thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--Hospital Network Blocked Clergy from Administering Rites Three Separate Times

On three occasions officials at MedStar Health System ( MSHS ) hospitals denied entrance to clergy to perform rites including infant baptism and end-of-life last rites , according to a Wednesday press release from the Office for Civil Rights ( OCR ) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) .
Complaints from a patient and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington led the OCR to push Washington D.C.-area MSHS hospital operator to allow clergy into its hospitals despite COVID-19 regulations .
Two of the cases occurred in Virginia at Mary Washington Healthcare ( MWHC ) in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 2020 , the Diocese of Arlington filed a complaint with CRFD alleging that MWHC would not permit a priest to provide the Catholic religious sacraments of Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick to a COVID-positive patient who was in an end-of-life situation and whose family requested that the priest visit the patient to provide those religious sacraments , ” the OCR announced in a press release .
“ After learning of the complaint filed with OCR and in light of the urgency of the patient ’ s situation , MWHC allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide the sacraments.
” Diocese of Arlington Director of Media Relations Amber Roseboom told The Virginia Star , “ Fortunately , the issue you are referencing was resolved prior to the death of the patient .
Mary Washington Healthcare ( MWHC ) granted a priest of the Diocese of Arlington access to visit the patient and give that individual last rites before the individual passed.
” “ Understanding the many competing interests a hospital must balance , particularly during a pandemic , the ability of a patient to exercise his/her religious freedom at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as long as reasonable precautions are taken by the cleric , ” Roseboom said .
“ Shortly after , the family of a surgery patient in MWHC ’ s intensive care unit ( ICU ) also asked for a priest to visit to provide the religious sacraments .
Although the patient was neither COVID-positive nor suspected of being COVID-positive , MWHC would not allow the priest to visit , ” the OCR press release said .
The release continued , “ MWHC had designated the entire ICU as a COVID unit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from entering , except in end-of-life situations .
Although the patient had just undergone a serious procedure , MWHC had not determined the patient to be in an end-of-life situation and , thus , would not allow the patient access to clergy .
The Diocese of Arlington again filed a complaint with OCR so that the ICU patient could receive religious support.
” Roseboom said , “ We were pleased that MWHC was responsive to our concerns and swiftly moved to grant access to the patient for last rites .
Following this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with MWHC to coordinate a standard protocol moving forward .
MWHC will provide clergy infection control training and the appropriate PPE to allow safe visits by clergy in COVID units.
” In a July case in a different diocese in Maryland , a new mother complained that because she was COVID-19 positive , she was separated from her newborn at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center ( MSMHC ) .
The OCR press release said , “ Shaken by the involuntary separation , the Complainant requested that a Catholic priest be allowed to visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but according to her complaint , the hospital denied her request due to a visitor exclusion policy adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
” The OCR explained to MedStar officials how to provide lawful adequate access for clergy .
“ Acting in partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , OCR provided technical assistance to MSMHC and MSHS.
” Passionately Catholic author Suzy Kelly told The Star , “ What is difficult for many to understand is that Catholic priests who minister to the sick often come to administer a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Anointing of the Sick , is spiritually healing and sometimes physically healing as well .
Spiritual health , to the Catholic , is of much greater value than physical health .
” “ The priest ministering to the sick person not only brings prayers , but brings Jesus .
Not allowing the priest to visit deprives the sick of the sacramental grace needed at this most critical time in their life.
” Kelly concluded , “ Priests should always be allowed to visit the sick , in person , although taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease .
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ MedStar Health ” by MedStar Health .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--Chiropractor Sues Over Statewide Mask Mandate

A medical center filed a lawsuit in the Court of Claims , targeting Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s administration ’ s statewide mask mandate .
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health issued a cease-and-desist order to Grand Haven-based Semlow Peak Performance Chiropractic .
The order seeks compliance with an Oct. 5 Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ( MDHHS ) emergency order issued by Director Robert Gordon .
The cease-and-desist order is dated Oct. 6 but wasn ’ t served until Oct. 16 , alleging that the center is not complying with the mask mandate .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gordon authorizes him to “ prohibit the gathering of people for any purpose ” and to “ establish procedures … to insure continuation of essential public health services , ” but gives no authority to require masks at private businesses .
Dr. Kirk J. Semlow , owner and operator of Semlow Chiropractic , asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief against the order ’ s enforcement .
The Michigan Supreme Court on Oct. 2 ruled Whitmer ’ s executive orders after April 30 were unconstitutional and recommended Whitmer and the legislature work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since then , Whitmer has turned to a backup source of power , including MDHHS , to issue and enforce her now-void orders .
In a news release , the doctor argued Whitmer and the legislature should work together to protect Michiganders .
“ The Supreme Court has ruled and the Governor should comply with its ruling .
We live in a representative republic and are not ruled by one person .
My business is not a health threat to anyone , and we take appropriate precautions in providing our services to patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It appears we once again have to request that our courts uphold our clients ’ legal rights .
These further attempts to shut down Michigan businesses is out of line .
Dr. Semlow ’ s business is not a threat to the public ’ s health , safety , or welfare , ” Kallman said in a statement .
“ He will fight to uphold the rule of law and restore good governance in Michigan .
We call on Governor Whitmer to comply with the Supreme Court ’ s ruling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate COVID-19 plan.
” The lawsuit was announced Wednesday , the same day Whitmer and other state officials “ sounded the alarm bells ” about rising rates of COVID-19 as winter draws near and Michiganders spend more time inside , where it ’ s more likely to spread the respiratory virus .
State officials encouraged Michiganders to wear masks while inside with people outside immediate family , and even when dining-in at restaurants before and after eating .
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .
Photo “ Chiropractor ” by Michael Dorausch .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Gov. Bill Lee said more than 23,000 Tennesseans have received a free COVID-19 test at one of 67 drive-through testing sites over the past three weekends.
“Testing remains one of the most important tools for gaining more information in our fight against COVID-19, and the 23,000 tests we’ve completed over the last three weekends have provided incredibly valuable data,” Lee said in a statement. “We’re grateful to the thousands who came out to receive a test this weekend and we continue to remind Tennesseans: when in doubt, get a test.”
Last weekend alone, 5,153 Tennesseans received a free COVID-19 test. Lee said the free testing is part of the Unified Command Group’s efforts to widen access to testing regardless of symptoms.
“Our weekend sites have been equipped to meet the demand for free testing across the state,” said Dr. Lisa Piercey, Tennessee Department of Health commissioner. “With ample capacity at our county health departments during the week, we continue to encourage Tennesseans to take advantage of free testing at these locations.”
The Tennessee Department of Health has a map of testing sites published on its website. As of Thursday, Tennessee had completed 236,328 COVID-19 tests. That’s more than double the number of tests performed in states like Minnesota, which claims it has the ability to test up to 20,000 individuals in a day, but has yet to surpass 6,000 daily tests.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, Tennessee tested an additional 9,227 residents, according to the Department of Health.
Tennessee has also performed more than twice as many tests as Kentucky, which had tested 81,391 residents as of Thursday.
Most of Tennessee’s COVID-19 tests have been performed by non-state health labs, which account for 225,427 of the state’s 236,328 total tests.
Tennessee now has 14,096 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 237 deaths, and 6,783 recovered patients.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “North Carolina National Guard Members” by the National Guard. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--TRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for October 23

Welcome to the Friday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update !
We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 ( and after…if need be ! )
.
It ’ s officially 11 days until the election on November 3 – and eight days until early voting in Virginia closes .
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Virginia is TODAY .
President Trump and Democrat nominee Joe Biden met on the debate stage for the final time before the election .
Both the president and former vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people why they should be entrusted with the most powerful position in the nation and arguably the world .
But the debate didn ’ t go off without the fireworks that was on full display in the first meeting between the two candidates .
The president continued to stand tall against the onslaught of attacks from Biden , laying out the accomplishments of his administration ’ s first four years in office as the reason he should be re-elected to serve a second term in office .
The final final push to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full effect .
Trump will be on the campaign trail through the weekend , with more appearances at rallies expected to be announced for the final week leading up to November 3 .
Mr. Trump will speak at two rallies in Florida today and tonight .
On Saturday , Trump will make remarks at an event in North Carolina before speaking at rallies in Ohio and Wisconsin .
Air Force One will touch down on the tarmac at an airport in New Hampshire on Sunday , where the president will address another rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Virginia on Saturday , Republican Mike Dickinson , candidate for Richmond City Council will be leading a Trump train parade from just outside the city , into Dickinson ’ s district .
Participants are asked to gather in the parking lot of Mission BBQ ( 5432 Glenside Drive , Richmond , VA 23228 ) .
The parade will begin at 1 p.m. Those participating are obviously encouraged to decorate their vehicles with Trump flags , American flags , and to make signs as the convoy will eventually end up in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district .
Check back every day for more Trump Virginia campaign updates !
If you want to join the volunteer team or if you need signs email Fredericks or Justin Rice .
To Donate to our Virginia campaign click here .
For more information , or to sign up to become a volunteer , click here .
The Trump Campaign in Virginia Needs Poll Watchers !
Don ’ t let them steal the election !
Get paid , too !
John Fredericks is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--Mask Usage Only Encouraged, Not Required at Polling Locations on Election Day, Officials Say

