thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Tennessee Star Report Listeners Weigh in on Whether Mayor John Cooper Should Stay or Should He Go

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed several listeners to call into the show to weigh in on whether or not Mayor Cooper should be recalled as the mayor of Nashville .
Leahy : We ’ re going to turn the page here a little bit to something a little bit more local .
And we ’ re going to open up the phone lines will see if anybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this every now and then .
We just say open phone lines for calls !
I have a topic Scooter and the topic is do you agree with me that Nashville Mayor John Cooper is a tinpot dictator who is over asserting his authority by shutting down and ruining the Nashville restaurant and bar industry based on something other than science ?
Or do you want to defend Mayor John Cooper ?
( Gives call-in number ) Leahy : Well , we ’ ve got to see if somebody calls it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something when we do this , we do the open line thing in the five o ’ clock hour , which I do like once a week or so , the phone ’ s just light up .
But I ’ m not sure if we ’ ll do it here get that kind of response here at the 7:30 hour it typically .
It ’ s like you started the beginning of the hour .
Scooter : Everything I see on Facebook there ’ s definitely a feeling about Cooper and about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So it ’ ll be interesting as people have a chance to voice their opinion right now literally with their voice .
Leahy : With their voice , yeah , six one five seven three seven nine five two two .
Mayor John Cooper , should he stay or should he go now ?
Back to the shitty go aspect of it .
There is a new website I want to talk about here .
The story is by our own Chris Butler .
Voters Must Recall Nashville Mayor John Cooper .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a website that is asking Davidson County voters to recall Nashville Mayor John Cooper .
Members of this group Nashville Citizens for the Fair and Transparent Government said on the website .
Here it is folks .
RestoreNashville.org and hey advised Mayor Cooper to ‘ cut Metro costs before taxing Nashville citizens.
’ And he did not .
As the Tennessee Star reported Nashville citizens for fair and transparent government fought Mayor Cooper ’ s 34 percent property tax increase in May .
They passed it anyway .
But citizens are pushing back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can call in now .
Should Mayor Cooper stay or should he go ?
So the recall thing has a little higher standard than the charter referendum .
And the way it works is this .
I think you need to get like 70,000 signatures in a very narrow period of time to put a recall of the mayor on the ballot .
I suspect it is going to be put on the ballot .
And so that ’ s going to be happening shortly .
And we also have a petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent property tax increase at the mayor ’ s team is fighting .
We go now to Karen who wants to weigh in on whether Mayor John Cooper should stay or go , Karen .
Welcome to The Tennessee Star Report .
Caller Karen : Thank you .
Of course , he should go .
I ’ ve been in Davidson County for 31 years .
I don ’ t want to get out .
Karen : Any time restrictions are put on you when you leave your front door of what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then that ’ s a dictatorship .
Leahy : Yeah , I can not disagree with you on that .
What is the legal authority by which these restrictions on restaurants and bars are being placed by the little tinpot dictator , I call him Mayor John Cooper .
What ’ s the legal authority ?
Karen : Well , I don ’ t know what the legal authority is because I ’ m not a lawyer and I ’ m not up a lot on the practice of law .
But you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent the people and that ’ s not what the people want .
He ’ s destroying all these businesses .
Douglas Corner is closed .
We can never go back to Douglas Corner even when the county opens .
Leahy : Yeah , very good point .
Well , Karen so Cooper should go according to you .
Thanks so much .
We ’ ll go now to Don here in Nashville who wants to weigh in on should Mayor Cooper stay , or should Mayor Cooper go .
Don , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Patrick Leahy .
Caller Don : Michael , I think he should go can they impeach him with a special election or anything ?
How do they actually get him out of office ?
Leahy : I ’ m glad you asked .
Under the charter here the citizens have the right to recall any elected countywide official under the Nashville Metro Davidson County Charter .
And you ’ ve got to get like 70,000 signatures to get the recall on the ballot .
So you have to have a petition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t know like 21 days some or period of time like that .
We ’ ll get to the exact amount .
And this group at RestoreNashville.org is going to announce at some point apparently that they ’ re going to be starting to circulate these petitions .
So you could go there to RestroreNashville.org and be ready to sign the petition .
Does that make sense to you Don ?
Don : Obviously he ’ s bringing this economy down .
I mean he is killing Nashville .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Let me go quickly .
We got about a minute here .
We have a contrarian on the line .
Dave in Nashville says he wants Mayor Cooper to stay .
Tell us why Dave you ’ re on the Tennessee Star Report .
Caller Dave : Yeah .
This is great what he ’ s doing for these outlining counties .
He ’ s bringing people out to eat and to bars and stuff because we ’ re not shut down .
And God bless him .
We need this economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his labor while we expand and grow out here .
Leahy : You got me !
You got me on that one Dave !
That was very clever .
That ’ s very clever .
But you know , there ’ s also an argument Dave , that that as Andy Ogle ’ s the mayor Maury County says .
He says it hurts all of Middle Tennessee as well .
We go now to John who wants to weigh in and whether Mayor Cooper should stay or go .
John welcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Report .
Caller John : Hi .
Yeah .
He should go .
He ’ s killing the economy .
Here are my fears though .
I ’ ve seen this from experience .
I believe down here from Chicago four years ago .
I moved out of there because I ’ m the only conservative left there and if they vote him out what I ’ m seeing here is the same thing I ’ ve seen in Chicago .
The population is just going to vote in another progressive liberal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Carol Swain and so I think the only real support she had was from the conservative block in Nashville , which is shrinking .
Leahy : Well shrinking and you know , we talked to Metro councilmember at-large Steve Glover about that .
He actually thinks it ’ s growing and has some polling data to support that but we ’ ll talk about that more after the break John .
Thanks so much for your call .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Mayor Cooper ” by Nashville Mayor ’ s Office .

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed several listeners to call into the show to weigh in on whether or not Mayor Cooper should be recalled as the mayor of Nashville.
Leahy: We’re going to turn the page here a little bit to something a little bit more local. And we’re going to open up the phone lines will see if anybody calls. You know, we try this every now and then. We just say open phone lines for calls! I have a topic Scooter and the topic is do you agree with me that Nashville Mayor John Cooper is a tinpot dictator who is over asserting his authority by shutting down and ruining the Nashville restaurant and bar industry based on something other than science? Or do you want to defend Mayor John Cooper? (Gives call-in number)
Producer Scooter: Should I start a tally sheet?
Leahy: Well, we’ve got to see if somebody calls it’s interesting about that Scooter because you know something when we do this, we do the open line thing in the five o’clock hour, which I do like once a week or so, the phone’s just light up. But I’m not sure if we’ll do it here get that kind of response here at the 7:30 hour it typically. It’s like you started the beginning of the hour.
Scooter: Everything I see on Facebook there’s definitely a feeling about Cooper and about the way this is all been handled. So it’ll be interesting as people have a chance to voice their opinion right now literally with their voice.
Leahy: With their voice, yeah, six one five seven three seven nine five two two. Mayor John Cooper, should he stay or should he go now? Back to the shitty go aspect of it. There is a new website I want to talk about here. The story is by our own Chris Butler. Voters Must Recall Nashville Mayor John Cooper. This according to this new group with a website that is asking Davidson County voters to recall Nashville Mayor John Cooper.
Members of this group Nashville Citizens for the Fair and Transparent Government said on the website. Here it is folks. RestoreNashville.org and hey advised Mayor Cooper to ‘cut Metro costs before taxing Nashville citizens.’ And he did not. As the Tennessee Star reported Nashville citizens for fair and transparent government fought Mayor Cooper’s 34 percent property tax increase in May. They passed it anyway. But citizens are pushing back in a couple of ways. And you can call in now.
Should Mayor Cooper stay or should he go? So the recall thing has a little higher standard than the charter referendum. And the way it works is this. I think you need to get like 70,000 signatures in a very narrow period of time to put a recall of the mayor on the ballot. I suspect it is going to be put on the ballot. And so that’s going to be happening shortly. And we also have a petition and we have to repeal the 34 percent property tax increase at the mayor’s team is fighting. We go now to Karen who wants to weigh in on whether Mayor John Cooper should stay or go, Karen. Welcome to The Tennessee Star Report.
Caller Karen: Thank you. Of course, he should go. I’ve been in Davidson County for 31 years. I don’t want to get out.
Leahy: You do?
Karen: Any time restrictions are put on you when you leave your front door of what you can and can’t do, then that’s a dictatorship.
Leahy: Yeah, I cannot disagree with you on that. What is the legal authority by which these restrictions on restaurants and bars are being placed by the little tinpot dictator, I call him Mayor John Cooper. What’s the legal authority?
Karen: Well, I don’t know what the legal authority is because I’m not a lawyer and I’m not up a lot on the practice of law. But you know, he’s supposed to represent the people and that’s not what the people want. He’s destroying all these businesses. Douglas Corner is closed. We can never go back to Douglas Corner even when the county opens.
Leahy: Yeah, very good point. Well, Karen so Cooper should go according to you. Thanks so much. We’ll go now to Don here in Nashville who wants to weigh in on should Mayor Cooper stay, or should Mayor Cooper go. Don, you are on the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy.
Caller Don: Michael, I think he should go can they impeach him with a special election or anything? How do they actually get him out of office?
Leahy: I’m glad you asked. Under the charter here the citizens have the right to recall any elected countywide official under the Nashville Metro Davidson County Charter. And you’ve got to get like 70,000 signatures to get the recall on the ballot. So you have to have a petition. It has to be done in like I don’t know like 21 days some or period of time like that. We’ll get to the exact amount. And this group at RestoreNashville.org is going to announce at some point apparently that they’re going to be starting to circulate these petitions. So you could go there to RestroreNashville.org and be ready to sign the petition. Does that make sense to you Don?
Don: Yes sir.
Leahy: Why?
Don: Obviously he’s bringing this economy down. I mean he is killing Nashville.
Leahy: Yeah a very good point Don. Let me go quickly. We got about a minute here. We have a contrarian on the line. Dave in Nashville says he wants Mayor Cooper to stay. Tell us why Dave you’re on the Tennessee Star Report.
Caller Dave: Yeah. This is great what he’s doing for these outlining counties. He’s bringing people out to eat and to bars and stuff because we’re not shut down. And God bless him. We need this economy and a dictator and the fewer fruits of his labor while we expand and grow out here.
Leahy: You got me! You got me on that one Dave! That was very clever. That’s very clever. But you know, there’s also an argument Dave, that that as Andy Ogle’s the mayor Maury County says. He says it hurts all of Middle Tennessee as well. We go now to John who wants to weigh in and whether Mayor Cooper should stay or go. John welcome, you are on the Tennessee Star Report.
Caller John: Hi. Yeah. He should go. He’s killing the economy. Here are my fears though. I’ve seen this from experience. I believe down here from Chicago four years ago. I moved out of there because I’m the only conservative left there and if they vote him out what I’m seeing here is the same thing I’ve seen in Chicago. The population is just going to vote in another progressive liberal, you know? I mean I voted for Carol Swain and so I think the only real support she had was from the conservative block in Nashville, which is shrinking.
Leahy: Well shrinking and you know, we talked to Metro councilmember at-large Steve Glover about that. He actually thinks it’s growing and has some polling data to support that but we’ll talk about that more after the break John. Thanks so much for your call.
Listen to the full third hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Mayor Cooper” by Nashville Mayor’s Office.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Commentary: The Slow Suicide of New York City

