thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Survey: Families in Four Largest U.S. Cities Facing Significant Financial, Health, Education Setback

Survey: Families in Four Largest U.S. Cities Facing Significant Financial, Health, Education Setbacks

More than half of the households surveyed in the four largest U.S. cities are facing serious financial problems as a result of their state and city shutdowns , a new five-part polling series conducted by NPR , The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation , and Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health , found .
The series , conducted in July and August , examined the most serious health and financial problems facing households across America prior to the expiration of federal coronavirus support programs ending in September .
It focused specifically on the impact of state shutdowns in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houston , Los Angeles and New York City .
And it addressed the areas of families ’ finances , employment , health care , housing , transportation , caregiving and overall well-being .
A sizable share of households said they have had “ serious problems keeping children ’ s education going , finding childcare while working , finding space for children to get physical activity while maintaining a safe distance from others , and internet connectivity issues , ” the report states .
Families also have not been able to get medical care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and city shutdowns .
The majority has faced negative health consequences as a result .
“ These findings raise important concerns about households ’ abilities to weather long-term financial and health effects of the coronavirus outbreak , as a large share have depleted their savings and are having major problems paying for basic costs of living , including food , rent , and medical care , ” the report states .
In Houston , the most populated city in Texas , which received more than $ 400 million in federal coronavirus relief aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing serious financial problems .
The majority earns less than $ 100,000 a year , and is primarily Black and Hispanic .
Majorities of Black households also reported serious financial problems in Chicago ( 69 percent ) , New York City ( 62 percent ) and Los Angeles ( 52 percent ) .
“ Before federal coronavirus support programs even expired , we find millions of people with very serious problems with their finances , ” Robert J. Blendon , a poll co-director and executive director at the Harvard Chan School , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would expect without a national emergency relief bill , ” Blendon added .
“ We had a $ 2 trillion relief bill to lift people up and put a pillow under them .
But it is not helping nearly as many people as we had expected.
” Forty-one percent of Houstonians surveyed said they have used most of their savings ; 23 percent said they didn ’ t have any household savings prior to the coronavirus outbreak .
Roughly 41 percent said they “ are having serious problems paying ” their credit card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; 37 percent , their utilities ; 34 percent , their mortgage or rent ; and 33 percent , affording food .
A majority of Houston households , 57 percent , said they have lost their jobs , been furloughed , or had wages or hours reduced since the start of the coronavirus shutdowns in March .
About 47 percent said someone works from home at least some of the time , and among those working from home , 12 percent reported serious problems being able to do so .
Sixty-one percent said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not get an appointment during the hours they needed ; 54 percent said they could not find a doctor who would see them ; 35 percent said the health care location was too far or difficult to get to ; 22 percent said they could not find a doctor who would take their health insurance .
Among households with children , 60 percent of parents reported having “ serious problems caring for their children.
” Roughly 40 percent “ face serious problems ” finding space for them to get physical activity while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 35 percent face serious problems keeping their children ’ s education going .
Approximately 45 percent of Houston households with children report either having serious problems with their Internet connection , or that they do not have a high-speed Internet connection at home .
Bethany Blankley is a reporter for The Center Square .
Photo “ Money ” by 401 ( k ) 2012 CC2.0


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Anti-Homeschooling Harvard Professor Elizabeth Bartholet: Public Schools Not So Great After All