Voters in the Commonwealth that arrive at polling places on Election Day without a mask or face covering and refuse to wear one or vote outside will not be turned away , according to election officials .
The Virginia Department of Elections ( VDOE ) has given election workers throughout Virginia guidance on what to do when a voter goes to a polling precinct without a mask and does not wish to put one on .
“ It is not mandatory for a voter to wear a mask in order to vote .
If voters do not have a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there are additional masks on site , or they can be offered the opportunity to vote curbside , ” the VDOE said in a statement provided to The Virginia Star .
“ Ultimately , a voter will not be turned away if they are not wearing a mask , but the department strongly encourages them to do so to keep themselves and others around them safe.
” Election workers at polling locations will have extra masks on hand in case a person accidentally forgets to bring their own or they are fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additionally , those voters who are wearing masks or face coverings will not be asked to remove them to verify their identity because the photo ID requirement went out of effect in Virginia after July 1 of this year , said Hanover County general registrar Teresa Smithson .
Instead , voters will just need to say their name and address to be checked into the poll book .
Alena Yarmosky , the governor ’ s spokesperson , in a statement that “ Governor Northam expects every person to wear a mask when voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverings be worn inside public places , and he takes this order seriously .
The right to vote is well-protected in the Constitution , however , and no one can be prevented from voting due to a lack of a mask alone.
” Under current Virginia law , it is unlawful for any election officer at a polling place as well as any other voter or person present to “ hinder or delay a qualified voter.
” The penalty for breaking that law is a Class 1 misdemeanor , which can bring punishments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a $ 2,500 fine .
Multiple general registrars echoed the guidance from the VDOE and governor .
“ Masks are encouraged , but if anyone does not have a mask they will not be turned away , ” Anne Marie Middlesworth , Henrico County deputy registrar , said in an interview with The Star .
“ Some of the things we have suggested to our officers of election are to offer a mask , offer to vote them at curbside and if neither of those [ options ] are suitable , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the best way we can to space people apart.
” Middlesworth added : “ We are not trying to discourage voters , we don ’ t want to suppress voters .
We want to manage things the best we can.
” Counties might use different procedures for curbside voting , but in Henrico two election officers from different political parties take down a voter ’ s information , check them into the poll book and then bring a ballot outside in a privacy sleeve to be filled out before immediately being put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That same process applies to a person who does not have a mask and refuses to put one on , but is fine with voting in their car or on the sidewalk .
Unlike other general elections , polling places this year may not be as busy and lines may not be as long as normal because 1.6 million Virginians have already cast their ballots in-person or by mail , according to early voting numbers from the Virginia Public Access Project .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--Democratic Party of Virginia Invests Heavily in Virginia Beach Mayor’s Race

Virginia Beach mayoral candidate Jody Wagner out-raised incumbent Bob Dyer in September ; Wagner received $ 321,799 , while Dyer received $ 72,240 , according to The Virginia Public Access Project .
Furthermore , $ 167,349 of Wagner ’ s receipts were in-kind donations from the Democratic Party of Virginia ( DPVA ) .
“ Half a million dollars by our opposition with a giant chunk of it coming from the Democratic Party has made what is a traditionally non-partisan office into a partisan election , ” Dyer ’ s Campaign Manager Brian Kirwin told The Virginia Star .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 186,790 while Wagner has raised $ 588,507 .
In-kind donations aren ’ t the same as cash .
“ It ’ s postage and printing .
The political parties do that in state races all the time because the political parties get cheaper postage than the campaign does , ” Kirwin said .
“ The Democratic Party has invested six figures of in-kind contributions in her campaign.
” Dyer won the seat in 2018 after a special election when the previous mayor resigned .
Kirwin said Dyer has proven himself by how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting and economic harm to the city ’ s tourism industry during COVID-19 shutdowns .
Prior to becoming mayor , Dyer served 14 years as a city council member , according to his bio .
“ We have a really good police force that when a lot of other mayors have stood down , Bobby Dyer stood with our police , unabashedly so , and I think that ’ s why he ’ s doing well , ” Delegate Jason Miyares ( R-Virginia Beach ) said .
Miyares said Virginia Beach is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military veterans .
According to her bio , Wagner is the president of Jody ’ s Popcorn , a Virginia Beach small business .
She also worked as state treasurer under former Governor Mark Warner and as secretary of finance in former Governor Tim Kaine ’ s cabinet .
In 2000 , she ran for Virginia ’ s 2nd Congressional District , according to Votesmart.org .
According to The Virginia Public Access Project , in 2009 , Wagner ran for lieutenant governor .
“ [ She ’ s been ] a well known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well north of two decades , and she said she was inspired to run by watching the [ Black Lives Matter ] protests , ” Miyares said .
The Republican Party of Virginia Beach has endorsed Dyer , while the Democratic Committee of Virginia Beach has endorsed Wagner , according to The Virginian-Pilot .
Richard “ RK ” Kowalewitch is the third candidate in the race .
“ Local elections should always be nonpartisan and parties should never be involved , ” he told The Virginian-Pilot .
“ Why are we allowing partisanship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign has earned just $ 6,100 according to The Virginia Public Access Project .
In 2016 , he ran for mayor and he ran for city council in 2018 and 2019 .
“ We have a very well trained police force , we ’ re a very , very safe city , we have an incredibly low employment rate , we ’ re ranked one of the best places to raise a family , so why do we want to make a change , ” Miyares said .
“ That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ] hardest argument , is why do you make a change ?
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Bob Dyer ” by Bob Dyer .
Photo “ Jody Wagner ” by Jody Wagner .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--Commentary: Michiganders Should Vote Like Their Jobs Depend on It

When Michiganders cast their ballots this year , they won ’ t just decide whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden occupies the Oval Office , or which party will control Congress .
They may well determine what Michigan ’ s job market looks like for years to come .
Joe Biden has proposed a list of radical immigration policies , including expanding the number of green cards available , increasing guestworker visas for low-skilled workers , and dramatically raising refugee admittances .
Those proposals would take away job opportunities from Michigan workers and drive down the pay of those fortunate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is elected , the only thing that could prevent his immigration schemes from becoming a reality is a Republican-controlled Senate .
The GOP currently holds a slim majority in Congress ’ s upper chamber .
And Michiganders can keep it that way — by electing John James .
Michigan ’ s two Senate candidates couldn ’ t be farther apart on immigration .
James , a West Point graduate who piloted Apache helicopters during Operation Iraqi Freedom , stridently opposes amnesty for illegal aliens .
He also wants to defund sanctuary cities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants America ’ s 11 million illegal immigrants to be handed citizenship .
He also thinks U.S. taxpayers should provide numerous perks to illegal immigrants , like in-state tuition rates at public colleges and taxpayer-funded healthcare .
Peters also supports the federal funding of sanctuary cities .
In other words , Sen. Peters ’ immigration positions are a carbon copy of Joe Biden ’ s .
Joe Biden plans to increase the number of refugees allowed into the United States by more than 100,000 per year .
Biden also pledges to lift the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of green-card holders to pour into the United States .
He even wants to create a new type of visa to allow mid-sized cities and counties to invite thousands of immigrants to compete against local residents for jobs and resources .
More competition from foreign workers is the last thing Michiganders need right now .
Our state ’ s employment outlook remains dire .
Unemployment claims remain 4 times higher than pre-pandemic levels .
At 8.4 percent , Michigan ’ s jobless rate exceeds the national average , and more than 408,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By adding so many foreign workers to the labor market , Biden ’ s immigration policies would make it even tougher for Michigan residents to find good jobs .
It ’ s an iron law of economics that additional competition for jobs puts downward pressure on wages .
Biden ’ s open-borders approach would also incentivize even more illegal aliens to sneak into the country and drain taxpayers dry .
Back in 2010 , Michigan ’ s state and local taxpayers spent $ 929 million providing education , health care , welfare and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving little in the way of tax revenues in return .
That staggering price tag has only increased in recent years , as the state ’ s illegal immigrant population has jumped from 115,000 in 2011 to an estimated 129,000 today .
With the state economy reeling from COVID-19 , and hundreds of thousands of people looking for work , Michigan can simply not afford Joe Biden ’ s immigration agenda .
And the best way to stop it is to ensure Republicans retain the Senate .
That ’ s why Michiganders should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depend on it .
Because they very well may .
Tamyra Murray is an organizer at Michiganders for Immigration Control and Enforcement and a small business owner and entrepreneur .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--‘Really Bad News’: DFL on Edge After Poll Has Lewis Trailing Smith by One Point

