thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Commentary: Little-Known ‘Voter Expectation’ Predicts Another Trump Win in November

Lately , pollsters and pundits have been nervously pondering the following question : “ If Trump is behind in the polls , why do most voters say , in the same surveys , that he will win the upcoming election ?
” As Harry Enten recently noted at CNN , “ An average of recent polls finds that a majority of voters ( about 55 % ) believe that Trump will defeat Biden in the election .
Trump ’ s edge on this question has remained fairly consistent over time.
” This is far more than mere statistical curiosity by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown that surveys of voter expectations are far more predictive of election outcomes than polls of voter intentions .
The polls that appear to portend a one-term presidency for Trump actually predict that the president will trounce Biden badly this November .
According to studies conducted by researchers in the United States and in Europe , any pollster attempting to divine the outcome of an election should pay far less attention to what survey respondents say about the candidate they plan to vote for than the candidate they actually believe is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ München ( LSU Munich ) , proclaims these citizen forecasts , as they are sometimes categorized , “ the most accurate method that we have to predict election outcomes.
” Dr. Graefe elaborates on this assertion at considerable length in Public Opinion Quarterly under the title “ Accuracy of Vote Expectation Surveys in Forecasting ” : Vote expectation surveys have been with us since the 1930s , just as long as scientific polling , but have never been used very widely as a tool for predicting election outcomes .
As Professor Graefe puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun to specifically study vote expectation surveys as a method for forecasting elections.
” Among the researchers who have examined the voter expectation data in recent years are Justin Wolfers of the University of Michigan Department of Economics and David Rothschild of the Microsoft Research and Applied Statistics Center .
They published their findings at the Brookings Institution website under the title “ Forecasting Elections : Voter Intentions versus Expectations.
” Wolfers and Rothschild , like Professor Graefe , found that voter expectations concerning who would win a given election were consistently more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions such as , “ If the election were held today , who would you vote for ?
” They compared the predictive efficacy of these voter preference surveys to those that also asked questions about voter expectations , such as , “ Regardless of who you plan to vote for , who do you think will win the upcoming election ?
” The answers to the latter queries proved significantly more useful in producing accurate election forecasts than polls that focused primarily on questions involving voter intentions : This brings us back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frowning over statistics showing that poll respondents frequently give two different answers when asked whom they will vote for and whom they expect to win .
Politico recently reported , “ When pollsters ask Americans who they think will win the election — not who they are voting for themselves — Trump performs relatively well.
” Even in surveys like the new Economist/YouGov poll that shows Trump down 49-40 nationally , only 39 percent of registered voters say Biden will beat him .
In Pennsylvania , the new Monmouth poll shows Biden trouncing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will win , the voters say the election is a toss-up .
This is what renders conventional election surveys so unreliable .
It is what caused Gallup , the organization that invented “ scientific polling ” in 1936 when George Gallup and his team predicted the reelection of Franklin Roosevelt , to stop participating in presidential horserace polling and predicting the ultimate winner of the elections after 2012 .
Other pollsters have been less sagacious , which resulted in the 2016 debacle .
Their 2020 projections are almost certainly yet another sloppy pig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters don ’ t believe the polls , and that includes the disloyal opposition .
As Tim Young writes in the Washington Times , Democrats don ’ t even believe these polls : This is why few election polls include the dangerous question , “ Who do you think will win the upcoming election ?
” The pollsters know about the research discussed above , they are familiar with the predictive nature of voter expectation surveys , and they know that including such a deadly query will produce accurate results that will enrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Nate Silver when he dared to suggest that Trump had a chance of defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
The pollsters and the pundits who write about their findings don ’ t want to be canceled for telling the truth , that a number of polls contain what Professor Graefe calls citizen forecasts indicating Trump is going to win .
David Catron is a recovering health care consultant and frequent contributor to The American Spectator .
You can follow him on Twitter at @ Catronicus .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--POLL: Three-Quarters of All Battleground Voters Say ‘No’ to Men Competing in Women’s Sports

Terry Schilling has a hot tip for politicians : “ Voters hate the idea of biological males competing against female athletes in women ’ s sports.
” Schilling is the executive director at the American Principles Project .
American Principles Project and SPRY Strategies released polling results this week from 10 presidential election battleground states .
In the July 2020 survey , on average 74.8 percent of voters said , “ No ” and only 25.2 percent said , “ Yes ” when asked : “ Should boys and men who say they identify as transgender be allowed to compete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletics ?
” The state-by-state responses to this question : Arizona 69.2 percent “ no , ” 30.8 percent “ yes ” ; Georgia 76.86 percent “ no , ” 23.14 percent “ yes ” ; Iowa 74.37 percent “ no , ” 25.63 percent “ yes ” ; Kentucky 80.57 percent “ no , ” 19.43 percent “ yes ” ; Michigan 77.88 percent “ no , ” 22.12 percent “ yes ” ; Montana 73.46 percent “ no , ” 26.54 percent “ yes ” ; North Carolina 75.46 percent “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ; Pennsylvania 74.56 percent “ no , ” 25.44 percent “ yes ” ; Texas 75.49 percent “ no , ” 24.51 percent “ yes ” ; Wisconsin 70.95 percent “ no , ” 29.50 percent “ yes.
” Powerlifter Beth Stelzer , founder of Save Women ’ s Sports , commented by email , “ This should not be a political issue , but it has become one .
It is clear that the American public does not want males in female sports .
The question now is , will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ males who claim to be us ?
“ As the November election approaches , many are waiting to see whether President Trump will come out in support of protecting sports for girls and women , in opposition to the Democrats ’ “ gender jackpot ” agenda .
In a 2019 tweet , his son Donald Jr. wrote that allowing males in female sports “ will destroy women ’ s sports and everything so many amazing female athletes have worked their entire lives to achieve .
I couldn ’ t care less how you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right.
” This new polling data provides a strong indication that American voters agree , not least of all in the swing states Trump will need in order to beat Biden .
In addition to the sports question , the survey also asked likely voters about their views on issues including Black Lives Matter , removal of statues , and local state races .
Respondents gave a resounding “ No ” to the question : “ Should children who say they identify as transgender be allowed to undergo physical sex change surgeries or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age of 18 ?
” State by state details from the American Principles Project and SPRY Strategies polling are available here : Arizona , Georgia , Iowa , Kentucky , Michigan , Montana , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , Texas , and Wisconsin .
The methodology for the survey can be viewed here .
Jennifer S. Bryson , Ph.D. is a Policy and Communication Fellow at the Claremont Institute .
She lives in Washington , D.C. Visit her website : www.jenniferbryson.net .

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.
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Commentary: The Anarchists and Their Enablers in Government Should Understand that This Does Not End

Commentary: The Anarchists and Their Enablers in Government Should Understand that This Does Not End Well for Them

