thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--The Ohio Star Managing Editor Jack Windsor Predicts Ohio Will Go For Trump with a Decision Stalled f

The Ohio Star Managing Editor Jack Windsor Predicts Ohio Will Go For Trump with a Decision Stalled for Late Mail in Votes for Biden

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed The Ohio Star Managing Editor Jack Windsor to the newsmakers line to weigh in on how Ohio will vote come election day November 3 and the results of mail-in voting .
Leahy : We ’ re joined now by our good friend managing editor of The Ohio Star .
The guy I called lightning in a bottle , Jack Windsor .
Good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got to get a sound effect for Jack , you know , Leahy : Little lightning in a bottle of a man The New York Times sends an investigative journalist to try to dig up dirt on in Ohio .
The man Mike DeWine runs away from or just can ’ t stand when the guy asks questions .
Jack , you have really been on a roll of late .
And now the big news .
Let ’ s focus a little bit on this big issue .
We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 days .
Ohio is a key battleground state , you know , you ’ ve been seeing all these polls .
I ’ m looking right now at the Real Clear Politics average of polls and the president needs Ohio .
Got to win Ohio to win the presidency .
Carmichael : I have a quick question for you .
What are the rules in regard to mail out ballots ?
In Ohio , in order to submit a ballot by mail do you have to go through the absentee ballot request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a great question .
And the rules have changed quite a bit in the past few weeks Crom .
What the state does is send out an absentee application to all registered voters .
So folks started receiving those applications in September .
Now , that process they can then send their absentee ballots back in or they can drop them by the Board of Elections dropbox essentially .
And as long as those absentee ballots are postmarked by you November 2 , they can be in receipt of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s the part that might get a little bit hairy .
We heard that we have 2 million absentee ballots that have been requested in the state of Ohio .
Carmichael : Now , let me stop you and ask you a question .
When you said that that the state mails out an absentee ballot request form and then voters then receive those and then they turn around and they can send that back in to receive a ballot in the mail .
And so the state then checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a process to authenticate the legitimacy of that request ?
Windsor : They do .
They go through a process of validating the signature and any ID request before they send that ballot back out .
And then of course when it comes back in the door .
Now the secretary of state has gone to great lengths to say hey , this is a safe process .
We ’ ve done it .
We ’ ve done it a lot .
But I think the issue in this election is sheer volume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than double any amount that we ’ ve received in the past during an election cycle .
So it ’ s going to be of a lot of ballots to count .
Carmichael : Now in other states .
there are stories of people going around and I think it ’ s in Minnesota , in particular , there are stories where people going around paying people for their ballot saying that will if will pay if you ’ ll vote essentially in Minnesota , they ’ re saying if you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give you $ 200 .
You go ahead and cast your vote then hand me your ballot and I ’ ll turn it in for you .
What ’ s his name ?
Project Veritas Carmichael : James O ’ Keefe is the one who had that on video where the guy was saying yeah , I pay people $ 200 for the ballot if they ’ ll check if they ’ ll sign it for Joe Biden and sign it and give it to me .
Is that happening in Ohio at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is not .
I pray that it doesn ’ t .
But look they ’ re going to nefarious people that take advantage of any loophole , right ?
And I think that ’ s what makes a lot of people nervous when you have over 2 million ballots that are outstanding that are going to come back in the door .
I mean , that ’ s a pretty big statistical sample .
Nowadays people are messing around .
Carmichael : Does the current state law not what the not with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wisconsin .
The current state law says that for a ballot to be valid it must be received before the polls close on election day .
If it ’ s received after election day , the state law says it ’ s invalid .
And some authorities in Wisconsin are trying to change the law without going through the legislative process .
What is the law in Ohio right now ?
The law on the books in terms of the validity and of a ballot in terms of election day ?
Does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be received by close of the polls on election day ?
Windsor : That is not my interpretation .
And that ’ s where there ’ s been some I guess some scrumming a little bit where the secretary of state has come out and said look , as long as it is postmarked by this date we can have it up to 10 days after .
So my indication is that that cutoff is going to be 10 days after the election with a valid post-mark that says , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me Jack like a formula for trouble .
Carmichael : Now November 2 is the day before the election .
So you ’ re saying if it ’ s postmarked the election day , it won ’ t count ?
Leahy : Yeah , that is very interesting Jack .
So let ’ s go back to the polls here for a second .
Carmichael : Can I ask one more question one more sure more question ?
When that ballot is received is there something that the ballot in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state know that the ballot that has come back in came from a valid voter ?
Windsor : Yeah , so they ’ re going to be apparently two layers thereof identity control .
when that comes back in then they ’ re going to be able to check that off contingent upon whatever it is that that voter sends back in and so the other issue is I think some of those ballots if they don ’ t follow the letter of how they ’ re supposed to do it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t include , you know , some sort of ID verification .
or piece of information that ’ s requested that matches up with what ’ s on the books at the polling location or at you know Board of Elections .
Then those ballots could be rejected .
Leahy : Okay , Jack .
What do you think ?
What ’ s your guess as to the likelihood that Democrats in Ohio will be able to away with a vote by mail fraud this time around ?
Windsor : You know ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not going to happen .
You know , Ohio has traditionally had a pretty tight process .
But what concerns me and I ’ m going to try to get this around the barn quickly .
what concerns me as we look back on when we had our primary and that was postponed .
We know that about 21,000 voters didn ’ t get a chance to vote because the process got muffed and got fumbled .
And so that concerns me a little bit because of the large number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to happen ?
Yeah , I do .
I think that people are going to try to mess with the process .
And it might be easier in some of these , you know smaller communities and smaller counties potentially versus , you know , Cleveland , Columbus , or Cincinnati .
I think there would be more scrutiny there .
but we ’ ll see .
Leahy : I ’ m going to ask you to put your prognosticator cap on just for a moment .
So 2016 Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College votes by nine points .
52 percent to 43 percent .
The polls have shown Biden leading until just recently a Trafalgar Group poll had released yesterday shows and they ’ re great pollsters , by the way , shows Trump up by four in Ohio .
Let me ask you this in two forms .
First , what are the numbers going to look like in Ohio on Election night , November 3 ?
And then when will we finally know the results in Ohio ?
And what will those results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this moment ?
Windsor : My guess is the numbers are going to be massive in favor of Trump on election night in Ohio .
And I think that that number will get whittled away over the course of you know , 10 to 12 days .
I think we will know really know by the middle of November .
They ’ ll call it by maybe 12th 13th 14th in that time frame .
I think we ’ ll know I believe Trump wins , Ohio by double digits .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jack very interesting .
Carmichael : I ’ m curious .
Why do you think that the vote will be that Trump ’ s lead will be whittled away ?
Are you saying the Democrats will vote by mail later than Republicans ?
Windsor : I think that they will vote by mail and I think that you know , they ’ ll count recount , you know , make sure they have the numbers right ?
I expected a lot of those mail-in ballots will be from for Joe Biden .
Listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 “ Voting Booths ” by Tim Evanson .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed The Ohio Star Managing Editor Jack Windsor to the newsmakers line to weigh in on how Ohio will vote come election day November 3 and the results of mail-in voting.
Leahy: We’re joined now by our good friend managing editor of The Ohio Star. The guy I called lightning in a bottle, Jack Windsor. Good morning Jack.
Windsor: Good morning, Mike. Thank you.
Leahy: We’ve got to get a sound effect for Jack, you know,
Carmichael: Little thunder.
Leahy: Little lightning in a bottle of a man The New York Times sends an investigative journalist to try to dig up dirt on in Ohio. The man Mike DeWine runs away from or just can’t stand when the guy asks questions. Jack, you have really been on a roll of late. And now the big news. Let’s focus a little bit on this big issue. We’ve got a presidential election coming up in 27 days. Ohio is a key battleground state, you know, you’ve been seeing all these polls. I’m looking right now at the Real Clear Politics average of polls and the president needs Ohio. Got to win Ohio to win the presidency.
Carmichael: I have a quick question for you. What are the rules in regard to mail out ballots? In Ohio, in order to submit a ballot by mail do you have to go through the absentee ballot request process?
Windsor: Yes. So it’s a great question. And the rules have changed quite a bit in the past few weeks Crom. What the state does is send out an absentee application to all registered voters. So folks started receiving those applications in September. Now, that process they can then send their absentee ballots back in or they can drop them by the Board of Elections dropbox essentially. And as long as those absentee ballots are postmarked by you November 2, they can be in receipt of those up to 10 days after the election. That’s the part that might get a little bit hairy. We heard that we have 2 million absentee ballots that have been requested in the state of Ohio.
Carmichael: Now, let me stop you and ask you a question. When you said that that the state mails out an absentee ballot request form and then voters then receive those and then they turn around and they can send that back in to receive a ballot in the mail. And so the state then checks their signature. Do they go through a process to authenticate the legitimacy of that request?
Windsor: They do. They go through a process of validating the signature and any ID request before they send that ballot back out. And then of course when it comes back in the door. Now the secretary of state has gone to great lengths to say hey, this is a safe process. We’ve done it. We’ve done it a lot. But I think the issue in this election is sheer volume. We’re going to more than double any amount that we’ve received in the past during an election cycle. So it’s going to be of a lot of ballots to count.
Carmichael: Now in other states. there are stories of people going around and I think it’s in Minnesota, in particular, there are stories where people going around paying people for their ballot saying that will if will pay if you’ll vote essentially in Minnesota, they’re saying if you’ll vote for Biden, I’ll give you $200. You go ahead and cast your vote then hand me your ballot and I’ll turn it in for you. What’s his name? Project Veritas
Leahy: Oh, yeah, James O’Keefe.
Carmichael: James O’Keefe is the one who had that on video where the guy was saying yeah, I pay people $200 for the ballot if they’ll check if they’ll sign it for Joe Biden and sign it and give it to me. Is that happening in Ohio at all to your knowledge?
Windsor: It is not. I pray that it doesn’t. But look they’re going to nefarious people that take advantage of any loophole, right? And I think that’s what makes a lot of people nervous when you have over 2 million ballots that are outstanding that are going to come back in the door. I mean, that’s a pretty big statistical sample. Nowadays people are messing around.
Carmichael: Does the current state law not what the not with the authorities are claiming like for example in Wisconsin. The current state law says that for a ballot to be valid it must be received before the polls close on election day. If it’s received after election day, the state law says it’s invalid. And some authorities in Wisconsin are trying to change the law without going through the legislative process. What is the law in Ohio right now? The law on the books in terms of the validity and of a ballot in terms of election day? Does it does the law say it has to be received by close of the polls on election day?
Windsor: That is not my interpretation. And that’s where there’s been some I guess some scrumming a little bit where the secretary of state has come out and said look, as long as it is postmarked by this date we can have it up to 10 days after. So my indication is that that cutoff is going to be 10 days after the election with a valid post-mark that says, you know November second.
Leahy: It sounds to me Jack like a formula for trouble.
Carmichael: Now November 2 is the day before the election. So you’re saying if it’s postmarked the election day, it won’t count?
Windsor: That’s what I read. Yes.
Leahy: Yeah, that is very interesting Jack. So let’s go back to the polls here for a second.
Carmichael: Can I ask one more question one more sure more question? When that ballot is received is there something that the ballot in order to request the ballot before? How does the state know that the ballot that has come back in came from a valid voter?
Windsor: Yeah, so they’re going to be apparently two layers thereof identity control. when that comes back in then they’re going to be able to check that off contingent upon whatever it is that that voter sends back in and so the other issue is I think some of those ballots if they don’t follow the letter of how they’re supposed to do it will get rejected. If they don’t include, you know, some sort of ID verification. or piece of information that’s requested that matches up with what’s on the books at the polling location or at you know Board of Elections. Then those ballots could be rejected.
Leahy: Okay, Jack. What do you think? What’s your guess as to the likelihood that Democrats in Ohio will be able to away with a vote by mail fraud this time around?
Windsor: You know (Sighs) like to think that it’s not going to happen. You know, Ohio has traditionally had a pretty tight process. But what concerns me and I’m going to try to get this around the barn quickly. what concerns me as we look back on when we had our primary and that was postponed. We know that about 21,000 voters didn’t get a chance to vote because the process got muffed and got fumbled.
And so that concerns me a little bit because of the large number of absentee ballots. do I think it’s going to happen? Yeah, I do. I think that people are going to try to mess with the process. And it might be easier in some of these, you know smaller communities and smaller counties potentially versus, you know, Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati. I think there would be more scrutiny there. but we’ll see.
Leahy: I’m going to ask you to put your prognosticator cap on just for a moment. So 2016 Donald Trump won Ohio’s 18 Electoral College votes by nine points. 52 percent to 43 percent. The polls have shown Biden leading until just recently a Trafalgar Group poll had released yesterday shows and they’re great pollsters, by the way, shows Trump up by four in Ohio. Let me ask you this in two forms. First, what are the numbers going to look like in Ohio on Election night, November 3? And then when will we finally know the results in Ohio? And what will those results be? What’s your guess at this moment?
Windsor: My guess is the numbers are going to be massive in favor of Trump on election night in Ohio. And I think that that number will get whittled away over the course of you know, 10 to 12 days. I think we will know really know by the middle of November. They’ll call it by maybe 12th 13th 14th in that time frame. I think we’ll know I believe Trump wins, Ohio by double digits.
Leahy: Oh really? That is interesting Jack very interesting.
Carmichael: I’m curious. Why do you think that the vote will be that Trump’s lead will be whittled away? Are you saying the Democrats will vote by mail later than Republicans?
Windsor: I think that they will vote by mail and I think that you know, they’ll count recount, you know, make sure they have the numbers right? I expected a lot of those mail-in ballots will be from for Joe Biden.
Leahy: Yeah, that’s no big surprise here.
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 “Voting Booths” by Tim Evanson. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Commentary: Three Inconvenient Truths 60 Minutes Forgot to Mention in Its Story on California Wildfi