U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis has closed the gap between him and his opponent , Sen. Tina Smith , to only one point , putting Democrats on edge .
A survey released Wednesday by KSTP shows the margin between former congressman Lewis and Sen. Smith has closed to just one point in their race for the Senate .
A MinnPost poll released Tuesday had Lewis trailing by four points .
The announcement of the poll numbers caused members of the Minnesota DFL to ask their supporters for additional donations .
“ YOUR help spreading our message of supporting the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , protecting 2A/the Constitution got us here , ” Lewis wrote on Twitter .
Of the people surveyed by KSTP and Survey USA , 43 % said they plan to vote for Smith and 42 % said they are backing Lewis .
Another 12 % are undecided and 3 % plan to vote for other candidates .
“ One thing fueling the tightening race is that Smith ’ s lead among women and suburban voters has largely evaporated , ” KSTP said in its analysis of the poll .
Carleton College political analyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll indicates “ there is not one Minnesota.
” “ Here are two Minnesotas .
There ’ s the metro area which is blue for Biden and Smith and by big margins , but the entire rest of the state is favoring both Lewis and Trump , ” he said .
Apparently , Lewis ’ jump in polling took the DFL by surprise , even though Lewis has been closing the gap between himself and Sen. Smith for over a month .
In September , the margin between the two candidates was 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was a 7 % difference between them , according to KSTP .
“ We weren ’ t expecting this , and we need to immediately move some resources into this race , ” the DFL said .
An hour after the KSTP survey was released , the DFL sent out an email asking supporters for more donations .
Shortly after , Sen. Smith joined in .
“ We just got some really bad news less than two weeks from Election Day : The U.S. Senate race in Minnesota is a dead heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know we ’ ve asked a lot this week , but without a victory in this race , Democrats have almost no chance of flipping the U.S. Senate .
The good news is 12 % are undecided in this race , and we still have time to reach out to them.
” Judah Torgerud is a freelance journalist working with Alpha News to keep the people informed and bring the truth to light .
Contact him at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-10-23--DeWine Signals Backdoor Mandates for COVID Vaccines

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine , a Republican , has made no bones about the fact that masks , distancing , testing and tracing ( a mantra driven deeply into the minds of Ohioans over the past eight months ) will be the norm until there is a vaccine – with a significant uptake .
On Tuesday The Ohio Star asked the governor if it was his position to mandate vaccines and immunity certificates in order for buckeyes to return to normal life .
The Star also asked if he intended to use backdoor mandates to force compliance with his wish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state would not mandate vaccines .
However , the Ohio CEO was mum on the second part of the question .
The Star circled back with the Governor on Thursday , October 22 during the twice-weekly COVID briefing .
The complete Q & A is in the video below .
Will you allow others to mandate vaccines – For example , allowing businesses to require employees to vaccinate in order to work , or prospective customers ?
Will you allow schools to press for vaccines for kids despite Ohio ’ s existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them are currently not honoring mask exemptions ?
Governor DeWine said that the law regarding exemptions for kids is on the books and he does not believe that will change .
However , with respect to backdoor mandates , he said he desires to talk with the General Assembly – Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof ( R-22 ) and Ohio Speaker of the House Bob Cupp ( R-Lima ) .
DeWine ’ s comments struck a nerve with Ohioans who share the same concern as Ohio State Senator Andrew Brenner – that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am concerned that COVID19 vaccines will eventually become required .
Because of this , I ’ m working on legislation that would make vaccinations for adults in Ohio voluntary , ” Senator Brenner told The Star .
The Star reached out to Senate President Obhof to take his temperature on Brenner ’ s legislation .
Obhof ’ s Press Secretary John Fortney responded by text message , writing : “ members are free to bring up ideas for our caucus to discuss.
” Ohio State Representative Kris Jordan ( R-Ostrander ) told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drafting legislation that would outlaw vaccine mandates for adults and will include language for children .
Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star .
Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV .
Follow Jack on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Woman Running for Clarksville City Council Voted in Another County This Year

A woman running for the city council in Clarksville , which is in Montgomery County , voted in an election seven months ago in Dickson County and this was long after she had already moved to Clarksville .
Local and state officials won ’ t say , at least not yet , if this woman ’ s actions violate the law .
That woman , Margaret Thompson , is running for the Clarksville City Council , Ward 4 .
Thompson did not return The Tennessee Star ’ s repeated requests for comment this week .
Montgomery County Elections Administrator Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week that Thompson first registered to vote in Montgomery County on June 17 of this year .
“ She has provided us with a lease from December 2017 , showing she lived where she currently lives for the past three years , ” Black said .
But , Dickson County Election Administrator Roxanne Hagewood , city her own county records , said Thompson voted in Dickson County this calendar year .
“ Thompson did vote in Dickson County in March 2020 .
She early voted on February 12 , 2020 and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 and registered in Montgomery County , ” Hagewood said .
The Star asked Hagewood if the law permits Thompson to vote in Dickson County while she resides in Montgomery County .
“ I didn ’ t know she had been living over there since 2017 because she was registered in Dickson County , ” Hagewood said .
Was Thompson legally obligated to inform Dickson County officials that she no longer resided there when she voted ?
“ Yes , if she considered herself permanent in Montgomery County , ” Hagewood said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County with the intent of coming back to Dickson County then it ’ s a whole different story.
” Tennessee Secretary of State spokeswoman Julia Bruck said this week that members of the State Election Commission don ’ t have the power to act , assuming Thompson violated the law , at least not right now .
“ At this point , even if the Election Commission determined that Ms. Thompson is not qualified to be on the ballot , since early voting is underway , the Commission could not remove her name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an email to The Star .
“ If a court found that Ms. Thompson is not qualified to be on the ballot and ordered the Election Commission not to count votes cast for her , the Election Commission would comply with the order .
For information regarding whether a criminal statute has been violated you would need to contact the district attorney for Montgomery County.
” Members of District Attorney General John W. Carney ’ s office in Clarksville did not return a request for comment this week .
Thompson , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she wants to stop urban sprawl .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Margaret Thompson ” by Thompson for Ward 4 .
Background Photo “ Clarksville , Tennessee ” by Jugarum .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office now lists 24 individuals as collecting petitions in the campaign for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
There are 16 Republicans, four Democrats, and four Independents collecting qualifying petitions for the TN-5 race.
Candidates of all parties have until noon on April 7 to turn in their qualifying petitions, a deadline which is fast approaching. Candidates must collect 25 valid signatures from registered voters in the district. Those seeking the Republican nomination must be verified as bona fide Republicans by the Tennessee Republican Party in order to appear on the GOP primary ballot.
Challenges have been filed against the bona fide Republican statuses of the three carpetbaggers in the race, Morgan Ortagus, David Vitalli, and Robby Starbuck. Action will occur on those challenges after the April 7 filing deadline.
On the Republican side, Morgan Ortagus, former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell of Nashville, businessman Baxter Lee of Nashville, Robby Starbuck of Franklin (listed as Robert Starbuck Newsom), Geni Batchelor of Lebanon, Natisha Brooks of Nashville, Timothy Bruce Lee of Nashville, Annabelle Lee of Madison, Alan Clement Sharp of Nashville, David Vitalli of Brentwood, Stewart Parks of Nashville, Richie Lee of Nashville, General Kurt Winstead of Franklin, Tres Wittum of Nashville, Jeff Beierlein of Nashville, and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles are listed as collecting petitions.
Former Williamson County GOP Chair Omar Hamada of Franklin is still listed as collecting petitions but he dropped out of the race and endorsed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the GOP primary.
On the Democrat side, Clay Faircloth, Richard H. Harris, Justicia Rizzo, and Joel Michael Hurbert, all from Nashville, are collecting petitions.
Derrick Brantley of Nashville, Patrick O. Halfacre of Hohenwald, Daniel J. Cooper of Spring Hill, and Richard A. Shannon of Franklin are the independents collecting petitions.
The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office has been updating its list on a weekly basis. This list is current as of Friday, April 1.
Reports are expected to be available for the January 1 through March 31, 2022 Federal Election Commission campaign finance first-quarter period in the coming days. Those reports are expected to shed significant light on which candidates are considered viable. The bulk of the field entered the race after the December 31, 2021 reporting deadline.
The primaries are scheduled for August 4, 2022.
The newly-redrawn 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, as well as all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected] Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Andrew Can Huss.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Commentary: Biden’s Campaign Blew up in a Bad Way