“ The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time , in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.
” — F. Scott Fitzgerald , “ The Great Gatsby ” Listen : The sound you just heard was of a distinct lack of traffic , a dearth of hum , the slight sound of a great city in a death spiral .
That ’ s a fair question in the wake of the relentless pandemic choking major American cities .
The Big Apple is plagued with joblessness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate this summer , double the national rate .
Want more bleak numbers ?
Take your pick : About 1,200 restaurants have permanently shuttered since March .
The city has around 600,000 fewer jobs than a year ago .
About one-third of the city ’ s small businesses may never reopen .
But , of course , it ’ s not just about numbers .
It ’ s the vitality of the city that has been struck down .
Tourism is practically a thing of the past .
Hotels lay in waste .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that – vacant .
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority , which operates the subways , is hemorrhaging $ 200 million a week .
Nobody , it seems , is going anywhere .
Take a look at the platforms at virtually any subway station : A ghost town .
Imagine the wreckage occurring to the city ’ s tax base .
Forget foot traffic .
Nightlife is practically kaput .
The beehive of midtown Manhattan ?
Vanishing .
The New York of the mind ’ s eye is lost .
The city has always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it big a la Sinatra .
The scrum of street jockeying .
The oasis of Central Park with its nooks and crannies .
The bubbling concoction of diversity and greatness .
A favorite activity : Walking up Broadway , stopping for a hotdog at Gray ’ s Papaya , getting a slice at Famous Original Ray ’ s Pizza , listening to snippets of arguments , of passions , of cabals being formed along the broad boulevard , from one end of the city to the other .
Call it pop-up entertainment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget , this is the city that stood up to 9/11 .
It ’ s the city where George Washington prayed to God upon becoming the first president of this republic .
Meanwhile , Mayor Bill De Blasio and Gov .
Andrew M. Cuomo continue to impose various COVID-19 restrictions on travel , dining and people ’ s movement .
If the pandemic doesn ’ t kill New York , the reaction to it just might .
The city never was about its soaring skyscrapers ; it has always been about its towering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away in droves .
Others are fleeing en masse .
The dark days of early COVID-19 are no longer gripping the city ; indeed , New York has managed to keep infection numbers low for several months .
But even as the city has quelled the number of coronavirus cases , New York has witnessed the rise of another affliction : A startling surge in shootings and other violent crimes .
Shooting victims rose 81 % and shooting incidents increased 76 % from Jan. 1 through Aug. 2 , compared with the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Police Department .
The recent rioting and looting have cast a long shadow over the city the likes of which we haven ’ t seen in half a century .
The last time the city felt this dangerous was way back when New York was financially destitute in the 1970s , when , if you took a stroll down Times Square , you were liable to see an unconscious body prone on the sidewalk , as undisturbed people stepped over and around it .
But even New York of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it is now .
What happened to New York , the capital of the world ?
The Rome of the 21st Century ?
The center of culture , media , finance , theater , food , fashion—you name it .
What ’ s happening to New York is happening to other great cities across the nation—and , for each metropolis , it ’ s largely not a medical event .
It ’ s a conscious decision about how we live and what we do .
If , with the beginning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children back to the largest school system in the United States with more than 1 million students , we can surely find a way to open up much of the rest of the city .
Here ’ s what we think needs to happen to resuscitate the city , with appropriate safeguards : • Open museums and other cultural institutions ; and While we ’ re at it , the city should slash prices for subways and other public transit by half .
Much as the federal government has done , the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the city back to work .
And , finally , the city should launch a campaign , something along the lines of “ New York Is Back.
” It should rival the “ I Love New York ” slogan that originated in the 1970s during the city ’ s last epic crisis .
What we need now is political courage , not grandstanding .
It ’ s a human decision whether we save the city or not .
Eric Kampmann has been a New York publisher for five decades .
Alec Klein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is a former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reporter and the author of the new book , Aftermath .
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Eric Kampmann and Alec Klein
“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”
Listen: The sound you just heard was of a distinct lack of traffic, a dearth of hum, the slight sound of a great city in a death spiral.
Is New York committing suicide?
That’s a fair question in the wake of the relentless pandemic choking major American cities. The Big Apple is plagued with joblessness, peaking with a 20% unemployment rate this summer, double the national rate.
Want more bleak numbers? Take your pick: About 1,200 restaurants have permanently shuttered since March. The city has around 600,000 fewer jobs than a year ago. About one-third of the city’s small businesses may never reopen.
But, of course, it’s not just about numbers.
It’s the vitality of the city that has been struck down. Tourism is practically a thing of the past. Hotels lay in waste. Broadway remains dark. Offices spaces are just that – vacant. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subways, is hemorrhaging $200 million a week. Nobody, it seems, is going anywhere. Take a look at the platforms at virtually any subway station: A ghost town.
Imagine the wreckage occurring to the city’s tax base.
Forget foot traffic. Nightlife is practically kaput. The beehive of midtown Manhattan? Vanishing.
The New York of the mind’s eye is lost. The city has always been about the emerald imagination. Making it big a la Sinatra. The scrum of street jockeying. The oasis of Central Park with its nooks and crannies. The bubbling concoction of diversity and greatness.
A favorite activity: Walking up Broadway, stopping for a hotdog at Gray’s Papaya, getting a slice at Famous Original Ray’s Pizza, listening to snippets of arguments, of passions, of cabals being formed along the broad boulevard, from one end of the city to the other.
Call it pop-up entertainment on the go. Let’s not forget, this is the city that stood up to 9/11. It’s the city where George Washington prayed to God upon becoming the first president of this republic.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill De Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo continue to impose various COVID-19 restrictions on travel, dining and people’s movement.
If the pandemic doesn’t kill New York, the reaction to it just might.
The city never was about its soaring skyscrapers; it has always been about its towering people. But people are being turned away in droves. Others are fleeing en masse.
The dark days of early COVID-19 are no longer gripping the city; indeed, New York has managed to keep infection numbers low for several months. But even as the city has quelled the number of coronavirus cases, New York has witnessed the rise of another affliction: A startling surge in shootings and other violent crimes. Shooting victims rose 81% and shooting incidents increased 76% from Jan. 1 through Aug. 2, compared with the same time a year ago, according to the New York Police Department. The recent rioting and looting have cast a long shadow over the city the likes of which we haven’t seen in half a century.
The last time the city felt this dangerous was way back when New York was financially destitute in the 1970s, when, if you took a stroll down Times Square, you were liable to see an unconscious body prone on the sidewalk, as undisturbed people stepped over and around it.
But even New York of that hard time wasn’t as bad as it is now.
What happened to New York, the capital of the world? The Rome of the 21st Century? The center of culture, media, finance, theater, food, fashion—you name it.
A recent New York Times article declared, “Is New York City ‘Over’?”
What’s happening to New York is happening to other great cities across the nation—and, for each metropolis, it’s largely not a medical event. It’s a conscious decision about how we live and what we do.
If, with the beginning of the fall, we can send New York children back to the largest school system in the United States with more than 1 million students, we can surely find a way to open up much of the rest of the city.
Here’s what we think needs to happen to resuscitate the city, with appropriate safeguards:
Open all restaurants;
Open Broadway;
Open museums and other cultural institutions; and
Open all churches.
While we’re at it, the city should slash prices for subways and other public transit by half.
Much as the federal government has done, the city should institute tax and payroll incentives to get the city back to work.
And, finally, the city should launch a campaign, something along the lines of “New York Is Back.” It should rival the “I Love New York” slogan that originated in the 1970s during the city’s last epic crisis.
What we need now is political courage, not grandstanding. It’s a human decision whether we save the city or not.
– – –
Eric Kampmann has been a New York publisher for five decades. Alec Klein, who grew up in New York, is a former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reporter and the author of the new book, Aftermath. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Texas Grand Jury Indicts Netflix for ‘Lewd Visual Material’ in Cuties, State Rep Says

