foundation reported .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly Loeffler ” by Senator Kelly Loeffler .

Raphael Warnock would be a “rubber stamp” for radical Democratic agendas that include packing the Supreme Court, the campaign for U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) said.
Loeffler’s campaign on Monday rapped Warnock for repeatedly deflecting questions on the topic.
Warnock has refused repeated questions on the topic, including Sunday at the Atlanta Press Club debate.
Stephen Lawson, Loeffler’s deputy campaign manager, said in a statement, “By repeatedly refusing to answer the question, it’s clear that radical liberal Raphael Warnock would fully support packing the U.S. Supreme Court with liberal justices. Packing the Supreme Court would be an unchecked power grab — creating a new legislative branch, fast-tracking the far-left’s socialist agenda, and handing radical Democrats permanent power.”
“Not only would Warnock support Court packing, he would also be a rubber stamp for Chuck Schumer to raise taxes, socialize healthcare, pass the Green New Deal, defund the police, and gut our military. On January 5th, Georgia voters are going to reject Warnock’s radical agenda and send a proven leader and businessperson in Kelly Loeffler back to the United States Senate,” Lawson said.
Video clips of his refusals may be watched here.
“I’m really not focused on it,” Warnock said during the debate. “And I think that too often, the politics in Washington has been about the politicians.”
Also, in an interview, available on the video, he said, “I think they’re trying to divide us.”
When asked again, he said, “I’m really focused on representing the concerns of ordinary people here in Georgia.”
Warnock is running in the Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff election against Loeffler, the incumbent. Also running in the election is incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff.
Republicans must win at least one of those races to hold onto Senate control to prevent Democrats from possibly pushing an agenda that includes court-packing, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Senator Kelly Loeffler” by Senator Kelly Loeffler.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Democrat State Senator Morrissey Faces Charges in Virginia for 2019 Polling Place Violation

State Senator Joe Morrisey ( D-Richmond ) was charged last week for campaigning at a Richmond polling place in on Election Day in November 2019 .
According to a Morrissey press release , he faces three alleged misdemeanor violations of a Virginia statute that prohibits loitering within 40 feet of a polling place entrance , attempting to influence any person ’ s vote within 40 feet of the polling place , and to hinder voters from leaving or entering the polling place .
On November 5 , 2019 , Twitter user @ The_BKC posted a series of videos showing Morrissey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for photos with poll workers .
It ’ s unclear from the videos what Morrissey said , who he offered doughnuts to , or how close he is to the polling place entrance for how long .
@ The_BKC described the scene : “ So here ’ s video of Joe Morrissey saying forget the 40 feet rule and passing out donuts to election staff AND voters INSIDE my polling location…he thanked them for their support , invited them to his election night party and then took pictures…while I had to wait to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Monday , Morrissey told The Virginia Star that the videos show normal candidate behavior .
He said candidates often take food to offer to poll workers , and that he did not offer doughnuts to any voters , only to poll workers .
“ Senator Joe Morrissey visited a precinct in Churchill and delivered Krispy Kreme donuts to the interior poll workers .
Several of the workers asked to take a picture with Senator Morrissey and he obliged .
State law does not prohibit such actions .
Indeed , Virginia Code section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to visit the interior of a polling location for 10 minutes on Election Day , ” Morrissey said in a Facebook press release on Friday .
State Senator Scott Surovell ( D-Fairfax County ) , agreed that giving food to poll workers is not unusual .
Surovell said he couldn ’ t comment on the details of Morrissey ’ s charges , but he told The Virginia Star , “ If the crux of the problem is an elected official dropping off doughnuts or pizza or food to people working inside of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m kind of scratching my head what the issue is.
” In December 2019 , the Virginia State Police launched an investigation and Attorney General Mark Herring ( D ) approved it , according to WTVR .
“ In the ensuing 13 months , nobody contacted Senator Morrissey to discuss this matter with him .
The first time that Senator Morrissey heard anything was this past Monday , November 30 , 2020 , ” Morrissey ’ s press release said .
Morrissey told The Star that he thinks the charges are politically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s opponent for Attorney General in the 2021 Democratic primary , Jerrauld Jones .
However , according to WRIC , Herring spokesperson Charlotte Gomer has said that Herring was not the one who decided to charge Morrissey .
Gomer told VPM that Herring ’ s involvement was just a formality to allow the investigation to proceed .
Morrissey said he planned to campaign heavily for Jones as a result of Herring ’ s actions .
Morrissey said he would remind Democratic primary voters of Herring ’ s blackface scandal .
Morrissey also has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for his relationship with a 17-year-old employee , according to Ballotpedia .
The Senator gained a reputation for his unconventional style as a lawyer , and has faced charges before , including for contempt of court during a 1991 courtroom brawl , according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch .
Morrissey said it is unfair of media to cast his current charges in that light .
“ [ Herring ] is charged by law to seek justice , not penalize a recalcitrant Democrat , okay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with this .
My wife and our relationship has nothing to do with this , ” Morrissey said .
“ I ’ m certain that I have committed lots of flaws in my lifetime , and this ain ’ t one of them .
It really bothers me that our Attorney General in Virginia , who has already embarrassed the state with blackface , is spending the resources and the talent of his office to investigate “ doughnutgate , ” ” Morrissey said .
“ I promise you it will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not going to let anyone forget what he did , ” Morrissey said .
“ And my constituents in my district are furious.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Image “ Morrissey with Donuts ” by @ The_BKC .

State Senator Joe Morrisey (D-Richmond) was charged last week for campaigning at a Richmond polling place in on Election Day in November 2019. According to a Morrissey press release, he faces three alleged misdemeanor violations of a Virginia statute that prohibits loitering within 40 feet of a polling place entrance, attempting to influence any person’s vote within 40 feet of the polling place, and to hinder voters from leaving or entering the polling place.
On November 5, 2019, Twitter user @The_BKC posted a series of videos showing Morrissey with a box of doughnuts and posing for photos with poll workers. It’s unclear from the videos what Morrissey said, who he offered doughnuts to, or how close he is to the polling place entrance for how long.
So here’s video of Joe Morrissey saying forget the 40 feet rule and passing out donuts to election staff AND voters INSIDE my polling location…he thanked them for their support, invited them to his election night party and then took pictures…while I had to wait to check in https://t.co/Gr60cpLDqd pic.twitter.com/b9qEaa8Gzq — Miss Andry ✊🏽 (@The_BKC) November 5, 2019
@The_BKC described the scene: “So here’s video of Joe Morrissey saying forget the 40 feet rule and passing out donuts to election staff AND voters INSIDE my polling location…he thanked them for their support, invited them to his election night party and then took pictures…while I had to wait to check in,” she tweeted.
On Monday, Morrissey told The Virginia Star that the videos show normal candidate behavior. He said candidates often take food to offer to poll workers, and that he did not offer doughnuts to any voters, only to poll workers.
“Senator Joe Morrissey visited a precinct in Churchill and delivered Krispy Kreme donuts to the interior poll workers. Several of the workers asked to take a picture with Senator Morrissey and he obliged. State law does not prohibit such actions. Indeed, Virginia Code section §24.2-604 (E) specifically allows candidates to visit the interior of a polling location for 10 minutes on Election Day,” Morrissey said in a Facebook press release on Friday.
State Senator Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County), agreed that giving food to poll workers is not unusual. Surovell said he couldn’t comment on the details of Morrissey’s charges, but he told The Virginia Star, “If the crux of the problem is an elected official dropping off doughnuts or pizza or food to people working inside of a polling place for 15 hours, I’m kind of scratching my head what the issue is.”
In December 2019, the Virginia State Police launched an investigation and Attorney General Mark Herring (D) approved it, according to WTVR.
“In the ensuing 13 months, nobody contacted Senator Morrissey to discuss this matter with him. The first time that Senator Morrissey heard anything was this past Monday, November 30, 2020,” Morrissey’s press release said.
Morrissey told The Star that he thinks the charges are politically motivated, since he endorsed Herring’s opponent for Attorney General in the 2021 Democratic primary, Jerrauld Jones. However, according to WRIC, Herring spokesperson Charlotte Gomer has said that Herring was not the one who decided to charge Morrissey. Gomer told VPM that Herring’s involvement was just a formality to allow the investigation to proceed.
Morrissey said he planned to campaign heavily for Jones as a result of Herring’s actions. Morrissey said he would remind Democratic primary voters of Herring’s blackface scandal.
Morrissey also has a checkered past, including a 2014 misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for his relationship with a 17-year-old employee, according to Ballotpedia. The Senator gained a reputation for his unconventional style as a lawyer, and has faced charges before, including for contempt of court during a 1991 courtroom brawl, according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Morrissey said it is unfair of media to cast his current charges in that light. “[Herring] is charged by law to seek justice, not penalize a recalcitrant Democrat, okay? So my past history has nothing to do with this. My wife and our relationship has nothing to do with this,” Morrissey said.
“I’m certain that I have committed lots of flaws in my lifetime, and this ain’t one of them. It really bothers me that our Attorney General in Virginia, who has already embarrassed the state with blackface, is spending the resources and the talent of his office to investigate “doughnutgate,”” Morrissey said.
“I promise you it will be his Waterloo, because guess what? I’m not going to let anyone forget what he did,” Morrissey said. “And my constituents in my district are furious.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Image “Morrissey with Donuts” by @The_BKC.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Bristol, Virginia Takes Next Step Towards a Hard Rock Casino