The fraudulent Biden campaign effectively blew up on Thursday night in Nashville .
After five days of intensive subterranean preparation , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was coherent and gaffe-free for the first hour and got to the end without any horrifying blunders , though he trailed off into grammatical chaos and jumbled articulation a couple of times .
There were relatively few interruptions and no persistent interruptions and neither candidate was acoustically or behaviorally irritating .
The moderator , Kristen Welker , was fair and efficient .
President Trump skillfully cast himself as an “ outsider ” who gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insider who has accomplished precious little useful after 47 years paddling and wallowing in the public trough and moving steadily to the left .
Trump finally gave a spirited and plausible defense of his COVID leadership and gave voice to the national impatience with a policy of panic and defeatism .
He exhorted the audience : “ Learn to live with it , ” and the former vice president , in what presumably he thought was a clever rejoinder , said that “ We will have to learn to die with it.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but unhistrionically , to his own bout with the coronavirus .
Trump ’ s dismissal of his opponent as “ a politician , you ’ re all talk and no action ” was a direct hit , especially when followed by demands to know what had been preventing Biden in his previous 47 years in Washington from doing what he now promises to achieve .
Trump debunked most of the traditional Democratic smears against him .
He pointed at the fraudulence of most of the claims of illegally entering families from Latin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the children are just props used to facilitate their entry , and when separated the pretended parents vanish into America and are never seen again .
Biden declined to acknowledge that it was the Obama Administration that built the “ cages ” on the southern border , and Trump finally hung the vice president and his family ’ s dealings with Ukraine , Russia , and China around his opponent ’ s neck like a toilet seat .
About the “ Laptop From Hell ” Biden was pushed into claiming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a computer repair shop in Wilmington , Delaware was a plant created by the Russians .
Although it appears that the Bidens collected approximately $ 10 million from Russia , China , and Ukraine while Joe Biden was vice president , the Democratic nominee solemnly declared that there was “ nothing unethical ” in his son ’ s conduct .
Biden clung to the moth-eaten fraud that the allegations against his son were Russian disinformation ( despite U.S. intelligence community denials ) , and the latest Democratic counter-charge about Trump having a Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with statements that he had opened one for corporate purposes but closed it two years before he became president .
He further noted that the $ 750 referred to as his taxes in one year were a filing fee and that he had in fact pre-paid tens of millions of dollars in taxes .
He reminded viewers that the IRS and the Mueller investigation had gone meticulously through all of his records and tax returns and had not found or alleged one misdirected cent .
At different times in the course of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical plan consisted of “ socialized medicine , ” though in fact that is what his “ public option ” would be .
He claimed that no one lost their medical plans or doctor relationships under Obamacare , when it is a notorious and indisputable fact that millions of people did .
He denied that in the debate over the Crime Bill in 1994 he had ever referred to African Americans as “ super predators , ” and he denied that he had ever advocated the banning of fracking .
There are countless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on fracking and of his disparaging references to the “ super predators.
” At one point in the exchange , at Biden ’ s invitation , Trump promised to post video evidence of Biden promising to ban fracking .
And Trump promptly did .
More importantly , though , Biden pledged zero carbon emissions in the United States by 2035 , which means the total elimination of the oil and gas industries in all forms by then .
This statement in itself should have won Trump the election ; it almost certainly delivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the charge of Trump being a “ racist , ” for which his only authority was the allegation that he had attempted to ban all Muslims from the country ( Muslims are not a race and the charge is not true—he was banning anyone from terrorist-infested countries , most of which , it turns out , were majority Muslim countries ) , and the old canard that Trump had once dismissed all Mexicans who would come to the United States illegally as “ rapists ” and murderers .
He had no reply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not be anyone in that room less racist than himself .
( Biden only uttered the ghastly fiction “ systemic racism ” once . )
Biden had no reply when Trump pointed out that he had been firmer in dealing with Russia than had the Obama Administration or any president since Reagan , and the accusation of being too friendly with North Korea ’ s Kim Jong Un was easily rebutted by Trump ’ s remarks that the provocations from North Korea had ceased and that there was nothing in itself wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distasteful foreign leader .
Biden dismissed this as nonsense and then went on to claim that we had “ good relations with Hitler before the war.
” ( In fact relations with Hitler were frosty virtually from the moment he came into office a few weeks before Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933 .
Roosevelt withdrew the American ambassador after the infamous ” Kristallnacht ” pogroms in November 1938 and neither country had an ambassador in the other ’ s capital again until the founding of the Federal Republic in 1949 . )
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ transition out of fracking ” and “ capture the emissions of fracking , ” but none of it hit the right notes or sounded sincere , and instead constituted an unmistakable declaration of war against the entire oil industry .
Biden ’ s attempt to justify his enthusiasm for the Paris Climate Accord was the usual feeble invocation of the “ existential threat to humanity of global warming—the world will be at the point of no return in 10 years ” ; the supposedly unanimous scientists spouting that nonsense have passed through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 40 years .
The entire Biden campaign , conducted by the media , not by the spavined candidate , has been Trump-hate and false allegations of COVID incompetence .
On this night , there were no grounds for which to hate Trump , and his defense of his record in dealing with the pandemic was quite plausible .
Trump did much better in his representation of his opponent as a shabby politician , a tool of both Wall Street and the extremists in his party , a “ corrupt failure , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lecturing America about “ morality and integrity.
” Biden has been caught red-handed monetizing the vice presidency and has been exposed as having no serious argument to make against the reelection of this president .
Unless the rabidly dishonest partisan media manage an unheard-of paroxysm of Goebbelsesque misinformation , this debate should have been a turning point .
A snap Chicago Tribune-WGN poll showed 74 percent of people canvassed thought Trump won the debate ; Senator Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C ) declared that Trump had won the election .
Like a fly blasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will buzz around for a few days in insouciant denial , but their levitation should finally be over .
Conrad Black has been one of Canada ’ s most prominent financiers for 40 years , and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world as owner of the British telegraph newspapers , the Fairfax newspapers in Australia , the Jerusalem Post , Chicago Sun-Times and scores of smaller newspapers in the U.S. , and most of the daily newspapers in Canada .
Photo “ Joe Biden ” by Gage Skidmore .
@ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Steve Bannon Presents: The CCP and Election 2020

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


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Crom Carmichael Discusses How Historian Jon Meacham’s Presidential Debate Predictions Were Entirely

Crom Carmichael Discusses How Historian Jon Meacham’s Presidential Debate Predictions Were Entirely All Wrong

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist , Crom Carmichael to the studio to discuss historian Jon Meacham ’ s inaccurate prediction of the Presidential debates held Thursday night in Nashville , Tennessee .
Because the contrast what ’ s going to be vivid on the stage tonight I think is you ’ re going to have a bombastic bullying , clearly out of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bully both the moderator and the Democratic nominee and the Democratic nominee .
And the Democratic nominee is not outside the American mainstream .
In many ways , he is the mainstream Joe Biden is a center-left figure .
If not a centrist figure , you know ?
He ’ s totally explicable and understandable in terms of new deal through Obama politics .
And that ’ s great and that has its vices too .
And one of the reasons Donald Trump is President is because people found that conversation and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their needs in a global era .
Okay , but we can have that conversation .
Right ?
That ’ s it .
We don ’ t need to go to reality show Berlitz classes to try to understand that .
We understand what Biden is saying .
Leahy : Well Crom , that ’ s the eminent historian Jon Meacham who lives in Nashville .
Leahy : He was yes , he was predicting yesterday what was going to happen the debate .
That ’ s not at all what happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you use to describe Jon Meacham ?
Carmichael : Historian .
He looks backwards .
He ’ s yeah , he looks backwards .
And so for him he lives in the rearview mirror .
He ’ s very good at it by the way , and he writes wonderful books .
But his ability to prognosticate is right along there along with Jeffrey Toobin ’ s .
( Laughter ) Leahy : He said last night that the president would be a bombastic bully clearly out of his depth trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee .
I didn ’ t see any bullying last night .
Carmichael : And he regularly is wrong , but his ability to tell you what happened in the past is pretty good .
Now he is incorrect about Joe Biden and who Joe Biden is , and that is he says he is a centrist .
Carmichael : Yeah , and that ’ s false too .
Joe Biden wants to raise taxes to the highest level since the 70s .
That ’ s not centrist .
Joe Biden wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fossil fuels .
And he wants to do away with it in 2025 .
That ’ s in what four years ?
He wants to he wants to eliminate the entire industry .
Jon Meacham as you know , I don ’ t know , is pot legal here in Tennessee for other than for medicinal purposes ?
Leahy : He was he was just not he was really in possession of his many of his mental faculties .
Carmichael : He ’ s kind of right in there with Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doddering historian now .
But we ’ re happy to have him come on here though and explain how he gets things so wrong .
You know , he didn ’ t even mention the single biggest issue that came up last night .
And that is that Biden takes money from foreign governments .
Carmichael : And the biggest one is China .
And by the way the media covering up for it is even a bigger story than the story itself .
But we ’ ll see .
Meacham may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think he will .
I think Meacham thinks that Biden will win .
I think Meacham ’ s wrong .
But you know what this is kind of like a football game coming up this Saturday .
There ’ s going to be a winner and there ’ s going to be a loser .
And we ’ re going to have an election here soon .
Leahy : So Jon Meacham you live here in Nashville .
Just so you know , we want to invite him .
We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks backwards well but can ’ t look forward well ; can ’ t recognize reality .
So doddering eminent historian Jon Meacham , you are welcome to come in here and prove us wrong .
Leahy : And I ’ m not holding my breath for him to come in here .
Carmichael : But he ’ ll be on CNN again .
Leahy : He will .
But that was him on MSNBC with Morning Joe .
Carmichael : Well no difference .
I think that ’ s really interesting because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
Carmichael : So that ’ s how close it was to the actual event which .
and so what he said turned out to be literally , I mean , there ’ s nothing that he said that turned out to be correct .
Leahy : It was all entirely wrong .
Carmichael : Yeah , and so CNN and MSNBC both predicted the same thing as Meacham .
And they all got it wrong , and I think you were talking about Frank Luntz ’ s group afterwards , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
Leahy : Yeah , and the one just said it was a draw .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo Jon Meacham by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Joe Biden Knew Family ‘Aggressively Leveraged’ His Name to Make Millions, Former Biden Business Part

Joe Biden Knew Family ‘Aggressively Leveraged’ His Name to Make Millions, Former Biden Business Partner Says

