thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--White House Drops Payroll Tax Cut After GOP Allies Object

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — The White House reluctantly dropped its bid to cut Social Security payroll taxes Thursday as Republicans prepared to unveil a $ 1 trillion COVID-19 rescue package , yielding to opposition to the idea among top Senate allies .
“ It won ’ t be in the base bill , ” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , speaking on CNBC about the payroll tax cut , killing the idea for now .
The cut in the tax that finances Social Security and Medicare has been a major demand of President Donald Trump .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money quickly to workers right now , and the payroll tax takes time , ” Mnuchin said at the Capitol .
Only Sunday , Trump said in a Fox News interview that “ I would consider not signing it if we don ’ t have a payroll tax cut.
” The long-delayed legislation comes amid alarming developments on the virus crisis .
It was originally to be released Thursday morning by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , but the Kentucky Republican instead hosted an unscheduled meeting with Mnuchin and White House Chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release of his proposal .
Afterward , Mnuchin declared the administration had reached a “ fundamental agreement ” with Senate Republicans .
Given the hold-up , however , Mnuchin and Meadows floated the idea of breaking off a smaller bill hat would be limited to maintaining jobless benefits that would otherwise expire and speeding aid to schools .
Democrats immediately panned that idea , saying it would strand other important elements like aid to state and local governments .
“ We can not piecemeal this , ” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillion package is an opening GOP bid in talks with top Capitol Hill Democrats — who back a $ 3.5 trillion House bill that passed two months ago — in a negotiation that could be rockier than talks in March that produced a $ 2 trillion rescue package .
GOP senators and Trump are at odds over priorities , and Democrats say the Republican plans are not nearly enough to stem the health crisis , reopen schools and extend aid to jobless Americans .
“ Our Republican colleagues have been so divided , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have to struggle to draft even a partisan proposal within their own conference , ” said Democratic leader Chuck Schumer .
The must-have centerpiece for McConnell is a liability shield to protect businesses , schools and others from coronavirus-related lawsuits .
The package is not expected to provide any new money for cash-strapped states and cities , which are clamoring for funds , but Republicans propose giving $ 105 billion to help schools reopen and $ 15 billion for child care centers to create safe environments for youngsters during the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement with Democrats on another round of $ 1,200 checks to most American adults .
The $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit boost that is expiring Friday would be cut back , and Mnuchin said it would ultimately be redesigned to provide a typical worker 70 % of his or her income .
Republicans say continuing the $ 600 benefit as Democrats is a disincentive to work , but some Republicans are pressing for a temporary extension of the current benefit if the talks drag .
“ We can not allow there to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re still at about 11 % unemployment , ” said Sen .
Rob Portman , R-Ohio .
The package will also include tax breaks for businesses to hire and retain workers and to help shops and workplaces retool with new safety protocols .
A document circulating among lobbyists claims the package would increase the deduction for business meals to 100 % , offering help to the restaurant industry .
Mnuchin said there is bipartisan agreement on changes to a popular subsidy program for businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program that would permit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — companies with fewer than 300 workers with revenue losses of 50 % — to receive a second PPP payment .
The breakthrough on $ 25 billion in testing money was key after days of debate between Republicans and the White House .
There will also be $ 26 billion for vaccines and $ 15 billion for research programs at the National Institutes of Health .
Of the $ 105 billion for education , Republicans want $ 70 billion to help K-12 schools reopen , $ 30 billion for colleges and $ 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration wanted school money linked to reopenings , but in McConnell ’ s package the money for K-12 would likely be split between those that have in-person learning and those that don ’ t .
In their package , Democrats are calling for $ 430 billion to reopen schools , bigger unemployment benefits and direct aid checks and a sweeping $ 1 trillion for state and local governments .
They also want a fresh round of mortgage and rental assistance and new federal health and safety requirements for workers .
McConnell calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in negotiations with Democrats .
Congress in March approved the massive $ 2.2 trillion CARES package , the biggest of its kind in U.S. history .
The severity of the prolonged virus outbreak is upending American life .
Schools are delaying fall openings , states are clamping down with new stay-home orders and the fallout is rippling through an economy teetering with high unemployment and business uncertainty .
A new AP-NORC poll shows very few Americans want full school sessions without restrictions in the fall .
Still , some Republicans said they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I just don ’ t see the need for it , ” Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told reporters on Wednesday .
Lisa Mascaro and Andrew Taylor are reporters for The Associated Press .
AP writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks with reporters about the coronavirus relief package negotiations , at the White House , Thursday , July 23 , 2020 , in Washington .
( AP Photo/Evan Vucci )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Movie Theater Owners to Studios: Release the Blockbusters!

NEW YORK , New York ( AP ) — A long time ago in a pre-COVID universe far , far away , blockbusters opened around the globe simultaneously or nearly so .
In 1975 , “ Jaws ” set the blueprint .
Concentrate marketing .
Open wide .
Pack them in .
Since then , Hollywood has turned opening weekends into an all-out assault .
Staggered rollouts still happen , of course , but the biggest films are dropped like carpet bombs .
Anything less risks losing the attention of moviegoers .
Global debuts north of $ 300 million became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Endgame ” made well north of $ 1 billion in a couple days .
Hollywood has now gone more than four months without a major theatrical release .
While some films have found new streaming homes , the biggest upcoming ones — “ Tenet , ” “ Mulan , ” “ A Quiet Place Part II ” — remain idled like jumbo jets on the tarmac .
The leading chains are still shuttered .
Recent coronavirus spikes have forced release dates to shuffle and chains to postpone reopening to August .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from ideal circumstances , it ’ s time for new movies .
Four months of near zero revenue has brought the $ 50 billion annual business to its knees .
While the beleaguered restaurant industry still has takeout and airlines continue to operate with masked flyers , the vast majority of U.S. movie theaters haven ’ t punched a single ticket since March .
Some have turned to selling popcorn curbside .
“ The problem is , we need their movies , ” says John Fithian , president and chief executive of National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who want to play movies theatrically , they can ’ t wait until 100 % of markets are allowed open because that ’ s not going to happen until there ’ s a vaccine widely available in the world.
” “ The old distribution models of big blockbusters , ” adds Fithian , “ need to be rethought.
” That may mean returning to a more old-fashioned release pattern , opening films overseas first and , in the U.S. , opening at different times in different areas .
When Warner Bros. earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Christopher Nolan ’ s “ Tenet ” because of the rise in cases , Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said the studio is “ not treating ‘ Tenet ’ like a traditional global day-and-date release.
” The coronavirus crisis has ushered in new chapter in the often symbiotic , occasionally quarrelsome relationship between distributors and exhibitors .
Splitting ticket sale revenue approximately in half , their fortunes have often been closely linked .
The largest studios — the Walt Disney Co. , Warner Bros. , Universal — now all have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with television operations .
So they have options .
The on-demand release of “ Trolls ” caused a rift between Universal and AMC .
But the two halves of theatrical moviegoing have worked largely in concert through the pandemic thus far .
It ’ s in their own self-interest .
Studios have been loath to sacrifice billions in box office for their priciest and most popular releases .
On Thursday , John Stankey , chief executive of Warner Bros. parent company AT & T said direct release to HBO Max could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the $ 200 million “ Tenet.
” With distancing protocols and other measures , cinemas have reopened in parts of Europe , the Middle East and South Korea , where last weekend Yeon Sang-ho ’ s “ Train to Busan ” action sequel “ Peninsula ” debuted with $ 13.2 million .
Theaters in China , the world ’ s second largest movie market , this week reopened with theaters limited to 30 % capacity .
North America , usually the main event of a blockbuster release , may have to learn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite the virus surge in much of the U.S. , exhibitors believe they can operate relatively safely by adhering to health officials , decreasing theater capacity and cleaning in between showings .
After initially flip-flopping , AMC will require patrons to wear masks .
AMC , the world ’ s largest circuit , on Thursday delayed its reopening from the end of July to mid-to-late August .
After “ Tenet ” earlier this week postponed indefinitely , Disney ’ s “ Mulan ” followed suit Thursday .
Disney also pushed back numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avatar ” and “ Star Wars ” franchises , back by a year .
Some moviegoers , naturally , don ’ t anticipate going , regardless of what comes out .
Jeffrey Shaman , an epidemiologist at Columbia University , isn ’ t planning to go to the movies this year .
“ It seems prudent to think that indoors is where the lion share of transmission takes place , ” says Shaman .
“ You could think : well , it ’ s a movie theater .
If you space people out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tall ceilings .
If they get the ventilation cranked up , it ’ s actually not the most concentrated environment .
It ’ s not liked a packed bar with a low ceiling .
It ’ s probably not as dangerous as that scenario .
But is it more dangerous than sitting home and watching Netflix ?
Yes , of course it is.
” But imperfect may be all cinemas and studios have for now .
Fithian believes 75 % of U.S. theaters could be open within days if they had new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainly playing older films . )
Theaters are closed in California and have yet to reopen in New York despite the state ’ s relative success in combating the virus .
That removes the two top cities in ticket sales , Los Angeles and New York .
“ The longer this goes , there will be bankruptcy filings and reorganizations and there will be people who go out of business , ” says Fithian who ’ s currently lobbying for greater Congressional support for theaters .
“ But if there are no new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s a dire situation for a lot of companies.
” AMC recently raised $ 300 million in debt relief to help itself remain solvent .
Throughout the industry , some 150,000 workers remain furloughed .
Jonathan Kuntz , a film historian and professor at the University of California , Los Angeles , says “ Tenet ” “ was made for a world that no longer exists.
” But as much as the familiar kind of worldwide launch is now impossible , the downside of improvising might not be as bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t widespread .
There will be scant competition .
“ Tenet ” can take up most screens .
Its opening can be spread out through the week .
Advertising will be cheaper .
Audiences will have little to distract them .
“ They ’ re going to have to be very inventive and very nimble to squeeze what they can out of this movie and maybe set a pattern for this kind of COVID theatrical universe we ’ re moving into , ” says Kuntz .
“ If they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding the films back , the theaters are going to die .
Then everything ’ s going to just be streaming and we ’ ll have lost something a lot of people — not just Christopher Nolan — treasure.
” Jack Coyle is a film reporter at The Associated Press .
About the Headline Image : Posters for upcoming movies are displayed in an empty corridor at the currently closed AMC Burbank Town Center 8 movie theaters complex on April 29 , 2020 , in Burbank , Calif. After several false starts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new releases back into movie theaters in late August .
But for blockbusters , it may mean rethinking opening weekend and returning to a more gradual rollout through international and U.S. territories .
Gone for now are the days of massive global openings .
And theater owners say if they don ’ t get new films soon , they may not make it to 2021 .
( AP Photo/Chris Pizzello , File )