A Texas grand jury has indicted Netflix , Inc. for “ lewd visual material ” in the movie “ Cuties , ” a Texas state representative said Tuesday .
Republican Texas state Rep. Matt Schaefer announced Tuesday afternoon that a grand jury for Tyler County , Texas , indicted Netflix , Inc. , for “ promoting material in Cuties film which depicts lewd exhibition of pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 yrs of age which appeals to the prurient interest in sex.
” “ I ’ m hoping every district attorney in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Schaefer told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ And anyone that gives me two seconds , I ’ m telling the same thing.
” The state representative told the DCNF that the one-page indictment was filed Sept. 23 and has been public since that time .
He is unsure why it has not been reported on until now .
A Netflix spokeswoman told the DCNF Tuesday evening : “ Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children .
This charge is without merit and we stand by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office told the DCNF that a court date has not yet been set for the indictment .
“ I think the fundamental question is can you tell a story while using underage children to depict an immoral act , ” Schaefer told the DCNF .
“ I think this is the perfect opportunity to push back against the film.
” “ It ’ s not clear to me that the producers and Netflix didn ’ t play on the sexuality of these children in order to advertise the movie , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think their motives are purely noble at all.
” “ Cuties ” not only includes many close up shots of little girl ’ s crotches and buttocks , but also depicts them viewing pornography and discussing sexual acts and shows one girl photographing her genitalia , among other explicit scenes , a review by the DCNF found .
“ It ’ s an award winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up – and we ’ d encourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to watch the movie , ” a Netflix spokeswoman told the DCNF .
A slew of film reviews have also defended the film , calling it “ provocative , ” “ powerful , ” “ extraordinary , ” and emphasizing film director Maimouna Doucouré ’ s assertion that the film is a critique of the hyper-sexualization of young girls .
Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Mary Margaret Olohan
A Texas grand jury has indicted Netflix, Inc. for “lewd visual material” in the movie “Cuties,” a Texas state representative said Tuesday.
Republican Texas state Rep. Matt Schaefer announced Tuesday afternoon that a grand jury for Tyler County, Texas, indicted Netflix, Inc., for “promoting material in Cuties film which depicts lewd exhibition of pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 yrs of age which appeals to the prurient interest in sex.”
“I’m hoping every district attorney in the country takes a look at this,” Schaefer told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “And anyone that gives me two seconds, I’m telling the same thing.”
The state representative told the DCNF that the one-page indictment was filed Sept. 23 and has been public since that time. He is unsure why it has not been reported on until now.
A Netflix spokeswoman told the DCNF Tuesday evening: “Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film.”
The county district clerk’s office told the DCNF that a court date has not yet been set for the indictment.
“I think the fundamental question is can you tell a story while using underage children to depict an immoral act,” Schaefer told the DCNF. “I think this is the perfect opportunity to push back against the film.”
Netflix, Inc. indicted by grand jury in Tyler Co., Tx for promoting material in Cuties film which depicts lewd exhibition of pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 yrs of age which appeals to the prurient interest in sex #Cuties #txlege pic.twitter.com/UJ1hY8XJ2l — Matt Schaefer (@RepMattSchaefer) October 6, 2020
“It’s not clear to me that the producers and Netflix didn’t play on the sexuality of these children in order to advertise the movie,” he added. “I don’t think their motives are purely noble at all.”
“Cuties” not only includes many close up shots of little girl’s crotches and buttocks, but also depicts them viewing pornography and discussing sexual acts and shows one girl photographing her genitalia, among other explicit scenes, a review by the DCNF found.
“It’s an award winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up – and we’d encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie,” a Netflix spokeswoman told the DCNF.
A slew of film reviews have also defended the film, calling it “provocative,” “powerful,” “extraordinary,” and emphasizing film director Maimouna Doucouré’s assertion that the film is a critique of the hyper-sexualization of young girls.
Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
– – –
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Boeing Says Pandemic Will Cut Demand for Planes for a Decade

Boeing is lowering its expectations around demand for new planes over the next decade as the coronavirus pandemic continues to undercut air travel .
The company on Tuesday predicted that the world will need 18,350 new commercial airplanes in the next decade , a drop of 11 % from its 2019 forecast .
The value of that market will slide by about $ 200 billion from last year ’ s forecast , to $ 2.9 trillion .
Boeing Co. largely stuck to its rosy forecast for long-term demand , predicting that increasing air travel in Asia will help create a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next 20 years , down about 1,000 from its 2019 outlook .
The long-term optimism is based on history , including aviation ’ s eventual recovery after the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terror attacks and other crises , said the company ’ s vice president of commercial marketing , Darren Hulst .
Chicago-based Boeing , which along with Europe ’ s Airbus dominates the aircraft-building industry , has seen orders and deliveries of new planes crumble this year .
Boeing was already under pressure from the grounding last year of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after two deadly crashes .
The company has been squeezed even more during the pandemic , as airlines find themselves with more planes than they need .
Boeing has cut thousands of jobs this year .
The company ’ s outlook assumes that it will take about three years for air travel to return to pre-pandemic levels .
The company is counting on its defense and space business — now more than half of Boeing ’ s revenue — to maintain some measure of stability .
The company predicted that worldwide demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other products will be $ 2.6 trillion over the next decade , nearly matching the airliner market .
Boeing expects near-term demand to be especially weak for so-called widebody airliners that are used mostly on international routes .
International travel has dropped much more sharply than domestic flying during the pandemic , as the U.S. and other countries have restricted international visitors to limit spread of the virus .
Boeing sees more strength in demand for single-aisle or narrowbody planes likes its own 737 and the Airbus A320 , although it did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Koenig is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this Sept. 30 , 2020 , file photo , a Boeing 737 MAX jet , piloted by Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) chief Steve Dickson , prepares to land at Boeing Field following a test flight in Seattle .
Boeing says the pandemic will reduce demand for new planes for the next decade , long after experts expect a vaccine for COVID-19 .
The company updated its forecast of the airplane market on Tuesday , Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about long-term prospects driven by increasing air travel in Asia .
Boeing , which along with Europe ’ s Airbus dominates the aircraft-building industry , has seen orders and deliveries of new planes crumble this year .
( AP Photo/Elaine Thompson , File )

by David Koenig
Boeing is lowering its expectations around demand for new planes over the next decade as the coronavirus pandemic continues to undercut air travel.
The company on Tuesday predicted that the world will need 18,350 new commercial airplanes in the next decade, a drop of 11% from its 2019 forecast. The value of that market will slide by about $200 billion from last year’s forecast, to $2.9 trillion.
Boeing Co. largely stuck to its rosy forecast for long-term demand, predicting that increasing air travel in Asia will help create a market for more than 43,000 planes over the next 20 years, down about 1,000 from its 2019 outlook. The long-term optimism is based on history, including aviation’s eventual recovery after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and other crises, said the company’s vice president of commercial marketing, Darren Hulst.
Chicago-based Boeing, which along with Europe’s Airbus dominates the aircraft-building industry, has seen orders and deliveries of new planes crumble this year. Boeing was already under pressure from the grounding last year of its best-selling plane, the 737 Max, after two deadly crashes.
The company has been squeezed even more during the pandemic, as airlines find themselves with more planes than they need. Boeing has cut thousands of jobs this year.
The company’s outlook assumes that it will take about three years for air travel to return to pre-pandemic levels.
The company is counting on its defense and space business — now more than half of Boeing’s revenue — to maintain some measure of stability. The company predicted that worldwide demand for military planes, drones, satellites and other products will be $2.6 trillion over the next decade, nearly matching the airliner market.
Boeing expects near-term demand to be especially weak for so-called widebody airliners that are used mostly on international routes. International travel has dropped much more sharply than domestic flying during the pandemic, as the U.S. and other countries have restricted international visitors to limit spread of the virus.
Boeing sees more strength in demand for single-aisle or narrowbody planes likes its own 737 and the Airbus A320, although it did not disclose a forecast for the Max.
– – –
David Koenig is a reporter for The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: In this Sept. 30, 2020, file photo, a Boeing 737 MAX jet, piloted by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Steve Dickson, prepares to land at Boeing Field following a test flight in Seattle. Boeing says the pandemic will reduce demand for new planes for the next decade, long after experts expect a vaccine for COVID-19. The company updated its forecast of the airplane market on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. It remains upbeat about long-term prospects driven by increasing air travel in Asia. Boeing, which along with Europe’s Airbus dominates the aircraft-building industry, has seen orders and deliveries of new planes crumble this year. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--CDC Updates Coronavirus Guidance Again, Warns About Transmission from More than Six Feet

