thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Tennessee Revenues Down Versus This Time Last Year

Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley this week announced that revenues for June were $ 1.5 billion , which is $ 12.5 million less than the budgeted monthly revenue estimate .
State tax revenues , meanwhile , were $ 29.8 million less than June 2019 .
Overall collections for the month represented a negative growth rate of 1.91 percent .
This , according to a press release that Eley posted on the F & A ’ s website .
“ Tennesseans are cautiously increasing business and consumer activities as we move forward in an unprecedented environment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slow recovery from April , when everyone was staying at home , but it ’ s too early to identify any patterns in revenue collections .
It should be noted that a sizable percentage of June revenue receipts are supported by a shift in tax burden from business , privilege and motor vehicle registration tax payments which were delayed to help provide support during the early phases of the pandemic .
The state will not know the full impact of the pandemic on fiscal year 2020 until the close of the fiscal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hall income tax filings are due.
” Regardless of economic conditions , Eley said that F & A will ensure that the state continues to plan for the worst while hoping for the best while making sure Tennesseans continue to receive the services they need .
On an accrual basis , June is the eleventh month in the 2019-2020 fiscal year .
“ General fund revenues were greater than the budgeted estimates in the amount of $ 6.3 million , while the four other funds that share in state tax revenues were $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sales tax revenues were $ 13.7 million less than the estimate for June and they were 1.27 percent less than June 2019 .
June sales tax revenues reflect retail business activity that occurred in May .
For 11 months , revenues are $ 56.4 million higher than estimated .
The year-to-date growth rate for eleven months is 2.57 percent , ” according to the F & A press release .
“ Franchise and excise tax revenues combined were $ 40.5 million lower than the June budget estimate and the growth rate was negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenues are $ 292 million less than the estimate and the year-to-date growth rate is negative 15.69 percent .
Gasoline and motor fuel revenues for June decreased by 10.24 percent compared to June 2019 , and they were $ 16.3 million less than the budgeted estimate of $ 109 million .
For eleven months , revenues have fallen behind estimates by $ 15.8 million.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--LA Teachers Union Demands Defunding of Police, Medicare-for-All and Ban on New Charter Schools as Co

LA Teachers Union Demands Defunding of Police, Medicare-for-All and Ban on New Charter Schools as Conditions for Reopening Schools

A major Los Angeles teachers union said in a research paper issued Thursday that the reopening of schools should be conditioned upon the passage of Medicare-for-All at the federal level , along with a slew of other left-wing policy staples at the state and local levels .
“ It is time to take a stand against Trump ’ s dangerous , anti-science agenda that puts the lives of our members , our students , and our families at risk , ” United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a statement unveiling the paper .
“ We all want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our students , but lives hang in the balance .
Safety has to be the priority .
We need to get this right for our communities.
” The paper outlined a lengthy list of health and safety measures the union identified as necessary measures to ensure schools can operate safely amid the coronavirus pandemic , including robust testing , contract tracing , sterilization regimens and physical distancing in the classroom .
The union said the costs to implement the measures necessary to restart Los Angeles schools safely could exceed $ 250 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if “ federal , state and local governments are willing to finally prioritize pupils over plutocrats.
” The UTLA called for at least $ 500 billion in additional federal assistance to K-12 schools , in addition to the passage of Medicare-for-All .
The union also called for California to implement both a wealth tax on unrealized capital gains for the state ’ s billionaires , and surtaxes on state residents that earn over $ 1 million a year .
The UTLA estimated the two measures would bring in a combined $ 14.5 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local level , the union called for the Los Angeles police to be defunded , saying “ police violence is a leading cause of death and trauma for Black people , and is a serious public health and moral issue.
” The UTLA also called for a moratorium on new charter schools , saying that the charter schools already operating in the city of “ double-dipping ” by accepting federal CARES act funding while also receiving state funding , which did not decline amid the pandemic .
The American Academy of Pediatrics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-open schools at the start of the upcoming academic year in the fall , arguing that keeping children at home poses a far greater health risk than coronavirus .
Children are less likely to become infected with COVID-19 , and if they do , they ’ re less likely to become symptomatic and spread the virus , the AAP said .
“ The AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school , ” the AAP wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-documented , and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020.
” The Los Angeles Unified School District announced Monday that schools would remain closed and all teaching will be conducted remotely at the start of the school year in August , a decision that was met with praise by the UTLA .
“ In March , UTLA called on LAUSD officials to close schools in light of the growing urgency of the COVID health crisis , and they closed them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right thing to close school campuses then , and it ’ s the right thing to keep them closed now.
” Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Cecily Myart-Cruz ” by UTLA .

A new bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour is emerging in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Representative Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg), the bill as described in a memorandum appears similar to legislation Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) is spearheading in his chamber. It contrasts with a more radical measure authored by Representative Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) that would hike the wage floor to $16.50 in July 2025 and gradually increase it to $21 by mid-2028. The Rabb bill would also apply the state minimum wage to prisoners, vastly boosting their pay.
In her memo pushing for a $15 hourly floor, Kim (pictured above) lamented that the commonwealth last hiked its minimum wage to $7.25 in 2009. She cited data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicating that 30 states, including all of those that neighbor Pennsylvania, mandate higher wage minimums. Her $15 rate would take effect in January 2024 and would tie future minimum-wage rises to inflation.
“Too many people have worked too hard for too long to not be able to pay their bills,” Kim said at a House Majority Policy Committee hearing on the issue in late March. “We want to tag a cost-of-living adjustment on this, so we never have to wait years and years – or wait for a once-in-a-century pandemic – for this issue to have a bright light shined on it.”
While free-market advocates generally oppose minimum wage increases, some in Harrisburg expect Republicans like Laughlin who now champion a hike will insist that such a policy come as part of a broader deal that will include regulatory reform. Governor Josh Shapiro (D) has urged enactment of a new $15 floor and many Republicans have sensed an opportunity for dealmaking, particularly insofar as they control the state Senate.
Advocates of an increase often cite a Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Advisory Board report indicating that 63,800 individuals — less than two percent of the state’s workforce — earned $7.25 per hour or less in 2021. Nonetheless, wages have risen markedly over the last two years and many who continue to make so little are teenagers working one of their first jobs.
After House Democrats began clamoring for new pay mandates, the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation (CF) issued a backgrounder in March opposing the idea. CF cited calculations from the nonpartisan Independent Fiscal Office suggesting that even raising the floor to $12 per hour would kill 5,000 jobs.
And the think tank fears the proposal could disadvantage even workers who keep their jobs insofar as employers may compensate for the new mandate by cutting worker hours and benefits. An example of this was observed nationally in 2018 after Amazon set its own low-end hourly wage to $15 but nevertheless suspended workers’ monthly bonuses and stock options.
Instead of raising the minimum wage, CF suggested, the commonwealth should focus on lowering impediments to employment by reforming licensing and permitting processes as well as improving public-assistance programs so they reward those who secure employment.
– – –
Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Pennsylvania Daily Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Patty Kim” by Rep. Patty Kim. Background Photo “Pennsylvania Capitol” by Ad Meskens. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Clint Brewer Weighs in on Recent Court Ruling Requiring the Tennessee School Board Association Provi

Clint Brewer Weighs in on Recent Court Ruling Requiring the Tennessee School Board Association Provide