Commentary: Three Inconvenient Truths 60 Minutes Forgot to Mention in Its Story on California Wildfires and Climate Change

CBS journalist Scott Pelley recently visited Butte County , California , to report on the wildfires devastating the Golden State .
Government statistics show that more than 8,300 wildfires have burned some 4 million acres to date .
The flames have claimed 31 lives and destroyed nearly 8,700 structures .
One of those structures belonged to Fire Station 61 Chief Reed Rankin , who saw his home reduced to a charred skeleton after a September blaze .
“ [ It ’ s ] nothin ’ but a foundation with a metal roof on top of it , ” Rankin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a firefighter , told Pelley .
“ It ’ s completely burned down.
” CBS had a wonderful opportunity to explore the devastating impact and causes of California ’ s fires .
Unfortunately , it was an opportunity missed .
The 60 Minutes segment focused primarily on climate change , a topic that is covered in depth virtually every single day .
California ’ s historic wildfires received scant attention , and all but the most attuned viewers would have concluded that the wildfires are simply the result of global warming .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of seven seconds of the 13-minute segment explaining a primary cause of California ’ s megafires .
“ Climate isn ’ t the only reason , ” Pelley says of the wildfires at one point .
“ Decades of aggressively putting out every forest fire allowed brush to pile up like kindling.
” Pelley is correct .
There is a widespread scientific consensus that California ’ s aggressive efforts to suppress fire have made the state ripe for megafires .
But this is the last 60 Minutes viewers hear on the mismanagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bulk of the segment is dedicated to interviewing James Hansen and Michael Mann , a pair of scientists who have spent decades warning about the dangers of man-made climate change .
“ We ’ re seeing exactly what we expected , ” said Hansen , who in 1988 produced a seminal paper predicting a decades-long rise in global temperatures .
“ But I expected that governments would be wise enough that they ’ d begin to adopt policies to preserve the future for young people .
But they haven ’ t done that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate science at Columbia University , and Pelley notes that he is considered the “ father of climate change science.
” “ If we don ’ t change anything , then we ’ re going to continue to see more and more of these extreme regional events , ” Hansen says .
“ The physics is quite simple .
As you add more greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere , you increase the heating of the surface .
So at the times and places where it ’ s dry you get more extreme droughts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fires burn hotter.
” When I first wrote about California ’ s wildfires , I noted that evidence suggests both poor land management and California ’ s high temperatures have played a role in the wildfires .
And it ’ s certainly reasonable to assume the dry and hot conditions have contributed to California ’ s harsh season .
Yet to blame the bulk of the blame on climate change ignores evidence that suggests government policies are the primary culprit .
Consider these facts .
1 .
Wildfires are not at historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s true that California is suffering from a truly devastating fire season , one that has exacted a sadly high toll on human lives .
Across the US , however , burning is much lower than previous decades .
As of October 5 , fires have consumed 7.8 million acres of land in the US over the last year .
That ’ s less over the same period that burned in 2017 , 2015 , 2012 , and 2011 .
Moreover , it ’ s a small fraction—about 1/4th—of the yearly average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the official historical data .
When journalists and climate activists warn of record-high levels of fire in the US , they ’ re simply ignoring all data prior to 1960 .
This offers a politically convenient baseline , since it means that the data set begins when fire suppression was still a widely used management tool in the US .
2 .
California is 4.3 % of US landmass—but has 50 % of its burn area in 2020 State statistics say California has seen about 4 million acres burn this season .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s more than half of the total acreage burned in the US .
To be sure , California is a really big state—163,694 square miles .
But that ’ s still just 4.3 percent of the total land area of the US .
What these numbers mean is that the megafire problem in the US right now is a problem pretty much singular to California .
This suggests it ’ s less about climate change and more a result of the state ’ s decades-long practice of fire suppression .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times , other parts of the United States long ago abandoned such policies , recognizing natural and prescribed burning are effective tools to manage the land .
“ Today fire is widely accepted as a tool for land management in the Southeast , ” said Crystal Kolden , a fire scientist at the University of California , Merced , told the Times last month .
Is it possible that Appalachia country and other parts of the US are being spared from the effects of climate change ?
More likely , they simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has refused to acknowledge : burning is necessary , and aggressive efforts to suppress it are disastrous .
3 .
Texas is Hotter Than California and Has More Forests , but Far Fewer Megafires In case some people do believe that California is simply experiencing harsher effects of climate change than other parts of the country , it ’ s worth pointing out a few simple geographical facts about Texas .
The Lone Star state actually has more forest area than the Golden State and higher temperatures .
Yet government data show they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From 1997-2019 Texas had about one third the number of megablazes ( fires larger than 100,000 acres ) that California did .
What could explain these results ?
Perhaps the fact that 95 percent of Texas ’ s land mass is privately owned and authorities have embraced burning policies that allow fire to do its natural work .
California ’ s wildfires are a serious matter .
We must make every effort to protect people and communities from their devastating effects .
But the crisis should not be used to advance a politicized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggests California ’ s wildfires stem largely from government mismanagement .
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine , The Wall Street Journal , CNN , Forbes , Fox News , and the Star Tribune .
Photo “ California Wildfires ” by Bjorgialt .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .

by Jon Militmore
CBS journalist Scott Pelley recently visited Butte County, California, to report on the wildfires devastating the Golden State.
Government statistics show that more than 8,300 wildfires have burned some 4 million acres to date. The flames have claimed 31 lives and destroyed nearly 8,700 structures. One of those structures belonged to Fire Station 61 Chief Reed Rankin, who saw his home reduced to a charred skeleton after a September blaze.
“[It’s] nothin’ but a foundation with a metal roof on top of it,” Rankin, who has spent more than 28 years as a firefighter, told Pelley. “It’s completely burned down.”
CBS had a wonderful opportunity to explore the devastating impact and causes of California’s fires. Unfortunately, it was an opportunity missed. The 60 Minutes segment focused primarily on climate change, a topic that is covered in depth virtually every single day.
California’s historic wildfires received scant attention, and all but the most attuned viewers would have concluded that the wildfires are simply the result of global warming. That’s because Pelley spent a total of seven seconds of the 13-minute segment explaining a primary cause of California’s megafires.
“Climate isn’t the only reason,” Pelley says of the wildfires at one point. “Decades of aggressively putting out every forest fire allowed brush to pile up like kindling.”
Pelley is correct. There is a widespread scientific consensus that California’s aggressive efforts to suppress fire have made the state ripe for megafires. But this is the last 60 Minutes viewers hear on the mismanagement of California’s forests.
The bulk of the segment is dedicated to interviewing James Hansen and Michael Mann, a pair of scientists who have spent decades warning about the dangers of man-made climate change.
“We’re seeing exactly what we expected,” said Hansen, who in 1988 produced a seminal paper predicting a decades-long rise in global temperatures. “But I expected that governments would be wise enough that they’d begin to adopt policies to preserve the future for young people. But they haven’t done that yet.”
Hansen runs the program on climate science at Columbia University, and Pelley notes that he is considered the “father of climate change science.”
“If we don’t change anything, then we’re going to continue to see more and more of these extreme regional events,” Hansen says. “The physics is quite simple. As you add more greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, you increase the heating of the surface. So at the times and places where it’s dry you get more extreme droughts, the fire seasons become longer, the fires burn hotter.”
When I first wrote about California’s wildfires, I noted that evidence suggests both poor land management and California’s high temperatures have played a role in the wildfires. And it’s certainly reasonable to assume the dry and hot conditions have contributed to California’s harsh season.
Yet to blame the bulk of the blame on climate change ignores evidence that suggests government policies are the primary culprit. Consider these facts.
1. Wildfires are not at historic highs (not even close)
It’s true that California is suffering from a truly devastating fire season, one that has exacted a sadly high toll on human lives. Across the US, however, burning is much lower than previous decades.
As of October 5, fires have consumed 7.8 million acres of land in the US over the last year. That’s less over the same period that burned in 2017, 2015, 2012, and 2011. Moreover, it’s a small fraction—about 1/4th—of the yearly average between 1926 and 1952, according to the official historical data.
When journalists and climate activists warn of record-high levels of fire in the US, they’re simply ignoring all data prior to 1960. This offers a politically convenient baseline, since it means that the data set begins when fire suppression was still a widely used management tool in the US.
For all the talk about 2020's fires being an unprecedented apocalypse (7M acres burned), it's worth noting 2020 is unlikely to surpass 2017's total. Even if it does, it's still about about 1/5 of the total acreage burned in 1930. Context matters. H/T @BjornLomborg. pic.twitter.com/x44Ag1l4me — Jon Miltimore (Parler: @Miltimore79) (@miltimore79) September 21, 2020
2. California is 4.3% of US landmass—but has 50% of its burn area in 2020
State statistics say California has seen about 4 million acres burn this season. That’s a lot. In fact, it’s more than half of the total acreage burned in the US.
To be sure, California is a really big state—163,694 square miles. But that’s still just 4.3 percent of the total land area of the US.
What these numbers mean is that the megafire problem in the US right now is a problem pretty much singular to California. This suggests it’s less about climate change and more a result of the state’s decades-long practice of fire suppression.
As fire experts recently told the New York Times, other parts of the United States long ago abandoned such policies, recognizing natural and prescribed burning are effective tools to manage the land.
“Today fire is widely accepted as a tool for land management in the Southeast,” said Crystal Kolden, a fire scientist at the University of California, Merced, told the Times last month.
Is it possible that Appalachia country and other parts of the US are being spared from the effects of climate change? More likely, they simply learned decades ago a fact that California has refused to acknowledge: burning is necessary, and aggressive efforts to suppress it are disastrous.
California represents 4.3% of US landmass but accounts for more than 50% of its burned acreage in 2020. Does climate change effect California differently than other parts of the country? Or are we seeing the results of Calif's aggressive, decades-long fire suppression tactics? — Jon Miltimore (Parler: @Miltimore79) (@miltimore79) October 6, 2020
3. Texas is Hotter Than California and Has More Forests, but Far Fewer Megafires
In case some people do believe that California is simply experiencing harsher effects of climate change than other parts of the country, it’s worth pointing out a few simple geographical facts about Texas.
The Lone Star state actually has more forest area than the Golden State and higher temperatures. Yet government data show they’ve had far fewer megafires. From 1997-2019 Texas had about one third the number of megablazes (fires larger than 100,000 acres) that California did.
What could explain these results? Perhaps the fact that 95 percent of Texas’s land mass is privately owned and authorities have embraced burning policies that allow fire to do its natural work.
Texas has more forest than Calif. and higher temps, yet gov. data show show that from 1997-2019 TX had about 1/3 the number of megablazes (fires larger than 100k acres) that California did. -95% of Texas' land mass is privately owned.
-Texas embraces natural burning, unlike CA. pic.twitter.com/nsM95D0vrB — Jon Miltimore (Parler: @Miltimore79) (@miltimore79) October 6, 2020
California’s wildfires are a serious matter. We must make every effort to protect people and communities from their devastating effects. But the crisis should not be used to advance a politicized climate change agenda, especially when evidence suggests California’s wildfires stem largely from government mismanagement.
– – –
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, and the Star Tribune.
Photo “California Wildfires” by Bjorgialt. CC BY-SA 4.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Crom Carmichael Questions Why Do Intelligent People Remain Democrats