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office now lists 24 individuals as collecting petitions in the campaign for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
There are 16 Republicans, four Democrats, and four Independents collecting qualifying petitions for the TN-5 race.
Candidates of all parties have until noon on April 7 to turn in their qualifying petitions, a deadline which is fast approaching. Candidates must collect 25 valid signatures from registered voters in the district. Those seeking the Republican nomination must be verified as bona fide Republicans by the Tennessee Republican Party in order to appear on the GOP primary ballot.
Challenges have been filed against the bona fide Republican statuses of the three carpetbaggers in the race, Morgan Ortagus, David Vitalli, and Robby Starbuck. Action will occur on those challenges after the April 7 filing deadline.
On the Republican side, Morgan Ortagus, former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell of Nashville, businessman Baxter Lee of Nashville, Robby Starbuck of Franklin (listed as Robert Starbuck Newsom), Geni Batchelor of Lebanon, Natisha Brooks of Nashville, Timothy Bruce Lee of Nashville, Annabelle Lee of Madison, Alan Clement Sharp of Nashville, David Vitalli of Brentwood, Stewart Parks of Nashville, Richie Lee of Nashville, General Kurt Winstead of Franklin, Tres Wittum of Nashville, Jeff Beierlein of Nashville, and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles are listed as collecting petitions.
Former Williamson County GOP Chair Omar Hamada of Franklin is still listed as collecting petitions but he dropped out of the race and endorsed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the GOP primary.
On the Democrat side, Clay Faircloth, Richard H. Harris, Justicia Rizzo, and Joel Michael Hurbert, all from Nashville, are collecting petitions.
Derrick Brantley of Nashville, Patrick O. Halfacre of Hohenwald, Daniel J. Cooper of Spring Hill, and Richard A. Shannon of Franklin are the independents collecting petitions.
The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office has been updating its list on a weekly basis. This list is current as of Friday, April 1.
Reports are expected to be available for the January 1 through March 31, 2022 Federal Election Commission campaign finance first-quarter period in the coming days. Those reports are expected to shed significant light on which candidates are considered viable. The bulk of the field entered the race after the December 31, 2021 reporting deadline.
The primaries are scheduled for August 4, 2022.
The newly-redrawn 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, as well as all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
– – –
Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected] Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Andrew Can Huss.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Carol Swain Talks to Caller Tim from Oklahoma and Weighs in on Joe Biden’s Claim That Trump Is a Rac

Carol Swain Talks to Caller Tim from Oklahoma and Weighs in on Joe Biden’s Claim That Trump Is a Racist President

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the studio .
At the end of the second hour , Swain took a listener ’ s call from Oklahoma who expressed his gratitude for her commentaries and weighed in on the state of the nation .
Swain later gave her take on Joe Biden ’ s recent claim that President Trump was the most racist president in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our good friend Carol Swain and all-star panelist is with us .
Carol I ’ m going to give to you a question responding to Joe Biden who has called Donald Trump America ’ s first racist president .
But before we get to that Carol… Leahy : Tim in Oklahoma wants to talk to you , Carol .
Tim , you are on the air on The Tennessee Star Report with Carol Swain .
Caller Tim : Hi Carol .
How are you doing this morning ?
Tim : I just want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same route every morning .
I ’ m an owner-operator truck driver .
through Oklahoma here .
And it is a pleasure every time you come on the air .
You are an absolutely beautiful soul .
And you speak the truth .
You are not afraid to let people know your opinions .
And so far have not found anything that I disagree with you on .
We ’ re hurting .
Our country is hurting inside .
And the worst part about it is that we are doing it to ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect the way we live our lives .
Mr. Leahy , you need to send somebody out here to Oklahoma and have an Oklahoma Star OK ?
Leahy : Do you live in Oklahoma ?
Tim : I do .
I live in El Reno , Oklahoma .
I was born and raised in Southern California and spent a little bit of time in Northern Nevada and started having kids and I packed up my family and I moved out to the Midwest because I saw a need to bring my children up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me ask you a question before we get back to Carol ’ s conversation with you .
Leahy : Why in your opinion does The Tennessee Star need to establish an Oklahoma Star ?
Tim : There is just not a lot of people that are speaking up .
I hear a lot about the silent majority .
And what I want to know is when is the silent majority going to stand up and make some noise ?
Because I ’ m ready for it .
I walk around daily and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
You know ?
( Leahy chuckles ) At first , I wasn ’ t going to say anything about it .
Live and let live .
If you want to wear your mask that ’ s fine .
If you don ’ t , whatever .
I don ’ t wear one .
I ’ m not covering my face for anyone .
I ’ m just not going to do it .
I ’ m going to practice handwashing .
I ’ m going to do things that I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to wash my hands .
I ’ m not going to sneeze on my hand .
I ’ m not going to shake anyone ’ s hand after I sneeze .
I ’ m not going to crowd people in a grocery store .
I wouldn ’ t crowd anybody prior to COVID .
I ’ m not going to crowd anybody during COVID .
But we are going through a lot of things right now .
Tucker said something about a month ago that I remember my grandfather telling me as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why are they saying all these bad things about Reagan ?
And he said , don ’ t worry , next month everybody will be praising him .
It ’ s an election year .
And everything that happens during an election year is only about the election .
That ’ s it .
We ’ re being sidetracked and distracted .
We are destroying ourselves because of outside influence .
And I think a talk show like that in Oklahoma , you know a lot of people aren ’ t going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-hour time distance that ’ s 2,000 miles away .
But it ’ s time for people to start speaking up .
And I ’ m not saying to go and disrespect everybody that ’ s wearing a mask or that doesn ’ t agree with your opinion .
That ’ s not my nature .
But I think that we need to help educate ourselves .
And we need to speak out .
We are going through a change shortage right now .
Are you kidding me ?
Leahy : Tim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
Swain : First of all Tim .
Thank you so much for calling .
I really appreciate your encouragement because we are going through a very tense election season here in Tennessee so I ’ ve gotten a fair bit of bashing for expressing my opinion .
But you are right on .
I ’ m glad that you called in .
I will work with Mike and encourage him strongly to create that Tennessee Star in Oklahoma .
And if you know people that might be helpful as far as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new entity than I know that it would be appreciated .
And so I hope you have a blessed day and thank you for calling in .
Tim : Thank you .
You guys have a wonderful day .
Thank you very much .
Leahy : Thanks Tim for calling in .
People listen to you all over the country Carol .
They weren ’ t calling for me .
They were calling for you !
( Chuckles ) Tim says , let me talk to Carol .
Leahy , you are there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carol .
( Chuckles ) Swain : I appreciate it .
I appreciate the fact that people are listening .
And I do my best to give them good information .
Leahy : Speaking of information .
Joe Biden yesterday wanted to share some information .
A story at the Daily Caller .
Presumptive Presidential Nominee Joe Biden Called Donald Trump America ’ s First Racist President .
Biden made the charge Wednesday during a virtual town hall put on by the Service Employees International Union .
He was responding to a question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wuhan or China virus .
Here ’ s exactly the quote from Joe Biden : “ What President Trump has done in his spreading of racism and the way he deals with people based on the color of their skin , national origin , where they are from its absolutely sickening .
No sitting president has ever done this .
Never never never .
No Republican president has done this .
No Democratic president .
We ’ ve had racists and they ’ ve existed .
They ’ ve tried to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first one that has.
” What do you say in the last minute of the segment ?
Swain : I think that his cognitive decline is becoming more and more apparent .
But in this case , he is repeating the Democratic Party ’ s divisive talking points .
And they use racial and ethnic minorities .
Their whole strategy is to keep the country divided .
And I think its a disgrace that they are willing to throw fuel on a fire that ’ s already raging across America by putting out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tell us what you really think Carol .
( Laughs ) Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Background Photo “ Stop Racism Sign ” by Ivan Radic .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Neil McCabe Explains How Republicans Are Not Standing up or Supporting the President’s National Aspi

Neil McCabe Explains How Republicans Are Not Standing up or Supporting the President’s National Aspirations