Denis Diderot , model of the French Enlightenment that he was , gave memorable expression to that movement ’ s inveterate anti-clericalism .
“ Man will never be free , ” said the energetic Encyclopédiste , “ until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
” They don ’ t talk much about kings and priests , but the civilization-hating anarchists of the Black Lives Matter movement would applaud Diderot ’ s sentiments .
Although they sometimes wrap their destructive actions in fine-sounding rhetoric about justice and anti-racism , what they are really about is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany noted that “ A federal agent ’ s hand was impaled by planted nails , another federal agent was shot with a pellet gun , leaving a wound deep to the bone , and tragically , three federal officers were likely left permanently blinded by the rioters using lasers pointed directly into their eyes.
” No wonder Brooks Brothers , Nike , Uber , and practically every other wretched business you have ever dealt with are falling all over themselves to proclaim their solidarity with Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic racism ” in the United States .
How to explain the mind-boggling disjunction between the violent savagery of the BLM crusaders , on the one hand , and the nauseating spectacles of frightened though congratulatory self-abasement by the white elite , on the other ?
Are the latter pleased by the news emanating from Portland and similar enclaves of vicious woke sentimentality ?
Please don ’ t talk to me about the violent career criminal George Floyd .
As I have noted repeatedly , the violence engulfing various Democratic-controlled cities has nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 , ” I wrote in early June “ is merely the pretext for the violence .
The cause is hatred.
” I hadn ’ t remembered it at the time , but Edmund Burke , reflecting on the burgeoning anti-clericalism of the French Revolution , makes a kindred distinction between permanent causes and transitory , shape-shifting pretexts .
History , Burke writes mid-way through Reflections on the Revolution in France , consists largely of “ miseries brought upon the world by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , lust , sedition , hypocrisy , ungoverned zeal , and all the train of disorderly appetites.
” It is this unappeasable fountain of human nature that disrupts our social life with ( here Burke quotes Spenser ) “ troublous storms that toss / The private state , and render life unsweet.
” Inveterate , all-too-human vices cause the storms , but we often miss the link because we are distracted by the lofty rhetoric with which such grubby vices swaddle themselves .
“ Religion , morals , laws , prerogatives , privileges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the pretexts ” to which the “ train of disorderly appetites ” appeals to camouflage the base nature of its attacks .
It is not always easy to see through the masquerade , Burke notes , because “ The pretexts are always found in some specious appearance of a real good.
” Hence the sometimes vertiginous nature of this species of evil .
Do you suppose , Burke asks , that you could “ secure men from tyranny and sedition , by rooting out of the mind the principles to which these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because those principles—freedom , justice , equality—are noble in themselves even if they are susceptible of perversion and malignant insinuation .
Rooting them out , you would at the same time “ root out every thing that is valuable in the human breast.
” Burke ’ s point is that “ Wise men will apply their remedies to vices , not to names ; to the causes of evil which are permanent , not to the occasional organs by which they act , and the transitory modes in which they appear.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other cities , we listen to the Marxist rhetoric strained through the filter of racial redress , and we—some of us—feel that some great wrong is being expiated .
In reality , the old wrong of that Hobbesian “ perpetual and restless desire of power after power , that ceaseth only in death ” is making its way in the world in a new disguise .
But the fact of the disguise is hardly surprising .
“ Seldom , ” Burke writes , “ have two ages the same fashion in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wickedness is a little more inventive .
Whilst you are discussing fashion , the fashion is gone by .
The very same vice assumes a new body .
The spirit transmigrates ; and , far from losing its principle of life by the change of its appearance , it is renovated in its new organs with the fresh vigour of a juvenile activity .
It walks abroad ; it continues its ravages , whilst you are gibbeting the carcass , or demolishing the tomb .
You are terrifying yourself with ghosts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haunt of robbers .
It is thus with all those , who , attending only to the shell and husk of history , think they are waging war with intolerance , pride , and cruelty , whilst , under colour of abhorring the ill principles of antiquated parties , they are authorizing and feeding the same odious vices in different factions , and perhaps in worse .
That is where we are now , in the midst of a howling “ juvenile activity ” that would destroy the United States , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liquor of bootless feelings of guilt , make themselves unwitting collaborators in their own destruction .
The bizarre process by which this proceeds is yet another feature of revolutionary fatuousness that Burke anticipated .
“ They find themselves obliged , ” Burke writes , “ to rake into the histories of former ages ( which they have ransacked with a malignant and profligate industry ) for every instance of oppression and persecution which has been made by that body or in its favour , in order to justify , upon very iniquitous , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own persecutions , and their own cruelties.
” History to the revolutionary spirit is but a gigantic warehouse of resentment and a toolbox of repudiation .
Who is pure enough to survive such scrutiny ?
“ It is not very just , ” Burke writes , “ to chastise men for the offences of their natural ancestors ; but to take the fiction of ancestry in a corporate succession , as a ground for punishing men who have no relation to guilty acts , except in names and general descriptions , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the philosophy of this enlightened age.
” You might think that thugs rampaging through the streets of our cities are imperfect representatives of any “ enlightened age.
” In fact , ignorant though they are , they are proud and legitimate progeny of that echt Enlightenment figure Karl Marx , whose abiding passion was hatred of the civilization that created him and whose legacy was tyranny , immiseration , and death—wrapped up , naturally , in sweet-sound bulletins about the brotherhood of man and the ultimate emancipation of human aspiration .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hooligans smashing up courthouses and police stations as they pursue a course of indiscriminate carnage are fired by that same unholy “ train of disorderly appetites ” that Burke anatomized .
We ’ ve been here , done that , and believe me , it does not end well .
Roger Kimball is editor and publisher of The New Criterion and the president and publisher of Encounter Books .
He is the author and editor of many books , including The Fortunes of Permanence : Culture and Anarchy in an Age of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , The Rape of the Masters ( Encounter ) , Lives of the Mind : The Use and Abuse of Intelligence from Hegel to Wodehouse ( Ivan R. Dee ) , and Art ’ s Prospect : The Challenge of Tradition in an Age of Celebrity ( Ivan R. Dee ) .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Austin Tong Refuses to Apologize for Gun-Toting Tiananmen Square Protest Photo, Says He Plans to Sue

Austin Tong Refuses to Apologize for Gun-Toting Tiananmen Square Protest Photo, Says He Plans to Sue Fordham University

A Chinese student at Fordham University is reportedly preparing to sue the New York School after the college demanded an apology for an Instagram post showing the student holding an AR-15 to show solidarity with the Tiananmen Square massacre anniversary .
Austin Tong , a Chinese immigrant , has been barred from the university campus and is required to do mandatory “ implicit bias ” training , the Washington Free Beacon reported .
Administrators also demanded the student write a letter of apology as a consequence of his June 4 Instagram post , according to a disciplinary letter .
Tong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t tread on me # 198964 ” — a reference to the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 , in which communist Chinese authorities killed and arrested thousands who advocated for freedom from the state .
A refusal to apologize could mean expulsion from the New York college , according to the letter .
Tong is instead preparing to sue the university , according to the Beacon .
“ For a mere $ 50,000 a year in tuition , Fordham has smeared our client ’ s reputation and permanently damaged his career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Brett Josphe told the Free Beacon .
“ This behavior by the school and its officials shocks the conscience and there should be a heavy price to pay.
” Tong told the Free Beacon : “ I will not apologize .
I did nothing wrong and they did everything wrong .
[ Fordham is ] a total disgrace.
” “ I will not apologize , whatever consequence there may be , ” he continued .
“ I don ’ t think I ’ ll even be able to finish college .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we ’ ll see what happens.
” University officials showed up to the student ’ s doorstep around 10 p.m. on the day of the post to inform him of his apparent conduct violation , according to the Beacon .
The university accused him of a hate crime and “ threats/intimidation , ” according to the letter .
The National Rifle Association has voiced support for Tong .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--U.S. Rep. Mark Green Lists How Many Americans Died Because China Lied About COVID-19

U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-08 ) took to the floor of the House of Representatives and said nearly 100,000 Americans would still live among us if China had warned the United States earlier about COVID-19 .
And by that , Green said he meant one week earlier would have made the difference .
Green ’ s staff on Sunday uploaded a Facebook video of his speech .
“ Researchers at Columbia University , not necessarily a bastion of conservatism , I might add , said that had China notified the world just one week sooner then 61 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Think about that , 61 percent of 143,000 is 87,000 plus Americans who would not be dead had China spoken up just one week sooner .
Indicative of their past mercantilist actions , China hoarded PPE in the early days of the virus , despite dominating global PPE manufacturing .
China hoarded the world ’ s PPE , ” Green said .
“ U.S .
exports of PPE to China grew over 1,000 percent in January and February compared with the same period last year .
In their time of need we sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to China .
What did China do ?
Well , they sold them the very PPE Italy had donated to them and refused to ship PPE to the United States , decrying regulatory violations to keep PPE away from us during our peak need.
” Green , in text accompanying the Facebook video , wrote that “ Chinese hackers are trying to steal vaccine research.
” As The Tennessee Star reported in May , White House National Security Adviser Robert O ’ Brien suggested that the Chinese Communist Party would try to steal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Brien predicted the United States would develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus .
But he added the Chinese government has worked diligently to steal the U.S. government ’ s coronavirus vaccine research — and he “ wouldn ’ t be surprised ” if their espionage efforts succeeded .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Oscar Winning Actress Olivia de Havilland Dies at 104