The Bristol City Council unanimously approved naming HR Bristol LLC the city ’ s preferred gambling operator .
The Friday city council decision confirms what voters asked for in a November 2020 referendum – a Hard Rock Casino to be built in Bristol .
The decision wasn ’ t a a surprise , and the council didn ’ t bother discussing the motion before voting .
“ The City Council had previously pre-certified the project operator earlier this year ( in May ) .
This additional step , following approval of the project in a local referendum by Bristol , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November General Election , was required by state statute , ” project spokesman Andy Poarch told The Virginia Star .
Poarch said developers are expecting the Virginia Lottery to develop gaming regulations early in 2021 .
Then , the developers will apply for licensing , which could take up to a year for the Lottery to approve .
After that , developers plan to open gambling — but the full resort isn ’ t expected to open until the end of 2022 .
“ As we already have the existing infrastructure for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , we hope to open a temporary casino at the earliest possible opportunity so that we can start bringing new jobs to Bristol and the region and begin generating additional state and local tax revenue , ” Poarch said .
“ We hope to be in a position to open the full resort and casino by the end of 2022.
” The Bristol casino referendum won decisively , with 71.14 percent or 5,490 votes in favor of the casino out of 7,717 total , according to The Virginia Public Access Project .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ also passed , none of those referendums passed by more than 69 percent .
According to VPAP data , the Betting on Bristol PAC spent $ 1,021,274 in 2020 — about $ 186.02 per yes vote .
As first reported by The Herald Courier , the other casino referendum that saw more than $ 500,000 in spending in favor of the casino was in Norfolk .
The Yes Norfolk Referendum Committee spent $ 1,072,641 .
That referendum saw 57,741 yes votes — about $ 18.58 per yes vote .
A coalition of ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gambling addiction and questioning economic arguments for the casino .
“ Bristol is not an entertainment Mecca .
While a beautiful area , it does not have multiple options for out of town guests .
The majority of customers for regional casinos drive less than 70 miles , travel in their own cars and return to sleep in their own beds , ” states nobristolcasino.org .
In October , Bristol Mayor Bill Hartley told The Star that having a casino would be a clear win for the city .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in the process [ the developers ] are not asking for anything from the locality or the state other than the voters to approve the change in the law .
I think a lot of people see that.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Hard Rock Casino ” by Hard Rock Casino Biloxi .

The Bristol City Council unanimously approved naming HR Bristol LLC the city’s preferred gambling operator. The Friday city council decision confirms what voters asked for in a November 2020 referendum – a Hard Rock Casino to be built in Bristol. The decision wasn’t a a surprise, and the council didn’t bother discussing the motion before voting.
“The City Council had previously pre-certified the project operator earlier this year (in May). This additional step, following approval of the project in a local referendum by Bristol, Virginia voters in this year’s November General Election, was required by state statute,” project spokesman Andy Poarch told The Virginia Star.
Poarch said developers are expecting the Virginia Lottery to develop gaming regulations early in 2021. Then, the developers will apply for licensing, which could take up to a year for the Lottery to approve. After that, developers plan to open gambling — but the full resort isn’t expected to open until the end of 2022.
“As we already have the existing infrastructure for the site (at the former Bristol Mall), we hope to open a temporary casino at the earliest possible opportunity so that we can start bringing new jobs to Bristol and the region and begin generating additional state and local tax revenue,” Poarch said. “We hope to be in a position to open the full resort and casino by the end of 2022.”
The Bristol casino referendum won decisively, with 71.14 percent or 5,490 votes in favor of the casino out of 7,717 total, according to The Virginia Public Access Project. Although the other casino referendums across Virginia also passed, none of those referendums passed by more than 69 percent.
According to VPAP data, the Betting on Bristol PAC spent $1,021,274 in 2020 — about $186.02 per yes vote. As first reported by The Herald Courier, the other casino referendum that saw more than $500,000 in spending in favor of the casino was in Norfolk. The Yes Norfolk Referendum Committee spent $1,072,641. That referendum saw 57,741 yes votes — about $18.58 per yes vote.
A coalition of ten Bristol churches opposed the casino, citing gambling addiction and questioning economic arguments for the casino.
“Bristol is not an entertainment Mecca. While a beautiful area, it does not have multiple options for out of town guests. The majority of customers for regional casinos drive less than 70 miles, travel in their own cars and return to sleep in their own beds,” states nobristolcasino.org.
In October, Bristol Mayor Bill Hartley told The Star that having a casino would be a clear win for the city.
“It’s a great boon for our city, and in the process [the developers] are not asking for anything from the locality or the state other than the voters to approve the change in the law. I think a lot of people see that.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Hard Rock Casino” by Hard Rock Casino Biloxi.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Ohio Will Stop Verifying Antigen Tests, Count Them All Positive

