thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Nashville Attorney Jim Roberts Joins the Tennessee Star Report with Updates on the Nashville Taxpaye

Nashville Attorney Jim Roberts Joins the Tennessee Star Report with Updates on the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Petition

Live from Music Row Friday 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 Nashville attorney Jim Roberts to the newsmakers line .
During the third hour , Roberts joined Leahy and Carmichael to update them on the petitions needed for the Nashville Payer Protection Act after last night ’ s primary .
He added that they will need about 20,000 more signatures to bring them over the threshold in lieu of Metro government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Leahy : Crom , we are efforting to contact Jim Roberts .
But while we are waiting to connect with Jim the attorney who has put together this petition to get a charter amendment on the ballot in Nashville and that charter amendment if passed would turn back the 34 percent property tax increase passed by the Metro Council and replace it with a two percent property tax increase .
The election last night here in Davidson County was important because it set the number as to how many valid petition signatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amendment on the ballot .
Now tell us a little bit about is it 10 percent ?
Carmichael : 10 percent is what Jim has had said .
And he thought there will be about 60,000 to 70,000 people who voted and it turned out there were 110,000 who voted .
So he will need 11,000 valid signatures .
And Jim is a lawyer so when he looks at a signature that comes in he can tell if the signature itself and if the name and the address look legitimate but he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the address in the voter database .
And that is what Metro will use .
And so it ’ s very important that people who do print and sign the petition pull out their voter registration card and sign their name as it is printed on their voter registration card .
Leahy : If you go to his website at 4goodgovernment.com or nashvilletaxpayerprotectionact.com , at the very top of it says the following : Our projected turn-in date of 20,000 plus signatures is September 15 .
Now we looked at the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it looks like there were 34,000 votes cast in the Republican primary .
And about 76,000 cast in the Democratic primary .
Which means 110,000 .
10 percent of 110,000 is 11,000 .
That ’ s a lot higher than I think Jim thought it would be .
Leahy : I think we were talking about how he thought it would be about 7,500 or so .
Maybe there was an effort to get a big turnout among Democrats in Davidson County to get that number up ?
Carmichael : There wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County was there ?
Leahy : The Senate primary , but you know .
Carmichael : That got almost no coverage .
There was almost no money spent so it ’ s not like there was some big drive .
And then Cooper , we ’ re talking bout Congressman Cooper he easily won his primary I assume .
Leahy : We found out but I ’ m pretty sure that was the case .
Carmichael : So I don ’ t think there were any others .
So it is interesting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it could be an attempt to increase the number of valid signatures .
Leahy : I think it could be .
But it doesn ’ t matter whether it was an attempt because it is the number .
Carmichael : That is the number now .
Leahy : It ’ s now 11,000 .
I think when we spoke last with Jim he said he had about 12,000 signed ?
Carmichael : Something like that .
Leahy : Not enough to go over the margin of… Leahy : He needs double .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the folks in the audience who believe that voters ought to have a chance to weigh in on this very important question about what our property taxes will be going to the website .
Leahy : 4goodgovernment.com or nashvilletaxpayerprotectionact.com .
Now the other part about this that I thought was very interesting in our discussions with Jim about it was if he turns in the 20,000 signatures on September 15 and if that ’ s the number he hits and there is a month and week to get there , I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 20,000 .
Leahy : And if he turns them in and they ’ re not able to throw out 9,000 signatures and he has to be on the ballot that charter amendment will be on the ballot in December .
Leahy : And then it will be a big big political campaign .
Lots of money will be spent to try to defeat that charter amendment .
But we had the mass transit tax which was roundly defeated in 2018 by a two to one margin .
You would think that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side there would be a good chance that this passes the two percent .
Leahy : Repealing the 34 percent wouldn ’ t you say ?
Carmichael : I think there ’ s a good chance .
And I think there will be a reasonable amount of money spent by the people who want it repealed .
Carmichael : I think there will be enough of those people .
Leahy : I think so .
So what you ’ ll see then is if it passes that doesn ’ t mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to come back and say we want more money .
They just have to go through the process .
The process is they can only increase property taxes two percent .
Leahy : If they want more they can if they present it to the voters .
And the voters approve that increase .
Carmichael : Let ’ s be sure that the audience knows that until COVID Metro ’ s revenue was growing at consistently four to five percent a year by an increase not in taxes on the existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property where you might have a tall apartment building or a tall office building .
Or you might have a lot that had a ranch house on it and it was torn down and it was worth $ 500,000 and paying $ 5,000 a year in property taxes .
And then two houses went up on that same property that each sold for a million .
That piece of land started generating $ 20,000 in property taxes instead of five thousand .
It ’ s that type of thing that has increased property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so .
So the city has been getting a very consistent increase in revenue of about four or five percent .
So a two percent property tax increase would boost that .
And if the Council passed that every year would boost it to seven percent .
When Mayor Cooper ran as a candidate he identified a number of things that needed to be fixed .
And to my knowledge , he hasn ’ t done much in the way of fixing the things that need to be fixed .
The unfunded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term problem that has to be addressed .
Leahy : One person who is doing a good thing who is joining us now is Jim Roberts .
Good morning us Jim .
Thanks for joining us .
Leahy : We have an update , I guess you are going to need 11,000 now 10 percent of 110,000 signatures based on yesterday ’ s vote ?
Roberts : That ’ s what it looks like .
I looked at some of the preliminary numbers and I thought it was about 100,000 .
Or we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as 110,000 .
We are there .
we just need a good comfortable margin before we turn them in .
Leahy : You ’ re going to turn them in on September 15 to get the charter amendment to repeal the 34 percent property tax increase in Davidson County .
How many petitions have been signed and turned in at this moment ?
Carmichael : Well , then you need to get up to 20,000 so that people can vote .
Because I think this is a big enough issue where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
Roberts : Absolutely .
We are worried that Metro will try and pull some shenanigans and disqualify valid signatures .
So you need a lot more than you really need to protect yourself from the government .
Leahy : Well , you have five weeks and I think if you get a little over 5,000 signatures a week you ’ ll get to your 20,000 by September 15 .
Carmichael : We still want to encourage those people who believe in democracy .
I don ’ t care where you stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property tax increase is a good one .
But if you think it ’ s a good idea .
If you think that the voters ought to weigh in on something that big which is my position .
Then go 4goodgovernment.com and print out the petition .
Sign it properly .
Pull out your voter id card and sign it the way that your name is listed there .
And put your address as it ’ s listed there .
And then get as many of your friends and family who live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing .
Leahy : And Jim what is the other website that you can enter and get right to this position ?
Roberts : If you just Google Nashville Tax Payer Protection Act which is what this is called , it will take you right there .
We are high on the search page .
I think we are number one .
This is a big thing .
We ’ re getting thousands of hits on the website it seems like almost every day .
I think that the things that have happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the council votes go in and adjust the tax rate because of the extra tax revenues that came in and they just got shut down .
That shows a real intent to spend and spend .
Metro has learned nothing in this process .
Leahy : Jim Roberts , come back next Friday and give us an update .
We ’ ll see if you get another 1,000 signatures .
You have 14,000 and you need to get to 20,000 by September 15 Listen to the full third hour here : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Friday 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 Nashville attorney Jim Roberts to the newsmakers line.
During the third hour, Roberts joined Leahy and Carmichael to update them on the petitions needed for the Nashville Payer Protection Act after last night’s primary. He added that they will need about 20,000 more signatures to bring them over the threshold in lieu of Metro government’s possibility of disposing any incorrectly signed petitions.
Leahy: Crom, we are efforting to contact Jim Roberts. But while we are waiting to connect with Jim the attorney who has put together this petition to get a charter amendment on the ballot in Nashville and that charter amendment if passed would turn back the 34 percent property tax increase passed by the Metro Council and replace it with a two percent property tax increase.
The election last night here in Davidson County was important because it set the number as to how many valid petition signatures Jim will need to get this charter amendment on the ballot. Now tell us a little bit about is it 10 percent?
Carmichael: 10 percent is what Jim has had said. And he thought there will be about 60,000 to 70,000 people who voted and it turned out there were 110,000 who voted. So he will need 11,000 valid signatures.
And Jim is a lawyer so when he looks at a signature that comes in he can tell if the signature itself and if the name and the address look legitimate but he can’t compare it to the name and the address in the voter database. And that is what Metro will use. And so it’s very important that people who do print and sign the petition pull out their voter registration card and sign their name as it is printed on their voter registration card.
Leahy: If you go to his website at 4goodgovernment.com or nashvilletaxpayerprotectionact.com, at the very top of it says the following: Our projected turn-in date of 20,000 plus signatures is September 15. Now we looked at the election results last night in the primary and it looks like there were 34,000 votes cast in the Republican primary. And about 76,000 cast in the Democratic primary. Which means 110,000. 10 percent of 110,000 is 11,000. That’s a lot higher than I think Jim thought it would be.
Carmichael: Right.
Leahy: I think we were talking about how he thought it would be about 7,500 or so. Maybe there was an effort to get a big turnout among Democrats in Davidson County to get that number up?
Carmichael: There wasn’t a particularly contested race in Davidson County was there?
Leahy: The Senate primary, but you know.
Carmichael: That got almost no coverage. There was almost no money spent so it’s not like there was some big drive. And then Cooper, we’re talking bout Congressman Cooper he easily won his primary I assume.
Leahy: We found out but I’m pretty sure that was the case.
Carmichael: So I don’t think there were any others. So it is interesting that the Democrat primary was so high. But it could be an attempt to increase the number of valid signatures.
Leahy: I think it could be. But it doesn’t matter whether it was an attempt because it is the number.
Carmichael: That is the number now.
Leahy: It’s now 11,000. I think when we spoke last with Jim he said he had about 12,000 signed?
Carmichael: Something like that.
Leahy: Not enough to go over the margin of…
Carmichael: Oh no.
Leahy: He needs double. He needs 20,000.
Carmichael: So for the folks in the audience who believe that voters ought to have a chance to weigh in on this very important question about what our property taxes will be going to the website.
Leahy: 4goodgovernment.com or nashvilletaxpayerprotectionact.com. Now the other part about this that I thought was very interesting in our discussions with Jim about it was if he turns in the 20,000 signatures on September 15 and if that’s the number he hits and there is a month and week to get there, I think he has a good chance to get to 20,000.
Carmichael: Right.
Leahy: And if he turns them in and they’re not able to throw out 9,000 signatures and he has to be on the ballot that charter amendment will be on the ballot in December.
Carmichael: Correct.
Leahy: And then it will be a big big political campaign. Lots of money will be spent to try to defeat that charter amendment. But we had the mass transit tax which was roundly defeated in 2018 by a two to one margin. You would think that even if there’s big money on the other side there would be a good chance that this passes the two percent.
Carmichael: You mean repeal.
Leahy: Repealing the 34 percent wouldn’t you say?
Carmichael: I think there’s a good chance. And I think there will be a reasonable amount of money spent by the people who want it repealed.
Leahy: Oh yeah.
Carmichael: I think there will be enough of those people.
Leahy: I think so. So what you’ll see then is if it passes that doesn’t mean that the City Council won’t be able to come back and say we want more money. They just have to go through the process. The process is they can only increase property taxes two percent.
Carmichael: Two percent a year.
Leahy: If they want more they can if they present it to the voters. And the voters approve that increase.
Carmichael: Let’s be sure that the audience knows that until COVID Metro’s revenue was growing at consistently four to five percent a year by an increase not in taxes on the existing property but on the renewal of existing property where you might have a tall apartment building or a tall office building.
Or you might have a lot that had a ranch house on it and it was torn down and it was worth $500,000 and paying $5,000 a year in property taxes. And then two houses went up on that same property that each sold for a million. That piece of land started generating $20,000 in property taxes instead of five thousand.
It’s that type of thing that has increased property taxes in Nashville and will continue to do so. So the city has been getting a very consistent increase in revenue of about four or five percent. So a two percent property tax increase would boost that. And if the Council passed that every year would boost it to seven percent.
When Mayor Cooper ran as a candidate he identified a number of things that needed to be fixed. And to my knowledge, he hasn’t done much in the way of fixing the things that need to be fixed. The unfunded healthcare benefits for retirees is a long term problem that has to be addressed.
Leahy: One person who is doing a good thing who is joining us now is Jim Roberts. Good morning us Jim. Thanks for joining us.
Roberts: Good morning.
Leahy: We have an update, I guess you are going to need 11,000 now 10 percent of 110,000 signatures based on yesterday’s vote?
Roberts: That’s what it looks like. I looked at some of the preliminary numbers and I thought it was about 100,000. Or we need 10,000. But it may be as much as 110,000. We are there. we just need a good comfortable margin before we turn them in.
Leahy: You’re going to turn them in on September 15 to get the charter amendment to repeal the 34 percent property tax increase in Davidson County. How many petitions have been signed and turned in at this moment?
Roberts: A little under 14,000.
Leahy: Good.
Carmichael: Well, then you need to get up to 20,000 so that people can vote. Because I think this is a big enough issue where democracy is more important than a representative government.
Roberts: Absolutely. We are worried that Metro will try and pull some shenanigans and disqualify valid signatures. So you need a lot more than you really need to protect yourself from the government.
Leahy: Well, you have five weeks and I think if you get a little over 5,000 signatures a week you’ll get to your 20,000 by September 15.
Roberts: We’re very confident yes.
Carmichael: We still want to encourage those people who believe in democracy. I don’t care where you stand on whether or not you think the property tax increase is a good one. But if you think it’s a good idea. If you think that the voters ought to weigh in on something that big which is my position.
Then go 4goodgovernment.com and print out the petition. Sign it properly. Pull out your voter id card and sign it the way that your name is listed there. And put your address as it’s listed there. And then get as many of your friends and family who live in Davidson County to do exactly the same thing.
Leahy: And Jim what is the other website that you can enter and get right to this position?
Roberts: If you just Google Nashville Tax Payer Protection Act which is what this is called, it will take you right there. We are high on the search page. I think we are number one. This is a big thing. We’re getting thousands of hits on the website it seems like almost every day.
I think that the things that have happened in the last week or so and some of the council votes go in and adjust the tax rate because of the extra tax revenues that came in and they just got shut down. That shows a real intent to spend and spend. Metro has learned nothing in this process.
Leahy: Jim Roberts, come back next Friday and give us an update. We’ll see if you get another 1,000 signatures. You have 14,000 and you need to get to 20,000 by September 15
Roberts: That’s our goal.
Listen to the full third hour here:

