thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Dr. Carol M. Swain Explains Why Kamala Harris Is a Bad Choice for Joe Biden

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist , Dr. Carol Swain , to the studio .
At the end of the second hour , Swain weighed in on the recent nomination of Kamala Harris as vice presidential running mate for Joe Biden .
She reflected on Harris ’ s liberal history of policy choices and believes that she shows no evidence that she has any core principles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carol Swain .
A good friend and an all-star panelist .
Carol , you have a set of talking points to explain why Kamala Harris is such a bad choice for Joe Biden .
Swain : Well I mean I ’ m excited that she ’ s a bad choice .
( Leahy chuckles ) One of the things is that when the American voters look at her and look at Joe Biden they know that they are really selecting the next president of the U.S. Because if he can ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate Donald Trump , there ’ s no way he ’ s going to be able to lead this country .
So when you look at her , do you want her to be your next president ?
And I think for most thinking Americans the answer would be no .
The answer would be no because she is as far left as you can get .
She may have been conservative back in California at one point in her life and maybe too tough on some issues when it came to Blacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Indian-American .
But she supports Bernie Sanders when it comes to eliminating private health insurance .
She supports AOC ’ s $ 93 trillion Green New Deal .
She wants to ban fracking that would kill all the jobs in the energy sector .
She wants to decriminalize illegal border crossings .
And she wants to give healthcare to illegal aliens .
So those are just extreme public policies .
If you look at her record she ’ s compared law enforcement officials to the KKK .
Leahy : She has compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The White racists ?
Swain : Yes .
The ones that the Democrats created .
Swain : That was the terrorist arm of the Democratic Party for many years .
And now they have Antifa and Black Lives Matter .
They ’ re the new terrorist arms of the Democratic Party .
Leahy : I don ’ t think anyone in our listening audience would disagree with that at all .
Swain : Well , the more things change the more they stay the same .
Leahy : By the way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so not on top of it that he had to have talking points typed out and in front of him when he did his Facebook live conference .
Swain : I know .
And some kids noticed the talking points .
That he had his cell phone upside down .
And there was a cartoon in front of him that said “ why me.
” ( Chuckles ) Leahy : But also yesterday when they had their first joint appearance you would think that he would pronounce her name correctly .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But if you wanted to follow the lead of vice president Joe Biden he pronounced it incorrectly as Kaam-a-la .
This is just another indication that he is not on the top of his game .
Leahy : It sounds like a Boy George song doesn ’ t ’ it ?
Swain : She ’ s phony .
She ’ s fake .
And most voters know it .
Leahy : She has a hard time .
You said something interesting early on when you said she ’ s not really resonating with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primaries where she was only at two percent in the polls and dropped out before the first votes were cast .
It seemed very clear that she was not resonating really with anybody except perhaps hedge fund managers in New York City and guys at CNN and MSNBC .
But among voters , she just was not going over very well .
Swain : Well the problem with her is that there is no evidence that she has core principles .
Anyone that ’ s able to shift in the manner she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And if she believed everything she said about Joe Biden when they were running against each other for the nomination there is no way that you would swallow your core beliefs and be willing to serve with a man that you don ’ t respect .
Leahy : I think you are absolutely right .
She has no core principles .
And I think that the Boy George song that would probably be suitable for her would be Kamala the Chameleon .
( Swain chuckles ) Do you like that ?
Swain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fits .
Leahy : Nashville is filled with some great musicians .
I ’ m going to put a call out there and create a song for us Kamala the Chameleon .
We ’ ll play it here on the air .
Swain : Here ’ s another thing .
The problems affecting Black Americans in their communities where you have a lot of unrest and outsiders like Antifa and Black Lives Matter pushing to defund the police .
Whereas community leaders want more police presence .
I think that Black America knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just trotting out a Black person and thinking that Blacks are that stupid and that they are going to line up behind that person just because they have brown skin , I believe those days are over .
And I expect Donald Trump to garner from 15 to 20 percent of the Black vote minimum .
Leahy : That would be up from eight percent that he took in 2016 .
I want to get your reaction to this statement yesterday which encapsulates one of the two main themes of the Harris-Biden campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris .
Here ’ s what she said and I ’ ll get your reaction .
“ We are experiencing a moral reckoning with racism and systemic injustice that has brought a new coalition of conscious to the streets of our country demanding change.
” Swain : She ’ s going to end up eating those words because we know that what was brought to our streets has nothing to do with racial justice .
What we have are anarchists that are Marxists that are trying to overthrow our country with the help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have duped .
Leahy : I ’ m sure the wordsmith media people worked a long time on this phrase .
“ A new coalition of conscience.
” Swain : You can call thugs that if you want to but the rest of us aren ’ t buying it .
Leahy : ( Laughs ) That ’ s the line of the day .
I ’ m throwing you softballs here and you are hitting them out of the park .
So Kamala ’ s coalition of conscience is Carol Swain ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter who are destroying buildings .
Burning down buildings .
Throwing paint on little old ladies .
And creating havoc .
Blinding law enforcement with lasers .
These are bad people .
Swain : Well , there is something to it .
Because the media and the Democrats keep pushing the racial buttons I think crimes like the man that killed the little boy that was riding the bike that they are exciting…I don ’ t know what the word I want is .
Swain : From people that are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the top .
Leahy : As the case of the Black man that executed a five-year-old White boy .
Swain : Yes they should be held accountable and it should be all over the news .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Kamala Harris ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Tennessee Defends COVID-19 Response to Oversight Chair

NASHVILLE , Tennessee ( AP ) — Gov .
Bill Lee on Wednesday defended Tennessee ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic after receiving criticism from a top Democratic congressional leader , arguing that his decisions have been “ data driven ” despite not adhering entirely to White House recommendations .
“ Our response has focused on reducing bureaucratic barriers , strengthening private sector partnerships , and finding every opportunity to protect the lives and livelihoods of Tennessee , ” Lee , a Republican , said in a three-page letter to South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn .
Clyburn , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversight panel , had sent out requests earlier this year to four Republican governors demanding documentation on how their states are combating the pandemic .
According to Clyburn , Tennessee appeared to be flouting private recommendations from the White House ’ s coronavirus task force and instead following “ contradictory public messaging coming from ( President Donald Trump ’ s ) Administration.
” The Democrat requested Lee hand over public health guidance communications provided by the White House to figure out which guidelines the state was following .
Just days earlier , White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Birx traveled to Nashville to implore leaders to close bars , limit indoor restaurant seating and to wear masks .
While Lee has spurned implementing a handful of White House guidelines as he manages the virus outbreak , the Republican governor argued Wednesday that he was not instead following a secret set of public health guidelines .
“ Your letter appears to insinuate that I have chosen to ignore the public health guidelines developed by the White House Coronavirus Task Force and have chosen instead to follow some alternative set of recommendations from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Fortunately , reality doesn ’ t often fit into the preferred narratives of Washington , and this case is no exception.
” Additionally , Lee ’ s office handed over six state reports the White House collected on Tennessee over the past several months .
The reports summarized the virus outbreak in the Volunteer State and listed various recommendations , many of which included statewide mask mandates and limiting indoor dining .
Some of the reports urged bar and gym closures in COVID-19 hot spots .
Lee has thus far refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties to make the decision .
The governor has also vowed not to once again close businesses to stop the spread of the virus .
Clyburn ’ s office did not immediately return an emailed request for comment from The Associated Press .
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Tennessee declined over the past two weeks , going from about 2,078 new cases per day on July 28 to 1,782 new cases per day on Tuesday .
However , the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths has risen in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths per day on July 26 to about 22 deaths per day as of Tuesday .
Kimberlee Kruesi is a reporter for The Associated Press .