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine , whose party is considering impeachment and overriding his veto of a recent dually-passed bill to limit the pandemic powers of the Ohio Department of Health ( ODH ) , called a COVID briefing on Monday to update Ohioans on the state ’ s response to the virus .
The most significant announcement was that beginning on Tuesday , December 8 the state will no longer trace people who test positive from antigen tests to confirm results .
Previously , ODH required Ohioans who returned positive results on antigen tests – fraught with accuracy concerns -to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had either been in close contact with another COVID-positive person or had exhibited COVID symptoms before the test was counted .
Currently , there is a 12,600-test backlog that will hit the positive column tomorrow .
DeWine said the backlogged cases would be assigned an onset date , that not all of them would end up being positive and that it will result in a one-day artificial spike .
The Governor said the change comes after health officials significantly increased the use of antigen tests since November 1 and have tried to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positives – increasing from “ approximately 332 per day to an average of 725 per day.
” “ Just as the hospitals are feeling the effects of this surge in cases so the Department of Health epidemiologists , and the local health departments , these teams alerted us about three weeks ago that they were simply unable to keep up with the manual verification process for antigen tests because there ’ s such a wide spread of the virus throughout the state of Ohio.
” The long list of examples of test inefficacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took an antigen test and returned a false-positive , to the recent false-positive results of seven Kansas City Chiefs players .
Ohio reported the following COVID statistics on Monday : DeWine started the presser by saying “ seeing somewhat of a flattening out , we hope , of the cases .
Too early to tell , particularly with the aftermath of Thanksgiving .
But , it looks like certainly the rate of increase is slowing down as far as the cases.
” Then later said “ as the heads of hospitals have told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level .
So , we ’ ve got to not only slow it down from going up , we ’ ve got to begin taking it down.
” According to the Ohio hospital utilization website , updated as of Tuesday November 7 , current utilization is as follows : A newly added page to the Ohio COVID website reports that the Ohio Retail Compliance Unit visited over 230 retail locations around the state the week of November 23 and found mask compliance to be 94 % and social distancing compliance 97 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5:00 a.m. curfew and the masking compliance as the basis of his comments that cases may be starting to ebb .
“ And so , we hope that – we think that the curfew , as well as the masking order and enforcement ( where we ’ ve seen a great increase in retail establishments across the state – we thank everyone for doing that ) , we think those two things have slowed the rate of increase.
” However , as The Ohio Star reported any estimates regarding masking , distancing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Press Secretary Dan Tierney told The Star the projections were “ anecdotal observations from local officials and health departments.
” So , prior to the numbers released last week by the Ohio Investigative Unit , there was no evidence-based set of numbers to compare .
Governor DeWine did not mention any statewide , proactive measures to get understaffed hospitals more workers , nor did he mention any game plan to distribute , either preventatively or on an outpatient basis , approved drug therapies in order to stave off hospital admissions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star .
Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV .
Follow Jack on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, whose party is considering impeachment and overriding his veto of a recent dually-passed bill to limit the pandemic powers of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), called a COVID briefing on Monday to update Ohioans on the state’s response to the virus.
The most significant announcement was that beginning on Tuesday, December 8 the state will no longer trace people who test positive from antigen tests to confirm results.
Previously, ODH required Ohioans who returned positive results on antigen tests – fraught with accuracy concerns -to be up with to determine if they had either been in close contact with another COVID-positive person or had exhibited COVID symptoms before the test was counted.
Monday’s announcement eliminates that verification step going forward.
After understanding more about antigen tests, the CDC changed their definition in August. As a result, antigen tests, according to the CDC, could be included in case counts without additional verification,” said DeWine. He continued “we will begin reflecting those tests immediately in our daily reported case counts, moving forward.
Currently, there is a 12,600-test backlog that will hit the positive column tomorrow. DeWine said the backlogged cases would be assigned an onset date, that not all of them would end up being positive and that it will result in a one-day artificial spike.
The Governor said the change comes after health officials significantly increased the use of antigen tests since November 1 and have tried to keep up with the corresponding higher number of positives – increasing from “approximately 332 per day to an average of 725 per day.”
“Just as the hospitals are feeling the effects of this surge in cases so the Department of Health epidemiologists, and the local health departments, these teams alerted us about three weeks ago that they were simply unable to keep up with the manual verification process for antigen tests because there’s such a wide spread of the virus throughout the state of Ohio.”
The long list of examples of test inefficacy includes Ohio’s own Governor who took an antigen test and returned a false-positive, to the recent false-positive results of seven Kansas City Chiefs players.
Ohio reported the following COVID statistics on Monday:
9,273 cases
336 hospitalizations
40 ICU admissions
63 deaths
DeWine started the presser by saying “seeing somewhat of a flattening out, we hope, of the cases. Too early to tell, particularly with the aftermath of Thanksgiving. But, it looks like certainly the rate of increase is slowing down as far as the cases.”
Then later said “as the heads of hospitals have told me, it is unsustainable at this level. So, we’ve got to not only slow it down from going up, we’ve got to begin taking it down.”
According to the Ohio hospital utilization website, updated as of Tuesday November 7, current utilization is as follows:
Hospital beds: 72.09% total utilization (18.73% COVID)
ICU beds: 77.82% total utilization (24.03% COVID)
Ventilators: 40.4% total utilization (15.3% COVID)
A newly added page to the Ohio COVID website reports that the Ohio Retail Compliance Unit visited over 230 retail locations around the state the week of November 23 and found mask compliance to be 94% and social distancing compliance 97%.
DeWine lauded the statewide 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew and the masking compliance as the basis of his comments that cases may be starting to ebb. “And so, we hope that – we think that the curfew, as well as the masking order and enforcement (where we’ve seen a great increase in retail establishments across the state – we thank everyone for doing that), we think those two things have slowed the rate of increase.”
However, as The Ohio Star reported any estimates regarding masking, distancing and compliance were guesswork before. The Governor’s Press Secretary Dan Tierney told The Star the projections were “anecdotal observations from local officials and health departments.”
So, prior to the numbers released last week by the Ohio Investigative Unit, there was no evidence-based set of numbers to compare.
Governor DeWine did not mention any statewide, proactive measures to get understaffed hospitals more workers, nor did he mention any game plan to distribute, either preventatively or on an outpatient basis, approved drug therapies in order to stave off hospital admissions.
Watch the full briefing:
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Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star. Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV. Follow Jack on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Ohio’s Gov. DeWine Hints at Extended Coronavirus Curfew

Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine said during a Monday press conference that the curfew currently placed on the state will need to be extended , although he did not reveal more details .
DeWine imposed a 21-day curfew on Ohio from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. running from November 19 to December 10 .
The curfew was meant as a “ slow down ” aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus and applied to retail and indoor seating at restaurants .
The curfew exempted businesses like restaurants operating on take-out only , pharmacies and grocery stores .
The governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to a question about its set expiration date .
“ Well , no , it will need to be extended , ” he said during a Monday press conference .
“ We ’ ll talk more about that Thursday , but it will need to be extended.
” DeWine said it is still unclear the impact Thanksgiving gatherings may have on the state ’ s coronavirus numbers .
“ These numbers are just not sustainable , no one thinks they are .
Even if we ’ re flat , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got to try to take this down , ” DeWine said .
“ I think we know what works…Certainly Ohioans are doing better about understanding what the problem is , and I think more and more Ohioans understand that this is a crucial period of time.
” Ohio currently has nearly 450,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state , with more than 7,500 new cases added on Sunday , according to data from the Covid Tracking Project .
There are currently a little more than 5,000 Ohio residents in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
The state has also seen more than 6,000 deaths confirmed to be caused by the coronavirus .
DeWine said in the press conference that the state saw more than 9,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Monday , over the 8,521 cases of the state ’ s 21-day average .
Ohio also had 63 new deaths .
The governor said that it appeared the rate of infections was slowing , but that more effort still needed to be made .
“ We think that the curfew , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it ] …have slowed this rate of increase , but it is still at a much too high level , ” DeWine said .
“ Heads of hospitals have told it is unsustainable at this level .
Not only do we have to slow it down from going up , but we have to start taking it down.
” Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said during a Monday press conference that the curfew currently placed on the state will need to be extended, although he did not reveal more details.
DeWine imposed a 21-day curfew on Ohio from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. running from November 19 to December 10. The curfew was meant as a “slow down” aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus and applied to retail and indoor seating at restaurants. The curfew exempted businesses like restaurants operating on take-out only, pharmacies and grocery stores.
The governor hinted at the extended curfew in a response to a question about its set expiration date.
“Well, no, it will need to be extended,” he said during a Monday press conference. “We’ll talk more about that Thursday, but it will need to be extended.”
DeWine said it is still unclear the impact Thanksgiving gatherings may have on the state’s coronavirus numbers.
“These numbers are just not sustainable, no one thinks they are. Even if we’re flat, we’re filling up our hospitals. We’ve got to try to take this down,” DeWine said. “I think we know what works…Certainly Ohioans are doing better about understanding what the problem is, and I think more and more Ohioans understand that this is a crucial period of time.”
Ohio currently has nearly 450,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state, with more than 7,500 new cases added on Sunday, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project. There are currently a little more than 5,000 Ohio residents in the hospital, with 274 new hospitalizations on Sunday. The state has also seen more than 6,000 deaths confirmed to be caused by the coronavirus.
DeWine said in the press conference that the state saw more than 9,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Monday, over the 8,521 cases of the state’s 21-day average. Ohio also had 63 new deaths.
The governor said that it appeared the rate of infections was slowing, but that more effort still needed to be made.
“We think that the curfew, as well as the masking order and the enforcement [of it]…have slowed this rate of increase, but it is still at a much too high level,” DeWine said. “Heads of hospitals have told it is unsustainable at this level. Not only do we have to slow it down from going up, but we have to start taking it down.”
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Chase Follows Through on Promise, Will Run for Virginia Governor as an Independent

