thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--Sen. Rand Paul in Knoxville for Dr. Manny Sethi: ‘I Have Never Seen a More Sincere Opponent of Obama

Sen. Rand Paul in Knoxville for Dr. Manny Sethi: ‘I Have Never Seen a More Sincere Opponent of Obamacare’

KNOXVILLE , Tennessee – Sen. Rand Paul , who was in Knoxville Saturday for a town hall event in support of Dr. Manny Sethi for U.S. Senate , said he has never seen a more sincere opponent of Obamacare .
“ I guess that ’ s what sort of bothers me is that people would lie about that , ” said Paul .
“ Obamacare has really messed up healthcare .
I think it ’ s been a disaster for the country.
” Paul ’ s comments were in response to The Tennessee Star ’ s question about when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met with the press after the more formal event .
Paul ’ s response was presumably related to the television ads by Sethi ’ s chief Republican primary opponent Bill Hagerty who accused Sethi of supporting Obamacare .
The town hall , held outside the Knox Expo Center on the final day of early voting , was attended by a few hundred people and featured the Republican Kentucky Senator who publicly endorsed Sethi about a month ago .
As the orange RV emblazoned with the “ Dr .
Manny Outsider , Conservative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Paul inside , the crowd cheered and applauded .
Clarence Sexton , revered Pastor of Temple Baptist Church and founder and President of Crown College offered an opening prayer after making a few comments about Sethi of whom he said , “ I believe in the man running for U.S. Senate.
” Sexton spoke of the influence given to every one of us by God , which he said we should use the best we can .
He told the story of his friend of 30 years , former Congressman John “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in attendance .
Sexton said Duncan called him to say , “ This man , Manny Sethi is the real thing.
” Duncan used his influence to persuade Sexton , which he , in turn used to contact 600 pastors in Tennessee and then Zoom called some pastors in all 95 counties to introduce Sethi .
“ This is not an ordinary time , not an ordinary election , ” said Sexton .
“ Our country is in the balance and men like this need to be in the United States Senate.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an “ Amen.
” “ I ’ m going to put my two-cents worth in it and say that I ’ m for him .
I can ’ t tell anybody else who to vote for , but I can tell you who I ’ m voting for and I can encourage them to use the influence God has given them.
” By using influence , Sexton encouraged , “ From this crowd , literally thousands could be reached.
” The popular and very recognizable Mayor of Knox County Glenn Jacobs made inspiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ America is the greatest country on this planet , ” Jacobs said .
“ The reason is , we ’ re more than a place on a map .
We ’ re more than a place that has great natural resources .
We ’ re more than a place that has great people , ” he added .
“ We ’ re bound together by an ideal which is enshrined in the documents which founded this country that says all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
” He went on to say that he believes that with every fiber of his being , “ because I ’ ve lived it.
” In that regard , Jacobs said he and Sethi are a lot alike , having grown up in rural parts of the country , using their God-given talents and skills and the opportunities this country afforded them to “ do really cool things in our lives.
” Jacobs went on to talk about the Americans that hate that idea , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that he and others fight to defend liberty , freedom , the constitution and keep the economies open in the wake of the pandemic so that people can work and live .
Meanwhile , said Jacobs , there are others that either don ’ t understand that folks have to earn a living or they are using the pandemic as a pretext to destroy their economies so that they can bring the country down , ruling – not governing – in a capricious and arbitrary manner .
“ That , ” Jacobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tyranny.
” Describing the situation in Portland , Oregon , Jacobs then promised , “ Just like all of you , I will fight .
I will not falter .
I will not waver .
I will hold the line in Knox County.
” Jacobs concluded , “ All of us need folks who will fight for us in Washington D.C. Folks like Rand Paul .
And we need someone who will fight for us in the U.S. Senate alongside Rand Paul and that ’ s Manny Sethi , ” as he introduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling the event a Many Sethi rally , but an early victory celebration , a point the crowd appreciated .
Expressing his sense of pride , Duncan said that the New York Times ran an article that said he was the one who voted most like Sen. Paul ’ s father Ron .
The senior Paul , who Duncan said , “ was and still is a real hero to me , ” in his mid-eighties is still fighting for freedom in this country .
Duncan said he said all that so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he thinks , “ Rand Paul has far surpassed his dad.
” Duncan said that he has been involved in every political race since he got his first paycheck as a bag boy at A & P getting paid $ 1.10 an hour and he sent a little over $ 19 to the Barry Goldwater campaign .
With more than 60 years of campaign experience , Duncan said he has never seen “ so many false , negative and misleading ads that have run against this man , ” gesturing toward Sethi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ It ’ s horrible what they ’ re trying to do to Manny Sethi and we need to not let them get away with this , ” urged Duncan .
He summarized the main differences in the campaigns of the two front runners as the Bill Hagerty campaign being run from Washington from the top down , while the Sethi campaign is “ a grassroots people running campaign.
” Duncan said he understands that the “ Senatorial Campaign Committee , ” which is supporting the other candidate , had a poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five points ahead , a point enthusiastically received by the crowd .
“ There ’ s never been this much money spent in such a short time as has been done in the last two or three weeks , ” observed Duncan .
“ I understand that Mr. Hagerty has borrowed $ 8.5 million personally himself , in addition to all the millions they raised previously and we ’ ll find out after the final reports after the election that there were even many millions more.
” Duncan said he had just done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a strong stand against socialism vote for Sethi .
Duncan said he was proud to stand with other conservatives supporting Sethi , including conservative talk show host and author Mark Levin , Senators Paul and Ted Cruz and former Senator Jim DeMint .
Having met Sethi just a few months ago , Duncan said he has found him to be a good and kind man who is running for all the right reasons and “ won ’ t be a politically correct Senator that cares more about being accepted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He will care what you think and what you want out of a United States Senator.
” Calling for a standing ovation welcome for Sethi , Duncan brought Sethi to the stage .
Sethi expressed his appreciation for the warm reception and the other town hall participants and said every time he comes out the crowd keeps getting bigger and bigger .
He took a few minutes to make his short stump speech about his parents coming to this country legally and how he has lived the American dream .
He then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being the COVID crisis , which he said is real and serious .
“ But this Fauci guy , ” said Sethi obviously connecting with his audience , “ I ’ ve had about enough of this guy.
” Over the cheering and applauding crowd , Sethi continued , “ It ’ s time for the president to bring him into the board room and say ‘ You ’ re fired !
’ ” With regard to hydroxychloroquine , Sethi said we ’ re not sure , but it saved a colleague of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off freezing the accounts of doctors who are talking about this ?
Did that Mark Zuckerberg guy get an M.D.
?
Where did he go to med school ?
” “ It ’ s time for Facebook and Twitter to get out of our business , ” Sethi demanded .
The second thing Sethi addressed was the attacks by his opponent , saying he has always been against Obamacare and he was recently endorsed by Gun Owners of America .
He said that ’ s what the establishment does is to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative while they are calling him a liberal .
“ If I ’ m so liberal , how come Rand Paul is sitting here right now ?
” While the opponent came out with another attack ad earlier in the day , Sethi said he was going to take the high road , “ Because I believe in you.
” “ I ’ m here today because of you .
Because the people of Tennessee gave the American dream to me and my family.
” “ In these final hours , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support , ” Sethi asked so that they could stay on TV and fight the establishment .
In introducing Paul , Sethi said , “ This guy , now he knows a thing or two about taking on the establishment because in Kentucky they threw just about everything except the kitchen sink at this guy and he has stood for true conservative values .
He has fought to keep big government out of our life .
He has fought to protect our First Amendment rights , our rights against search and seizure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ladies and gentlemen , Senator Rand Paul.
” “ Oh my goodness , I think I smell victory , ” Paul told the receptive crowd .
He mentioned the turnout at events held over the past couple of weeks and said , “ Manny is the real deal and he ’ s got a real chance , but we ’ ve got to finish this thing.
” “ I promise you , if any of the attack ads were true , you wouldn ’ t see me , Ted Cruz , Levin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silently counting off Sethi ’ s four conservative supporters on his fingers .
“ We are the conservatives of the conservatives .
We are the remnants of the conservatives.
” Elaborating further , Paul said , “ I ’ ll tell you why I ’ m involved .
I think Tennessee will send a Republican .
But , it ’ s important what kind of Republican you send.
” Paul reviewed how Republicans promised to repeal Obamacare if they were given the House and the Senate .
When Republicans got both houses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Obama vetoed it .
When Republicans got the White House , too , Paul forced the vote on the exact same legislation .
As Paul described , every Republican voted for repeal under Obama when he could veto it .
But , when Republicans had all three branches and voted on repeal , “ We lost seven Republicans .
You may know , because some of them were from Tennessee.
” Paul said he had no doubt that if they were able to have the vote again , “ Manny will vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who will not be a rubber stamp for leadership .
Leadership is not always conservative .
Many of them are the furniture in Washington that occasionally you move around , but they do nothing.
” Paul went on to discuss how he has had to stand against Republicans on the never-ending wars , government spending , borrowing and waste , topics he is particularly passionate about and well known for .
“ This primary makes a difference .
You got ta help me bring Manny Sethi to Washington.
” “ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support my friend , Manny Sethi .
We need something different.
” Adding that he wasn ’ t there to condemn the opponent , Paul explained , “ We need someone who won ’ t be a rubber stamp for leadership .
We need someone who will stand on their own two feet to defend the Constitution , to defend your values.
” Paul was encouraging in saying that Sethi had come a long way in the past month from being as much as 20 points down to being even or ahead .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more power than you think , ” and urged making phone calls on Sethi ’ s behalf .
“ We ’ ve got a real shot here .
The country needs this , ” said Paul .
“ Just having Republicans versus Democrats is not enough , because half of them don ’ t believe in the Constitution.
” “ I would not be here today if I didn ’ t really believe Manny Sethi was the answer .
Please help me to support my friend , Manny Sethi , ” Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrapped up the event by saying that a year ago today when the campaign started , he thought Sethi was “ a good dude , smart guy , but he hasn ’ t got a chance.
” “ That ’ s not the case now .
Because of the work this campaign has done , because of all of you , I think he ’ s got a really good chance .
But it is you that is going to push him over the line , ” adding specifically that Sethi “ needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yes , he needs your money.
” Sethi and Paul then took questions from the media .
In response to when he decided to support Sethi , Paul told The Star that he had met Manny probably a year prior and had been meeting and talking with him and watching the campaign , before making the public decision a month or two ago .
He wanted someone who is a “ sincere conservative.
” The Star then asked Paul if he has been taking a lot of heat from Senate leadership on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as him bucking President Trump when he seems to be a strong supporter ?
“ President Trump and I are really close , and I think President Trump is really going to like Manny .
The night Manny wins , I ’ ll be on the phone with the president and I guarantee the president will be calling to congratulate Manny , ” Paul said .
“ He knows Manny is a real good supporter.
” “ I think more is made of that because I think it happened before Manny really got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think there was much going on , Paul added .
“ I think Manny ’ s going to be a great supporter of the president , and I ’ m a good supporter of the president.
” When The Star asked Sethi what it means to him to have Senator Paul ’ s endorsement , he said , “ It ’ s incredible.
” I ’ m so grateful that he would take the time .
Senator Paul has been a role model of mine , someone I ’ ve really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the establishment in 2010 and did something incredible , just pulled off a miracle when they threw everything but the kitchen sink at him and here we are again a decade later and that ’ s what they ’ re trying to do to me .
Look , the swamp folks never believed that we could get this far that we could make this race about the people of Tennessee and not just a hand-picked Washington insider option .
That ’ s why our movement has caught fire .
The conservative movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul , Senator Cruz , Mark Levin , Senator DeMint .
It ’ s just unfortunate that my opponent has resorted to all of these negative attacks and untruths .
But , that ’ s what the swamp does when their back is against the wall and as Senator Paul said , I think anybody that looks at my record for about 10 seconds , I ’ ve always been against Obamacare and it ’ s just an atrocity to put government between a patient and their doctor in the healthcare system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ replace it .