Olivia de Havilland , the doe-eyed actress beloved to millions as the sainted Melanie Wilkes of “ Gone With the Wind , ” but also a two-time Oscar winner and an off-screen fighter who challenged and unchained Hollywood ’ s contract system , died Sunday at her home in Paris .
She was 104 .
Havilland , the sister of fellow Oscar winner Joan Fontaine , died peacefully of natural causes , said New York-based publicist Lisa Goldberg .
De Havilland was among the last of the top screen performers from the studio era , and the last surviving lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” an irony , she once noted , since the fragile , self-sacrificing Wilkes was the only major character to die in the film .
The 1939 epic , based on Margaret Mitchell ’ s best-selling Civil War novel and winner of 10 Academy Awards , is often ranked as Hollywood ’ s box office champion ( adjusting for inflation ) , although it is now widely condemned for its glorified portrait of slavery and antebellum life .
The pinnacle of producer David O. Selznick ’ s career , the movie had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the film , stars Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable were far more connected on screen than off and the fourth featured performer , Leslie Howard , was openly indifferent to the role of Ashley Wilkes , Melanie ’ s husband .
But de Havilland remembered the movie as “ one of the happiest experiences I ’ ve ever had in my life .
It was doing something I wanted to do , playing a character I loved and liked.
” During a career that spanned six decades , de Havilland also took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a psychiatric inmate in “ The Snake Pit , ” a personal favorite .
The dark-haired De Havilland projected both a gentle , glowing warmth and a sense of resilience and mischief that made her uncommonly appealing , leading critic James Agee to confess he was “ vulnerable to Olivia de Havilland in every part of my being except the ulnar nerve.
” She was Errol Flynn ’ s co-star in a series of dramas , Westerns and period pieces , most memorably as Maid Marian in “ The Adventures of Robin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prototype for an actress too beautiful for her own good , typecast in sweet and romantic roles while desiring greater challenges .
Her frustration finally led her to sue Warner Bros. in 1943 when the studio tried to keep her under contract after it had expired , claiming she owed six more months because she had been suspended for refusing roles .
Her friend Bette Davis was among those who had failed to get out of her contract under similar conditions in the 1930s , but de Havilland prevailed , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studio could extend an agreement without the performer ’ s consent .
The decision is still unofficially called the “ De Havilland law.
” De Havilland went on to earn her own Academy Award in 1946 for her performance in “ To Each His Own , ” a melodrama about out-of-wedlock birth .
A second Oscar came three years later for “ The Heiress , ” in which she portrayed a plain young homebody ( as plain as it was possible to make de Havilland ) opposite Montgomery Clift and Sir Ralph Richardson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Washington Square.
” In 2008 , de Havilland received a National Medal of Arts and was awarded France ’ s Legion of Honor two years later .
She was also famous as the sister of Fontaine , with whom she had a troubled relationship .
In a 2016 interview , de Havilland referred to her late sister as a “ dragon lady ” and said her memories of Fontaine , who died in 2013 , were “ multi-faceted , varying from endearing to alienating.
” “ On my part , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the later years , severed , ” she said .
“ Dragon Lady , as I eventually decided to call her , was a brilliant , multi-talented person , but with an astigmatism in her perception of people and events , which often caused her to react in an unfair and even injurious way.
” De Havilland once observed that Melanie Wilkes ’ happiness was sustained by a loving , secure family , a blessing that eluded the actress even in childhood .
She was born in Tokyo on July 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British patent attorney .
Her parents separated when she was 3 , and her mother brought her and her younger sister Joan to Saratoga , California .
De Havilland ’ s own two marriages , to Marcus Goodrich and Pierre Galante , ended in divorce .
She had lived in Paris since 1953 .
In a rare interview with The Associated Press in her luxurious Paris residence in 2016 , as she celebrated her 100th birthday , she said she moved to the City of Light “ at the insistence ” of Galante @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and found no reason to return to the U.S. She attributed her longevity to three L ’ s : “ love , laughter , and learning , ” and displayed a keen sense of humor — even calling her interviewer a “ rascal ” for a probing question .
De Havilland ’ s acting ambitions dated back to stage performing at Mills College in Oakland , California .
While preparing for a school production of “ A Midsummer Night ’ s Dream , ” she went to Hollywood to see Max Reinhardt ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She was asked to read for Hermia ’ s understudy , stayed with the production through her summer vacation and was given the role in the fall .
Warner Bros. wanted stage actors for their lavish 1935 production and chose de Havilland to co-star with Mickey Rooney , who played Puck .
“ I wanted to be a stage actress , ” she recalled .
“ Life sort of made the decision for me.
” She signed a five-year contract with the studio and went on to make “ Captain Blood , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Flynn , a hopeless womanizer even by Hollywood standards .
“ Oh , Errol had such magnetism !
There was nobody who did what he did better than he did , ” said de Havilland , whose bond with the dashing actor remained , she would insist , improbably platonic .
As she once explained , “ We were lovers together so often on the screen that people could not accept that nothing had happened between us.
” She did date Howard Hughes and James Stewart and had an intense affair in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huston .
Their relationship led to conflict with Davis , her co-star for the Huston-directed “ In This Our Life ” ; Davis would complain that de Havilland , a supporting actress in the film , was getting more flattering time on camera .
De Havilland allegedly never got along with Fontaine , a feud magnified by the 1941 Oscar race that placed her against her sister for best actress honors .
Fontaine was nominated for the Hitchcock thriller “ Suspicion ” while de Havilland was cited for “ Hold Back the Dawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilder and starring de Havilland as a school teacher wooed by the unscrupulous Charles Boyer .
Asked by a gossip columnist if they ever fought , de Havilland responded , “ Of course , we fight .
What two sisters don ’ t battle ?
” Like a good Warner Bros. soap opera , their relationship was a juicy narrative of supposed slights and snubs , from de Havilland reportedly refusing to congratulate Fontaine for winning the Oscar to Fontaine making a cutting crack about de Havilland ’ s poor choice of agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many as three pictures a year , her career slowed in middle age .
She made several movies for television , including “ Roots ” and “ Charles and Diana , ” in which she portrayed the Queen Mother .
She also co-starred with Davis in the macabre camp classic “ Hush … Hush , Sweet Charlotte ” and was menaced by a young James Caan in the 1964 chiller “ Lady in a Cage , ” condemning her tormentor as “ one of the many bits of offal produced by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrated a documentary about Alzheimer ’ s , “ I Remember Better When I Paint.
” Catherine Zeta-Jones played de Havilland in the 2017 FX miniseries about Davis and Joan Crawford , but de Havilland objected to being portrayed as a gossip and sued FX .
The case was dismissed .
Despite her chronic stage fright , she did summer stock in Westport , Connecticut , and Easthampton , New York .
Moviemaking , she said , produced a different kind of anxiety : “ The first day of making a film I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get mixed up in this profession ?
I have no talent ; this time they ’ ll find out.
’ ” She is survived by her daughter , Gisele Galante Chulack , her son-in-law Andrew Chulack and her niece Deborah Dozier Potter .
Goldberg , the publicist , said funeral arrangements are private and that memorial contributions should go to Paris ’ American Cathedral .
Italie reported from New York .
AP correspondents John Leicester and Thomas Adamson in Paris and former AP Writer Dolores Barclay in New York contributed to this report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this June 18 , 2016 , file photo , U.S. actress Olivia de Havilland poses during an Associated Press interview , in Paris .
Olivia de Havilland , Oscar-winning actress has died , aged 104 in Paris , publicist says Sunday July 26 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/Thibault Camus , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Austin: Roadway Confrontation Between Antifa/BLM Protester and Driver Ends in Gunfire

AUSTIN , Texas ( AP ) — A protester allegedly armed with a rifle at a demonstration against police violence in the Texas capital was shot and killed by a driver after a witness says he confronted a vehicle that attempted to drive through a crowd blocking a downtown Austin intersection .
The shooting happened just before 10 p.m. Saturday as demonstrators were marching through the downtown Austin , police spokesperson Katrina Ratliff told reporters early Sunday .
The man who was shot was taken to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
The vehicle involved in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street and sped through the protesters before he apparently hit an orange barrier and stopped , witness Michael Capochiano , who took part in the demonstration , told the Austin American-Statesman .
A protester with a rifle approached the vehicle and was shot by the driver , who then drove off , he said .
Ratliff confirmed that initial reports indicated “ the victim may have been carrying a rifle.
” She said the driver was detained and was cooperating with police .
She didn ’ t release the names of the driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was no answer at a number for an Austin police spokesperson late Sunday morning .
In video that was streamed live on Facebook , a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out – five shots , followed by three – and protesters start screaming and scattering .
Police can then be seen tending to someone lying in the street .
“ One adult male victim was located with a gunshot wound , ” the press officer said , before confirming he passed away at the hospital shortly after .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have been carrying a rifle and approached the suspect vehicle .
Suspect was in the vehicle and shot at the victim .
Suspect was detained and is cooperating with officers.
” Late Sunday , Austin Chief of Police Brian Manley reviewed the series of events that lead to the exchange of gunfire .
Witness say the disturbance began as the driver honked the horn of his vehicle as he turned southbound on to Congress from Fourth Street .
“ The vehicle stopped as there was a large group of people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The decedent , Garrett Foster , approached the vehicle armed with an AK-47 type of rifle ” as others nearby began to strike the driver ’ s vehicle .
“ Gunshots were fired from inside the vehicle at Mr. Foster , ” the Austin Chief of Police said .
“ During the initial phase if this investigation , it appears Mr. Foster may have pointed his weapon at the driver of this vehicle prior to being shot , ” Manley added .
“ After the first volley of gunfire , another individual reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving away from the crowd .
This individual drew their concealed handgun and fired multiple shots at the vehicle as it drove away.
” That person was also brought to the Austin Police Homicide Department to be interviewed .
Mr. Foster ’ s rifle , the driver ’ s handgun , and the third subject ’ s firearm were all secured by police as evidence .
Homicide detectives and crime scene specialists arrived to begin to process the scene .
Detectives are reviewing available video and photos , and witness statements to determine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our investigators consulted through the night with the Travis County District Attorney ’ s office on this , and will continue to co-ordinate this investigation with them .
Both individuals have been released pending further investigation .
In an interview with ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America , ” Sheila Foster identified the man who was shot as her son , Garrett Foster .
She said he had been a regular at the protests with his fiancée .
“ They ’ ve been participating in these protests almost every day for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Tennessee Star ’ s Christina Botteri contributed to this Associated Press report .
About the Headline Photo : Austin police investigate a homicide shooting which occurred at a demonstration against police violence in downtown Austin , Saturday , July 25 , 2020 .
( Stephen Spillman/Austin American-Statesman via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--U.S. House Passes Bipartisan Conservation Funding Legislation