Virginia State Senator Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) is now planning to run for governor in the 2021 election as an independent candidate .
The decision comes after the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee voted 41-28 on Saturday to hold a convention instead of a primary to nominate the party ’ s candidates for the 2021 races , according to previous reporting from The Virginia Star .
Since launching her campaign , Chase has threatened to run as an independent if Republicans choose to have a convention , and she officially announced the move after Saturday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I am a Republican through-and-through , and I ’ m the same person regardless of labels .
But I feel very strongly that we have a primary for this one reason , ” Chase said in an interview with The Star .
“ If Virginia Republicans are ever going to win a state election , they must allow Virginians to vote and participate in the nomination process to [ choose ] our Republican candidate.
” “ We need to have a primary , ” Chase added .
“ I think conventions should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party elite to vote , it is not representative .
We are going to continue to not get the best candidates by allowing a select few people to choose our candidates , and I ’ m opposed to that.
” According to Ballotpedia , Virginia gubernatorial candidates are required to get 10,000 signatures , including 400 qualified voters from the state ’ s 11 congressional districts , as well as submitting the appropriate paperwork to appear on the ballot .
The never-bashful Chase said she has 150 percent confidence that she will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an extensive grassroots ground game and described winning the election as an independent as “ more difficult , but it ’ s not impossible.
” Chase running as an independent would likely doom the Republican nominee for governor because the two candidates would be splitting votes from conservative voters throughout the state and give the Democratic nominee a large advantage in the race .
It could also end up benefiting House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert ( R-Shenandoah ) and other Republicans legislators in their push to reclaim control of the chamber next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to Delegate Kirk Cox ( R-Colonial Heights ) , the other announced GOP candidate , and entrepreneur Pete Snyder , who is expected to announce a Republican bid , for comment .
Snyder did not want to offer any comment and Cox did not respond before press time .
On Saturday , Cox put out a statement about the central committee ’ s vote , where he blasted Chase .
“ Amanda Chase ’ s antics have long grown more than tiresome , ” Cox wrote .
“ Her threat to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that she knows principled , conservative Republicans will never tolerate the demagogue she has become.
” Chase , however , has not completely given up the possibility of running as a Republican in a primary because she claims grassroots activists and others upset by the outcome are mounting pressure on the committee to meet again and reconsider the vote .
“ I ’ ve talked to a number of people and you ’ ve got some new folks who are on the state central committee who maybe didn ’ t understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were under the impression that if you wanted to have a more conservative process , you had to go with a convention.
” Chase even said that she was on the phone with one of the members of the committee who said they were going to influence five others to change their vote to having a primary , and that she fully expects this to happen .
The Star reached out to Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Rich Anderson for comment , but did not get a response before press time .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility truly is , but with the chaos of Chase ’ s decision and the real threat of splitting the vote , the state central committee may decide to reverse course .
For now , though , Chase is still running as an independent , just like she promised , and state Republicans will nominate their candidates for governor , lieutenant governor and attorney general by a party convention .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips @ @ @ @ @

Virginia State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) is now planning to run for governor in the 2021 election as an independent candidate.
The decision comes after the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee voted 41-28 on Saturday to hold a convention instead of a primary to nominate the party’s candidates for the 2021 races, according to previous reporting from The Virginia Star.
Since launching her campaign, Chase has threatened to run as an independent if Republicans choose to have a convention, and she officially announced the move after Saturday’s vote through a statement on Facebook.
“I am a Republican through-and-through, and I’m the same person regardless of labels. But I feel very strongly that we have a primary for this one reason,” Chase said in an interview with The Star. “If Virginia Republicans are ever going to win a state election, they must allow Virginians to vote and participate in the nomination process to [choose] our Republican candidate.”
“We need to have a primary,” Chase added. “I think conventions should be illegal. Conventions only allow the party elite to vote, it is not representative. We are going to continue to not get the best candidates by allowing a select few people to choose our candidates, and I’m opposed to that.”
According to Ballotpedia, Virginia gubernatorial candidates are required to get 10,000 signatures, including 400 qualified voters from the state’s 11 congressional districts, as well as submitting the appropriate paperwork to appear on the ballot.
The never-bashful Chase said she has 150 percent confidence that she will be able to collect the necessary signatures thanks to an extensive grassroots ground game and described winning the election as an independent as “more difficult, but it’s not impossible.”
Chase running as an independent would likely doom the Republican nominee for governor because the two candidates would be splitting votes from conservative voters throughout the state and give the Democratic nominee a large advantage in the race.
It could also end up benefiting House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) and other Republicans legislators in their push to reclaim control of the chamber next year from Democrats.
The Star reached out to Delegate Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), the other announced GOP candidate, and entrepreneur Pete Snyder, who is expected to announce a Republican bid, for comment. Snyder did not want to offer any comment and Cox did not respond before press time.
On Saturday, Cox put out a statement about the central committee’s vote, where he blasted Chase.
“Amanda Chase’s antics have long grown more than tiresome,” Cox wrote. “Her threat to run as an independent is based solely on the fact that she knows principled, conservative Republicans will never tolerate the demagogue she has become.”
Chase, however, has not completely given up the possibility of running as a Republican in a primary because she claims grassroots activists and others upset by the outcome are mounting pressure on the committee to meet again and reconsider the vote.
“I’ve talked to a number of people and you’ve got some new folks who are on the state central committee who maybe didn’t understand,” Chase said. “They were under the impression that if you wanted to have a more conservative process, you had to go with a convention.”
Chase even said that she was on the phone with one of the members of the committee who said they were going to influence five others to change their vote to having a primary, and that she fully expects this to happen.
The Star reached out to Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Rich Anderson for comment, but did not get a response before press time.
It remains to be seen how likely that possibility truly is, but with the chaos of Chase’s decision and the real threat of splitting the vote, the state central committee may decide to reverse course.
For now, though, Chase is still running as an independent, just like she promised, and state Republicans will nominate their candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general by a party convention.
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Consulting Firm Co-Owned by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Husband Received $600,000 in COVID Relief

A consulting firm co-owned by Rep. Ilhan Omar ’ s husband received more than $ 600,000 in COVID-19 relief funds while taking millions from Omar ’ s campaign .
Records show that E Street Group received $ 134,800 from the Paycheck Protection Program and $ 500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans .
Omar ’ s campaign has paid the firm $ 2.78 million since July 2019 , according to Federal Election Commission records .
Between July 23 and Sept. 30 , E Street Group received $ 1.1 million from Omar ’ s campaign for expenses related to advertising , digital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel and more .
The $ 1.1 million in payments accounted for 70 % of Omar ’ s third quarter disbursements .
Omar defended her campaign ’ s financial relationship with E Street Group in a March statement , but announced in November that she is cutting ties with her husband ’ s firm .
“ So we ’ ve decided to terminate our contract with Tim and Will ’ s firm , ” Omar wrote in an email to supporters , referring to her husband , Tim Mynett , and his business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of our close supporters know these two well and have recommended we keep them on — I want to make sure that anybody who is supporting our campaign with their time or financial support feels there is no perceived issue with that support , ” she said .
Omar ’ s involvement with Mynett prompted a national nonprofit to lodge an FEC complaint against her , which claimed that the freshman congresswoman used campaign funds for “ romantic companionship.
” Omar is also the subject of a House ethics complaint that claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received for her May memoir .

by Anthony Gockowski
A consulting firm co-owned by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s husband received more than $600,000 in COVID-19 relief funds while taking millions from Omar’s campaign.
Records show that E Street Group received $134,800 from the Paycheck Protection Program and $500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
Omar’s campaign has paid the firm $2.78 million since July 2019, according to Federal Election Commission records. Between July 23 and Sept. 30, E Street Group received $1.1 million from Omar’s campaign for expenses related to advertising, digital consulting, video production and editing, travel and more.
The $1.1 million in payments accounted for 70% of Omar’s third quarter disbursements.
Omar defended her campaign’s financial relationship with E Street Group in a March statement, but announced in November that she is cutting ties with her husband’s firm.
“So we’ve decided to terminate our contract with Tim and Will’s firm,” Omar wrote in an email to supporters, referring to her husband, Tim Mynett, and his business partner, Will Hailer.
“While many of our close supporters know these two well and have recommended we keep them on — I want to make sure that anybody who is supporting our campaign with their time or financial support feels there is no perceived issue with that support,” she said.
Omar’s involvement with Mynett prompted a national nonprofit to lodge an FEC complaint against her, which claimed that the freshman congresswoman used campaign funds for “romantic companionship.”
Omar is also the subject of a House ethics complaint that claims she failed to disclose an advance she received for her May memoir.
– – –
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--PUSHBACK: 400 Michigan Restaurants Band Together to Fight Whitmer’s COVID-19 Rules

Hundreds of restaurants banded together to push back against Democratic Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s recent coronavirus mandates , Fox Business reported Monday .
Joe Vicari , president of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group in a Monday appearance said a total of 400 eateries in the state have joined the push against Whitmer ’ s lockdowns , Fox reported .
Michigan is nearing the end of a three-week pause that shuttered indoor dining and bar service , but the governor has indicated a willingness to re-extend the restrictions that end on Tuesday , according to Bridge Michigan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ southeastern Michigan to band together , ” Vicari told Fox ’ s Stuart Varney .
“ We had about 400 restaurants come together.We ’ re standing united .
We want to get to a solution with the governor to reopen restaurants.
” The group , which has been conducting meetings through Skype , initially tried to outright resist the lockdowns by keeping their doors open , but authorities quickly threatened to close them down , Rosalie Vicari , a co-owner of the restaurant group , told Varney .
“ We learned very quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hall , ” she said .
“ When you work in an industry that is controlled by licenses , a food license and a liquor license that the state holds , you don ’ t have a lot of say.
” “ We , as restaurateurs , feel very confident that we ’ ve been following the protocols that have been established by the governor to make our restaurants safe , ” she continued .