Live from Music Row Tuesday 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 public affairs strategist Clint Brewer in the studio .
At the top of the third hour , Brewer weighed in on the recent court ruling that requires transparency from the Tennessee School Board Association by demanding that they provide their records .
He congratulated the president of the Beacon Center Justin Owen , for leading the charge in an excellent piece of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the studio by our good friend and man about town .
Brewer : When did that happen ?
( Leahy laughs ) When did I become the man about town ?
Brewer : Good morning Mike .
How are you ?
Leahy : I ’ m good .
He ’ s the former executive director of the Beacon Center as well as a former journalist .
I wanted to bring your attention and get your comments on our top story today .
The Tennessee School Board Association Must Provide Records to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll just read the beginning of it .
Members of the taxpayer-funded Tennessee School Board Association may not like it but public records laws apply to their organizations and they must provide their information to the public .
This according to a ruling that 20th judicial district Chancellor Patricia Head Moscal filed this month .
As reported last year , the legal arm of The Beacon Center of Tennessee .
Your former employer .
Filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee School Board Association demanding access to the group ’ s records .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I think it was an excellent choice in litigation by the Beacon Center .
I think Justin Owen who is their president deserves a huge pat on the back .
This is what you would refer to typically as a quasi-governmental entity , right ?
Its created under the color of state law .
It requires the same transparency that an outright office of the government would .
Leahy : Now you said something there that raised my hackles .
Leahy : Quasi-governmental entity .
The reason it raises my hackles is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : And they are virtually unaccountable .
Brewer : Well , they are unless somebody holds them accountable .
And you ’ ve seen this across the state over the decades with a variety of different entities like this .
I ’ m not sure why the attorney for the TSPA thought they would be different .
I think it ’ s an excellent piece of litigation .
I think the Beacon Center needs to be commended .
Its terrific work and it ’ s good work on behalf of the taxpayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beacon Center President Justin Owen told us at The Tennessee Star , “ The judge acknowledged that 90 percent of the Tennessee School Board Associations funding comes from taxpayer money .
It comes from mostly dues paid by elected school boards to be members of the Tennessee School Board Association .
And then she the judge looked at statutes around the role of the Tennessee School Board Association .
It has the authority to educate and train elected school board members who themselves are public .
It is in the code called a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees are even on the state pension system .
Brewer : Exactly .
In everything but reporting structure a piece of the government .
There are a lot of these organizations out there and from time to time these laws get tested and I ’ ve never found the ruling to be anything but what was just handed down .
Leahy : And you know this will not shock you .
I ’ m not a big fan of the Tennessee School Board Association .
Brewer : I won ’ t push back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School Board Association provides a valuable service .
Leahy : Well , it provides a service .
And it ’ s actually counterproductive in my view but I ’ ll explain why .
Brewer : Being on a school board is difficult .
It is really where the rubber meets the road with public service if you are back in your community , right ?
Leahy : Let me push back on that because in theory being on the school board is difficult .
But what happens is , and here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the Tennessee School Board Association makes a major error with taxpayer funding in my view .
They have these training for how to be a school board member .
They start off with really really bad information about the role of school board members .
They say in essence your job is to support the decisions of the superintendent of schools .
That ’ s what they are told in these trainings .
That ’ s not what their job is .
The school board ’ s job is to tell the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is all been reversed .
What we end up with is a bunch of Ph.D. in education who don ’ t really know that much and are running these school systems and who are bathed in progressive ideology .
That ’ s a big problem .
Brewer : Ok. Well , that ’ s not outside my experience .
I have seen that .
What I ’ ve also seen are school board members who do understand their role which is somewhere between what you are describing and what they are doing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget and policy .
And that is really their role .
And the policy piece goes to what you are talking about .
You have got to make a hire that reflects the values of the community and then you ’ ve got to hold those hires to those values .
Leahy : See , they are not doing that .
Brewer : It happens in some places .
We ’ ve got over 100 school districts here so there are a lot of people that serve on school boards and they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leahy : I would be happy to provide that assistance .
Brewer : I ’ m sure you would .
( Leahy laughs ) Listen to the full 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 WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Justin Owen ” by The Beacon Center of Tennessee .
Background Photo “ Tennessee School Boards Association ” by Tennessee School Boards Association .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Commentary: Biden Sides with China, World Health Organization Again as Trump Begins Process of Leavi

Commentary: Biden Sides with China, World Health Organization Again as Trump Begins Process of Leaving the WHO

“ On my first day as President , I will rejoin the [ World Health Organization ] and restore our leadership on the world stage.
” That was former Vice President Joe Biden reacting on Twitter to President Donald Trump ’ s decision to withdraw the U.S from the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , the group that uncritically repeated China ’ s false claims in mid-January that there was no human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic .
On Jan. 14 , WHO infamously tweeted , “ Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ) identified in # Wuhan , # China.
” It would not be until Jan. 20 when China would finally confirm human-to-human transmission , more than a month after the outbreak began .
And only then would WHO chime in to confirm the same , stating on Twitter late that same night , “ It is now very clear from the latest information that there is at least some human-to-human transmission of # nCoV2019 .
Infections among health care workers strengthen the evidence for this.
” On Jan. 24 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding region .
A day later , on Jan. 25 , the first doctor to treat the virus and who tried to warn the world about it died from it in China , raising international awareness .
The world soon found out that the virus is much worse than was realized and that the reason for that was because China was lying about it .
Within days , President Donald Trump would restrict travel from Wuhan on Jan. 31 .
But while China was limiting internal travel , it was still ordering flights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , helping to spread the virus around the world .
On Feb. 4 , China ’ s Civil Aviation Administration stated , “ In order to meet the needs of passengers in and out of the country and the international transport of supplies during this special period … airlines [ are required to ] … continue transport to nations that have not imposed travel restrictions.
” This move was backed up by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Feb. 3 told the WHO executive board “ there is no reason for measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade .
We call on all countries to implement decisions that are evidence-based and consistent .
WHO stands ready to provide advice to any country that is considering which measures to take.
” As late as Feb. 29 , WHO was still criticizing the U.S. for imposing travel restrictions in a bid to slow down the virus : “ WHO continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
” Were China and WHO trying to help the virus spread everywhere ?
And why was Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ script during this same period ?
On Jan. 27 , Biden wrote an oped in USA Today anticipating the upcoming travel ban and blasted President Trump ’ s calls in 2014 for travel restrictions during the Ebola outbreak as “ reactionary ” .
Biden wrote , “ I remember how Trump sought to stoke fear and stigma during the 2014 Ebola epidemic .
He called President Barack Obama a ‘ dope ’ and ‘ incompetent ’ and railed against the evidence-based response our administration put in place — which quelled the crisis and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favor of reactionary travel bans that would only have made things worse.
” On Feb. 1 , after Trump shut down travel from China , Biden said in Iowa , “ We have , right now , a crisis with the coronavirus… This is no time for Donald Trump ’ s record of hysteria and xenophobia — hysterical xenophobia — and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science… Diseases have no borders , they have no borders.
” On March 12 , when Trump issued more travel restrictions on Europe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all travel from Europe or any other part of the world may slow it but as we ’ ve seen will not stop it .
And travel restrictions based on favoritism and politics , rather than risk , will be counterproductive.
” The same day , Biden tweeted , “ A wall will not stop the coronavirus .
Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it… ” Now the Biden campaign wants you to believe they supported travel bans all along .
Deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 3 that Biden “ supports travel bans that are guided by medical experts , advocated by public health officials and backed by a full strategy , ” adding , “ Science supported this ban , therefore he did too.
” But if science supported the China travel ban in late January , then why were Biden , Beijing and WHO opposed to it ?
The fact is the only person running for President who would ever issue such travel restrictions when they matter and stand by them is President Trump .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discredited organizations like WHO than keeping the American people safe .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Crom Carmichael Weighs In on the Absurdity of Joe Biden’s ‘Shareholder Capitalism’ Concept