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil McCabe to the newsmakers line .
During the second hour , McCabe commented on the sporadic calendar in Washington , D.C. , and the proposed new stimulus package .
He added how he saw the Republicans not standing up against the violence and schools not opening and cited the Pentagon ’ s refusal to back President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by our good friend and national correspondent for The Tennessee Star and the Star Newspaper Group .
Neil McCabe .
Good morning Neil .
What ’ s going on in the nation ’ s capital these days , Neil ?
McCabe : It ’ s a very interesting time because a calendar is far more important than policy and politics in Washington .
So if you want to get anything done , you have to do it between the State of the Union , Memorial Day , and in between Memorial Day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sprint to really get something done .
After the Fourth of July and especially in a presidential election year , if you don ’ t get something done by the Fourth of July it ’ s not going to pass .
Congress is going to be in and out sporadically until after Labor Day when of course we have to have our annual government shutdown crisis .
( Leahy laughs ) McCabe : Then you do the spurts , right ?
You do temporary funding until the Thursday before Columbus Day .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You try to get to Thanksgiving .
I think the most cynical thing is when they schedule things right before Christmas because all the congressmen and senators have to go home for Christmas so they would pass basically anything .
They would change our national language to Lithuanian if it meant going home for Christmas .
Leahy : Absolutely .
So Neil , when did this very bad habit of moving away from regular order .
That is reviewing budgets and committees and then moving up from the committees to House debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been engaged in that very bad public policy practice ?
McCabe : I guess you have to go back .
It ’ s one of those Watergate reforms that are sort of personal .
The Budget Act of 1974 .
Then you had the economic crisis with Nixon .
Under President Reagan , you would do these sort of continuing resolutions .
People forget that there were probably 10 government shutdowns with Jimmy Carter .
And Jimmy Carter was a Democrat in a Democratic-controlled House and Senate .
The idea that you could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going .
And we basically passed the same thing we passed last time until we change our minds .
It ’ s a bad system but there ’ s is no way to fix it .
And so here we are .
I think what we are going to see is one more stimulus bill pass .
Leahy : We are ?
What ’ s going to be in do you think ?
McCabe : It ’ s just going to be Christmas presents .
( Leahy chuckles ) It ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bicycles .
Trains .
Barbie dolls… Leahy : You are such a skeptic this morning Neil .
McCabe : It ’ s so incredible that they are going to spit out the money .
I think that one of the things that you are seeing in Congress which if its something more fabulous than a stimulus bill that ’ s going to come out is that what we ’ re seeing is that the Republicans on Capitol Hill are absolutely scared and hiding under the desk and they are not willing to stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the party in its national aspirations coming into the election .
What we see is a majority of Americans opposing the changing names of our military bases .
Like the one , I was fortunate to be stationed at was Fort Bragg .
Of course , a lot of people argue that Confederate General Braxton Bragg did more than any other general to help the union win… Leahy : I made that point in the five o ’ clock hour .
( Laughs ) He should be a union hero because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCabe : Right .
So the majority of people don ’ t want to change the name .
So house Republicans unanimously go along with it .
In the Armed Services Committee , there ’ s no fight .
There ’ s no fight on the House floor .
There ’ s going to be no fight in the Senate .
The president says I ’ m going to veto this bill .
So the Republican leadership basically all goes along with a bill that the president says he ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set him up for a veto and it will probably be overwritten in the Senate .
So what happens is when an election as you know because we worked with Pat Caddell in 2016 .
Leahy : We did .
The late great Pat Caddell .
The best pollster in political history .
McCabe : Amazing .
One of the things he said over and over again is that Trump can ’ t win the personality contest but he can win on the issues .
And when you concede on the issues then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is well we don ’ t believe in this why should you .
And I think that Trump is in an amazing position when it comes to issues .
The people actually want the police .
The people actually want schools .
They want schools that they can send their children too .
And I think honestly we ’ re going to see a revolution in homeschooling coming out of this because so many people have been forced into it and find that it ’ s actually preferable .
I think a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their kids actually are in education .
Leahy : Developmentally far behind where they should be now .
McCabe : Yes .
Having said that the Republicans should be running up the score on changing the bases .
They should be running up the score on the fact that the Left wants to burn down our courthouses .
But you don ’ t see any of that .
You look even in the president ’ s cabinet and the only cabinet officers who are capable of creating and dominating the news cycle is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good job .
You have Bill Barr and Betsy DeVos have stood up with some things on the schooling .
Then you have a cabinet officer like Mark Esper the Secretary of Defense who literally says I will not support the president when he is restoring order in the streets .
Now the president is forced to use Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement to do this in Portland .
And you have the Secretary of Defense actually saying I have a problem with Homeland Security restoring .
So I won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense .
You have the Pentagon and other parts of the government in open revolt .
Leahy : Neil , let me bring up a point about our own company .
I ’ d like to switch gears here a little bit .
This will be good for you since you are based in the Washington area .
You are going to have a home and an office there because our company is launching on August 17 The Virginia Star , which will cover Virginia state politics the same way we cover Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Ohio Star .
The Michigan Star and The Minnesota Star .
And our affiliate [ in Virginia ] is John Fredricks .
Leahy : You know John .
He ’ s got a radio show in Richmond .
He ’ s got studios in Richmond , Virginia , and the Norfolk , Virginia Beach area , and Washington , D.C .
So when you are in Washington , D.C. , and want a base of operations you ’ ve got one now .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