by Jake Dima
Hundreds of restaurants banded together to push back against Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent coronavirus mandates, Fox Business reported Monday.
Joe Vicari, president of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group in a Monday appearance said a total of 400 eateries in the state have joined the push against Whitmer’s lockdowns, Fox reported. Michigan is nearing the end of a three-week pause that shuttered indoor dining and bar service, but the governor has indicated a willingness to re-extend the restrictions that end on Tuesday, according to Bridge Michigan.
“I called my restaurant groups in southeastern Michigan to band together,” Vicari told Fox’s Stuart Varney. “We had about 400 restaurants come together.We’re standing united. We want to get to a solution with the governor to reopen restaurants.”
The group, which has been conducting meetings through Skype, initially tried to outright resist the lockdowns by keeping their doors open, but authorities quickly threatened to close them down, Rosalie Vicari, a co-owner of the restaurant group, told Varney.
“We learned very quickly it’s hard to fight City Hall,” she said. “When you work in an industry that is controlled by licenses, a food license and a liquor license that the state holds, you don’t have a lot of say.”
“We, as restaurateurs, feel very confident that we’ve been following the protocols that have been established by the governor to make our restaurants safe,” she continued.
Watch the interview:
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Jake Dima is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-08--Judge Dismisses Case Against Michael Flynn, But Refuses to Say He’s Innocent

A federal judge dismissed a criminal case against Michael Flynn on Tuesday , weeks after President Donald Trump pardoned his former national security adviser on charges stemming from the special counsel ’ s investigation .
The ruling from Judge Emmet Sullivan formally ends Flynn ’ s three-year legal saga , which began with a plea deal the retired Army general entered on Dec. 1 , 2017 in the special counsel ’ s probe of foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election .
Sullivan had for months resisted the Justice Department ’ s efforts to toss out Flynn ’ s case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spearheaded the effort to drop charges against Flynn , had said in interviews that he believed that the FBI under James Comey had set a “ perjury trap ” for Flynn during an interview which led to his plea deal .
Sullivan recently filed an appeal to the federal appeals court to force the Justice Department to turn over evidence supporting its motion to drop the case against Flynn .
Sullivan said in a 43-page ruling that he would likely not have approved a Justice Department motion to withdraw charges against Flynn if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also asserted that clemency for Flynn did not indicate that he was innocent of charges in his criminal case .
“ President Trump ’ s decision to pardon Mr. Flynn is a political decision , not a legal one .
Because the law recognizes the President ’ s political power to pardon , the appropriate course is to dismiss this case as moot , ” Sullivan wrote .
Sullivan quoted a ruling in another case to say that the pardon does not by itself “ render [ Flynn ] innocent of the alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Flynn on Nov. 25 , saying that he was wrongfully targeted in the special counsel ’ s investigation .
In the pardon order , Trump said that Flynn could not face criminal liability for any crimes investigated by the special counsel ’ s office , or grand juries in Washington , D.C. and Virginia .
The order seemingly protects Flynn from prosecution for lobbying work he did in 2016 for the Turkish government .
Flynn pleaded guilty on Dec. 1 , 2017 to making false statements to the FBI on Jan. 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Sergey Kislyak , the Russian ambassador to the U.S. After reaffirming his guilty plea on Dec. 18 , 2018 , Flynn began the process of withdrawing from his plea agreement .
On Jan. 29 , 2020 , Flynn filed a declaration saying that he did not intentionally lie to the FBI and that he regretted entering a plea agreement with the special counsel ’ s team .
Attorney General William Barr appointed a U.S. attorney to review the Justice Department and FBI investigation of Flynn .
The prosecutor , Jeffrey Jensen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the bureau ’ s investigation of Flynn .
One document showed that the FBI planned to close a counterintelligence investigation against Flynn on Jan. 4 , 2017 .
The FBI opened an investigation against Flynn and other Trump campaign advisers in August 2016 as part of Crossfire Hurricane .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Chuck Ross
A federal judge dismissed a criminal case against Michael Flynn on Tuesday, weeks after President Donald Trump pardoned his former national security adviser on charges stemming from the special counsel’s investigation.
The ruling from Judge Emmet Sullivan formally ends Flynn’s three-year legal saga, which began with a plea deal the retired Army general entered on Dec. 1, 2017 in the special counsel’s probe of foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Sullivan had for months resisted the Justice Department’s efforts to toss out Flynn’s case.
Attorney General William Barr, who spearheaded the effort to drop charges against Flynn, had said in interviews that he believed that the FBI under James Comey had set a “perjury trap” for Flynn during an interview which led to his plea deal.
Sullivan recently filed an appeal to the federal appeals court to force the Justice Department to turn over evidence supporting its motion to drop the case against Flynn.
Sullivan said in a 43-page ruling that he would likely not have approved a Justice Department motion to withdraw charges against Flynn if not for the Trump pardon. He also asserted that clemency for Flynn did not indicate that he was innocent of charges in his criminal case.
“President Trump’s decision to pardon Mr. Flynn is a political decision, not a legal one. Because the law recognizes the President’s political power to pardon, the appropriate course is to dismiss this case as moot,” Sullivan wrote.
Sullivan quoted a ruling in another case to say that the pardon does not by itself “render [Flynn] innocent of the alleged violation.”
Trump issued a broad pardon for Flynn on Nov. 25, saying that he was wrongfully targeted in the special counsel’s investigation.
In the pardon order, Trump said that Flynn could not face criminal liability for any crimes investigated by the special counsel’s office, or grand juries in Washington, D.C. and Virginia. The order seemingly protects Flynn from prosecution for lobbying work he did in 2016 for the Turkish government.
Flynn pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017 to making false statements to the FBI on Jan. 24, 2017, regarding conversations he had with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S.
After reaffirming his guilty plea on Dec. 18, 2018, Flynn began the process of withdrawing from his plea agreement.
On Jan. 29, 2020, Flynn filed a declaration saying that he did not intentionally lie to the FBI and that he regretted entering a plea agreement with the special counsel’s team.
Attorney General William Barr appointed a U.S. attorney to review the Justice Department and FBI investigation of Flynn. The prosecutor, Jeffrey Jensen, discovered numerous FBI documents that provided insight into the bureau’s investigation of Flynn.
One document showed that the FBI planned to close a counterintelligence investigation against Flynn on Jan. 4, 2017. The FBI opened an investigation against Flynn and other Trump campaign advisers in August 2016 as part of Crossfire Hurricane.
– – –
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-09--Fulton County, Georgia Dominion Voting Systems Technician Files Affidavit Alleging Absentee Ballot I

Fulton County, Georgia Dominion Voting Systems Technician Files Affidavit Alleging Absentee Ballot Irregularities, Potential Fraud

A Fulton County voting technician stepped forward as another whistleblower , alleging severe mishandling of mail-in ballots .
The Dominion Voting Systems ( Dominion ) certified technician , Bridget Thorne , swore in an affidavit that the ballots weren ’ t handled securely at State Farm Arena .
Thorne stated that their testing and calibration process involved printing series of “ test ballots ” on actual ballot paper , making them “ indistinguishable ” from live ballots .
“ Over the entire course of my experience , these test ballots were handled by Dominion employees in a haphazard and careless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At times there were stacks of ‘ test ballots ’ unsecured all over the facility .
I am personally aware that some batches of test ballots were lost during the process and I was required to reprint entire polling districts test ballots a second time.
” Thorne also stated that she ’ d witnessed another worker generating random ballots rather than test ballots .
She alleged that Dominion personnel stacked live ballots haphazardly ; she added that those ballots were left unattended for periods of time and not transported using two-person security .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervisor informed her and other poll managers that they would have American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) personnel serving as absentee ballot “ clerks.
” According to her affidavit , none of the officials explained why initially .
When confronted , elections official Richard Barron reportedly told Thorne that the regional supervisor wasn ’ t supposed to mention ACLU .
“ He gave me the impression that the supervisor should not have mentioned the ACLU , ” the voting technician said .
“ He said , ‘ She shouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She should have just said you are having absentee clerks , ’ or words to that effect .
I looked on the Atlanta ACLU website and they were advertising to have people come to volunteer as absentee clerks.
” After that , Thorne asserted that one ACLU clerk she met had access to the voter database via her personal laptop to clear an absentee voter since the password was missing for the county-assigned laptop .
While on Fox and Friends , Thorne shared further details about the warehouse handling early voting ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t oaths administered , not enough people were reviewing ballot batches , and transport boxes of ballots were left unattended on the floor .
She added that Dominion staff running the warehouse after 24 employees were quarantined for COVID-19 .
Fulton County has made headlines for a number of issues and irregularities since Election Day .
Most recently , the county neglected to adhere to the timeline outlined in the Georgia Code for open records requests .
The earliest that county officials promised to release drop-boxed absentee ballot chain of custody records comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks after the state ’ s runoff election .
Just last week , the county had to re-scan more than 12,000 ballots due to “ unexplained technical problems.
” Several days prior , their Dominion servers crashed due to mismanagement of the machines , effectively delaying the recount for several hours .
Additionally , another Dominion technician for Fulton County was Democratic candidate Kamala Harris ’ s longtime photographer Aric Thompson .
Apparently , Harris trusted Thompson enough to designate him as her 2019 presidential campaign photographer .
Last month , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of scanned ballots didn ’ t reflect the total received .
The state of Texas filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the election irregularities in Georgia , as well as in Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Wisconsin .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .

A Fulton County voting technician stepped forward as another whistleblower, alleging severe mishandling of mail-in ballots. The Dominion Voting Systems (Dominion) certified technician, Bridget Thorne, swore in an affidavit that the ballots weren’t handled securely at State Farm Arena.
Thorne stated that their testing and calibration process involved printing series of “test ballots” on actual ballot paper, making them “indistinguishable” from live ballots.
“Over the entire course of my experience, these test ballots were handled by Dominion employees in a haphazard and careless way,” she said. “At times there were stacks of ‘test ballots’ unsecured all over the facility. I am personally aware that some batches of test ballots were lost during the process and I was required to reprint entire polling districts test ballots a second time.”
Thorne also stated that she’d witnessed another worker generating random ballots rather than test ballots. She alleged that Dominion personnel stacked live ballots haphazardly; she added that those ballots were left unattended for periods of time and not transported using two-person security.
Further, Thorne swore that her regional supervisor informed her and other poll managers that they would have American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) personnel serving as absentee ballot “clerks.” According to her affidavit, none of the officials explained why initially. When confronted, elections official Richard Barron reportedly told Thorne that the regional supervisor wasn’t supposed to mention ACLU.
“He gave me the impression that the supervisor should not have mentioned the ACLU,” the voting technician said. “He said, ‘She shouldn’t have said that [meaning ACLU clerk]. She should have just said you are having absentee clerks,’ or words to that effect. I looked on the Atlanta ACLU website and they were advertising to have people come to volunteer as absentee clerks.”
After that, Thorne asserted that one ACLU clerk she met had access to the voter database via her personal laptop to clear an absentee voter since the password was missing for the county-assigned laptop.
While on Fox and Friends, Thorne shared further details about the warehouse handling early voting ballots. She alleged that there weren’t oaths administered, not enough people were reviewing ballot batches, and transport boxes of ballots were left unattended on the floor. She added that Dominion staff running the warehouse after 24 employees were quarantined for COVID-19.
Fulton County has made headlines for a number of issues and irregularities since Election Day. Most recently, the county neglected to adhere to the timeline outlined in the Georgia Code for open records requests. The earliest that county officials promised to release drop-boxed absentee ballot chain of custody records comes one day before Presidential Inauguration Day and two weeks after the state’s runoff election.
Just last week, the county had to re-scan more than 12,000 ballots due to “unexplained technical problems.” Several days prior, their Dominion servers crashed due to mismanagement of the machines, effectively delaying the recount for several hours.
Additionally, another Dominion technician for Fulton County was Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s longtime photographer Aric Thompson. Apparently, Harris trusted Thompson enough to designate him as her 2019 presidential campaign photographer.
Last month, the county had to re-scan ballots because the number of scanned ballots didn’t reflect the total received.
The state of Texas filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the election irregularities in Georgia, as well as in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-12-09--Commentary: Will This Texas Lawsuit Overturn the 2020 Election?

In a lawsuit filed Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court , the state of Texas accuses four states currently “ won ” by Joe Biden of using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to violate the Electors Clause and the 14th Amendment .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Pennsylvania , Georgia , Michigan , and Wisconsin for usurping the sole authority of state legislatures to create election law and charges that millions of absentee ballots were unlawfully processed by local election officials .
“ They accomplished these statutory revisions through executive fiat or friendly lawsuits , thereby weakening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Finally , these same government officials flooded the Defendants States with millions of ballots to be sent through the mails , or placed in drop boxes , with little or no chain of custody and , at the same time , weakened the strongest security measures protecting the integrity of the vote—signature verification and witness requirements.
” The filing asks the court to extend the December 14 , 2020 deadline to certify each state ’ s electoral slate noting that the only date “ mandated by the Constitution ” is January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particulars against the four rogue states is damning .
Unelected bureaucrats such as Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and members of the Wisconsin Election Commission changed rules at the last minute and without authority .
Local election workers flagrantly violated numerous state election laws ; rejection rates for mail-in ballots were far lower than in the primary elections despite the unprecedented volume of absentee voting ; and the statistical probability of Joe Biden ’ s victory in those four states as of 3 a.m. on November 4 , 2020 , given Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than one in a quadrillion.
” Pennsylvania : Boockvar , who was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf , a Democrat , in 2019 , unilaterally and “ unconstitutionally ” ditched the state ’ s signature verification statute and extended the deadline for receipt of mail-in ballots , including envelopes without a postmark , until three days past Election Day .
As I explained in this column , Pennsylvania election law expressly prohibits the processing of mail-in ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day ; that rule was clearly violated .
Pennsylvania also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cured , ” another law local election officials ignored .
“ This number of constitutionally tainted ballots far exceeds the approximately 81,660 votes separating the candidates.
” Georgia : Paxton , et al claim that the number of unlawfully handled mail-in ballots in the Peach State “ far exceeds the margin of victory ” between Biden and Trump .
( Biden is purportedly ahead by fewer than 13,000 votes . )
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—who penned an op-ed in Monday ’ s Wall Street Journal claiming that the 2020 presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and accusing President Trump of running “ the Stacey Abrams playbook ” by refusing to concede—made “ unconstitutional change [ s ] ” to Georgia election law .
In March 2020 , Raffensperger and the state ’ s Democratic Party reached a settlement that made it much harder to challenge signatures on absentee ballots : That change was not approved by the state legislature .
Raffensperger ’ s self-aggrandizing commentary notwithstanding , the rejection rate for mail-in ballots this year is beyond implausible .
Only 4,786 absentee ballots out of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or .37 percent of the total .
In 2016 , however , 13,677 mail-in votes were rejected out of 213,033 ballots or 6.42 percent .
Nearly three times as many mail-in votes were rejected four years ago even though more than six times as many mail-in votes were cast in 2020 .
Michigan : In May 2020 , the Democratic Secretary of State announced her office would send , without any request necessary , mail-in ballot applications to all 7.7 million registered Michigan voters in direct contravention of state election law .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson , to send absentee ballot applications .
“ Secretary Benson lacked the authority to distribute a single absentee voter application—much less the millions of absentee ballot applications Secretary Benson chose to flood across Michigan.
” Election workers in Wayne County , home of Detroit , broke several election laws .
( The TCF Center was the only counting facility for city of Detroit ballots . )
Signature verification requirements were ignored , observers were kept far away from the process or denied access altogether , and workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tabulators multiple times.
” Biden ’ s margin of “ victory ” in Michigan is around 146,000 votes .
Wisconsin : Election officials in the Badger State broke several state laws ; as I wrote here , county election workers doctored certification envelopes in an effort to illegally “ cure ” mail-in ballots , a practice not permitted under state law .
Like in Pennsylvania , mail-in ballots were inspected before Election Day against state election law .
Over 500 unmanned “ drop boxes , ” primarily in the state ’ s five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , a violation of state law that requires absentee ballots be mailed or delivered in person .
Democrats exploited the COVID-19 crisis by encouraging voters to use the “ indefinitely confined ” rule to circumvent absentee ballot requirements .
Nearly 216,000 Wisconsin voters used the exemption to vote in the 2020 election , a nearly four-fold increase over 2016 .
The suit asks the court to declare that the four states “ administered the 2020 presidential election in violation of the Electors Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment ” and essentially nullify any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julie Kelly is a political commentator and senior contributor to American Greatness .
She is the author of Disloyal Opposition : How the NeverTrump Right Tried―And Failed―To Take Down the President Her past work can be found at The Federalist and National Review .
She also has been featured in the Wall Street Journal , The Hill , Chicago Tribune , Forbes , and Genetic Literacy Project .
After college graduation , she served as a policy and communications consultant for several Republican candidates and elected officials in suburban Chicago .
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After staying home for more than 10 years to raise her two daughters , Julie began teaching cooking classes out of her home .
She then started writing about food policy , agriculture , and biotechnology , as well as climate change and other scientific issues .
She graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1990 with a degree in communications and minor degrees in political science and journalism .
Julie lives in suburban Chicago with her husband , two daughters , and ( unfortunately ) three dogs .
Photo “ Vote Here Sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.0 .