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its coronavirus guidance Monday to warn about the potential for virus spread from beyond six feet .
The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) guidance also says that the virus can “ linger in the air ” for hours .
The revision comes weeks after the agency retracted a similar update to its coronavirus guidance .
“ Some infections can be spread by exposure to virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours , ” the updated guidance said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that under certain conditions , people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away.
” The guidance added that all available data suggest that coronavirus spreads through close contact more often than through air borne transmission .
“ Available data indicate that it is much more common for the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission , ” the guidance said .
The CDC made similar updates to its virus guidelines on Sept. 21 before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC said the revision was made in error .
“ Internal CDC program ’ s concerns regarding COVID-19 transmission led to revision of the ‘ How COVID-19 Spreads ’ web page without appropriate in-house technical review , ” the CDC told The Daily Caller in a statement .
“ We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website.
” President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world .
Thomas Catenacci is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation .

by Thomas Catenacci
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its coronavirus guidance Monday to warn about the potential for virus spread from beyond six feet.
The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance also says that the virus can “linger in the air” for hours. The revision comes weeks after the agency retracted a similar update to its coronavirus guidance.
“Some infections can be spread by exposure to virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours,” the updated guidance said.
It continued: “There is evidence that under certain conditions, people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away.”
The guidance added that all available data suggest that coronavirus spreads through close contact more often than through air borne transmission.
“Available data indicate that it is much more common for the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission,” the guidance said.
The CDC made similar updates to its virus guidelines on Sept. 21 before reversing course the same day. The CDC said the revision was made in error.
“Internal CDC program’s concerns regarding COVID-19 transmission led to revision of the ‘How COVID-19 Spreads’ web page without appropriate in-house technical review,” the CDC told The Daily Caller in a statement. “We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website.”
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world.
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--‘Dune’ Ditches 2020, While AMC Commits to Staying Open

The 2020 theatrical release calendar is getting even slimmer in the wake of the announcement that Regal cinemas are temporarily closing , although AMC , North America ’ s largest theater chain , says it will remain open .
Warner Bros. said late Monday that its sci-fi pic “ Dune ” will now open in October 2021 , instead of this December .
The studio also pushed back “ The Batman ” to March 2022 and moved up its “ Matrix ” sequel to Dec. 2021 .
AMC Entertainment reiterated its commitment to stay open and cited a slew of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing , including this weekend ’ s new films “ The War With Grandpa , ” with Robert De Niro , and “ Yellow Rose.
” Roughly 80 % of its U.S. locations are currently open .
With the recent exit of the next James Bond film , that leaves a mere handful of big films set to still open in 2020 : Pixar ’ s “ Soul , ” on Nov. 20 , Universal ’ s “ The Croods : A New Age , ” on Nov. 25 , Disney ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Dec. 18 and Warner Bros. ’ “ Wonder Woman 1984 , ” at Christmas .
It ’ s an extra hit to the ailing theatrical industry , which endured six months of closures and has had a difficult time restarting business during the pandemic with key markets like New York still closed and an ever-changing release calendar .
Business has been so shaky that on Monday Cineworld Group Plc said it would temporarily close its 536 Regal cinema locations in the U.S. and 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse venues in the U.K. on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representing movie theaters , movie studios and directors issued a dire plea to Congress for financial help for cinemas .
They said nearly 70 % of small and mid-size theaters could face bankruptcy or closure without assistance .
AMC CEO Adam Aron said in a statement that the company ’ s agreement with Universal Pictures to shorten the theatrical window , “ puts AMC in a position where we can open our theatres when others may feel the need to close.
” AMC , Aron said , will share in home video on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with new releases on the calendar for the remainder of the year , including high-profile independent and awards contenders like “ Nomadland ” and Regina King ’ s “ One Night in Miami , ” studios have made it clear that they are skittish about releasing their most expensive properties in such a muted North American box office landscape .
Warner Bros. helped provide an early test case with Christopher Nolan ’ s “ Tenet.
” The film has grossed over $ 307 million globally , but only $ 45 million of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the world ’ s biggest box office market .
And although there are new films every weekend , back catalog films are regularly claiming spots in the top 10 .
Just this weekend the 27-year-old “ Hocus Pocus ” claimed the No .
2 spot and the 40-year-old Star Wars film “ The Empire Strikes Back ” landed at No .
6 .
Since “ Tenet , ” many studios have pushed at least one big film out of 2020 , including “ Black Widow , ” “ No Time to Die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other films vacated earlier , like “ Top Gun : Maverick ” and “ F9.
” And some studios have experimented by pivoting to video-on-demand releases , like Disney did with its live-action “ Mulan.
” The shifting calendar has a domino effect on future releases too .
When Warner Bros. moved “ Dune ” to Oct. 1 , 2021 , it took “ The Batman ” release date , pushing that film to March 2022 .
Lindsey Bahr is an Entertainment reporter with The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows Timothee Chalamet , left , and Rebecca Ferguson in a scene from “ Dune.
” Warner Bros. said late Monday that its sci-fi pic “ Dune ” will now open in October 2021 , instead of this December .
The studio also pushed back it ’ s “ Matrix ” sequel by 8 months to late 2021 and “ The Batman ” to 2022 .
( Chia Bella James/Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP )

by Lindsey Bahr
The 2020 theatrical release calendar is getting even slimmer in the wake of the announcement that Regal cinemas are temporarily closing, although AMC, North America’s largest theater chain, says it will remain open.
Warner Bros. said late Monday that its sci-fi pic “Dune” will now open in October 2021, instead of this December. The studio also pushed back “The Batman” to March 2022 and moved up its “Matrix” sequel to Dec. 2021.
AMC Entertainment reiterated its commitment to stay open and cited a slew of upcoming new releases that it will be playing, including this weekend’s new films “The War With Grandpa,” with Robert De Niro, and “Yellow Rose.” Roughly 80% of its U.S. locations are currently open.
With the recent exit of the next James Bond film, that leaves a mere handful of big films set to still open in 2020: Pixar’s “Soul,” on Nov. 20, Universal’s “The Croods: A New Age,” on Nov. 25, Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” on Dec. 18 and Warner Bros.’ “Wonder Woman 1984,” at Christmas. It’s an extra hit to the ailing theatrical industry, which endured six months of closures and has had a difficult time restarting business during the pandemic with key markets like New York still closed and an ever-changing release calendar.
Business has been so shaky that on Monday Cineworld Group Plc said it would temporarily close its 536 Regal cinema locations in the U.S. and 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse venues in the U.K. on Thursday. And last week leading groups representing movie theaters, movie studios and directors issued a dire plea to Congress for financial help for cinemas. They said nearly 70% of small and mid-size theaters could face bankruptcy or closure without assistance.
AMC CEO Adam Aron said in a statement that the company’s agreement with Universal Pictures to shorten the theatrical window, “puts AMC in a position where we can open our theatres when others may feel the need to close.”
AMC, Aron said, will share in home video on demand revenues with Universal.
But even with new releases on the calendar for the remainder of the year, including high-profile independent and awards contenders like “Nomadland” and Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” studios have made it clear that they are skittish about releasing their most expensive properties in such a muted North American box office landscape.
Warner Bros. helped provide an early test case with Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.” The film has grossed over $307 million globally, but only $45 million of that has come from North America, which is the world’s biggest box office market.
And although there are new films every weekend, back catalog films are regularly claiming spots in the top 10. Just this weekend the 27-year-old “Hocus Pocus” claimed the No. 2 spot and the 40-year-old Star Wars film “The Empire Strikes Back” landed at No. 6.
Since “Tenet,” many studios have pushed at least one big film out of 2020, including “Black Widow,” “No Time to Die” and “West Side Story.” Other films vacated earlier, like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “F9.” And some studios have experimented by pivoting to video-on-demand releases, like Disney did with its live-action “Mulan.”
The shifting calendar has a domino effect on future releases too. When Warner Bros. moved “Dune” to Oct. 1, 2021, it took “The Batman” release date, pushing that film to March 2022.
– – –
Lindsey Bahr is an Entertainment reporter with The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Timothee Chalamet, left, and Rebecca Ferguson in a scene from “Dune.” Warner Bros. said late Monday that its sci-fi pic “Dune” will now open in October 2021, instead of this December. The studio also pushed back it’s “Matrix” sequel by 8 months to late 2021 and “The Batman” to 2022. (Chia Bella James/Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP)


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Gov. Northam Criticizes President Trump’s ‘Don’t Live in Fear’ Message, Suggests Exercising to Help