Also in attendance at the Knoxville townhall were state Representative Justin Lafferty ( R-Knoxville ) and state Senator Becky Duncan Massey ( R-Knoxville ) , sister of Congressman Duncan .
Sethi , after having a town hall in Elizabethton earlier in the day , went on to town halls in Kingston and Cookeville followed by the Clay County Republican dinner .
The video of the event , made available by Bobby Miles , can be watched here .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – Sen. Rand Paul, who was in Knoxville Saturday for a town hall event in support of Dr. Manny Sethi for U.S. Senate, said he has never seen a more sincere opponent of Obamacare.
“I guess that’s what sort of bothers me is that people would lie about that,” said Paul. “Obamacare has really messed up healthcare. I think it’s been a disaster for the country.”
Paul’s comments were in response to The Tennessee Star’s question about when he decided to support Sethi when the pair met with the press after the more formal event. Paul’s response was presumably related to the television ads by Sethi’s chief Republican primary opponent Bill Hagerty who accused Sethi of supporting Obamacare.
The town hall, held outside the Knox Expo Center on the final day of early voting, was attended by a few hundred people and featured the Republican Kentucky Senator who publicly endorsed Sethi about a month ago.
As the orange RV emblazoned with the “Dr. Manny Outsider, Conservative, Surgeon” logo pulled up with Sethi and Paul inside, the crowd cheered and applauded.
Clarence Sexton, revered Pastor of Temple Baptist Church and founder and President of Crown College offered an opening prayer after making a few comments about Sethi of whom he said, “I believe in the man running for U.S. Senate.”
Sexton spoke of the influence given to every one of us by God, which he said we should use the best we can.
He told the story of his friend of 30 years, former Congressman John “Jimmy” Duncan, who was also in attendance. Sexton said Duncan called him to say, “This man, Manny Sethi is the real thing.”
Duncan used his influence to persuade Sexton, which he, in turn used to contact 600 pastors in Tennessee and then Zoom called some pastors in all 95 counties to introduce Sethi.
“This is not an ordinary time, not an ordinary election,” said Sexton. “Our country is in the balance and men like this need to be in the United States Senate.” The crowd responded enthusiastically with applause and an “Amen.”
“I’m going to put my two-cents worth in it and say that I’m for him. I can’t tell anybody else who to vote for, but I can tell you who I’m voting for and I can encourage them to use the influence God has given them.”
By using influence, Sexton encouraged, “From this crowd, literally thousands could be reached.”
The popular and very recognizable Mayor of Knox County Glenn Jacobs made inspiring opening remarks, which he delivered passionately.
“America is the greatest country on this planet,” Jacobs said.
“The reason is, we’re more than a place on a map. We’re more than a place that has great natural resources. We’re more than a place that has great people,” he added. “We’re bound together by an ideal which is enshrined in the documents which founded this country that says all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
He went on to say that he believes that with every fiber of his being, “because I’ve lived it.”
In that regard, Jacobs said he and Sethi are a lot alike, having grown up in rural parts of the country, using their God-given talents and skills and the opportunities this country afforded them to “do really cool things in our lives.”
“As a professional wrestler, I broke people’s bodies. As a trauma surgeon, he fixed people’s bodies,” Jacobs joked.
Jacobs went on to talk about the Americans that hate that idea, adding that they are on the march.
Jacobs said that he and others fight to defend liberty, freedom, the constitution and keep the economies open in the wake of the pandemic so that people can work and live. Meanwhile, said Jacobs, there are others that either don’t understand that folks have to earn a living or they are using the pandemic as a pretext to destroy their economies so that they can bring the country down, ruling – not governing – in a capricious and arbitrary manner.
“That,” Jacobs says, “is the definition of tyranny.”
Describing the situation in Portland, Oregon, Jacobs then promised, “Just like all of you, I will fight. I will not falter. I will not waver. I will hold the line in Knox County.”
Jacobs concluded, “All of us need folks who will fight for us in Washington D.C. Folks like Rand Paul. And we need someone who will fight for us in the U.S. Senate alongside Rand Paul and that’s Manny Sethi,” as he introduced Duncan.
Duncan said he was not calling the event a Many Sethi rally, but an early victory celebration, a point the crowd appreciated.
Expressing his sense of pride, Duncan said that the New York Times ran an article that said he was the one who voted most like Sen. Paul’s father Ron.
The senior Paul, who Duncan said, “was and still is a real hero to me,” in his mid-eighties is still fighting for freedom in this country. Duncan said he said all that so that people will understand it when he says he thinks, “Rand Paul has far surpassed his dad.”
Duncan said that he has been involved in every political race since he got his first paycheck as a bag boy at A&P getting paid $1.10 an hour and he sent a little over $19 to the Barry Goldwater campaign.
With more than 60 years of campaign experience, Duncan said he has never seen “so many false, negative and misleading ads that have run against this man,” gesturing toward Sethi, “in one of our statewide campaigns.”
“It’s horrible what they’re trying to do to Manny Sethi and we need to not let them get away with this,” urged Duncan.
He summarized the main differences in the campaigns of the two front runners as the Bill Hagerty campaign being run from Washington from the top down, while the Sethi campaign is “a grassroots people running campaign.”
Duncan said he understands that the “Senatorial Campaign Committee,” which is supporting the other candidate, had a poll a few days ago that showed Sethi five points ahead, a point enthusiastically received by the crowd.
“There’s never been this much money spent in such a short time as has been done in the last two or three weeks,” observed Duncan.
“I understand that Mr. Hagerty has borrowed $8.5 million personally himself, in addition to all the millions they raised previously and we’ll find out after the final reports after the election that there were even many millions more.”
Duncan said he had just done a robocall for Sethi, saying that to take a strong stand against socialism vote for Sethi.
Duncan said he was proud to stand with other conservatives supporting Sethi, including conservative talk show host and author Mark Levin, Senators Paul and Ted Cruz and former Senator Jim DeMint.
Having met Sethi just a few months ago, Duncan said he has found him to be a good and kind man who is running for all the right reasons and “won’t be a politically correct Senator that cares more about being accepted by the New York Times and The Washington Post. He will care what you think and what you want out of a United States Senator.”
Calling for a standing ovation welcome for Sethi, Duncan brought Sethi to the stage.
Sethi expressed his appreciation for the warm reception and the other town hall participants and said every time he comes out the crowd keeps getting bigger and bigger.
He took a few minutes to make his short stump speech about his parents coming to this country legally and how he has lived the American dream.
He then addressed two issues, with the first being the COVID crisis, which he said is real and serious.
“But this Fauci guy,” said Sethi obviously connecting with his audience, “I’ve had about enough of this guy.”
Over the cheering and applauding crowd, Sethi continued, “It’s time for the president to bring him into the board room and say ‘You’re fired!’”
With regard to hydroxychloroquine, Sethi said we’re not sure, but it saved a colleague of his.
“Where does Facebook get off freezing the accounts of doctors who are talking about this? Did that Mark Zuckerberg guy get an M.D.? Where did he go to med school?”
“It’s time for Facebook and Twitter to get out of our business,” Sethi demanded.
The second thing Sethi addressed was the attacks by his opponent, saying he has always been against Obamacare and he was recently endorsed by Gun Owners of America.
He said that’s what the establishment does is to try to fool the voters that they’re conservative while they are calling him a liberal.
“If I’m so liberal, how come Rand Paul is sitting here right now?”
While the opponent came out with another attack ad earlier in the day, Sethi said he was going to take the high road, “Because I believe in you.”
“I’m here today because of you. Because the people of Tennessee gave the American dream to me and my family.”
“In these final hours, I’m asking for your help and your support,” Sethi asked so that they could stay on TV and fight the establishment.
In introducing Paul, Sethi said, “This guy, now he knows a thing or two about taking on the establishment because in Kentucky they threw just about everything except the kitchen sink at this guy and he has stood for true conservative values. He has fought to keep big government out of our life. He has fought to protect our First Amendment rights, our rights against search and seizure. He is a true constitutional conservative, ladies and gentlemen, Senator Rand Paul.”
“Oh my goodness, I think I smell victory,” Paul told the receptive crowd.
He mentioned the turnout at events held over the past couple of weeks and said, “Manny is the real deal and he’s got a real chance, but we’ve got to finish this thing.”
“I promise you, if any of the attack ads were true, you wouldn’t see me, Ted Cruz, Levin, Jim DeMint,” said Paul, silently counting off Sethi’s four conservative supporters on his fingers.
“We are the conservatives of the conservatives. We are the remnants of the conservatives.”
Elaborating further, Paul said, “I’ll tell you why I’m involved. I think Tennessee will send a Republican. But, it’s important what kind of Republican you send.”
Paul reviewed how Republicans promised to repeal Obamacare if they were given the House and the Senate. When Republicans got both houses of Congress and they voted to repeal Obamacare, Obama vetoed it.
When Republicans got the White House, too, Paul forced the vote on the exact same legislation.
As Paul described, every Republican voted for repeal under Obama when he could veto it. But, when Republicans had all three branches and voted on repeal, “We lost seven Republicans. You may know, because some of them were from Tennessee.”
Paul said he had no doubt that if they were able to have the vote again, “Manny will vote to repeal Obamacare.”
“We need people who will not be a rubber stamp for leadership. Leadership is not always conservative. Many of them are the furniture in Washington that occasionally you move around, but they do nothing.”
Paul went on to discuss how he has had to stand against Republicans on the never-ending wars, government spending, borrowing and waste, topics he is particularly passionate about and well known for.
“This primary makes a difference. You gotta help me bring Manny Sethi to Washington.”
“I’m so glad you came out to support my friend, Manny Sethi. We need something different.”
Adding that he wasn’t there to condemn the opponent, Paul explained, “We need someone who won’t be a rubber stamp for leadership. We need someone who will stand on their own two feet to defend the Constitution, to defend your values.”
Paul was encouraging in saying that Sethi had come a long way in the past month from being as much as 20 points down to being even or ahead.
He reminded attendees, “You have much more power than you think,” and urged making phone calls on Sethi’s behalf.
“We’ve got a real shot here. The country needs this,” said Paul.
“Just having Republicans versus Democrats is not enough, because half of them don’t believe in the Constitution.”
“I would not be here today if I didn’t really believe Manny Sethi was the answer. Please help me to support my friend, Manny Sethi,” Paul concluded to a cheering crowd.
Jacobs wrapped up the event by saying that a year ago today when the campaign started, he thought Sethi was “a good dude, smart guy, but he hasn’t got a chance.”
“That’s not the case now. Because of the work this campaign has done, because of all of you, I think he’s got a really good chance. But it is you that is going to push him over the line,” adding specifically that Sethi “needs your vote, needs your support and, yes, he needs your money.”
Sethi and Paul then took questions from the media.
In response to when he decided to support Sethi, Paul told The Star that he had met Manny probably a year prior and had been meeting and talking with him and watching the campaign, before making the public decision a month or two ago. He wanted someone who is a “sincere conservative.”
The Star then asked Paul if he has been taking a lot of heat from Senate leadership on his endorsement or if people perceive it as him bucking President Trump when he seems to be a strong supporter?
“President Trump and I are really close, and I think President Trump is really going to like Manny. The night Manny wins, I’ll be on the phone with the president and I guarantee the president will be calling to congratulate Manny,” Paul said. “He knows Manny is a real good supporter.”
“I think more is made of that because I think it happened before Manny really got going in the campaign and they didn’t think there was much going on, Paul added. “I think Manny’s going to be a great supporter of the president, and I’m a good supporter of the president.”
When The Star asked Sethi what it means to him to have Senator Paul’s endorsement, he said, “It’s incredible.”
I’m so grateful that he would take the time. Senator Paul has been a role model of mine, someone I’ve really always looked up to. He took on the establishment in 2010 and did something incredible, just pulled off a miracle when they threw everything but the kitchen sink at him and here we are again a decade later and that’s what they’re trying to do to me. Look, the swamp folks never believed that we could get this far that we could make this race about the people of Tennessee and not just a hand-picked Washington insider option. That’s why our movement has caught fire. The conservative movement is behind me, folks like Senator Paul, Senator Cruz, Mark Levin, Senator DeMint. It’s just unfortunate that my opponent has resorted to all of these negative attacks and untruths. But, that’s what the swamp does when their back is against the wall and as Senator Paul said, I think anybody that looks at my record for about 10 seconds, I’ve always been against Obamacare and it’s just an atrocity to put government between a patient and their doctor in the healthcare system. We’ve got to repeal and replace it.
Also in attendance at the Knoxville townhall were state Representative Justin Lafferty (R-Knoxville) and state Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville), sister of Congressman Duncan.
Sethi, after having a town hall in Elizabethton earlier in the day, went on to town halls in Kingston and Cookeville followed by the Clay County Republican dinner.
The video of the event, made available by Bobby Miles, can be watched here.
– – –
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--President Trump Says He Plans to Ban TikTok by Executive Action