by Virginia Allen
Republican governors are sending National Guard troops to the southern border.
Governors of Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia announced this week they will send troops and resources to Texas to support the work of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Operation Lone Star to secure the southern border.
“President [Joe] Biden’s failure at our southern border puts the entire country at risk,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. “States must now step up where the president has failed to repel illegals, fight the cartels, and stop human and drug trafficking.”
Sanders is sending 80 National Guard troops to the border in July. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will send troop but has not clarified how many, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also announced Thursday that he will send 100 National Guardsmen to Texas to help secure the southern border. Gov. Mike DeWine says he will send 14 State Highway troopers and supervisors to Texas for two weeks. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she will deploy about 50 National Guard troops to the border this summer.
Arkansas, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota join nine other GOP governors who have already pledged to send troops and resources to Texas to help secure the state’s border with Mexico.
“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement Wednesday.
“Given the intensive resource demands on Texas, the dangers posed by the fentanyl crisis, and impact of the border crisis on criminal activity to the Commonwealth, Virginia will do its part to assist the State of Texas’ efforts with the coordinated deployment of Virginia National Guard soldiers to assist in key aspects of their mission,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin is sending 100 troops and 21 supporting personnel to Texas from the commonwealth.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is sending up to 50 National Guard troops and airmen to the border for up to 30 days. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster says he will also send troops to the border but has yet to announce how may.
“The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison,” McMaster said in a statement Wednesday.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that she will send 100 National Guard troops and 30 Department of Public Safety personnel to the border.
The Republican governors’ decision to send troops to the southern border comes in response to Abbott’s request for states to join Texas and help secure the border through the work of Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security plan.
Nine GOP governors met with Abbott in Austin, Texas, on May 22 to discuss the border crisis. The meeting was held about a week after Abbott sent a letter to fellow governors asking them to help Texas secure the border.
The Texas governor applauded Idaho and Florida for already having sent border security resources and personnel to the Lone Star State to help secure the border and invited more governors to join in the “mission to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and send all available law enforcement personnel and resources to the Texas-Mexico border to serve alongside our thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers.”
Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced he will send 100 National Guard troops to the border and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen committed to send 10 state troopers to Texas to “help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border.”
Florida, Idaho, and Mississippi were among the first states to answer Abbott’s call for help.
On May 17, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced he was mobilizing a National Guard unit to the border.
“To keep Mississippians safe and limit the impact of our nation’s open borders, the Mississippi National Guard’s 112th Military Police Battalion has been mobilized and is supporting Customs and Border Protection officers and agents along the Southwest border.”
The day before Reeves’ announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida had “over 1,100 assets and resources available” to aid Operation Lone Star, including 800 National Guard soldiers and 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers.
“At my direction, state agencies, including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard, are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes,” DeSantis said. “While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”
Since the start of the Biden administration, Customs and Border Protection reports encountering more than 5.5 million illegal aliens at the southern border. Since fiscal year 2023 began on Oct. 1, CBP has encountered more than 1.4 million illegal aliens, about triple the number encountered at the southern border during fiscal year 2020.
CBP has seized a record 17,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border so far in fiscal year 2023, which ends Sept. 30, more than triple the total amount seized in all of fiscal year 2020.
– – –
Virginia Allen is a senior news producer and podcast host for The Daily Signal. She is the co-host of “The Daily Signal Podcast” and “Problematic Women.”
Photo “National Guard” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Feds Say Yale Discriminates Against Asian, White Applicants

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants , in violation of federal civil rights law , officials said Thursday .
Yale denied the allegation , calling it “ meritless ” and “ hasty.
” The findings detailed in a letter to the college ’ s attorneys Thursday mark the latest action by the Trump administration aimed at rooting out discrimination in the college application process , following complaints from students about the application process at some Ivy League colleges .
The Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian American groups who had levied similar allegations against Harvard University .
The two-year investigation concluded that Yale “ rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race , whom it otherwise would admit , ” the Justice Department said .
The investigation stemmed from a 2016 complaint against Yale , Brown and Dartmouth .
“ Yale ’ s race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants , including in particular Asian American and White applicants , ” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband , who heads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote in a letter to the college ’ s attorneys .
Prosecutors found that Yale has been discriminating against applicants to its undergraduate program based on their race and national origin and “ that race is the determinative factor in hundreds of admissions decisions each year.
” The investigation concluded that Asian American and white students have “ only one-tenth to one-fourth of the likelihood of admission as African American applicants with comparable academic credentials , ” the Justice Department said .
“ Unlawfully dividing Americans into racial and ethnic blocs fosters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Dreiband said in a statement .
“ It is past time for American institutions to recognize that all people should be treated with decency and respect and without unlawful regard to the color of their skin.
” The investigation also found that Yale uses race as a factor in multiple steps of the admissions process and that Yale “ racially balances its classes.
” The Supreme Court has ruled colleges and universities may consider race in admissions decisions but has said that must be done in a narrowly tailored way to promote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Schools also bear the burden of showing why their consideration of race is appropriate .
In a statement , Yale said it “ categorically denies this allegation , ” has cooperated fully with the investigation and has been continually turning over “ a substantial amount of information and data.
” “ Given our commitment to complying with federal law , we are dismayed that the DOJ has made its determination before allowing Yale to provide all the information the Department has requested thus far , ” the university said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fairly weighed this information , it would have concluded that Yale ’ s practices absolutely comply with decades of Supreme Court precedent.
” The university said it considers a multitude of factors and looks at “ the whole person when selecting whom to admit among the many thousands of highly qualified applicants.
” “ We are proud of Yale ’ s admissions practices , and we will not change them on the basis of such a meritless , hasty accusation , ” the statement said .
The Justice Department has demanded that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use race or national origin for upcoming admissions .
The government also says that if Yale proposes that it will continue to use race or national origin as a factor in future admission cycles , the college must first submit a plan to the Justice Department “ demonstrating its proposal is narrowly tailored as required by law , including by identifying a date for the end of race discrimination.
” The Justice Department has also previously raised similar concerns about Harvard University , which prosecutors accused of “ engaging in outright racial balancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a lawsuit who allege the Ivy League school discriminated against them .
A federal judge in 2019 cleared Harvard of discriminating against Asian American applicants in a ruling that was seen as a major victory for supporters of affirmative action in college admissions across the U.S. That ruling has been appealed and arguments are scheduled for next month .
In the Harvard case , the Justice Department had argued that the university went too far in its use of race , but the judge disagreed .
Though the Supreme Court has ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admissions must be “ narrowly tailored ” and can be only a “ plus factor , ” past rulings still give colleges wide latitude in considering a wide range of factors , including race , as they build their classes .
Michael Balsamo is a reporter for The Associated Press .
AP writer Collin Binkley in Boston contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : This Sept. 9 , 2016 photo shows Harkness Tower on the campus of Yale University in New Haven , Conn. A Justice Department investigation has found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and white applications , in violation of federal civil rights law , officials said Thursday , Aug. 13 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Kamala Harris Had Nearly 2,000 People Locked up on Marijuana Charges: Report

Sen. Kamala Harris , presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden ’ s running mate , reportedly prosecuted nearly 2,000 people on marijuana-related charges during her time as California attorney general .
A total of 1,974 people were sent to state prisons for marijuana-related offenses during Harris ’ s 2011-2016 tenure as the Golden State ’ s lead prosecutor , the Washington Free Beacon reported .
Harris is now on board with Biden ’ s criminal justice plan that seeks to “ end all incarceration for drug use alone.
” A unity task force meant to unify Biden ’ s camp and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Democratic Party recommended decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level and legalizing it for medicinal use .
Harris , when she was seeking the Democratic nomination , released a criminal justice plan , which detailed her plans to “ End ‘ The War On Drugs , ’ ” and legalize marijuana .
Harris ’ s campaign also included statistics in the plan that black people are four times more likely than white people to be arrested for possession of cannabis .
Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard confronted Harris about the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead prosecutor in one of the Democratic debates last year .
“ She put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana , ” Gabbard told the audience , according to Rolling Stone .
“ This is the work I ’ ve done .
Am I going to take hits ?
Of course , incoming , there are going to be hits on a debate stage when people are trying to , you know , make a name for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Rolling Stone .
Executive director for The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Erik Altieri said Harris ’ stance on marijuana is “ problematic ” and her views on the drug would not “ qualify as progressive , ” he told the magazine in August 2019 .
Harris ’ s AG record has other potential vulnerabilities as well .
She reportedly defended prosecutor Robert Murray , who admitted to falsifying a man ’ s confession in 2015 , according to The Observer .
The indictment was dismissed due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision to throw out the case , claiming physical brutality is the only justification for dismissing charges in this manner , The Observer reported .
Harris during her time as prosecutor did mandate officers wear body cameras as a means for holding them accountable , but only those who worked with her were required — it did not apply to all local cops , according to a 2019 fact check by the Sacramento Bee .
Biden ’ s website mentions his desire to end “ mass incarceration ” and Harris ’ 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , Harris resisted a judge ’ s decision in California , which ordered the state to implement a new parole program that would free certain prisoners early due to rampant , unconstitutional overcrowding , according to the Los Angeles Times .
Harris ’ lawyers insisted that the order would cause a void in the prison labor pool that paid incarcerated people between 8 and 37 cents an hour , the Times reported .
Jake Dima is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--White House Calls on Congress to Fund Another $105 Billion to Help States Reopen Schools