The U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation that will provide billions in funding for public lands across the country .
The Great American Outdoors Act , which passed the U.S. Senate in mid-June , was approved Wednesday in the House by a 310-107 vote .
The legislation received approval from President Donald Trump , who urged the House to approve the bill ahead of its vote .
“ We MUST protect our National Parks for our children and grandchildren , ” Trump tweeted on Wednesday .
“ I am calling on the House to pass the GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced in March by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner , R-Colo. , and received significant bipartisan support in the Senate .
The legislation creates the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund that would use tax revenue to cover deferred maintenance costs on federal public lands .
Total deferred maintenance costs , or infrastructure projects that have been delayed , have ballooned to $ 20 billion on all federal public lands , including $ 12 billion for the National Park Service alone .
The legislation would allocate up to $ 1.9 billion each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lands to the fund , money that would be distributed to various federal land management agencies .
It also dedicates $ 900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund ( LWCF ) , which funds state and federal conservation projects .
Proponents of the legislation argue it will help kickstart local “ gateway ” economies that rely heavily on tourism to National Parks .
“ In 2019 , 328 million park visitors spent an estimated $ 21.0 billion in local gateway regions while visiting National Park Service lands across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These expenditures supported a total of 341 thousand jobs , $ 14.1 billion in labor income , $ 24.3 billion in value added , and $ 41.7 billion in economic output in the national economy.
” In Colorado , the 4.7 million tourists who visited Rocky Mountain National Park in 2019 , spent $ 314 million in the park ’ s gateway communities like Estes Park and Grand Lake , according to NPS data .
Rocky Mountain National Park had over $ 84 million in deferred maintenance costs in 2018 .
“ By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Parks , we not only have the chance to improve the roads , hiking trails , campsites , and visitor centers for generations to enjoy , but also to create thousands of job opportunities in Colorado and across the nation at a time when our country needs them most , ” Gardner said in a statement .
Congressman Joe Neguse , D-Colorado , who spoke in favor of the legislation on the House floor , said he ’ s “ incredibly grateful to our county commissioners , conservation groups , anglers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dedication and commitment to this collaborative effort for many years.
” Brian Yablonski , CEO of the Bozeman , Montana-based Property and Environment Research Center , called the Great American Outdoors Act “ long overdue.
” “ Our public lands have been neglected for too long , allowing for wastewater systems to fall into disrepair , historic buildings to deteriorate , and trails to be overgrown , ” he said in a statement .
“ The Great American Outdoors Act is long overdue and will help us fulfill our duty as conservationists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our great American outdoors and ensuring ‘ America ’ s best idea ’ is no longer just an afterthought.
” Derek Draplin is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as an opinion producer at Forbes , and as a reporter at Michigan Capitol Confidential and The Detroit News .
He ’ s also an editor at The Daily Caller .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Commentary: Don’t Let Liberal Billionaires Buy Arkansas

As they have in the past , liberal billionaires John and Laura Arnold are once again scheming to throw their money around in other people ’ s states and cities to produce the far left results that they want .
For years , the power couple has been on a mission “ to change the country ” and make things happen “ by whatever means necessary.
” This time , their target is Arkansas , and their goal is the passage of a state constitutional amendment to radically transform the state ’ s primaries and voting system .
Under current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any registered Arkansas voter can vote in either party ’ s primary .
If no primary candidate receives a majority of the vote , then a runoff primary election is held .
In the general election , the candidate with the most votes wins – as is the case in 48 other states .
Under the Arnold ’ s scheme , party primaries would end , and all candidates seeking a particular office would run together in a “ jungle primary.
” Republicans , Democrats , and Independents would all vote for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this field , four candidates would advance to the general election .
In that election , voters would rank the candidates according to their preference .
If no candidate secured a majority of the vote after the first-choice votes were counted , the candidate with the lowest number of first-choice votes would be eliminated and the votes for that candidate would be reallocated to the remaining candidates based on the voters ’ preferences .
The vote-counting process would continue until a candidate won a majority .
So far , the Arnolds ’ organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over $ 3 million into Arkansas , and these funds have been used to advance this effort as well as to change how Arkansas handles redistricting .
In addition to the Arnolds , Hollywood celebrities support the jungle primary/ranked-choice amendment ( through the organization Represent.Us ) .
This new electoral system would create a lot of work for voters to be able to cast an informed vote .
With each major election , general election voters could literally have dozens of candidates to sift through : up to four Congressional candidates , up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to four state representative candidates , up to four state senate candidates , up to four gubernatorial candidates , and up to 24 more candidates for the six other statewide offices .
Billionaires , like the Arnolds , might have enough free time to vet dozens of candidates and rank them , but many average citizens do not .
Because some voters might not understand ranked-choice voting , they might continue to vote for their favorite candidate and not rank any of the others .
If too many Republicans made this mistake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into office .
Conversely , even if a Republican won , it could be a very moderate one who simply managed to pick up the vast majority of Democrat votes .
If approved , the amendment would take effect next year and quickly require significant changes for local governments .
For example , passage of the amendment would force county governments to buy new voting machines and completely overhaul their training for election officials .
Unfortunately , these costs would be borne by state taxpayers and not by the out-of-state interests so determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure , it is unclear whether the ranked-choice amendment will make it to the ballot this year .
First of all , the Secretary of State ruled that the petitions submitted in support of the amendment were insufficient .
Secondly , the Board of Election Commissioners found the proposed ballot title for the amendment to be misleading and voted 5-1 against certifying it .
The current system of open party primaries followed by the general election is well-understood by voters and has worked just fine for Arkansas .
There is no need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system – especially not such a radical change as this is .
It should be noted that no other state has a system such as the one described in this proposed amendment .
So Arkansas would be the Arnolds ’ guinea pig .
The Arnolds ’ jungle primary/ranked-choice voting amendment is no minor tweak of the current system ; it is an extreme , and completely unnecessary , overhaul of state election laws .
This scheme is complicated and makes no sense – unless one is trying to confuse voters in hopes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to the ballot , Arkansans should vote NO on the amendment and send the message to out-of-state billionaires and Hollywood celebrities that Arkansas can not be bought .
Rick Manning is the President of Americans for Limited Government .
Photos “ Laura Arnold ” and “ John Arnold ” by Arnold Ventures .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Senator Lindsey Graham Teases: The FBI ‘Lied Their Ass Off’ to Congress About the Steele Dossier

Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday teased the release of evidence showing that the FBI “ lied their ass off ” to Congress regarding the reliability of the Steele dossier , which the bureau used as part of its investigation of the Trump campaign .
“ I will tell you next week what I found , ” the South Carolina Republican said in an interview on “ Fox Sunday Futures ” with Maria Bartiromo .
“ Here is what I think I ’ m going to be able to show to the public .
Not only did the FBI lie to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steele dossier , they also lied to the Congress .
That ’ s a separate crime.
” Graham , the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , released a declassified FBI memo on July 17 that further undercut the credibility of the dossier , which was written by former British spy Christopher Steele .
According to the memo , a Russia analyst named Igor Danchenko told the FBI in January 2017 that he was the primary source for Steele .
Danchenko worked as a contractor for Steele and provided him information in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
But Danchenko , a Russian national who lives in the U.S. , told the FBI that Steele embellished some of the information that ended up in the dossier .
Danchenko also detailed his contacts with six associates who he claimed were sources of the information that he passed to Steele , a former MI6 officer .
Danchenko ’ s sources didn ’ t appear to have deep contacts inside the Kremlin , though they are portrayed that way in Steele ’ s dossier .
The Justice Department ’ s inspector general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s handling of the dossier on Dec. 9 .
It faulted investigators for failing to disclose details of Danchenko ’ s interview with the FBI in applications for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) warrants against former Trump aide Carter Page .
Graham noted that the FBI asserted that Danchenko seemed truthful in his interviews , but investigators failed to tell the FISA Court that information he shared undermined the dossier ’ s credibility .
“ When the FBI understood that the dossier was no longer reliable they continued to use it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be revealed next week that members of Congress requested an FBI briefing in 2018 after raising suspicions about the dossier and Steele ’ s source .
“ We also now have found this , and this will come out next week , that Congress got suspicious about the Russian subsource and the reliability of the Steele dossier , and that members of Congress asked to be briefed about it , ” Graham said .
Graham added that he has discovered notes that the FBI drafted ahead of a briefing in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re going to find that not only did the FBI lie to the FISA court , they lied their ass off to the Congress , ” Graham said .
Chuck Ross is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Images “ Senator Lindsey Graham ” and “ Maria Bartiromo ” by FoxNews .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--RNC Outraises DNC by Nearly Three-to-One