A former business partner of Hunter Biden confirmed in a statement Wednesday night that democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden was in on a lucrative business deal between the Biden family and a shady Chinese Communist energy firm .
Tony Bobulinski , a former Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and CEO of SinoHawk Holdings , said Hunter Biden frequently asked his dad to sign off on his foreign influence peddling schemes .
Hunter “ frequently referenced asking [ Joe ] for his sign-off or advice on various potential deals that we were discussing , ” Bobulinski said .
“ The Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make millions of dollars from foreign entities even though some were from communist controlled China , ” he wrote .
Bobulinski was recruited by the Biden family to run their joint-venture with now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co. CEFC was owned by Ye Jianming , a Chinese entrepreneur who has links to the People ’ s Liberation Army .
The businessman said that he eventually “ grew concerned ” that the Biden family had “ aggressively leveraged the Biden family name ” to make money with foreign companies , including in Communist China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the email published seven days ago by the New York Post which showed a copy to Hunter Biden and Rob Walker .
That email is genuine , ” Bobulinski said .
Hunter Biden ’ s emails come from an Apple laptop that was dropped off at a computer repair shop in Wilmington , Delaware for repairs in April of 2019 and then abandoned .
John Paul Mac Isaac , the owner of the repair shop , took legal possession of the laptop after 90 days and discovered the trove of scandalous emails by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June or July of 2019.
” According to one text on Hunter Biden ’ s hard drive , members of the Biden family were expected to give half of their profits from their foreign business deals to “ pop ” —aka Joe Biden .
Democrats and their media allies have objected to the publication of the emails , claiming that they are part of a Russian disinformation campaign against Joe Biden .
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe disputed that assessment earlier this week , saying they are NOT part of some disinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up Ratcliffe ’ s assessment .
Bobulinski concurred , saying in his statement : “ They are not any form of domestic or foreign disinformation .
Any suggestion to the contrary is false and offensive.
” The Daily Caller flagged a May 13 , 2017 email , first published by The New York Post , regarding a business agreement between the Bidens and CEFC .
The email , from businessman James Gilliar , discusses “ remuneration packages ” and equity shares for members of the business consortium .
Hunter Biden is identified in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chair depending on agreement with CEFC , ” with an allotted payment of $ 850,000 .
Gilliar also laid out proposed ownership stakes for the business partners .
One notation listed “ 20 ” for “ H ” and “ 20 ” for “ Jim , ” suggesting that each Biden would have a 20 % equity stake in the company .
Another notation says : “ 10 held by H for the big guy ?
” Bobulinski said that Joe Biden is the “ big guy ” referenced in the email , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother of the former vice president .
“ Hunter Biden called his dad ‘ the Big Guy ’ or ‘ my Chairman , ’ and frequently referenced asking him for his sign-off or advice on various potential deals that we were discussing , ” Bobulinski said in the statement , directly contradicting Joe Biden ’ s claims that he never discussed business with his son .
“ I ’ ve seen firsthand that that ’ s not true , because it wasn ’ t just Hunter ’ s business , they said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its legacy on the line.
” A text message from May of 2017 obtained by the Federalist shows a Hunter Biden business partner actually warning Bobulinski not to use “ Joe ’ s ” name in communications unless they are “ face to face.
” “ I know you know that , but they are paranoid , ” James Gilliar said in the text .
“ Okay they should be paranoid about things , ” Bobulinski replied .
Bobulinski said he was cooperating with the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bidens .
“ I have extensive relevant records and communications and I intend to produce those items to both Committees in the immediate future.
” An email to Bobulinski from a top Communist Chinese official shows that CEFC wired $ 5 million to a Delaware LLC , most of which was transferred directly to Hunter Biden ’ s firm .
A email dated May 13 , 2017 mentioned “ remuneration packages ” for six people , including “ the big guy , ” involved in an unspecified business venture .
Hunter Biden was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC.
” My name is Tony Bobulinski .
The facts set forth below are true and accurate ; they are not any form of domestic or foreign disinformation .
Any suggestion to the contrary is false and offensive .
I am the recipient of the email published seven days ago by the New York Post which showed a copy to Hunter Biden and Rob Walker .
That email is genuine .
This afternoon I received a request from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requesting all documents relating to my business affairs with the Biden family as well as various foreign entities and individuals .
I have extensive relevant records and communications and I intend to produce those items to both Committees in the immediate future .
I am the grandson of a 37 year Army Intelligence officer , the son of a 20+ year career Naval Officer and the brother of a 28 year career Naval Flight Officer .
I myself served our country for 4 years and left the Navy as LT Bobulinski .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an instructor and then CTO for Naval Nuclear Power Training Command .
I take great pride in the time my family and I served this country .
I am also not a political person .
What few campaign contributions I have made in my life were to Democrats .
If the media and big tech companies had done their jobs over the past several weeks I would be irrelevant in this story .
Given my long standing service and devotion to this great country , I could no longer allow my family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tied to Russian disinformation or implied lies and false narratives dominating the media right now .
After leaving the military I became an institutional investor investing extensively around the world and on every continent .
I have traveled to over 50 countries .
I believe , hands down , we live in the greatest country in the world .
What I am outlining is fact .
I know it is fact because I lived it .
I am the CEO of Sinohawk Holdings which was a partnership between the Chinese operating through CEFC/Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was brought into the company to be the CEO by James Gilliar and Hunter Biden .
The reference to “ the Big Guy ” in the much publicized May 13 , 2017 email is in fact a reference to Joe Biden .
The other “ JB ” referenced in that email is Jim Biden , Joe ’ s brother .
Hunter Biden called his dad ‘ the Big Guy ’ or ‘ my Chairman , ’ and frequently referenced asking him for his sign-off or advice on various potential deals that we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Biden saying he never talked to Hunter about his business .
I ’ ve seen firsthand that that ’ s not true , because it wasn ’ t just Hunter ’ s business , they said they were putting the Biden family name and its legacy on the line .
I realized the Chinese were not really focused on a healthy financial ROI .
They were looking at this as a political or influence investment .
Once I realized that Hunter wanted to use the company as his personal piggy bank by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon as it came from the Chinese , I took steps to prevent that from happening .
The Johnson Report connected some dots in a way that shocked me — it made me realize the Bidens had gone behind my back and gotten paid millions of dollars by the Chinese , even though they told me they hadn ’ t and wouldn ’ t do that to their partners .
I would ask the Biden family to address the American people and outline the facts so I can go back to being irrelevant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a position to have to answer those questions for them .
I don ’ t have a political ax to grind ; I just saw behind the Biden curtain and I grew concerned with what I saw .
The Biden family aggressively leveraged the Biden family name to make millions of dollars from foreign entities even though some were from communist controlled China .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Bernie Sanders Wants to be Joe Biden’s Labor Secretary According to Report

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is reportedly making a push to be nominated as labor secretary in a potential Joe Biden administration , sources told Politico .
Sanders is interested in having a position in Democratic presidential nominee Biden ’ s potential cabinet , an unnamed person close to the Vermont senator told Politico Thursday evening .
Sanders , who was former Vice President Biden ’ s main rival during the 2020 Democratic primaries , has specifically expressed interest in leading the Department of Labor , according to the source .
“ I can confirm he ’ s trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something like it , ” someone close to Sanders told Politico .
“ He , personally , does have an interest in it.
” Sanders wouldn ’ t confirm or deny his interest in being named labor secretary in a statement to Politico .
“ Right now I am focused on seeing that Biden is elected president , ” Sanders said , according to Politico .
“ That ’ s what my main focus is.
” Sanders ’ office didn ’ t immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is among many concerning a potential Biden administration .
The Biden transition team is reportedly interested in nominating current and former union leaders to high ranking federal positions including secretary of labor and secretary of education .
Former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich , former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake and Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker are among the Republicans whose names have reportedly been floated to serve in a potential Joe Biden cabinet .
During an Oct. 6 rally , Sanders said he would chair the Senate Subcommittee on Health if the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Fox News .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Bernie Sanders ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Carol Swain Tells Nashville Crowd That Critical Race Theory Is Unacceptable

NASHVILLE , Tennessee — Former Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain told hundreds of people at a presidential debate watch party Thursday that “ we are backwards ” when it comes to race .
As The Tennessee Star reported Friday , Turning Point USA of Belmont University hosted the debate watch party that featured various well-known speakers , including Swain .
Turning Point USA hosted the event at Rocketown .
“ I am not here to make you feel guilty tonight because you happen to be born with white skin .
I am not here to bash America , because I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land in this world , ” Swain said during her opening remarks .
“ This is a great nation , and that is why so many people risk their lives to come here .
And I can tell you that I am a product of the American dream.
” Swain told the hundreds of attendees that she was born into poverty .
“ I have always seen America as a land of tremendous opportunities , and what I see taking place today with the protests and with the critical race theory is totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is uncharitable , and it ’ s unacceptable , ” Swain said .
“ Critical race theory argues that because you happen to be born with white skin that you have racism in your DNA , that you are a white supremacist because of being born into a particular group .
They also argue you need to divest yourself of your whiteness , and [ that ] minorities can not be successful and that you have to lower standards for us because we can ’ t do the things that white people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the critical race theorists is a very racist message.
” Swain also said that privilege has a lot to do with social class and socio-economic status and that any group can act racist and engage in hate crimes and other unacceptable behaviors .
“ It is very important for all of us to stand up against the critical race theorists that have infiltrated our churches , our institutions of higher education , our businesses and just about every facet of our society under the guise of diversity , equity , and inclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Trump: Sudan to Join UAE, Bahrain in Recognizing Israel