President Donald Trump said he will take action as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok , a popular Chinese-owned video app that has been a source of national security and censorship concerns .
Trump said he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to enforce action on TikTok .
“ As far as TikTok is concerned , we ’ re banning them from the United States , ” the president told reporters Friday on Air Force One as he returned from Florida .
Reports by Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal citing anonymous sources said the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to divest its ownership in TikTok .
Tech giant Microsoft is in talks to buy the app .
The purchase would be a major win for the company , giving it a foothold in the ever popular social media market .
Analysts have said the social media giant ’ s presence in the US is worth close to $ 5 billion .
The purchase would likely soothe the U.S. Government ’ s fears of Chinese spying .
The U.S. Military , Department of Homeland Security , and TSA have already banned the app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ochoa , an Army spokeswoman said , “ It is considered a cyber threat.
” Also , India banned the application early this month after bloody border clashes left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead .
Governments around the world are growing more concerned about the role social media plays in their national security .
Russia went so far as to ban the use of smartphones by their military last year after social media posts exposed Russian troop movements in Ukraine .
ByteDance , TikTok ’ s parent company , employed 35 lobbyists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s connections to China .
The company hired former Disney executive Kevin Mayer as their new CEO earlier this month .
In a statement , Mayer stated that the company is “ responsible and committed members of the American community that follows U.S. laws.
” Mayer highlighted the launch of the company ’ s “ Transparency and Accountability Center ” which allows experts to “ observe our moderation policies in real-time , as well as examine the actual code that drives our algorithms.
” The approach seems to have fallen on deaf ears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through with the ban .
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Ben on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] The Associated Press contributed to this report .

by Tali Arbel
NEW YORK, New York (AP) — Video app TikTok said it will wage a legal fight against the Trump Administration’s efforts to ban the popular, Chinese-owned service over national-security concerns.
TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, insisted Monday that it is not a national-security threat and that the government is acting without evidence or due process. The company said it will file suit against the government later Monday in federal court in California. A copy of the complaint could not be obtained.
President Donald Trump has issued two executive orders in August, first a sweeping but unspecified ban on any“transaction” with ByteDance, to take effect within 45 days. He then ordered ByteDance to sell assets used to support TikTok in the U.S.
Over past year, TikTok has tried to put distance between its app, which it says has 100 million U.S. users, and its Chinese owners. It installed a former top Disney executive as its American CEO and named two other Americans chief security officer and general counsel. TikTok has also said it is willing to sell its U.S. operations and has held talks with Microsoft with to buy parts of its English-language app. Other companies and investors have reportedly expressed interest as well.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have shared concerns about TikTok that ranged from its vulnerability to censorship and misinformation campaigns to the safety of user data and children’s privacy. But the administration has provided no specific evidence that TikTok has made U.S. users’ data available to the Chinese government.
Instead, officials point to the hypothetical threat that lies in the Chinese government’s ability to demand cooperation from Chinese companies. TikTok says it has not shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government and would not do so, and that it does not censor videos at the request of Chinese authorities.
In excerpts of from its forthcoming complaint, TikTok said that it has protected U.S. user data by storing it in the U.S. and Singapore, not China, and “by erecting software barriers that help ensure that TikTok stores its U.S. user data separately from the user data of other ByteDance products.”
The company says Trump’s Aug. 6 order banning TikTok “with no notice or opportunity to be heard” violated its Fifth Amendment due-process rights. It also says that the order is not acting “based on a bona fide national emergency” and seeks to ban activities that “have not been found to be “an unusual and extraordinary threat,” which it says is required by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which Trump cited as one of the bases for his order.
Getting a court to overturn the government’s determination that it is a national-security threat would be very difficult, said Christian Davis, a Washington lawyer with Akin Gump whose practice focuses on foreign investment and international trade.
The administration has “significant discretion” with national-security issues, he said. While due-process claims might be easier to argue, it’s not clear what TikTok could gain. He said the company could possibly win a delay in the order’s implementation or force a rewrite of the order to address concerns.
– – –
Tali Arbel is a technology reporter for The Associated Press.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--Federal Unemployment Benefits Expiring as Democratic Leaders Demand Non-COVID-19 Related Policies