by Julie Kelly
In a lawsuit filed Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court, the state of Texas accuses four states currently “won” by Joe Biden of using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to violate the Electors Clause and the 14th Amendment. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin for usurping the sole authority of state legislatures to create election law and charges that millions of absentee ballots were unlawfully processed by local election officials.
“They accomplished these statutory revisions through executive fiat or friendly lawsuits, thereby weakening ballot integrity,” the plaintiffs wrote. “Finally, these same government officials flooded the Defendants States with millions of ballots to be sent through the mails, or placed in drop boxes, with little or no chain of custody and, at the same time, weakened the strongest security measures protecting the integrity of the vote—signature verification and witness requirements.”
The filing asks the court to extend the December 14, 2020 deadline to certify each state’s electoral slate noting that the only date “mandated by the Constitution” is January 20, 2021.
The bill of particulars against the four rogue states is damning. Unelected bureaucrats such as Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and members of the Wisconsin Election Commission changed rules at the last minute and without authority. Local election workers flagrantly violated numerous state election laws; rejection rates for mail-in ballots were far lower than in the primary elections despite the unprecedented volume of absentee voting; and the statistical probability of Joe Biden’s victory in those four states as of 3 a.m. on November 4, 2020, given Trump’s substantial lead, is “less than one in a quadrillion.”
A few quick highlights:
Pennsylvania: Boockvar, who was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, in 2019, unilaterally and “unconstitutionally” ditched the state’s signature verification statute and extended the deadline for receipt of mail-in ballots, including envelopes without a postmark, until three days past Election Day. As I explained in this column, Pennsylvania election law expressly prohibits the processing of mail-in ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day; that rule was clearly violated. Pennsylvania also does not permit ballots to be “cured,” another law local election officials ignored. “This number of constitutionally tainted ballots far exceeds the approximately 81,660 votes separating the candidates.”
Georgia: Paxton, et al claim that the number of unlawfully handled mail-in ballots in the Peach State “far exceeds the margin of victory” between Biden and Trump. (Biden is purportedly ahead by fewer than 13,000 votes.) Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—who penned an op-ed in Monday’s Wall Street Journal claiming that the 2020 presidential election was the “most secure in history” and accusing President Trump of running “the Stacey Abrams playbook” by refusing to concede—made “unconstitutional change[s]” to Georgia election law. In March 2020, Raffensperger and the state’s Democratic Party reached a settlement that made it much harder to challenge signatures on absentee ballots: That change was not approved by the state legislature.
Raffensperger’s self-aggrandizing commentary notwithstanding, the rejection rate for mail-in ballots this year is beyond implausible. Only 4,786 absentee ballots out of more than 1.3 million cast were rejected in 2020 or .37 percent of the total. In 2016, however, 13,677 mail-in votes were rejected out of 213,033 ballots or 6.42 percent. Nearly three times as many mail-in votes were rejected four years ago even though more than six times as many mail-in votes were cast in 2020.
Michigan: In May 2020, the Democratic Secretary of State announced her office would send, without any request necessary, mail-in ballot applications to all 7.7 million registered Michigan voters in direct contravention of state election law. The legislature only authorized local election clerks, not Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, to send absentee ballot applications. “Secretary Benson lacked the authority to distribute a single absentee voter application—much less the millions of absentee ballot applications Secretary Benson chose to flood across Michigan.”
Election workers in Wayne County, home of Detroit, broke several election laws. (The TCF Center was the only counting facility for city of Detroit ballots.) Signature verification requirements were ignored, observers were kept far away from the process or denied access altogether, and workers ran “the same ballot through the tabulators multiple times.” Biden’s margin of “victory” in Michigan is around 146,000 votes.
Wisconsin: Election officials in the Badger State broke several state laws; as I wrote here, county election workers doctored certification envelopes in an effort to illegally “cure” mail-in ballots, a practice not permitted under state law. Like in Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots were inspected before Election Day against state election law. Over 500 unmanned “drop boxes,” primarily in the state’s five largest cities, were used in the election, a violation of state law that requires absentee ballots be mailed or delivered in person.
Democrats exploited the COVID-19 crisis by encouraging voters to use the “indefinitely confined” rule to circumvent absentee ballot requirements. Nearly 216,000 Wisconsin voters used the exemption to vote in the 2020 election, a nearly four-fold increase over 2016.
The suit asks the court to declare that the four states “administered the 2020 presidential election in violation of the Electors Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment” and essentially nullify any presidential electors appointed in those states.
Things are getting interesting.
– – –
Julie Kelly is a political commentator and senior contributor to American Greatness. She is the author of Disloyal Opposition: How the NeverTrump Right Tried―And Failed―To Take Down the President Her past work can be found at The Federalist and National Review. She also has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, and Genetic Literacy Project. After college graduation, she served as a policy and communications consultant for several Republican candidates and elected officials in suburban Chicago. She also volunteered for her local GOP organization. After staying home for more than 10 years to raise her two daughters, Julie began teaching cooking classes out of her home. She then started writing about food policy, agriculture, and biotechnology, as well as climate change and other scientific issues. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1990 with a degree in communications and minor degrees in political science and journalism. Julie lives in suburban Chicago with her husband, two daughters, and (unfortunately) three dogs.
Photo “Vote Here Sign” by Lorie Shaull. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-09--DHS to Accept New DACA ‘Dreamer’ Applications Under Trump Administration

The Department of Homeland Security will begin accepting first-time Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival applications starting Monday , officials announced .
U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas George Garaufis issued an opinion requiring U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that was in effect before September 2017 , according to the Department of Homeland Security .
President Donald Trump ended the DACA program in September 2017 , claiming that the program was unconstitutional , the Associated Press reported .
“ DHS will comply with Judge Garaufis ’ order while it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek relief from the order , ” the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) said in a statement .
Trump ’ s decision to end DACA violated federal law , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June , the AP reported .
In compliance with Garaufis ’ s opinion , USCIS will accept first-time applications for consideration of deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival ( DACA ) policy prior to September 2017 , according to the DHS .
Applications for advance parole documents will also be accepted under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Acting DHS Security Secretary Chad Wolf issued a memorandum on June 15 that the administration would not accept new applications and would shorten renewal periods while they studied their options , the AP reported .
Garaufis set the Monday deadline for the administration to announce that new applications would be accepted under the DACA terms set prior to Trump ’ s executive order .
“ USCIS will take appropriate steps to provide evidence of the one-year extensions of deferred action and employment authorization documents under DACA to individuals who were issued documentation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a one-year validity period under the Wolf Memorandum , ” the DHS said in a statement .
One-year grants of deferred action and employment authorization under DACA will be extended to two years each , according to the DHS .
The policy allows around 650,000 people to live and work in the U.S. without being deported , the AP reported .
President-elect Joe Biden has said he will reinstate the Obama administration policy from 2012 in January , the AP reported .
DACA does not grant legal status to illegal immigrants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but allows them to live and work without facing deportation .
Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Defend Dreamers ” by Rhododendrites .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