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
At the end of the second hour , Carmichael reviewed the top fiscally responsible governors which were all republicans and the worst which were Democrats , and begged the question , why do intelligent people remain Democrats ?
Leahy : Do you have any more Democrat escapades to report to us as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election ?
Carmichael : Michael , I don ’ t know that I would put this under the category of escapades .
It ’ s just poor policy choices and bad judgment , but in Michigan , the sate Supreme Court in Michigan unanimously ruled that governor Gretchen Whitmer… Carmichael : A Democrat has overstepped her constitutional bounds with all of her shutdown restrictions after April 30 .
This is a prime time a long time ago .
And the attorney general who ’ s also a Democrat .
Carmichael : Far-left Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nessel as rhymes with weasel .
But anyway she tweeted the announcement just days after she said that she will no longer prosecute .
You think ?
I mean , here ’ s the attorney general who has to announce that she ’ s no longer going to prosecute people who are violating laws that are that the court said are unconstitutional or regulations .
But she went on to say it ’ s the attorney general ’ s hope that people continue to abide by the measures that Governor Whitmer put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s hoping that the people will still abide by unconstitutional laws .
Carmichael : Press Secretary Ryan Javy said in a statement if it wasn ’ t for governor , the governor ’ s actions countless more of our friend ’ s family and neighbors would have been lost to COVID .
Now as they ’ re in a related story to that in August , the Justice Department asked for murder turnover data on coronavirus deaths .
Leahy : And did she ?
Carmichael : That occurred in nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required them to readmit patients with COVID .
So there ’ s a disconnect in Nessel ’ s brain by saying that her policies have helped save people when in fact her policies helped kill people .
Leahy : Well , it ’ s there ’ s not a disconnect in her brain it ’ s she ’ s actually behaving like most Democrats these days .
Carmichael : That ’ s unfortunate by misrepresenting the truth .
And I apologize for my mistake .
You were exactly right .
( Leahy laughs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritsker the Scion if that ’ s the right word .
Leahy : He didn ’ t build it here inherited it .
Carmichael : Yeah , and so then he bought the governor ’ s mansion .
And by the way , when the media likes to refer to Trump as clinically obese , which is probably incorrect .
Carmichael : He ’ s overweight but he ’ s not clinically out of he ’ s clinically obese .
However , Governor Pritzker certainly is .
Leahy : At least to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly overweight and obese then I ’ m going to have to return our medical license .
Carmichael : The only thing that saves Illinois from utter collapse is the institutional constraint against raising taxes on those who are successful in their incomes .
But Democrats this November are pushing to change that .
And right now there ’ s a flat tax in Illinois of 4.95 percent .
Carmichael : State income tax in Illinois .
He wants to raise it to eight percent .
And by the way , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state of Illinois is in such terrible fiscal health the choice that they have to make is cutting spending which hurts their constituency which is government employees and government retirees .
That ’ s who they ’ d have to actually hurt or they ’ re going to hurt the hard-working people of Illinois who then will have a choice of staying or moving .
And many of them will move .
Leahy : Just let me just interject we can talk more about this later .
But there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People from Illinois are fleeing Illinois sure and coming to Tennessee as our people from the state of California .
The state of Oregon and the state of Washington .
Carmichael : Yeah , that ’ s interesting because Washington has no income tax .
Leahy : They ’ re getting out of Washington and coming into Nashville .
I talked to several people who handle these things .
Carmichael : In a related story and related to all the things we ’ re talking about here , the Cato Institute reports on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s based on just one thing .
Their fiscal handling of money .
It ’ s just that one category .
How are they handling money ?
The four governors who are awarded in A are all Republicans .
Carmichael : Chris Sununu of New Hampshire .
Kim Reynolds of Iowa .
Pete Ricketts of Nebraska .
And Mark Gordon of Wyoming .
Carmichael : I really am actually a little surprised that our governor is not in there because I know our state is very well managed because we built up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
The seven governors who are awarded an F are all Democrats .
Leahy : I am shocked .
I ’ m shocked by that Crom .
Carmichael : But you know for our listeners if you care about institutional constraints and you care about the things that that automatically , I don ’ t know how somebody quite frankly I really struggle with how somebody remains a Democrat in Nashville today .
With looking at the way our city trying to be operated .
Governor Ralph Northam .
Carmichael : Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Phil Murphy of New Jersey .
Carmichael : J.B. Pritzker of Illinois .
Kate Brown of Burnham up , Oregon ( Leahy laughs ) and Jay Inslee and just knock it down , Washington .
Leahy : I like those nicknames Crom .
You just made him up on the Fly Carmichael : It ’ s very unfortunate that they apply it , isn ’ t it ?
Carmichael : But anyway , so what you have is the pattern .
So I am interested Michael , why do people why do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of them because what we ’ ve said all along is there three levels .
There are three levels here .
Knowledge , which is the facts .
Understanding which means what they mean .
And wisdom as is in what to do about it .
Why do intelligent people remain Democrats ?
Leahy : Well because they lack common sense and they ’ ve been subjected to decades of propaganda through K-12 public education and through public colleges .
That ’ s why .
it ’ s very simple .
and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the closing of the American mind .
Closing it shut like a steel trap and not allowing any evidence to the contrary of their secular Democrat quasi-Marxist religiosity to get in .
Do you like that ?
Carmichael : Well , I could accept that for somebody who ’ s young .
But after they ’ re in their 50s ?
No .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at iHeart Radio .
Background Photo “ Michigan Supreme Court ” by Steve & Christine .
CC BY 2.0 .

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio.
At the end of the second hour, Carmichael reviewed the top fiscally responsible governors which were all republicans and the worst which were Democrats, and begged the question, why do intelligent people remain Democrats?
Leahy: Do you have any more Democrat escapades to report to us as we are 27 days away from the election?
Carmichael: Michael, I don’t know that I would put this under the category of escapades. It’s just poor policy choices and bad judgment, but in Michigan, the sate Supreme Court in Michigan unanimously ruled that governor Gretchen Whitmer…
Leahy: A Democrat
Carmichael: A Democrat has overstepped her constitutional bounds with all of her shutdown restrictions after April 30. This is a prime time a long time ago. And the attorney general who’s also a Democrat.
Leahy: Yeah far left.
Carmichael: Far-left Democrat her late her last name is Nessel. Nessel as rhymes with weasel. But anyway she tweeted the announcement just days after she said that she will no longer prosecute. You think? I mean, here’s the attorney general who has to announce that she’s no longer going to prosecute people who are violating laws that are that the court said are unconstitutional or regulations. But she went on to say it’s the attorney general’s hope that people continue to abide by the measures that Governor Whitmer put in place. In other words, he’s hoping that the people will still abide by unconstitutional laws.
Leahy: Yeah, unconstitutional. Not even laws. Orders.
Carmichael: Press Secretary Ryan Javy said in a statement if it wasn’t for governor, the governor’s actions countless more of our friend’s family and neighbors would have been lost to COVID. Now as they’re in a related story to that in August, the Justice Department asked for murder turnover data on coronavirus deaths.
Leahy: And did she?
Carmichael: That occurred in nursing homes as a state order that required facilities required them to readmit patients with COVID. So there’s a disconnect in Nessel’s brain by saying that her policies have helped save people when in fact her policies helped kill people.
Leahy: Well, it’s there’s not a disconnect in her brain it’s she’s actually behaving like most Democrats these days.
Carmichael: That’s unfortunate by misrepresenting the truth. And I apologize for my mistake. You were exactly right. (Leahy laughs) Now in Illinois you have Governor Pritsker the Scion if that’s the right word.
Leahy: Scion. Alright, the hotel magnate.
Carmichael: The hotel magnate.
Leahy: He didn’t build it here inherited it.
Carmichael: Yeah, and so then he bought the governor’s mansion. And by the way, when the media likes to refer to Trump as clinically obese, which is probably incorrect.
Leahy: He’s overweight.
Carmichael: He’s overweight but he’s not clinically out of he’s clinically obese. However, Governor Pritzker certainly is.
Leahy: At least to a non-doctor. If he’s not clearly overweight and obese then I’m going to have to return our medical license.
Carmichael: The only thing that saves Illinois from utter collapse is the institutional constraint against raising taxes on those who are successful in their incomes. But Democrats this November are pushing to change that. And right now there’s a flat tax in Illinois of 4.95 percent.
Leahy: Their state income tax.
Carmichael: State income tax in Illinois. He wants to raise it to eight percent. And by the way, that’s just for openers. After that, the state of Illinois is in such terrible fiscal health the choice that they have to make is cutting spending which hurts their constituency which is government employees and government retirees. That’s who they’d have to actually hurt or they’re going to hurt the hard-working people of Illinois who then will have a choice of staying or moving. And many of them will move.
Leahy: Just let me just interject we can talk more about this later. But there’s a phenomenon going on in Tennessee. People from Illinois are fleeing Illinois sure and coming to Tennessee as our people from the state of California. The state of Oregon and the state of Washington.
Carmichael: Washington?
Leahy: Yeah.
Carmichael: Yeah, that’s interesting because Washington has no income tax.
Leahy: They’re getting out of Washington and coming into Nashville. I talked to several people who handle these things.
Carmichael: In a related story and related to all the things we’re talking about here, the Cato Institute reports on its latest effort to grade governor’s based on just one thing. Their fiscal handling of money. It’s just that one category. How are they handling money? The four governors who are awarded in A are all Republicans.
Leahy: That’s a shock to me.
Carmichael: Chris Sununu of New Hampshire. Kim Reynolds of Iowa. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska. And Mark Gordon of Wyoming.
Leahy: Okay.
Carmichael: I really am actually a little surprised that our governor is not in there because I know our state is very well managed because we built up a huge rainy day fund for something like this. The seven governors who are awarded an F are all Democrats.
Leahy: I am shocked. I’m shocked by that Crom.
Carmichael: But you know for our listeners if you care about institutional constraints and you care about the things that that automatically, I don’t know how somebody quite frankly I really struggle with how somebody remains a Democrat in Nashville today. With looking at the way our city trying to be operated. Governor Ralph Northam.
Leahy: Mr. Blackface
Carmichael: Andrew Cuomo of New York. Gretchen Whitmer. Phil Murphy of New Jersey.
Leahy: Oh, he’s a real dictator.
Carmichael: J.B. Pritzker of Illinois. Kate Brown of Burnham up, Oregon (Leahy laughs) and Jay Inslee and just knock it down, Washington.
Leahy: I like those nicknames Crom. You just made him up on the Fly
Carmichael: It’s very unfortunate that they apply it, isn’t it?
Leahy: Burn ’em down Brown of Oregon.
Carmichael: But anyway, so what you have is the pattern. So I am interested Michael, why do people why do people with all of these facts in front of them because what we’ve said all along is there three levels. There are three levels here. Knowledge, which is the facts. Understanding which means what they mean. And wisdom as is in what to do about it. Why do intelligent people remain Democrats?
Leahy: Well because they lack common sense and they’ve been subjected to decades of propaganda through K-12 public education and through public colleges. That’s why. it’s very simple. and they’re not open-minded. It’s the closing of the American mind. Closing it shut like a steel trap and not allowing any evidence to the contrary of their secular Democrat quasi-Marxist religiosity to get in. Do you like that?
Carmichael: Well, I could accept that for somebody who’s young. But after they’re in their 50s? No.
Listen to the full second hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Background Photo “Michigan Supreme Court” by Steve & Christine. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Biden Says He Would Make Abortion Access ‘Law of the Land’ If Amy Coney Barrett Moves to Overturn Ro