The additional $ 600 weekly federal unemployment benefits expire Friday after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected a White House offer to temporarily extend them .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that , “ Senate Republicans tried several ways to extend the expiring unemployment assistance .
Democrats blocked them all and refused another dime for COVID-19 relief unless they get to pass a bill that includes an unrelated tax cut for rich people in blue states.
” During late-night negotiations with congressional Democrats on Thursday , White House officials offered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly federal payment , even though 68 percent of workers that have been receiving it are earning more income than when they were working .
Roughly one in five on unemployment received at least double the amount of their prior wage , a recent report found .
The Heritage Foundation projects that increased federal unemployment checks will cost the economy 13.9 million jobs and $ 1 trillion in lost GDP because they provide a disincentive to work .
The speaker and senate minority Leader rejected the White House ’ s offer , instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 trillion HEROES Act be met .
McConnell said Pelosi and Schumer “ have refused to move one inch from the Speaker ’ s far-left proposal that was so absurd , and so unserious , that their own moderate Democrat members began trashing it the instant it came out .
“ This is the multi-trillion-dollar boondoggle that would tax and borrow in order to provide a massive tax cut to rich people in blue states – the SALT giveaway – fund diversity studies of the legal pot industry , and do a thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , ” he added .
The Democrats ’ bill would reinstate the SALT itemized deduction for 2020 and 2021 for the wealthiest income filers , which was eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act .
The 2017 tax reform measure limited the amount of state and local tax deductions filers could claim on their tax returns to $ 10,000 .
The write-off includes income taxes paid at the state and local level , hitting high-income taxpayers in the highest-taxed states the hardest .
But because the tax overhaul roughly doubled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 ( and to $ 24,000 for married-filing-jointly ) , a lesser number of filers needed to itemize deductions .
“ Unemployed people , schools , hospitals , and American families will not see another dime unless they get to cut taxes for millionaires in Brooklyn and San Francisco , ” McConnell said .
The House Judiciary Committee said , “ The Pelosi bill includes a wish list that has nothing to do with # COVID-19 .
Green New Deal mandates on airlines , a $ 15 minimum wage , $ 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same day voter registration , ” among others .
It said the Democrats “ couldn ’ t this pass in normal times.
” The bill requires every airline company that receives federal funding to have a union representative on its board , and would nullify several executive orders issued by the Trump administration regarding collective bargaining .
Any airline that accepts federal funding would also be required to “ offset their carbon emissions and reduce their overall emissions by 50 percent by 2050.
” It also includes “ $ 50 million for environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollution exposure and the transmission and health outcomes of coronavirus in environmental justice communities.
” A summary of the bill published by Politico notes that the HEROES Act cancels federal student loan debt for nearly 16 million borrowers .
It also requires the release of prisoners who are 50 years old or older , have health problems , or are due to be released within a year into “ community supervision , ” according to Politico ’ s analysis .
It would also suspend cash bail requirements for pre-trial detainees .
The HEROES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Postal Service ’ s $ 11 billion worth of debt .
It also requires the U.S. Treasury Department to “ eliminate the $ 3 billion annual borrowing limit in current law , ” according to a summary of the bill released by House Democrats .
“ I think the Democrats are willing to allow the enhanced unemployment to expire , they made that very clear , not once , not twice , but three times , and so I ’ m not very optimistic on anybody who ’ s counting on enhanced unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said .
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .
Photo “ Chuck Schumer ” by Chuck Schumer .
Photo “ Nancy Pelosi ” by Nancy Pelosi .

by Bethany Blankley
The additional $600 weekly federal unemployment benefits expire Friday after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected a White House offer to temporarily extend them.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that, “Senate Republicans tried several ways to extend the expiring unemployment assistance. Democrats blocked them all and refused another dime for COVID-19 relief unless they get to pass a bill that includes an unrelated tax cut for rich people in blue states.”
During late-night negotiations with congressional Democrats on Thursday, White House officials offered a short-term extension of the $600 additional weekly federal payment, even though 68 percent of workers that have been receiving it are earning more income than when they were working.
Roughly one in five on unemployment received at least double the amount of their prior wage, a recent report found. The Heritage Foundation projects that increased federal unemployment checks will cost the economy 13.9 million jobs and $1 trillion in lost GDP because they provide a disincentive to work.
The speaker and senate minority Leader rejected the White House’s offer, instead demanding that the terms of their $3 trillion HEROES Act be met.
McConnell said Pelosi and Schumer “have refused to move one inch from the Speaker’s far-left proposal that was so absurd, and so unserious, that their own moderate Democrat members began trashing it the instant it came out.
“This is the multi-trillion-dollar boondoggle that would tax and borrow in order to provide a massive tax cut to rich people in blue states – the SALT giveaway – fund diversity studies of the legal pot industry, and do a thousand other things with no relationship to this crisis,” he added.
The Democrats’ bill would reinstate the SALT itemized deduction for 2020 and 2021 for the wealthiest income filers, which was eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The 2017 tax reform measure limited the amount of state and local tax deductions filers could claim on their tax returns to $10,000.
The write-off includes income taxes paid at the state and local level, hitting high-income taxpayers in the highest-taxed states the hardest.
But because the tax overhaul roughly doubled the standard deduction for singles to $12,000 in 2018 (and to $24,000 for married-filing-jointly), a lesser number of filers needed to itemize deductions.
“Unemployed people, schools, hospitals, and American families will not see another dime unless they get to cut taxes for millionaires in Brooklyn and San Francisco,” McConnell said.
The House Judiciary Committee said, “The Pelosi bill includes a wish list that has nothing to do with #COVID-19. Green New Deal mandates on airlines, a $15 minimum wage, $35 million for the Kennedy Center, requiring same day voter registration,” among others. It said the Democrats “couldn’t this pass in normal times.”
The bill requires every airline company that receives federal funding to have a union representative on its board, and would nullify several executive orders issued by the Trump administration regarding collective bargaining.
Any airline that accepts federal funding would also be required to “offset their carbon emissions and reduce their overall emissions by 50 percent by 2050.”
It also includes “$50 million for environmental justice grants, including investigating links between pollution exposure and the transmission and health outcomes of coronavirus in environmental justice communities.”
A summary of the bill published by Politico notes that the HEROES Act cancels federal student loan debt for nearly 16 million borrowers.
It also requires the release of prisoners who are 50 years old or older, have health problems, or are due to be released within a year into “community supervision,” according to Politico’s analysis. It would also suspend cash bail requirements for pre-trial detainees.
The HEROES Act would also eliminate the U.S. Postal Service’s $11 billion worth of debt.
It also requires the U.S. Treasury Department to “eliminate the $3 billion annual borrowing limit in current law,” according to a summary of the bill released by House Democrats.
“I think the Democrats are willing to allow the enhanced unemployment to expire, they made that very clear, not once, not twice, but three times, and so I’m not very optimistic on anybody who’s counting on enhanced unemployment, to have any relief anytime soon,” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said.
– – –
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Chuck Schumer” by Chuck Schumer. Photo “Nancy Pelosi” by Nancy Pelosi.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--Ohio House Democrats Introduce Bill Aimed at Repealing House Bill 6

Ohio House Democrats introduced a new bill this week that would repeal House Bill ( HB ) 6 , which bailed out nuclear power plants in the state .
HB 6 was at the heart of the $ 60 million corruption scandal that led to state Rep. Larry Householder ( R-Glenford ) being stripped of his House speakership position .
The Department of Justice ( DOJ ) arrested Householder and four other people on July 21 for allegedly having “ worked to corruptly ensure that HB 6 went into effect by defeating a ballot initiative to overturn the legislation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a press release state Rep. Michael J. Skindell ( D-Lakewood ) , one of the bills co-sponsors , said , “ Corruption has no place in our government , regardless of political party .
When corruption is revealed , it is important we act quickly to fix what has been broken ” State Rep. Michael O ’ Brien ( D-Warren ) , the repeal bill ’ s other co-sponsor stated , “ House Bill 6 , whether good policy or not , was founded on and funded by a scheme to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people of our state .
It should be repealed.
” Ohio Republicans are in the process of drafting their own repeal law and in a press conference state Rep. Laura Lanese ( D-Grove City ) asked that HB 6 be repealed “ not only because it was bad policy from the start , but because we need to reassure Ohioans that their representatives , Democrat or Republican , are truly working in their interest.
” State Sen. Stephanie Kunze ( R-Franklin County ) said HB 6 “ was a scheme to basically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ we need to start from scratch.
” Ohio Governor Mike Dewine has called for HB 6 ’ s repeal as well .
Of the repeal , Dewine said , “ It needs to happen in the open and it needs to happen very quickly.
” Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
You can follow Ben on Twitter .
Tips can be sent to [ email protected ] Photo “ Perry Nuclear Powerplant ” by FirstEnergy Solutions .
CC BY-ND 2.0 .