At a forum held at the White House Wednesday , the Trump administration said it is calling on Congress to authorize another $ 105 billion in funding to help states reopen schools .
“ We believe many school districts can now reopen safely , provided they implement mitigation measures and health protocols to protect families , protect teachers , and to protect students , ” President Donald Trump said .
The president has called on Congress to pass $ 105 billion – $ 70 billion of which is for K-12 schools – to provide financial assistance and incentives to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classes .
He has also called on Congress to pass the School Choice Now Act , which includes the Education Freedom Scholarships proposal that gives students and families “ the resources and power to select the right education setting for them.
” So far , $ 13 billion in federal funding has already been sent to states to support K-12 education to help them safely reopen .
Teachers ’ unions across the country have cited health concerns in pushing for virtual learning only to start the school year .
Trump maintains that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the student “ so the parents and children are in charge of their own decision.
” The event held at the White House included a panel of 10 educational leaders , teachers and parents from a range of states .
All 10 said students need to return in person to school in the fall .
“ Students and their families can ’ t be held captive to other people ’ s fears or agendas , Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said at the meeting .
“ We have got to ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to work for their child and their children ’ s education.
” “ Overall risk is low for kids contracting COVID-19 , ” Kelly Anne Conway , counselor to the president , said , whereas “ risk is very high if they remain in lockdown indefinitely.
” Conway cited a Kaiser Family Foundation poll in which over 65 percent of parents said they were concerned that their children will fall behind if they do not return to school .
For teachers over age 60 who are concerned about their health , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The overwhelming majority of public K-12 teachers , however , are younger .
Among them , 92 percent are under age 60 .
In the absence of certain underlying medical conditions , they are likely at lower risk for serious illness , hospitalization or death , guidance by the White House says .
Teachers and students who are at increased risk or higher risk can be protected , and if desired , can choose to work from home , the White House guidance says .
It is also working on a plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states for students , teachers and staff .
The Trump administration cites a body of research pointing to the necessity to reopen schools .
Medical professionals from the American Academy of Pediatrics , the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health , a former FDA chair and the American Academies of Science , Engineering and Medicine have all urged schools to reopen in-person education this fall .
It also pointed to an article published by RealClearPolitics written by Christina Ramirez , professor of biostatistics at the Fielding School of Public Health , University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , she asks , “ At what point do our public health interventions themselves cause a public health crisis ?
” “ Failure to reopen schools in the fall will inflict greater hardship and potentially life-long developmental deficits on our most vulnerable children and grandchildren long after this pandemic has faded – a tragically ironic victimization of those least at risk of morbidity and mortality ” Ramirez writes .
“ If kids are indeed our future , we must find a way to reopen the schools.
” During school closures in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-income zip codes decreased by roughly 50 percent and students in middle-income zip codes fell by one-third , the White House reported .
A recent analysis found that if in-person classes don ’ t resume until January 2021 , Hispanic , Black , and low-income students will lose 9.2 , 10.3 , and 12.4 months of learning , respectively , the White House said .
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Commentary: Big Tech’s Double Standards on Islamist Hate Speech

When it comes to social media influencers , many might recognize Michelle Obama , Leonardo DiCaprio , Roger Federer , and Billy Joel .
But what about the superstar Islamist clerics — Mohamad Al Arefe , A ’ id Al Qarnee , Salman Al Odah , and Othman Al Khamis — whose track records range from incitement of jihad , country-entry bans , and displays of bigotry ?
Not only do members of the latter group attract more Twitter followers , but their Twitter fan bases are so large that if they were to unite and form a country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27th most populous .
Why does Silicon Valley continue to allow such accounts to exist , especially when its four greatest platforms vow to “ fight terror ” and hate speech ?
After all , Twitter , YouTube , Instagram , and Facebook all prohibit much of the rhetoric employed by these Islamists — anything promoting “ violence ” or “ hate ” against others on the basis of their religion or ethnicity .
Today , the Silicon Valley Four stand accused of censoring or deplatforming conservatives and anti-Islamists accused of dehumanizing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dennis Prager , Muslim activist Kasim Hafeez , anti-Islamist writer Tom Quiggin , and , most recently and notably , Donald Trump .
Congressman Jim Jordan ( R-Ohio ) testified a few weeks ago that “ Big Tech is out to get conservatives… .
That ’ s a fact.
” Likewise , censorship of anti-Islamist voices has become so bad that , as the Middle East Forum noted two years ago , it appears to occur “ almost weekly.
” To be consistent , Silicon Valley ’ s biggest companies must either deplatform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct patently violates their community guidelines , or they must entirely abandon these guidelines .
Whatever the standard , it should be consistently applied .
The first Islamist deserving of sanction is Mohamad Al Arefe , who has more than 23.4 million followers on Facebook , 20 million on Twitter , 1.78 million on YouTube , and 450,000 on Instagram .
He has been denied entry to Switzerland , Britain , Denmark , and Kuwait for urging Britons to “ fight in the Middle East , ” and for his “ anti-Semitic ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arefe , who professes , “ Muslims have no life without jihad , ” and has called for “ jihad in Syria ‘ in every possible way.
’ ” He sympathizes with Osama Bin Laden , whom he has prayed for in public .
Al Arefe accuses Jews of cowardice and dreams of their cleansing .
He notes , “ Whenever the Jews talk about … the wars they have undergone , they are always talking about the ‘ massacre of the Jews ’ — because they are not men enough to defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Jewish Holocaust , which they say was carried out by Hitler or whoever… .
The Prophet Muhammad said : ‘ Judgment day will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them.
’ ” Al Arefe has also reportedly used social media to “ attack liberals , women ’ s rights , Shi ’ ite Muslims and homosexuality.
” Allegedly , Al Arefe has also claimed that Shiite Muslims “ must be killed.
’ ” Does Al Arefe not also deserve to be swiftly deplatformed ?
And what about A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ a long history of inciting jihad against the U.S , Israel , Christians , and Jews , ” he has characterized jihad against American soldiers as “ a source of pride , ” noting that “ throats must be slit and skulls shattered.
” Further , he declared , “ I praise the Jihad , the sacrifice , and the resistance against the occupiers in Iraq.
” Al Qarnee also prays “ daily for America ’ s destruction , ” and for Allah to “ destroy the Jews and their helpers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and to “ turn them into the Muslims ’ spoils.
” Al Qarnee has been placed by the U.S. on a no-fly list , yet social media affords this jihadist his own virtual passport , helping him reach 19.6 million followers on Twitter , 16 million on Facebook , and 3.4 million on Instagram .
And what about Salman Al Odeh — a “ hate preacher ” to whom Denmark has denied entry ?
A Salafi , Al Odeh has called for jihad in Afghanistan and Iraq , and has applauded suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to “ be rewarded by the gift of 72 virgins.
” Promoting suicide or violence violates YouTube ’ s guidelines .
Al Odeh has even praised Bin Laden as his “ brother.
” Unsurprisingly , Al Odeh ’ s son embraced his father ’ s radicalism , and in 2003 had to be rescued by Saudi Arabia after rushing “ to fight the American invaders ” in Iraq .
Al Odeh ’ s affiliations also warrant concern .
He has been described by Yusuf Al Qaradawi — the spiritual leader of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ closest friends.
” Al Qaradawi ’ s fatwas , Arab News reports , have “ justified suicide bombings , violence against all Jews , and the killing of American soldiers , apostates and homosexuals.
” While Al Qaradawi commands nearly three million followers on Twitter , Al Odeh commands 13.2 million followers on Twitter , 7.1 million on Facebook , and 256,000 on YouTube .
And lastly , what about Kuwaiti preacher Othman Al Khamis ?
Through YouTube , he advocates that apostates be killed and that non-Muslims either convert , pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , he characterizes Jews as “ betrayers ” and “ assaulters ” in a video accessible on his YouTube and Twitter , and has even deemed them as the “ enemy of Allah.
” In 2019 , he was also fined in Kuwait for “ stirring up sectarianism ” against Shias over YouTube .
Al Khamis registers 1.3 million followers on Instagram , almost 850,000 on Twitter , 555,000 on YouTube , and 230,000 on Facebook .
Silicon Valley turned a blind eye to these jihadist clerics for a long time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives expose a clear hypocrisy .
Big Tech must either embrace an entirely consistent and clearly defined standard for censorship , or it must embrace a new policy of absolute free speech .
To retain the trust of the American public , and for the sake of its own interests in the face of increased legislative interest in its biases , tech companies simply can not refuse to do either .
Jordan Cope is a writer for Islamist Watch , a project of the Middle East Forum .
Photo “ Mohamad Al Arefe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ الكويت .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma Discusses the Uptick of COVI

Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma Discusses the Uptick of COVID Cases in the State of Tennessee