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that Sudan will start to normalize ties with Israel , making it the third Arab state to do so as part of U.S.-brokered deals in the run-up to Election Day .
The announcement came after the North African nation agreed to put $ 335 million in an escrow account to be used to compensate American victims of terror attacks .
The attacks include the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania by the al-Qaida network while its leader , Osama bin Laden , was living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notified Congress on Friday of his intent to remove Sudan from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism .
It was foreign policy achievement for Trump just 11 days before Election Day .
Previously , the Trump administration engineered diplomatic pacts between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — the first since Jordan recognized Israel in the 1990s and Egypt in the 1970s .
Trump said at least five other countries want to come into the deal , which is collectively called the Abraham Accords .
The new recognitions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy , Iran .
They also upend the traditional Arab strategy of refusing to normalize relations with Israel before an independent Palestinian state is created .
The Palestinians say the recognitions amount to betrayal .
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned and rejected the agreement , saying a lasting peace in the region depends on ending the Israeli occupation and creating a Palestinian state .
Wasel Abu Yousef , a senior Palestinian official , called the agreement a “ stab in the back ” of the Palestinian people and their cause .
The Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also condemned the agreement .
Israel said the recognitions signal that the Palestinians have lost their “ veto ” over regional peace efforts .
Trump invited reporters to the Oval Office while still on the phone with Israeli and Sudanese leaders .
Trump said Sudan had demonstrated its commitment in battling terrorism .
“ This is one of the great days in the history of Sudan , ” Trump said , adding that Israel and Sudan have been in a state of hostilities for decades , even if they had not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released in Jerusalem , Netanyahu noted that in 1967 , Khartoum hosted a conference where the Arab League called for no recognition , negotiations or peace with Israel .
“ Today , Khartoum is saying yes to peace with Israel , yes to recognition of Israel and yes to normalization with Israel , ” Netanyahu said .
“ This is a new era , an era of true peace — peace that is proceeding and widening with additional Arab countries .
Three in the last few weeks.
” He said Israeli and Sudanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in agriculture , trade and other areas .
Sudan also is opening its skies to Israeli flights , which will shorten trips to Africa and South America , he said .
In a separate but related development , Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that Israel had consented to American sales of “ advanced weapons ” to the UAE .
The arms sales was part of the deal the U.S. earlier brokered between the Israel and UAE .
Gantz and Netanyahu said Defense Secretary Mark Esper has assured Israel that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military edge .
Israel is currently the only country in the Mideast to possess the cutting-edge fighter jets .
Gantz ’ office refused to identify the weapons , but Trump has said that the UAE is interested in buying F35 warplanes .
The removal of the terror designation opens the door for Sudan ’ s fragile transitional government to get international loans and aid needed to revive its battered economy and rescue the country ’ s transition to democracy .
A senior U.S. official said Sudan had borrowed the money needed to set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sudan is on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising last year led the military to overthrow the longtime autocrat , Omar al-Bashir .
Thousands have protested in the country ’ s capital Khartoum and other regions in recent days over dire economic conditions .
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok thanked Trump for signing the executive order to remove Sudan from the terrorism list and said in a statement that he hoped to complete the deal in a “ timely manner.
” Unmentioned in the joint statement was that Sudan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. official , to designate Lebanon ’ s Hezbollah movement as a terrorist organization , something that Israel has long sought from its neighbors and others in the international community .
Not everyone in Sudan , however , appears happy with recognizing Israel .
Some Islamist politicians , sidelined after the ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir , said they expect to receive renewed public support .
“ I expect anger .
I expect demonstrations , ” said Mohammed El Hassan , one of the leaders of al-Bashir ’ s disbanded National Congress Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Palestinians .
It is not the transitional government ’ s role to take this kind of decision.
” But others say that normalization is worth the price for Sudan to come off the U.S. terrorism list .
“ Because of the economy , Sudanese don ’ t see this as normalization with Israel but normalization with the international community , ” said Osman Mirgany , a prominent Sudanese columnist and editor of the daily al-Tayar .
“ After years of isolation , we want normal relations.
” The normalization agreement had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was finalized when Trump ’ s Mideast peace team , led by Trump ’ s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and Avi Berkowitz , assistant to the president and special representative for international negotiations , visited the region to mark the first commercial flight between Israel and Bahrain and then went on to the United Arab Emirates , according to U.S. officials .
The officials were not authorized to discuss the announcement and spoke only on condition of anonymity .
Deb Riechmann and Matthew Lee are reporters for The Associated Press .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Isabel DeBre in Dubai contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : President Donald Trump hangs up a phone call with the leaders of Sudan and Israel , as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , left , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , White House senior adviser Jared Kushner , National Security Adviser Robert O ’ Brien , and others applaud in the Oval Office of the White House , Friday , Oct. 23 , 2020 , in Washington .
( AP Photo/Alex Brandon )


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Commentary: Trump Administration Protects Patients’ Religious Freedom From COVID Lockdowns

When hospitals in Maryland and Virginia recently denied patients access to their priests , the Trump administration stepped in to protect the patients ’ religious freedom from Covid lockdown overreach .
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) , it took government intervention to resolve the cases , one involving MedStar ’ s Southern Maryland Hospital Center ( MSMHC ) and the second one involving Mary Washington Healthcare ( MWHC ) in Virginia .
In July , a woman in Maryland had just given birth when she tested positive for Covid-19 .
The hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shaken by the involuntary separation , the mother requested that a Catholic priest be allowed to visit her newborn son to baptize him .
She said the hospital denied her request due to a Covid-19 visitor exclusion policy .
A month later , the family of a Covid-19 patient in a Virginia hospital had to seek help from the Catholic Diocese of Arlington before the staff would allow a priest to provide the Catholic religious sacraments of Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick .
They only did so after the federal Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in to advocate for the patient and his family .
Shortly after that , the same Virginia hospital , MWHC , refused to allow a priest to provide religious sacraments to a surgery patient in an intensive care unit ( ICU ) .
The patient was neither Covid-positive nor suspected of being Covid-positive .
Because hospital staff had designated the entire ICU as a Covid unit , they restricted visitors , except in end-of-life situations .
Although the patient had just undergone a serious procedure , the staff determined the patient was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to clergy .
The Diocese of Arlington again filed a complaint with OCR so that the ICU patient could receive religious support .
Congressman Doug Lamborn ( CO-05 ) , a long-time advocate for religious freedom , praised the Trump administration for stepping in to help these individuals practice their faith .
“ The coronavirus pandemic should not serve as an excuse to restrict the access of religious clergy for patients in hospital settings , ” Lamborn said .
“ While we must maintain safe practices for our doctors , nurses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical assistance to our must vulnerable .
I am grateful that the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Health have provided a resolution allowing individuals to have access to clergy for compassionate care situations.
” In consultation with HHS staff , MedStar Health System updated its visitation policy for all ten hospitals under its purview , so that patients in COVID-19 positive units or sections , as well as non-COVID units , will be able to freely exercise their religion by receiving religious services from the religious leaders of their choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the visit does not disrupt care .
Visiting clergy must follow hospital safety policies , including screening for COVID-19 infection , must follow proper infection prevention practices ( such as hand washing/sanitizing , and physical distancing ) , and must wear a face mask .
The Mary Washington Healthcare system in Virginia also worked with HHS to come up with new policies that balance patient needs for compassionate spiritual support and the hospital ’ s practical need to protect staff , patients , and visitors from infection .
Under the new policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to clergy in compassionate care situations , including end-of-life situations .
MWHC will allow visits by clergy in COVID units , provided that the clergy member first completes scheduled infection control training offered by the hospital .
Patients in non-COVID units may exercise their religion by receiving clergy visitation at any reasonable time , as long as those services can be provided without disruption to care .
The Colorado-based group Focus on the Family , a strong defender of religious liberty , praised the HHS settlements .
“ [ They ] are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go about securing the freedoms that all Americans are guaranteed , ” said Bruce Hausknecht , judicial analyst for Focus on the Family .
“ We applaud the ability to reach compromises that recognize both the need to protect patients and healthcare personnel during a pandemic , while protecting the right of all citizens to practice their faith when it is most important to them – when their health is threatened .
We are encouraged by the cooperation exhibited by all the parties involved , as this resolution was reached without resorting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proves to be example to the country concerning what Americans can do together when we come together to solve problems.
” Compassionate care requires treating the body without sacrificing the soul , and these resolutions show how hospitals can do that safely even during a pandemic .
Catherine Mortensen is Vice President of Communications at Americans for Limited Government .
Photo “ Church COVID ” by Gerry Dincher CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Collins, Murkowski Vote Against Going to Session to Consider Barrett Confirmation

Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against going into an executive session to consider the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett Friday .
The United States Senate voted 51 to 46 to go into executive session to consider the confirmation of Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee .
Democratic senators Kamala Harris of California , Doug Jones of Alabama , and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona did not vote .
Collins and Murkowski voted nay – a possible indication of how Murkowski will vote on Barrett ’ s confirmation .
The Maine senator has already said that she will vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve shared for a while that I didn ’ t think we should be taking this up until after the election , and I haven ’ t changed , ” Murkowski said Thursday , Newsweek reported .
“ That means I haven ’ t changed my mind on that , ” the Alaska senator added , asked whether her response meant that she would vote “ no.
” “ In order for the American people to have faith in their elected officials , we must act fairly and consistently–no matter which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Collins wrote in a September statement .
“ President Trump has the constitutional authority to make a nomination to fill the Supreme court vacancy , and I would have no objection to the Senate Judiciary Committee ’ s beginning the process for reviewing his nominee ’ s credentials.
” “ Given the proximity of the presidential election , however , I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election , ” Collins continued .
“ In fairness to the American people , who will either be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the president who is elected on November 3rd.
” The Senate will vote Oct. 26 to confirm Barrett .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Trump, Biden Lawyer up, Brace for White House Legal Battle