In the wake of many schools around the country participating in remote learning , one Harvard University professor has admitted that parents are finding public schools to be “ worse than they thought.
” The Harvard law professor gained national attention earlier in 2020 , calling for a homeschooling ban .
According to The Harvard Gazette , Elizabeth Bartholet said in May , “ when it comes to homeschooling , the victims are all children so it ’ s harder to mount a political movement.
” Repeatedly , Bartholet has demonized homeschooling , saying that parents who do so have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bartholet has previously pushed for education authorities to have regulatory oversight of what is being taught in homeschool education , which , in her ideal world , would involve school boards “ approving ” parents to homeschool their children and having an approved curriculum of what they must be taught “ at minimum.
” However , in an interview with the Harvard Law Review , Bartholet responded to a statement made by William and Mary Law School professor Jim Dwyer , and said that many parents who choose to homeschool their children during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ public schools are worse than they thought.
” “ I agree that there could very well be some increase .
Some parents have discovered that public schools are worse than they thought , and have been surprised at how little their kids have been learning , ” Bartholet said , adding that lawmakers should regulate homeschooling post-coronavirus , referring to the practice as a “ lawless world out there with no rules and regulations and oversight.
” The law professor also noted when the coronavirus begins to subside , educational alternatives such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for parents preferring their methods over public school prescribed curriculums .
“ But it is also possible that some people who are homeschooling for the first time as a result of COVID think they ’ ve been doing way better than the public schools , are not used to being regulated in ways that hamper their freedom , and may therefore be resistant to any new regulation of homeschooling , ” she said .
Reason Foundation Director of School Choice Corey DeAngelis reminded Campus Reform in an interview that the professor called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months ago .
“ Her call to ban homeschooling just a few months ago is a bad idea because it can eliminate a viable alternative for a lot of families to , you know , a viable alternative to the traditional public school system , which as she says and admits in this interview , ” DeAngelis said , adding that “ she ’ s admitting that she believes that there ’ s gon na be a huge uptick in home schooling because , you know , families are figuring out , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the traditional public school system.
” As for Bartholet ’ s proposal for government oversight of homeschooling , DeAngelis said that this is an “ obvious ” infringement on personal liberty .
“ She says that she thinks it ’ s ‘ wonderful ’ that some school districts are planning in home visits to check on families , ” DeAngelis said .
Harvard University did not respond to a request for comment from Campus Reform .
James Ferguson is a Virginia Campus Correspondent with CampusReform.org .
Photo “ Professor Elizabeth Bartholet ” by @ @

by Virginia Allen
Republican governors are sending National Guard troops to the southern border.
Governors of Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia announced this week they will send troops and resources to Texas to support the work of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Operation Lone Star to secure the southern border.
“President [Joe] Biden’s failure at our southern border puts the entire country at risk,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. “States must now step up where the president has failed to repel illegals, fight the cartels, and stop human and drug trafficking.”
Sanders is sending 80 National Guard troops to the border in July. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will send troop but has not clarified how many, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also announced Thursday that he will send 100 National Guardsmen to Texas to help secure the southern border. Gov. Mike DeWine says he will send 14 State Highway troopers and supervisors to Texas for two weeks. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she will deploy about 50 National Guard troops to the border this summer.
Arkansas, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota join nine other GOP governors who have already pledged to send troops and resources to Texas to help secure the state’s border with Mexico.
“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement Wednesday.
“Given the intensive resource demands on Texas, the dangers posed by the fentanyl crisis, and impact of the border crisis on criminal activity to the Commonwealth, Virginia will do its part to assist the State of Texas’ efforts with the coordinated deployment of Virginia National Guard soldiers to assist in key aspects of their mission,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin is sending 100 troops and 21 supporting personnel to Texas from the commonwealth.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is sending up to 50 National Guard troops and airmen to the border for up to 30 days. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster says he will also send troops to the border but has yet to announce how may.
“The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison,” McMaster said in a statement Wednesday.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that she will send 100 National Guard troops and 30 Department of Public Safety personnel to the border.
The Republican governors’ decision to send troops to the southern border comes in response to Abbott’s request for states to join Texas and help secure the border through the work of Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security plan.
Nine GOP governors met with Abbott in Austin, Texas, on May 22 to discuss the border crisis. The meeting was held about a week after Abbott sent a letter to fellow governors asking them to help Texas secure the border.
The Texas governor applauded Idaho and Florida for already having sent border security resources and personnel to the Lone Star State to help secure the border and invited more governors to join in the “mission to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and send all available law enforcement personnel and resources to the Texas-Mexico border to serve alongside our thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers.”
Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced he will send 100 National Guard troops to the border and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen committed to send 10 state troopers to Texas to “help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border.”
Florida, Idaho, and Mississippi were among the first states to answer Abbott’s call for help.
On May 17, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced he was mobilizing a National Guard unit to the border.
“To keep Mississippians safe and limit the impact of our nation’s open borders, the Mississippi National Guard’s 112th Military Police Battalion has been mobilized and is supporting Customs and Border Protection officers and agents along the Southwest border.”
The day before Reeves’ announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida had “over 1,100 assets and resources available” to aid Operation Lone Star, including 800 National Guard soldiers and 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers.
“At my direction, state agencies, including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard, are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes,” DeSantis said. “While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”
Since the start of the Biden administration, Customs and Border Protection reports encountering more than 5.5 million illegal aliens at the southern border. Since fiscal year 2023 began on Oct. 1, CBP has encountered more than 1.4 million illegal aliens, about triple the number encountered at the southern border during fiscal year 2020.
CBP has seized a record 17,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border so far in fiscal year 2023, which ends Sept. 30, more than triple the total amount seized in all of fiscal year 2020.
– – –
Virginia Allen is a senior news producer and podcast host for The Daily Signal. She is the co-host of “The Daily Signal Podcast” and “Problematic Women.”
Photo “National Guard” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Ex-Baltimore Mayoral Aide Gets Prison in Book Sales Scam