Ohio House Democrats introduced a new bill this week that would repeal House Bill (HB) 6, which bailed out nuclear power plants in the state. HB 6 was at the heart of the $60 million corruption scandal that led to state Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) being stripped of his House speakership position.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested Householder and four other people on July 21 for allegedly having “worked to corruptly ensure that HB 6 went into effect by defeating a ballot initiative to overturn the legislation,” according to the DOJ press release.
In a press release state Rep. Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood), one of the bills co-sponsors, said, “Corruption has no place in our government, regardless of political party. When corruption is revealed, it is important we act quickly to fix what has been broken”
State Rep. Michael O’Brien (D-Warren), the repeal bill’s other co-sponsor stated, “House Bill 6, whether good policy or not, was founded on and funded by a scheme to defraud taxpayers and circumvent the will of the people of our state. It should be repealed.”
Ohio Republicans are in the process of drafting their own repeal law and in a press conference state Rep. Laura Lanese (D-Grove City) asked that HB 6 be repealed “not only because it was bad policy from the start, but because we need to reassure Ohioans that their representatives, Democrat or Republican, are truly working in their interest.”
State Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Franklin County) said HB 6 “was a scheme to basically rip off taxpayers of Ohio.” And that “we need to start from scratch.”
Ohio Governor Mike Dewine has called for HB 6’s repeal as well. Of the repeal, Dewine said, “It needs to happen in the open and it needs to happen very quickly.”
– – –
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to [email protected]
Photo “Perry Nuclear Powerplant” by FirstEnergy Solutions. CC BY-ND 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--Minnesota to Face Projected $4.7 Billion Shortfall for Fiscal Years 2022-23

Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College @ @ @ @ @ on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi @ @ @ @ @ ” by Gabriel Vanslette .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .

by Scott McClallen
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “Minnesota Capitol” by Gabriel Vanslette. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--Michigan SNAP Rolls Surged $126M from February to May During COVID-19 Pandemic

Many of the costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic aren ’ t easily visible , such as Michigan ’ s 2,000 COVID-19 nursing home residents ’ deaths , the increasing number of opioid overdoses , and the bankrupted businesses due to government-mandated restrictions and less consumer demand .
More than 2 million people lost their jobs within months after Michigan ’ s first case of the virus , pushing hundreds of thousands of people onto federally bankrolled food assistance programs , spiking costs by nearly $ 60 million over two months .
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health and Human Services administers in Michigan called the Food Assistance Program ( FAP ) .
There are several eligibility requirements , including income level , group size , assets and work status .
In February 2020 , the FAP paid $ 137 million to 1.175 million recipients , down from $ 142 million for 1.191 million recipients in February 2019 .
In March 2020 , the FAP paid $ 205 million for 1.2 million recipients , up more than $ 64 million from March 2019 expenditures for 1.18 million recipients .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 234.4 million for 1.49 million recipients , an increase of nearly $ 100 million from April 2019 for 1.17 million recipients .
In May 2020 , FAP paid over $ 263 million for 1.5 million recipients .
A year prior , that cost $ 137 million for 1.16 million recipients – $ 126 million less .
Those numbers may continue climbing as the $ 600 federal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits expire , since that income counts in determining SNAP eligibility , MDHHS Public Information Officer Bob Wheaton told The Center Square in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also return to work , countering that number .
If granted , the SNAP allotment is based on household size .
The maximum amount per household size is : It ’ s unclear what action Congress will take in extending or letting the federal benefits expire , but either decision will impact future SNAP costs .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial @ @ @ @

by Scott McClallen
Many of the costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic aren’t easily visible, such as Michigan’s 2,000 COVID-19 nursing home residents’ deaths, the increasing number of opioid overdoses, and the bankrupted businesses due to government-mandated restrictions and less consumer demand.
More than 2 million people lost their jobs within months after Michigan’s first case of the virus, pushing hundreds of thousands of people onto federally bankrolled food assistance programs, spiking costs by nearly $60 million over two months.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the federal program that the Department of Health and Human Services administers in Michigan called the Food Assistance Program (FAP).
There are several eligibility requirements, including income level, group size, assets and work status.
There’s a gross monthly income level limit for household size:
1 person: $1,354
2 people: $1,832
3 people: $2,311
4 people: $2,790
5 people: $3,269
In February 2020, the FAP paid $137 million to 1.175 million recipients, down from $142 million for 1.191 million recipients in February 2019.
In March 2020, the FAP paid $205 million for 1.2 million recipients, up more than $64 million from March 2019 expenditures for 1.18 million recipients.
In April, the program paid out $234.4 million for 1.49 million recipients, an increase of nearly $100 million from April 2019 for 1.17 million recipients.
In May 2020, FAP paid over $263 million for 1.5 million recipients. A year prior, that cost $137 million for 1.16 million recipients – $126 million less.
Those numbers may continue climbing as the $600 federal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits expire, since that income counts in determining SNAP eligibility, MDHHS Public Information Officer Bob Wheaton told The Center Square in an email.
A number of people may also return to work, countering that number.
If granted, the SNAP allotment is based on household size. The maximum amount per household size is:
1 person: $194
2 people: $355
3 people. $509
4 people: $646
5 people: $768
It’s unclear what action Congress will take in extending or letting the federal benefits expire, but either decision will impact future SNAP costs.
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--Ohio Introduces New Coronavirus Guidelines as the State Sees the Number of COVID-19 Cases Go Over 90

Ohio Introduces New Coronavirus Guidelines as the State Sees the Number of COVID-19 Cases Go Over 90,000

Governor Mike DeWine has issued several new recommendations in the wake of an uptick in coronavirus cases .
The number of coronavirus cases in Ohio has recently gone over 90,000 and almost 3,500 people have died , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
Thirteen Ohio counties are under the Level Three Public Health Emergency .
Level Three means that a county has “ very high expose and spread ” of the coronavirus .
DeWine noted that the virus was spreading to more rural counties on Twitter .
As a result of the spread , the governor announced a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference and later on Twitter .
The Ohio Department of Health published a press release on the order saying : The order will still permit Ohioans to go to work , worship , go to school , and acquire goods and services , however , this order will offer clear recommendations on safely holding gatherings .
• Gatherings at a household or family residence should be limited to close friends and family and are recommended to be 10 visitors or less .
• Residents in a red or purple county , as designated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , should limit hosting or attending gatherings of any size .
• Wear a mask at all times at gatherings and maintain physical distance .
• Use take out , outdoor dining , or indoor dining only when strict social distancing can be maintained .
• Take extra precautions if you go to bars or nightclubs , where use of masks typically is inconsistent and drinking alcohol can lead to less social distancing .
• Protect anyone with serious medical conditions at home by social distancing at home , wearing a mask , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• High-risk individuals should take extra precautions to limit the number of people they interact with .
• Make the group of people you interact with most often as small as possible and make sure that they are taking appropriate COVID-19 precautions – even if you are just gathering with family friends or neighbors at your home .
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
You can follow Ben on Twitter .
Tips can be sent to [ email protected ]

Governor Mike DeWine has issued several new recommendations in the wake of an uptick in coronavirus cases.
The number of coronavirus cases in Ohio has recently gone over 90,000 and almost 3,500 people have died, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Thirteen Ohio counties are under the Level Three Public Health Emergency. Level Three means that a county has “very high expose and spread” of the coronavirus.
DeWine noted that the virus was spreading to more rural counties on Twitter.
Here is this week’s Ohio Public Health Advisory System map. The good news is that more people are wearing masks in our urban counties and we are seeing the spread slow. The bad news is our more rural counties are turning orange with significantly more spread taking place. pic.twitter.com/JvW68jU7og — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 30, 2020
As a result of the spread, the governor announced a new set of guidelines first at a press conference and later on Twitter.
Today I am announcing that we will be separating out our 10-person mass gathering guidance back into a separate order. The order will be the same in many ways as it is today, however, this order offers clear recommendations to remind Ohioans when gatherings can be done safely. — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 30, 2020
The Ohio Department of Health published a press release on the order saying:
The order will still permit Ohioans to go to work, worship, go to school, and acquire goods and services, however, this order will offer clear recommendations on safely holding gatherings.
Gatherings at a household or family residence should be limited to close friends and family and are recommended to be 10 visitors or less.
Residents in a red or purple county, as designated by the Ohio Public Health Advisory System, should limit hosting or attending gatherings of any size.
Wear a mask at all times at gatherings and maintain physical distance.
Use take out, outdoor dining, or indoor dining only when strict social distancing can be maintained.
Take extra precautions if you go to bars or nightclubs, where use of masks typically is inconsistent and drinking alcohol can lead to less social distancing.
Protect anyone with serious medical conditions at home by social distancing at home, wearing a mask, and using high levels of personal hygiene.
High-risk individuals should take extra precautions to limit the number of people they interact with.
Make the group of people you interact with most often as small as possible and make sure that they are taking appropriate COVID-19 precautions – even if you are just gathering with family friends or neighbors at your home.
– – –
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-02--Scott DesJarlais’ Chief of Staff Explains Congressman’s Vote on Bill That Gun Owners of America Deno

Scott DesJarlais’ Chief of Staff Explains Congressman’s Vote on Bill That Gun Owners of America Denounced