Biden Says He Would Make Abortion Access ‘Law of the Land’ If Amy Coney Barrett Moves to Overturn Roe v. Wade

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that making Roe v. Wade the law of the land is the only “ responsible response ” to possible attempts from Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to overrule Roe .
Biden discussed the possibility that Barrett will be confirmed to the United States Supreme Court during a Monday NBC town hall .
“ I knew whenever I was graduating high school and entering college that I wanted to obtain my degree and start a career before starting a family , ” a woman asked Biden .
“ Having access to birth control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in making that come true for me .
Considering the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett , what are your particular plans to protect women ’ s reproductive rights in the U.S. ?
” “ Number one , we don ’ t know exactly what she will do , although the expectation is that she may very well move to overrule Roe , ” Biden said .
“ The only responsible response to that would be to pass legislation making Roe the law of the land .
That ’ s what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden for this response , tweeting Tuesday morning , “ Wow .
Joe Biden just took a more Liberal position on Roe v. Wade than Elizabeth Warren at her highest .
He also wants to PACK our great United States Supreme Court.
” “ This is what the Dems will do , ” the president added .
“ Remember as they try changing positions before elections end .
GET OUT AND VOTE !
” Trump also tweeted that Biden had clarified an extreme stance on late-term abortion .
It was not immediately clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Biden and Democrats just clarified the fact that they are fully in favor of ( very ) LATE TERM ABORTION , right up until the time of birth , and beyond – which would be execution , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Biden even endorsed the Governor of Virginia , who stated this clearly for all to hear .
GET OUT & VOTE !
!
!
” Planned Parenthood ’ s action arm called the president ’ s tweet “ lies ” that have “ no basis in science or medicine.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurs in complicated , often devastating circumstances , ” the organization said .
“ He may never stop lying — but in this election , we decide whether his presidency stops now .
Vote.
” Human Coalition Action National Legislative Advisor Chelsey Youman told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement that Biden ’ s comment confirms that the Biden/Harris ticket is the most “ pro-abortion ticket in American history , and out of step with the views of mainstream America.
” “ Any semblance of moderation Biden had on this issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats ’ unmitigated embrace of abortion on demand up to birth , ” Youman said .
“ There seems to be no room for pro-life Americans in the Democratic party anymore.
” Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Joe Biden .
Background Photo “ Abortion Supporters ” by Fibonacci Blue .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Mary Margaret Olohan
Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that making Roe v. Wade the law of the land is the only “responsible response” to possible attempts from Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to overrule Roe.
Biden discussed the possibility that Barrett will be confirmed to the United States Supreme Court during a Monday NBC town hall.
“I knew whenever I was graduating high school and entering college that I wanted to obtain my degree and start a career before starting a family,” a woman asked Biden. “Having access to birth control and safe reproductive health care was imperative in making that come true for me. Considering the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, what are your particular plans to protect women’s reproductive rights in the U.S.?”
“Number one, we don’t know exactly what she will do, although the expectation is that she may very well move to overrule Roe,” Biden said.
“The only responsible response to that would be to pass legislation making Roe the law of the land. That’s what I would do.”
Roe v. Wade must remain the law of the land. pic.twitter.com/1Gq6Ncc2IK — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 6, 2020
President Donald Trump criticized Biden for this response, tweeting Tuesday morning, “Wow. Joe Biden just took a more Liberal position on Roe v. Wade than Elizabeth Warren at her highest. He also wants to PACK our great United States Supreme Court.”
Wow. Joe Biden just took a more Liberal position on Roe v. Wade than Elizabeth Warren at her highest. He also wants to PACK our great United States Supreme Court. This is what the Dems will do. Remember as they try changing positions before elections end. GET OUT AND VOTE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
“This is what the Dems will do,” the president added. “Remember as they try changing positions before elections end. GET OUT AND VOTE!”
Trump also tweeted that Biden had clarified an extreme stance on late-term abortion. It was not immediately clear what comments the president was referring to.
“Biden and Democrats just clarified the fact that they are fully in favor of (very) LATE TERM ABORTION, right up until the time of birth, and beyond – which would be execution,” Trump tweeted. “Biden even endorsed the Governor of Virginia, who stated this clearly for all to hear. GET OUT & VOTE!!!”
Planned Parenthood’s action arm called the president’s tweet “lies” that have “no basis in science or medicine.”
“Abortion later in pregnancy usually occurs in complicated, often devastating circumstances,” the organization said. “He may never stop lying — but in this election, we decide whether his presidency stops now. Vote.”
Human Coalition Action National Legislative Advisor Chelsey Youman told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement that Biden’s comment confirms that the Biden/Harris ticket is the most “pro-abortion ticket in American history, and out of step with the views of mainstream America.”
“Any semblance of moderation Biden had on this issue has been eschewed in favor of the Democrats’ unmitigated embrace of abortion on demand up to birth,” Youman said. “There seems to be no room for pro-life Americans in the Democratic party anymore.”
– – –
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Joe Biden” by Joe Biden. Background Photo “Abortion Supporters” by Fibonacci Blue. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--White House to Block FDA Vaccine Guidelines That Would’ve Delayed Approval Past Election