A former aide who helped ex-Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh fraudulently sell her self-published children ’ s books to nonprofits was sentenced Friday to more than two years in federal prison .
Gary Brown Jr. apologized for his actions and expressed regret for bringing shame to his family and friends before U.S. District Judge Deborah Chasanow sentenced him to 27 months .
In February , Chasanow sentenced Pugh , a Democrat , to three years in prison for her role in the scheme to profit from sales of her “ Healthy Holly ” books .
The judge said the scam ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pugh and Brown defrauded .
“ The victims are all of us who have lost some faith in our institutions , ” Chasanow said .
Brown , 38 , pleaded guilty in November to conspiracy to commit wire fraud , two counts of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and filing a false tax return .
The judge ordered him to report to prison by Nov. 2 .
Brown abused his position as a public servant through an “ eight-year pattern of nonstop criminality , ” federal prosecutors said in a court filing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pugh ’ s “ go-to man , her confidante and partner in crime ” as they pitched her books to companies and organizations with ongoing or pending government contracts .
Between 2011 and 2019 , Brown worked as Pugh ’ s legislative aide in the state Senate before becoming deputy director of special events in the mayor ’ s office .
While on the government payroll , he served as Pugh ’ s “ right-hand man from start to finish ” on the fraudulent book sales , prosecutors wrote .
Brown and Pugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 850,000 from the sale of more than 132,000 books , although fewer than 74,000 copies of the paperbacks were printed , according to prosecutors .
They described Pugh as “ the face of the company , ” luring customers while Brown oversaw operations and received sales commissions .
Chasanow said Brown played an “ essential ” role in the scheme .
“ Without him , this doesn ’ t happen , ” added the judge , who also ordered him to pay $ 14,000 in restitution .
Defense attorney Barry Pollack described Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pugh ’ s “ minion , ” not an equal partner .
“ He wanted to serve his community and wanted to serve Mayor Pugh , ” Pollack told the judge , seeking a sentence of home detention .
In June , Pugh began serving her sentence at a prison in Aliceville , Alabama .
During her sentencing hearing , Pugh apologized through tears and said she accepted full responsibility for her actions .
Brown ’ s sentencing guidelines called for a prison term ranging from 33 to 41 months .
Prosecutors recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying it would serve as “ an adequate and just punishment ” while deterring other government corruption .
Another former Pugh associate , Roslyn Wedington , awaits sentencing for her guilty plea in November to related charges .
Pugh was elected mayor in 2016 and resigned under pressure in May 2019 as authorities investigated her book sales .
Pugh was a member of the board of directors of the University of Maryland Medical System , which paid a total of $ 500,000 for 100,000 copies of Pugh ’ s books .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but about 60,000 of those books were sent to a city warehouse and a Pugh office before going to other customers , and she never delivered the other 40,000 copies to the health system , prosecutors said .
In late 2016 , Brown was appointed to fill the state House of Delegates seat vacated by Pugh ’ s mayoral election .
However , before Brown could be sworn into office , Gov .
Larry Hogan rescinded the appointment after Brown was indicted by a Baltimore grand jury on charges he violated state campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brown and Pugh used money from the book business account to fraudulently inflate the amount of political contributions made to her mayoral campaign , giving her an unfair advantage over competitors , according to federal prosecutors .
They said Brown illegally converted checks from book sales into untraceable cash to fund tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions in the names of straw donors .
In 2017 , Brown reached a plea deal in the case brought by the Maryland State Prosecutor ’ s Office without implicating Pugh .
Pugh kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , prosecutors said .
Brown also pleaded guilty last year to separate federal charges that he operated a fraudulent tax preparation business and that he abused his position as board chairman of the Maryland Center for Adult Training Inc. , which employed Wedington as its executive director .
For five years , prosecutors said , Brown helped Wedington evade payroll taxes on her $ 80,000 annual salary .
Michael Kunzelman is a reporter with The Associated Press .
AP writer Regina Garcia Cano contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , file photo , former Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh and her attorney Steven Silverman , left , leave a sentencing hearing at U.S. District Court in Baltimore .
Gary Brown Jr. , a former legislative aide who helped Pugh fraudulently sell her self-published children ’ s books , has been sentenced to federal prison Friday , Sept. 11 , 2020 .
In February , Pugh was sentenced to three years in prison for her role in the scheme to profit from sales of her “ Healthy Holly ” books .
( AP Photo/Steve @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Billionaire Mike Bloomberg to Spend at Least $100M to Help Biden in Florida