Live from Music Row Monday 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 the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
During the third hour , Carmichael discusses Joe Biden ’ s recent call for shareholder capitalism and describes it as an attempt of governmental control by way of unions .
He added that Biden advocates for minorities yet in his 50 years of public service has done absolutely nothing .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troubling over the weekend .
I ’ m seeing a lot of troubling things , Crom .
Carmichael : You don ’ t have to look very far .
Leahy : 2020 is the year that we will be glad to forget when it ’ s over maybe if 2021 doesn ’ t take us down an even worse path .
So Joe Biden who has been basically a vessel for other ideas .
Now is a vessel for everything progressive apparently .
He has come out opposed to what he calls shareholder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Crom ?
Carmichael : He describes shareholder capitalism that its way past time to put the end to the era , I ’ m quoting here of shareholder capitalism .
The idea and the only responsibility a corporation has is shareholders .
That is simply not true .
It ’ s an absolute farce .
They have a responsibility to their workers , community and to their country .
Now , first of all , let ’ s identify this for what it is .
This is a typical straw man argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is defining what a corporation ’ s responsibilities are .
And he is saying that corporations have no responsibility under our current way of organizing corporations and funding corporations .
And that corporations have no responsibility to their employees .
Well , that of course is bunk .
Carmichael : Yes .
Because if you are a corporation in a competitive economy and you don ’ t take good care of your employees they will leave you and go to a company that does .
And so that ’ s the first thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take Walmart and compare the amount of money that they pay in salaries and benefits and compare it to their profits , what they pay in salaries and benefits is many many times greater than the profits of their company .
And that ’ s true with virtually every company .
Very very few companies make more money than they pay their employees .
And for the most part , they pay their employees multiple times more .
There may be some tech companies .
There might be .
Even Apple , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bet it pays out far more money in salaries than it makes in profit .
And their margins are huge .
But the typical company that makes goods and services , they pay their employees way more than their profits .
Plus corporations also contribute money to local charities .
And so that ’ s the community aspect .
Leahy : Isn ’ t this Crom though an attack by Joe Biden on the concept of private property ?
Carmichael : Yes .
If you take Joe Biden ’ s arguments to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central government that controls the means of production .
Carmichael : And that is socialism .
That is socialism at its core .
Communism is the political side of socialism because you can ’ t have socialism without communism .
Because you have to have the brute force of the state to force people to do what you want them to do .
So what Joe Biden is saying is that we need to do away with people having ideas of how to start a business and go out and raise money .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people invest in an idea ?
If the idea is successful then the people who invested in it will make a profit .
Joe Biden says that ’ s immoral .
Well so if people who have an idea can ’ t go to other people and ask them to invest in return for some equity than where does that person with the idea go ?
And according to Biden , it ’ s to their member of Congress .
Kind of like the people of Solyndra and all the people that Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where did that money come from ?
It came from the taxpayers .
Leahy : A typical Joe Biden .
He leaves a little fuzziness here but let me see if I can add some clarity to this Crom .
He says the era of shareholder capitalism must end and under his administration , it will end apparently .
When I talk about shareholder capitalism there are two elements to it .
There are publicly traded companies and privately held companies .
Carmichael : But every publicly held company started as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And my question to you is , when he says , shareholder capitalism must end is he talking about privately held companies as well as publicly owned companies ?
Carmichael : He must be because if you did away with publicly owned companies you would not be able to go public so they ’ d remain private .
So he is doing both .
Here ’ s what he says , in place of shareholder capitalism Biden proposes a more inclusive system built on the power of labor unions and on Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he says have been left of economic prosperity .
Well , Biden is the one who ’ s been leaving them out for 50 years .
Biden has been in government for 50 years so he is essentially admitting for 50 years that he ’ s done a lousy job .
Carmichael : He ’ s been a failure at fixing a problem that he now says is now terrible .
He ’ s had the chance for 50 years but now says elect me .
And what he ’ s really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not had a good idea in 50 years .
( Leahy laughs ) Elect me and I will try to implement this really really dumb idea .
What he is really saying is he wants everybody to be a member of a union .
And why is that ?
Because the Democrat Party lives off union dues .
By the way , people who say that Joe Biden is a moderate , that ’ s bologna .
Joe Biden has never been a moderate .
Joe Biden has always been a bimbo .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the word bimbo , we ’ ve gone through this several times , and it ’ s worth discussing again .
The word bimbo in common usage is an attractive woman who ’ s not necessarily all that bright .
Carmichael : That ’ s how some people use it .
Leahy : But the more common if you look at dictionary.com is basically somebody who is dishonest .
Carmichael : Well , not just dishonest .
That ’ s the second definition .
A bimbo is somebody you can pull up who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they are suffering from dementia or anything , they just aren ’ t smart .
A bimbo is somebody who is not smart .
Leahy : I stand corrected .
There are three definitions of a bimbo .
1. a foolish stupid or inept person .
Carmichael : And that ’ s Joe Biden and he ’ s always been that .
In addition to that , he has lied his entire life about himself .
For example , back in the 80s he was being challenged about something regarding his education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this person and he ’ s pointing at them .
He said I was the only person in my law school class who was on a full scholarship .
I graduated in the top half of my class .
In undergraduate school I graduated with three majors .
I graduated with three majors and 180 something hours when 124 was all that was necessary .
I was the number one political debater and chosen as that in my law school class .
Sam Donelson comes on TV the next night and it turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false .
Leahy : But he said it with great certainty .
Carmichael : With absolute great certainty .
( Leahy chuckles ) When he plagiarized Neil Kinnock… Leahy : Neil Kinnock out of the Britsh Labour Party back in the 1980s .
Carmichael : Yes .
He not only plagiarized his speech he plagiarized his life .
( Leahy laughs ) In Neil Kinnock ’ s speech , he says I ’ m the first member of my family in 1000 years to go to college .
Joe Biden said those exact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not true .
He wasn ’ t .
Leahy : But he said it with emphasis .
Carmichael : He said it with emphasis .
Carmichael : This is what Joe Biden does .
He ’ s an idiot .
He fits the definition .
Leahy : He also fits the second definition of bimbo which is a man or fellow often a disreputable or contemptible one .
He fits that also .
Carmichael : Let me say this .
The second one would be bad .
The first one is completely disqualifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incompetent fool , I don ’ t care who you surround yourself with .
If you are an incompetent fool you are not going to be able to surround yourself with really good smart people because you can ’ t identify them .
Look at the people he ’ s talking to now that he takes advice from .
Bernie Sanders has been in politics for 50 years .
He ’ s a complete fool .
He ’ s another bimbo .
Elizabeth Warren the other day , she was wringing her hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse that Native American women suffer on Indian property .
The amount of rape and abuse that Indian women suffer from is just immense .
Leahy : This from the false Native American .
Carmichael : Yes .
And all she does is wringing her hands and does nothing .
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 WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Commentary: Drug Overdoses Has Been Another Deadly Cost of COVID-19 Lockdowns

Bodies are arriving at Anahi Ortiz ’ s office faster than he can process them .
“ We ’ ve literally run out of wheeled carts to put them on , ” Ortiz , a coroner in Columbus , Ohio , recently told the Washington Post .
The cause of death isn ’ t the coronavirus , however .
It ’ s drug overdoses .
Ortiz says sometimes his office will get as many as nine ODs in a day and a half .
The story fits a pattern emerging around the US .
Nationwide , the Post reports , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in drug overdoses— ” a hidden epidemic within the coronavirus pandemic.
” The numbers are grim .
According to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program , suspected overdoses in March were up 18 percent from the previous year nationally .
In April , that figure ticked up to 29 percent .
In May , the increase was 42 percent .
In many instances , these overdoses are fatal .
In Ortiz ’ s case , the surge resulted in about 50 percent more deaths than the same period over the previous year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerging evidence suggests that the continued isolation in recent months are fueling the surge.
” The conclusion fits what scientists have been saying about human isolation for years : it ’ s deadly .
In 2016 , The New York Times did a deep-dive feature on the fatal consequences of social isolation .
A wave of new research suggests social separation is bad for us .
Individuals with less social connection have disrupted sleep patterns , altered immune systems , more inflammation and higher levels of stress hormones .
One recent study found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease by 29 percent and stroke by 32 percent .
Another analysis that pooled data from 70 studies and 3.4 million people found that socially isolated individuals had a 30 percent higher risk of dying in the next seven years , and that this effect was largest in middle age .
Loneliness can accelerate cognitive decline in older adults , and isolated individuals are twice as likely to die prematurely as those with more robust social interactions .
These effects start early : Socially isolated children have significantly poorer health 20 years later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All told , loneliness is as important a risk factor for early death as obesity and smoking .
The Times article does not discuss drug abuse , but you can add it to the list of deadly results tied to social isolation .
An abundance of research shows that substance abuse and addiction are linked to loneliness and depression .
People drink and do drugs more often to cope with feelings of loneliness .
In the bestselling work Chasing the Scream , a book that explores the history of the war on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johann Hari says human interaction is the key to overcoming addiction .
“ The opposite of addiction is not sobriety , ” Hari writes , whose own struggles with drug abuse are chronicled in the book .
“ It is human connection.
” This is why recovering addicts will tell you there is nothing worse than putting former users into isolation .
Putting hundreds of millions of healthy people under house arrest with stay-at-home orders to protect them from an invisible , highly-transmissible virus has never been done before .
We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ( or if they ’ ll be effective ) at protecting people from the coronavirus .
Nor do we precisely know the costs—economic , psychological , and human—of the lockdowns , though we ’ ve begun to see glimpses of them : mass unemployment , recession , social unrest , and psychological deterioration .
Overdoses are one part of that psychological deterioration .
Another component is suicide .
One recent study found that the COVID-19 crisis could lead to a 20-30 percent increase in suicides in 2020 .
That ’ s about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 7,000 annually .
“ We know unemployment brings all sorts of financial hardships that lead to emotional mental health issues , ” Dr. Jeff Gardere , a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City , told ABC News .
That study focused predominantly on the economic impact of the coronavirus , not social isolation .
Yet the economic impact of COVID-19 stems directly from the lockdowns , not the presence of the virus itself .
( Previous pandemics did not result in widespread economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go on .
The National Cancer Institute recently published research showing 10,000 excess deaths in the US over the next decade because of diagnostic delays and deferred treatments in breast cancer and colorectal cancer .
“ Clearly , postponing procedures and deferring care as a result of the pandemic was prudent at one time , but the spread , duration , and future peaks of COVID-19 remain unclear , ” he wrote in an editorial published in Science .
“ However , ignoring life-threatening non-COVID-19 conditions such as cancer for too long may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
Let ’ s avoid that outcome.
” One recent UK study indicates that more children have died from National Health Service treatment delays than the coronavirus .
Will lockdowns save more lives than are claimed due to overdoses , suicide , medical deferements , and the numerous other costs , such as surging extreme poverty ?
We don ’ t know .
But considering the weak correlation between lockdown severity and COVID-19 deaths , there ’ s reason for skepticism .
Utility of lockdowns aside , we should ask if government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives are saved and which are forfeited .
As one writer has pointed out , policymakers are essentially playing out “ the Trolley Problem ” in real life , gambling that intervention will save more lives than it claims .
This serves as a useful reminder of an uncomfortable truth economist Antony Davies and political scientist James Harrigan recently observed : policies can not save lives ; they can only trade lives .
“ Good policies result in a net positive tradeoff , ” Davies and Harrigan wrote in The Philadelphia Inquirer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tradeoff is a net positive until we take a sober look at the cost of saving lives.
” A basic axiom of economics is to look to both the seen and the unseen effects of a given law or action , each of which “ gives birth not only to an effect , but to a series of effects , ” to quote Frédéric Bastiat .
If we focus only on the immediate effects of lockdowns—lives immediately saved—but ignore their rippling effects—the economic devastation , extreme poverty , suicide , overdoses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them—we make the mistake of the “ bad economist.
” Such a mistake is not merely foolish .
It is deadly .
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine , The Wall Street Journal , CNN , Forbes , Fox News , and the Star Tribune .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Mueller Prosecutor Calls for a Roger Stone Re-Do