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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--2020-08-08--Virginians Get Mail-in Ballot Letters with Wrong Information

Hundreds of thousands of applications for mail-in ballots that a voter-advocacy group sent to voters in Virginia had the wrong return addresses , adding another complication for state election officials who are already hard-pressed to pull off a smooth election in a pandemic .
The Virginia Department of Elections said the return envelopes were addressed to the wrong election office , which would force election officials to forward the applications to the correct office for processing .
Meanwhile , the department said anyone wanting to vote absentee should apply for a ballot through the state ’ s website .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Voter Information , a third-party group not affiliated with the state , department said in a news release Thursday .
The Washington-based group , which says it ’ s a non-partisan organization aiming to increase voter participation , had mailed over 2 million applications to voters , The Washington Post reported .
About a quarter of them had return envelopes addressed to an inaccurate election office , the center said in a statement .
A computer error confused localities with similar names , like Fairfax City and Fairfax County ; and Richmond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
“ We know that voters are on high alert as the November election approaches , and we regret adding to any confusion , ” the statement said .
“ Please rest assured that we are working with local election officials in Virginia to re-direct the vote-by-mail applications to the proper locations , and will rectify any errors at our own expense.
” The issue led to many calls to election offices in Virginia .
Norfolk ’ s voter registrar , Stephanie Iles , said her office has been bombarded by residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She recommends that voters use the state ’ s election website to request a ballot .
“ There ’ s a right way to do this , ” she said .
“ I get they ’ re trying to increase voter turnout , but it ’ s creating voter confusion the way it was done.
” Virginia ’ s mishap with mail-in ballots is another example of how voting by mail can cause voter fraud .
Of late , voter fraud has become a problem in America .
To illustrate , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud cases between 2016 and 2020 .
A high-profile case happened two years ago when California agreed to eliminate up to 1.5 million inactive voters from its Los Angeles County voter rolls .
These inactive voters that were eliminated from the county ’ s voter rolls consisted of almost one-third of its registered voters .
After the Heritage Foundation piece was published in May the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit in July alleging people in North Carolina voted twice during the 2016 presidential election and 2018 midterm elections .
Almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found in 2016 were by mail-in ballots , the lawsuit claims .
For the 2018 midterm elections , the lawsuit alleges mail-in ballots consisted for over 41 percent of the cases This week , President Donald Trump ’ s campaign filed a lawsuit against Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske over the state ’ s new law that allows people the option of voting by mail , Fox5Vegas reports .
“ In an illegal late night coup , Nevada ’ s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation .
Using Covid to steal the state .
See you in Court !
” Nevada Governor Sisolak responded on Twitter saying that the legislation he signed “ supports the safest , most accessible election possible under these unprecedented circumstances.
” The Associated Press wrote this story .
Star Digital News Digital Editor Zachery Schmidt contributed to this story .
Photo “ Mail-In Ballot ” by Chris Phan .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Hundreds of thousands of applications for mail-in ballots that a voter-advocacy group sent to voters in Virginia had the wrong return addresses, adding another complication for state election officials who are already hard-pressed to pull off a smooth election in a pandemic.
The Virginia Department of Elections said the return envelopes were addressed to the wrong election office, which would force election officials to forward the applications to the correct office for processing. Meanwhile, the department said anyone wanting to vote absentee should apply for a ballot through the state’s website.
The problem mailers were sent by The Center for Voter Information, a third-party group not affiliated with the state, department said in a news release Thursday.
The Washington-based group, which says it’s a non-partisan organization aiming to increase voter participation, had mailed over 2 million applications to voters, The Washington Post reported.
About a quarter of them had return envelopes addressed to an inaccurate election office, the center said in a statement. A computer error confused localities with similar names, like Fairfax City and Fairfax County; and Richmond City and Richmond County, The Post reported.
“We know that voters are on high alert as the November election approaches, and we regret adding to any confusion,” the statement said. “Please rest assured that we are working with local election officials in Virginia to re-direct the vote-by-mail applications to the proper locations, and will rectify any errors at our own expense.”
The issue led to many calls to election offices in Virginia. Norfolk’s voter registrar, Stephanie Iles, said her office has been bombarded by residents since Wednesday afternoon, The Virginian-Pilot reported. She recommends that voters use the state’s election website to request a ballot.
“There’s a right way to do this,” she said. “I get they’re trying to increase voter turnout, but it’s creating voter confusion the way it was done.”
Virginia’s mishap with mail-in ballots is another example of how voting by mail can cause voter fraud.
Of late, voter fraud has become a problem in America. To illustrate, The Heritage Foundation found a total of 1,285 voter fraud cases between 2016 and 2020.
A high-profile case happened two years ago when California agreed to eliminate up to 1.5 million inactive voters from its Los Angeles County voter rolls. These inactive voters that were eliminated from the county’s voter rolls consisted of almost one-third of its registered voters.
After the Heritage Foundation piece was published in May the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit in July alleging people in North Carolina voted twice during the 2016 presidential election and 2018 midterm elections. Almost 50 percent of the voter fraud cases found in 2016 were by mail-in ballots, the lawsuit claims. For the 2018 midterm elections, the lawsuit alleges mail-in ballots consisted for over 41 percent of the cases
This week, President Donald Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit against Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske over the state’s new law that allows people the option of voting by mail, Fox5Vegas reports.
“In an illegal late night coup, Nevada’s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state,” Trump tweeted. “Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!”
In an illegal late night coup, Nevada’s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court! https://t.co/cNSPINgCY7 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020
Nevada Governor Sisolak responded on Twitter saying that the legislation he signed “supports the safest, most accessible election possible under these unprecedented circumstances.”
Thank you, @andersoncooper, for allowing me to set the record straight on the legislation I signed Monday which supports the safest, most accessible election possible under these unprecedented circumstances. https://t.co/JLq8VNHjPZ — Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) August 5, 2020
– – –
The Associated Press wrote this story. Star Digital News Digital Editor Zachery Schmidt contributed to this story.
Photo “Mail-In Ballot” by Chris Phan. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Progressive Upstart Cori Bush at Least One Year Late Disclosing Her Personal Finances as Required By