Gov. Northam Criticizes President Trump’s ‘Don’t Live in Fear’ Message, Suggests Exercising to Help Fight COVID

Governor Ralph Northam recommended exercising with COVID after he criticized President Donald Trump ’ s statement that people shouldn ’ t let fear of the virus rule them .
“ I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M .
Feeling really good !
” Trump tweeted Monday .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life .
We have developed , under the Trump Administration , some really great drugs & knowledge .
I feel better than I did 20 years ago !
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Northam said Trump ’ s remarks were borderline dangerous .
“ This is absolutely the wrong message .
It ’ s irresponsible to make a statement like that.
” The governor also shared that he ’ d developed mild cold-like symptoms , including a loss of taste and smell .
However , Northam revealed that he is still feeling well enough to exercise every day – and recommended others do the same .
“ When you ’ re sick with a virus or have symptoms , it can sometimes make you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good thing , but you also need to get up and move around , get your blood circulating.
” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) lists rest as a way to manage COVID .
Not exercise .
In his following remarks , Northam alluded that Trump ’ s assessment might be different if he hadn ’ t received the quality of care available at Walter Reed .
“ [ Trump ] has access to the best medical care , medications , treatments other people don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anderson told The Virginia Star that the president was right to say the virus shouldn ’ t be feared .
“ I think the most important thing to look at is the majority of Americans have the symptoms that Northam has had – which are very mild .
You have this hyper-politicization of this virus , as if it ’ s some major death machine , ” stated Anderson .
“ The Democrats ’ standard is , unless something ’ s zero-risk , we should lock everything down .
The president clearly is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious , especially for select categories of people – but for the vast majority of Americans : you will be just fine . '
” Trump isn ’ t the first to tell Americans not to live in fear of COVID .
At the end of March , Dr. Anthony Fauci shared a similar message .
“ We ’ re going through a period of time now where we ’ ve got to , as a country , pull together .
Don ’ t get frightened .
Don ’ t get intimidated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to confront it and do the kinds of things that will put an end to it.
” In an interview with The Virginia Star , Republican candidate for governor and state Senator Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) said she agreed wholeheartedly with Trump ’ s message .
“ Listen , the president and Governor Northam both got COVID .
One supposedly took all the necessary precautions , and the other chose to live freely .
And they both got it .
I think the message is clear here : we can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need to reopen our schools , our businesses .
COVID is real , but the symptoms are much milder than they ’ re portrayed .
A positive test isn ’ t a death sentence , like the media portrays .
On the floor of the Senate , I ’ m the only one who doesn ’ t wear a mask .
They ’ ve built a plexiglass wall around me – I call it my wall of freedom .
My face will continue to be the face of freedom , and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Ralph Northam ” by Governor of Virginia .

Governor Ralph Northam recommended exercising with COVID after he criticized President Donald Trump’s statement that people shouldn’t let fear of the virus rule them.
“I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good!” Trump tweeted Monday. “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
In a phone interview with The Washington Post, Northam said Trump’s remarks were borderline dangerous.
“This is absolutely the wrong message. It’s irresponsible to make a statement like that.”
The governor also shared that he’d developed mild cold-like symptoms, including a loss of taste and smell. However, Northam revealed that he is still feeling well enough to exercise every day – and recommended others do the same.
“When you’re sick with a virus or have symptoms, it can sometimes make you want to rest – and that’s a good thing, but you also need to get up and move around, get your blood circulating.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists rest as a way to manage COVID. Not exercise.
In his following remarks, Northam alluded that Trump’s assessment might be different if he hadn’t received the quality of care available at Walter Reed.
“[Trump] has access to the best medical care, medications, treatments other people don’t have access to.”
Attorney General candidate Tim Anderson told The Virginia Star that the president was right to say the virus shouldn’t be feared.
“I think the most important thing to look at is the majority of Americans have the symptoms that Northam has had – which are very mild. You have this hyper-politicization of this virus, as if it’s some major death machine,” stated Anderson. “The Democrats’ standard is, unless something’s zero-risk, we should lock everything down. The president clearly is saying, ‘Yes, this is serious, especially for select categories of people – but for the vast majority of Americans: you will be just fine.'”
Trump isn’t the first to tell Americans not to live in fear of COVID. At the end of March, Dr. Anthony Fauci shared a similar message.
“We’re going through a period of time now where we’ve got to, as a country, pull together. Don’t get frightened. Don’t get intimidated. Use [that] energy to be able to confront it and do the kinds of things that will put an end to it.”
In an interview with The Virginia Star, Republican candidate for governor and state Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) said she agreed wholeheartedly with Trump’s message.
“Listen, the president and Governor Northam both got COVID. One supposedly took all the necessary precautions, and the other chose to live freely. And they both got it. I think the message is clear here: we can’t live our lives in fear. We need to reopen our schools, our businesses. COVID is real, but the symptoms are much milder than they’re portrayed. A positive test isn’t a death sentence, like the media portrays. On the floor of the Senate, I’m the only one who doesn’t wear a mask. They’ve built a plexiglass wall around me – I call it my wall of freedom. My face will continue to be the face of freedom, and so will President Trump’s.”
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ralph Northam” by Governor of Virginia.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Music Legend Eddie Van Halen Dies of Cancer at 65

NEW YORK , New York ( AP ) — Eddie Van Halen , the guitar virtuoso whose blinding speed , control and innovation propelled his band Van Halen into one of hard rock ’ s biggest groups , fueled the unmistakable fiery solo in Michael Jackson ’ s hit “ Beat It ” and became elevated to the status of rock god , has died .
He was 65 .
A person close to Van Halen ’ s family confirmed the rocker died Tuesday due to cancer .
The person was not authorized to publicly release details in advance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solos , Eddie Van Halen fueled the ultimate California party band and helped knock disco off the charts starting in the late 1970s with his band ’ s self-titled debut album and then with the blockbuster record “ 1984 , ” which contains the classics “ Jump , ” “ Panama ” and “ Hot for Teacher.
” Van Halen is among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 .
Rolling Stone magazine put Eddie Van Halen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 100 greatest guitarists .
Mark Kennedy is an Entertainment reporter with The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : David Lee Roth , left , and Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen perform on Aug. 13 , 2015 , in Wantagh , N.Y. Van Halen , who had battled cancer , died Tuesday , Oct. 6 , 2020 .
He was 65 .
( Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP , File )

by Mark Kennedy
NEW YORK, New York (AP) — Eddie Van Halen, the guitar virtuoso whose blinding speed, control and innovation propelled his band Van Halen into one of hard rock’s biggest groups, fueled the unmistakable fiery solo in Michael Jackson’s hit “Beat It” and became elevated to the status of rock god, has died. He was 65.
A person close to Van Halen’s family confirmed the rocker died Tuesday due to cancer. The person was not authorized to publicly release details in advance of an official announcement.
With his distinct solos, Eddie Van Halen fueled the ultimate California party band and helped knock disco off the charts starting in the late 1970s with his band’s self-titled debut album and then with the blockbuster record “1984,” which contains the classics “Jump,” “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher.”
Van Halen is among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Rolling Stone magazine put Eddie Van Halen at No. 8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
– – –
Mark Kennedy is an Entertainment reporter with The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: David Lee Roth, left, and Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen perform on Aug. 13, 2015, in Wantagh, N.Y. Van Halen, who had battled cancer, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. He was 65. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Whitmer Asks Michigan Supreme Court To Clarify Ruling Takes Effect Oct. 30, Republicans Say Order Ef

Whitmer Asks Michigan Supreme Court To Clarify Ruling Takes Effect Oct. 30, Republicans Say Order Effective Immediately

Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer on Monday asked the state ’ s Supreme Court for clarification that its recent order overturning her emergency powers does not take effect until October 30 .
The ruling , mandated October 2 , struck down the statute under which Whitmer had been issuing coronavirus emergency orders , nullifying the orders and saying that their issuance had been unconstitutional .
“ We need this transition period to protect the 830,000 Michigan workers and families who are depending on unemployment benefits to pay their bills and put food on the table , and to protect Michiganders everywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect them , ” Whitmer said in a statement on Monday .
“ The Supreme Court has spoken , and while I vehemently disagree with their ruling , I ’ m ready to work across the aisle with Republicans in the legislature where we can find common ground to slow the spread of the virus and rebuild our economy.
” Whitmer and Robert Gordon , director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services , filed a motion asking for the clarification on Monday , three days after the high court ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ruling raises several legal questions that we are still reviewing .
While we are moving swiftly , this transition will take time , ” Gordon said in a statement “ … We will use every statutory tool available to protect our state employees and the residents we serve.
” Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield ( R-107-Levering ) said the court ’ s ruling takes immediate effect and told reporters that the Republican-led Legislature was ready to work with the governor ’ s administration .
“ What was unconstitutional in May is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said during a Monday news conference .
“ What was unconstitutional last week is still unconstitutional this week.
” Chatfield also shared a tweet with a statement from Justice Stephen Markman , who was part of the majority opinion .
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox said that Whitmer has “ launched a litany of partisan attacks ” conservative justices on the Michigan Supreme Court , such as saying that her emergency powers were ruled unconstitutional by a “ slim majority Republican vote.
” “ Governor Whitmer ’ s behavior shows that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also for our state ’ s duly elected Supreme Court , ” Cox said in a statement on Monday .
“ It ’ s time for the Governor to recognize the other branches of our state government and the will of Michigan voters , and work with the legislature to come up with a responsible plan to handle COVID-19 in Michigan.
” Chatfield said that while he believes the court ’ s ruling has already removed Whitmer ’ s emergency power , he and other leaders believe that Michigan residents should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention such as wearing masks and social distancing , according to the Detroit Free Press .
He also said that businesses should make and enforce decisions to keep their employees and customers safe .
“ We ’ ve been advocating for a regional approach … all along , ” he said .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Background Photo “ Michigan State Supreme Court ” by Subterranean .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday asked the state’s Supreme Court for clarification that its recent order overturning her emergency powers does not take effect until October 30.
The ruling, mandated October 2, struck down the statute under which Whitmer had been issuing coronavirus emergency orders, nullifying the orders and saying that their issuance had been unconstitutional.
“We need this transition period to protect the 830,000 Michigan workers and families who are depending on unemployment benefits to pay their bills and put food on the table, and to protect Michiganders everywhere who are counting on their leaders to protect them,” Whitmer said in a statement on Monday. “The Supreme Court has spoken, and while I vehemently disagree with their ruling, I’m ready to work across the aisle with Republicans in the legislature where we can find common ground to slow the spread of the virus and rebuild our economy.”
Whitmer and Robert Gordon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, filed a motion asking for the clarification on Monday, three days after the high court’s decision.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling raises several legal questions that we are still reviewing. While we are moving swiftly, this transition will take time,” Gordon said in a statement “… We will use every statutory tool available to protect our state employees and the residents we serve.”
Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-107-Levering) said the court’s ruling takes immediate effect and told reporters that the Republican-led Legislature was ready to work with the governor’s administration.
“What was unconstitutional in May is still unconstitutional in October,” Chatfield said during a Monday news conference. “What was unconstitutional last week is still unconstitutional this week.”
Chatfield also shared a tweet with a statement from Justice Stephen Markman, who was part of the majority opinion.
Justice Markman in the majority opinion: “Accordingly, the executive orders issued by the Governor in response to the COVID-19 pandemic now lack any basis under Michigan law.” I am eager to partner with the administration to chart the state’s path forward.#StrongerTogether — Lee Chatfield (@LeeChatfield) October 3, 2020
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, (R-16-Clarklake) echoed Chatfield’s sentiment.
The highest court in our state couldn’t have been more clear in their ruling – they told @GovWhitmer to stop breaking the law by going it alone and to work with the Legislature to tackle the pandemic. Clearly she didn’t get the message. https://t.co/jiMkUv5Ctr — Sen. Mike Shirkey (@SenMikeShirkey) October 5, 2020
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox said that Whitmer has “launched a litany of partisan attacks” conservative justices on the Michigan Supreme Court, such as saying that her emergency powers were ruled unconstitutional by a “slim majority Republican vote.”
“Governor Whitmer’s behavior shows that she not only has contempt for Michigan law, but also for our state’s duly elected Supreme Court,” Cox said in a statement on Monday. “It’s time for the Governor to recognize the other branches of our state government and the will of Michigan voters, and work with the legislature to come up with a responsible plan to handle COVID-19 in Michigan.”
Chatfield said that while he believes the court’s ruling has already removed Whitmer’s emergency power, he and other leaders believe that Michigan residents should continue to follow health and safety guidelines from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention such as wearing masks and social distancing, according to the Detroit Free Press. He also said that businesses should make and enforce decisions to keep their employees and customers safe.
“We’ve been advocating for a regional approach … all along,” he said.
– – –
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.
Background Photo “Michigan State Supreme Court” by Subterranean. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Two Richmond Detectives Indicted by Grand Jury on Misdemeanor Assault Charges Related to Summer Prot

Two Richmond Detectives Indicted by Grand Jury on Misdemeanor Assault Charges Related to Summer Protests

Two Richmond police detectives have been indicted on misdemeanor assault and battery charges stemming from the protests that took place during the summer , the Richmond Police Department said in an emailed statement Monday night .
The charges were brought against the two detectives after Richmond ’ s Commonwealth Attorney Colette McEachin presented 18 sealed indictments to a grand jury on Monday concerning the actions of certain officers during the protests .
The detectives indicted on misdemeanor charges were identified as Christopher Brown , who has been with the department since 2015 , and Mark Janowski , who has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to police .
“ These events are unfortunate , ” Chief Gerald Smith said in the statement .
“ However , we must allow the legal process to work .
The officers will be placed on administrative assignment until a verdict is reached.
” The police statement offered no other additional information .
The Virginia Star reached out to McEachin for comment on the indictments , but she had “ no further comment.
” Of the 18 sealed indictments presented to the grand jury , the two against Brown and Janowski were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bills , which means there was sufficient evidence to justify the hearing of a case .
Mike Dickinson , a candidate for Richmond City Council 1st District , offered a strong rebuke of the indictments .
“ I think that it ’ s borderline ridiculous and it is political pandering to the highest degree , ” Dickinson said in an interview with The Star .
“ I think it will send a chilling effect on law enforcement to be able do their jobs , and I think it is going to make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected officials in Richmond are showing contempt for law enforcement.
” A person who is convicted of assault and battery is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor , which , in Virginia , carries a maximum punishment of up to a year in prison and a $ 2,500 fine .
The charges against Brown and Janowski stem from actions that occurred on or about May 31 , according to copies of the indictments obtained by The Star .
During the weekend of May 28-31 , large protests occurred every night in downtown Richmond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which happened earlier that week on May 25th in Minneapolis , Minnesota .
Specifically , the 31st was the first night Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney issued a curfew for the city of Richmond .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Richmond Police Department ” by Ed Uthman .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Two Richmond police detectives have been indicted on misdemeanor assault and battery charges stemming from the protests that took place during the summer, the Richmond Police Department said in an emailed statement Monday night.
The charges were brought against the two detectives after Richmond’s Commonwealth Attorney Colette McEachin presented 18 sealed indictments to a grand jury on Monday concerning the actions of certain officers during the protests.
The detectives indicted on misdemeanor charges were identified as Christopher Brown, who has been with the department since 2015, and Mark Janowski, who has been with the department since 2014, according to police.
“These events are unfortunate,” Chief Gerald Smith said in the statement. “However, we must allow the legal process to work. The officers will be placed on administrative assignment until a verdict is reached.”
The police statement offered no other additional information.
The Virginia Star reached out to McEachin for comment on the indictments, but she had “no further comment.”
Of the 18 sealed indictments presented to the grand jury, the two against Brown and Janowski were the only ones that were considered as True Bills, which means there was sufficient evidence to justify the hearing of a case.
Mike Dickinson, a candidate for Richmond City Council 1st District, offered a strong rebuke of the indictments.
“I think that it’s borderline ridiculous and it is political pandering to the highest degree,” Dickinson said in an interview with The Star. “I think it will send a chilling effect on law enforcement to be able do their jobs, and I think it is going to make it clear that the political administrations and the elected officials in Richmond are showing contempt for law enforcement.”
A person who is convicted of assault and battery is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor, which, in Virginia, carries a maximum punishment of up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine.
The charges against Brown and Janowski stem from actions that occurred on or about May 31, according to copies of the indictments obtained by The Star.
During the weekend of May 28-31, large protests occurred every night in downtown Richmond over the death of George Floyd, which happened earlier that week on May 25th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Specifically, the 31st was the first night Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney issued a curfew for the city of Richmond.
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Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Richmond Police Department” by Ed Uthman. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--Candidate Daniel Gade on Why He’s Running for the Virginia U.S. Senate Seat and How He is Not a Care

Candidate Daniel Gade on Why He’s Running for the Virginia U.S. Senate Seat and How He is Not a Career Politician Like His Opponent