Andrew Weissmann , a top prosecutor on special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia probe , is seeking a re-do of sorts in the investigation , saying in an op-ed Tuesday that Roger Stone should be hauled before a grand jury to answer questions about his interactions with President Donald Trump in 2016 .
Writing in The New York Times , Weissmann also pushed a false claim about the criminal charges against Stone , whose prison sentence Trump commuted on Friday .
Weissmann , who is currently an MSNBC analyst , asserted that Stone was convicted on charges of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump 2016 campaign , Mr. Stone , WikiLeaks and Russia.
” Stone was convicted on five counts of making false statements to Congress , an obstruction charge and a witness tampering charge , none of which involved allegations of coordination between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks , or anything to do with Russia .
The special counsel ’ s report said that no Trump associates were found to have coordinated with the Kremlin or to have taken part in the hacking or release of emails that WikiLeaks published .
Instead , Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his discussions with members of the Trump campaign and other associates regarding WikiLeaks ’ plans to release documents during the 2016 campaign .
While Stone indicated to some associates that he had inside knowledge about WikiLeaks ’ plans to release information that could hurt Democrats , prosecutors never alleged that he actually had legitimate insight into WikiLeaks ’ activities .
Stone ’ s communications with one associate , Randy Credico , indicate that Stone was in the dark about what WikiLeaks would do .
Days before WikiLeaks began releasing emails that were hacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone pestered Credico for information about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ’ s plans .
In his op-ed , Weissmann gamed out the scenarios for a Stone grand jury appearance , leaving little doubt that he believed that Stone lied to protect Trump .
“ Mr .
Stone was sentenced to spend 40 months in prison until he got his reward for keeping his lips sealed , ” wrote Weissmann , who is working on a book about his work on the special counsel ’ s team .
“ To get at the truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be served with a grand jury subpoena — by a federal or state prosecutor — or even with a congressional subpoena , requiring him to answer the question : Why did you lie to Congress ?
And many others , ” Weissmann wrote .
He also offered a strategy to ensure that any charges brought against Stone would be protected from a Trump clemency order in the event he loses his re-election bid .
Weissmann noted that if Stone lies to a grand jury he could be prosecuted for perjury .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and could not apply to future crimes by Mr. Stone , including lying under oath to a grand jury , ” he wrote , noting that “ federal charges need not be lodged until , say , Jan. 20 , 2021.
” What Weissmann did not address is why the special counsel ’ s office did not force Stone to appear before a grand jury while the Russia investigation was underway .
Weissmann did not respond to an email seeking comment .
The Times did not respond to an inquiry about the error @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Andrew Weissmann ” by MSNBC


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Dr. Ming Wang’s Answer to a Polarized World: Common Ground Network

MURFREESBORO , Tennessee –Dr .
Ming Wang , at the Conservative Caucus held in Murfreesboro Saturday with a few hundred people in attendance , discussed his vision for addressing a polarized world through his Common Ground Network .
Wang , who is not only a world-renowned laser eye surgeon but a philanthropist and community activist , provided financial support for the Conservative Caucus .
Born in China and suffering through China ’ s Cultural Revolution when millions of children were relocated to poverty-stricken labor camps , Wang made his way to America with $ 50 in his pocket .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Medical School and MIT .
In addition to his vision clinics , he is the president of the Tennessee Immigrant and Minority Business Group , founder of the free-of-charge Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration and co-founder of the Common Ground Network ( CGN ) .
With Dr. Rice Broocks , author of the best-selling book “ God ’ s Not Dead , ” Wang formulated a “ Common Ground Seeking System ” that can be used in the pursuit of common ground in general , regardless of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The doctor demonstrated the importance of the issue for conservatives and Republicans because of the lack of connection with minorities .
He showed that the Democrat to Republican connection rate with minorities is 8 to 2 for Latino Americans , 9 to 1 for African Americans and 7 to 3 for Asian Americans .
With the U.S. population consisting of 44 percent minorities – 20 percent Latino Americans , 18 percent African Americans and 6 percent Asian Americans – Wang warned that in 15 years the three groups will become the majority .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from suffering from the extreme polarization of China ’ s Cultural Revolution to a meeting with then-President Ronald Reagan at the White House who relayed the story of the aftermath of China ’ s Boxer Rebellion .
Of the reparations China was ordered to pay for the war , the U.S. earmarked much of its portion for the education of Chinese students at American universities .
Wang was also attracted by America ’ s expression of freedom in the saying , “ I may not agree with what you say , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say it.
” Such an example of free speech and civil discourse is increasingly rare .
Common ground , as Wang defines it , is existing similarities plus newly discovered common ground .
The Common Ground Seeking System ( CGSS ) consists of three phases : foundation , pearls and process .
The foundation phase consists of making a connection or relationship , having an appropriate attitude , and the proper motivation .
Pearls are the wisdom and best practices gleaned from other common ground seeking proponents distilled to their universally applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was S.A.L.T .
– Start the conversation , ask questions , listen and then talk .
That pearl rolled into another called “ The Gift of 5 Minutes , ” referring to the amount of time of the other person speaking without interrupting or raising an objection .
The process includes step-by-step instructions about how to use CGSS to find common ground .
As a guest columnist , Wang presented the case that the coronavirus bares the need for common ground and said it has been found in that , as human beings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As such , the only way to survive is to find a way to work together , says Wang .
A full-length feature film inspired by the autobiography of Wang , “ From Darkness to Sight ” will begin filming this fall .
Wang ’ s dramatic journey will cover the period from 1966 to the present .
Copies of Wang ’ s autobiography were put on the tables to provide to most of the attendees of the Conservative Caucus .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Tuberville Defeats Sessions, Wins Alabama Senate GOP Primary

MOBILE , Alabama ( AP ) — Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions lost the Republican nomination for his old Senate seat in Alabama to former college football coach Tommy Tuberville , likely ending a long political career with a bitter defeat egged on by President Donald Trump .
Tuberville , 65 , beat Sessions in Tuesday ’ s Republican runoff as Sessions fell short in his attempted comeback for a seat he held for two decades before resigning to become Trump ’ s attorney general in 2017 .
Familiar to Alabamians from his decade as Auburn University ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positioned for a strong challenge against Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones .
With Alabama ’ s strong GOP tilt , the seat is widely viewed as Republicans ’ best chance for a pickup as they try to maintain their thin Senate majority amid Trump ’ s lagging popularity nationally .
Sessions , 73 , was wounded by Trump ’ s criticisms after he recused himself in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign .
Sessions , who ’ d been the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump during the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required by law to recuse because he was a potential subject and witness given his campaign ties to the president .
Trump endorsed Tuberville after Alabama ’ s March primary , when Sessions finished just ahead of Tuberville with a third of the vote but well shy of the majority required for the nomination .
The president tweeted : “ 3 years ago , after Jeff Sessions recused himself , the Fraudulent Mueller Scam began .
Alabama , do not trust Jeff Sessions .
He let our Country down .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TTuberville ) , the true supporter of our # MAGA agenda !
” The president continued his criticism of Sessions right up to the eve of Tuesday ’ s election .
“ I made a mistake when I put him in as the attorney general , ” Trump told Tuberville supporters on Monday .
“ He had his chance and he blew it .
In the closing weeks of the runoff campaign , Sessions answered Trump directly on Twitter , telling the president he was “ damn fortunate ” Sessions recused because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & resulted in your exoneration.
” But it wasn ’ t enough to overcome dynamics that Tuberville willingly embraced .
Boosted by both Trump ’ s endorsement and name recognition from his coaching tenure , Tuberville positioned himself as a political outsider and capitalized on the president ’ s criticisms of Sessions .
“ Jeff Sessions was a disaster It ’ s time to send a message to Jeff Sessions that President Trump does not want him or his cronies in the swamp ” Tuberville wrote on Twitter .
Tuberville ran a risk-adverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ challenges to debate in the closing weeks of the campaign .
Despite Alabama ’ s fundamental Republican advantage , Tuberville is almost certain to face more scrutiny in a general election campaign against Jones .
Sessions has maintained loyalty to Trump , noting his early decision to back Trump and arguing he would be most effective in advancing Trump ’ s agenda .
Sessions memorably took the stage with Trump at a 2015 rally at the municipal football stadium in Sessions ’ hometown of Mobile .
The event , which drew tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the launch of Trump ’ s mega-rally approach that helped propel him to his general election upset of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton .
When he wasn ’ t defending his loyalty to the president , Sessions tried to focus on his long history in office and questions about Tuberville ’ s background .
“ You know me .
You know I can be trusted , ” Sessions told voters during a recent campaign stop .
Sessions , once Alabama attorney general and a U.S. attorney under President Ronald Reagan , was elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was just the second elected Republican senator from Alabama since the end of post-Civil War Reconstruction .
That first win , which came as the South continued its shift from Democratic to Republican domination , was hotly contested .
But Sessions wouldn ’ t be seriously challenged again in three subsequent reelection campaigns before Trump picked him as attorney general .
Despite his strength at the ballot box , Sessions was never a heavyweight in the Senate , overshadowed there and back home in Alabama by Sen. Richard Shelby , the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Democrat in 1986 and switched parties in 1994 after Democrats lost their majorities on Capitol Hill .
Shelby , who chaired a number of powerful committees over the years , has always been an eager participant in the federal budget process , unapologetically steering as much money back to Alabama as possible .
Sessions , meanwhile , was a budget hawk and fiscal conservative who often eschewed the back-slapping , deal-cutting ways of Washington .
For years , that made him a relative outlier on Capitol Hill .
Then he found a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same things he ’ d argued for years about immigration , trade and the ways of Washington .
That president helped raise Sessions to the pinnacle of his public life , and on Tuesday , that president helped bring it to an almost certain end .
Kim Chandler and Bill Barrow are reporters for The Associated Press .
Barrow reported from Atlanta .
About the Headline Photo : In this March 3 , 2020 , file photo , Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Tuberville speaks to his supporters at Auburn Oaks Farm in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Sessions and Tuberville face off in Tuesday ’ s Republican primary runoff for Sessions ’ former Senate seat .
( Joe Songer/The Birmingham News via AP , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Crom Carmichael: When Radicals Control the Levers of Power, They Will Ignore the Law