Progressive Upstart Cori Bush at Least One Year Late Disclosing Her Personal Finances as Required By Federal Law, House Records Show

Cori Bush , the Justice Democrats-supported progressive activist that defeated 10-term Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. in Tuesday ’ s Democratic primary in Missouri , is at least a year late in disclosing her finances to the public as required by federal law , public records show .
Bush has yet to submit her personal financial disclosure to the House of Representatives for her 2020 campaign , according to the House Office of the Clerk , which maintains a database of financial disclosures of congressional candidates and members of Congress .
That hasn ’ t stopped Bush from funneling over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own pockets in the form of a salary with payments beginning in April , Federal Election Commission records show .
A candidate ’ s failure to file their financial disclosure form is “ technically a violation of the Ethics in Government Act , ” government affairs lobbyist Craig Holman of the liberal advocacy group Public Citizen told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
However , the statute is “ rarely enforced unless the violation is egregious and deliberate , ” he added .
Candidates such as Bush that don ’ t disclose their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liability , more so than legal liability , ” Holman said .
“ [ T ] he secrecy and legal infraction provides an opponent with plenty of fodder to attack the candidate during the campaign , ” Holman said .
Bush ’ s victory over Clay in Missouri ’ s solidly Democratic 1st District on Tuesday means she ’ s all but certain to become the first black woman to represent the state in Congress .
She ’ s a staunch progressive who supports the Green New Deal , Medicare-for-All and defunding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the House are required to file a financial disclosure after they raise or spend more than $ 5,000 in their campaign , according to the House Committee on Ethics .
Bush passed that threshold by the end of June 2019 , according to a report her campaign submitted to the FEC .
But the House Office of the Clerk contains no financial disclosure filings from Bush for her 2020 campaign .
Bush did submit a financial disclosure report for her first run for Congress during the 2018 midterms in which she lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But candidates for federal office must submit a financial disclosure for each election cycle they participate in and raise or spend more than $ 5,000 , Holman told the DCNF .
Bush also began paying herself a salary from her campaign beginning April 3 .
She ’ s received a total of $ 25,285 from her campaign , FEC records show .
Candidates for federal office are allowed to pull a salary from their campaigns , but without access to an up-to-date financial disclosure from Bush , it ’ s unclear whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the bounds set by the FEC .
Candidates such as Bush may only pay themselves a salary up to “ what the candidate received as earned income in the previous year , ” according to the FEC .
Of the seven candidates to defeat incumbent members of Congress in the 2020 elections so far , Bush is the only one that has not submitted a financial disclosure to the House Office of the Clerk .
Democratic congressional nominees Jamaal Bowman of New York and Marie Newman of Illinois both have submitted financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have Republican congressional nominees Lauren Boebert of Colorado , Bob Good of Virginia , Randy Feenstra of Iowa and Jake LaTurner of Kansas .
Bush ’ s campaign did not return multiple requests for comment asking why she hasn ’ t yet filed a financial disclosure for her 2020 campaign .
Bush was endorsed and supported by Justice Democrats , the outside group that was the driving force behind New York Rep. Ocasio-Cortez ’ s shock victory over former Democratic New York Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018 .
Ocasio-Cortez served on the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was simultaneously supporting her candidacy , the DCNF previously reported .
“ If you didn ’ t know , now you know : the Squad is here to stay , and it ’ s growing , ” Justice Democrats Executive Director Alexandra Rojas told The New York Times following Bush ’ s victory .
The so-called “ Squad ” of progressive freshman congresswomen includes Ocasio-Cortez and Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan , each of whom have faced their own allegations of violating campaign finance laws .
Andrew Kerr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Foundation .
Photo “ Cori Bush ” by Cori Bush .

by Andrew Kerr
Cori Bush, the Justice Democrats-supported progressive activist that defeated 10-term Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Missouri, is at least a year late in disclosing her finances to the public as required by federal law, public records show.
Bush has yet to submit her personal financial disclosure to the House of Representatives for her 2020 campaign, according to the House Office of the Clerk, which maintains a database of financial disclosures of congressional candidates and members of Congress.
That hasn’t stopped Bush from funneling over $25,000 from her campaign to her own pockets in the form of a salary with payments beginning in April, Federal Election Commission records show.
A candidate’s failure to file their financial disclosure form is “technically a violation of the Ethics in Government Act,” government affairs lobbyist Craig Holman of the liberal advocacy group Public Citizen told the Daily Caller News Foundation. However, the statute is “rarely enforced unless the violation is egregious and deliberate,” he added.
Candidates such as Bush that don’t disclose their finances open themselves up to “political liability, more so than legal liability,” Holman said.
“[T]he secrecy and legal infraction provides an opponent with plenty of fodder to attack the candidate during the campaign,” Holman said.
Bush’s victory over Clay in Missouri’s solidly Democratic 1st District on Tuesday means she’s all but certain to become the first black woman to represent the state in Congress. She’s a staunch progressive who supports the Green New Deal, Medicare-for-All and defunding the police.
Candidates running for a seat in the House are required to file a financial disclosure after they raise or spend more than $5,000 in their campaign, according to the House Committee on Ethics. Bush passed that threshold by the end of June 2019, according to a report her campaign submitted to the FEC.
But the House Office of the Clerk contains no financial disclosure filings from Bush for her 2020 campaign.
Bush did submit a financial disclosure report for her first run for Congress during the 2018 midterms in which she lost by nearly 20 points to Clay. But candidates for federal office must submit a financial disclosure for each election cycle they participate in and raise or spend more than $5,000, Holman told the DCNF.
Bush also began paying herself a salary from her campaign beginning April 3. She’s received a total of $25,285 from her campaign, FEC records show.
Candidates for federal office are allowed to pull a salary from their campaigns, but without access to an up-to-date financial disclosure from Bush, it’s unclear whether the amount she’s paying herself is within the bounds set by the FEC.
Candidates such as Bush may only pay themselves a salary up to “what the candidate received as earned income in the previous year,” according to the FEC.
Of the seven candidates to defeat incumbent members of Congress in the 2020 elections so far, Bush is the only one that has not submitted a financial disclosure to the House Office of the Clerk.
Democratic congressional nominees Jamaal Bowman of New York and Marie Newman of Illinois both have submitted financial disclosures for their 2020 campaigns, as have Republican congressional nominees Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Bob Good of Virginia, Randy Feenstra of Iowa and Jake LaTurner of Kansas.
Bush’s campaign did not return multiple requests for comment asking why she hasn’t yet filed a financial disclosure for her 2020 campaign.
Bush was endorsed and supported by Justice Democrats, the outside group that was the driving force behind New York Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s shock victory over former Democratic New York Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez served on the board of Justice Democrats in 2018 while it was simultaneously supporting her candidacy, the DCNF previously reported.
“If you didn’t know, now you know: the Squad is here to stay, and it’s growing,” Justice Democrats Executive Director Alexandra Rojas told The New York Times following Bush’s victory.
The so-called “Squad” of progressive freshman congresswomen includes Ocasio-Cortez and Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, each of whom have faced their own allegations of violating campaign finance laws.
– – –
Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Cori Bush” by Cori Bush.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--TikTok Threatens Legal Action Against Trump, Says Executive Order Banning the App Is Illegal