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is committing at least $ 100 million to help Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign in the crucial battleground state of Florida .
Bloomberg ’ s late-stage infusion of cash reflects Democrats ’ concerns about the tight race in a state that is a priority for President Donald Trump .
A victory for Biden in Florida , the largest of the perennial battleground states , would significantly complicate Trump ’ s path to reaching the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure a second term .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their chances in the state , pointing to GOP wins in 2018 and stronger-than-expected turnout in 2016 as evidence the state is trending in their direction .
They ’ ve invested millions in Florida focused on Latino outreach and boosting their field operation , and the state ’ s size and diversity makes campaigns there expensive .
In a sign that Bloomberg ’ s planned investment put Trump on alert , however , the president tweeted out his disdain for Bloomberg on Sunday morning , referencing the attacks the businessman received at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
“ I thought Mini Mike was through with Democrat politics after spending almost 2 Billion Dollars , and then giving the worst and most inept Debate Performance in the history of Presidential Politics .
Pocahontas ended his political career on first question , OVER !
Save NYC instead , ” he tweeted .
The billionaire Bloomberg launched his own campaign for the Democratic nomination late last year amid worries about Biden ’ s strengths .
Despite spending $ 1 billion on his campaign , Bloomberg struggled and dropped out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of the world ’ s wealthiest men with a net worth estimated to exceed $ 60 billion , Bloomberg promised throughout his campaign that he would help Democrats try to defeat Trump regardless of how his own White House bid fared .
He exited the presidential race pledging to spend “ whatever it takes ” to defeat Trump , and has already invested millions to support Democrats up and down the ballot .
Bloomberg transferred $ 18 million from his presidential campaign to the Democratic National Committee , and transferred its offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local Democratic parties there .
The businessman has contributed $ 500,000 to Voto Latino to help register Latino voters , $ 2 million to the group Collective Future to help register African American voters , and $ 2 million to Swing Left , a group focused on electing Democrats in swing districts .
One of the groups he has founded and funds , Everytown for Gun Safety , has committed to spending $ 60 million on elections this cycle , and Bloomberg himself has pledged another $ 60 million to support Democrats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending is intended to boost Biden before the start of early voting in Florida , which begins on Sept. 24 .
A Bloomberg adviser said much of the money will go to television and digital advertising .
Republicans are outspending Democrats by about $ 8 million in the state in future television ad reservations , according to a review of Kantar/CMAG data by The Associated Press .
Julie Pace and Alexandra Jaffe are reporters with The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg , left , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Joe Biden at the National September 11 Memorial in New York , Friday , Sept. 11 , 2020 , before a ceremony marking the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks .
( AP Photo/Patrick Semansky )