Commentary: Basement Joe

Massachusetts Gov .
Michael Dukakis held a 17-point lead over Vice President George W. Bush in July 1988 , as they prepared to contend for the White House .
A month later Bush was up eight .
And Bush won 40 states that November .
We are at an amazing moment in our history .
We all have been thrown off-balance by COVID-19 , another pandemic gift from China .
Other than the guy who created Zoom , the rest of humanity has been messed up really badly .
It is the same all over the world .
Coronavirus has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital emergency rooms everywhere .
For example , I follow the nightly TV news out of Israel especially closely because that is how I practice my conversational street Hebrew while living in California ’ s Orange County .
Israel handled the first wave very nicely , and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got high marks from his countrymen .
Polls there showed he would win in a landslide in a new election if held right then .
That was two months ago .
So Israel opened up its restaurants , bars , schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wedding halls — and now they are experiencing mass chaos .
Netanyahu has dropped in the polls like a falling Acme anvil in a Warner Brothers cartoon .
Every night there are massive noisy demonstrations outside the Prime Minister ’ s Jerusalem residence , demanding he resign .
All that turnaround in only two months .
The Second Wave in all countries is proving predictably to be a bear because people psychologically came to accept in February and March that , “ darn it , the economy is going to get blasted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolate or there won ’ t be enough ventilators , but let ’ s do it now and get it over with so we don ’ t have to do it later.
” Yeah , but now is later — and , by golly , people now are in the mindset of “ We ain ’ t doing that again .
Never putting that genie back into the lamp , that toothpaste back into the tube .
Been there , done that.
” So the second waves of discontent are erupting everywhere .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deified Obama and Holder .
They play down that Bernie is a millionaire who owns three houses and that Elizabeth Warren is even richer and more corrupt .
But the same media gang crucify Trump with every tool they have .
Such bias .
Democrats walk on water with the media , and Republicans can not get a break unless , like Mitt Romney , they bleat like sheep in a Democrat herd .
Consider that Tom Cotton graduated magna cum laude at Harvard in only three years .
He was a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later a graduate of Harvard Law School .
Then an American army captain who served in Afghanistan and Iraq , and was decorated for his service .
A United States senator .
By any yardstick , quite accomplished .
But an opinion article of his could not meet the “ editorial standards ” of the New York Times , which — by contrast — had published a different piece contending that Jesus was a “ Palestinian.
” Think about that doozy ; no problem for that whopper to get by their crack editorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biased ?
The New York Times fires an editor for publishing an opinion authored by Harvard-trained U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton , while an editorial opinion writer there publicly resigns because the place has become such a tunnel-visioned echo chamber that she , a moderate liberal , is called a “ Nazi ” at work .
A really clever insult that only the Left would throw at a Jew .
Look at how they and all the media elevate every cartoon character ready to smear Trump : Omarosa , Stormy , Avenatti , Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they even have grabbed his disgruntled niece : “ Stick with me , kid , and I ’ ll make ya a star.
” I have been a congregational rabbi for more than 30 years .
In that pastoral role , people share internal family secrets with me .
Without my violating anyone ’ s confidences , let me tell you a secret you already know all too well yourself , no matter your ethnicity , race , religion , gender , or shoe size : every single family under the sun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along the chain .
Either one or more kids are angry for life at one or more parents .
Or the parents at the kids .
Or the parents and kids are fine with each other , but one or more siblings are not talking .
Or they don ’ t like a brother-in-law or a sister-in-law .
Or an aunt or an uncle or a niece or a nephew .
This is true of every family .
Even in the Bible , Sarah had Abraham expel Ishmael from the house .
Esau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joseph ’ s brothers had “ issues ” with him , enough to fill an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical .
This is not news ; this is life .
What went on with Kennedy and his wife behind closed doors , with all those Judith Exners on the periphery ?
Jimmy Carter had the ubiquitous embarrassment of a brother Billy .
Clinton — his stepfather was an alcoholic who would beat up the wife , so young Bill had to threaten to beat up the guy .
Even Obama — his father abandoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mom and him , went to some other continent .
So Trump , despite a famously notorious divorce , has four kids who really love their Dad to pieces , are really tight with him .
No matter one ’ s politics , it is a beautiful thing to watch that filial devotion .
They all love the guy , passionately so .
That is pretty good .
Neither of his two former wives seeks to sabotage him , much nicer than Newt Gingrich ’ s bitter “ ex ” who aimed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
The whole Trump family seems tight .
For a while , he even dangerously mulled naming his sister to the U.S. Supreme Court before his advisers disabused him of that idea .
But the point is , he loves his sister that much .
The Trumps are an enviably tight family .
So the despicable media finally find one solitary bitter niece , who got cut out of the Trump millions , and they make her into the next Avenatti–Omarosa star .
This way they cut him down , while she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some money ragging on her famous uncle .
Such a despicably cheap shot .
Every family has some bitter relative with an axe to grind .
Check out this news item of 30 years ago about Sallie Bingham .
The Binghams of Louisville are that city ’ s uniquely majestic dynasty .
Sallie was the angry one , so she wrote a whopper of a book .
And the crazy thing is that she had gotten $ 62 million anyway .
But this is what happens in families .
There ’ s always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , is not even in the nuclear unit of child , parent , sibling , spouse .
But she ’ s the closest they could dig up .
The media really are so disgusting .
That is what they do to him .
And , frustratingly , it is that same biased media — truly the enemies of the people — who have made Independents unsure about Trump , imagining that the alternative , Joe Biden , can do better .
It really is unfathomable .
Was Biden ever really presidential material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answered no , one decade after another .
He always has raised eyebrows outside of Delaware , the nation ’ s second smallest state .
If an answer ever has been “ Joe Biden , ” then that question must have been pretty sketchy .
There always have been things wrong with him , even when he seemed to have all his wires connected .
Just contemplate the way he kept copying not only other people ’ s speeches but even their life stories .
Look , I am an Orthodox Rabbi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imagine I go around making speeches about my years living in Buckingham Palace with my family , my brothers Charles and Andrew ( whom I always called “ Chuck ” and “ Andy ” ) , my sister Anne ( the only normal one , as my Dad , Phil the Duke , would say ) and my Mom , with the hats that match the dress that match the coat .
I like to call her “ Lizzy , ” sometimes “ Queensie Weensie , ” and sometimes “ Your Royal Mumsyhood.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — even though his name is Duke of Edinburgh — I like to call Dad “ Duke Snider.
” Really .
Anyone listening to such would be watching me for a clue : “ Dov , you ’ re kidding , right ?
Like , you ’ re not really from that messed-up family ?
You know that , right ?
” And if I would stick with the story , then people would say that I need to be evaluated because , well , if I am their kid , how come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right way with a Brooklyn accent , unlike all the rest of them with their “ lifts ” for elevators , “ lorries ” for trucks , and “ boots ” for trunks ?
And what normal person would drink Pimm ’ s Cup No .
1-6 when she or he can get Maker ’ s Mark ?
But that is what Biden did , even in the old days when he used to know what state he was in .
He told someone else ’ s story — that of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his own .
Oh my darlin ’ , Biden ’ s father sold used cars ; he wasn ’ t a coal miner or the son of one .
But that was Biden ’ s speech and life story — because it was British Labour leader Neil Kinnock ’ s speech and life story .
And now this same guy is locked in a basement , like the 1996 comedy movie House Arrest , reading words being fed to him by his handlers — and this character is soon to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this something Independents actually would do to themselves ?
As Biden himself would say : Aw , c ’ mon , man .
Biden does not have an original thought .
Remove the adjective from that previous sentence , and it still reads accurately .
He ends up in a debate with Bernie Sanders and comes out with Bernie Sanders ’ s ideas because that is the last thing he heard .
He gets cornered at a debate : “ Will you name a woman as your vice presidential running mate ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to think — not that it would have mattered — he blurts out : Yes .
Now he ’ s stuck .
Go choose among Stacey Abrams , Kamala Harris , and whoever else the New York Times ’ 1619 Project comes up with .
Maybe run with Anita Hill , and kill two birds with one stone .
Or , y ’ know , go back to the Neil Kinnock life story , and run with Loretta Lynn , the coal miner ’ s daughter .
The Left demands defunding the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to it .
He used to speak of being Catholic and supporting life .
No more .
What do people know about Biden ?
When he sought a presidential nomination in the past , while campaigning for votes in the South , he cultivated the racism vote , bragging that Delaware had been a slave state up to the Civil War : He was fine working alongside decades of racist Democrat senators in Dixie , the kinds whose monuments would get torn down if they ever had inspired statues in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many racist comments .
Praising a Black candidate , Obama , he noted that Obama not only was good-looking but even was “ clean.
” Imagine that — a Black who is clean !
What normal person in today ’ s world thinks like that ?
Or “ You can not go into a 7/Eleven or a Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent .
I ’ m not joking.
” Or , while speaking to White voters in Iowa : Do Independents cognitively believe that Basement Joe is seriously presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they even would consider Basement Joe .
Of course Biden wants to be safe ; many Americans over 65 are staying indoors until a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine is available .
Good for him .
And while he remains at home and in the basement , he is safe from getting caught thinking out loud .
But how can Independents really want to place their lives , their economy , their children ’ s future in such hands ?
In truth , we now are in a season akin to what baseball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the time of preliminary scuffling and testing messages before the real games begin .
The real season starts between August and Labor Day .
Then we begin a two-month period that is unique in America : the only two months every four years when the Republican conservative message gets heard — because we pay for it .
It is too expensive to advertise and pay to be heard 365 days annually .
Accordingly , tens of millions , and hundreds of millions of dollars are raised , so that a message can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unfiltered for two months .
Those ads , and the three debates that must take place , will be critical .
Think back .
That ’ s when elections turn , when fates are decided .
We still remember the year when one side had Willie Horton walking through the revolving door of justice , while the other side had a guy in a Mickey Mouse hat in a tank .
We remember a debate when a man said , “ I am paying for this microphone , ” and another debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his opponent ’ s “ youth and inexperience ” and another when he discussed a “ Misery Index.
” We remember an ad about “ Morning in America.
” We remember a debate where a CNN reporter broke protocol and the rules , butted in , and left a candidate looking like a deer caught in the headlights .
Another debate where a candidate stated that East Europe was not under Soviet hegemony .
And even that primary when a guy said “ Ooops.
” A moment can be a game-changer during that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George W. Bush , menacingly .
John Kerry , who married the widow heiress to the Heinz ketchup , pickle relish , and baked beans fortune , saying to Dubya that “ we both married up.
” George W. , being accused of favoring the lumber lobby , opening his suit coat and asking , “ Want some wood ?
” Perot ’ s vice president candidate asking , “ Who am I ?
Why am I here ?
” Biden interrupting Ryan endlessly with manic laughter .
Trump ’ s tag of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The LBJ television ad of the little girl picking a flower getting blown up by Goldwater ’ s nuclear holocaust .
These are indelible images and sounds that reverberate and impact elections .
The season has not yet started .
It will come down to the ads , the debates , what happens amid two more months of coronavirus between now and then , and then two more months of it after that .
America will see which Black woman Biden picks — because that is who will run the country if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the 25th Amendment on him or not — and whether they can yank Basement Joe above ground for three debates , with him resisting : Aw , c ’ mon , man .
We shall see .
Rabbi Dov Fischer , Esq.
, a high-stakes litigation attorney of more than twenty-five years and an adjunct professor of law of more than fifteen years , is rabbi of Young Israel of Orange County , California .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--St. Louis Prosecutor’s Office Appears to Have Tampered with Evidence in McCloskey Gun Case

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner ’ s staff appears to have tampered with evidence in order to press charges against the St. Louis woman who waved a gun at the Black Lives Matter rioters who stormed her neighborhood last month .
Patricia McCloskey ’ s gun was inoperable when she voluntarily surrendered it to the police , but prosecutors reassembled it into working order so they could charge her with a crime .
Gardner announced her intention to prosecute Mark and Patricia McCloskey after images of the gun-toting couple defending their $ 1.15 million home against the BLM mob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of Gardner ’ s staff “ ordered crime lab experts to disassemble and reassemble ” the weapon and after it had been rendered operable , wrote that it was “ readily capable of lethal use ” in charging documents .
In Missouri , police and prosecutors must prove that a weapon is “ readily ” capable of lethal use when it is used in the type of crime with which the McCloskeys have been charged .
Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Hinckley ordered crime lab staff members to field strip the handgun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Specifically , the firing pin spring was put in front of the firing pin , which was backward , and made the gun incapable of firing , according to documents obtained by 5 On Your Side .
Firearms experts then put the gun back together in the correct order and test-fired it , finding that it worked , according to the documents .
Crime lab workers photographed the disassembly and reassembly of the gun , according to the documents .
The McCloskeys said that the handgun was inoperable because they had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit they once filed against a gun manufacturer .
Their attorney , Joel Schwartz , confirmed to KSDK that the firing pin on the gun had been intentionally misplaced and that it was in that condition when Patricia McCloskey used it to defend her home .
“ It ’ s disheartening to learn that a law enforcement agency altered evidence in order to prosecute an innocent member of the community , ” Schwartz said .
Missouri recognizes the Castle Doctrine law , which allows people to defend their property with lethal force .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governor Mike Parson , Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt , and President Trump have rallied to the couple ’ s side .
Parson has said he will pardon the couple if they are convicted , and Schmitt has filed a legal briefing asking that the case be dismissed , calling it “ a political prosecution.
” “ Kim Gardner ’ s action toward the McCloskeys is outrageous , ” Parson wrote on Twitter Monday .
“ Even worse , the Circuit Attorney ’ s office has admitted there is a backlog of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been prosecuted , yet she has accelerated this case forward.
” The Washington Post , meanwhile , is touting a statement put out by 67 left-wing current and former district attorneys defending Gardner ’ s “ exercise of discretion ” in the McCloskey case , and condemning what they call racist attacks on her by the president and Republican office holders in Missouri .
“ You know , I ’ ve said this before and I ’ ll say it again .
We had every right to do what we did , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Every single person in my neighborhood was trespassing .
All those people were trespassing .
They ’ re admitted criminals .
None of those people have been charged with anything .
We are the only people [ who ] have been charged , ” he noted .
“ We get charged with felonies for doing nothing more than defending ourselves .
If we get convicted of felonies , we can ’ t own weapons again .
We can ’ t practice law .
It takes our livelihood away , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , I ’ ve said it before and I ’ ll say it again , the circuit attorney has made the decision that her job – instead of protecting law-abiding citizens from criminals – is to protect the criminals from law-abiding citizens , ” McCloskey concluded .
“ There ’ s just something fundamentally wrong with that.
” Debra Heine reports for American Greatness .
Photo “ Mark and Patricia McCloskey ” by Fox News .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Study Finds That Full Lockdowns Did Not Reduce Coronavirus Mortality Rate