Live from Music Row Monday 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 the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
During the third hour , Carmichael discusses the recent confiscation of private citizens firearms by St. Louis Attorney General Kim Gardner in response to defending themselves against Black Lives Matter rioters .
Leahy : Crom , lots of crazy things going on out there .
Apparently , in St. Louis the First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First or second ?
Carmichael : OK. Well , it could be both .
Leahy : No , no , no , no .
I stand corrected .
The Second Amendment .
Carmichael : Well , it ’ s even worse than that because this couple that we are talking about .
Carmichael : They were sitting outside their house having dinner in a private neighborhood , a gated community .
Carmichael : And 200 or 300 rioters broke down the gate to get into their community and then came to their house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to murder them , burn down their house and kill their dog .
And so the McCloskeys went inside and she got a pistol and he got a rifle , an AR-15 .
It was a rifle .
But they legally had the right to own both .
Now Missouri is also an open carry state but the prosecutor in St. Louis has sent authorities to their home and taken their guns from them .
Leahy : That ’ s not legal under the Second Amendment , is it ?
Carmichael : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Second Amendment .
I ’ m talking bout Missouri law .
With Missouri law , you have the right to open carry .
So the Second Amendment comes into play in the sense that they were protecting their property .
But Missouri law gives you the right to have a gun and brandish a gun if its to protect your life or your property .
Leahy : That ’ s what they were doing .
Carmichael : Yes , that ’ s exactly what they were doing .
And that ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great danger .
I don ’ t want to just tell the story , I want to talk about the danger of this .
When you have these radicals who get control of the levers of power they will do things are not only wrong .
They are both wrong and they are illegal .
So it doesn ’ t ’ matter what the law is when these people are in power they ignore the law .
I told you I ’ m reading books about the French Revolution and about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s exactly what the brown shirts and Hitler did .
They just ignored the law .
They rioted .
They brutalized people .
If you were one of their enemies they would kill you .
Literally kill you .
And if the Left keeps going like this that is where we will end up .
Leahy : I think you are right .
Carmichael : It will end up with people dying .
Leahy : That particular prosecutor , Kim Gardner , far left was elected because of support by…George Soros .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you have all this talk about police need to be held liable for when they make mistakes and then the question who gets to decide what a mistake is .
In other words , that ’ s nebulous .
In this case , what this prosecutor is doing is completely against the laws of the state of Missouri .
Yet apparently the McCloskeys can not sue her .
Michael , as you know I ’ m a great believer that in a civil society people must be treated equally .
And if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I ’ m saying a police officer .
If anybody in civil society can be civilly sued , then anyone else who is also in those types of positions .
For example , if the Supreme Court had ruled that Trump must release his tax returns then I think that Trump could say well , there are 3,000 judges , I want to see all of their tax returns because I ’ m sure some of them had done something wrong .
And we need to know this .
Leahy : Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmichael : Fishing at the judges .
And let ’ s go fish at state senators and governors .
In other words , if Trump is not above the law than no one else is either .
Carmichael : Then you spiral down into an abyss .
Listen to the full 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 WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--FACT President David Fowler: ‘Separation of Powers is an Essential Factor to the Preservation of Civ

FACT President David Fowler: ‘Separation of Powers is an Essential Factor to the Preservation of Civil Liberty and Self Government by Representation’

Live from Music Row Tuesday 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 David Fowler who served in the Tennessee state Senate for 12 years before joining the Family Action Council of Tennessee ( FACT ) as president in 2006 to the newsmakers line .
During the second hour , Fowler discussed his recent commentary regarding Governor Bill Lee ’ s executive order granting 89 county mayors of Tennessee that do not have their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He added that the most troublesome thing with the order is that the governor has delegated legislative authority essentially to local county mayors which creates a separation of power problem .
Leahy : We are joined now on our newsmaker line with a very good friend .
Former state senator and now president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee , David Fowler .
Good morning David .
Fowler : Good morning .
It ’ s great to be with you .
Leahy : It ’ s great to have you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ really articulated much more clearly than I have on the program some the objections to these face mask orders coming about .
A lead commentary at The Tennessee Star .
Will Tennessee ’ s Representatives Restore Representative Government to Tennessee ?
Let me read the first paragraph you wrote and then get your reaction .
Leahy : When Governor Lee ’ s COVID-19 Executive Order first ordered certain businesses to close , I looked up the law on which he relied and saw it passed while I was still in the state Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I probably voted for it .
However , this week ’ s Executive Order delegating authority to county mayors to require county residents to wear facemasks or face state criminal sanctions sent me to the Tennessee Code to see if I ’ d really voted for a law that would allow that .
I did not , and it is time we tell our state legislators to put an end to law by executive branch fiat .
Fowler : ( Chuckles ) Well thank you .
It proves that I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say to just your listeners .
I don ’ t know if I put this in the commentary .
But I think I did .
The bill itself was 30 pages long .
And it was creating the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency to develop a plan for the state when we do have emergencies .
Natural disasters .
Great upheavals of unrest like we are having and other such things .
But there was about two and a half to three pages that dealt with the executive branch , of course , carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what the executive branch does .
It carries outlaw .
And I remember some of the debate about it but not a whole lot .
And as I look back I probably should have asked more questions about that section and thought more about it .
But you are doing on the whole a good thing .
It ’ s good to have an emergency management plan .
And so that ’ s what happens sometimes with legislators .
You pass a 30-page bill and 27 pages of it are fine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ made certain assumptions about as to how they would be used that creates the problem .
And also in the commentary , the law does make it clear that the governor can ’ t suspend the enforcement of laws .
And when you think about that the executive branch is its own constitutional office and can decide not to enforce a law because he believes its unconstitutional .
And then of course the legislature has remedies that it can imply if they think that it should .
And voters have remedies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troublesome thing is that the governor has delegated legislative authority essentially to local county mayors .
Mayor Andy Ogles down in Columbia texted me the other day and said the governor made me the state Senate and the state House to decide that I ’ m going to require masks .
And then apply a state criminal penalty to it .
I said that to me just a terrible separation of powers problem .
And people I hate to say it many legislators even understand that concept very well .
I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
They don ’ t understand why it ’ s so important .
The separation of powers is an essential factor in the preservation of civil liberty and self-government by representation .
So that powers are not concentrated in the hands of one or two branches of government but they are all separate with checks and balances .
The emails I get from time to time on this is , well we need to wear a mask .
The question to me is not whether masks are good or bad , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution and hold representative government .
Leahy : Let me go on that .
It ’ s interesting because there are two elements to this .
The first is the question you pose is , are masks good or bad ?
That ’ s a scientific issue that legislators can debate .
But the question is by what authority does the governor give 89 county mayors the right to tell citizens in those counties that they must wear a mask .
That ’ s the key element here… Leahy : That you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step back and ask this .
In those six counties that have their own public health departments , do the county mayors there in their public health departments have the legal authority to force the residents of those counties to wear a mask ?
Fowler : Well , I would say this , I didn ’ t focus on that question but I would still say no .
Leahy : Well I would say the same thing .
I ’ m glad we ’ re in agreement .
( Chuckles ) Fowler : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is a statute that authorizes county health departments to take actions in those counties .
So if I wanted to play the devil ’ s advocate as I would do in law school , right ?
I ’ d argue one side of the case then I ’ d have to turn around and argue the other side .
Well , they are at least acting according to a statute .
Now that statute may be overly broad .
It may be vague .
But at least there is a pretense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
And if you ’ ll notice what ’ s interesting to me is that the governor ’ s order did not require people to wear masks .
Leahy : No .
The governor allowed the 89 county mayors that don ’ t have their own public health department and allowed them to order people to wear masks .
Fowler : That ’ s right .
The other thing I was talking to one of my lawyer friends who ’ s brilliant .
I shouldn ’ t say this but it implies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives out of state .
He works for a national public interest law firm .
Brilliant brilliant guy .
And he said , you really have a problem too here .
If a county mayor can decide like in Williamson County this is a class A misdemeanor but in Davidson County , it ’ s a class C misdemeanor you have state law being applied unequally to the same conduct .
That ought to be a sure signal we have an equal protection problem .
Leahy : Now is that the case ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve got up to a $ 2,500 fine looking at me and up to a year in jail for the same conduct in Davidson County that is a class C misdemeanor .
Leahy : What ’ s the difference between a Class A and Class C. Fowler : Class C is up to 50 or 100 , and up to 50 days in jail .
Leahy : So in Williamson County its a class A ?
Leahy : Now , Rogers Anderson the mayor has said that everyone in Williamson County must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the way , no medical studies for that .
He just did it because the governor gave him that authority which you argue and I agree is illegal to do that .
Fowler : Yes .
Yes .
What I don ’ t know is , you know , I ’ m not a revolutionist .
I ’ m not lets burn it to the ground over the first abuse of authority .
And as I said in my article , I can point the finger at the governor but there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinate with local governments .
Now the way it ’ s worded I would argue that what that ’ s dealing with , for instance , if there is a natural disaster , you get with the local government and you say hey , we ’ ve got to close these roads off .
Have the police officers do this .
Have the sheriff do this .
This site needs to be condemned so if there is radiation or whatever it is .
Not delegating authority to make state criminal law .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : Let me ask you a question in terms of a remedy .
Let ’ s say you are living in Williamson County and you are charged with a Class A misdemeanor for not wearing a mask outside .
What are your legal remedies at that point ?
Fowler : ( Sighs ) If you get arrested and the DA prosecutes you , you would have to defend on the grounds that the order itself is unlawful .
You would assert your constitutional defenses .
Listen to the full second hour here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 “ David Fowler ” by Brian Stansberry .
CC BY 3.0 .
Background Photo “ Tennessee Capitol ” by FaceMePLS .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Thales Academy-Franklin’s Principal Rachael Bradley Discusses How They Will Be Teaching Kids to Thin