TikTok threatened to sue President Donald Trump Friday for signing an executive order prohibiting individuals from communicating with the Chinese social media app ’ s parent company over the next 45 days .
The executive order , which also impacts Chinese app WeChat , was issued Thursday night “ without any due process , ” TikTok said in a press statement .
“ For nearly a year , we have sought to engage with the U.S. government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed , ” the statement said .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his administration has instead “ tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses , ” TikTok said .
“ We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly — if not by the Administration , then by the U.S. courts , ” the company said .
Trump ’ s executive orders bar “ any transaction by any person , or with respect to any property , subject to the jurisdiction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ByteDance and Tencent Holdings , parent companies of TikTok and WeChat , respectively .
The orders ban individuals from communicating with the parent companies for 45 days .
The president suggested on Aug. 3 that he is amenable to the idea of Microsoft purchasing the upstart Chinese company , so long as the acquisition comes by Sept. 15 .
Trump also said a portion of profits from a potential sale should go to the United States Treasury .
Americans should download the app “ only if you want your private information in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a July 7 Fox News interview .
Other U.S. officials and lawmakers have expressed concern that TikTok may be providing user data to Beijing officials .
TikTok users have at times been political .
A group of users on the app coordinated an effort to get people who didn ’ t intend on attending a Trump campaign rally in Tulsa sign up for it , CNN reported in June .
One TikTok post urging fans of Korean pop to sign up for the June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jo Laupp , a 51-year-old woman in Iowa , reportedly kickstarted the troll campaign .
The White House has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment about TikTok ’ s threat .
Chris White is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Donald Trump ” by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Chris White
TikTok threatened to sue President Donald Trump Friday for signing an executive order prohibiting individuals from communicating with the Chinese social media app’s parent company over the next 45 days.
The executive order, which also impacts Chinese app WeChat, was issued Thursday night “without any due process,” TikTok said in a press statement.
“For nearly a year, we have sought to engage with the U.S. government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed,” the statement said. Trump has “paid no attention to facts” and his administration has instead “tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses,” TikTok said.
“We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly — if not by the Administration, then by the U.S. courts,” the company said.
Trump’s executive orders bar “any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,” with ByteDance and Tencent Holdings, parent companies of TikTok and WeChat, respectively. The orders ban individuals from communicating with the parent companies for 45 days.
The president suggested on Aug. 3 that he is amenable to the idea of Microsoft purchasing the upstart Chinese company, so long as the acquisition comes by Sept. 15. Trump also said a portion of profits from a potential sale should go to the United States Treasury.
Americans should download the app “only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a July 7 Fox News interview. Other U.S. officials and lawmakers have expressed concern that TikTok may be providing user data to Beijing officials.
TikTok users have at times been political. A group of users on the app coordinated an effort to get people who didn’t intend on attending a Trump campaign rally in Tulsa sign up for it, CNN reported in June.
One TikTok post urging fans of Korean pop to sign up for the June rally received over 100,000 likes. Mary Jo Laupp, a 51-year-old woman in Iowa, reportedly kickstarted the troll campaign.
The White House has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment about TikTok’s threat.
– – –
Chris White is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Donald Trump” by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Commentary: As Trump Predicated, America’s Economy is Recovering Quickly

The U.S. economy produced between 1.35 million and 1.8 million jobs the month of July , bringing the total number of jobs created since April when labor markets bottomed with the federal and state governments in lockdown to combat the Chinese coronavirus to between 9.3 million and 10 million .
Further speeding the recovery along are the number of COVID-19 cases are beginning to decline nationally after brief spikes in Texas , California , Florida and Arizona as states were reopening .
Now the cases have stabilized in those states , and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September when the cold and flu season gets going again .
And almost nobody but President Donald Trump was thinking that a recovery could happen this quickly .
On March 25 , the President predicted , “ I don ’ t think it ’ s going to end up being such a rough patch .
I think it ’ s going to , when we open — especially , if we can open it — the sooner , the better — it ’ s going to open up like a rocket ship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ go very good and very quickly.
” President Trump was right .
After April , it looked like the U.S. had entering another Great Depression with 25 million jobs lost in the blink of an eye , but now it ’ s almost practically halfway back .
It ’ s a dramatic turnaround , when in March health experts were projecting that as many as 2 million Americans would die if nothing was done .
Now , almost all of those lives have been saved the worst of the virus appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not be nearly as long lasting as many including this author had worried .
It took the Obama economy almost five years before it recovered the 8 million jobs lost in the financial crisis and Great Recession .
The Trump economy in contrast has beat the Obama pace of recovery in just three short months—May , June and July — in an unbelievable recovery with millions of Americans chomping at the bit to get back to work .
The biggest gains the past three months have been in retail , leisure and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adding to the good news , the week of July 25 , another 965,000 Americans left unemployment benefits on an unadjusted basis , with 323,330 leaving continuing unemployment claims in California , 99,653 in Florida , 97,320 in Michigan , and 118,020 in Pennsylvania , according to the Department of Labor .
After continued volatility in the continuing claims numbers , it now appears that the economic momentum will continue into August .
In part , this is a testament to the President ’ s and Congress ’ foresight in adopting the payroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses totaling $ 523.4 billion according to the Small Business Administration , as well as key supports for larger businesses , critical industries and state and local governments .
Relief was also offered via temporarily expanded unemployment and checks to every taxpayer in the country .
That now appears to have been instrumental in fueling a speedy rebound beyond almost all expectations .
On the political side of the equation , Democrats will be worried the recovery will continue accelerating through Election Day in November and might help Trump politically .
A Politico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official saying a rapid recovery economically and from the virus “ is my big worry… It ’ s high — high , high , high , high.
” The Obama official was responding to an early April presentation by Jason Furman , a former Obama administration economist who , like Trump , predicted correctly : “ We are about to see the best economic data we ’ ve seen in the history of this country.
” Furman was right , too .
And after a dismal second quarter that saw a record 32.9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this is surely great news for the American people .
The one thing that might kick it into high gear would be a rapid turnaround of a vaccine or some other effective treatment to prevent the virus from being so deadly .
And with the phase three clinical trials for the Moderna vaccine , mRNA-1273 , that began on July 27 , that may be just the ticket to get the U.S. economy roaring back this fall .
Stay tuned .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans @ @ @ @

by Robert Romano
The U.S. economy produced between 1.35 million and 1.8 million jobs the month of July, bringing the total number of jobs created since April when labor markets bottomed with the federal and state governments in lockdown to combat the Chinese coronavirus to between 9.3 million and 10 million.
Further speeding the recovery along are the number of COVID-19 cases are beginning to decline nationally after brief spikes in Texas, California, Florida and Arizona as states were reopening. Now the cases have stabilized in those states, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is projecting they will remain stable until mid-to-late September when the cold and flu season gets going again.
And almost nobody but President Donald Trump was thinking that a recovery could happen this quickly. On March 25, the President predicted, “I don’t think it’s going to end up being such a rough patch. I think it’s going to, when we open — especially, if we can open it — the sooner, the better — it’s going to open up like a rocket ship. I think it’s going to go very good and very quickly.”
President Trump was right. After April, it looked like the U.S. had entering another Great Depression with 25 million jobs lost in the blink of an eye, but now it’s almost practically halfway back.
That is simply incredible.
It’s a dramatic turnaround, when in March health experts were projecting that as many as 2 million Americans would die if nothing was done.
Now, almost all of those lives have been saved the worst of the virus appears to be past us, and the economic damage may not be nearly as long lasting as many including this author had worried.
It took the Obama economy almost five years before it recovered the 8 million jobs lost in the financial crisis and Great Recession.
The Trump economy in contrast has beat the Obama pace of recovery in just three short months—May, June and July — in an unbelievable recovery with millions of Americans chomping at the bit to get back to work. The biggest gains the past three months have been in retail, leisure and hospitality, education and health care.
Adding to the good news, the week of July 25, another 965,000 Americans left unemployment benefits on an unadjusted basis, with 323,330 leaving continuing unemployment claims in California, 99,653 in Florida, 97,320 in Michigan, and 118,020 in Pennsylvania, according to the Department of Labor. After continued volatility in the continuing claims numbers, it now appears that the economic momentum will continue into August.
In part, this is a testament to the President’s and Congress’ foresight in adopting the payroll protection for more than 5.1 million small businesses totaling $523.4 billion according to the Small Business Administration, as well as key supports for larger businesses, critical industries and state and local governments. Relief was also offered via temporarily expanded unemployment and checks to every taxpayer in the country.
That now appears to have been instrumental in fueling a speedy rebound beyond almost all expectations.
On the political side of the equation, Democrats will be worried the recovery will continue accelerating through Election Day in November and might help Trump politically.
A Politico story in May quoted a former Obama official saying a rapid recovery economically and from the virus “is my big worry… It’s high — high, high, high, high.”
The Obama official was responding to an early April presentation by Jason Furman, a former Obama administration economist who, like Trump, predicted correctly: “We are about to see the best economic data we’ve seen in the history of this country.” Furman was right, too.
And after a dismal second quarter that saw a record 32.9 percent contraction of the Gross Domestic Product, this is surely great news for the American people.
The one thing that might kick it into high gear would be a rapid turnaround of a vaccine or some other effective treatment to prevent the virus from being so deadly. And with the phase three clinical trials for the Moderna vaccine, mRNA-1273, that began on July 27, that may be just the ticket to get the U.S. economy roaring back this fall. Stay tuned.
– – –
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Steve Bannon Presents: National Town Hall on the Case for Hydroxychloroquine

An all new LIVE STREAM of War Room : Pandemic starts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Saturday .
Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon began the daily War Room : Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25 , when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out of China around the Lunar New Year .
Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical , public health , economic , national security , supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET .
The show ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voice News , the John Fredericks Radio Network , Salem Media Group , and Newsmax TV and the podcast is available on Apple , Spotify , Stitcher , SoundCloud , and Google Play .
You can watch past episodes here .
Previously , Bannon hosted a series of three , two-hour long special programs entitled Descent into Hell : The Chinese People Confront the CCP .
The groundbreaking specials aired live on the John Fredericks Radio Network , America ’ s Voice Network , Dish TV Channel 219 , The Epoch Times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandarin .
For more information , visit www.pandemic.warroom.org and @ WarRoomPandemic .

An all new LIVE STREAM of War Room: Pandemic starts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Saturday.
Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon began the daily War Room: Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25, when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out of China around the Lunar New Year. Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical, public health, economic, national security, supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET.
The show’s broadcast partners are America’s Voice News, the John Fredericks Radio Network, Salem Media Group, and Newsmax TV and the podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and Google Play.
You can watch past episodes here.
Ep 323: 10 a.m.
Ep 324: 11 a.m.
Previously, Bannon hosted a series of three, two-hour long special programs entitled Descent into Hell: The Chinese People Confront the CCP.
The groundbreaking specials aired live on the John Fredericks Radio Network, America’s Voice Network, Dish TV Channel 219, The Epoch Times, ND TV, GTV and GNews in Mandarin.
For more information, visit www.pandemic.warroom.org and @WarRoomPandemic.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Hometown Newspaper Endorses Primary Rival Melton-Meaux

The editorial board of Rep. Ilhan Omar ’ s ( D-MN-05 ) hometown newspaper , The Star Tribune , endorsed her primary rival Antone Melton-Meaux Wednesday .
The board explained that they came to support Melton-Meaux after reviewing and interviewing both candidates extensively , stating that the candidate has “ strong progressive values that align well with the district.
” The editorial goes on to characterize Melton-Meaux as “ pragmatic ” and a “ mediator , ” whereas they characterize Omar as “ divisive ” and “ controversial.
” According to their editorial board , Omar ’ s temperament holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fifth District ’ s interests , unlike Melton-Meaux .
“ There are many ways to fight for change , few of them easy when tackling entrenched systems and interests .
Omar says she will ‘ fight hard for big ideas.
’ But the point of the fight , after all , is the change .
And that often requires the ability to forge alliances and persuade.
” The Tribune observed the core difference between Omar and Melton-Meaux is their polar perspectives and objectives .
They applauded Melton-Meaux ’ s tendency to err @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs , and criticized the national top-down approaches touted by Omar for legislation on police and healthcare .
“ While Omar wants to lead a movement , Melton-Meaux seeks to serve the Fifth District.
” The Tribune also addressed the DFL ’ s recent FEC complaint against Melton-Meaux , citing his campaign ’ s press release explaining the necessity of “ shadow ” companies to protect companies from Democratic Party blacklists .
Omar never issued a direct response to the article .
Instead , she retweeted other users ’ posts of articles in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of Omar ’ s first indirect retweet responses was a counter-editorial from The Tribune , published the same day by Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins .
Jenkins ’ s editorial called Omar a “ [ courageous ] public servant ” , rebutting nearly every criticism made by the editorial board and claiming a fundamentally different perspective of what district voters want .
Rather than dismissing the claims of Omar ’ s divisiveness , the city council member praises her for it .
“ Ilhan isn ’ t the kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wrong , justice and injustice , and immediately says ‘ how can we compromise between these things ?
’ No , she ’ s someone who puts her voice in the air and her body on the line and says , ‘ I will not be satisfied until this broken world is made whole ! '
” On Friday , Melton-Meaux issued a response to the editorial via Twitter : “ I ’ m proud to be endorsed by the Star Tribune and former DFL leaders in # MN05 .
In Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who gets things done — without ethical distractions .
There ’ s still time to vote before this Tuesday , August 11th !
” Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Antone Melton-Meaux ” by Anonte for Congress .
Background Photo “ Star News Tribune Endorsement ” by Star News Tribune .

The editorial board of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) hometown newspaper, The Star Tribune, endorsed her primary rival Antone Melton-Meaux Wednesday.
The board explained that they came to support Melton-Meaux after reviewing and interviewing both candidates extensively, stating that the candidate has “strong progressive values that align well with the district.”
The editorial goes on to characterize Melton-Meaux as “pragmatic” and a “mediator,” whereas they characterize Omar as “divisive” and “controversial.” According to their editorial board, Omar’s temperament holds her back from initiating change on behalf of Fifth District’s interests, unlike Melton-Meaux.
“There are many ways to fight for change, few of them easy when tackling entrenched systems and interests. Omar says she will ‘fight hard for big ideas.’ But the point of the fight, after all, is the change. And that often requires the ability to forge alliances and persuade.”
The Tribune observed the core difference between Omar and Melton-Meaux is their polar perspectives and objectives. They applauded Melton-Meaux’s tendency to err on the side of localized interests and needs, and criticized the national top-down approaches touted by Omar for legislation on police and healthcare.
“While Omar wants to lead a movement, Melton-Meaux seeks to serve the Fifth District.”
The Tribune also addressed the DFL’s recent FEC complaint against Melton-Meaux, citing his campaign’s press release explaining the necessity of “shadow” companies to protect companies from Democratic Party blacklists.
Omar never issued a direct response to the article. Instead, she retweeted other users’ posts of articles in defense of her campaign and track record. One of Omar’s first indirect retweet responses was a counter-editorial from The Tribune, published the same day by Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins.
Jenkins’s editorial called Omar a “[courageous] public servant”, rebutting nearly every criticism made by the editorial board and claiming a fundamentally different perspective of what district voters want. Rather than dismissing the claims of Omar’s divisiveness, the city council member praises her for it.
“Ilhan isn’t the kind of person who sees the battle between right and wrong, justice and injustice, and immediately says ‘how can we compromise between these things?’ No, she’s someone who puts her voice in the air and her body on the line and says, ‘I will not be satisfied until this broken world is made whole!'”
On Friday, Melton-Meaux issued a response to the editorial via Twitter:
“I’m proud to be endorsed by the Star Tribune and former DFL leaders in #MN05. In Congress, I’ll be a progressive who gets things done — without ethical distractions. There’s still time to vote before this Tuesday, August 11th!”
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Antone Melton-Meaux” by Anonte for Congress. Background Photo “Star News Tribune Endorsement” by Star News Tribune.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Warren County Judge Rules Against Contact Sports Injuction