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed administrator for Centers of Medicaid Services and the Trump administration ’ s Health Policy Consultant Seema Verma to the show .
During the third hour , Verma gave the latest numbers of the recent uptick of coronavirus positive test results in the state of Tennessee .
She noted that it was of great concern due to the fact that Tennessee is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urged citizens to take common-sense approaches to help stop the spread .
Leahy : We welcome you to our microphones Seema Verma who is the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services .
Welcome , Ms. Verma .
Thank you for joining us today .
Verma : Thanks for having me .
Good morning .
Leahy : First , we want to compliment you for the work that you did in helping a situation a couple of years ago here with a doctor in West Tennessee in Mackenzie , Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was kind of a clerical error and you guys reached in and fixed it .
So thank you for doing that .
It was back in 2017 .
It was a great accomplishment .
Verma : I appreciate that .
A lot of bureaucracy that the Trump administration is trying to cut through and get rid of a lot of that red tape .
Leahy : Another little connection to Tennessee .
You made a terrific hire .
Leahy : Your deputy administrator is Brad Smith .
Tell us about Brad a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is helping us with redesigning how we pay for healthcare .
He ’ s also played a very large role in our response to the coronavirus .
And he ’ s been helping us get supplies .
And testing up and going .
And just a tremendous individual .
Hard-working and also just a great guy .
Leahy : You have one of the most difficult jobs in America today .
Not only are you the head of the Centers of Medical Services but you are on the White House Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bit with us about what is going on and what the federal government is doing in Tennessee .
Where are we now in Tennessee ?
Verma : Well Michael we are concerned about the situation in Tennessee .
We consider Tennessee to be in the red zone for positivity .
This means we are seeing more than 10 percent of the cases come back positive .
That is very concerning to us and is why we have reached out to you this morning .
We are urging people to take those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watching their distance .
And also making sure they are wearing masks .
Those are very critical things .
When the positivity rate gets above 10 percent that ’ s when we get really concerned with our hospitals being overwhelmed .
That type of thing .
So we are urging people to adopt these common-sense measures .
It can make a big difference where we saw a little bit of an uptick in cases .
And when people really double down on those common-sense approaches it really made a difference .
The reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to figure out how to live with this virus .
It is still out there .
We are seeing in other countries that even when they get past a big surge that you can have a re-occurrence .
It can come back .
And that ’ s why the simple things and simple common-sense measures of masks .
Washing your hands .
Watching your distance .
All of that makes a really big difference .
So we are urging everybody out there .
We ’ ve seen this uptick in three counties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Knox County all seeing increases .
So we are very concerned about the situation in Tennessee .
Leahy : You talked about the positivity of those that have taken tests .
The cumulative since the start of this in Tennessee is 8.4 percent .
But I ’ m looking at the chart right now and over the past month , it varied between 10 percent and 12 percent .
So that you see is an indicator of concern .
How are we doing in terms of hospitalizations and fatality rates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the positivity rate that ’ s what we sort of see .
The positivity rate goes up first .
Then you see an increase in hospitalizations .
And then , unfortunately , we experience those losses .
So this is an early indicator .
But again , if we double down we can prevent that situation .
That being said , really just kudos to our healthcare system .
I think that healthcare providers now across the country are more experienced in treating COVID .
We do have some treatments using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in a different place than we were before in terms of supplies and testing .
And I think our medical system is more experienced in dealing with these cases .
But obviously we want to do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable .
The area I ’ m most concerned about is the nursing home .
When we know it ’ s spreading in the community that also makes our nursing homes more vulnerable .
And we know that if we look at nursing homes and assisted living facilities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have occurred .
Most of them have occurred in nursing homes and assisted living facilities .
So again trying to be very careful with those communities is important .
Leahy : Carol Swain by the way is a former professor at Vanderbilt .
And every Thursday she is a co-host of this program .
And she ’ s in right now .
And Carol would like to ask you a question , Ms. Verma .
Swain : Yes .
I have two questions .
One is the number of positives , isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are getting tests ?
And there are people that if they sneeze they can get a test and we know that the tests are prone to false positives .
So I ’ m wondering about how the CDC counts positive tests as cases and whether or not we should be encouraging people who are otherwise healthy to go out and get tested ?
Verma : I agree with you .
If people are healthy they probably don ’ t need a test .
There are certain circumstances .
If you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been exposed .
If you are a high risk person .
I would agree with you .
We don ’ t need to test people unnecessarily .
But in terms of what you were saying in terms of tests and the positivity cases , we adjust it .
So we look at cases per 100 thousand .
And in Tennessee , we had about 13,000 new cases last week .
And that runs at about 189 new cases per 100,000 people .
That ’ s more than the overall United States average which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we make those adjustments Tennessee ’ s positivity rate is running higher than the rest of the country right now .
Leahy : Ms. Verma , you can look at those 13,000 new cases .
I don ’ t know if you have this data in front of you .
Is there a change in the age distribution of those new cases ?
Are you seeing more younger people test positive than older people ?
And are you also seeing that the hospitalization and mortality rates for younger people are lower ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great point Michael and you ’ re exactly right .
That ’ s where we are seeing the spread .
It ’ s in that 30 to 40 age group or under 40 .
And they have better results .
Many of them are healthier , to begin with .
So the impact isn ’ t as severe as what we would say in somebody who is older with underlying health conditions .
That being said , I think we all need to be cautious here because we don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
As you know there are people that are asymptomatic .
They could be infected .
And we have no idea .
There are no symptoms whatsoever .
That ’ s the importance of wearing masks because you don ’ t know who ’ s been infected and who ’ s not .
And then we know for other people that they may have a couple of weeks of illness but a lot of them are reporting that they are having lingering health effects .
Being tired .
They call it the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know how it ’ s going to impact people .
The results for people that are older with underlying health conditions has been more significant .
We ’ ve seen higher mortality rates with older people who have underlying health conditions .
Swain : Well , one of my concerns about Tennessee and some other states is they are now allowing COVID positive patients to stay in nursing homes .
They are putting them in separate wings .
If they are sharing the same air conditioning and heating systems of everyone else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And why wouldn ’ t we want to stop that ?
Verma : Well I agree with you that we need to be really very concerned about nursing homes and do everything that we can .
One of the things that we ’ ve been encouraging states to do is to go into these nursing homes and do that survey .
Because just as you said , you really have to evaluate each and every nursing home to understand their capacity .
As you said , some may have some good air filtration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do that isolation but some may not .
I ’ ve talked to nursing homes across the country where they have residents sharing bathrooms .
Or they have staff that is working with people that are COVID positive and those that are not .
And that doesn ’ t work .
significant spread in the nursing home .
We ’ re seeing an uptick in cases in nursing homes .
And that ’ s very concerning .
I think we are urging state and local officials to really double down by looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones can safely access keeping their patients apart .
Local communities have done are setting up COVID positive facilities .
That really is the best way where you can have no chance of any cross-contamination or spread if you can keep the patients in a separate facility .
That is something we ’ ve seen across the country that ’ s been effective .
Listen to the third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--ACC, SEC and Big 12 Plan to Play College Football This Fall While Big Ten and Pac 12 Sit on Bench

The Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) , along with the Southeastern ( SEC ) and Big-12 conferences , is sticking with its plan to play football in the fall .
After the Big Ten and Pac 12 conferences postponed its football seasons on Tuesday , the ACC released a statement on Twitter that emphasized an established plan of listening to advice from authorities and medical experts as well as making adjustments in necessary .
“ The ACC will continue to make decisions based on medical advice , inclusive of our Medical Advisory Group , local and state health guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way that appropriately coincides with our universities ’ academic missions , ” the ACC said in its statement .
The statement continued saying : “ The safety of our students , staff , and overall campus communities will always be our top priority , and we are pleased with the protocols being administered on our 15 campuses .
We will continue to follow our process that has been in place for months and served us well .
We understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released a similar statement from commissioner Greg Sankey to Twitter .
It is not clear yet if the decisions from the Big Ten and Pac-12 are going to impact or change the plan in place for the ACC , or other Division One conferences aiming to play .
The ACC presidents are supposed to meet again this week to continue discussions on the situation and receive can update from the conference ’ s medical advisory group , specifically about the medical data that the Pac-12 used as part of its decision to postpone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , the ACC released all relevant information for its modified schedule to the conference website .
ACC teams , including partial member Notre Dame , will play 11 total games over the course of 13 weeks , consisting of ten conference and one non-conference matchups .
The non-conference opponent must be a team from the same state as the respective ACC school , according to the release .
The first games of the season will start during the week of September 7 , with the championship game to be played on either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina .
Additionally , there will only be one division within the conference , opposed to the regular two , according to the release .
The full ACC football schedule for every team can be found here .
One aspect that remains unclear for teams in the Power Five conferences is if specific schools will cancel the football season despite leagues deciding to play .
This scenario played out on Monday when Old Dominion University ( ODU ) canceled its fall sports season after Conference USA had announced plans to play football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite ODU ’ s decision , Conference USA is continuing its plan to play , according to the Denton Record-Chronicle .
It is possible that a Power Five team could do the same , which would result in even more adjustments to the schedules .
For now , though , it ’ s one big waiting game with the return of college football less than a month away .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing Penn State ” by Yanping Nora Soong .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Trump Says UAE to Open Diplomatic Ties with Israel