The Republican National Committee ( RNC ) outraised the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) by nearly three-to-one last month , according to July 2020 campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday .
This was the third month in a row in which the RNC outraised the DNC .
The RNC raised $ 36.9 million and spent $ 19.0 million , while the DNC raised $ 12.6 million and spent $ 15.2 million .
So far in the 2020 cycle , the RNC has raised 75.0 % more than the DNC ( $ 409.7 million to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 75.0 % fundraising advantage is up from 72.9 % in June and 72.4 % in May .
At this point in the 2016 campaign cycle ( the most recent presidential cycle ) , the RNC had a smaller 40.7 % fundraising advantage over the DNC ( $ 180.7 million to $ 119.5 million ) .
The National Republican Senatorial Committee ( NRSC ) raised $ 14.0 million and spent $ 23.5 million last month , while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ( DSCC ) raised $ 13.6 million and spent $ 8.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle , the NRSC has raised 6.5 % more than the DSCC ( $ 133.6 million to $ 125.1 million ) .
The NRSC ’ s 6.5 % fundraising advantage is down from 7.0 % in June and 8.8 % in May .
On the House side , the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ( DCCC ) raised $ 17.1 million and spent $ 9.3 million , while the National Republican Congressional Committee ( NRCC ) raised $ 13.6 million and spent $ 6.9 million .
So far in the cycle , the DCCC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NRCC ( $ 207.8 million to $ 160.1 million ) .
The DCCC ’ s 25.9 % fundraising advantage is down from 26.2 % in June and 27.8 % in May .
At this point in the 2018 campaign cycle , Democrats led in both Senate and House fundraising .
The DSCC had raised 15.0 % more than the NRSC ( $ 87.2 million to $ 75.0 million ) , while the DCCC had raised 27.6 % more than the NRCC ( $ 177.4 million to $ 134.4 million ) .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , NRSC , and NRCC have raised 30.1 % more than the DNC , DSCC , and DCCC ( $ 703.4 million versus $ 519.2 million ) .
The Republican fundraising advantage is up from 29.3 % in June and 28.9 % in May .
This is a Center Square Repub .
Photo “ Political Pary Logos ” by DonkeyHotey .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--White House Backs Tailored Measure for Coronavirus Relief as Pelosi Blasts Republicans

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assailed Republican “ disarray ” Sunday over a new pandemic relief package as the White House suggested a narrower effort might be necessary , at least for now .
The California Democrat panned the Trump administration ’ s desire to trim an expiring temporary federal unemployment benefit from $ 600 weekly to about 70 % of pre-pandemic wages .
“ The reason we had $ 600 was its simplicity , ” she said from the Capitol .
The administration ’ s chief negotiators — White House chief of staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — were returning to the Capitol later Sunday to put what Meadows described as “ final touches ” on a $ 1 trillion relief bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is likely to bring forward Monday .
Both Mnuchin and Meadows said narrower legislation might need to be passed first to ensure that enhanced unemployment benefits don ’ t run out for millions of Americans .
They cited unemployment benefits , money to help schools reopen , tax credits to keep people from losing their jobs , and lawsuit protections for schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she opposes approving a relief package in piecemeal fashion .
“ We can move very quickly with the Democrats on these issues , ” Mnuchin said .
“ We ’ ve moved quickly before .
… If there are issues that take longer , we ’ ll deal with those as well.
” Separately , White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said a federal eviction moratorium on millions of rental units , due to expire at the end of the month , will be extended .
“ We will lengthen it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long .
Republicans have argued that federal benefits should be trimmed because the combination of state and federal unemployment assistance left many people better off financially than they were before the pandemic and therefore disinclined to return to their jobs .
Many Democrats contend that a lot of people don ’ t feel safe going back to work when the coronavirus is surging again around the country .
A former Republican congressman from North Carolina , Meadows said he is working with Mnuchin and Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia to address complaints that outdated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the jobless to get their benefits in a timely fashion if the formula is changed .
“ It ’ s our goal to make sure that it ’ s not antiquated computers that keep people from getting their benefits , ” Meadows said .
Pelosi criticized the hold-up on the GOP side .
House Democrats passed a $ 3 trillion relief package a couple of months ago , with the aim of jump-starting negotiations .
“ They ’ re in disarray and that delay is causing suffering for America ’ s families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say whether she could accept 70 % of wages in place of the now-expired $ 600 weekly benefit .
“ Why don ’ t we just keep it simple ?
” she asked , referring to a flat dollar amount .
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he doesn ’ t support the GOP legislation as proposed .
He argued for lifting taxes and regulations he says are “ hammering ” small businesses .
Cruz also argued for a payroll tax cut , which will not be in the bill .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary trim of payroll taxes , but both parties resisted the idea .
Cruz alleged that Pelosi isn ’ t working to solve either the virus crisis or the economic one .
“ Her objectives are shoveling cash at the problem and shutting America down , ” he said .
“ It ’ s just shoveling money to her friends and not actually solving the problem.
” The expiration of the $ 600 weekly jobless benefits boost had been propelling the Republicans to act .
Democrats already approved their sweeping $ 3 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But with millions of Americans about to be suddenly cut off from the aid , they were bracing to prevent social and economic fallout .
The White House floated plans to cut the additional aid back to $ 100 a week , while Senate Republicans preferred $ 200 , with general GOP agreement about phasing out the flat boost in favor of one that ensures no more than 70 % of an employee ’ s previous pay .
Apart from jobless benefits , Mnuchin said Saturday that new $ 1,200 direct payments would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earlier aid bill .
Then , people making $ 75,000 or less received the full amount and those making more than $ 75,000 received less , depending on their income .
People earning above $ 100,000 did not qualify for the payment .
The jobless benefit officially expires July 31 , but due to the way states process unemployment payments , the cutoff was effectively Saturday .
Meadows spoke on ABC ’ s “ This Week , ” Mnuchin was on “ Fox News Sunday , ” Pelosi and Cruz appeared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kudlow was interviewed on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Former West Virginia University Professor Qingyun Sun Admits to Wire and Tax Fraud Following Officia

Former West Virginia University Professor Qingyun Sun Admits to Wire and Tax Fraud Following Official Travel to China

Chinese national and former West Virginia University professor admitted to two counts of fraud , both of which arose from an official visit to China .
U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced Thursday that Qingyun Sun pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return .
According to the statement released by the Department of Justice , Sun , age 58 , worked as an associate professor and the associate director of the United States-China Energy Center at West Virginia University .
He additionally served as the governor ’ s assistant for China affairs and worked for Synfuels Americas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operating out of Sterling , Virginia , but based in Beijing , China .
Further , between 2011 and 2015 , the St. Louis-based Peabody Energy Generation Holding Company allegedly paid consulting fees to a business run by Sun since 2005 , a relationship he exploited in 2014 by filing a tax return with his wife in which he exaggerated his business-related expenses , including travel to China , which were reimbursed by Peabody Energy or WVU .
He also failed to note his financial interest in a financial account in a foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sun committed the other offense in 2015 , when he traveled to China representing WVU , preparing for a follow-up visit by other WVU representatives and a delegation from West Virginia that would attend a coal expo in Beijing .
He booked two separate flights for this trip , a business class flight and a coach flight , and submitted requests for reimbursement to both the university and to Synfuels Americas Corporation , but only used the business class flight .
WVU no longer employs Sun , and the former professor will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6,233.12 to the university .
He may face additional penalties , which will be determined based on the seriousness of his offenses and any prior criminal history ; he could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 250,000 for the wire fraud charge , and up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $ 250,000 for tax fraud .
Maria Copeland is a Virginia Campus Correspondent at CampusReform.org .
Photo “ West Virginia University ” by Swimmerguy269 CC3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--A&E Network’s Viewership Decimated After Police Show Canceled