Thales Academy-Franklin’s Principal Rachael Bradley Discusses How They Will Be Teaching Kids to Think Upon Opening August 3

Live from Music Row Tuesday 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 Thales Academy-Franklin ’ s Principal Rachael Bradley to the newsmakers line .
During the second hour , Bradley discusses the August 3 opening of Thales Academy-Franklin and the teaching methodology that will be used at this high-quality private school in Williamson County .
Leahy : We are joined now by the hardest working person in Middle Tennessee .
The principal of Thales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rachael .
Bradley : Good morning Mike , how are you ?
Leahy : You know you laugh when I say the hardest working person in Middle Tennessee but I think that ’ s true because you are being overwhelmed with applications .
Your K-3 high quality affordable private education school is opening up August 3 .
Tell us about what ’ s happening .
Bradley : You are right about that Mike .
I have been absolutely flooded with inquiries from parents .
Emails .
Applications .
Last night when I got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got 12 more applications .
And that is the daily average right now .
You know Mike , you know that when we came here and when we first started talking about our events here last July I told you our goal was 96 ?
I think we are going to meet that goal .
Leahy : Wow !
So Rachael Bradley moves here with her family in the middle of the pandemic when everything shut down on April 1 .
A new school and a new building .
You can see it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just before you get to highway 96 you look to your right .
The former Gate Community Church .
The beautiful facility there .
You will be open August 3 in person with kids K-3 all available .
Tell us about what you are hearing from your parents .
Bradley : Parents are really focused on having their children back in classrooms learning in person .
With their peers .
With high-quality teachers .
And that ’ s what we are going to provide .
Leahy : All of the evidence is coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elementary school students is not working at all .
Are you seeing that in your assessments of children ?
Bradley : Yes , I certainly am .
I just finished reading a Wall Street Journal article this morning about the case for re-opening schools .
It citing specific data about that lost learning for our young children .
But I ’ ve seen it first hand with the children I ’ m assessing .
It ’ s pretty evident they ’ ve had about three quarters of a school year .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You have a really good plan .
I went there and visited several times to the school and you ’ ve shown me how you are going to work the line of cars as they come in .
You have this down to a science don ’ t you with parents and how they are getting kids in and out ?
Bradley : Yes .
I can run a carpool in my sleep .
( Laughter ) Leahy : Well you ’ re not getting too much sleep these days because you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The other thing I like about Thales Academy is the methodology which is direct instruction .
Give us a brief summary of direct instruction , the best way to learn reading , writing , and arithmetic .
Bradley : Direct instruction is a teaching methodology that ’ s researched-based , data-driven , and it ’ s a mastery-based program .
The two key components are maximizing student engagement and maintaining high time on task .
Which is a mouthful but just means that all of our children are engaged in learning every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In our listening audience are parents who have elementary school children in any country .
Williamson County , Davidson County , Rutherford County , you ’ re getting them from all over Middle Tennessee .
Leahy : Those that have tried to work with their elementary school kids and learn using distance learning I think they ’ ve learned that high time on task and an in-person teacher is very valuable .
Is that some of the feedback you are getting ?
Bradley : ( Laughs ) That ’ s exactly what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very honest and transparent .
As am I because I ’ m a mom too .
The whole idea that everybody all of sudden being expected to “ home school ” and I ’ m using that in quotation marks because even though there are some wonderful home school programs .
You can ’ t just say , I ’ m going to start homeschooling tomorrow .
People aren ’ t equipped to do that and it shows .
Parents are at their wits ’ end .
I think we all feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what resources we had and it just wasn ’ t effective .
Leahy : Go to the tennesseestar.com and click on the Thales Academy blue banner or go to thalesacademy.org .
If parents are listening right now and they want to connect with you what ’ s the best thing they can do today .
Bradley : They can email me directly and I will get them on the right track .
They can email me at [ email protected ] .
Leahy : ThalesAcadmey.org .
Why is it called Thales ?
Bradley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greek philosopher and the father of thought .
And we are focused on teaching our children how to think .
Leahy : Teaching kids how to think !
What an unusual idea .
( Laughter ) Listen to the second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Dr. Manny Sethi the Clear Favorite for U.S. Senate at the Conservative Caucus