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) — The United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state , President Donald Trump said Thursday .
The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel .
“ Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world , ” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a good chance we will soon see more Arab countries joining this expanding circle of peace.
” The Palestinians expressed initial anger over the announcement and the official Palestinian broadcaster Palestine TV reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called an urgent meeting of his top leadership to discuss the agreement and determine a position on it .
Netanyahu also said in the broadcast that the Trump administration asked that Israel put its West Bank annexation plans on hold to move forward with the agreement on ties with the UAE .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his plans to annex parts of the West Bank but added the plans were on “ temporary hold ” and that implementing annexation would be done with U.S. coordination .
His remarks appeared aimed at placating influential settlers who were angered by Israel ’ s shelving of plans to annex parts of the West Bank .
But they contradicted statements from Emirati officials who viewed annexation as off the table .
Trump tweeted a statement from the countries , acknowledging the deal .
He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates , ” he said .
The recognition grants a rare diplomatic win to Trump ahead of the November election as his efforts to see an end to the war in Afghanistan have yet to come to fruition while efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have made no headway .
Israel and the UAE also have been among Trump ’ s closest foreign allies .
For Israel , the announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged .
He has sought to build settlements on lands sought by the Palestinians and embraced a Trump proposal that would allow him to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank while granting Palestinians limited autonomy in other areas .
For the UAE , home to skyscraper-studded Dubai and the rolling , oil-rich sand dunes of Abu Dhabi , it further burnishes its international campaign to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out first in a regional recognition race among neighboring Gulf Arab states .
And for the Palestinians , who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence , the announcement marked both a win and setback .
While the deal halts Israeli annexation plans , the Palestinians have repeatedly urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached .
“ Israel got rewarded for not declaring openly what it ’ s been doing to Palestine illegally & persistently since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi wrote on Twitter .
She also said the UAE has come forward with its “ secret dealings/normalization with Israel.
” “ Please don ’ t do us a favor .
We are nobody ’ s fig leaf !
” she wrote .
The militant group Hamas , which controls the Gaza Strip , called the deal by the Emiratis “ a stabbing in the back of our people.
” The joint statement from the U.S. , the UAE and Israel said delegations would meet in the coming weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security , telecommunications , energy , tourism and health care .
The two countries also will partner on fighting the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East ’ s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth , enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations , ” said the statement by Trump , Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , the day-to-day ruler of the UAE .
It said the leaders had a three-way call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Mike Pompeo called the deal “ a remarkable achievement for two of the world ’ s most forward leaning , technologically advanced states , and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region.
” “ It also illustrates their commitment to confronting common threats , as small — but strong — nations , ” he said , adding : “ Blessed are the peacemakers .
Mabruk and Mazal Tov.
” Among Arab nations , only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel .
Egypt made a peace deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jordan in 1994 .
Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999 , but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel ’ s war in Gaza at the time .
In addition to Trump , the main U.S. mediators for agreement were the president ’ s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner , special Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz , special envoy for Iran Brian Hook and David Friedman , the U.S. ambassador to Israel .
The UAE is a U.S.-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula .
Formed in 1971 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time did not recognize Israel over its occupation of land home to the Palestinians .
“ Arab oil is not dearer than Arab blood , ” the UAE ’ s founding ruler , Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan , once pronounced when agreeing to an oil boycott over U.S. military support to Israel in the 1973 Mideast war .
The UAE relied on white-collar Palestinians in creating its nation .
Over time , it maintained its stance that Israel allow the creation of a Palestinian state on land it seized in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ties between Gulf Arab nations and Israel have quietly grown , in part over their shared enmity of Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah .
Prince Mohammed also shares Israel ’ s distrust of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the militant group Hamas that holds the Gaza Strip .
The UAE ’ s state-run WAM news agency framed the deal as not just a move that helps the UAE and Israel , but one that also carries benefits for the Palestinians .
Top Emirati official Anwar Gargash said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to moves by Israel to annex Palestinian lands .
It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now .
In June , the United Arab Emirates ’ ambassador to the U.S. warned in an Israeli newspaper op-ed that Israel ’ s planned annexing the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank would “ upend ” Israel ’ s efforts to improve ties with Arab nations .
The agreement gives Netanyahu a domestic boost at a time when Israel ’ s shaky coalition government is plagued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early elections in the coming months .
Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet as the country grapples with a renewed coronavirus outbreak and skyrocketing unemployment as the result of earlier lockdown measures .
Netanyahu also delivered a valuable diplomatic achievement to his good friend , Trump , ahead of U.S. elections .
Still , by putting on hold the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House .
Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , has made clear that he would oppose any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mideast map and annex lands sought by the Palestinians .
Netanyahu also risked criticism inside his own hard-line Likud Party , whose members strongly supported annexation .
Netanyahu appears to be betting that Likud members — and the small , but influential settler movement — will agree the peace agreement delivers more benefits than unilateral annexation .
Opinion polls have shown that annexation is not a high priority for the vast majority of the Israeli public .
Echoing Netanyahu , Kushner said : “ Israel ’ s agreed to suspend those efforts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes little on the ground .
Israel already holds overall control of the West Bank and continues to expand its settlements there , while granting the Palestinians autonomy in a series of disconnected enclaves .
Some 500,000 Israelis now live in the rapidly expanding West Bank settlements .
Next year , Israel will take part in the UAE ’ s delayed Expo 2020 , the world ’ s fair being hosted by Dubai .
A secret synagogue also draws practicing Jews in Dubai .
The UAE also has announced plans to build the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will house a mosque , a church and a synagogue .
Israelis traveling with Western passports routinely enter the UAE without a problem , though one still can ’ t make a phone call between the two countries .
Israelis also work in Dubai ’ s gold and diamond trade as well .
Emirati officials also have allowed Israeli officials to visit and the Israeli national anthem was played after an athlete won gold in an Abu Dhabi judo tournament .
Israel also has a small mission representing its interests at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jon Gambrell , Matthew Lee and Josef Federman are reporters for The Associated Press .
Lee reported from Bled , Slovenia , and Federman reported from Jerusalem .
Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Aya Batrawy in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , contributed .
About the Headline Photo : President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House , Thursday , Aug. 13 , 2020 , in Washington .
Trump said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state .
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is at right .
( AP Photo/Andrew Harnik )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Explains the Importance of Completing the Census

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to the program .
At the end of the third hour , Ross explained why completing the 2020 Census was important for communities .
He added that the census is completely confidential and that it can never be accessed by anyone at any time and encouraged people to complete it .
Leahy : We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross .
Welcome , Secretary Ross .
Ross : Thank you for having me on this morning , Michael .
Leahy : We are delighted to have you on .
You want to talk about the census and what ’ s happening and what people can do to help the census work .
Ross : Yes .
The census is very very important in that it ’ s taken only once every ten years .
In the 2020 Census will dictate for the next 10 years the allocation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal funding per year .
And it will also help dictate the allocation of congressional seats .
So it ’ s very important to Tennessee and its communities not to be short-changed .
And the reason that that ’ s particularly important is nationwide we ’ re doing pretty well .
Over 100 million households have responded .
That ’ s 63.4 percent of the households in the country .
Tennessee is a bit behind at 62.7 percent .
Seven-tenths of a percent may not sound like a lot but it could very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat and a not congressional seat .
So it really is a very important thing .
The census data is kept totally confidential .
It ’ s encrypted from the moment we receive it while it ’ s in transit and when it ’ s at rest .
Every census worker takes a lifetime oath not to reveal any data .
And if anyone did it ’ s punishable by several years in federal prison and a huge fine .
So the data are safe and will not be turned over to ICE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to local law enforcement .
Will not be turned over to the FBI .
They will not be turned over to anyone .
Leahy : Secretary Ross I have some good news for you .
Your census workers in Tennessee are doing their job .
I was at home yesterday .
I live in Williamson County here in Tennessee .
In the afternoon I do some writing at the house and I was on a phone call .
And I saw this person drive up in a very nice census bureau van into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask .
They were identified as census bureau .
They walked up and knocked on the door .
And I was on the phone doing some business and I said , hey , I can ’ t talk right now .
And they said that ’ s fine .
How many people live in the household ?
I told them and they gave me a piece of paper .
They left and they were very professional .
Now I have two days to fill out the information .
And guess what Secretary Ross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online and fill it out .
Ross : That ’ s great .
You are a great American for doing that .
And I hope all of your listeners will follow your very good example even if they are on the phone when the census bureau worker comes around .
Leahy : Every Thursday on this program Secretary Ross , former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain is our co-host .
And she has a question for you .
Swain : What are you going to do in those intercity areas where people may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to try and do some kind of estimates of the population rather than the actual count ?
Ross : Our goal is to enumerate every single person .
What we have done is we ’ ve recruited all sorts of local groups to help us to publicize to their constituents the safety and the confidentiality of putting in their responses .
Local health organizations and various ethnic organizations and every local group that we can find we ask to help .
We also have the census forms available in a very large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obviously Spanish .
Obviously Portuguese .
Also Chinese and Japanese .
And many other languages .
So we are doing our best to make it easy .
It takes less than 10 minutes to fill out the form .
There will be a few that don ’ t respond .
In those cases , we will get what information we can from their immediate neighbor .
The neighbor may very well know if two people occupy that household .
Or three or four or what have you .
So we try to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the end of the day , there will be a very small number hopefully of households where we don ’ t have the neighbor a proxy .
We don ’ t have direct data .
There we will try to rely best we can on administrative records .
There are much more available than ever before for the census .
So we ’ ve got a whole bunch of fallbacks to help get people to respond .
Leahy : One last question for Secretary Ross from Carol Swain .
Swain : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of dollars rely on the population .
We know sometimes there is an incentive to misrepresent .
Is there a way to verify that there ’ s nothing fraudulent that takes place ?
Ross : We ’ ve tried that .
And that ’ s again where we use the administrative records .
We have the IRS records .
We have state department records .
We have social security records .
In some places , we have the state WICK and SNAP records .
In a few states , we even have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have all sorts of ways to try to double-check responses .
And in some cases especially when something looks a little out of whack we will go back in and try to re-verify the original data because the two big goals we have are completeness and accuracy .
Leahy : Secretary Wilbur Ross last question very quickly .
I ’ ma genealogy buff .
When will the 1950 census records be available online ?
Is that coming soon or do I have to wait a little longer ?
Listen to the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--US Says Iran Briefly Seizes Oil Tanker Near Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) — The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S. , the American military said Thursday .
The U.S. military ’ s Central Command published a black-and-white video showing what appeared to be special forces fast-roping down from a helicopter onto the MT Wila , whose last position appeared to be off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates near the city of Khorfakkan .
The Iranian navy held the vessel for some five hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. military official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public .
The Wila made no distress calls before , during and after the seizure , the official said .
The Iranian helicopter involved appeared to be a Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King , which only Iran ’ s navy operates .
The Iranian navy also handles all operations in the Gulf of Oman on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz , through which 20 % of all oil traded passes .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seizure , Central Command said .
The International Maritime Security Construct , which is a U.S.-created maritime group to protect Persian Gulf waterways , called the Iranian boarding “ a blatant violation of international law that undermines freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce.
” It said one of its vessels “ monitored the incident ” but did not intervene .
“ We call on Iran to articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions , ” the group said in a statement .
“ This type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destabilizes the region and threatens the rules based international order.
” Iranian state media and officials did not acknowledge the seizure or offer a reason for it .
Officials in the UAE , a U.S.-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula , did not respond to a request for comment .
The Wila ’ s registered owner is a Liberian firm called Bandit Shipping Co. , managed by Greek firm IMS SA , according to United Nations records .
Bandit Shipping could not be reached , while IMS did not respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been off Khor Al Zubair , Iraq , in early July before traveling to near Dubai and later Khorfakkan , where it ’ s been for around a month , according to data firm Refinitiv .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear what cargo it carried .
Private maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global said it suspected two other ships had been harassed by Iran ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf over the last week as well , based on the ships ’ behavior .
As tensions between Iran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s unilateral withdraw from its 2015 nuclear deal , tankers plying the waters of the Mideast became targets , particularly near the strait , the Persian Gulf ’ s narrow mouth .
Suspected limpet mine attacks the U.S. blamed on Iran targeted several tankers .
Iran denied being involved , though it did seize several tankers .
In July , a U.S.-sought oil tanker was “ hijacked ” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates after allegedly smuggling Iranian crude oil .
The vessel later ended up back in Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vessel .
Jon Gambrell is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this Wednesday , Aug. 12 , 2020 photo , released by the U.S. Navy , the MT Wila is boarded by Iranian navy commandos in the Gulf of Oman off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates .
The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized the Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S. , a U.S. military official said Thursday , Aug. 13 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Players Kneeling for Anthem Met with Boos Before MLS Game