A study published Tuesday in The Lancet medical journal found that full lockdowns , border closures and high rates of coronavirus testing are not associated with a statistically significant reduction in the total number of critical cases or the virus ’ s overall mortality rate .
However , the study , which was based on data from the 50 countries with the most reported cases as of May 1 , noted that lockdowns and border closures are likely associated with better overall health outcomes , as the measures helped drive down the rate of the virus ’ s transmission and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In our study , an increasing number of days to border closures was associated with a higher caseload , and more restrictive public health measures ( such as a full lockdown compared to partial or curfew only measures ) were associated with an increase in the number of recovered cases per million population , ” the researchers reported .
“ These findings suggest that more restrictive public health practices may indeed be associated with less transmission and better outcomes.
” “ However , in our analysis , full lockdowns and wide-spread COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of critical cases or overall mortality , ” the researchers added .
The study found two factors that were significantly associated with increased coronavirus mortality rate : the prevalence of obesity among the population , and a higher per capita gross domestic product .
“ Countries with a higher per capita GDP had an increased number of reported critical cases and deaths per million population , ” the researchers reported .
“ This may reflect more widespread testing in those countries , greater transparency with reporting and better national surveillance systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ association might include increase [ sic ] accessibility to air travel and international holidays in wealthier countries.
” The study did not address whether mask-wearing mandates have any effect on curbing the spread or reducing the mortality rate of coronavirus .
Much of the United States went under temporary lockdowns in the spring predicated on the goal of “ flattening the curve , ” or reducing the number of active cases at any given time which in turn reduces the overall strain on hospital systems .
Many states were in the process of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again in June .
Governors across the country have implemented a number of measures in an attempt to cut down the spread of the virus , including delaying the their reopening plans and introducing expanded mask mandates , according to a tracker by The Washington Post .
California Governor Gavin Newsom reimposed major restrictions on his state in July , including ordering all bars to close statewide and closing indoor gyms , places of worship and other businesses in 30 counties across the state .
Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Bill Hagerty’s and Manny Sethi’s Political Contributions Since 2000 Are Extensive

U.S. Senate candidates Bill Hagerty and Manny Sethi have said much about each other ’ s political donations in recent @ @ @ @ @ prevail over the other in the upcoming Republican primary .
The Tennessee Star examined both @ @ @ @ @ at the state and federal levels since 2000 .
Members of the public may review @ @ @ @ @ the Federal Election Commission ’ s website and at the Tennessee Online Campaign Finance website @ @ @ @ @ Inc. ( May 2012 ) : $ 2,500 • Political Action Committee of the American @ @ @ @ @ July 2016 ) : $ 250 • Political Action Committee of the American Association of @ @ @ @ @ ) : $ 250 Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
@ @ @ @ @ Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Bill Hagerty ” by Bill Hagerty @ @ @ @ @ ” by Manny Sethi .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--‘Walking on Eggshells’: 62 Percent of Americans Are Afraid to Express Political Views, Survey Finds

Self-censorship is on the rise according to a new Cato Institute survey that reports nearly two-thirds of Americans are afraid to share their political views .
A new CATO Institute/YouGov national survey found 62 % of Americans say the political climate today prevents them from saying what they believe .
This is up several points from 2017 when 58 % of Americans said they were afraid to share their political beliefs .
“ 31 % of liberals , 30 % of moderates and 34 % of conservatives are worried their political views could get them fired or harm their career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A recent poll conducted by Politico found that a plurality of Americans believe cancel culture has gone too far .
“ There have been shifts across the board , where more people among all political groups feel they are walking on eggshells , ” the CATO survey found , adding , “ majorities of Democrats ( 52 % ) , independents ( 59 % ) and Republicans ( 77 % ) who all agree they have political opinions they are afraid to share. ” “ Strong liberals stand out , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can express themselves .
Nearly 6 in 10 ( 58 % ) of staunch liberals feel they can say what they believe , ” the CATO survey found .
A majority of centrist liberals , who in 2017 said they could express their views freely , now say they have to self-censor .
According to the CATO survey , self-censorship spans all ethnicities , with 65 % of Latino Americans , 64 % of white Americans , and 49 % of African Americans saying they have political views they are afraid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across demographic groups suggests withheld opinions may not simply be radical or fringe perspectives in the process of being socially marginalized .
Instead many of these opinions may be shared by a large number of people , ” the CATO study concluded .
Both surveys , CATO and Politico , suggest that those who engage and support cancel culture are a vocal minority of Americans , not the majority .
“ While online shaming may seem like a major preoccupation for the public if you spend a lot of time on Twitter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have participated in cancel culture and only one in 10 say they participate ‘ often , ’ ” the Politico poll found .
Benjamin Nichols is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Carol Swain Discusses the State of the Nation and a Calls for a Return to God for Healing

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the studio .
During the second hour , Swain weighed in on how she viewed the current state of the nation .
She expressed that it was time for a national revival that can not be man-made and can only be made by looking to God for the healing of the self and the country as a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we always are on Thursday ’ s by our good friend all-star panelist and former Vanderbilt professor and former candidate for mayor here in Nashville , Carol Swain .
Good morning Carol .
Leahy : Well , this country in the midst of what do you call what the country is in the midst of Caro ?
Swain : Going to hell in a handbasket .
Leahy : Yes !
( Laughs ) I think that ’ s it .
Now you and I and our listeners are trying to resist that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swain : Well , I can tell you that during my drive this morning I was not listening to The Tennessee Star Report .
Forgive me .
Leahy : What ?
What ?
( Laughter ) We ’ re the best program on the radio .
What were you listening too ?
Swain : I was praying about the COVID situation and the president and about all of these things that are taking place .
I believe that there is no man-made solution and the only thing that can turn around this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Second Chronicles 7:14 .
If my people will call by my name .
Now that I ’ m going to quote it I ’ m going to forget parts of it .
But it ’ s about turning away from sin and asking for repentance and forgiveness and that God will heal their land .
And our land definitely needs to be healed .
Not just physically of all the things that we ’ re seeing disease wise .
But the whole country , our Constitution , and our way of life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leahy : It ’ s interesting that you talk about that because I was talking with a group of fellows yesterday and they brought up the same thing .
There is a group that thinks that the country needs they are calling it a third great awakening .
Go ahead Carol .
Swain : And that ’ s right .
That ’ s right .
And I found this scripture and I know that this is not church on Thursday .
Leahy : It ’ s not church Thursday but in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we talk about civic engagement .
And we talk about the rule of law .
And we talk about a biblical world view .
And so you and I are both Christians .
Evangelical Christians in this particular case .
At least I am .
We haven ’ t specifically talked about that definition .
But I do think the New Testament and the Old Testament and the Bible and Christian beliefs are very important in the populous as a whole .
Swain : It is .
And even for people that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump is not a real Christian .
Nobody can deny that he is someone that believes that the Christian religion is important .
He believes in western civilization and our Constitution .
But this scripture , Second Chronicles 7:14 .
If my people , and that would be the Christian folk , which are called by name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land .
And I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I said the Christian folks , the Bible is a Judeo-Christian book of Christian Jews .
You think about Muslims .
They were supposed to be the people of the book .
And so Jews and Muslims share the first five books of the Old Testament even though they share very little .
Leahy : Very little .
There is a great diversion thereafter .
Swain : Yes .
How they interpret things .
With our country right now , this effort by the political left to tear down all our institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want to tear down all the traditional structures including the family and the church .
Leahy : The Black Lives Matter agenda is the destruction of the nuclear family .
Swain : But that ’ s all part of the Marxist agenda and the corporations and various entities that support Black Lives Matter they think they are supporting the slogan that they are making the statement that they support Black people when actually this organization that they are helping to fun in some cases is an organization that wants to destroy America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not just Black Lives Matter there are all kinds of organizations with dogooder names .
Some of them are inside the church .
They ’ ve invaded the church and they are not content with destroying churches and political parties and other institutions from within .
They want to tear down the monuments .
Burn down the churches .
And even with schools and education , this thing about using COVID to keep the schools closed .
It ’ s not about the disease .
It ’ s about destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who will be hurt the most will be poor people .
I don ’ t care whether they are White , Black , Hispanic .
Those children that depend on schools for lunches and to have some times teachers with good moral values .
They are the ones who are going to be hurt the most .
And in some cases , children are abused at home .
So the schools were the only place where they could go and get some kind of relief .
They are being denied that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s being done for a political socialist agenda .
Leahy : You know its also difficult now in this COVID era for churches to play their traditional roles for worship .
In fact , in California governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order prohibiting the gathering of churches I think .
And that is a violation of the First Amendment .
Swain : I think that church leaders all across America need to decide what they believe .
And I think they should meet .
And I think Christians should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of them are not watching online church .
In fact , I was interviewing someone yesterday and they had data and that there is this falling away from the church .
It was meant to hurt church people .
Some of them were only weekly affiliated with the institution .
And so the church in America as we know it is falling apart .
But I think true believers need to defy the government .
I think they need to meet .
If you believe that God controls life and death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so afraid that I ’ m going to catch COVID .
And I ’ m going to die or do this .
You ’ re not going to die before its God ’ s appointed time for you to leave the earth .
So , people that are sitting home and shaking in fear I think those people if they are Christians , I ’ m sorry folks but you need to get down on your knees and repent .
And you need to get out there and realize that what is taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s meant to topple our country .
They ’ re doing to us what a foreign entity could never do without guns because we ’ d resist that .
But they have figured us out and they know how to manipulate us .
And we see the manipulation all the time .
And they are using that to help us destroy our own country .
And we are doing it to ourselves .
We are the ones that are destroying our institutions .
Leahy : It ’ s interesting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have many many tinpot dictator mayors , ( Swain giggles ) governors , etc .
Illegally ordering people to do things and not do things .
And clearly there is no constitutional or legislative authorization for many of the shutdown orders .
You are smiling at my characterizations here .
Swain : The thing with this Washington , D.C. mayor has this strict mask order .
And if you are caught without your mask you can be fined of $ 1,000 .
Someone has brought a charge against the president because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask on and so that ’ s being investigated .
Leahy : Well that ’ s obviously a separation of powers issue .
First , the order is unconstitutional and illegal .
Number one .
And if challenged in a fair court it would be thrown out .
And this is why the District of Columbia actually can technically self govern in certain areas .
But the Constitution was set up for the District of Columbia to be under the control of Congress .
Leahy : Yes .
For very good reasons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat of the national government to be a local government that forces the federal government to do the will of the local governments .
It should be the other way around .
Swain : I was in D.C. about three weeks ago and it looked like Black Lives Matter was running the whole city .
Leahy : Yes .
That ’ s what it looked like .
Swain : And these stores .
They have the signs .
I guess the signs mean don ’ t break my window .
Leahy : It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , right ?
( Swain laughs ) And that ’ s why all the Fortune 500 companies are genuflecting before Black Lives Matter because they don ’ t want to be targeted , boycotted , etc .
That ’ s the real reason for it .
They may know how destructive the Black Lives Matter agenda is but they don ’ t really care to stand up against it because they don ’ t want to be hurt .
Swain : They don ’ t want to be seen as racists .
White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : Carol Swain .
Telling it like it is .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Allen West Ousts James Dickey as Texas Republican Party Chair