by Kaylee Greenlee
The Department of Homeland Security will begin accepting first-time Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival applications starting Monday, officials announced.
U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas George Garaufis issued an opinion requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that was in effect before September 2017, according to the Department of Homeland Security. President Donald Trump ended the DACA program in September 2017, claiming that the program was unconstitutional, the Associated Press reported.
“DHS will comply with Judge Garaufis’ order while it remains in effect, but DHS may seek relief from the order,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement.
The Trump administration has fully restored DACA and is allowing new applications for the first time since 2017 — after a judge ordered it to. DACA protects about 650,000 young immigrants from deportation. The Supreme Court says how Trump ended it violated federal law. pic.twitter.com/wNppGtlB5p — AJ+ (@ajplus) December 8, 2020
Trump’s decision to end DACA violated federal law, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June, the AP reported.
In compliance with Garaufis’s opinion, USCIS will accept first-time applications for consideration of deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) policy prior to September 2017, according to the DHS. Applications for advance parole documents will also be accepted under the same terms by the new order.
Acting DHS Security Secretary Chad Wolf issued a memorandum on June 15 that the administration would not accept new applications and would shorten renewal periods while they studied their options, the AP reported. Garaufis set the Monday deadline for the administration to announce that new applications would be accepted under the DACA terms set prior to Trump’s executive order.
“USCIS will take appropriate steps to provide evidence of the one-year extensions of deferred action and employment authorization documents under DACA to individuals who were issued documentation on or after July 28, 2020, with a one-year validity period under the Wolf Memorandum,” the DHS said in a statement.
One-year grants of deferred action and employment authorization under DACA will be extended to two years each, according to the DHS. The policy allows around 650,000 people to live and work in the U.S. without being deported, the AP reported.
President-elect Joe Biden has said he will reinstate the Obama administration policy from 2012 in January, the AP reported. DACA does not grant legal status to illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children but allows them to live and work without facing deportation.
– – –
Kaylee Greenlee is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Defend Dreamers” by Rhododendrites. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-09--CCP Insider: China Couldn’t Use Wall Street to Fix Trump, But It Can with Biden

The Chinese government will rely on a “ core circle ” of “ old friends ” on Wall Street and in Washington to influence the Biden administration , according to a Chinese academic with ties to the communist regime .
Di Dongsheng , the associate dean of the School of International Relations at Renmin University , offered his predictions about China-U.S. relations in the upcoming administration during a speech in Shanghai on Nov. 28 .
Di asserted that Beijing was unable to fully respond to a “ trade war ” that President Donald Trump waged because the Republican was invulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street had a very profound influence over America ’ s domestic and foreign affairs since the 1970s .
We used to heavily rely on them , ” Di said at the event , according to The Washington Times .
Di asserted that Wall Street was unable to “ control ” Trump , which had a negative impact on China during its trade standoff with the U.S. “ I ’ m going to drop a bomb , ” Di continued , “ we had people up there inside America ’ s core circle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends.
” “ During the last three to four decades , we used the core circle inside America ’ s real power , ” Di said .
But Di asserted that U.S.-China relations would be on the mend under Biden because of his administration ’ s close ties to Wall Street .
“ Now with Biden winning the election , the traditional elites , political elites , the establishment , they have a very close relationship with the Wall Street , ” Di said .
Di gave a nod to his communist party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told a story of an event he helped arrange for Gua Weimin , a deputy director of the Chinese government ’ s foreign propaganda office , in 2015 in Washington , D.C. to promote a book written by Xi Jinping .
Di and Weimin appeared at an event held at Politics & Prose , a popular independent bookstore in Washington .
Weimin serves as deputy director of China ’ s State Council Information Office , which controls Beijing ’ s foreign propaganda efforts .
Chinese state-controlled media outlet China Daily wrote about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Xi ’ s book was “ proving a popular read ” in the U.S. Di also suggested in his speech in Shanghai that the Chinese government supported Hunter Biden ’ s business deals in China .
“ You all heard that Trump said Biden ’ s son has securities companies all over the world .
But who helped Biden ’ s son build his global companies ?
” Di said .
“ There are indeed buy-and-sell transactions involved in here .
So I think at this particular time , it is of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show goodwill.
” Hunter Biden had several business deals in China , including one with CEFC China Energy , a major energy conglomerate whose owner has links to the communist party .
CEFC wired Biden millions of dollars in 2017 , according to a Senate report released in September .
Di ’ s remarks have surfaced as top U.S. counterintelligence officials have heightened warnings about Beijing ’ s covert efforts to influence U.S. policy , both in Congress and the Biden administration .
William Evanina , the top counterintelligence official at the Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned last week that U.S. officials have seen a spike in Chinese operatives trying to cozy up to Biden associates .
“ We ’ ve also seen an uptick , which was planned and we predicted , that China would now re-vector their influence campaigns to the new administration , ” Evanina said at a cybersecurity forum .
“ And when I say that , that malign foreign influence , that diplomatic influence plus , or on steroids , we ’ re starting to see that now play across the country to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration , but those who are around those folks in the new administration.
” Several of Biden ’ s incoming advisers have long called for stronger diplomatic ties to Beijing , and for viewing China as an ally instead of a competitor .
One of Biden ’ s key advisers , Steve Ricchetti , played an integral role in helping the Clinton administration pass a bill in 2000 that established Permanent Normal Trade Relations ( PNTR ) with China .
Clinton tasked Ricchetti , his deputy chief of staff , with wrangling votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sullivan , who Biden has tapped as his national security adviser , has criticized President Trump ’ s China policies and called for working more closely with Beijing .
He appeared on Beijing-controlled news outlet CGTN in December 2017 to criticize Trump over his policy in Israel .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

by Chuck Ross
The Chinese government will rely on a “core circle” of “old friends” on Wall Street and in Washington to influence the Biden administration, according to a Chinese academic with ties to the communist regime.
Di Dongsheng, the associate dean of the School of International Relations at Renmin University, offered his predictions about China-U.S. relations in the upcoming administration during a speech in Shanghai on Nov. 28.
Di asserted that Beijing was unable to fully respond to a “trade war” that President Donald Trump waged because the Republican was invulnerable to influence by Wall Street.
“Wall Street had a very profound influence over America’s domestic and foreign affairs since the 1970s. We used to heavily rely on them,” Di said at the event, according to The Washington Times.
Di asserted that Wall Street was unable to “control” Trump, which had a negative impact on China during its trade standoff with the U.S.
“I’m going to drop a bomb,” Di continued, “we had people up there inside America’s core circle of power, we had our old friends.”
“During the last three to four decades, we used the core circle inside America’s real power,” Di said.
But Di asserted that U.S.-China relations would be on the mend under Biden because of his administration’s close ties to Wall Street.
“Now with Biden winning the election, the traditional elites, political elites, the establishment, they have a very close relationship with the Wall Street,” Di said.
Di gave a nod to his communist party pedigree during his Shanghai speech.
He told a story of an event he helped arrange for Gua Weimin, a deputy director of the Chinese government’s foreign propaganda office, in 2015 in Washington, D.C. to promote a book written by Xi Jinping.
Di and Weimin appeared at an event held at Politics & Prose, a popular independent bookstore in Washington. Weimin serves as deputy director of China’s State Council Information Office, which controls Beijing’s foreign propaganda efforts.
Chinese state-controlled media outlet China Daily wrote about the event, saying that the turnout showed that Xi’s book was “proving a popular read” in the U.S.
Di also suggested in his speech in Shanghai that the Chinese government supported Hunter Biden’s business deals in China.
“You all heard that Trump said Biden’s son has securities companies all over the world. But who helped Biden’s son build his global companies?” Di said.
“There are indeed buy-and-sell transactions involved in here. So I think at this particular time, it is of strategic and tactical value for us to show goodwill.”
Hunter Biden had several business deals in China, including one with CEFC China Energy, a major energy conglomerate whose owner has links to the communist party. CEFC wired Biden millions of dollars in 2017, according to a Senate report released in September.
WATCH:
Di’s remarks have surfaced as top U.S. counterintelligence officials have heightened warnings about Beijing’s covert efforts to influence U.S. policy, both in Congress and the Biden administration.
William Evanina, the top counterintelligence official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, warned last week that U.S. officials have seen a spike in Chinese operatives trying to cozy up to Biden associates.
“We’ve also seen an uptick, which was planned and we predicted, that China would now re-vector their influence campaigns to the new administration,” Evanina said at a cybersecurity forum.
“And when I say that, that malign foreign influence, that diplomatic influence plus, or on steroids, we’re starting to see that now play across the country to not only the folks starting in the new administration, but those who are around those folks in the new administration.”
Several of Biden’s incoming advisers have long called for stronger diplomatic ties to Beijing, and for viewing China as an ally instead of a competitor. One of Biden’s key advisers, Steve Ricchetti, played an integral role in helping the Clinton administration pass a bill in 2000 that established Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China.
Clinton tasked Ricchetti, his deputy chief of staff, with wrangling votes in Congress to support PNTR.
Jake Sullivan, who Biden has tapped as his national security adviser, has criticized President Trump’s China policies and called for working more closely with Beijing. He appeared on Beijing-controlled news outlet CGTN in December 2017 to criticize Trump over his policy in Israel.
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Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.