There was a smattering of boos when players from FC Dallas and Nashville SC collectively took a knee during the national anthem before their MLS game Wednesday night in Frisco , Texas .
Dallas defender Reggie Cannon said he was disgusted by the boos at Toyota Stadium when players and officials knelt to call attention to racial injustice .
He said teammate Ryan Hollingshead turned to him afterward and said he was sorry .
“ You can ’ t even have support from your own fans in your own stadium .
It ’ s baffling to me , ” Cannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to give the best possible product on the field and these last six months have been absolute hell for us .
Absolute hell.
” Dallas and Nashville had not played a game since the season was suspended on March 12 because of the coronavirus .
While Major League Soccer ’ s other teams played in the MLS is Back tournament in Florida over the past month , Dallas and Nashville were forced to withdraw before the start because of positive COVID-19 tests among players from both teams .
The teams met Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of the games will include fans if local jurisdictions allow it .
Just over 5,000 were allowed to attend the match at Toyota Stadium , although the crowd that showed up appeared smaller .
Nashville won the game , 1-0 .
The two teams meet again Sunday .
The death of George Floyd has spurred a number of MLS players to form the group Black Players for Change , which seeks to address systemic racism in soccer and society .
Floyd , a Black man who was handcuffed , died May 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his knee to pin Floyd to the ground for nearly eight minutes .
At the opening game of the MLS tournament in Florida , members of Black Players for Change collectively stood in silence , fists raised , for several minutes .
Players and coaches also wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts throughout the event .
The anthem was not played before games at the tournament .
Cannon said the players had asked that it not be played before the game because they didn ’ t feel it was right “ for the anthem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We had someone chanting U.S.A. , but they don ’ t understand what kneeling means .
They don ’ t understand why we ’ re kneeling .
They can ’ t see the reason .
They think we ’ re the ignorant ones , ” Cannon said .
“ It ’ s incredibly frustrating .
I ’ m sorry to have this tone , but you have to call it for what it is.
” Cannon said he expected to have some pushback over the unified response .
“ It hurts me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love this club , and I want to see the support that the league has given us , that everyone has given us , from our fans , ” he said .
Anne M. Peterson is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : FC Dallas ( left ) and Nashville SC players kneel during the national anthem before an MLS soccer game at Toyota Stadium on Wednesday , Aug. 12 , 2020 , in Frisco , Texas .
( Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Phil Bredesen’s Silicon Ranch to Help Power Facebook’s Tennessee Operations

Former Tennessee Gov .
Phil Bredesen ’ s Nashville-based Silicon Ranch will help power Facebook ’ s operations in the state .
Company officials will partner with the Tennessee Valley Authority to develop carbon-free energy for a 70-megawatt solar facility in Madison County .
This , according to a press release that TVA officials published on their website Thursday .
As The Tennessee Star reported Thursday , Facebook will invest $ 800 million to build a new state-of-the-art data center in Gallatin .
Also as reported , Bredesen , through Silicon Ranch , has personally benefited from solar energy policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s governor .
“ Silicon Ranch will fund construction of the solar facility and will own and operate the plant .
The project will create more than 350 construction jobs , with additional employment for ongoing operations and maintenance , including ranchers and farmers to care for the land as part of Silicon Ranch ’ s holistic approach to land management , ” the TVA press release said .
“ The facility is expected to come online in fall 2022 , with planned interconnection to the TVA grid through the Jackson Energy Authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook will support all of its operations with 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2020 .
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development officials said this week that more than 1,100 construction workers will work on Facebook ’ s new 982,000 square-foot facility in Gallatin .
The center , located about 30 miles from Nashville , will house various types of workers , including technical operations , electricians , logistics staff , and security .
Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown told The Star in an email Wednesday that the facility is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store and process Facebook ’ s data and other platforms .
Facebook spokeswoman Melanie Roe said the company started conversing with Gallatin officials in 2017 .
As The Star reported in 2018 , Bredesen , before he left the governor ’ s seat a decade ago , had to report about his role at Silicon Ranch to the Tennessee Ethics Commission .
Bredesen , however , only made the disclosure because The Tennessean revealed Bredesen ’ s involvement in the company five days prior .
Silicon Ranch ’ s website lists Bredesen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of seven board members .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Background Photo “ Silicon Ranch ” by Silicon Ranch .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Minnesota Unemployment Drops Nearly 24,000 from Prior Week

New unemployment claims last week in Minnesota dropped by 2,978 from the prior week .
For the week ending Aug. 8 , 9,337 new unemployment claims were registered , compared to 12,315 new claims the week ending Aug. 1 .
More Minnesota workers are dropping off the unemployment rolls overall as well .
Ongoing unemployment claims for the week ending Aug. 8 stood at 264,267 , which is a drop of 23,948 claims from the prior week ’ s 288,215 claims .
Nationwide , seasonally adjusted initial claims dropped 228,000 in the week ending Aug. 8 , which brings the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Aug. 8 initial claims is the lowest number of new claims since March , when government-mandated restrictions to counter the spread of COVID-19 opened the floodgates for nearly 56 million unemployed Americans .
The 4-week national moving average the week ending Aug. 8 was 1,252,750 initial claims , a decrease of 86,250 claims from the previous week ’ s revised average .
The previous week ’ s average was revised up by 1,250 from 1,337,750 to 1,339,000 .
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 25 were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21.1 ) , Puerto Rico ( 19.1 ) , Louisiana ( 17.3 ) , New York ( 16.5 ) , California ( 16.0 ) , Connecticut ( 15.3 ) , Georgia ( 14.4 ) , Massachusetts ( 14.3 ) , and Rhode Island ( 12.7 ) .
The largest increase in initial claims for the week ending August 1 was in Rhode Island ( +87 ) , while the largest decreases were in California ( -22,610 ) , Virginia ( -19,048 ) , Texas ( -14,095 ) , Florida ( -13,176 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .
Photo “ Unemployment Office ” by Burt Lum .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Virginia House Democrats to Introduce Legislation ‘Demilitarizing Police Departments,’ Ending Qualif