Allen West clinched the position of party leader for the Texas Republicans early Monday morning , ousting James Dickey , who was first elected to the position in 2017 .
Retired Army Lt. Col. West won 22 state Senate districts to Dickey ’ s four and claimed victory around 3:30 a.m , according to the Statesman News Network .
Five districts are yet to report .
Dickey handed off the convention gavel to West at a noon ceremony , the outlet said , formally withdrawing from the race .
“ Please consider yourself to be a very important counselor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dickey , “ because I know how to jump out of airplanes , but I ’ m gon na learn to be a pretty good chairman of the Republican Party of Texas.
” West , who had his roots in the Tea Party movement , criticized the governor during an address to the convention on Saturday , according to the Statesman News Network .
He spoke from the San Jacinto Monument , which marks the 1836 battle for Texas independence .
“ Today there ’ s a new battleground , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s really not too much different from what they faced — the despotism , the tyranny that we see in the great state of Texas , where we have executive orders and mandates , people telling us what we can and can not do , who is essential , who is not essential , ” West said .
West ’ s comments were seen as a direct attack on Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , who had recently defended his pandemic regulations , despite many residents opposing them .
“ The reality is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the governor in his speech to the delegates in telling them , this is why you need to vote for me , ” Republican political consultant Luke Macias told the Statesman News Network .
“ And that ’ s what the delegates were looking for , they were looking for someone who still stands up and says , ‘ Enough , ’ and Allen West stood up and said , ‘ I will be that person for you , ’ and that ’ s what the grassroots wanted.
” Jordyn Pair is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ James Dickey ” by James Dickey .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--New Claims Drop but Michigan Unemployment Still Above 500,000

Michigan was in the top 5 U.S. states reporting the largest decreases in initial unemployment claims for the week ending July 11 .
The state reported a 6,882 week-over-week decline in new claims for that week .
New claims in Michigan dropped by another 5,884 claims the week ending July 18 .
The state isn ’ t entirely out of the woods yet , however .
Michigan ’ s unemployment stands at 506,099 total claims as of July 18 , according to U.S. Department of Labor data released Thursday morning .
The DOL reported 21,836 new claims in Michigan for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,884 new claims below the previous week ’ s 27,720 initial claims .
National numbers jumped 109,000 initial claims for the week ending July 18 to 1,416,000 total claims , bumping the nation ’ s unemployment to just above 11 percent .
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 11 were in Florida ( +65,890 ) , Georgia ( +33,292 ) , California ( +20,123 ) , Washington ( +16,116 ) , and Indiana ( +6,258 ) , while the largest decreases were in Maryland ( -13,728 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( -8,577 ) , Michigan ( -6,882 ) , and Louisiana ( -5,066 ) .
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 4 were in Puerto Rico ( 26.0 ) , Nevada ( 21.3 ) , Hawaii ( 20.7 ) , Georgia ( 18.0 ) , California ( 16.9 ) , Louisiana ( 16.6 ) , New York ( 16.1 ) , Connecticut ( 15.4 ) , the Virgin Islands ( 15.2 ) , and Massachusetts ( 15.0 ) .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Walz Orders Mask Mandate Indoors and in Crowded Outdoor Places Starting Friday Night

On Wednesday , Gov .
Tim Walz signed Executive Order 20-81 , ordering Minnesotans to wear a mask in indoor public settings and crowded outdoor spaces starting Friday at 11:59 p.m. “ COVID-19 has impacted every corner of our state and every aspect of our lives , ” Walz said in a statement .
“ But as Minnesotans always do during tough times , we come together and we take care of one another .
And right now there ’ s no better way to demonstrate our Minnesotan values than by wearing a mask .
By combating the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors , keep our businesses open , and get us on track to return to the activities we love.
” Minnesota Department of Health ( MDH ) Commissioner Jan Malcolm said that wearing a mask and social distancing are some of the best ways to curb the spread of COVID-19 .
“ Until there is a widely available vaccine , wearing a mask is one of the best tools we have for limiting the spread of COVID-19 and its harmful impacts , ” Malcolm said .
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that wearing a mask would hasten the economy ’ s full reopening .
“ By wearing a mask , Minnesotans are helping keep businesses and communities open .
Masks are more than just a courtesy – they are essential to protecting employees and customers , ” Grove said .
Grove said that if a customer claims they aren ’ t wearing a mask due to health reasons , the owner can “ leave it there.
” But the order says any business owner , manager , or supervisor who violates the rule could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exceed $ 1,000 , or up to 90 days in jail .
Attorney General Keith Ellison , as well as city and county attorneys , can seek civil relief from businesses with penalties up to $ 25,000 per violation .
There are several exemptions , including children five years and younger , and those with medical or mental health conditions or a disability that don ’ t allow them to wear a mask .
Any person who willfully violates the order could be charged with a petty misdemeanor and a fine up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen Minnesotan cities have already mandated masks indoors .
House Speaker Melissa Hortman , DFL- Brooklyn Park , said the decision is “ wise and justified.
” “ The science is clear : wearing a mask is one of the best things we can do to slow the spread of COVID-19 , ” Hortman said .
“ If Minnesotans want to keep each other safe , to have students in school , and to keep businesses open , we need to wear masks when we are in public places.
” Senate Majority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the rule feels like a “ heavy-handed , broad approach that won ’ t work well for every situation.
” “ 40 counties have no COVID deaths , and another 35 counties have less than 10 deaths .
Meaning 86 percent of the state is either in a very safe environment or already taking appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of COVID , ” Gazelka said .
“ The public is wearing masks and many businesses are requiring them .
Deaths and ICU [ intensive care units ] use have stabilized to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandate.
” He encouraged Walz to allow kids to return to school and for businesses to expand operations and act according to their specific situation .
“ Each business , school district , and church should be able to decide what works best for their specific needs , ” Gazelka said .
“ ‘ One [ size-fits-all ] Minnesota ’ is a terrible way to support more than 5 million individuals in our state.
” Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .
Photo “ Tim Walz ” by CTN Coon Rapids .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Cuts $115 Million from State Police Budget

Gretchen Whitmer ( D-Mich. ) , the radical governor of Michigan who has come under overwhelming criticism for her excessive coronavirus lockdowns , has cut as much as $ 115 million from the budget for the Michigan State Police , as reported by Breitbart .
Whitmer made the budget cuts through Executive Order 2020-155 , demanding that $ 115.07 million be taken from the state police budget , in addition to a slash of $ 392.67 million from Michigan ’ s Department of Corrections , and another $ 36.46 cut from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the cut funding with $ 107 million in federal funds from the recent coronavirus stimulus bills , although this is a temporary source of funding that will most likely not be available next year .
When asked about the massive cut to police funding , Whitmer said that “ the spirit is really about reprioritizing [ and ] rebuilding communities , not just policing…you don ’ t need all the money that ’ s going into police departments.
” The decision in Michigan marks the latest major effort by Democratic governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police budgets in the wake of the far-left “ defund the police ” movement .
In Los Angeles , Mayor Eric Garcetti ( D-Calif. ) cut $ 150 million from the budget for the LAPD .
In New York City , Mayor Bill de Blasio ( D-N.Y. ) slashed $ 1 billion from the NYPD budget .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--New Claims Drop but Ohio Unemployment Still Above 400,000