Live from Virginia Tuesday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond , WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia , WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 ( 7-9 PM ) Hampton Roads , WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed U.S. Senate Republican nominee and veteran Daniel Gade to the show .
During the show , Gade explained his campaign and his motivation for defeating career politician Mark Warner .
He was confident that he could target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the status quo and wanted a change in Virginia .
Fredericks : Joining us now is Daniel Gade who is a veteran amputee .
Daniel Gade is running for U.S. Senate Republican nominee against Mark Warner which will be decided on November 3rd .
Daniel Gade great to have you with us man .
Gade : Thanks , John .
I really appreciate being on .
Fredericks : All right , you had two pretty good debate performances I thought .
You know , what was interesting in both debates Mark Warner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to directly criticize Trump .
Why do you think that is ?
Gade : Well , I actually thought he came after Trump after the president really hard .
But maybe he could have maybe it could have gone harder .
But the truth is I think you ’ re right , as you said .
It is partially right that he doesn ’ t want to make the thinks he can win some Republicans who he thinks are going to split the ticket voting for Trump and then him .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ridiculous because he was the leader of the intelligence committee , you know , ‘ investigation into Trump collusion.
’ So nobody who ’ s a Trump voter should believe that Mark Warner has their interest in mind .
Fredericks : Well , I don ’ t think so either .
In these two debates , what was the biggest thing that you learned Daniel ?
Gade : Well , you know , I learned that Mark Warner is just a career politician .
I mean , I knew that .
I knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you get up there on the stage and you see him repeating talking points instead of actually answering the question .
When you see him repeating platitudes instead of actually engaging with the topic at hand .
It ’ s like , oh that ’ s what a career politician looks like up close .
And so I thought both of my debate performances were absolutely victorious .
My staff and professionals around me were thrilled .
And so the good news here is that I ’ ve drawn a sharp contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me as the career servant .
And I think that ’ s been my biggest takeaway .
Fredericks : Tell me about what you think in this campaign what Mark Warner ’ s biggest weaknesses , Daniel .
Gade : Well , his biggest weakness is that he has voted with his party virtually in lockstep his entire career and he ’ s never taken any hard position .
So his strategy and his entire political career has been to be sort of be the grey man .
The man that nobody notices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every six years for a campaign .
And he doesn ’ t lead on legislation .
He doesn ’ t take any controversial hard stance and he doesn ’ t ever go up against his party .
And the reason he did that for the longest time was that he thought Virginia was basically a purple or even a red state and he was trying to keep his seat .
Now that he thinks it ’ s a permanently blue sea , he just is trying to keep his seat by voting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so and the people of Virginia are smart enough to see through that façade and they know that he is simply a career politician .
I think that ’ s the main weakness .
You know , people look at Richmond and they look at D.C. and they say I ’ m sick of that .
That ’ s a mess .
And then they look at the people who are there and they say oh , that ’ s why it ’ s a mess .
Maybe we should pick new people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you look at this race right now , a lot of people have written you off .
What do you have to do to win ?
Gade : Well , we have to keep doing what we ’ re doing right now which is we have to unite the base and reach out to independents and soft Democrats .
A month ago the polls were me down 22 .
A week ago they had me down nine .
And we ’ re going to run another poll in a couple of days that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great progress .
So what I ’ ve been doing is introducing myself to the voters by radio and TV and we ’ re going to keep doing that and we ’ re seeing that independents , I know most of the folks who are listening to this right now are probably pretty solid conservatives .
But the truth is that independents , when they ’ re distressed and when they discover that there ’ s the chance to vote for a career servant rather than a career politician independents are coming over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the challenge is to introduce myself to the independents .
And even in Northern Virginia , our internal polling shows me and shows Mark at like 52 and me at like 40 .
So that is great news because if I get 40 percent of Northern Virginia I win the race .
Fredericks : Well look , the recent polling that we have and you ’ ve got the same shows you down nine .
We ’ ve got us down three about between three and three and a half .
So you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I attribute that to just name ID .
A lot of people don ’ t know you that ’ s why you ’ ve got Your 30 days to get out there Daniel and do it .
Let ’ s talk about the Senate hearings with Amy Coney-Barrett .
Mark Warner has been very critical of the Senate moving forward and McConnell moving forward with her nomination both hearings and then the vote before November third .
Do you think the Republicans are doing the right thing ?
Or would you rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be the next president ?
Gade : Well , I don ’ t you know .
Here ’ s what I ’ ve said consistently .
It ’ s that the constitution gives the President of the United States the authority to appoint judges and other executive officials and gives the Senate the responsibility to either confirm or refuse to confirm those nominees .
And in 2016 , the Republican Senate errored in not giving Merrick Garland a vote .
They should have brought it to the floor voted on him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
And in 2016 Mark agreed with me because he said # do your job .
And in 2020 , we ’ ll call that Mark flop .
And in 2020 Mark says , oh no , no .
We need to wait until after the election as if a president ’ s authority only is , you know , three-point eight years or three-point seven years rather than four years of a term .
So the president still has the authority to appoint somebody .
I ’ m glad he appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her and the Senate has a responsibility to give her an up-or-down vote .
And I certainly hope they ’ ll vote yes .
And if they don ’ t , then I ’ ll vote yes in January when she comes to the floor because she is a distinguished jurist who believes that the constitution is a contract as I do .
Fredericks : As far as your positions and policies , I know there ’ s one issue that you don ’ t see eye-to-eye with the Trump Administration on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I kind of get your position on it .
I don ’ t agree with it , but I certainly respect where you ’ re at .
Are there other positions that you don ’ t share the same view as Trump does ?
Gade : Yeah .
So on the H-1B thing , you know our education system in America is a mess .
And we ’ re not sending out enough , and we ’ re not graduating enough high-tech qualified people to fill all the demand for high-tech jobs particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m okay with H-1B visas .
I think we ought to be bringing the best people from around the world to pull the American plow and work in our industry .
And that ’ s an area in which I mildly disagree with the administration but that ’ s fine .
You know , Virginia is electing me to be a voice for Virginia and a student and a scholar of the constitution .
And so that ’ s what I ’ m going to do .
Another area that I have expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first three years of the administration , but pre-COVID the budgets were , you know , trillion-dollar deficits year every year and I think that ’ s a mistake .
I think that what we ought to be doing is having the fiscal discipline and moving towards a balanced budget as rapidly as possible .
And that ’ s an area that the administration I think is in reality an effort to rebuild America as rapidly as possible they were doing some deficit spending which I think was excessive .
But that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who the president is but how do we get to our shared goal of making keeping America the best country in the world .
Listen to the full show here :

Live from Virginia Tuesday morning on The John Fredericks Show – weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond, WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia, WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 (7-9 PM) Hampton Roads, WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed U.S. Senate Republican nominee and veteran Daniel Gade to the show.
During the show, Gade explained his campaign and his motivation for defeating career politician Mark Warner. He was confident that he could target independents and other conservatives that were sick of the status quo and wanted a change in Virginia.
Fredericks: Joining us now is Daniel Gade who is a veteran amputee. Daniel Gade is running for U.S. Senate Republican nominee against Mark Warner which will be decided on November 3rd. Daniel Gade great to have you with us man.
Gade: Thanks, John. I really appreciate being on.
Fredericks: All right, you had two pretty good debate performances I thought. You know, what was interesting in both debates Mark Warner your opponent Democrat incumbent was very reluctant to directly criticize Trump. Why do you think that is?
Gade: Well, I actually thought he came after Trump after the president really hard. But maybe he could have maybe it could have gone harder. But the truth is I think you’re right, as you said. It is partially right that he doesn’t want to make the thinks he can win some Republicans who he thinks are going to split the ticket voting for Trump and then him. And that’s, of course, is ridiculous because he was the leader of the intelligence committee, you know, ‘investigation into Trump collusion.’ So nobody who’s a Trump voter should believe that Mark Warner has their interest in mind.
Fredericks: Well, I don’t think so either. In these two debates, what was the biggest thing that you learned Daniel?
Gade: Well, you know, I learned that Mark Warner is just a career politician. I mean, I knew that. I knew that by his record, but then when you get up there on the stage and you see him repeating talking points instead of actually answering the question. When you see him repeating platitudes instead of actually engaging with the topic at hand.
It’s like, oh that’s what a career politician looks like up close. And so I thought both of my debate performances were absolutely victorious. My staff and professionals around me were thrilled. And so the good news here is that I’ve drawn a sharp contrast between the career politician Mark Warner and me as the career servant. And I think that’s been my biggest takeaway.
Fredericks: Tell me about what you think in this campaign what Mark Warner’s biggest weaknesses, Daniel.
Gade: Well, his biggest weakness is that he has voted with his party virtually in lockstep his entire career and he’s never taken any hard position. So his strategy and his entire political career has been to be sort of be the grey man. The man that nobody notices. The one who only pops up every six years for a campaign. And he doesn’t lead on legislation. He doesn’t take any controversial hard stance and he doesn’t ever go up against his party. And the reason he did that for the longest time was that he thought Virginia was basically a purple or even a red state and he was trying to keep his seat.
Now that he thinks it’s a permanently blue sea, he just is trying to keep his seat by voting with his party all the time. And so and the people of Virginia are smart enough to see through that façade and they know that he is simply a career politician. I think that’s the main weakness. You know, people look at Richmond and they look at D.C. and they say I’m sick of that. That’s a mess. And then they look at the people who are there and they say oh, that’s why it’s a mess. Maybe we should pick new people here.
Fredericks: Daniel, when you look at this race right now, a lot of people have written you off. What do you have to do to win?
Gade: Well, we have to keep doing what we’re doing right now which is we have to unite the base and reach out to independents and soft Democrats. A month ago the polls were me down 22. A week ago they had me down nine. And we’re going to run another poll in a couple of days that I think is going to show really great progress. So what I’ve been doing is introducing myself to the voters by radio and TV and we’re going to keep doing that and we’re seeing that independents, I know most of the folks who are listening to this right now are probably pretty solid conservatives.
But the truth is that independents, when they’re distressed and when they discover that there’s the chance to vote for a career servant rather than a career politician independents are coming over two to one John. And so the challenge is to introduce myself to the independents. And even in Northern Virginia, our internal polling shows me and shows Mark at like 52 and me at like 40. So that is great news because if I get 40 percent of Northern Virginia I win the race.
Fredericks: Well look, the recent polling that we have and you’ve got the same shows you down nine. We’ve got us down three about between three and three and a half. So you running six behind Trump right now. But I attribute that to just name ID. A lot of people don’t know you that’s why you’ve got Your 30 days to get out there Daniel and do it. Let’s talk about the Senate hearings with Amy Coney-Barrett.
Mark Warner has been very critical of the Senate moving forward and McConnell moving forward with her nomination both hearings and then the vote before November third. Do you think the Republicans are doing the right thing? Or would you rather wait until we decide who’s going to be the next president?
Gade: Well, I don’t you know. Here’s what I’ve said consistently. It’s that the constitution gives the President of the United States the authority to appoint judges and other executive officials and gives the Senate the responsibility to either confirm or refuse to confirm those nominees. And in 2016, the Republican Senate errored in not giving Merrick Garland a vote. They should have brought it to the floor voted on him defeated him and told Obama to try again.
And in 2016 Mark agreed with me because he said #do your job. And in 2020, we’ll call that Mark flop. And in 2020 Mark says, oh no, no. We need to wait until after the election as if a president’s authority only is, you know, three-point eight years or three-point seven years rather than four years of a term. So the president still has the authority to appoint somebody.
I’m glad he appointed Amy Coney-Barrett. I think a lot of her and the Senate has a responsibility to give her an up-or-down vote. And I certainly hope they’ll vote yes. And if they don’t, then I’ll vote yes in January when she comes to the floor because she is a distinguished jurist who believes that the constitution is a contract as I do.
Fredericks: As far as your positions and policies, I know there’s one issue that you don’t see eye-to-eye with the Trump Administration on and that’s H-1B visas. I kind of get your position on it. I don’t agree with it, but I certainly respect where you’re at. Are there other positions that you don’t share the same view as Trump does?
Gade: Yeah. So on the H-1B thing, you know our education system in America is a mess. And we’re not sending out enough, and we’re not graduating enough high-tech qualified people to fill all the demand for high-tech jobs particularly in Northern Virginia. So I’m okay with H-1B visas. I think we ought to be bringing the best people from around the world to pull the American plow and work in our industry.
And that’s an area in which I mildly disagree with the administration but that’s fine. You know, Virginia is electing me to be a voice for Virginia and a student and a scholar of the constitution. And so that’s what I’m going to do. Another area that I have expressed some dismay with the administration is in the first three years of the administration, but pre-COVID the budgets were, you know, trillion-dollar deficits year every year and I think that’s a mistake.
I think that what we ought to be doing is having the fiscal discipline and moving towards a balanced budget as rapidly as possible. And that’s an area that the administration I think is in reality an effort to rebuild America as rapidly as possible they were doing some deficit spending which I think was excessive. But that’s a process concern. Not who the president is but how do we get to our shared goal of making keeping America the best country in the world.
Listen to the full show here:
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thetennesseestar--2020-10-07--JMU Students Have Returned to Campus and Resumed In-Person Classes Again