A Warren County Court judge ruled on Thursday against the director of the Ohio Department of Health Lance D. Himes injunction on contact sports .
The order allowed non-contact sports to re-open for their normal seasons , as long as certain precautions are followed .
Contact sports , however , including football , basketball , wrestling , boxing , martial arts , and soccer would have been required to test players for COVID-19 several times per sporting event .
Students would be required to test negative within 72 hours of a game , again during any tournament lasting more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after that should the tournament last longer .
Judge Timothy N. Tepe said in his decision the order as applied was “ facially unconstitutional ” as it failed to “ provide procedural due process ” as well as “ equal protection under the law.
” The decision went on to say that the order violated “ the doctrine of separation of powers ” and delegated “ unbridled and vague power to unelected officials.
” Tepe , who according to his bio , has experience working with several youth sports organizations , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gem City Youth Conference , rejected the separation between contact and non-contact sports in the order was meaningful .
“ Mr .
Himes has instituted different operating guidelines to govern two groups of similarly situated individuals , ” Tepe wrote in his 14-page decision .
The ruling names two organizations as exempt from Himes ’ s original order , Southwestern Ohio Basketball Inc. and Kingdom Sports Center Inc .
However , nothing in the decision seems to prohibit other organizations from benefiting from it .
While the decision only extends to businesses inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewed as a big win by many .
Alex Meacham , the president of Shining Star Sports said , “ We can have a bracket format tournament with an actual champion… that ’ s good for the kids… this is big for our kids ” in an interview , according to WLWT .
Thomas Sunderman , co-founder of Southern Ohio Basketball Inc. was excited about the win but believed it didn ’ t go far enough .
On the company ’ s website , Sunderman said , “ Although we won this step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of litigation , Sunderman said the lawsuit would “ have a substantial impact on the entire state , and will pave the way to open ALL high school and youth sports if successful.
” – – – Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
You can follow Ben on Twitter .
Tips can be sent to [ email protected ]

A Warren County Court judge ruled on Thursday against the director of the Ohio Department of Health Lance D. Himes injunction on contact sports.
The order allowed non-contact sports to re-open for their normal seasons, as long as certain precautions are followed. Contact sports, however, including football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, martial arts, and soccer would have been required to test players for COVID-19 several times per sporting event. Students would be required to test negative within 72 hours of a game, again during any tournament lasting more than three days, and every two days after that should the tournament last longer.
Judge Timothy N. Tepe said in his decision the order as applied was “facially unconstitutional” as it failed to “provide procedural due process” as well as “equal protection under the law.” The decision went on to say that the order violated “the doctrine of separation of powers” and delegated “unbridled and vague power to unelected officials.”
Tepe, who according to his bio, has experience working with several youth sports organizations, including the Lebanon Warrior Youth Football League and The Gem City Youth Conference, rejected the separation between contact and non-contact sports in the order was meaningful.
“Mr. Himes has instituted different operating guidelines to govern two groups of similarly situated individuals,” Tepe wrote in his 14-page decision.
The ruling names two organizations as exempt from Himes’s original order, Southwestern Ohio Basketball Inc. and Kingdom Sports Center Inc. However, nothing in the decision seems to prohibit other organizations from benefiting from it. While the decision only extends to businesses inside Warren County, it’s being viewed as a big win by many.
Alex Meacham, the president of Shining Star Sports said, “We can have a bracket format tournament with an actual champion… that’s good for the kids… this is big for our kids” in an interview, according to WLWT.
Thomas Sunderman, co-founder of Southern Ohio Basketball Inc. was excited about the win but believed it didn’t go far enough. On the company’s website, Sunderman said, “Although we won this step, we still have steps to take.”
On a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of litigation, Sunderman said the lawsuit would “have a substantial impact on the entire state, and will pave the way to open ALL high school and youth sports if successful.”

– – –
Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Whitmer Extends Declaration of Emergency to September 4

Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer extended the emergency and disaster declaration on Friday , pushing the orders back until September 4 .
Whitmer ’ s previous emergency declaration was set to expire on August 11 .
“ We are in a crucial time in our fight against COVID-19 , and we must do everything we can to protect ourselves , our loved ones , and the brave men and women on the front lines of this crisis from a second wave , ” Whitmer said in a statement .
“ Today , I signed new emergency and disaster declarations using independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives.
” Every region in Michigan has seen an uptick in news cases over the past several weeks , according to the governor ’ s office .
The state ’ s positivity rate has also increased from two percent in mid-June to 3.5 percent in July .
Michigan ’ s positivity rate is still lower than the nine percent average , the governor ’ s office said .
As of Friday , Michigan has more than 85,000 confirmed cases and a death toll of 6,247 , according to the Michigan Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fatality rate is 7.3 percent .
“ COVID-19 is still devastating families across Michigan , and it ’ s crucial that Governor Whitmer continue to take swift action to save lives , ” said Chief Medical Executive and MDHHS Chief Deputy for Health Dr. Joneigh Khaldun in a statement .
“ I will continue to work alongside her as we make decisions to protect families ’ health and safety .
Michiganders should still do their part by wearing a mask and practicing safe physical distancing .
Be smart , and stay safe.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage four , according to the MI Safe Start Map .
The northern part of the Lower Peninsula is in stage three .
“ I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to protect Michiganders from the spread of this virus , ” Whitmer said .
“ I want to remind everyone in Michigan to wear a mask , practice safe physical distancing , and do everything in your power to fight COVID-19.
” Jordyn Pair is a reporter at The Michigan Star and Star News Digital Media .
Follow her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ email protected ] Photo “ Gretchen Whitmer ” by Gretchen Whitmer .

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the emergency and disaster declaration on Friday, pushing the orders back until September 4.
Whitmer’s previous emergency declaration was set to expire on August 11.
“We are in a crucial time in our fight against COVID-19, and we must do everything we can to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and the brave men and women on the front lines of this crisis from a second wave,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Today, I signed new emergency and disaster declarations using independent sources of statutory authority to continue saving lives.”
Every region in Michigan has seen an uptick in news cases over the past several weeks, according to the governor’s office. The state’s positivity rate has also increased from two percent in mid-June to 3.5 percent in July. Michigan’s positivity rate is still lower than the nine percent average, the governor’s office said.
As of Friday, Michigan has more than 85,000 confirmed cases and a death toll of 6,247, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The state’s fatality rate is 7.3 percent.
“COVID-19 is still devastating families across Michigan, and it’s crucial that Governor Whitmer continue to take swift action to save lives,” said Chief Medical Executive and MDHHS Chief Deputy for Health Dr. Joneigh Khaldun in a statement. “I will continue to work alongside her as we make decisions to protect families’ health and safety. Michiganders should still do their part by wearing a mask and practicing safe physical distancing. Be smart, and stay safe.”
Most of Michigan is currently in stage four, according to the MI Safe Start Map. The northern part of the Lower Peninsula is in stage three.
“I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to protect Michiganders from the spread of this virus,” Whitmer said. “I want to remind everyone in Michigan to wear a mask, practice safe physical distancing, and do everything in your power to fight COVID-19.”
– – –
Jordyn Pair is a reporter at The Michigan Star and Star News Digital Media. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.Email her at [email protected]
Photo “Gretchen Whitmer” by Gretchen Whitmer.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-08--Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson Leaves Earlier than Expected

Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson has vacated his position much sooner than he previously stated he would — without explaining .
Cooper announced that Thursday was Anderson ’ s final day commanding the department , according to the press release .
“ Deputy Chief John Drake will assume command of the MNPD as Interim Chief beginning Friday , August 7 , 2020 while the city continues its national search for a reform-minded Chief of Police who will make Nashville a model of community engagement and policing innovation , ” the press release said .
“ More details of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As The Tennessee Star reported in June , Cooper announced that Anderson would officially retire later this year , around November or December .
This , as reported , after left-wing activists and Metro Council members pushed for either Anderson to resign or for Cooper to fire him .
As reported , members of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee also called on Anderson to resign .
In particular , ACLU members expressed frustration with Anderson ’ s alleged refusal to collaborate with the Community Oversight Board , which was established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths of Jocques Clemmons and Daniel Hambrick .
The board has independent authority to investigate allegations of misconduct against the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department .
As The Star reported last week , Nashville Metro At-Large Council Member Steve Glover wondered this week if certain residents of Davidson County who lean right politically will have a say selecting a new police chief .
This , as Cooper announced what he called a roadmap to finding a new chief .
According to a press release , Cooper will rely on Metro Human Resources and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
Glover , on his Facebook page , said he wanted Cooper to consult with people he might not otherwise .
Cooper has said he will use former President Barack Obama ’ s principles on 21st Century Policing to guide him .
Those principles , among other things , warn against “ overly aggressive law enforcement strategies ” and encourage a diverse workforce that reflects community demographics .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson has vacated his position much sooner than he previously stated he would — without explaining.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper in a press release this week announced Anderson’s departure.
Cooper announced that Thursday was Anderson’s final day commanding the department, according to the press release.
“Deputy Chief John Drake will assume command of the MNPD as Interim Chief beginning Friday, August 7, 2020 while the city continues its national search for a reform-minded Chief of Police who will make Nashville a model of community engagement and policing innovation,” the press release said.
“More details of the search process will be announced next week.”
As The Tennessee Star reported in June, Cooper announced that Anderson would officially retire later this year, around November or December. This, as reported, after left-wing activists and Metro Council members pushed for either Anderson to resign or for Cooper to fire him.
As reported, members of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee also called on Anderson to resign. In particular, ACLU members expressed frustration with Anderson’s alleged refusal to collaborate with the Community Oversight Board, which was established in 2018. This, after the deaths of Jocques Clemmons and Daniel Hambrick. The board has independent authority to investigate allegations of misconduct against the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
As The Star reported last week, Nashville Metro At-Large Council Member Steve Glover wondered this week if certain residents of Davidson County who lean right politically will have a say selecting a new police chief.
This, as Cooper announced what he called a roadmap to finding a new chief. According to a press release, Cooper will rely on Metro Human Resources and a candidate review committee to narrow that person down.
Glover, on his Facebook page, said he wanted Cooper to consult with people he might not otherwise.
Cooper has said he will use former President Barack Obama’s principles on 21st Century Policing to guide him. Those principles, among other things, warn against “overly aggressive law enforcement strategies” and encourage a diverse workforce that reflects community demographics.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Steve Anderson” by Nashville.gov.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-09--Nashville Mayor John Cooper Restricts Alcohol Sales