Ohio initial unemployment claims fell by 5,991 claims for the week ending July 18 .
The state also reported a 31,206 week-over-week decline in new claims for the week ending July 11 .
The state isn ’ t entirely out of the woods yet , however .
Ohio ’ s unemployment stands at 403,051 total claims as of July 18 , according to U.S. Department of Labor data released Thursday morning .
The DOL reported 29,764 new claims in Ohio for the week ending July 18 , a decrease of 5,991 new claims from the previous week ’ s 35,755 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 109,000 initial claims for the week ending July 18 to 1,416,000 total claims , bumping the nation ’ s unemployment to just above 11 percent .
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 11 were in Florida ( +65,890 ) , Georgia ( +33,292 ) , California ( +20,123 ) , Washington ( +16,116 ) , and Indiana ( +6,258 ) , while the largest decreases were in Maryland ( -13,728 ) , Texas ( -11,583 ) , New Jersey ( -8,577 ) , Michigan ( -6,882 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 4 were in Puerto Rico ( 26.0 ) , Nevada ( 21.3 ) , Hawaii ( 20.7 ) , Georgia ( 18.0 ) , California ( 16.9 ) , Louisiana ( 16.6 ) , New York ( 16.1 ) , Connecticut ( 15.4 ) , the Virgin Islands ( 15.2 ) , and Massachusetts ( 15.0 ) .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ InfoTech & Telecom News .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--New Claims Drop but Minnesota Unemployment Still Above 330,000

Minnesota initial unemployment claims fell slightly by 3,305 claims for the week ending July 18 .
That ’ s not enough to wipe out entirely the 1,623 week-over-week increase in new claims for the week ending July 11 .
The state is still clambering to find its footing in the unemployment wilderness .
Minnesota ’ s unemployment stands at 333,363 total claims as of July 18 , according to U.S. Department of Labor data released Thursday morning .
The DOL reported 18,332 new claims in Minnesota for the week ending July 18 , a decrease of 3,305 new claims from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims .
National numbers jumped 109,000 initial claims for the week ending July 18 to 1,416,000 total claims , bumping the nation ’ s unemployment to just above 11 percent .
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 11 were in Florida ( +65,890 ) , Georgia ( +33,292 ) , California ( +20,123 ) , Washington ( +16,116 ) , and Indiana ( +6,258 ) , while the largest decreases were in Maryland ( -13,728 ) , Texas ( -11,583 ) , New Jersey ( -8,577 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( -5,066 ) .
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 4 were in Puerto Rico ( 26.0 ) , Nevada ( 21.3 ) , Hawaii ( 20.7 ) , Georgia ( 18.0 ) , California ( 16.9 ) , Louisiana ( 16.6 ) , New York ( 16.1 ) , Connecticut ( 15.4 ) , the Virgin Islands ( 15.2 ) , and Massachusetts ( 15.0 ) .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Ohio Governor Reverses Course, Calls to Repeal Energy Law

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine reversed course on Thursday and called for a nuclear bailout energy law to be repealed in the wake of the state ’ s $ 60 million bribery scandal .
The Republican DeWine said he continues to support the policy in the bill , including preserving Ohio ’ s two nuclear power plants as part of power generation in the state .
But DeWine says the process that created the bill and the law tainted it irrevocably .
While reasonable people can argue about the policy issues , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stinks .
It ’ s terrible .
It ’ s not acceptable , ” DeWine said .
He called on lawmakers to repeal and revisit the legislation “ through an open process that the public can have confidence in.
” Debate over the bill began Tuesday , following the arrests of Republican House Speaker Larry Householder and four associates in the $ 60 million case .
Federal prosecutors allege Householder and others accepted bribes to shepherd the energy bill into law .
On Wednesday , DeWine had been adamant that the law shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy was sound even if the was it was enacted wasn ’ t .
The governor also encouraged lawmakers to move quickly to replace Householder , saying he can no longer function in his job given the charges .
The governor ’ s comments on his reversal came about two hours after House Republican lawmakers launched an effort to repeal a nuclear bailout law and “ sanitize ” legislative activity as a bribery scandal unfolds over the law ’ s passage .
Rep. Laura Lanese of suburban Columbus said repealing the bill and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address state energy policy issues and restore trust The state should be encouraging renewable energy development in Ohio as part of its overall energy plan , Lanese said .
The House “ needs to reassure Ohioans , whether Democrat or Republican , that we are working in their honor , ” she said .
Lanese and Republican Rep. Rick Carfagna believe the whole bill has been “ tainted ” by the criminal investigation revealed Wednesday .
The Republican lawmakers were joined at the press conference by Republican Sen. Stephanie Kunze , who came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repeal .
“ From the beginning , this bill and the intention of this bill were not for Ohio but for a select group , ” Kunze said Thursday .
“ It was not about the jobs , it was really a scheme to rip off the taxpayers of Ohio.
” Democratic Reps. Michael O ’ Brien and Michael Skindell also announced their plans to repeal House Bill 6 on Wednesday while calling for Householder to resign .
Skindell blamed the state ’ s one-party rule for allowing Republican politicians like Householder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to special interest groups over their own constituents .
“ HB 6 was the manifestation of this alleged corruption , ” he said .
U.S. Attorney David DeVillers described the ploy as likely the largest bribery and money-laundering scheme that has “ ever been perpetrated against the people of the state of Ohio.
” Householder was one of the driving forces behind the nuclear plants ’ financial rescue .
Previous attempts to bail out the nuclear plants had stalled in the Legislature before Householder became speaker .
Months after taking over , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plants and eliminate renewable energy incentives .
The 2019 law added a new fee to every electricity bill in the state and directed over $ 150 million a year through 2026 to the plants near Cleveland and Toledo .
The bill faced fierce opposition from both clean energy groups and manufacturers .
Repealing the law quickly won ’ t be easy , and is complicated by the support the law received in the House , both from Householder-backed Republicans and Democrats persuaded to support the measure .
Nonetheless , Lanese says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hearing on the majority-led bill as soon as possible as “ Ohioans deserve answers.
” Associated Press writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus contributed to this report .
Farnoush Amiri is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .
About the Headline Photo : This April 4 , 2017 , file photo shows the entrance to FirstEnergy Corp. ’ s Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law should be repealed immediately , Democratic members of the Ohio House announced Wednesday , July 22 , 2020 , as a bribery scandal involving one of the state ’ s most powerful lawmakers unfolded over the law ’ s passage .
( AP Photo/Ron Schwane , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Lamar Alexander Co-Sponsors School Choice Now Act

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) this week announced he is co-sponsoring the School Choice Now Act alongside U.S. Sen. Tim Scott ( R-SC ) .
This , according to a press release Alexander ’ s staff published on his website .
The bill , if passed into law , will give families more options for their children ’ s education , the press release said .
“ All parents , regardless of income or circumstance , should be able to decide which school best meets their child ’ s needs , whether that school is public or private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School Choice Now Act provides scholarships to students to have the opportunity to return to the private school they attended before the pandemic—and gives other students a new opportunity to attend private school.
” Alexander said COVID-19 has affected children and how they learn .
“ Many schools are choosing not to reopen , and many schools are failing to provide high-quality distance learning , ” Alexander said .
“ The students who will suffer from this experience the most are the children from lower-income families .
This bill will give families more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time that school is more important than ever.
” The bill provides one-time , emergency funding for “ scholarship-granting organizations.
” These are non-profits that help students attend private schools in each state .
The bill also provides permanent dollar-for-dollar federal tax credits for contributions to scholarship granting organizations , according to the press release .
Scott , in a separate press release , said he grew up in a single-parent home in a distressed neighborhood .
“ I fully understand what it means to be overlooked and underserved .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am a firm believer that a child ’ s zip code should not dictate his or her access to quality education nor define the child ’ s future , ” Scott said .
“ We must ensure that all children have access to the necessary resources and opportunities – education included – to live a successful life .
I ’ m thankful for the support of Chairman Alexander and hope that my colleagues will support our nation ’ s most vulnerable youth by passing this legislation.
” Chris Butler is an investigative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-07-23--Trump Calls Off Florida Segment of GOP National Convention

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has scrubbed his planned Republican National Convention scheduled for Florida next month , citing a “ flare-up ” of the coronavirus .
Trump ’ s formal renomination will still go forward in North Carolina , where a small subset of GOP delegates will still gather in Charlotte , North Carolina , for just four hours on Aug. 24 .
Florida was to have hosted four nights of programming and parties that Trump had hoped would be a “ four-night infomercial ” for his reelection .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it will be for a little while , ” Trump said , explaining his decision .
“ To have a big convention is not the right time , ” Trump added .
Trump moved the ceremonial portions of the GOP convention to Florida last month amid a dispute with North Carolina ’ s Democratic leaders over holding an event indoors with maskless supporters .
But those plans were steadily scaled back as virus cases spiked in Florida and much of the country over the last month .
Trump said he would deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , potentially online .
Trump said thousands of his supporters and delegates wanted to attend the events in Florida , but “ I just felt it was wrong ” to attract them to a virus hotspot .
Some of them would have faced quarantine requirements when they returned to their home states from the convention .
“ We didn ’ t want to take any chances , ” he added .
“ We have to be vigilant .
we have to be careful and we have to set an example.
” In recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged the president to consider calling off the convention , advising him it was not worth going forward with the event if the focus would be on the pandemic .
Trump acknowledged that consideration , saying , “ I could see the media saying , ‘ Oh , this is very unsafe.
’ ” More than 10,000 people were expected in Jacksonville — already a fraction of the number that would attend a normal convention .
Only 336 delegates will be allowed to participate in Charlotte under extraordinary procedures approved last month by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the more than 2,500 delegates will vote by proxy .
Democrats will hold an almost entirely virtual convention Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee using live broadcasts and online streaming , according to party officials .
Joe Biden plans to accept the presidential nomination in person , but it remains to be seen whether there will be a significant in-person audience .
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on Trump ’ s announcement .
Zeke Miller is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference at the White House , Thursday , July 23 , 2020 , in Washington .
( AP Photo/Evan Vucci )