The White House blocked new vaccine guidelines proposed by health officials within the Trump administration , which likely would have pushed the approval of a coronavirus vaccine past the election .
The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) , which is in charge of approving vaccines , proposed the guidance on Sept. 21 , according to The New York Times .
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows raised concerns with one provision of the guidelines which said vaccine trial subjects should be examined for two months following their final dose , a senior administration official told the Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the development of COVID-19 vaccines , but not at the expense of sound science and decision making , ” FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn said in a Sept. 11 statement .
“ We will not jeopardize the public ’ s trust in our science-based , independent review of these or any vaccines .
There ’ s too much at stake.
” Hahn insisted that the vaccine approval process will be based on “ science and data , not politics ” at a Senate hearing on Sept. 23 .
Meadows reportedly said Hahn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his agency , according to The Times .
On the same day as Hahn ’ s Senate hearing , President Donald Trump wouldn ’ t commit to the new FDA guidance , according to The Times .
Rather , he said the White House “ may or may not approve it.
” The guidance , which had been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget , has been stalled by Meadows , and is unlikely to be approved , The Times reported .
Trump has insisted that a vaccine could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which his handling of the pandemic will be a major issue for voters .
Meanwhile , nine biopharmaceutical executives whose companies are developing coronavirus vaccines signed a joint statement on Sept. 8 reassuring the public of their commitment to producing a safe vaccine .
AstraZeneca , Johnson & Johnson , Merck , Moderna and Pfizer were among the companies to sign the statement .
“ The safety and efficacy of vaccines , including any potential vaccine for COVID-19 , is reviewed and determined by expert regulatory agencies around the world , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration ( FDA ) , ” the statement said .
It continued : “ FDA ’ s guidance and criteria are based on the scientific and medical principles necessary to clearly demonstrate the safety and efficacy of potential COVID-19 vaccines.
” The U.S. government has given significant funding and resources to pharmaceutical companies since March as part of Operation Warp Speed , the multiagency effort to produce a coronavirus vaccine quickly .
The goal of the operation is to produce 300 million doses of “ safe and effective vaccines ” by January 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Thomas Catenacci
The White House blocked new vaccine guidelines proposed by health officials within the Trump administration, which likely would have pushed the approval of a coronavirus vaccine past the election.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is in charge of approving vaccines, proposed the guidance on Sept. 21, according to The New York Times. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows raised concerns with one provision of the guidelines which said vaccine trial subjects should be examined for two months following their final dose, a senior administration official told the Times.
“We are committed to expediting the development of COVID-19 vaccines, but not at the expense of sound science and decision making,” FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn said in a Sept. 11 statement. “We will not jeopardize the public’s trust in our science-based, independent review of these or any vaccines. There’s too much at stake.”
Hahn insisted that the vaccine approval process will be based on “science and data, not politics” at a Senate hearing on Sept. 23.
Meadows reportedly said Hahn has been overly influenced by career scientists in his agency, according to The Times.
On the same day as Hahn’s Senate hearing, President Donald Trump wouldn’t commit to the new FDA guidance, according to The Times. Rather, he said the White House “may or may not approve it.”
The guidance, which had been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, has been stalled by Meadows, and is unlikely to be approved, The Times reported.
Trump has insisted that a vaccine could be produced before the Nov. 3 election, in which his handling of the pandemic will be a major issue for voters.
Meanwhile, nine biopharmaceutical executives whose companies are developing coronavirus vaccines signed a joint statement on Sept. 8 reassuring the public of their commitment to producing a safe vaccine. AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna and Pfizer were among the companies to sign the statement.
“The safety and efficacy of vaccines, including any potential vaccine for COVID-19, is reviewed and determined by expert regulatory agencies around the world, such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” the statement said.
It continued: “FDA’s guidance and criteria are based on the scientific and medical principles necessary to clearly demonstrate the safety and efficacy of potential COVID-19 vaccines.”
The U.S. government has given significant funding and resources to pharmaceutical companies since March as part of Operation Warp Speed, the multiagency effort to produce a coronavirus vaccine quickly. The goal of the operation is to produce 300 million doses of “safe and effective vaccines” by January 2021.
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--2020-10-08--95 Percent of Silicon Valley Donations Have Gone to Joe Biden

A new Wired report shows overwhelming support from Silicon Valley employees for Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden .
The magazine states that almost 95 percent of donations from employees at Silicon Valley tech giants such as Alphabet , Amazon , Apple , Facebook , Microsoft , and Oracle went to the Democratic presidential nominee , Breitbart reports .
Wired reports that employees from the tech firms have contributed 20 times as much money to Biden as to Trump since the start of 2019 .
It ’ s been long understood that many tech oligarchs and their employees oppose President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donated to Hillary Clinton .
The data is from the Federal Election Commission ( FEC ) , an agency that requires people who donate $ 200 or more to a presidential campaign to include who they work for .
Wired states that employees at the six companies listed have contributed a total of $ 4,787,752 to Biden while only $ 239,527 has gone to Trump .
Breitbart writes “ Employees at Alphabet are Biden ’ s biggest financial backers in Silicon Valley according to the filings , donating almost $ 1.8 million to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than one-third of the money raised from employees of the six companies .
According to the campaign finance watchdog Open Secrets , contributions from Alphabet ’ s employees and political action committee collectively exceed those from any other company .
Open Secrets claims that Alphabet , Microsoft , Amazon , Facebook , and Apple account for five of the seven largest donors to the Biden campaign on that basis.
” “ Employees at the sixth company in WIRED ’ s analysis , Oracle , have been less one-sided in their contributions .
Roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees have gone to Trump , compared with less than 10 percent at each of the other companies .
The next-highest share going to Trump is at Microsoft , where nearly 8 percent of the money contributed to the presidential campaigns has gone to Trump .
Of the six companies , Microsoft employees contributed the most total money to the Trump campaign— $ 75,428 .
WIRED ’ s analysis shows that employees at these six companies are contributing substantially more to both nominees than during the 2016 election .
Donations to the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton ’ s over the same period four years ago ; Trump has raised more than four times as much money from employees at the six companies .
Big tech has a lot riding on the election .
Members of Congress are probing potential antitrust violations by several of the companies ; they also are considering changes to a 1990s-era law that essentially absolves website owners of responsibility for what users post on their site .
Tech executives have criticized Trump ’ s increasingly hard line on China , a big trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of many Silicon Valley employees ” .
According to Wired ’ s report , Biden “ has on the whole , struck a warmer note with big tech .
He isn ’ t as interested in cratering America ’ s relationship with China , which would be a net win for Silicon Valley ” .

by Catherine Smith
A new Wired report shows overwhelming support from Silicon Valley employees for Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden. The magazine states that almost 95 percent of donations from employees at Silicon Valley tech giants such as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and Oracle went to the Democratic presidential nominee, Breitbart reports.
Wired reports that employees from the tech firms have contributed 20 times as much money to Biden as to Trump since the start of 2019.
It’s been long understood that many tech oligarchs and their employees oppose President Trump. In 2016 Silicon Valley also largely donated to Hillary Clinton.
The data is from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), an agency that requires people who donate $200 or more to a presidential campaign to include who they work for. Wired states that employees at the six companies listed have contributed a total of $4,787,752 to Biden while only $239,527 has gone to Trump.
Breitbart writes “Employees at Alphabet are Biden’s biggest financial backers in Silicon Valley according to the filings, donating almost $1.8 million to his campaign. This accounts for more than one-third of the money raised from employees of the six companies. According to the campaign finance watchdog Open Secrets, contributions from Alphabet’s employees and political action committee collectively exceed those from any other company. Open Secrets claims that Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple account for five of the seven largest donors to the Biden campaign on that basis.”
Wired reports:
“Employees at the sixth company in WIRED’s analysis, Oracle, have been less one-sided in their contributions. Roughly 20 percent of the contributions by Oracle employees have gone to Trump, compared with less than 10 percent at each of the other companies. The next-highest share going to Trump is at Microsoft, where nearly 8 percent of the money contributed to the presidential campaigns has gone to Trump. Of the six companies, Microsoft employees contributed the most total money to the Trump campaign—$75,428. WIRED’s analysis shows that employees at these six companies are contributing substantially more to both nominees than during the 2016 election. Donations to the Biden campaign are nearly twice those made to Hillary Clinton’s over the same period four years ago; Trump has raised more than four times as much money from employees at the six companies. Big tech has a lot riding on the election. Members of Congress are probing potential antitrust violations by several of the companies; they also are considering changes to a 1990s-era law that essentially absolves website owners of responsibility for what users post on their site. Tech executives have criticized Trump’s increasingly hard line on China, a big trade partner, and on immigration, a source of many Silicon Valley employees”.
According to Wired’s report, Biden “has on the whole, struck a warmer note with big tech. He isn’t as interested in cratering America’s relationship with China, which would be a net win for Silicon Valley”.
– – –
Catherine Smith reports for American Greatness.
Photo “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--‘Oil Barons and Railroad Tycoons’: Big Tech Must Be Restructured, House Report Says

Amazon , Apple , Facebook and Google have abused their monopoly power and must undergo significant restructuring , according to a House report released Tuesday .
Lawmakers who wrote the report said the four tech companies had grown into monopolies akin to “ oil barons and railroad tycoons ” and suggested an overhaul to U.S. antitrust laws , according to The New York Times .
The lengthy report , spearheaded by Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler and David Cicilline , is the result of a 15-month House Judiciary Committee investigation into the companies collectively known as Big Tech .
“ Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society , the dominance of Amazon , Apple , Facebook , and Google has come at a price , ” said Nadler and Cicilline in the foreword of the report , obtained by The Times .
They continued : “ These firms typically run the marketplace while also competing in it — a position that enables them to write one set of rules for others , while they play by another , or to engage in a form of their own private quasi regulation that is unaccountable to anyone but themselves.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House committee , The Times reported .
Although Judiciary Republicans agreed with some proposals laid out by Democrats , they pushed back on federal intervention into private business restructuring .
Democrats suggested breaking up the four tech giants in “ structural separations , ” according to The Times .
Republicans were in favor of increasing funding to antitrust enforcement agencies .
“ I agree with about 330 pages of the majority ’ s report , ” Republican Rep. Ken Buck said of the 449-page report , The Times reported .
Buck and three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they agreed and disagreed with the Democrats ’ report .
Republican Ranking Member Jim Jordan called the report “ partisan , ” according to The Times .
Meanwhile , the companies who were investigated disagreed with the report ’ s findings , according to The Times .
“ Misguided interventions in the free market would kill off independent retailers and punish consumers by forcing small businesses out of popular online stores , raising prices , and reducing consumer choice and convenience , ” Amazon said in a statement Tuesday .
Google said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and highly competitive industry , ” in a statement to The Times .
The House Judiciary Committee questioned top executives of Amazon , Apple , Facebook and Google during a hearing in July .
“ As I understand our laws , companies aren ’ t bad just because they are big , ” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the hearing .
“ Many large companies that fail to compete cease to exist.
” Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Congressional Big Tech Hearing ” @ @ @ @