Virginia House Democrats to Introduce Legislation ‘Demilitarizing Police Departments,’ Ending Qualified Immunity, and More During Special Session

Virginia ’ s legislature will meet in a Special Session on August 18 , and House Democrats are eyeing new laws and regulations that will place tighter regulations on Virginia police departments and officers .
In a statement released today , the House Democrats listed a myriad of points ( detailed at the end of this article ) they hope to address by introducing new legislation during the Special Session .
Among those points are goals to reform Virginia ’ s Criminal Justice and Police systems .
Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn ( D-41 ) said that in addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ support the Commonwealth ’ s students , teachers , workers , and health care system ” in response to COVID-19 , the House Democrats will “ also pass long-overdue legislation to reform our police and criminal justice systems.
” House Majority Leader Charniele Herring ( D-46 ) commented on the new legislation , saying the Democrats ’ goal is “ reforming systems that perpetuate [ racial ] inequities , including police procedures and many aspects of criminal justice.
” These issues are “ a top priority for House Democrats , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in addition to budget-related items , they would address COVID-19 relief , specifically tackling things like “ requiring businesses to grant paid sick leave , ” “ providing immunity from civil claims related to COVID-19 for complying with health guidance , ” and “ protecting Virginians from eviction during a public health emergency.
” The statement included an extensive list of items related to police and criminal justice reform as well .
During the Special Session , Democrats will introduce new laws that will affect items like sentence credits for good behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibiting no-knock warrants .
Also introduced will be legislation “ demilitarizing police departments by prohibiting the acquisition and use of certain weapons by law enforcement agencies , ” The statement did not specify which weapons would be prohibited .
As anticipated , Democrats will also attempt to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement , which protects officers acting within police guidelines from individual civil suits .
There are several other points related to law enforcement and criminal justice listed in the statement .
Final points on the flyer include codifying Juneteenth as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues and other war monuments .
The full list of points enumerated in today ’ s statement follows below .
• Establishing a presumption of workers ’ compensation for first responders , teachers , and other high-risk essential workers .
• Providing immunity from civil claims related to COVID-19 for complying with health guidance .
• Reforming Virginia ’ s laws related to the expungement of police and court records .
• Banning the use of chokeholds and other lethal restraints used by law enforcement .
• Demilitarizing police departments by prohibiting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement agencies .
• Empowering the Attorney General to conduct “ pattern or practice ” investigations of police forces that appear to be violating constitutional rights , including unlawful discrimination .
( Office of Attorney General bill ) • Expanding the definition of hate crimes to include false 911 calls made on the basis of race .
• Standardizing and enhancing training for all police academies .
• Mandating the duty of one officer to report and intervene during the misconduct of another officer .
• Requiring decertification of law enforcement officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Strengthening the assessments and vetting required before hiring law enforcement officers .
• Diversify the Department of Criminal Justice Services ’ Committee on Training .
• Codifying Juneteenth as an official holiday of the Commonwealth of Virginia .
• Allowing localities or local governments and communities greater latitude in the process of removing Confederate statues and other war monuments .
Sam Medley is a journalist at the Tennessee Star and Star News Network .
You can follow Sam at Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ville Photography .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Minnesota Senate Rejects Gov Walz’s Commissioner Appointee Nancy Leppink

The Minnesota Senate rejected Governor Walz ’ s appointee for the Department of Labor and Industry ( DLI ) Commissioner Nancy Leppink in a close vote 34 to 32 .
Following the four hour session on Wednesday , the governor ’ s office issued a news release sharing Leppink ’ s lengthy career and its successes , as well as statements from various councils and organizations who support her .
Walz tweeted that he was “ [ d ] eeply disappointed Senate Republicans chose to play politics with Minnesotans ’ health and safety.
” Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan tweeted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face to those who keep us safe.
” Later that evening , Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka ( R- District 9 ) tweeted about what had transpired : “ Removing a commissioner is serious business entrusted to the Senate .
The Governor picks , the Senate confirms .
I privately told the Governor in February that the DLI commissioner was not working out .
I asked him to find something else for her .
That didn ’ t happen .
Today she was not confirmed.
” During the session , the matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of business .
In Gazelka ’ s opening remarks , the senator said that he and others felt “ she wasn ’ t doing her job.
” Gazelka then cited Leppink ’ s shortcomings : burdening businesses struggling through the pandemic with more regulations , encouraging union intrusions , ignoring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ’ s failure to address workplace safety , delaying critical workers compensation legislation for those affected by the pandemic , muddying wage theft laws , and creating unprecedented regulations on youth employment exemptions .
“ The DLI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Labor .
It ’ s the Department of Labor and Industry .
It is a crucial role , ” said Gazelka .
“ Mr .
President , she is in the wrong role , in a key role that represents the whole state .
As the government interacts with business , the DLI has to have somebody that can connect to labor and connect to industry and work with them in what feels like cooperation , not a hammer that ’ s about to come down every time they make a misstep.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ District 53 ) responded to Gazelka ’ s remarks first .
The senator said she “ took serious issue ” with the matter of confirmation being presented at all .
“ I want to say that I think this is outrageous , it is a travesty , and it is absolutely not fitting of the Minnesota Senate to handle something of this serious nature without due notice that this would be discussed.
” Kent also stated that the pandemic is not an appropriate time to take up an issue as serious as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left no room for debate .
Gazelka responded that Leppink went through her process and hearing earlier this year without any recommendation , which was “ a strong warning of things to come.
” He added that Leppink ’ s appointment would have come up sooner , if not for the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent riots following George Floyd ’ s death .
Other Senate members who spoke on behalf of ousting Leppink were Carrie Rudd ( R-District 10 ) , Jason Rarick ( R-District 11 ) , Karin Housley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric Pratt ( R-District 55 ) .
Each reported hearing from businesses in their areas issue complaints about the DLI regulations for youth employment , wage theft , wedding barns , and operations during the coronavirus .
All remarked that Leppink ’ s approach to her job caused more issues for businesses than benefits .
“ With the commissioner , something as simple as ‘ how may I help you ?
’ became a legislative issue , ” stated Rudd .
Senate members who supported Leppink never denied any of the allegations made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commissioner ; instead , they focused on the lack of warning given to the Senate .
Among those who spoke in favor of Leppink were Nick Frentz ( DFL-District 19 ) , Melisa Franzen ( DFL- District 49 ) , Richard Cohen ( DFL-District 64 ) , Jason Isaacson ( DFL-District 42 ) , and Karla Bigham ( DFL-District 54 ) .
In his closing remarks , Gazelka referenced that Leppink wasn ’ t the only commissioner who dissatisfied the Senate , mentioning the Commissioner of Deed as one example .
The Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now serve as the Temporary Commissioner for the DLI .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Paul Gazelka ” by Minnesota Senate Media Services .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Ohio Unemployment Drops by Nearly 60,000 from Prior Week

Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center @ @ @ @ @ MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Michigan Unemployment Climbs Once Again Above 520,000

New unemployment claims in Michigan dropped last week by 5,380 from the prior week ending Aug. 1 .
For the week ending Aug. 8 , 14,462 new unemployment claims were registered , compared to 19,842 new claims the week ending Aug. 1 .
However , fewer Michigan workers are dropping off the unemployment rolls .
Advance unemployment claims for the week ending Aug. 8 stood at 522,491 , which is 7,655 more claims than the prior week ’ s 514,836 claims .
Nationwide , seasonally adjusted initial claims dropped 228,000 in the week ending Aug. 8 , which brings the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Aug. 8 initial claims is the lowest number of new claims since March , when government-mandated restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 opened the floodgates for nearly 56 million unemployed Americans .
The 4-week national moving average the week ending Aug. 8 was 1,252,750 initial claims , a decrease of 86,250 claims from the previous week ’ s revised average .
The previous week ’ s average was revised up by 1,250 from 1,337,750 to 1,339,000 .
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 25 were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21.1 ) , Puerto Rico ( 19.1 ) , Louisiana ( 17.3 ) , New York ( 16.5 ) , California ( 16.0 ) , Connecticut ( 15.3 ) , Georgia ( 14.4 ) , Massachusetts ( 14.3 ) , and Rhode Island ( 12.7 ) .
The largest increase in initial claims for the week ending August 1 was in Rhode Island ( +87 ) , while the largest decreases were in California ( -22,610 ) , Virginia ( -19,048 ) , Texas ( -14,095 ) , Florida ( -13,176 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – – – Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Ohio Public Health Advisory System – Driving Policies Based on ‘What If’ Instead of ‘What Is’