Students at James Madison University ( JMU ) resumed in-person classes on Monday after spending almost a month away from campus learning virtually because of a significant rise in COVID-19 cases and inadequate isolation/quarantine spaces .
At the beginning of September , university president Jonathan Alger announced JMU was temporarily sending most on-campus students home and switching to virtual instruction .
Now , students are back at the Harrisonburg , Virginia campus to give the 2020 fall semester another shot .
This time around the school has made some new adjustments to its protocols and restrictions to hopefully avoid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of quarantine/isolation beds available to students was quadrupled from before , classes are now capped at 50 people or less , 300 non-symptomatic students are tested every week as part of a new surveillance testing program and there is now fully-dedicated staff in dining halls making sure students are adhering to wearing masks and physically distancing , according to Caitlyn Read , director of communications and university spokesperson .
“ We feel very confident that we can handle an increase in case numbers , which we anticipate may happen once students fully return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle it , ” Read said in an interview with The Virginia Star .
When asked whether or not JMU , which has about 22,000 total students , has considered the possibility of going virtual a second time if COVID conditions worsen , Read said the university would not have brought students back if they were not entirely confident the rest of the semester could be conducted safely with in-person classes .
Despite JMU ’ s confidence in its ability to handle another rise in cases and finish out the fall , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring students back for in-person instruction was a good idea .
Results from a recently launched Google form where people could submit their thoughts on resuming normal classes and returning to campus showed a nearly even split down the middle .
“ We saw an almost 50-50 split in that data , ” Read said .
“ So , we saw about half of the people really wanted to be back [ on campus ] , wanted to be in-person and the other half wanted to be entirely online and did not want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a junior biology student at JMU , the school ’ s decision comes with mixed thoughts .
“ I ’ m kind of ok with it , but I think nobody actually thought that President Alger was going to bring students back to campus , ” Wells said in an interview with The Star .
“ I understand slightly why they did , although there is a really big suspicion in the community that the school is just going to send students home again when the cases inevitably spike.
” Because Wells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been online since the beginning of the semester she is not one of the students that was impacted by going virtual or coming back , but does have concerns over other students following guidelines for the rest of the semester .
“ I know there are many many people at JMU that don ’ t think [ COVID ] is an issue and I think that they ’ re ultimately going to be the ones that ruin the semester for the rest of us.
” Wells also mentioned that she isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself , but more so worried about passing it along to a person with pre-existing conditions or someone who is immunocompromised .
According to the JMU COVID-19 dashboard , there have been 1,527 total cases since July 1 , but only 33 cases are currently active .
During the period of time when there was a decreased number of students living on campus , the 7-day moving average for both the total daily positive cases and daily positive cases recorded at the university health center decreased .
Additionally , as of Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine/isolation beds are available , according to the dashboard .
One stat JMU ’ s dashboard does not track is the number of hospitalizations from COVID , to which Read said there have been about three or four instances , but could not provide an exact figure because students have to self-report hospital visits to the university .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ James Madison University Campus ” @ @ @ @ @

Students at James Madison University (JMU) resumed in-person classes on Monday after spending almost a month away from campus learning virtually because of a significant rise in COVID-19 cases and inadequate isolation/quarantine spaces.
At the beginning of September, university president Jonathan Alger announced JMU was temporarily sending most on-campus students home and switching to virtual instruction. Now, students are back at the Harrisonburg, Virginia campus to give the 2020 fall semester another shot.
This time around the school has made some new adjustments to its protocols and restrictions to hopefully avoid a repeat spike in cases.
The number of quarantine/isolation beds available to students was quadrupled from before, classes are now capped at 50 people or less, 300 non-symptomatic students are tested every week as part of a new surveillance testing program and there is now fully-dedicated staff in dining halls making sure students are adhering to wearing masks and physically distancing, according to Caitlyn Read, director of communications and university spokesperson.
“We feel very confident that we can handle an increase in case numbers, which we anticipate may happen once students fully return, but we feel better prepared to handle it,” Read said in an interview with The Virginia Star.
When asked whether or not JMU, which has about 22,000 total students, has considered the possibility of going virtual a second time if COVID conditions worsen, Read said the university would not have brought students back if they were not entirely confident the rest of the semester could be conducted safely with in-person classes.
Despite JMU’s confidence in its ability to handle another rise in cases and finish out the fall, not all community members thought the decision to bring students back for in-person instruction was a good idea.
Results from a recently launched Google form where people could submit their thoughts on resuming normal classes and returning to campus showed a nearly even split down the middle.
“We saw an almost 50-50 split in that data,” Read said. “So, we saw about half of the people really wanted to be back [on campus], wanted to be in-person and the other half wanted to be entirely online and did not want to come back.”
For Emily Wells, a junior biology student at JMU, the school’s decision comes with mixed thoughts.
“I’m kind of ok with it, but I think nobody actually thought that President Alger was going to bring students back to campus,” Wells said in an interview with The Star. “I understand slightly why they did, although there is a really big suspicion in the community that the school is just going to send students home again when the cases inevitably spike.”
Because Wells lives off-campus and all of her classes have been online since the beginning of the semester she is not one of the students that was impacted by going virtual or coming back, but does have concerns over other students following guidelines for the rest of the semester.
“I know there are many many people at JMU that don’t think [COVID] is an issue and I think that they’re ultimately going to be the ones that ruin the semester for the rest of us.”
Wells also mentioned that she isn’t too concerned about contracting the virus herself, but more so worried about passing it along to a person with pre-existing conditions or someone who is immunocompromised.
According to the JMU COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 1,527 total cases since July 1, but only 33 cases are currently active.
During the period of time when there was a decreased number of students living on campus, the 7-day moving average for both the total daily positive cases and daily positive cases recorded at the university health center decreased.
Additionally, as of Monday, 92.4 percent or 291 out of 315 quarantine/isolation beds are available, according to the dashboard.
One stat JMU’s dashboard does not track is the number of hospitalizations from COVID, to which Read said there have been about three or four instances, but could not provide an exact figure because students have to self-report hospital visits to the university.
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Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “James Madison University Campus” by James Madison University.