MURFREESBORO , Tennessee –Dr .
Manny Sethi was the clear favorite as the candidate for U.S. Senate at the Conservative Caucus held Saturday in Murfreesboro .
The unofficial vote came through the applause and cheers of the audience , as one of the event organizers Representative Bruce Griffey held his hand above the heads of the four candidates who had just participated in about an hour-long candidate Q & A session .
Dr. Manny participated in the session along with fellow Republican primary candidates Dr. Byron Bush , Jon Henry and Roy Dale Cope .
Despite the initial planning for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April , Bill Hagerty was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict and George Flinn dropped out about five days prior to the event .
The U.S. Senate candidate Q & A session was the main feature for the morning portion of the full-day event .
The session was moderated by Matthew Nowlin , who founded Conservative Christians of Tennessee in 2017 and hosts the “ Faith in Action ” show on Bott Radio Memphis along with Pastor , former military intelligence agent and syndicated talk radio host Steven Solomon .
Each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks prior to the question and answer period .
At the start time , Dr. Manny had not yet arrived , so the session went on without him with Bush and Henry participating .
All of the candidates were given an opportunity to answer the same question , so that their responses could be compared .
The text below is a snapshot of each of the candidate ’ s response and is not intended to represent their entire answer .
Bush is a Nashville dentist , who ran for office 25 years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cycle ” of too many taxes and too much spending and is currently speaking out against judicial corruption .
He met event attendees outside the meeting room , introducing himself and handing out a two-sided flyer addressing his five-part call for greater accountability for all government officers as well as pointing out a few things about opponents Hagerty and Sethi and posing questions worth asking each of the candidates .
In a professional and commanding way , Bush said that we stand for the flag , so we kneel at the cross .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The truth matters because of him .
Henry grew up on a tobacco farm in middle Tennessee and served more than 27 years in the United States Marine Corps , retiring as a Sargent Major .
With a noticeable amount of energy , Henry came to the microphone saying , “ I just found out there ’ s 14 other candidates !
” He said that growing up on a tobacco farm means a lot of hard work and not a lot of money .
He was in the Marine Corps for 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his life were found on that small farm .
As Senator , he would support the President and bring back small town America , concluding with the Marine battle cry , “ Oorah !
” Question 1 .
Do you believe police brutality is an issue , and if so , how can we properly address it ?
Bush responded that there are isolated incidences , referencing the incident with George Floyd that “ moved every one of us , ” like any instance of public officials who disregard the law .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem .
Henry said that there are a lot of people who serve short terms in the military who then join law enforcement .
His simple answer was no .
“ This is about the corrupt media that sets the narrative.
” Question 2 .
What should be the federal response towards groups like Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) and ANTIFA , which have been rioting and looting across America , and setting up lawless zones such as CHOP in Seattle ?
Henry said we need to get the definitions right .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will take any means , including lives .
The media is making BLM larger than it is .
Bush said that All Lives Matter because we ’ re all made in the image of God and equal in his sight .
He said to go to the BLM website and see who they are and the money they gave to candidates .
Question 3 .
Intelligence shows that China knew about COVID-19 and didn ’ t alert the world .
Should the U.S. retaliate against China in response and what retaliation would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dentistry for 43 years within 6 to 12 inches of a mouth , so he can relate .
He alluded to the shutdown , reopening and having to shut down his practice again because of the COVID-19 cases .
He said President Trump took quick action with the World Health Organization .
He didn ’ t feel that war should be started over it , and that PPE manufacturing had to be moved back to the U.S. Henry said we had to be careful because farmers ship bushels of grain around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliance on China and that will get their attention .
Question 4 .
What do you believe America and specifically Tennessee need to be doing to address COVID-19 ?
Henry said if the media hadn ’ t blown this up , we would have never had to shut down .
He asked if we even know how many cases there are and posed that even if there were 1.5 million , it would only be 1.5 percent .
In that case , would we have had to shut down , and at what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush responded that on November 4 , or shortly thereafter , if Joe Biden wins COVID-19 will be cured .
If President Trump wins , and Bush believes he will and will fight for him , we may still have a battle on our hands .
He called the media agenda-driven .
Question 5 .
Should there be term limits for Supreme Court Justices ?
Why or why not ?
Bush said that ’ s a tough question and that there would have to be a movement for that and that President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the activist judges he ’ s been talking about .
Henry said a lot more should have term limits .
He absolutely believes justices should have term limits .
Question 6 .
When does life begin and should abortion be legal and , if so , under what circumstances ?
Henry confessed that when he was young , he thought life began at a heartbeat .
He learned when he had children that life began at conception and that there ’ s just three weeks between conception and a heartbeat .
Bush said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forms of birth control including the pill and IUD allow conception , something he struggles with .
He said it was a tough dilemma and not intended to be wishy-washy .
He is a supporter of a heartbeat , which defines the end of life , as the start of life .
Question 7 .
Republicans have voiced concerns about the fairness of elections and the Democrats ’ efforts to implement vote-by-mail as a recipe for fraud .
Should Congress impose nation standards or voter ID provisions for national elections ?
What , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush said absolutely an ID should be required and he opposes mail efforts .
Rather than haggling with the opposing side , Bush said we need to stand firm .
He said this is an issue we night to fight vigorously because it is rampant with fraud .
Henry said that Congress can ’ t fix it , because who wants it ?
Democrats , he said .
Being from the military , Henry said he is a big fan of absentee voting , where he has to request the ballot and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What do you feel the role of government is in education , and what is the best way to improve education ?
Henry responded with No Child Left Behind and asked if you have seen what that and ESSA has created .
He thought Tennessee should be legislating what classes are taught .
Bush said the federal government ’ s role in education is to support the states , using the words indoctrination and agenda when it comes to education .
He said the states need to get back to reading , writing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
Question 9 .
The Supreme Court recently ruled that states can not deny education funding to schools that are religious in nature .
Do you believe this decision is correct , and if so , what steps will you take to ensure that education funds are not withheld from religious institutions ?
Bush believes the money should follow the child , but there is a need to guard against federal mandates about how the money gets spent .
With his wife being from Michigan , he expressed concern about the money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not an easy answer .
Henry asked , “ Isn ’ t it incredible that we ’ re having this conversation ?
” At that point , Sethi arrived to cheers from the audience .
Cope , although not invited to participate in the private event , had managed to get a seat during the session as well and both were afforded the opportunity for their two-minute opening remarks .
Sethi said he loves this country very much .
Both his parents came here legally and when he lost his father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said we need a true conservative to take on the mob that has been rioting and looting in the streets .
“ I need your help.
” Cope said that as a commissioned officer in the Navy , he took an oath .
He is a pharmacist with a diverse background in business , having poured two million square feet of concrete .
He said he is sick of Medicare patients being disenfranchised at the pharmacy counter , and that he can and will do something about it .
He said he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s right for Tennessee .
He added that God is the author of all , that the Second Amendment shall not be infringed and no nation will be secure without a border , before finally being cut off after several attempts for running over the time limit .
Question 10 .
Should governments be able to impose immunizations or vaccines on the population ?
Do you support an individual ’ s right to refuse a vaccination , and parents ’ rights to refuse to vaccinate their children ?
Cope paused and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HELL NO.
” He added , no , government does not have a right to impose that .
He said to go to the CDC website and look at the EUA from FDA because we ’ re being tested for COVID-19 with the flu vaccine .
Henry said a woman approached him at the Smith County Fair to inform him about vaccines and said that parents don ’ t have the information they should when making that decision .
Sethi said he believes in the God-given right to make a choice .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speed of the vaccine progression from phase one to phase three and that the drug companies have been given waivers .
Bush said he is also a doctor and that we are being programmed slowly but gradually with masks , immunizations with a chip and staying six feet apart which is far enough so they can tell everything about you .
He said the chip will have to be forced , because it won ’ t come any other way .
Question 11 .
E-verify is the federal work verification program that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States .
It is largely leg to individual States to implement the program as they see fit .
Should E-verify be the law of the law for all US employers ?
And if not E-verify , then what , if anything ?
Henry said that as a farmer , it should be taken on a case-by-case basis .
In the San Joaquin Valley workers come in and go out , come in and go out on work permits .
He said it could be a slippery slope for real workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that he is a child of legal immigrants who stood in line and waited their turn .
He said we need the wall , to fix immigration and end birthright citizenship , saying it ’ s not right and it ’ s not fair .
Bush said that with computers , there ’ s no reason we can ’ t track and know when the workers are supposed to leave .
The first act of those coming into the country should not be illegal .
Cope said absolutely E-verify should be all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those coming into the country farming should be protected , but they wouldn ’ t be imposing on financial support and would be paying taxes .
He supports E-verify 100 percent .
Question 12 .
How would you address the migration of America ’ s manufacturing jobs to foreign cheap labor countries such as Mexico and China ?
Is there legislation you would sponsor or support to bring jobs back to America ?
Sethi said he lives on the front lines of the pandemic and sees that we are too reliant on communist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Republicans .
He called it a national security issue and said we need a second industrial revolution .
He called for 1 .
Tax exemptions or credits for moving back ; 2 .
Paying for the freight to get machinery and technology back ; and 3 .
Deregulation .
He said that for masks made in China there are just two regulations , while U.S.-made masks have 10 .
Bush said medical and military are essential and that anything essential needs to be made here .
Made in China means we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our military or security , Bush said we can not be dependent on foreign or aggressive nations .
Cope said regulation has caused a big part of this .
President Trump is doing the right thing in cutting red tape that costs extra money .
Companies that don ’ t want to return need to pay a tariff , Cope said .
Henry said that in Hartsville , this is nothing new for them because they had those factories and that ’ s the reason he ’ s in the Senate race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media giants Facebook and Twitter , their censorship , legal protections and whether they need to be regulated .
Bush said he was censored with his ads because of a complaint from another campaign and it took two months to resolve .
He said they have two much power and need to be regulated in some way .
Cope said the protections should be withdrawn and that they can not have that kind of control .
He has been and is still being censored .
Facebook sat on his affidavit for a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have too much power and need to be held liable .
Henry said that he doesn ’ t have a big campaign manager to tell him what to say and that as a Marine he fought for the First Amendment .
“ I ’ m a Marine and it means I got to tell you the truth , ” said Henry .
Sethi gave examples of posts and asked if they are freedom of speech .
He said that some things have been said on-line about him and his family that are just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be taken head on .
Question 14 .
What foreign aid projects do you think are worth taxpayer funding and what should be defunded ?
Also are there any domestic projects you would like to see funded using the foreign aid money ?
Cope said there should be continued support for Israel and that we need to get out of Afghanistan and the funding should be used for adequate healthcare including hospital emergency rooms .
Henry said that having been there , nothing had changed after leaving overseas except the spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should get out of Afghanistan and put that money into education .
At this point , Henry said , education needs to be fixed and the money should go back to the states to let us run it .
Sethi said we should stop sending money to countries around the world who hate our guts .
“ How about that ?
” he asked .
In terms of new spending , we have a $ 26 trillion debt that is up to $ 75,000 per child .
He said we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amendment and he supports the penny plan .
When money is being sent to countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia who literally hate our guts , he said we have to stop that .
Bush said that we should first deal with infrastructure .
When he ran for this office 25 years ago , his campaign theme was “ Break the cycle ” of spending and higher taxes .
He has found that no matter how much government raises in taxes , they will always spend more .
With $ 26 trillion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the dollar won ’ t be worth the paper it is printed on .
Question 15 .
There is an element in the United States and abroad that wishes to promote Sharia law and Islamic traditions in the United States .
What should be the response from the Federal government to that and are Islam and Islamic law compatible with the U.S. Constitution and western values ?
Henry said they absolutely are not .
As someone who has been there with them and saw the fear in their eyes , how they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in trying to break that trend , it is not compatible with any of our Christian values .
He said that ’ s the reason he is running , because foreign policy in these United States is our business .
Sethi said he comes to the question with a little bit of bias , because his parents ’ homes were burned to the ground by Islamic radicals when they were children .
Islamic radicalism is still one of the single greatest threats we face in our country and the world , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have to support Israel .
Bush said that if this country had been founded on Sharia law or Islamic principles , it would not be what it is today .
America is what it is because it was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs .
He said they want to escape where they came from and implement it here .
He said we need to differentiate between a religion and a political movement and guard against that .
Cope responded , “ One nation , under God , indivisible.
” If we got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under God .
We ’ re where we are today because of God , he said .
Question 16 .
The 14th Amendment provides all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States in the state they reside .
What is your position with regards to the citizenship of the children that are born to persons illegally in the United States or who come here on a temporary visa and give birth to a child while in the United States known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatically become U.S. citizens ?
Why or why not ?
Sethi said the answer is no , that his parents stood in line to legally immigrate .
Birthright citizenship has got to end .
Illegal immigrants are not citizens of this country , so it ’ s not applicable , he said .
Traveling across the states , he hears from the good people who follow the laws , and asked how can we allow this ?
He will take on the mob and won ’ t back down .
Bush said if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the money , and get caught , you don ’ t get to keep it .
If you cross the border illegally and have a baby five minutes later , the child is a child of God , but an illegal child in the U.S. , he said .
Birthright citizenship doesn ’ t apply to ambassadors and delegates from the U.N .
There needs to be Supreme Court justices with common sense to make that decision , Bush said .
Cope said Americans are the most gracious people on the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t steal from us by crossing the border , having a child , the child becomes a citizen and the parent does , too .
He called that stealing and said the Ten Commandments are all about stealing .
We must put a stop to it , he said .
Henry said that in Yuma , Arizona he took a Marine to the hospital who was hurt during a training exercise .
There were four or five ladies sitting on the floor pregnant , he said , adding that was why they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said common sense must be used .
Question 17 .
There is a substantial amount of money that leaves the United States that has been earned by illegal immigrants or individuals without proper identification .
Would you support legislation to end the possibility of that ?
Bush said absolutely .
With all of the spending and the $ 26 trillion in debt , there will be a day of reckoning .
The system can not go on forever , he said , and we need to get aggressive .
Cope said yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money here or allows taxation of it .
Henry said it is truly a common sense question and as a farmer he knows that a lot of money gets sent back to Mexico .
If they are working toward becoming a citizen , he could not support that .
It ’ s important to look at how they are living and working , he said , especially those who serve in the military who would be taxed as service members .
Sethi said that whether undocumented or illegal , there should be something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
He said we have a real problem with methamphetamine and fentanyl and it ’ s happening because of all of the money that goes back to Mexico and Central America .
Stopping that will stop the flow of these drugs , the doctor said .
Bush said he knows some have made up their minds and that ’ s okay .
He asked that no matter who you support whether on the stage or not , take a second look to see what they stood for and who is a fighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand on their own , should Donald Trump not be re-elected .
Bush said he is the only candidate with a record of voting , representing Tennesseans at two national conventions and serving on the national platform committee , and having run for office 25 years ago .
“ It matters then and it matters now because you ’ re more than matter , and you matter because of Him .
Remember that it matters when you pull that lever.
” Cope said , “ My fellow Tennesseans we are in an epic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , between the forces of good and evil .
He said our President can not be the only one to stand up there and fight for us and that there are not enough Senators or House of Representatives people standing up and fighting with him .
He believes Donald Trump is anointed by God to lead this country .
He is the one to go there , he said , because he has the grit to stand up and call them out when they ’ re not working for the people .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will fight for you .
This is a time when we need a warrior.
” Henry said this was the greatest pleasure he could imagine .
He liked Cope ’ s warrior part .
He said , “ I don ’ t have millions of dollars , but every single day , I wear my work boots , take a million steps and shake a million hands.
” He encouraged looking through the fog of the money and campaign managers .
He answers all questions and will answer all questions on his website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FIGHT , because that ’ s all I ’ ve ever known .
My passion is to fight.
” He says he ’ s ready to help Donald Trump .
“ Who do you want on your side ?
Make it a United States Marine .
Oorah !
” Sethi said everything he has done in his life is because of his faith in Jesus Christ , becoming a doctor , trauma surgeon and starting a non-profit to make a difference and that ’ s why he ’ s running for United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You are faced with a monumental decision in the next couple of weeks about who are going to choose to be your next U.S .
Senator .
On the one hand , you have the Washington and Tennessee Republican establishment hand-picked person who couldn ’ t even show up to talk to you today .
Then you ’ ve got someone like me , a conservative outsider who has given his life to serve the people of this state.
” He said forty years ago just down the road , the people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance , opening their doors to two doctors .
He and his brother became doctors , and now he is running for U.S. Senate , showing the power of America and the American story when he has never run for any office .
Asking for the vote , he said let ’ s finally take on the Tennessee Republican establishment and the Washington establishment to take on the Chinese communist government , take on the mob , repeal and replace Obamacare and finally fix the broken immigration system .
Griffey took to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the candidates for their participation , assembled them together to take the informal vote by cheering for the candidate they thought would be best for leading the state .
While Jon Henry and Bush received a very good response , Sethi clearly received the loudest support .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--FBI Fielded More Background Checks for Gun Buyers in June Than Ever Before