This is the first story in an eight-part series on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System On July 2 , Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine introduced the Ohio Public Health Advisory System ( OPHAS ) .
The color-coded map assigns a color to each of Ohio ’ s 88 counties that is supposed to be indicative of each county ’ s COVID spread .
According to the Ohio COVID-19 site : Decisions affecting businesses , schools , sports , and day-to-day personal behavior are being made and geared toward the map and its output .
At the end of July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only junior fair events and cited as a reason the increased community spread among fairgoers .
The Ohio Education Association ( OEA ) released a position statement on July 28 outlining the union ’ s stance on school openings that states : “ Under Ohio ’ s warning system , OEA believes that any school or campus building located in a county designated as Level 4 ( purple ) or Level 3 ( red ) must remain closed to in-person instruction.
” The Ohio Liquor Control Board referenced the perceived spread indicated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibit the sale of alcohol past 10:00 p.m. in bars and restaurants .
A story published in May highlighted how DeWine ’ s suppression , skewed statistical reporting and doom and gloom presentations were driving misaligned policies .
The story was part of a rising tide of demand for complete and accurate COVID data that resulted in Diane Grendel ( R-Chesterland ) drafting legislation requiring the governor ’ s office and the Ohio Department of Health to report more detailed information .
The color-coded map was supposed to hone down COVID data to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful for county officials to properly lead their communities .
The problem : the OPHAS is a red herring .
The system is built and calibrated to trigger indicators that move counties to red or purple status without a live , active COVID spread .
This series will tackle the four colors and seven triggers comprising the system and deliver specific examples of how the system is burdening businesses , schools , kids , and families .
The OPHAS organizes each of Ohio ’ s 88 counties in one of the following four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 4-5 indicators triggered ; advisory : limit activities as much as possible .
• Level 4 – Purple : 6-7 indicators triggered ; advisory : only leave home for supplies and services .
Each county is graded on the following seven indicators : • New cases per capita – When the data shows that a county has had an average of 50 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period , the indicator is triggered .
• Sustained new case growth – If the data shows at least a five-day period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is triggered .
• Proportion of cases that are non-congregate cases – When more than 50 % of new cases originate from non-congregate settings over one of the last three weeks , this indicator is triggered .
• Sustained increase in emergency room visits – When a five-day increase in the number of people who visit an emergency department with COVID-19-related symptoms or COVID diagnoses , in any time over the last three weeks , this indicator is triggered .
• Sustained increase in outpatient visits – When there is an increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including telehealth appointments , with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 symptoms over a five-day period in any of the last three weeks , this indicator is triggered .
• Sustained increase in new COVID-19 hospital admissions – When there is an increasing trend of at least 5 consecutive days in the number of new hospitalizations due to COVID over the last 3 weeks , this indicator is triggered .
• Intensive Care Unit ( ICU ) bed occupancy- When ICU occupancy goes above 80 % , and at least 20 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the last week , this indicator is triggered .
In the next seven articles , we will dive in on each of the seven indicators and describe how triggering them has more to do with testing policies and contact-tracing strategies than the prevalence of COVID in our communities .
Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star .
Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV .
Follow Jack on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Background Photo “ Mike DeWine ” by @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--‘Unacceptable and Misguided’: Richmond Protest Explodes Into Riot, Damaging Buildings and Hurting Su

‘Unacceptable and Misguided’: Richmond Protest Explodes Into Riot, Damaging Buildings and Hurting Support for Demonstrations

Protests in the City of Richmond took a turn for the worse late Tuesday night as vandalism and violence broke out , damaging multiple city buildings .
The James Center , Sun Trust building , John Marshall Courts Building , and other city buildings in Richmond had their windows smashed in by a group of roughly 50 people , The Washington Post reports .
Ben Dennis with 8News captured photos of the damage , which included 20 glass panels at the John Marshall Courts Building The court was forced to remain closed Wednesday and Thursday due to a “ building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night for the riots and damage caused .
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney responded to the violence , calling the vandalism “ unacceptable and misguided.
” “ Those intent on creating chaos and confrontation , who riot and commit violence against our community , will go to jail , ” said Stoney .
“ Period.
” Stoney blamed a group called Richmond Strike for the damage , according to NBC12 .
Richmond Strike is an activist group that describes itself as “ an autonomous decentralized network for direct action in the colony called Richmond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter page .
Richmond Strike tweeted a flyer on the day the vandalism occurred , claiming that “ the existence of police is brutality , ” calling people to gather in Richmond that night .
Garren Shipley , the Director of Communications for the Republican Party of Virginia , noted in a newsletter that the demonstrations , which have continued for some over two months , have “ led many supporters of the protests to begin questioning the ultimate goal of the daily demonstrations — and their support for them.
” Shipley referenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vandalism .
In that article , some Richmond citizens that support the demonstrations spoke to how the continued unrest has weighed on them and their communities .
“ Regular citizens [ feel ] caught in the middle , ” Charlie Diradour told The Post .
Janice Nuckolls , a proclaimed “ liberal Democrat , ” told The Post that while she has been “ sympathetic to [ fighting ] injustice and inequality , … it seems like right now the protesting and the destruction of private property has nothing to do with any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests for 76 days .
Some demonstrations have turned into violent riots due to the actions and influence of some groups , including the domestic terrorist organization Antifa .
Sam Medley is a journalist at the Tennessee Star and Star News Network .
You can follow Sam at Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ John Marshall Courts Building ” by Taber Andrew Bain .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Three Women File Lawsuit Against Michigan Over ‘Tampon Tax’

Three Michigan women have filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Treasury Department on Tuesday in order to stop taxation of feminine hygiene products like tampons , citing gender discrimination and the 14th Amendment of the Constitution .
Emily Beggs , Claire Pfeiffer and Wei Ho filed the lawsuit on August 11 in the Court of Claims , according to MLive .
The lawsuit says that collecting taxes on feminine hygiene products is discriminatory based on the 14th Amendment , which protects against “ intentional inequalities.
” “ For the government to impose a burden on a product that women must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on women for being women , ” Joanne Faycurry , who is representing the women pro-bono , told MLive .
The three women are also demanding a tax refund with interest , MLive reported .
The lawsuit said that the state collected roughly $ 27.6 million in sales tax from menstrual products in the past four years .
Michigan currently exempts groceries and prescription drugs from sales tax .
The lawsuit follows legislation earlier this year to exempt feminine hygiene products from sales tax .
The bill — submitted by Rep. Brian Elder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tenisha Yancey ( D-1-Harper Woods ) — was referred to the House Committee on Tax Policy .
“ Women already face economic disparities in their paycheck every payday ; there is no reason we should also be forced to pay this additional tax for taking care of our reproductive health , ” Yancey in a statement announcing the legislation .
“ It is time for Michigan to remove this unnecessary financial burden once and for all.
” Michigan Attorney General Dan Nessel voiced her support for the lawsuit .
Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gubernatorial campaign and a spokesperson for her office recently reaffirmed that support to MLive .
Ten states already exempt tampons and sanitary napkins from sales tax , according to Yancey , including New York , Connecticut , Pennsylvania , Massachusetts , New Jersey , Illinois , Minnesota , Maryland , Florida and Nevada .
Judge Colleen O ’ Brien is reviewing the case , according to MLive .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter at The Michigan Star and Star News Digital Media .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Beauty Section ” by Beantowndude316 .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-14--Rep. Green Introduces Bill to Open Federal Reserve Board Meetings Once More

U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green wants the governing board of the Federal Reserve to resume meeting in public to comply with the Sunshine Act .
The CARES Act has allowed the board of governors to meet in secret for the most part , Green said .
So , he and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ( D-HI-02 ) this week introduced the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act , HR 8007 , to make the board transparent once again .
Tracking information on the act is available here .
Green tweeted , “ The CARES Act cast a veil of secrecy over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s why @ TulsiPress and I introduced the bipartisan Federal Reserve Sunshine Act , to reinstate transparency at the Fed.
” He also said , “ The CARES Act allows the Chairman of the Federal Reserve ’ s Board of Governors to conduct any board meeting without complying with the Government in the Sunshine Act , as long as it ’ s determined in writing that ‘ unusual and exigent circumstances ’ exist .
This means that the Fed does not have to announce its meetings , and it absolves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes of its meetings or most records about them.
” Gabbard said , “ Responding to this global pandemic requires a massive commitment of resources to provide assistance to the American people during this crisis .
Unfortunately , the Federal Reserve ’ s Board of Governors is able to avoid complying with existing transparency laws as they oversee $ 450 billion in taxpayer funds provided by the CARES Act in loans and other financial assistance .
Their bill has received endorsements from government transparency advocates including the Project on Government Oversight , FreedomWorks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Responsibility and Ethics in Washington .
Tim Stretton , policy analyst with the Project on Government Oversight , said , “ For decades now , it has been apparent that the Federal Reserve operates with too much opacity and secrecy .
Furthermore , the recently passed CARES Act exempted the Federal Reserve from some of the law ’ s broad public transparency measures , giving the Fed the option to blindfold the electorate and the media .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reserve Building ” by Rdsmith4 .
CC BY-SA 2.5 .