by Thomas Catenacci
Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have abused their monopoly power and must undergo significant restructuring, according to a House report released Tuesday.
Lawmakers who wrote the report said the four tech companies had grown into monopolies akin to “oil barons and railroad tycoons” and suggested an overhaul to U.S. antitrust laws, according to The New York Times. The lengthy report, spearheaded by Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler and David Cicilline, is the result of a 15-month House Judiciary Committee investigation into the companies collectively known as Big Tech.
“Although these firms have delivered clear benefits to society, the dominance of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google has come at a price,” said Nadler and Cicilline in the foreword of the report, obtained by The Times.
They continued: “These firms typically run the marketplace while also competing in it — a position that enables them to write one set of rules for others, while they play by another, or to engage in a form of their own private quasi regulation that is unaccountable to anyone but themselves.”
The report represented a partisan divide in the House committee, The Times reported. Although Judiciary Republicans agreed with some proposals laid out by Democrats, they pushed back on federal intervention into private business restructuring.
Democrats suggested breaking up the four tech giants in “structural separations,” according to The Times. Republicans were in favor of increasing funding to antitrust enforcement agencies.
“I agree with about 330 pages of the majority’s report,” Republican Rep. Ken Buck said of the 449-page report, The Times reported. Buck and three other Republicans released a separate report highlighting where they agreed and disagreed with the Democrats’ report.
Republican Ranking Member Jim Jordan called the report “partisan,” according to The Times.
Meanwhile, the companies who were investigated disagreed with the report’s findings, according to The Times.
“Misguided interventions in the free market would kill off independent retailers and punish consumers by forcing small businesses out of popular online stores, raising prices, and reducing consumer choice and convenience,” Amazon said in a statement Tuesday.
Google said it competes “fairly in a fast-moving and highly competitive industry,” in a statement to The Times.
The House Judiciary Committee questioned top executives of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google during a hearing in July.
“As I understand our laws, companies aren’t bad just because they are big,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the hearing. “Many large companies that fail to compete cease to exist.”
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Congressional Big Tech Hearing” by Yahoo Finance.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Trump Administration to Sharply Limit Skilled-Worker Visas

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — The Trump administration announced plans Tuesday to sharply limit visas for skilled workers from overseas , a move officials said was a priority amid job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor officials said new rules for what ’ s known as the H1-B program will restrict who can obtain a work visa and will impose additional salary requirements on companies seeking to hire foreign workers .
Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said about one-third of the people who have applied for H1-B visas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new rules , which also will include limits on the number of specialty occupations available under the program .
President Donald Trump in June issued an order temporarily suspending the H-1B program until the end of the year .
The new rules reflect a broader effort by his administration to curb both legal and illegal immigration , an issue important to Trump ’ s base even if it ’ s less prominent in his campaign this year than in 2016 .
A new requirement that employers pay higher prevailing wages to foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , reflecting the need to help the job market recover from the coronavirus shutdown , said Deputy Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella .
“ With millions of Americans looking for work , as the economy continues its recovery , immediate action is needed to guard against the risk lower-cost foreign labor can pose to the well-being of U.S. workers , ” Pizzella said .
The H-1B program was created under President George H.W .
Bush to help companies fill specialized jobs as the tech sector began to boom and it was harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insist they still need the program to fill critical positions .
Critics include labor advocates as well as people who seek limits on legal immigration .
But supporters argue that H-1B holders fill critical needs and don ’ t necessarily take jobs from Americans , but rather help expand the economy and create more opportunity .
Increasing the required wages will especially hurt startups and smaller enterprises that may be unable to meet the increased requirements , said Cornell University Law School professor Steve Yale-Loehr , an expert in immigration law .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hurting U.S. workers , ” said Yale-Loehr .
Cuccinelli and Pizzella said the program has been abused to allow companies to displace American workers with less expensive employees from overseas .
“ U.S .
workers are being ousted from good paying , middle-class jobs and replaced with non-U.S. workers , ” Pizzella said .
“ It has also caused U.S. wages in some instances to stagnate .
That is wrong.
” Among the new rules are significant limits on “ offsite ” firms that bring in large numbers of H-1B visa holders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to other companies for a fee , a loophole that has been the subject of fraud and other abuse .
There would also be increased workplace inspections and additional oversight of the H-1B program , Cuccinelli said .
The U.S. can issue up to 85,000 H-1B visas per year in technology , life sciences , health care and other sectors .
They are typically issued for an initial period of three years and can be renewed .
People from India and China make up the majority of the estimated 500,000 H-1B visa holders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Labor rules would take effect immediately after publication in the federal register later this week while those that fall under the Department of Homeland Security would be adopted after a public comment period .
Ben Fox is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About Headline Photo : Department of Homeland Security Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on “ Threats to the Homeland ” Thursday , Sept. 24 , 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington .
( Joshua Roberts/Pool via AP @

by Ben Fox
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The Trump administration announced plans Tuesday to sharply limit visas for skilled workers from overseas, a move officials said was a priority amid job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor officials said new rules for what’s known as the H1-B program will restrict who can obtain a work visa and will impose additional salary requirements on companies seeking to hire foreign workers.
Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said about one-third of the people who have applied for H1-B visas in recent years would be denied under the new rules, which also will include limits on the number of specialty occupations available under the program.
President Donald Trump in June issued an order temporarily suspending the H-1B program until the end of the year.
The new rules reflect a broader effort by his administration to curb both legal and illegal immigration, an issue important to Trump’s base even if it’s less prominent in his campaign this year than in 2016.
A new requirement that employers pay higher prevailing wages to foreign workers will take effect in the coming days, reflecting the need to help the job market recover from the coronavirus shutdown, said Deputy Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella.
“With millions of Americans looking for work, as the economy continues its recovery, immediate action is needed to guard against the risk lower-cost foreign labor can pose to the well-being of U.S. workers,” Pizzella said.
The H-1B program was created under President George H.W. Bush to help companies fill specialized jobs as the tech sector began to boom and it was harder to find qualified workers. Many companies insist they still need the program to fill critical positions.
Critics include labor advocates as well as people who seek limits on legal immigration. But supporters argue that H-1B holders fill critical needs and don’t necessarily take jobs from Americans, but rather help expand the economy and create more opportunity.
Increasing the required wages will especially hurt startups and smaller enterprises that may be unable to meet the increased requirements, said Cornell University Law School professor Steve Yale-Loehr, an expert in immigration law. “Companies may decide to offshore jobs overseas, hurting U.S. workers,” said Yale-Loehr.
Cuccinelli and Pizzella said the program has been abused to allow companies to displace American workers with less expensive employees from overseas.
“U.S. workers are being ousted from good paying, middle-class jobs and replaced with non-U.S. workers,” Pizzella said. “It has also caused U.S. wages in some instances to stagnate. That is wrong.”
Among the new rules are significant limits on “offsite” firms that bring in large numbers of H-1B visa holders and then provide those workers under contract to other companies for a fee, a loophole that has been the subject of fraud and other abuse.
There would also be increased workplace inspections and additional oversight of the H-1B program, Cuccinelli said.
The U.S. can issue up to 85,000 H-1B visas per year in technology, life sciences, health care and other sectors. They are typically issued for an initial period of three years and can be renewed. People from India and China make up the majority of the estimated 500,000 H-1B visa holders in the U.S.
Officials said the Department of Labor rules would take effect immediately after publication in the federal register later this week while those that fall under the Department of Homeland Security would be adopted after a public comment period.
– – –
Ben Fox is a reporter for The Associated Press.
About Headline Photo: Department of Homeland Security Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on “Threats to the Homeland” Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Joshua Roberts/Pool via AP)


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Never-Trump PAC Gave $2 Million to Biden in Virginia

The Anti-Trump political action committee Defending Democracy Together ( DDT ) has given over $ 2 million to the Biden campaign in Virginia , placing them second-highest on a list of outside spending in Virginia .
“ They ’ re just another bunch of loser never-Republicans frozen out of the greatest movement in America , ” said Trump Virginia Delegation Chairman John Fredericks .
“ They want their old Republican party back.
” “ [ DDT ] is Wall Street gangster-bankers running the economy while leveraging cheap labor from China at the expense of American jobs and higher wages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional races are attracting big money from groups not directly linked to the campaigns .
Four major PACS have given more than $ 1 million to Democratic campaigns in Virginia ; together , the PACs have contributed over $ 6 million to campaigns in Districts 2 , 5 , 7 , and to the presidential campaign .
Only two PACs have donated more than $ 1 million to Republican candidates , totaling $ 4 million for the three House seats .
The House Majority PAC gave $ 1.3 million for Elaine Luria ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and gave $ 461,742 to Abigail Spanberger ( D-Glen Allen ) in the seventh district .
Democratic pro-science PAC 314 Action gave $ 1.4 million to Cameron Webb in Virginia ’ s fifth district .
Republican PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund donated $ 2.8 million total , $ 2.4 million to Scott Taylor ’ s campaign against Luria , $ 258,156 to Bob Good in the fifth district , and $ 219,752 to Nick Freitas in the seventh district .
The Club For Growth PAC gave Freitas $ 1.8 million .
Over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads for the seventh district campaign , according to the AP , versus $ 9 million spent on presidential ads .
Democrats have spent over $ 6 million on seventh district ad buys , while Republicans have spent over $ 4 million on ads .
However , Fredericks said there are no undecided Virginia voters left .
As a result , big campaign war chests are relatively worthless .
“ Virginia is not about persuasion , it ’ s about mobilization .
It ’ s about getting out your vote.
” Fredericks added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the television ads in the world don ’ t matter.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .
John Fredericks is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star .
He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation .

The Anti-Trump political action committee Defending Democracy Together (DDT) has given over $2 million to the Biden campaign in Virginia, placing them second-highest on a list of outside spending in Virginia.
“They’re just another bunch of loser never-Republicans frozen out of the greatest movement in America,” said Trump Virginia Delegation Chairman John Fredericks. “They want their old Republican party back.”
“[DDT] is Wall Street gangster-bankers running the economy while leveraging cheap labor from China at the expense of American jobs and higher wages,” Fredericks said.
Virginia’s congressional races are attracting big money from groups not directly linked to the campaigns. Four major PACS have given more than $1 million to Democratic campaigns in Virginia; together, the PACs have contributed over $6 million to campaigns in Districts 2, 5, 7, and to the presidential campaign. Only two PACs have donated more than $1 million to Republican candidates, totaling $4 million for the three House seats.
The House Majority PAC gave $1.3 million for Elaine Luria (D-Virginia Beach) in the second district, and gave $461,742 to Abigail Spanberger (D-Glen Allen) in the seventh district. Democratic pro-science PAC 314 Action gave $1.4 million to Cameron Webb in Virginia’s fifth district.
Republican PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund donated $2.8 million total, $2.4 million to Scott Taylor’s campaign against Luria, $258,156 to Bob Good in the fifth district, and $219,752 to Nick Freitas in the seventh district. The Club For Growth PAC gave Freitas $1.8 million.
Over $11 million has been spent on ads for the seventh district campaign, according to the AP, versus $9 million spent on presidential ads. Democrats have spent over $6 million on seventh district ad buys, while Republicans have spent over $4 million on ads.
However, Fredericks said there are no undecided Virginia voters left. As a result, big campaign war chests are relatively worthless.
“Virginia is not about persuasion, it’s about mobilization. It’s about getting out your vote.”
Fredericks added, “At this point, all the television ads in the world don’t matter.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
John Fredericks is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star.
He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-08--Senate Lawmakers Send Numerous Bills to Joint Conference Committees with House

RICHMOND , Virginia – The Senate sent a number of bills to be considered by joint conference committees , and appointed conferees to join their colleagues in the House of Delegates to consider legislation on Wednesday .
Three or four Senators and Delegates are assigned to different conference committees and must try to agree on compromised language for similar bills from each body or the legislation will die .
If compromised versions are agreed upon , those bills will go back to the House and Senate for a final passage vote .
During Wednesday ’ s session the Senate both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , requesting conference committee on those House bills , and acceded to the House ’ s requests for the joint committees on Senate bills .
Overall , in what was a lengthy process spanning multiple hours , nine Senate bills and 11 House bills were sent to conference committee .
Between the two legislative bodies , a majority of the bills are essentially the same with slight differences in language or actions , which includes many controversial topics relating to social justice and policing reforms .
Sen. Mamie Locke ’ s ( D-Hampton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5030 , was sent to conference committee with the Senators Scott Surovell ( D-Fairfax County ) , Richard Stuart ( R-King George ) and Locke selected as conferees .
Another bill sent to conference committee was Sen. Ghazala Hashmi ’ s ( D-Chesterfield ) legislation , SB 5035 , on law enforcement civilian review boards .
Senators Jennifer McClellan ( D-Richmond City ) , Surovell and Hashmi were appointed as conferees .
One House bill sent to conference committee was HB 5148 , Del .
Don Scott ’ s ( Portsmouth City ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for earned sentence credits by prisoners .
Appointed as conferees were Senators Jennifer Boysko ( D-Fairfax County ) , John Cosgrove ( R-Chesapeake ) and Surovell .
After the session had ended , The Virginia Star spoke with multiple Senators on how they thought the conference committee process would go .
The responses were mixed depending on the legislators ’ political party .
“ Well it is going to go the way Democrats want , ” Peake told The Star .
“ Right now the fight is between the House Democrats and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ the problems ] out .
Most of them are bad bills , unfortunately , so there ’ s still going to be bad bills however the conference committee comes out.
” Fellow Republican Sen. Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) had similar thoughts , saying whatever the Democrats want , they will get .
Surovell thinks the conference committees will go pretty smoothly , but did mention there are some points of contention between Democratic lawmakers .
“ I think there are a few issues that are going to get pushed off to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star .
“ The biggest chasm [ between Senate and House Democrats ] is on expungement .
It ’ s a policy [ issue ] .
” Sen. Joe Morrissey ( D-Richmond City ) , whose bill calling for sentencing reform on certain criminal cases was sent to a conference committee , is confident his legislation will pass .
“ I think it ’ s going to pass .
I feel more optimistic now about SB 5007 than I have in a long time.
” Morrissey also said he thought there would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislators and that any apparent division will disappear when the conferees get together .
No specific date or timeline was agreed upon for when the conference committees will begin , however .
When asked about the timing , Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw ( D-Fairfax County ) simply said : “ immediately if not sooner.
” Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

RICHMOND, Virginia – The Senate sent a number of bills to be considered by joint conference committees, and appointed conferees to join their colleagues in the House of Delegates to consider legislation on Wednesday.
Three or four Senators and Delegates are assigned to different conference committees and must try to agree on compromised language for similar bills from each body or the legislation will die. If compromised versions are agreed upon, those bills will go back to the House and Senate for a final passage vote.
During Wednesday’s session the Senate both insisted on its version of the legislation, requesting conference committee on those House bills, and acceded to the House’s requests for the joint committees on Senate bills.
Overall, in what was a lengthy process spanning multiple hours, nine Senate bills and 11 House bills were sent to conference committee.
Between the two legislative bodies, a majority of the bills are essentially the same with slight differences in language or actions, which includes many controversial topics relating to social justice and policing reforms.
Sen. Mamie Locke’s (D-Hampton) omnibus policing reform bill, SB 5030, was sent to conference committee with the Senators Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County), Richard Stuart (R-King George) and Locke selected as conferees.
Another bill sent to conference committee was Sen. Ghazala Hashmi’s (D-Chesterfield) legislation, SB 5035, on law enforcement civilian review boards. Senators Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond City), Surovell and Hashmi were appointed as conferees.
One House bill sent to conference committee was HB 5148, Del. Don Scott’s (Portsmouth City) legislation relating to establishing a new system for earned sentence credits by prisoners. Appointed as conferees were Senators Jennifer Boysko (D-Fairfax County), John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake) and Surovell.
After the session had ended, The Virginia Star spoke with multiple Senators on how they thought the conference committee process would go. The responses were mixed depending on the legislators’ political party.
Sen. Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg) offered a blunt opinion on the process.
“Well it is going to go the way Democrats want,” Peake told The Star. “Right now the fight is between the House Democrats and the Senate Democrats, so they will work [the problems] out. Most of them are bad bills, unfortunately, so there’s still going to be bad bills however the conference committee comes out.”
Fellow Republican Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) had similar thoughts, saying whatever the Democrats want, they will get.
Surovell thinks the conference committees will go pretty smoothly, but did mention there are some points of contention between Democratic lawmakers.
“I think there are a few issues that are going to get pushed off to regular session,” Surovell told The Star. “The biggest chasm [between Senate and House Democrats] is on expungement. It’s a policy [issue].”
Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond City), whose bill calling for sentencing reform on certain criminal cases was sent to a conference committee, is confident his legislation will pass.
“I think it’s going to pass. I feel more optimistic now about SB 5007 than I have in a long time.”
Morrissey also said he thought there would be a great deal of agreement among Democratic legislators and that any apparent division will disappear when the conferees get together.
No specific date or timeline was agreed upon for when the conference committees will begin, however.
When asked about the timing, Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax County) simply said: “immediately if not sooner.”
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]