A & E Network ’ s cancellation of its popular police show “ Live PD ” has backfired , big time .
Average prime-time viewership for the channel has declined by 49 percent year over year since the show ’ s cancellation , according to the Wall Street Journal .
Prior to the show ’ s cancellation June 10 , viewership for the channel in 2020 had been up 4 percent over 2019 .
The show , which aired live footage of police officers across the country , was canceled by A & E when advocates of the Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ glorify ” police departments and police violence .
Just prior to the show ’ s cancellation , South Carolina House Democrat Leader Todd Rutherford said of the show : “ The glorification of the demonization of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement needs to stop and a large part of that is what goes on on ‘ Live PD.
’ ” The creators of “ Live PD ” had always insisted their goal was to bring transparency to police departments by airing unedited footage of policing .
“ Our only goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said the show ’ s creator and executive producer , Dan Cesareo , in January 2019 .
“ We are very much neutral in terms of what we ’ re showing.
” Cesareo argued the unedited nature of “ Live PD ” made the show different from “ Cops , ” which he claimed showed “ salacious ” violence .
When “ Live PD ” was canceled , the show ’ s host , Dan Abrams , mourned the loss of the transparency the show brought to police interactions with communities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ both support the important protests and calls for change that are going on around this country , ” Abrams said in an interview with Fox News , “ and say that ‘ Live PD ’ and transparency amongst police officers and police departments can and should be a part of that.
” Abrams described “ Live PD ” as “ putting a lens on the day-to-day work that police officers do.
” That ’ s an accurate description , as the show did not edit out the mundane interactions that characterize the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show ’ s focus in order to tell the real story of police officers .
“ Live PD ” showed interactions like a police officer talking to a man taking a Shetland pony on a walk , police officers assisting a woman who could not get up from the ground of a parking lot , and an officer counseling a boyfriend and girlfriend through a dispute .
( The officer said to the man , “ Just maybe say , ‘ Hey baby I love you , come home with me.
’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and uncertainty officers face every day by filming people who resisted arrest and people who were extremely combative towards the officers .
After the cancellation of “ Live PD , ” the show ’ s fans called for a boycott of A & E on social media .
It was not just the boycott that harmed the network ’ s viewership , however , but also the fact that “ Live PD , ” which began airing in October 2016 , was its most popular show .
Some weeks , the show even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E ’ s timeslots .
When A & E canceled “ Live PD , ” the network said , “ This is a critical time in our nation ’ s history and we have made the decision to cease production on ‘ Live PD.
’ Going forward , we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them .
And with that , we will be meeting with community and civil-rights leaders as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the cancellation of “ Live PD ” had decimated A & E ’ s viewership , the network brushed off the downturn , calling it just a “ temporary hit in the ratings.
” A & E ’ s decision to forfeit half of its viewers and huge portions of its revenue shows how powerful hostility towards police has become , driving us to lose an innovative means of understanding how police operate in our communities .
Ellie Gardey is a senior at the University of Notre Dame and an intern at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute ’ s Collegiate Network .
On-screen Image “ Live PD ” by Live PD .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Critics: Changing Information about Coronavirus Transmission, Impact Leads to Backlash over Policy D

Critics: Changing Information about Coronavirus Transmission, Impact Leads to Backlash over Policy Decisions

Since March , when U.S. policy makers implemented restrictive policies to limit the spread of the coronavirus , government agencies have collected data and reported their findings , which have significantly varied over time .
As the data comes in , agencies have amended their guidelines , often to the frustration of policy makers and media critics .
Initially , the Centers for Disease Control argued that the coronavirus could be spread via surface-based transmission .
It has since changed its position on this after scientific studies have shown the opposite .
It recently stated that doorknobs and other commonly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rather , spread of the virus is believed to be mostly through droplets from respiratory exchanges , it states in its revised guidelines .
Likewise , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) initially claimed that the virus was largely contagious through asymptomatic individuals .
Several months later , it also reversed course .
In June , a WHO interim guidance was published stating that , “ Comprehensive studies on transmission from asymptomatic individuals are difficult to conduct , but the available evidence from contact tracing reported by Member States suggests that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmit the virus than those who develop symptoms.
” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove , WHO ’ s technical lead for coronavirus , said : “ It still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual.
” Almost immediately , public officials and news commentators pushed back , which resulted in the WHO backtracking on the statement the next day , succumbing to public pressure instead of relying on the science and data it was reporting , Walter Harrington , a postdoctoral fellow currently studying the influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an article published by Arc Digital Media .
“ The original statement was based on an honest review of the literature , and the reason for backtracking was not because their expert opinion about asymptomatic spread had changed , but rather because of the backlash generated by its disclosure , ” Harrington said .
“ Why is the question of asymptomatic spread so controversial ?
” Harrington asks .
“ Because so much public policy has been decided , at least in part , on the basis of the probability of asymptomatic spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because we don ’ t know who has the virus but is asymptomatic .
Why should we close the schools ?
At least partially because we don ’ t know who has the virus but is asymptomatic .
Why the strict lockdown ?
Partially because we don ’ t know who has the virus but is asymptomatic.
” Whether or not an asymptomatic individual spreads the coronavirus has been a key factor in determining public policy guidelines .
If the basis for these guidelines is proven to be faulty , politicians could face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t dispute that symptomatic spreading of the coronavirus is possible but the backlash to the news that the virus is unlikely to be spread by asymptomatic individuals is “ not based on experimental or even an abundance of observational evidence , ” Harrington adds .
Many public policy decisions have been based on models using hypotheses , according to reports by Science Magazine and Science Direct , instead of on direct observational evidence .
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations , an independent health population research center at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publishes COVID-19 infection rate projections by state , based on mathematical assumptions .
It lists its current projection ( what it thinks is most likely to happen ) and two alternative scenarios , and provides information about how it estimates each of the three trends in its visualization tool .
Re-analysis of the viral load data by age published by Leonhard Held at the Epidemiology , Biostatistics and Prevention Institute ( EBPI ) at the University of Zurich , found that viral load increases with age .
However , in its report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not evidence of absence.
” The strength of his study , he argues , is the large sample size , the majority of which are adults .
According to Centers for Disease Control data , “ as a percentage of COVID deaths , ” deaths for children under age one represent 0.008 percent , for children ages 1 through 4 , 0.005 percent , and for children ages 5 through 14 , 0.013 percent .
In a report by the Heritage Foundation , authors evaluating COVID-19 policy decisions say that “ widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about COVID-19 , largely to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.
” What data has shown is that the coronavirus “ is not evenly disbursed geographically ; death rates are highest among the elderly , uncommon among young adults , and extremely rare among children ; 90 percent of COVID-19 deaths are among people with comorbidities ; that as many as half the deaths are nursing-home-related ; and that hospital acute care and intensive care capacity is robust.
” Policymakers should adapt their policies and interventions to these facts , they argue , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in most areas among the non-elderly population .
Public policy should evolve with these facts , relying less on lockdowns where infection rates are low , and relying more heavily on traditional public health interventions where infection rates are high .
Except in hotspots , policymakers should not place healthy Americans under age 55 on restrictive lockdowns .
Separate interventions are required to protect nursing home residents.
” Beth Blankley is a regular contributor to The Center Square .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Actress Spencer Grammer Slashed Outside Manhattan Restaurant

Actress Spencer Grammer says she was trying to calm an agitated man when he slashed her in the arm and stabbed her friend in the back Friday outside a New York City restaurant .
Grammer , 36 , told US Weekly that she and her friend “ did what anyone else would do in the same situation ” and were “ attempting to prevent the altercation from escalating ” when they were attacked .
Grammer and her 32-year-old friend were eating at an outside table at The Black Ant in Manhattan ’ s East Village neighborhood around 11:30 p.m. Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be served as the restaurant was closing down .
Grammer and her friend were hurt as they “ attempted to break up a dispute between the unidentified male and other patrons at the location , ” police said .
The man ran away after wounding Grammer in the right arm and her friend in the lower back with an unknown sharp object , police said .
No arrests have been made .
Grammer – who provides the voice of Summer on “ Rick and Morty ” and previously starred on the ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daughter of television and movie star Kelsey Grammer and actress Doreen Alderman .
Grammer said she and her friend both expect to recover quickly .
Neither suffered serious internal injuries , she said .
In her statement to Us Weekly , Grammer thanked the first responders and Bellevue Hospital staff that treated them and noted the “ incredible battle ” those workers have fought against the coronavirus pandemic .
“ It was very moving for us to have the opportunity to thank them in person , ” Grammer said .
About the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2015 file photo , actress Spencer Grammer arrives at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day at The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena , Calif. Grammer said she was trying to calm an agitated man when he slashed her in the arm and stabbed her friend in the back Friday , July 24 , 2020 , outside a New York City restaurant .
Grammer told US Weekly that she and her friend “ did what anyone else would do in the same situation ” and were “ attempting to prevent the altercation from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Actor John Saxon Dies