Nashville Mayor John Cooper this week announced Order 10 from the Metro Public Health Department pertaining to alcohol .
According to a press release that Metro officials published on the city ’ s website , Order 10 prohibits the following : • The open consumption or possession in an open container of any alcoholic beverage outside of permitted establishments .
• Any sale of alcohol by a restaurant except when sold for consumption on premises or for off-premises delivery .
• Any sale of alcohol by a limited service or restaurant or bar except when sold for off-premises delivery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcoholic beverages .
As The Tennessee Star reported last month , because of COVID-19 , Nashville business owners will likely have their worst year ever .
Cooper , though , said that they and others in the city must still pay dramatically higher property taxes .
As reported , Nashville Metro Council members voted to impose a 34 percent property tax hike upon city residents .
“ As I have said many times before , it is terrible .
It is awful .
It ’ s necessary , ” Cooper said last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every single other locality is going to deal with the same problem .
The loss of sales tax revenue , of which local government is often built on , requires the shift in revenue , frankly .
Otherwise you are going to have massive furloughing of the whole city government.
” Cooper went on to say that Nashville ’ s new tax rate is below what it was three years ago .
“ This is not some spike that is afflicting our local businesses .
This is unfortunately having to pull back what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowest-taxed state in the lowest-taxed city in America .
It ’ s terrible , and it couldn ’ t be worse timing for us to do it , but any other course would jeopardize our ability to be in business as a city .
One of the things that happened on July 1 is we are open for business as a city .
Otherwise we would have run out of cash .
We would not be able to pay our employees .
We would not be able to pay public health or police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be back to work , ” Cooper said .
“ I get it .
You are able to say it ’ s the worst possible time .
Of course it is .
But the history of Nashville budget practices really had put us already in a hole and then the COVID put us into an additional hole .
We had to walk back , frankly , an abnormally low tax rate to what is still below our historic rate and below what it was even three years ago.
” Chris Butler is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ John Cooper ” by nashville.gov .

Nashville Mayor John Cooper this week announced Order 10 from the Metro Public Health Department pertaining to alcohol.
Cooper’s order took effect Saturday.
According to a press release that Metro officials published on the city’s website, Order 10 prohibits the following:
• The open consumption or possession in an open container of any alcoholic beverage outside of permitted establishments.
• Any sale of alcohol by a restaurant except when sold for consumption on premises or for off-premises delivery.
• Any sale of alcohol by a limited service or restaurant or bar except when sold for off-premises delivery.
• All curbside and to-go sales of alcoholic beverages.
As The Tennessee Star reported last month, because of COVID-19, Nashville business owners will likely have their worst year ever. Cooper, though, said that they and others in the city must still pay dramatically higher property taxes.
As reported, Nashville Metro Council members voted to impose a 34 percent property tax hike upon city residents.
“As I have said many times before, it is terrible. It is awful. It’s necessary,” Cooper said last month.
“The loss of revenue, every single other locality is going to deal with the same problem. The loss of sales tax revenue, of which local government is often built on, requires the shift in revenue, frankly. Otherwise you are going to have massive furloughing of the whole city government.”
Cooper went on to say that Nashville’s new tax rate is below what it was three years ago.
“This is not some spike that is afflicting our local businesses. This is unfortunately having to pull back what was the lowest tax rate in the lowest-taxed state in the lowest-taxed city in America. It’s terrible, and it couldn’t be worse timing for us to do it, but any other course would jeopardize our ability to be in business as a city. One of the things that happened on July 1 is we are open for business as a city. Otherwise we would have run out of cash. We would not be able to pay our employees. We would not be able to pay public health or police or teachers or be in any position to be back to work,” Cooper said.
“I get it. You are able to say it’s the worst possible time. Of course it is. But the history of Nashville budget practices really had put us already in a hole and then the COVID put us into an additional hole. We had to walk back, frankly, an abnormally low tax rate to what is still below our historic rate and below what it was even three years ago.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “John Cooper” by nashville.gov.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-09--Commentary: Could COVID-19 End the Government Monopoly on Education?

The coronavirus has been horrible news , most obviously because of death and suffering .
But the disease has also wreaked havoc with the economy and given politicians an excuse to push counterproductive policies .
But if you want to find a silver lining to that dark cloud , the virus may be putting pressure on America ’ s government school monopoly .
For instance , John Stossel explains that it may lead to more homeschooling .
Given the large amount of evidence showing superior outcomes for home-schooled students , this is definitely a much-needed bit of good news .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wall Street Journal , also opined about how the coronavirus may produce a permanent expansion of homeschooling : Most students will return to traditional classrooms when the crisis passes .
But some families—perhaps many—will…decide that homeschooling is not only a plausible option , but a superior one .
…An economy of high-quality online educational materials has sprouted in the past decade .
All you need is a laptop , headphones and a quiet corner of the house , and your kid can study everything from calculus to ancient Greek .
…Education has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of reasons .
Inertia is one—most people have a hard time reimagining something as basic as school .
…Teachers unions are politically strong and uninterested in anything that threatens their power .
But now the pandemic…can shake up the established order… If more Americans come to see the viability and value of home education , it could be a silver lining in a very dark cloud .
Private schools also provide a superior alternative to the government ’ s monopoly system .
That was true before the coronavirus , and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report from the New York Times has some details : Public schools plan to open not at all or just a few days a week , while many neighboring private schools are opening full time .
…the ways in which private schools are reopening show it can be done with creative ideas…reopening plans are just another way the pandemic has widened gaps in education .
Private schools were able to offer much more robust online learning last spring , and research suggests that school closures have widened achievement gaps .
…Independent schools don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the curriculum or facilities that public schools have , and teachers generally aren ’ t unionized .
Writing for Reason , Corey DeAngelis highlights the more competent response of private schools : A nationally representative survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs found that private and charter schools were substantially more likely to continue providing students with meaningful education services during the lockdown than traditional public schools .
…Private and charter schools were about 20 percent more likely to introduce new content to their students during the lockdown .
…Another national survey…found…students were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their teachers each day , and about 1.5 times as likely to attend online classes during the closures .
…Parents of children in private and charter schools were at least 50 percent more likely to report being “ very satisfied ” with the instruction provided during the lockdown than parents of children in traditional public schools .
…Private schools can adapt to change more effectively because they are less hampered down by onerous regulations than their government-run counterparts .
…Private and charter schools know that their customers—families—can walk away and take their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet their needs .
Unsurprisingly , defenders of the status quo often claim that the government monopoly does a poor job because of inadequate money .
This is utter nonsense .
I periodically share a chart put together by the late Andrew Coulson which shows how per-pupil spending in government schools has skyrocketed ( with zero improvement in educational outcomes ) .
Perhaps even more relevant , it costs more , on average , for kids to attend government schools than it does for them to attend private schools .
And that assumes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their true costs .
Yet that doesn ’ t seem to be the case .
Researchers who have investigated the numbers have discovered pervasive under-counting ( or non-counting ) of big expenses such as building costs and pension obligations ) .
Adam Schaeffer narrated a video on this topic about ten years ago .
Here ’ s a screenshot of the official numbers from various local governments compared to the actual costs .
Daniel J. Mitchell is a Washington-based economist who specializes in fiscal policy , particularly tax reform , international tax competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending .
He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review .