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais ( R-TN-04 ) said the congressman is solidly pro-gun despite voting for a proposed law that Gun Owners of America said would confiscate guns from members of the U.S. Armed Forces .
As The Tennessee Star reported Saturday , members of the Democratic-majority U.S. House of Representatives passed that bill , H.R .
6395 , late last month .
The vote was 295 to 125 , according to the House website , with 108 Republicans saying yes to it — with three of them , including DesJarlais , representing Tennessee .
DesJarlais ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an email to The Star , explained why his boss voted yes .
“ To summarize , HR 6395 ( that we voted on a couple of weeks ago ) is the Defense Authorization Bill that funds all of our defense missions for the year and gave men and women in uniform a pay raise .
The issue some people are discussing is a section of the bill ( Sec .
542 ) dealing with protective orders in an immediate domestic violence matter .
The UCMJ applies in these matters with active duty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military judges and magistrates issuing protective orders , ” Vaughn said .
“ The Congressman is solidly 100 percent pro 2nd Amendment with a 10-year record of it in the Congress .
We ’ re working with Senate and White House to clarify any ambiguity that wouldn ’ t further ensure due process in domestic situations .
He does not and will not support gun confiscations and/or backdoor gun grabs.
” Vaughn went on to say that “ due process should and will be a part of any domestic proceeding.
” “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the House for a vote before going to the President for a signature or veto .
He will see what the final version looks like before the vote , ” Vaughn said .
“ Rest assured , he wants to make sure our men and women in uniform get more money , have better equipment , smart strategies , and have their liberties and freedoms protected.
” U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann ( R-TN-03 ) and U.S. Rep. David Kustoff ( R-TN-08 ) also voted yes to the bill .
U.S. Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Tim Burchett ( R-TN-02 ) , U.S. Rep. Phil Roe ( R-TN-01 ) , and U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-07 ) all voted no .
Tennessee ’ s two Democratic congressmen , U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen ( D-TN-09 ) and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper ( D-05 ) voted yes on the bill .
GOA members , on their website , scolded the House Republicans who voted yes .
“ GOA Founder H. L. Richardson wrote a book entitled What Makes You Think We Read the Bills , ” members wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than last week , when a bucketload of House ‘ pro-gun ’ Republicans voted to pass a giant defense bill containing , in its bowels , a ‘ red flag ’ gun confiscation proposal for the military — hidden there by Nancy Pelosi ’ s gun-hating stooges.
” Under the bill , government officials can use unsubstantiated allegations from a hostile relative as a means to strip gun owners of their Second Amendment rights in an ex parte proceeding , GOA members wrote .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Email tips to [ email protected ]

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) said the congressman is solidly pro-gun despite voting for a proposed law that Gun Owners of America said would confiscate guns from members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
As The Tennessee Star reported Saturday, members of the Democratic-majority U.S. House of Representatives passed that bill, H.R. 6395, late last month. The vote was 295 to 125, according to the House website, with 108 Republicans saying yes to it — with three of them, including DesJarlais, representing Tennessee.
DesJarlais’ Chief of Staff Richard Vaughn, in an email to The Star, explained why his boss voted yes.
“To summarize, HR 6395 (that we voted on a couple of weeks ago) is the Defense Authorization Bill that funds all of our defense missions for the year and gave men and women in uniform a pay raise. The issue some people are discussing is a section of the bill (Sec. 542) dealing with protective orders in an immediate domestic violence matter. The UCMJ applies in these matters with active duty personnel, and the provision deals with military judges and magistrates issuing protective orders,” Vaughn said.
“The Congressman is solidly 100 percent pro 2nd Amendment with a 10-year record of it in the Congress. We’re working with Senate and White House to clarify any ambiguity that wouldn’t further ensure due process in domestic situations. He does not and will not support gun confiscations and/or backdoor gun grabs.”
Vaughn went on to say that “due process should and will be a part of any domestic proceeding.”
“The final version of the bill will come back to the House for a vote before going to the President for a signature or veto. He will see what the final version looks like before the vote,” Vaughn said.
“Rest assured, he wants to make sure our men and women in uniform get more money, have better equipment, smart strategies, and have their liberties and freedoms protected.”
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) and U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-08) also voted yes to the bill.
U.S. Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06), U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-01), and U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) all voted no.
Tennessee’s two Democratic congressmen, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-05) voted yes on the bill.
GOA members, on their website, scolded the House Republicans who voted yes.
“GOA Founder H. L. Richardson wrote a book entitled What Makes You Think We Read the Bills,” members wrote.
“That adage was never more true than last week, when a bucketload of House ‘pro-gun’ Republicans voted to pass a giant defense bill containing, in its bowels, a ‘red flag’ gun confiscation proposal for the military — hidden there by Nancy Pelosi’s gun-hating stooges.”
Under the bill, government officials can use unsubstantiated allegations from a hostile relative as a means to strip gun owners of their Second Amendment rights in an ex parte proceeding, GOA members wrote.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--Judge Denies Allowing Some Felons to Vote in Tennessee’s Primary Election

NASHVILLE , Tennessee ( AP ) — An attempt to allow certain felons with out-of-state convictions permission to participate in Tennessee ’ s upcoming August 6 primary election came to a halt Friday .
Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle denied a temporary injunction request that would have allowed out-of-state felons to vote in the primary as long as they had their voting rights restored in the state of their convictions .
The request – based on a lawsuit filed less than two weeks ago – was made by the Campaign Legal Center , a group challenging the legality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out-of-state felony convictions .
The group had sought a temporary injunction to force state officials to add their clients and others to the voter rolls ahead of the August 6 primary while the lawsuit was ongoing .
However , Lyle argued Friday that the plaintiffs had not “ demonstrated that their construction of the statutes is substantially likely to prevail.
” Lyle also mentioned that the lawsuit was “ filed a mere ten days ago , ” noting that should the plaintiffs prevail , the state would be required modify its voter registration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directives to local election officials .
According to Campaign Legal Center , their clients have been barred from voting in the primary election because Tennessee has improperly imposed additional barriers that would clear them to submit a ballot .
Currently , Tennessee requires those who have been convicted of a felony to have fully paid off their restitution and legal fees in order to have their voting rights restored .
This requirement has long sparked concern from voter advocates , who argue it creates an impossible burden for those who have been convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ ve had their voting rights restored in the state of their felony conviction should not have to follow Tennessee ’ s additional rules .
According to a 2016 report by The Sentencing Project , an estimated 421,000 Tennesseans are barred from voting due to felony convictions — or about 8.2 % of the state ’ s total voting population .
Kimberlee Kruesi is a reporter at The Associated Press .
Photo “ Courthouse in Nashville ” by Nicolas Henderson CC2.0 .

by Kimberlee Kruesi
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — An attempt to allow certain felons with out-of-state convictions permission to participate in Tennessee’s upcoming August 6 primary election came to a halt Friday.
Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle denied a temporary injunction request that would have allowed out-of-state felons to vote in the primary as long as they had their voting rights restored in the state of their convictions.
The request – based on a lawsuit filed less than two weeks ago – was made by the Campaign Legal Center, a group challenging the legality of Tennessee’s voter restoration rules surrounding out-of-state felony convictions.
The group had sought a temporary injunction to force state officials to add their clients and others to the voter rolls ahead of the August 6 primary while the lawsuit was ongoing.
However, Lyle argued Friday that the plaintiffs had not “demonstrated that their construction of the statutes is substantially likely to prevail.”
Lyle also mentioned that the lawsuit was “filed a mere ten days ago,” noting that should the plaintiffs prevail, the state would be required modify its voter registration form, online voter registration portal and directives to local election officials.
According to Campaign Legal Center, their clients have been barred from voting in the primary election because Tennessee has improperly imposed additional barriers that would clear them to submit a ballot.
Currently, Tennessee requires those who have been convicted of a felony to have fully paid off their restitution and legal fees in order to have their voting rights restored. This requirement has long sparked concern from voter advocates, who argue it creates an impossible burden for those who have been convicted.
Campaign Legal Center contends that people who’ve had their voting rights restored in the state of their felony conviction should not have to follow Tennessee’s additional rules.
According to a 2016 report by The Sentencing Project, an estimated 421,000 Tennesseans are barred from voting due to felony convictions — or about 8.2% of the state’s total voting population.
– – –
Kimberlee Kruesi is a reporter at The Associated Press.
Photo “Courthouse in Nashville” by Nicolas Henderson CC2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--Commentary: New Evidence Shows Key Fans Unhappy with Sports Leagues Kowtowing to Black Lives Matter