Actor John Saxon Dies

MURFREESBORO , Tennessee ( AP ) — Actor John Saxon , a versatile actor with a lengthy and prolific career who starred with Bruce Lee in “ Enter the Dragon ” and appeared in several “ Nightmare on Elm Street ” movies , has died at his home in Tennessee , according to the Hollywood Reporter .
He was 83 .
The entertainment news outlet quotes Saxon ’ s wife , Gloria , as confirming that the actor died of pneumonia on Saturday in Murfreesboro .
Saxon won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in 1966 for his role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Born Carmine Orrico , the son of Italian-American parents , Saxon grew up in Brooklyn , New York , and began modeling while still a teenager .
He then caught the eye of legendary talent agent Henry Willson , who spotted Saxon on the cover of a magazine and brought him to Hollywood .
Willson was credited for representing and helping to develop the careers of male stars like Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter , the outlet said .
Then just 17 , the aspiring actor signed with Willson , studied dramatics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was signed by Universal .
His name was changed to John Saxon .
According to internet movie website IMDB , Saxon appeared in nearly 200 roles in the movies and on television in a career that stretched over seven decades since he made his big screen debut in 1954 in uncredited roles in “ It Should Happen to You ” and George Cukor ’ s “ A Star Is Born.
” His striking , angular profile and dark eyes led to roles playing Mexicans , Native Americans and Mongols .
Among other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the popular TV Western series “ Bonanza ” and Marco Polo on the futuristic hit TV show “ The Time Tunnel , ” according to IMDB .
Actress Barbara Crampton wrote on Twitter that Saxon “ had strength and charm , which was a great combination .
His strong presence allowed him , with ease to command every role he portrayed.
” In 2017 , the Tennessee retirement community where Saxon and his wife lived honored him with a film festival after residents requested screenings of his movies .
Speaking of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street ” franchise in a 1987 interview , Saxon said , “ I am intrigued by horror and fantasy-type things because I think it is a way of magnifying some part of the human mind that is exhibited or projected in a highly distorted way .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--GOP Lawmakers Promote Potential Replacement for Householder

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — Ohio House lawmakers on Friday moved to address the power vacuum created by the arrest of current Republican Speaker Larry Householder amid a $ 60 million federal bribery probe .
The names of potential candidates to take the reins of the House of Representatives are spilling out — two days after federal officials arrested Householder and four associates over alleged bribes to shepherd an energy bill into law .
One of the candidates for Ohio House speaker is GOP Rep. Bob Cupp .
The former Ohio Supreme Court justice and four-term state senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is being promoted as someone who could bring what Householder could not to the House floor : unity .
“ I sat for three hours with a list of contenders and the name that kept coming up was Rep. Cupp , ” Rep. Niraj Antani , a Republican from Miamsburg in southwestern Ohio , told The Associated Press on Friday .
“ We think that he can unify our caucus , unify the House and unify Ohio.
” Antani said he has a “ decent size ” of support from House members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken .
Antani released a statement calling for Householder ’ s removal Friday .
He also urged the House to elect Cupp in his place .
Antani is not alone in his endorsement of Cupp , a soft-spoken farmer from Lima whose wife said he was feeding his brother ’ s cattle when the AP attempted to reach him by telephone Friday .
Cupp did tell The Columbus Dispatch he ’ s heard from several House members who believe he ’ s right for the job .
Reps. Gary Scherer , of Pickaway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , also have expressed their support for the lawmaker , Cleveland.com reported Thursday .
Rep. Rick Carfagna , a central Ohio Republican , is pushing his own candidacy , touting that he voted against the energy bill , didn ’ t receive any money tied to the scandal , and didn ’ t vote for Householder for speaker .
“ It ’ s important that we really just hit the reset button , and bring in a fresh slate of leaders who are removed from this scandal , and can begin to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the institution , ” Carfagna said Friday .
How to remove and replace a House speaker remained unclear Friday .
Householder has thus far ignored calls to resign from colleagues in both parties .
According to House rules , lawmakers would need to hold a session in order to hold a vote .
Currently , it is up to the speaker to call or schedule a session .
In the event he or she is absent , Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Jim Butler can call the House in for a session .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butler , who plans to hold a meeting of House Republicans Tuesday to discuss next steps .
The third and most powerful person who can call a session is Republican Gov .
Mike DeWine , who said Wednesday that if it came down to it , he “ would not hesitate to do that at all.
” Lastly , if at least 50 members of the House show up for a non-voting session that would create a quorum and force a session , Antani said .
To remove someone from a leadership job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of at least 50 votes is needed .
“ In order to restore the public ’ s trust , we must elect a new Speaker who will stabilize the House with integrity .
I believe that Representative Bob Cupp is that man for the moment , ” Antani said .
FirstEnergy Corp. , whose former subsidiary owned the two Ohio nuclear plants that stand to receive roughly $ 1 billion through the law Householder championed , has not been accused of wrongdoing , but did receive subpoenas in connection with the investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company acted ethically .
“ Let me be clear , at no time did our support for Ohio ’ s nuclear plants interfere with or supersede our ethical obligations to conduct our business properly , ” Jones told investors Friday during a call to discuss its quarterly earnings .
“ The facts will become clear as the investigation progresses.
” Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo and 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Testing Supply Chain in Minnesota Re-Emerges as Concern

MINNEAPOLIS , Minnesota ( AP ) — Minnesota health officials are concerned about renewed pressure on the testing supply chain , which could affect the state ’ s response to a recent growth in cases and plans to continue to ramp up testing .
Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said during a press call Friday that state officials have received reports of delays or reductions in testing supplies like reagents and pipettes from some health systems across the state , which rely on their own supply channels for weekly shipments of testing equipment .
Testing supply shortages and delays may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which have gone from 24 hours to a few days .
Some virus hot spots around the country are seeing even longer delays , with some results taking as long as seven days .
Minnesota has been acquiring testing supplies to augment health systems ’ stocks and coordinating between testing sites to re-distribute equipment to prevent further supply chain challenges .
Malcolm said supply chain issues can affect the state ’ s ability to ramp up testing capacity and hinder the state ’ s response .
“ The faster the turnaround , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work with folks who ’ ve been confirmed and who may have been confirmed , ” she said .
“ Particularly when you get into some of the week-long or more delays that some of national laboratories are reporting , that really starts to interfere with the impact that we can have through that very important case investigation and contact tracing work.
” A COVID-19 Response Assistance Field Team was sent to Minnesota earlier this week hoping to slow a rise in new cases .
That team left Friday and was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 task force leader Deborah Birx identified Minneapolis as one of 11 cities with a surge in coronavirus cases that need aggressive action .
The city ’ s positive infection rate is higher than the state overall , which city health officials said is due to young people frequenting bars , essential workers infected while working and larger households in smaller homes .
The Minnesota Department of Health reported 773 new cases Friday , continuing a trend in increasing cases in recent weeks .
The state ’ s two-week rolling average number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , up almost 50 percent .
The state ranks 28th in number of new cases per capita nationwide over the last two weeks .
State health officials reported five new deaths .
Hospitalizations have been slowly rising .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Ivanka Trump is Visiting Duluth Monday

Ivanka Trump is Visiting Duluth Monday

Presidential Advisor Ivanka Trump and U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt will arrive in Duluth Monday .
Congressman Pete Stauber ( R-MN-08 ) will escort the pair to Duluth Pack , where the local manufacturing company is scheduled to sign the Pledge to America ’ s Workers .
The Pledge to America ’ s Workers is part of President Trump ’ s creation of the National Council for the American Worker in 2018 .
By signing the pledge , companies and trade groups commit to “ educate , train , and reskill American workers from high-school age to near-retirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website .
Since its inception , it is recorded that over 430 companies signed the pledge and created around 16 million educational opportunities .
The White House stated that the Duluth visit will serve to show their administration ’ s commitment to supporting workers through increased access to training skills and manufacturing as a whole .
Following their appearance in Duluth , all three will visit Bloomington to commemorate the opening of the Missing and Murdered Native American Cold Case Office , the first of its kind .
There they will be joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sr. and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney .
Ivanka Trump ’ s upcoming trip to Duluth comes after her two-day visit to Colorado .
There , she attended a roundtable on the pandemic ’ s effect on early childcare centers and the promotion of a conservation bill at Rocky Mountain National Park .
Ivanka Trump stated in a press release that these travels directly reflect the President ’ s high-priority focuses .
“ On the heels of our visit to Colorado to celebrate the hard-fought passage of the Great American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the founding of our nation ’ s park system by President Roosevelt 100 years ago , I am looking forward to visiting the great state of Minnesota with Secretary Bernhardt to advance two top priorities for the Administration : the Pledge to America ’ s workers and supporting the American Indian and Alaska Native communities .
With this visit we will further Trump ’ s commitment to forgotten men and women across our country and the Administration ’ s efforts to ensure that all Americans can live with dignity and the promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration stated that this cold case office is another step toward their goal of improving the criminal justice system for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities .
Earlier this year , the White House proclaimed May 5th as “ Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day.
” These measures were inspired by research revealing poor public safety within Native American tribes , such as data collected in one report on the prevalence of crimes against Native American women by the Department of Justice .
Corinne Murdock is a contributor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter and email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Michigan Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Resident Seeking FOIA Records