Gov. Bill Lee said more than 23,000 Tennesseans have received a free COVID-19 test at one of 67 drive-through testing sites over the past three weekends.
“Testing remains one of the most important tools for gaining more information in our fight against COVID-19, and the 23,000 tests we’ve completed over the last three weekends have provided incredibly valuable data,” Lee said in a statement. “We’re grateful to the thousands who came out to receive a test this weekend and we continue to remind Tennesseans: when in doubt, get a test.”
Last weekend alone, 5,153 Tennesseans received a free COVID-19 test. Lee said the free testing is part of the Unified Command Group’s efforts to widen access to testing regardless of symptoms.
“Our weekend sites have been equipped to meet the demand for free testing across the state,” said Dr. Lisa Piercey, Tennessee Department of Health commissioner. “With ample capacity at our county health departments during the week, we continue to encourage Tennesseans to take advantage of free testing at these locations.”
The Tennessee Department of Health has a map of testing sites published on its website. As of Thursday, Tennessee had completed 236,328 COVID-19 tests. That’s more than double the number of tests performed in states like Minnesota, which claims it has the ability to test up to 20,000 individuals in a day, but has yet to surpass 6,000 daily tests.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, Tennessee tested an additional 9,227 residents, according to the Department of Health.
Tennessee has also performed more than twice as many tests as Kentucky, which had tested 81,391 residents as of Thursday.
Most of Tennessee’s COVID-19 tests have been performed by non-state health labs, which account for 225,427 of the state’s 236,328 total tests.
Tennessee now has 14,096 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 237 deaths, and 6,783 recovered patients.
– – –
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “North Carolina National Guard Members” by the National Guard. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-24--Conservative Professor Mike Adams Found Dead, Police Investigate Cause

Police in North Carolina found conservative University of North Carolina-Wilmington criminology professor Mike Adams dead in his home .
According to a local news outlet , the New Hanover County Sheriff ’ s Office visited Adams ’ home to conduct a wellness check .
There , they found Adams ’ body , but did not confirm a cause of death or publicize any other details .
Adams was 55 years old .
The New Hanover County Sheriff ’ s Office is now conducting an investigation .
“ It is with sadness that we share the news that the New Hanover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a death investigation involving Dr. Mike Adams , professor of criminology , ” UNCW said in a statement .
“ Please keep his friends and loved ones in your thoughts.
” Earlier this year , Adams faced an onslaught of opposition from UNCW students in response to his social media posts , which criticized North Carolina ’ s coronavirus lockdown policies and the validity of women ’ s studies departments .
He was also a critic of the Black Lives Matter movement .
A petition calling for Adams ’ s firing , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or apply to UNCW , gained nearly 29,000 signatures .
Adams was set to retire on August 1 after reaching a settlement agreement with UNCW worth more than $ 500,000 .
In addition to his work in academia , Adams was an outspoken conservative .
He was a columnist for the Daily Wire and worked closely with other conservative groups .
Young America ’ s Foundation tweeted Thursday , “ We are devastated to hear of the passing of @ MikeSAdams .
Professor Adams was a beloved freedom fighter and YAF speaker .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The pro-life organization Live Action paid tribute to his work in advocating against abortion .
“ Adams was known for his tenacity and his unwillingness to shy away from controversy , and his ability to effectively articulate pro-life , conservative viewpoints in hostile environments.
” Live Action also recalled his conversion from atheism to Christianity and how it informed his convictions .
Benjamin Zeisloft is a Pennsylvania Senior Campus Correspondent , reporting on liberal bias and abuse for Campus Reform .
He is studying Finance and Marketing at the Wharton School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writes for The UPenn Statesman and the Wharton International Business Review .
Photo “ Mike Adams ” by Mike Adams .
Background Photo “ UNCW ” by JB Kilpatrick .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Carol Swain Tells Fox and Friends Weekend: Politics Underlies Everything We Are Doing With COVID-19

Dr. Carol M. Swain appeared on Fox News Channel ’ s Fox and Friends Weekend Edition with hosts , Jedediah Bila and Pete Hegseth Sunday to discuss how the coronavirus has been politicized and schools have become indoctrination camps of an anti-American agenda .
Host : We introduce now-former professor Dr. Carol Swain .
Dr. Swain good morning to you .
Now we hope that something will get unveiled .
It looks like the most recent COVID package is at 105 billion for the schools .
What are your thoughts as Congress tries to get its act together and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first of all if you look at what world experts are saying like the American Academy of Pediatricians .
The hospital for sick children in Toronto .
Experts in the UK .
Children are not at risk of either contracting or spreading COVID-19 .
They need to get back to school .
There is great risk for them staying at home .
It disrupts the family structure .
It disrupts learning .
And it hurts the poorest children most of all because they don ’ t have the resources for their parents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
Bila : Yes .
You know Dr. Swain obviously children are not at as much risk as adults but there and some of the kids have developed some inflammatory conditions .
So that of course is lingering in the back of some parents ’ minds .
What I want to ask you as a former professor , what are your thoughts on how this could potentially be implemented in a school .
Is there social distancing ?
Would that even work ?
Would kids be able to wear a mask for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because some parents have concerns that if they send their kids to school are those kids really going to get in-person learning with so many guidelines that the teachers will have to implement in a classroom setting ?
Swain : Again , as I said earlier , there are plenty of experts out there worldwide saying children are not more likely to contract the disease or spread it .
Of course , there will always be children with preexisting conditions .
They would have to take more precautions .
But this whole idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school with the social distancing and requiring small children to wear a mask is not supported by science .
Everything we are doing with COVID-19 and the coronavirus , politics underlies everything .
And whether we like it or not there are people who don ’ t care about the children .
They care about the election and they see an opportunity to hurt President Trump by keeping everything shut down .
Whatever is taking place in Congress is not about our nation ’ s health .
It ’ s not about children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agendas .
Unfortunately , that ’ s how it is in America today .
Hegseth : Carol you ’ ve experienced personally and written a book about politics in education .
Senator Tom Cotton introduced a bill recently for schools that taught this new 1619 Project that that ’ s our real founding .
I ’ m kind of of two minds .
But government schools have become indoctrination camps .
What alternatives do parents have virtually or in-person to avoid things like teaching their kids that 1619 is the real founding of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you are talking about because I had mixed feelings in the sense that public schools , private schools , and even Christian schools are being ruined .
There is homeschooling , charter schools , and there are private schools that are opening up with in-person learning .
And they are taking various precautions that they see necessary .
But there are alternatives .
If parents can homeschool they should especially in those areas where they are trying to keep children out of school .
They have become indoctrination factories .
They teach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teach black kids to hate Whites .
They teach them to hate America .
That ’ s not going to move us forward .
And we are indoctrinating our children .
And the young people who are going to college in sports teams are being told they have to kneel .
They are being told .
Host : Dr. Swain just to be clear that is the opinion of many parents .
But we ’ ve got to leave it there for now .
Thank you for coming on and a lot of @ @ @ @ @

by Thomas Catenacci
A group of 27 Republican congressmen urged President Donald Trump to order a Justice Department-appointed special counsel investigation of “legitimate questions” about election irregularities.
The Republican congressmen asked Trump to direct Attorney General William Barr to appoint the special counsel, according to a letter obtained by Politico that was sent to the White House on Wednesday. Reps. Lance Gooden, Paul Gosar, Louie Gohmert, Scott Perry and Jody Hice were among the 27 congressmen who signed onto the letter.
“The American people deserve a definitive resolution to the uncertainty hovering over the outcome of our election, but legitimate questions of voter fraud remain unanswered,” the congressmen wrote.
Barr said on Dec. 1 that the Department of Justice has yet to find any evidence of election fraud that could sway the result, sparking criticism from conservatives. Trump hesitated when asked if he still had confidence in Barr.
“The Department of Justice has been asked on multiple occasions to launch an investigation into this matter, but inaction from the Department along with public comments made by the Attorney General indicate a lack of willingness to investigate the irregularities your campaign and other elected officials across the nation have alleged,” the Republican congressmen continued.
“The appointment of a Special Counsel would establish a team of investigators whose sole responsibility is to uncover the truth and provide the certainty America needs,” they added.
Several news organizations including The Associated Press and Fox News declared former Vice President Joe Biden the winner of the election on Nov. 7. Trump’s campaign has filed numerous lawsuits alleging widespread fraud, but courts across the country have handed the campaign many defeats.
Texas filed a new lawsuit against Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin Tuesday arguing the states altered their election procedures illegally. Alabama and Louisiana have expressed interest in joining the suit, according to Newsweek.
“Our Country stands at an important crossroads,” the lawsuit said. “Either the Constitution matters and must be followed, even when some officials consider it inconvenient or out of date, or it is simply a piece of parchment on display at the National Archives.”
“We ask the Court to choose the former,” it continued.
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Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.