If anyone was hoping that the return of the long-awaited Major League season would lift our spirits and bring us together , they had to be disappointed to learn that we are more divided than ever over the National Anthem kneeling debate .
And although President Trump has not chosen to join the burgeoning # BoycottMLB movement on Twitter , the president has joined a growing number of disheartened baseball fans who are unhappy that their favorite teams are taking the knee .
Even before the start of the season , President Trump tweeted that he was “ looking forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem , a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag , the game is over for me !
” This is not a small issue .
Rasmussen released a new poll of 1,000 Americans which indicates that “ Americans are sending more negative signals than positive ones over the decision by many professional sports organizations to promote the controversial Black Lives Matter movement.
” The poll , released on July 31 , revealed that more than 30 percent of American adults are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote Black Lives Matter versus 21 percent who are more likely to do so .
It is even worse for those “ frequent watchers ” who follow professional sports on television , in person , on the radio , or online once a week or less .
Roughly 35 percent say they are less likely to watch events that promote the BLM protests .
Although 43 percent of all respondents say such promotion will have no impact on their viewing habits , a deeper analysis of the demographic data reveals that sponsors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to learn that when the coveted target demographic group — young male beer drinkers — are also the ones more willing to say that they are less likely to watch .
Forty-three percent of men under 40 years old indicated that they are less likely to watch sporting events that promote the Black Lives Matter movement , and only 2 percent of men under 40 are more likely to watch sporting events that promote BLM .
And even though 22 percent of women under 40 years old indicated that they are more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLM movement , far fewer women watch sports at all .
Forty-two percent of all women polled claim to watch sports “ rarely or never.
” Not surprisingly there are some differences by race , but the differences are not as significant as one might predict .
While 38 percent of Blacks are more likely to watch sporting events that promote the BLM movement , an astounding 28 percent of Blacks indicated that they are “ less likely ” to do so .
That 28 percent is exactly the same percentage of Whites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to watch sporting events promoting BLM .
But racial differences are apparent in the low percentage of Whites ( only 19 percent ) who indicate that they are more likely to watch sporting events that promote BLM .
The most dramatic demographic differences emerge from political party affiliation , as 43 percent of all Republicans are less likely to watch sporting events that promote BLM , compared with only 19 percent of all Democrats indicating that they will be less likely to watch .
All of this could have been easily predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earliest days of the Colin Kaepernick kneeling protests .
Even the NFL , after making feeble attempts to blame the ratings dips on the “ attention around our presidential election , ” had to admit that the Kaepernick kneeling protests were negatively affecting viewership and attempted to address the problem .
But , all of that has been forgotten in the current racial climate .
Continuing its commitment to exacerbating the controversy , the New York Times has published an article with the headline : “ The Anthem Debate Is Back .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Polarizing.
” Claiming that “ today , athletes may have to explain why they chose to stand , not kneel , during the ‘ Star-Spangled Banner , ’ ” John Branch , the Times writer , suggested that “ the difference in 2020 as sports begin to emerge from their pandemic suspensions , is that nearly every professional athlete will be forced to choose a posture.
” The Times built its argument on an interview with Charles Ross , a history professor and director of African American Studies at the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not sit around now in this post-George Floyd period we ’ re in and say ‘ We ’ re going to continue to take this safe position.… Either you have an issue with racism or you do not.
” Some sports fans disagree .
In fact , it is likely that most sports fans just want to enjoy sports again and would prefer to end the polarizing debates on the fields of play .
The NFL found this out in 2016 but obviously has decided to revisit this debate yet again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Black Lives Matter movement and reversed his statements on player protests , telling Branch , “ We , the National Football League , admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.
” In the meantime , professional athletes like 25-year-old Rachel Hill , a player with the National Women ’ s Soccer League ’ s Chicago Red Stars , who choose to remain standing and honoring the flag , are shamed .
When attacked on social media , Hill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of what the flag inherently means for my military family members and to me , but I 100 % support my peers.… I support the black lives matter movement wholeheartedly .
I also support and will do my part in fighting against the current inequality .
As a white athlete , it is way past due for me to be diligently anti-racist.
” Hill ’ s explanation wasn ’ t good enough for Branch , who concluded his article with the criticism that “ Hill tried to have it both ways.… There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is difficult to predict whether baseball fans will indeed be “ less likely ” to watch .
In a sports-starved world still recovering from the COVID lockdowns , it is possible that fans will continue to crave the comfort of a good ball game and begin to overlook the politics .
But it is also clear that these are perilous times for athletes and for fans .
Anne Hendershott is an occasional contributor to American Spectator .

by Anne Hendershott
If anyone was hoping that the return of the long-awaited Major League season would lift our spirits and bring us together, they had to be disappointed to learn that we are more divided than ever over the National Anthem kneeling debate. And although President Trump has not chosen to join the burgeoning #BoycottMLB movement on Twitter, the president has joined a growing number of disheartened baseball fans who are unhappy that their favorite teams are taking the knee. Even before the start of the season, President Trump tweeted that he was “looking forward to live sports, but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!”
This is not a small issue. Rasmussen released a new poll of 1,000 Americans which indicates that “Americans are sending more negative signals than positive ones over the decision by many professional sports organizations to promote the controversial Black Lives Matter movement.”
The poll, released on July 31, revealed that more than 30 percent of American adults are less likely to watch sporting events that promote Black Lives Matter versus 21 percent who are more likely to do so. It is even worse for those “frequent watchers” who follow professional sports on television, in person, on the radio, or online once a week or less. Roughly 35 percent say they are less likely to watch events that promote the BLM protests.
Although 43 percent of all respondents say such promotion will have no impact on their viewing habits, a deeper analysis of the demographic data reveals that sponsors of these sporting events will be especially unhappy to learn that when the coveted target demographic group — young male beer drinkers — are also the ones more willing to say that they are less likely to watch. Forty-three percent of men under 40 years old indicated that they are less likely to watch sporting events that promote the Black Lives Matter movement, and only 2 percent of men under 40 are more likely to watch sporting events that promote BLM. And even though 22 percent of women under 40 years old indicated that they are more likely to watch sporting events that promote the BLM movement, far fewer women watch sports at all. Forty-two percent of all women polled claim to watch sports “rarely or never.”
Not surprisingly there are some differences by race, but the differences are not as significant as one might predict. While 38 percent of Blacks are more likely to watch sporting events that promote the BLM movement, an astounding 28 percent of Blacks indicated that they are “less likely” to do so. That 28 percent is exactly the same percentage of Whites who indicated that they too are less likely to watch sporting events promoting BLM. But racial differences are apparent in the low percentage of Whites (only 19 percent) who indicate that they are more likely to watch sporting events that promote BLM.
The most dramatic demographic differences emerge from political party affiliation, as 43 percent of all Republicans are less likely to watch sporting events that promote BLM, compared with only 19 percent of all Democrats indicating that they will be less likely to watch.
All of this could have been easily predicted based on historical data collected since the earliest days of the Colin Kaepernick kneeling protests. Even the NFL, after making feeble attempts to blame the ratings dips on the “attention around our presidential election,” had to admit that the Kaepernick kneeling protests were negatively affecting viewership and attempted to address the problem. But, all of that has been forgotten in the current racial climate.
Continuing its commitment to exacerbating the controversy, the New York Times has published an article with the headline: “The Anthem Debate Is Back. But Now It’s Standing That’s Polarizing.” Claiming that “today, athletes may have to explain why they chose to stand, not kneel, during the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ ” John Branch, the Times writer, suggested that “the difference in 2020 as sports begin to emerge from their pandemic suspensions, is that nearly every professional athlete will be forced to choose a posture.” The Times built its argument on an interview with Charles Ross, a history professor and director of African American Studies at the University of Mississippi, who said, “You cannot sit around now in this post-George Floyd period we’re in and say ‘We’re going to continue to take this safe position.… Either you have an issue with racism or you do not.”
Some sports fans disagree. In fact, it is likely that most sports fans just want to enjoy sports again and would prefer to end the polarizing debates on the fields of play. The NFL found this out in 2016 but obviously has decided to revisit this debate yet again. League commissioner Roger Goodell recently showed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and reversed his statements on player protests, telling Branch, “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
In the meantime, professional athletes like 25-year-old Rachel Hill, a player with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Chicago Red Stars, who choose to remain standing and honoring the flag, are shamed. When attacked on social media, Hill responded that she chose to stand “because of what the flag inherently means for my military family members and to me, but I 100% support my peers.… I support the black lives matter movement wholeheartedly. I also support and will do my part in fighting against the current inequality. As a white athlete, it is way past due for me to be diligently anti-racist.”
Hill’s explanation wasn’t good enough for Branch, who concluded his article with the criticism that “Hill tried to have it both ways.… There is little room for such posturing.”
It is difficult to predict whether baseball fans will indeed be “less likely” to watch. In a sports-starved world still recovering from the COVID lockdowns, it is possible that fans will continue to crave the comfort of a good ball game and begin to overlook the politics. But it is also clear that these are perilous times for athletes and for fans.
– – –
Anne Hendershott is an occasional contributor to American Spectator.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--‘DISGRACEFUL:’ Marsha Blackburn Scorches Manny Sethi Supporter Zach Wamp for Now-Deleted Tweet About

‘DISGRACEFUL:’ Marsha Blackburn Scorches Manny Sethi Supporter Zach Wamp for Now-Deleted Tweet About Female Volunteers in Bill Hagerty’s Campaign