by Daniel J. Mitchell
The coronavirus has been horrible news, most obviously because of death and suffering. But the disease has also wreaked havoc with the economy and given politicians an excuse to push counterproductive policies.
But if you want to find a silver lining to that dark cloud, the virus may be putting pressure on America’s government school monopoly. For instance, John Stossel explains that it may lead to more homeschooling.
Given the large amount of evidence showing superior outcomes for home-schooled students, this is definitely a much-needed bit of good news.
Matthew Hennessey, in a column for the Wall Street Journal, also opined about how the coronavirus may produce a permanent expansion of homeschooling:
Most students will return to traditional classrooms when the crisis passes. But some families—perhaps many—will…decide that homeschooling is not only a plausible option, but a superior one. …An economy of high-quality online educational materials has sprouted in the past decade. All you need is a laptop, headphones and a quiet corner of the house, and your kid can study everything from calculus to ancient Greek. …Education has managed to stave off innovation for a variety of reasons. Inertia is one—most people have a hard time reimagining something as basic as school. …Teachers unions are politically strong and uninterested in anything that threatens their power. But now the pandemic…can shake up the established order… If more Americans come to see the viability and value of home education, it could be a silver lining in a very dark cloud.
Private schools also provide a superior alternative to the government’s monopoly system.
That was true before the coronavirus, and it’s even more true today. This report from the New York Times has some details:
Public schools plan to open not at all or just a few days a week, while many neighboring private schools are opening full time. …the ways in which private schools are reopening show it can be done with creative ideas…reopening plans are just another way the pandemic has widened gaps in education. Private schools were able to offer much more robust online learning last spring, and research suggests that school closures have widened achievement gaps. …Independent schools don’t have all the same regulations for the curriculum or facilities that public schools have, and teachers generally aren’t unionized.
Writing for Reason, Corey DeAngelis highlights the more competent response of private schools:
A nationally representative survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs found that private and charter schools were substantially more likely to continue providing students with meaningful education services during the lockdown than traditional public schools. …Private and charter schools were about 20 percent more likely to introduce new content to their students during the lockdown. …Another national survey…found…students were more than twice as likely to connect with their teachers each day, and about 1.5 times as likely to attend online classes during the closures. …Parents of children in private and charter schools were at least 50 percent more likely to report being “very satisfied” with the instruction provided during the lockdown than parents of children in traditional public schools. …Private schools can adapt to change more effectively because they are less hampered down by onerous regulations than their government-run counterparts. …Private and charter schools know that their customers—families—can walk away and take their money with them if they fail to meet their needs.
Unsurprisingly, defenders of the status quo often claim that the government monopoly does a poor job because of inadequate money.
This is utter nonsense. I periodically share a chart put together by the late Andrew Coulson which shows how per-pupil spending in government schools has skyrocketed (with zero improvement in educational outcomes).
Perhaps even more relevant, it costs more, on average, for kids to attend government schools than it does for them to attend private schools.
And that assumes government schools are actually being honest about their true costs.
Yet that doesn’t seem to be the case. Researchers who have investigated the numbers have discovered pervasive under-counting (or non-counting) of big expenses such as building costs and pension obligations).
Adam Schaeffer narrated a video on this topic about ten years ago. Here’s a screenshot of the official numbers from various local governments compared to the actual costs.
– – –
Daniel J. Mitchell is a Washington-based economist who specializes in fiscal policy, particularly tax reform, international tax competition, and the economic burden of government spending. He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-09--Harvard, Yale Enrollments Down 20 Percent After Moving Online

Amid the coronavirus pandemic , about 20 percent of Harvard and Yale University students will not re-enroll at the Ivy League schools this fall .
An email sent to Harvard students from Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay iterated the same fate for Harvard , the Harvard Crimson reported .
A similar , if not identical announcement , was posted on Harvard ’ s website , confirming that 5,231 students intend to enroll for the fall semester .
As the Harvard Crimson noted , data from the previous year show that 6,755 enrolled at Harvard in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harvard from 2019-2020 is about a 22 percent drop .
This news comes one month after Harvard announced that fall classes will be offered online only and that only 40 percent of students , including all first-year students , would be allowed to return to campus .
An email sent by Yale College Dean Marvin Chun reportedly stated that more than half of Yale students will live on or near campus while about 25 percent percent of students will enroll remotely .
However , fall enrollment is low among some student populations ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sophomores , who are barred from campus , will be taking online classes this fall .
In July , Yale announced that “ Undergraduate seniors and juniors may be on campus for the full year .
First-year students may study on campus during the fall 2020 semester only , and sophomores during the spring semester of 2021 only.
” Chun told the Yale Daily News that “ enrollments will be larger when students on leave return to campus , and meeting the needs of the larger student body will require creative solutions.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fall , which will “ make much more efficient use of students ’ schedules , classroom spaces , and allocation of teaching fellows.
” Chun also said that students can change their plans even after classes begin : “ Students who have opted to enroll in residence can change their minds and enroll remotely at any point in the term , without incurring the usual fee for relinquishing housing.
” Harvard and Yale are not the only institutions facing drops in enrollment .
Universities across the country are reporting signs that their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take gap years .
The Massachusetts state college system estimates a 40 percent dip in enrollment across its nine campuses this fall — from 40,000 total students to 25,000 .
The University of Montana , similarly , saw a 17 percent drop in new freshmen registration .
Also in Massachusetts , at Williams College , a private , liberal arts , school , just 71 percent of students indicated plans to return to campus in the fall , something the dean called “ a noticeable difference for all of us.
” Louisiana Delta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop in enrollment at the state ’ s two-year schools .
In July , the University of Akron in Ohio announced plans to lay off 97 full-time professors — representing 17 percent of its total — over budgetary concerns driven by lower enrollment .
Department chairs and deans were asked to trim their budgets by 25 percent .
Iowa ’ s public schools — including Iowa State University and the University of Iowa — saw 2,000 fewer students enrolled in summer classes , which could be an indication of low enrollment in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retain students by any means possible .
California State University campuses are sending students free merchandise in the hopes of boosting enrollment rates .
Others , like Georgetown University , have reduced tuition costs by up to 10 percent in the hopes of making just one more year all the more appealing to debt-laden students .
Benjamin Zeisloft is a Pennsylvania Senior Campus Correspondent , reporting on liberal bias and abuse for Campus Reform .
He is studying Finance and Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania .
Benjamin also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wharton International Business Review .

by Benjamin Zeisloft
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, about 20 percent of Harvard and Yale University students will not re-enroll at the Ivy League schools this fall.
An email sent to Harvard students from Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay iterated the same fate for Harvard, the Harvard Crimson reported. A similar, if not identical announcement, was posted on Harvard’s website, confirming that 5,231 students intend to enroll for the fall semester. As the Harvard Crimson noted, data from the previous year show that 6,755 enrolled at Harvard in 2019.
The difference in enrollment at Harvard from 2019-2020 is about a 22 percent drop. This news comes one month after Harvard announced that fall classes will be offered online only and that only 40 percent of students, including all first-year students, would be allowed to return to campus.
An email sent by Yale College Dean Marvin Chun reportedly stated that more than half of Yale students will live on or near campus while about 25 percent percent of students will enroll remotely. However, fall enrollment is low among some student populations; for example, only 70 percent of sophomores, who are barred from campus, will be taking online classes this fall.
In July, Yale announced that “Undergraduate seniors and juniors may be on campus for the full year. First-year students may study on campus during the fall 2020 semester only, and sophomores during the spring semester of 2021 only.”
Chun told the Yale Daily News that “enrollments will be larger when students on leave return to campus, and meeting the needs of the larger student body will require creative solutions.”
Yale will implement a new pre-registration period this fall, which will “make much more efficient use of students’ schedules, classroom spaces, and allocation of teaching fellows.”Chun also said that students can change their plans even after classes begin: “Students who have opted to enroll in residence can change their minds and enroll remotely at any point in the term, without incurring the usual fee for relinquishing housing.”
Harvard and Yale are not the only institutions facing drops in enrollment.
Universities across the country are reporting signs that their students will choose to delay enrollment or take gap years.
The Massachusetts state college system estimates a 40 percent dip in enrollment across its nine campuses this fall — from 40,000 total students to 25,000. The University of Montana, similarly, saw a 17 percent drop in new freshmen registration.
Also in Massachusetts, at Williams College, a private, liberal arts, school, just 71 percent of students indicated plans to return to campus in the fall, something the dean called “a noticeable difference for all of us.”
Louisiana Delta Community College recently reported an 11 percent drop in enrollment at the state’s two-year schools.
In July, the University of Akron in Ohio announced plans to lay off 97 full-time professors — representing 17 percent of its total — over budgetary concerns driven by lower enrollment. Department chairs and deans were asked to trim their budgets by 25 percent.
Iowa’s public schools — including Iowa State University and the University of Iowa — saw 2,000 fewer students enrolled in summer classes, which could be an indication of low enrollment in the fall.
Some schools are seeking to retain students by any means possible.
California State University campuses are sending students free merchandise in the hopes of boosting enrollment rates.
Others, like Georgetown University, have reduced tuition costs by up to 10 percent in the hopes of making just one more year all the more appealing to debt-laden students.
– – –
Benjamin Zeisloft is a Pennsylvania Senior Campus Correspondent, reporting on liberal bias and abuse for Campus Reform. He is studying Finance and Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Benjamin also writes for The UPenn Statesman and the Wharton International Business Review.