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump ’ s and Democratic rival Joe Biden ’ s campaigns are assembling armies of powerful lawyers for the possibility that the race for the White House is decided not at the ballot box but in court .
They have been engaging in a lawyer ’ s version of tabletop war games , churning out draft pleadings , briefs and memos to cover scenarios that read like the stuff of a law school hypothetical more than a real-life case in a democracy .
Attorneys for the Republicans and the Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over mailed-in ballot deadlines and other issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic .
And as Trump tries to sow doubt in the legitimacy of the Nov. 3 election , both sides have built massive legal operations readying for a bitterly disputed race that lands at the Supreme Court “ We ’ ve been preparing for this for well over a year , ” Republican National Committee Chief Counsel Justin Riemer told The Associated Press .
“ We ’ ve been working with the campaign on our strategy for recount preparation , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On the Democratic side , the Biden campaign ’ s election protection program includes a special national litigation team involving hundreds of lawyers led by Walter Dellinger , acting solicitor general in the Clinton administration , and Donald Verrilli , a solicitor general under President Barack Obama , among others .
Bob Bauer , a former White House counsel to Obama , and Biden campaign general counsel Dana Remus are focused on protecting the rights of voters , who have been enduring long lines at polling places around the country on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided by their ballots .
Both sides are informed by the experience of the 2000 election , which was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore .
But this year , because Trump has pushed unsubstantiated claims about the potential for voter fraud with increased voting by mail , sowing doubt about the integrity of the result , lawyers are preparing for a return trip before the high court .
And , in an extraordinary twist , the president has pushed for his nominee to the Supreme Court , Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as soon as possible if she is confirmed as expected on Monday , saying it ’ s important to have a ninth justice to decide any election disputes .
The race is already thought to be the most litigated in American history , with some 260 lawsuits arising from the coronavirus by one tally .
Behind the scenes , Trump and Republicans have been putting together a legal team that includes Jay Sekulow , one of the president ’ s lead attorneys during the impeachment trial and the special counsel ’ s Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court .
Republicans have hired dozens of attorneys and retained prominent national firms to challenge Democratic efforts to expand ballot access in key battleground states .
Thousands of volunteer lawyers are prepared to assist with Election Day operations and poll watching and other issues , Riemer said .
A group called Lawyers for Trump , whose advisory board includes Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani , is recruiting retired lawyers and law students .
Jones Day is among the prominent global law firms expected to play a role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represented Trump in such cases as his long-running fight to prevent a top New York prosecutor from getting his tax returns , is also likely to be a key player in any election legal fights .
Riemer said it ’ s not as though the party is going to call up a random attorney on Election Day and say , “ Hey , are you busy ?
Do you want to litigate a recount ?
” That ’ s close to what happened in 2000 .
Barry Richard , who represented Bush in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call the morning after the election asking if he could help and had to scramble to quickly pull a team together , he said .
“ Things were much different then .
We had no history of candidates lawyering up for presidential elections , so everything hit the fan the night of election night , ” Richard said .
Another team that ’ s fighting voter access issues in courts across the country is headed by well-known election lawyer Marc Elias of the law firm Perkins Coie , who is prominent in Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republicans .
“ When Democrats want to tilt elections in their favor outside the ballot box , who do they call ?
Marc Elias and Perkins Coie , ” an RNC website says .
Republicans accuse Elias and Democrats of trying to use the coronavirus pandemic to rig the election by doing away with safeguards against fraud .
Elias and his team at have filed lawsuits seeking to force states to extend mailed-in ballot collection deadlines and other things .
In one case , the Supreme Court this week allowed Pennsylvania to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after the Nov. 3 election , rejecting a Republican bid to block the extension .
Elias has long been the public face of Democratic legal contests , serving as general counsel to Hillary Clinton ’ s campaign in 2016 and John Kerry ’ s in 2004 .
He pushes regular updates about developments in his lawsuits to nearly 150,000 followers on Twitter , as well as guidance for voting and the occasional jibe at the president and his Republican counterparts .
“ Being called a ‘ partisan hack ’ by a lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honor I will wear proudly for a lifetime , ” he wrote in a tweet this week .
But lawyers on both sides say they are preparing to be ready for much more than a fight on Twitter .
Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker are reporters for The Associated Press .
Richer reported from Boston .
About the Headline Photo : In this Oct. 5 , 2020 file photo , the White House is shown Monday afternoon , Oct. 5 , 2020 , in Washington .
President Donald Trump and Democratic rival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armies of powerful lawyers as they prepare for the possibility that the race for the White House is decided not at the ballot box but in court .
( AP Photo/J .
Scott Applewhite )


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--Nashville Attorney Jim Roberts Gives an Update on the Fight to Get the Nashville Taxpayer Protection

Nashville Attorney Jim Roberts Gives an Update on the Fight to Get the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act on December’s Ballot

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Nashville attorney Jim Roberts to the newsmakers line to give updates on the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act referendum litigation that would prevent or allow it to be put on the December ballot .
Leahy : In the studio with me is the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael .
And on our newsmaker line our good friend attorney Jim Roberts who ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lawsuit that will be tried next week about whether or not Nashville voters will be able to vote on the referendum and repeal the 34 percent property tax increase .
Good morning , Jim .
Leahy : Well , what ’ s the latest twist and turn in this long adventure ?
Roberts : Well , it keeps twisting and keeps starting .
We had a big hearing yesterday with Chancellor Lyle here in Davidson County .
Metro was pulling out all the stops to prevent witnesses from testifying .
To keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging in all the sorts of all the shenanigans that you would expect them to try to prevent the people from being able to vote on this .
Carmichael : How successful were they with their tactics ?
Roberts : Not really successful at all .
Where the court is still taking a few things under advisement .
There are more pleadings being filed .
I mean what Metro is really trying to do is just overwhelm me and the people by just filing , you know , hundreds and hundreds of pages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t have a case and they know it .
There ’ s no legal basis to keep the people from being able to vote on this ballot initiative .
Leahy : Yeah , and we ’ ve gone over this many a time .
But if you could summarize the lack of legal standing for the Davidson County election commission ’ s efforts to in my view illegally deprive Nashville ’ s voters from voting on this referendum on December 5th .
Just give us a summary of how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Absolutely .
The key to this is that you don ’ t have judicial challenges .
You don ’ t have court lawsuits over ballot initiatives until they pass because they might not pass .
And the only way that the Metro Government would have any basis to litigate this before the election is to claim that this ballot initiative violated the Tennessee Constitution or the Federal Constitution .
And it clearly doesn ’ t .
They haven ’ t even argued that .
What the Metro is trying to do is come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election will cost .
Or you know , all the doom and gloom things that might happen to Metro if they ’ re actually required to be a little bit more responsible .
They don ’ t have any constitutional violations .
There ’ s nothing about this charter amendment that facially violates the Tennessee Constitution and they know it .
They ’ re just throwing as much as they can up against the wall hoping something will stick .
Carmichael : Now is the plaintiff in the suit the election commission or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case that the election commission filed I got dismissed last week .
It was not appropriate and it was filed late .
Leahy : The election commission case has been dismissed ?
Roberts : Well , yes and no .
Hold on .
We filed first because right done anything we ask for mandamus to force the election commission put it on the ballot .
The election commission then turned around and sued the citizens .
That ’ s not appropriate because there was already a lawsuit pending and so their lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow them to bring those same claims up in the litigation .
It ’ s still out there .
Carmichael : So who is the so who is the plaintiff ?
Is it now Metro ?
did Metro Sue also ?
Roberts : Ten we when we filed suit it was for 4 Good Government former councilman , Dwayne Dominy , and the 27,263 registered voters who signed find Nashville taxpayer protection act .
Carmichael : So you ’ re the plaintiff .
And is the defendant the election commission or Metro ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Truthfully Crom , it ’ s a very convoluted pleading .
And that Metro did this on purpose because hey they wanted it to be as confusing as possible so it wouldn ’ t look like they were suing the citizens .
They were trying to disguise that by making it look like Metro is suing the election commission and the election commission is asking for guidance .
But in the end , this is your government suing the citizens to prevent them from voting on a properly verified petition .
Carmichael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a larger local story than this .
are you getting coverage from the TV channels on this ?
Roberts : Very little I think the election and the President coming into town it sort of sucked up all the media air for the last couple of days .
and what ’ s going on right now is pretty technical stuff .
They ’ re filing , you know hundreds and hundreds of pages of pleadings .
They ’ re trying to create some confusion and fog basically , and none of its particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is trying to stop the people from voting .
And this is not just about the people who signed the petition .
This is every registered voter in Davidson County that has a right to vote for or against this ballot initiative .
And every one of them is being denied their right to vote .
Leahy : What do you expect to happen next ?
When will the judge make a decision ?
And if you win what will happen ?
Roberts : We do expect to win .
The trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be about three issues .
We did we meet the certification and we did .
The election commission admitted that .
We ’ re just going to sit there and look at the judges and say alright we met the certification here ’ s our ballot initiative , put it on the ballot .
It will be up to Metro or the election commission to come in and argue that somehow this ballot petition either doesn ’ t meet the form that ’ s required or is facially unconstitutional .
Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the Metro Charter there is no form established .
And so there ’ s no way we could violate the form .
And there ’ s no even allegation that we ’ ve ( Inaudible talk ) Tennessee Constitution this is really just a whine-fest .
Metro wants to come in and whine about how it will disrupt the budgeting process .
How it will cause them to have to make cuts .
The expense of the election .
They ’ ve got a lot of sad stories to trot out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot more by the end of the campaign .
They ’ re going to tell you that dogs will starve in the street and babies will die .
And they ’ re going to use all that normal hysteria .
But in the end , there ’ s nothing in this ballot initiative that violates the Constitution and they know it .
And they don ’ t care .
Carmichael : You know Michaels what may happen to Jim is that the Democrats here in Nashville may take a cue from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on Monday with pictures .
( Laughter ) Leahy : Jim .
Let me ask you this .
So do you anticipate a decision by the judge in the next week or two ?
And if so , if you win what will be the result of that decision ?
Roberts : Well , absolutely .
I would expect a ruling from the judge by next Wednesday or Thursday .
There is an election commission meeting set for the week after next .
Leahy : When you say next Wednesday or Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : Okay good and then they ’ ve got a decision the week through the scheduled Election Commission meeting the week after .
So tell me if you win what happens .
Roberts : If we win the court will issue an order requiring the election commission to put it on the ballot .
They will meet on November I think fourth and they ’ ll start the process of putting it on the ballot .
The case won ’ t be over because there are still issues of civil rights violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open meetings act and conspiracy to put charges against Metro in the election commission .
Those things will still go be out there .
But the ballot issue will be over .
Leahy : And if you win when will the voters get to vote ?
Roberts : It looks right now on December 15th .
Even though the voters asked her to be on December 5th , I think the election wasn ’ t just simply doesn ’ t have the time anymore .
I think they acted illegally and moving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be legally possible to have an election on the fifth just because of some requirements of military ballots and voting ballots , and just some structural issues .
This is a problem of their own making .
If they just followed the law on September 25th we wouldn ’ t have this problem .
But just realistically I ’ m not sure we can get it done by December fifth .
Carmichael : Can you ask the judge to set the date so that they can ’ t so that Metro can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fifth ?
And then it ’ s the 15th and therefore they don ’ t have to do anything ?
Roberts : That ’ s a good point .
I haven ’ t really thought of that .
Yes , I think I will actually they had they have conditionally moved the ballot to the 15th already .
I ’ m not sure that actually that there ’ s any legal basis for that .
And I guess it was a good idea to probably ask her to make sure they put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want them gaming the system .
They ’ re at the point now where they ’ re desperate .
My understanding is they know this is going to lose if it ’ s brought before the people .
The traditional scare tactics are just not going to work Leahy : Jim Roberts .
Will you come back next Friday and tell us what happened ?
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Background Photo “ Davidson Courthouse ” by Reading Tom .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-10-24--House Speaker Cameron Sexton Gives Updates on Barnstorming Tour and Weighs in on the Final President