The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday ruled 6-1 in favor of a Michigan resident attempting to acquire public records through the Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA ) .
Susan Bisio had sued the city of the Village of Clarkston in the Oakland Circuit Court claiming it is violating FOIA requirements in 2015 .
Bisio had sought records for documents and correspondence between Clarkston ’ s city attorney and a consulting firm that discussed a development project .
The attorney claimed the documents weren ’ t public records because he wasn ’ t a “ public body ” defined by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t in possession of the city .
A trial and appeals court sided with the attorney .
The Supreme Court remanded the decision to the trial court after researching local ordinances and past cases .
“ The purpose of FOIA is to provide to the people of Michigan ‘ full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent them as public officials and public employees , ’ thereby allowing them to ‘ fully participate in the democratic process , ’ ” the decision said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen J. Markman wrote in the opinion that since the Clarkston City Charter created “ the office of the city attorney , ” the office is a public body , so the documents obtained by that body are public records .
“ Consequently , we conclude that the documents at issue are “ public records ” because they are comprised of “ writing [ s ] prepared , owned , used , in the possession of , or retained by a public body in the performance of an official function , from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Markman wrote .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-27--Nashville Mayor John Cooper Fights for Paris Climate Agreement, Alongside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Gar

Nashville Mayor John Cooper Fights for Paris Climate Agreement, Alongside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

Nashville Mayor John Cooper joined hundreds of other U.S. mayors late last week , including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti , and urged Congress to fight climate change and uphold the Paris Climate Agreement .
This , according to a press release that Metro Nashville officials published on the city ’ s website .
“ As mayor , I see first-hand the urgent issues facing our communities today : the ever-present threat of climate change , the challenges to public health and prosperity caused by COVID-19 , and racial and economic disparities , ” Cooper said .
“ Cities across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stewardship go hand in hand – and now , our federal government can show the world that investment in a zero-carbon economy has multiple co-benefits for healthcare , housing , jobs , the economy , and the resilience of our infrastructure.
” Cooper and the other mayors also asked the feds to invest in “ historically underserved communities ” and “ those disproportionately impacted by climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
” As The Tennessee Star reported in April , former vice president and presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden promised that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States rejoin the Paris Climate Accords .
Former vice president and Tennessee resident Al Gore , meanwhile , endorsed Biden ’ s candidacy .
Gore also called U.S. President Donald Trump “ the face of climate change denial and adding pollution to the atmosphere.
” The former vice president then touted what he called the benefits of driving electric cars .
As The Star reported last year , Gore praised Cooper for a new initiative that officials patterned after the Paris Climate Accord .
Cooper announced his initiative , as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mayors .
“ Mayor Cooper ’ s administration will also work toward reducing Nashville ’ s community-scale emissions 30 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050 .
To lead by example , CO2-reduction targets for Metro Government will be 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050 , ” Cooper said at the time .
“ Using Nashville ’ s most recent emissions inventories as a baseline , these targets were developed upon surveying those adopted by peer and aspirational cities and align with science-based recommendations in the Paris Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three percent annually until 2050 in order to hold global warming to 2°C.
” Gore , at the time , said Cooper “ is thinking globally and acting locally — as we all should.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Mayor John Cooper ” by Nashville.gov .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-26--Rep. Bruce Griffey Questions Lee Administration About Not Sharing Data with the U.S. Census Bureau T

Rep. Bruce Griffey Questions Lee Administration About Not Sharing Data with the U.S. Census Bureau That Would Help Estimate Illegals in Tennessee

State Representative Bruce Griffey ( R-Paris ) sent a letter to Governor Bill Lee on Friday questioning why Tennessee was not sharing data with the U.S. Census Bureau that would help estimate the number of illegal aliens living in Tennessee .
The issue arises out of President Trump ’ s memorandum this week to the Secretary of Commerce that excludes illegal aliens from the apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives that follows the decennial census .
The memorandum states in part , “ The President , by law , makes the final determination regarding the ‘ whole number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determines the number of Representatives to be apportioned to each State , and transmits these determinations and accompanying census data to the Congress ( 2 U.S.C .
2a ( a ) ) .
” Trump said that including illegals in the count “ would create perverse incentives and undermine our system of government.
” Trump issued an executive order about a year ago to gather citizenship data on U.S. residents through administrative records last year after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked his administration ’ s effort to add a citizenship question to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican governors – Iowa , South Carolina , South Dakota and Nebraska – are cooperating by sharing state drivers ’ license information with the Census Bureau .
Griffey told Lee in his letter that he recently learned that just four states are assisting Trump and his administration in obtaining an accurate count of the American citizen population .
“ More importantly , ” Griffey continued , “ I learned Tennessee is NOT one of those states.
” Tennessee ’ s Department of Safety ( DOS ) , Griffey found after inquiring with its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share Tennessee drivers ’ license information with the U.S. Census Bureau after consultation with Lee ’ s administration , DOS never even bothered to respond to the Census Bureau ’ s request .
Griffey enumerates four points that challenge the state ’ s refusal to share such data : 1 .
Federal law enforcement can already access a person ’ s Tennessee drivers ’ license data via the Tennessee Information Enforcement System ( TIES ) ; 3 .
The Census Bureau enters into agreements with cooperating states regarding the confidentiality of the Personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 .
Tennessee has already entered into a data sharing arrangement with the U.S. Census Bureau pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) for Tennessee ’ s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ) data as well as Tennessee ’ s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ( TANF ) data .
While Griffey acknowledges that persons in the state illegally can not obtain a driver ’ s license , he has been informed that providing the information assists the Census Bureau in estimating the number of illegal aliens living in Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Griffey told The Tennessee Star that data available to federal law enforcement through TIES is limited to an individual person and case , whereas drivers ’ license data would be provided in its entirety to the Census Bureau .
The MOU , Griffey also told The Star , would protect all personal identifying information by using an identification number and would not be shared or even usable for the purposes of immigration enforcement .
Griffey told Lee he simply does not understand why Tennessee would not want to help Trump in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of illegal aliens in the state .
Tennesseans who work hard every day to take of their families , Griffey told the governor , can not help but wonder whether the State of Tennessee cares more about illegals than them .
In light of all of these factors , the state Rep told Lee he is “ at a loss as to why you and your Administration has taken the position it has on this issue.
” He urged the governor to address and “ correct the grave error ” as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share the data requested by the U.S. Census Bureau with the confidentiality protections included in the MOU .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

by Joe Mueller
Attorneys general from 26 states are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court decision upholding a California law banning the raising or importing pork, veal or eggs if the animals are confined.
The Supreme Court announced on March 28 that it would hear the pork industry’s challenge to California’s Proposition 12, a law restricting confinement practices in animal agriculture. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on Oct. 11.
Prop. 12 was approved by 63% of California voters in 2018. The law established minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens. It banned the sale of products from those animals if they were “confined in a cruel manner,” defined as in areas below minimum square-feet requirements.
The case, National Pork Producers Council v. Karen Ross, the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, focuses on the regulation of animal products outside of California by prohibiting the in-state sale of products traceable to the animal being confined in a “cruel manner.” The Pork Producers and others argue the law violates the Interstate Commerce Clause and general constitutional restrictions against “extraterritorial regulation.”
The brief filed by the attorneys general states California consumes 13% of the nation’s pork and imports 99.87% of pork consumed. The attorneys general argue the “entire impact of Proposition 12 will be visited on out-of-state producers that, though they have no vote in California, must remodel their farms (or reduce their herds) to comply with the law.”
“Under no circumstances should the state of California be allowed to dictate to Missouri farmers and ranchers how they can raise and confine breeding pigs, egg-laying hens, and veal calves,” Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a statement. “Further, California is attempting to impose their will on Missouri farmers and ranchers by threatening to deny entry into the California market if those farmers and ranchers don’t comply with their pointless regulations. Missouri’s farmers and ranchers have been tending to their land and livestock for generations, they don’t need Californian politicians telling them how to do their jobs.”
Of the 19 briefs filed with the Supreme Court on the case last week, all urged the court to reverse the lower court’s decision, with the exception of two neutral parties providing economic information.
A brief filed to persuade the Supreme Court not to hear the case was filed last year by The Humane Society of the United States, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Equality, The Humane League, Farm Sanctuary, Compassion in World Farming USA, and Animal Outlook. They stated the Pork Producers’ argument uses a “dormant Commerce Clause” to stop in-state sales of certain pork products from “animals confined in cruel and unsanitary conditions that threaten the health of California consumers. … Because that prohibition applies only to sales inside California, moreover, producers outside California are free to confine animals however they choose for products sold outside the state.”
States represented by the attorneys general are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
– – –
Joe Mueller covers Missouri for The Center Square. After seven years of reporting for daily newspapers in Illinois and Missouri, he spent the next 30 years in public relations serving non-profit organizations and as a strategic communications consultant.