The FBI ran nearly 8 million background checks for gun purchases from March to June , the Wall Street Journal reported .
Background checks for firearm purchases in June reached 7.8 million , up 136 % from last year .
Checks for civilians pursuing a license to carry were the highest recorded in the last 20 years , according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation , the WSJ reported .
“ With the pandemic , it ’ s driven more by fear for personal safety ; it ’ s people who haven ’ t been interested in the past , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Training , Retail Center and Gun Range co-owner , told the WSJ .
The sales of handguns used for personal protection have increased , with nearly two handguns sold for every rifle or shotgun , according to federal data , the WSJ reported .
Individuals previously critical of firearm ownership are among the surge of new buyers , the WSJ reported .
A survey done by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found dealers project around 40 % of sales are to first-time buyers , an increase from the normal average .
Kaylee Greenlee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Trump Administration Rescinds Rule on Foreign Students, Which Tennessee Scholars Opposed

Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities , the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The decision was announced at the start of a hearing in a federal lawsuit in Boston brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said federal immigration authorities agreed to pull the July 6 directive and “ return to the status quo.
” A lawyer representing the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs Enforcement said only that the judge ’ s characterization was correct .
But before Tuesday ’ s announcement , the people at the Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools announced that they had a problem with the policy .
Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools President Ernest L. Brothers reacted to the directive that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials announced this month .
That directive concerns the Student and Exchange Visitors Program .
Brothers released a statement to the media and said Tennessee ’ s graduate deans “ are concerned.
” In his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much money international students spend in the United States .
Brothers , for instance , said that nearly 10,000 international students attend universities in Tennessee .
He also said international students often pay full tuition .
Brothers also said international students contributed $ 45 billion to the domestic economy in 2018 and $ 348 million in Tennessee .
“ The US economy is intricately tied to the global economy , and businesses are increasingly globalized .
Tennessee ’ s workforce is also diverse , and the state has important multi-national corporate employers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eastman Chemical and others , ” Brothers said .
“ What our students learn from one another impacts them as they move into the workplace .
Just as having international companies in our state has added value to the state , having international students on campuses and in our communities helps all of us.
” Brothers warned international students might instead attend schools in Canada , Germany , “ or any other country that is more welcoming.
” The Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools , according to its website , started in 1977 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and research .
Brothers , according to the University of Tennessee Knoxville ’ s website , serves as an associate dean at that school ’ s Office of Graduate Training and Mentorship .
As The Tennessee Star reported in 2018 , a spokesman for Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro said the school pays for all efforts to recruit international students from the Middle East , Asia , and Latin America .
Also , as The Star reported that year , more and more international students attend universities in Tennessee .
They take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here and apply them back on their home turf .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] The Associated Press ’ Collin Binkley contributed to this report .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-15--Minnesota House Committee Declares ‘Racism Embedded in Foundation of America’

The resolution passed out of the House Rules Committee and now heads to the House floor for debate , with a final vote expected for July 20 .
Rep. Ruth Richardson ( DFL-Mendota Heights ) authored the resolution , which applies to the entire state of Minnesota and affirms that the Minnesota House will be “ an active participant in the dismantling of racism.
” “ Black , Indigenous , and people of color have known for generations that the systems in this country were designed to exclude them , ” Richardson said in a press release after the resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing in our communities today is the result of those systems playing out for hundreds of years.
” If approved by the full House , the resolution would create a House Select Committee “ tasked with analyzing legislative work through an intersectional race-equity lens.
” According to the press release , the resolution further states that racism is “ embedded in the foundation of America , beginning with chattel slavery in 1619.
” “ Much of the Black experience in America has been endured under slavery and Jim Crow , which created preferential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color to hardships and disadvantages in every area of life , ” said the press release .
Commissioners Angela Conley and Irene Fernando introduced the resolution , which passed in a vote of 6-1 .
“ Ultimately this resolution is about the health and well-being of Hennepin County residents who have borne the brunt of racial discrimination and racial inequity through various different systems , ” Conley said in a press release .
House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler ( DFL-Golden Valley ) said the Minnesota House “ can and should play an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied dignity , respect , and compassion to so many.
” “ Our nation is facing a historic moment and the Minnesota House plans to be on the side of justice and human rights , ” he added .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Minnesota House Hearing ” by Minnesota Republican Senate Caucus .