House Speaker Cameron Sexton Gives Updates on Barnstorming Tour and Weighs in on the Final Presidential Debate

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Speaker Cameron Sexton to the newsmaker line .
At the end of the third hour , Sexton gave his thoughts about the presidential debate in Nashville Thursday night between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden and also discussed what he was seeing on the ground during his barnstorming tour through Tennessee .
Leahy : We are joined on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the House here in Tennessee , Cam Sexton .
Good morning , Cam .
Sexton : Good morning .
How are y ’ all doing today ?
Leahy : And the question , Cam , is where are you in Tennessee today ?
Sexton : We just finished a stop in Loudon County and Loudon , Tennessee , and we ’ re on our way down to Cleveland .
And then I have a long day and finish up in Murfreesboro tonight .
Carmichael : What are the two or three state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlight ?
Sexton : The state Senate .
I think from what I understand from the Senate is the same as the House races .
You know , the in the city areas are where the Democrats are going after our members .
Obviously they are in Davidson County and Hamilton County .
I think the two prime ones are on the Senate side and the House too .
Shelby County , Hamilton , and Knox County and that ’ s where they ’ re trying to go at us on the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right , and do we feel good about our prospects there ?
Sexton : We feel good .
Yes , we do .
We ’ re doing everything we can we ’ re you know , we ’ re barnstorming across the state of Tennessee as you said .
And we have the resources necessary to help return all of our House members .
We feel very confident at where we ’ re at as of today in the polling and everything going on , and we ’ re just trying to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And that ’ s why we ’ re barnstorming across the state of Tennessee as well .
Leahy : Now see if I ’ ve got this right Speaker Sexton .
So is the current makeup in the Tennessee House of Representatives , is it 74 members who are Republican and 25 who are Democrats ?
Is that right ?
Sexton : It depends on what you do with John DeBerry when they kicked him off the ballot as a Democrat .
So it ’ s normally 73 , 26 .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 , and one I guess .
Leahy : 73 , 25 , and one .
Speaking of John DeBerry running as an independent , I know it ’ s not , particularly since he ’ s not a Democrat and he ’ s independent .
Do we have any indication who ’ s going to win that seat the independent ?
John DeBerry has been there for 25 years ?
Sexton : I have not .
I don ’ t know .
I know they ’ ve done some different things down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture on billboards with Donald Trump and that ’ s worked as they try to pull out .
So we ’ ll see if they ’ re successful and what they ’ re trying to do or not .
What I will say though is I was able to greet the president yesterday and also go to the debate last night and I think the president had a wonderful night .
And I think that ’ s going to help us with our members all across this state with the debate performance last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you a little story about that .
One of our regular guests here , Terry Nicholson was there greeting the president and she got really excited .
The president was walking by and she was wearing a very nice hat apparently , and apparently , the president said to her very nice hat .
And that made her day .
It made her day .
( Carmichael laughs ) Did you get a chance to talk to the president ?
Sexton : I did when he came off the plane we talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we passed in Tennessee and the mob and how the day after we passed it and they went home .
And his comment was Tennessee ’ s a great state and we all stand for law and order .
And then you ’ ve watched the debate last night .
I think it doesn ’ t matter what the issue was .
I think President Trump handled every single issue .
And one issue , at the debate hall , even when the Joe Biden supporters were in there and as Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned and waved at his people in the audience and none of them even waved back at him .
So I think that they weren ’ t proud of his performance last night .
Leahy : That ’ s a very interesting comment .
It gets to this issue of enthusiasm .
Are you seeing a lack of enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket across the state as you campaign and do your barnstorming ?
Sexton : Yeah , I mean absolutely , and I think Peggy Noonan had an article today in The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the difference between Trump and thousands turning out North Carolina .
And Joe Biden has a dozen cars show up and no one is lining the streets for him .
And they ’ re trying to play it off as the virus .
But at some point , people are going to turn out if they love their candidate like they love President Trump .
And so we do have enthusiasm in our state and we ’ re delivering the message .
There ’ s a lot of people .
And the voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans is higher than it ’ s ever been before .
Carmichael : Is it true that the only cars that showed up at the Biden event where self-driving cars ?
( Laughter ) Sexton : Well based on his last night comments where he ’ s going to take oil away from us and fracking , I ’ m assuming that he ’ s going to have to put some charging stations or something out there as he goes through .
But I think that was a colossal mistake for him last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states like Ohio , Pennsylvania , and Texas .
I think he didn ’ t do himself any good last night .
Leahy : As a veteran of the political arena , when when you heard Joe Biden say basically he wants to end the oil industry did that strike you as perhaps one of the biggest political mistakes that he ’ s made in this campaign ?
Sexton : Yes .
I mean absolutely because that hurts him in the swing states .
That puts us more reliant on foreign entities outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know , there are issues with that .
And I think the other thing last night those very interesting was when the president kept pressing him on why he hasn ’ t done anything for 48 years and he blamed it on having Republicans in Congress .
And if you look in the debate hall , I watched the replay later the camera zoomed out and there ’ s like five seconds of silence , which is like two minutes .
And President Trump just looked at him and goes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with people .
You got ta twist the arm .
I got things passed because I ’ d worked with the Democrats and twisted their arms to pass things .
Leahy : I agree with you speaker Sexton .
A very powerful moment .
I mean you ’ re in the legislature , right ?
Sometimes you ’ ve got to have the executive use their power and authority to persuade legislators to their point of view .
Sexton : That ’ s right .
You have to be willing to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides because sometimes you know , you just want to get as many votes as you can to show bipartisanship that ’ s possible .
You know , unfortunately , on the law and order Bill we passed we only had two Democrats to vote for it , but we had enough Republicans wanting to support it to take on the mob here in Tennessee .
So the times like that you need to just power through .
But there are times where you really do need to work together .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ever done that .
I think he just wants to sit back and have it come to him .
And you know , do you want a President who ’ s a fighter who believes America ’ s greatness is still ahead of us , or do you want someone who just wants to sit back and let it happen .
Leahy : Speaker Cameron Sexton finishing up the barnstorming tour in Murfreesboro tonight .
Thanks so much for joining us today .
Sexton : Thank you .
Have a great day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 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 “ Debate Stage ” by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 3.0 .