Former Tennessee congressman Zach Wamp , who recently endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi , on Saturday posted — and deleted — a tweet accusing Sethi ’ s opponent , Bill Hagerty , of using young female volunteers “ in short shorts ” to attract votes .
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) , upon reading Wamp ’ s tweet , reprimanded the former congressman and suggested he doesn ’ t respect women .
“ Note to @ ZachWamp : now we know what you think of young conservative women who show up to campaign and be involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s disgraceful that in 2020 conservative women are still fighting such bias.
” This started when Wamp tweeted a response to Chattanooga-based TV news manager Mike Costa and Wamp ’ s son Weston about modern-day pollsters and whether they were reliable .
Wamp , according to the now-deleted tweet , said the following : “ In 2010 race for Governor , I won virtually every straw poll across the state+got beat soundly on Election Day .
Same thing will happen to @ BillHagertyTN on Thursday .
He hires young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pitiful campaign .
Vote @ DrMannySenate.
” Blackburn , in a separate tweet , told Wamp to “ show these young women some respect equal to the respect you would want shown to your wonderful wife and daughter.
” Blackburn , as reported , endorsed Hagerty for the U.S. Senate last month .
Wamp , responding to Blackburn , tweeted that “ this personal assault is typical of @ BillHagertyTN campaign.
” “ My attorney , conservative daughter+my daughter-in-law were at this dinner dressed appropriately empowered by our family to do what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although he did not provide more details about said dinner .
Wamp , in another tweet , admitted he deleted his post about Hagerty ’ s female volunteers .
Wamp then referred to Hagerty ’ s campaign activity in Chattanooga , which he described as “ unbecoming + undignified.
” He did not specify when Hagerty campaigned in Chattanooga , why he thought it was undignified , or whether Hagerty ’ s female volunteers had anything to do with it .
“ I pulled the tweet only because I didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from today ’ s campaign news , ” Wamp tweeted , possibly referring to Christian entertainer Michael W. Smith endorsing Sethi .
Sethi and Hagerty , both Republicans , are competing against one another to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander .
Tennessee officials have scheduled the GOP primary election for Thursday .
“ @ DrMannySenate is Tennessee ’ s choice-positive vision+solutions instead of swampy insider deals , ” Wamp said .
Wamp served in Congress , representing Tennessee ’ s Third District from 1995 through 2011 .
As The Tennessee Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsing Sethi , said “ he is the true conservative in this race , and he will stand for fiscal responsibility when so many others have buckled.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Former Tennessee congressman Zach Wamp, who recently endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi, on Saturday posted — and deleted — a tweet accusing Sethi’s opponent, Bill Hagerty, of using young female volunteers “in short shorts” to attract votes.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), upon reading Wamp’s tweet, reprimanded the former congressman and suggested he doesn’t respect women.
Note to @ZachWamp: now we know what you think of young conservative women who show up to campaign and be involved in the political process. It’s disgraceful that in 2020 conservative women are still fighting such bias. https://t.co/R8xUbUwT9E — Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) August 2, 2020
“Note to @ZachWamp: now we know what you think of young conservative women who show up to campaign and be involved in the political process,” Blackburn tweeted.
“It’s disgraceful that in 2020 conservative women are still fighting such bias.”
This started when Wamp tweeted a response to Chattanooga-based TV news manager Mike Costa and Wamp’s son Weston about modern-day pollsters and whether they were reliable.
Wamp, according to the now-deleted tweet, said the following:
“In 2010 race for Governor, I won virtually every straw poll across the state+got beat soundly on Election Day. Same thing will happen to @BillHagertyTN on Thursday. He hires young girls to show up in short shorts. Pitiful campaign. Vote @DrMannySenate.”
Blackburn, in a separate tweet, told Wamp to “show these young women some respect equal to the respect you would want shown to your wonderful wife and daughter.”
.@zachwamp, show these young women some respect equal to the respect you would want shown to your wonderful wife and daughter. — Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) August 2, 2020
Blackburn, as reported, endorsed Hagerty for the U.S. Senate last month.
Wamp, responding to Blackburn, tweeted that “this personal assault is typical of @BillHagertyTN campaign.”
.@VoteMarsha -this personal assault is typical of @BillHagertyTN campaign. My attorney,conservative daughter+my daughter-in-law were at this dinner dressed appropriately empowered by our family to do what’s right. Vote @DrMannySenate #HONOR. — Zach Wamp (@zachwamp) August 2, 2020
“My attorney,conservative daughter+my daughter-in-law were at this dinner dressed appropriately empowered by our family to do what’s right,” Wamp added, although he did not provide more details about said dinner.
Wamp, in another tweet, admitted he deleted his post about Hagerty’s female volunteers. Wamp then referred to Hagerty’s campaign activity in Chattanooga, which he described as “unbecoming + undignified.” He did not specify when Hagerty campaigned in Chattanooga, why he thought it was undignified, or whether Hagerty’s female volunteers had anything to do with it.
The @BillHagertyTN campaign activity in Chattanooga was unbecoming + undignified. I pulled the tweet only because I didn’t want my personal opinion here to distract from today’s campaign news. https://t.co/kdvKtdV70M — Zach Wamp (@zachwamp) August 2, 2020
“I pulled the tweet only because I didn’t want my personal opinion here to distract from today’s campaign news,” Wamp tweeted, possibly referring to Christian entertainer Michael W. Smith endorsing Sethi.
Sethi and Hagerty, both Republicans, are competing against one another to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander. Tennessee officials have scheduled the GOP primary election for Thursday.
Wamp tweeted last week that Hagerty “has run a shameful, nasty campaign.”
“@DrMannySenate is Tennessee’s choice-positive vision+solutions instead of swampy insider deals,” Wamp said.
Wamp served in Congress, representing Tennessee’s Third District from 1995 through 2011.
As The Tennessee Star reported in June, Wamp, in endorsing Sethi, said “he is the true conservative in this race, and he will stand for fiscal responsibility when so many others have buckled.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-03--Study: 68 Percent of Workers Earned More on Unemployment with $600 Weekly Enhancement

Some unemployed workers received nearly twice as much money through unemployment insurance ( UI ) payments authorized through the CARES Act than they earned when they were employed , a new study from the Foundation for Government Accountability ( FGA ) found .
In response to states shutting down economies over coronavirus fears , Congress passed several relief bills , including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ( FFCRA ) and the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act .
These two bills expanded the UI benefit period , suspended work search requirements , included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 600-per-week unemployment benefit enhancement through July 31 .
As a result of the $ 600 weekly payments , about 68 percent of workers received more income than they did when they were working , the report found .
Roughly one in five on unemployment received at least double the amount of their prior wage .
A worker previously earning $ 445 per week , or about $ 23,000 annually , has been receiving $ 832 per week in unemployment benefits , more than $ 43,000 annually , for example .
The FGA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer at least $ 21 per hour to compete with the federal UI program to entice former employees to return to work .
The federal minimum wage is $ 7.25 an hour , though many cities and states have higher minimums .
Prior to the COVID-19 shutdowns , the average low-wage worker on unemployment collected the equivalent of roughly 52 percent of his or her previous earnings .
Because of three additional emergency unemployment funding measures , the average wage replacement rate for a low-wage worker is 187 percent , nearly four times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Businesses and sectors with low-wage workers have been among the most severely impacted by COVID-19 and government-mandated shutdowns , and the UI boost threatens to exacerbate this damage by actively encouraging workers to remain unemployed , ” Hayden Dublois , research analyst at FGA , said .
“ Put simply , across the nation – and as a direct result of bad government policy – unemployment has become far more attractive than work .
Federal policymakers must take steps to let the UI boost expire as scheduled in order to fast track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to extend the $ 600 enhanced weekly unemployment benefit until the end of the year .
Republicans , concerned that the $ 600 weekly supplement is keeping workers from returning to their jobs , has proposed a $ 200-a-week additional benefit .
The FGA report lists weekly earnings of UI individuals in states before and after the CARES Act .
It also lists the normal wage replacement rate compared to the rate under the CARES Act .
Wage replacement rate gaps range from 50 percent pre-CARES Act to 187 percent with the supplement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national rate gap .
In other states , the gap is similar .
In Florida , from 50 percent to 193 percent ; in Texas , from 52 percent to 189 percent ; in Illinois , from 47 percent to 184 percent .
In an effort to correct this , U.S. Reps. Ted Budd , R-North Carolina , and Ken Buck , R-Colorado , introduced the “ Getting Americans Back to Work Act ” in May .
“ Unemployment benefit levels that exceed worker earnings , policies that subsidize employee retention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to business formation will impede reallocation responses to the COVID-19 shock , ” they said in a statement .
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .
Photo “ Unemployment Insurance Claims Office ” by Bytemarks .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Bethany Blankley
Some unemployed workers received nearly twice as much money through unemployment insurance (UI) payments authorized through the CARES Act than they earned when they were employed, a new study from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) found.
In response to states shutting down economies over coronavirus fears, Congress passed several relief bills, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These two bills expanded the UI benefit period, suspended work search requirements, included newly eligible individuals, and added a $600-per-week unemployment benefit enhancement through July 31.
As a result of the $600 weekly payments, about 68 percent of workers received more income than they did when they were working, the report found. Roughly one in five on unemployment received at least double the amount of their prior wage.
A worker previously earning $445 per week, or about $23,000 annually, has been receiving $832 per week in unemployment benefits, more than $43,000 annually, for example.
The FGA estimates that small businesses would have to offer at least $21 per hour to compete with the federal UI program to entice former employees to return to work. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, though many cities and states have higher minimums.
Prior to the COVID-19 shutdowns, the average low-wage worker on unemployment collected the equivalent of roughly 52 percent of his or her previous earnings. Because of three additional emergency unemployment funding measures, the average wage replacement rate for a low-wage worker is 187 percent, nearly four times greater than pre-COVID-19 wage replacement rates.
“Businesses and sectors with low-wage workers have been among the most severely impacted by COVID-19 and government-mandated shutdowns, and the UI boost threatens to exacerbate this damage by actively encouraging workers to remain unemployed,” Hayden Dublois, research analyst at FGA, said. “Put simply, across the nation – and as a direct result of bad government policy – unemployment has become far more attractive than work. Federal policymakers must take steps to let the UI boost expire as scheduled in order to fast track the economic recovery.”
Congressional Democrats want to extend the $600 enhanced weekly unemployment benefit until the end of the year. Republicans, concerned that the $600 weekly supplement is keeping workers from returning to their jobs, has proposed a $200-a-week additional benefit.
The FGA report lists weekly earnings of UI individuals in states before and after the CARES Act. It also lists the normal wage replacement rate compared to the rate under the CARES Act. Wage replacement rate gaps range from 50 percent pre-CARES Act to 187 percent with the supplement in California, which is comparable to the national rate gap. In other states, the gap is similar. In Florida, from 50 percent to 193 percent; in Texas, from 52 percent to 189 percent; in Illinois, from 47 percent to 184 percent.
In an effort to correct this, U.S. Reps. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, and Ken Buck, R-Colorado, introduced the “Getting Americans Back to Work Act” in May.
“Unemployment benefit levels that exceed worker earnings, policies that subsidize employee retention, occupational licensing restrictions, and regulatory barriers to business formation will impede reallocation responses to the COVID-19 shock,” they said in a statement.
– – –
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Unemployment Insurance Claims Office” by Bytemarks. CC BY 2.0.