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Two California Deputies Shot in Apparent Ambush in Patrol Car

COMPTON , California ( AP ) — Authorities searched Sunday for a gunman who shot and wounded two Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies who were sitting in their squad car — an apparent ambush that drew an angry response from the president and sparked an anti-police protest outside the hospital where the deputies were being treated .
The 31-year-old female deputy and 24-year-old male deputy underwent surgery Saturday evening , Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a late-night news conference .
Both graduated from the academy 14 months ago , he said .
The deputies were shot while sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rail station and were able to radio for help , the sheriff said .
Villanueva , whose department has come under fire during recent protests over racial unrest , expressed frustration over anti-police sentiment as he urged people to pray for the deputies .
“ It pisses me off .
It dismays me at the same time , ” he said .
The department tweeted video of the shooting that shows a person open fire through the passenger-side window of the patrol car .
“ The gunman walked up on the deputies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the department stated .
The video sparked thousands of reactions , including from President Donald Trump , who responded , “ Animals that must be hit hard !
” “ This cold-blooded shooting is unconscionable and the perpetrator must be brought to justice , ” Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted .
“ Violence of any kind is wrong ; those who commit it should be caught and punished.
” Protesters gathered outside the the hospital where the injured deputies were being treated .
“ To the protesters blocking the entrance & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We hope they die ” referring to 2 LA Sheriff ’ s ambushed today in # Compton : DO NOT BLOCK EMERGENCY ENTRIES & EXITS TO THE HOSPITAL , ” the sheriff ’ s department tweeted .
“ People ’ s lives are at stake when ambulances can ’ t get through.
” A radio reporter who was near the protest scene was taken into custody .
The sheriff ’ s department later tweeted that the reporter interfered with the arrest of a male protester .
“ The female adult , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press , did not identify herself as press and later admitted she did not have proper press credentials on her person , ” the department stated .
After being released , Josie Huang , a reporter for public radio station KPCC , tweeted that she had seen the statements from sheriff ’ s officials and had “ thoughts and videos to share soon after a little rest.
” The executive editor of the station , Megan Garvey , expressed outrage over the arrest and said her reporter appeared to be wearing her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , the search for the gunman continued .
Capt .
Kent Wegener said officers were blanketing the area in search of the suspect seen on the video opening fire with a pistol .
“ We have a very , very generic description , ” he said .
The incident happened around 7 p.m. a short distance from the Compton sheriff ’ s station south of downtown Los Angeles .
The U.S. Justice Department would assist sheriff ’ s investigators with “ all federal tools available , ” department spokesperson Kerri Kupec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ railed against the LA Sheriff ’ s Department for weeks over recent shootings by deputies , including the killing of a man on a bicycle last month .
“ Of course , there ’ s an important conversation going on about policing in this country , but these are folks who put their lives on the line for us , and we will find justice for them , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on CNN Sunday .
About the Headline Photo : A screen grab from a security camera video released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department shows a gunman walking up to sheriff ’ s deputies and opening fire without warning or provocation in Compton , Calif. , on Saturday , Sept. 12 , 2020 .
Officials say two Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies were shot in their patrol car at a Metro rail station in what appeared to be an ambush .
The sheriff ’ s department said the male and female deputies were shot in the head and had multiple gunshot wounds and were undergoing surgery .
Deputies were searching for a suspect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Ilhan Omar Uses Misinformation in Interview to Push Abolishing Police

Representative Ilhan Omar ( DFL-MN-5 ) stated that the Minneapolis Police Department ( MPD ) hasn ’ t solved half the homicides and destroys rape kits .
Because of this , she says , the MPD should be dismantled .
“ We can reimagine a public safety system that empowers and provides safety for every person in our city regardless of the color of their skin or zip code , ” the freshman congresswoman tweeted .
“ Dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department is necessary in order to heal and move forward as a community.
” “ You know , half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MPD .
We ’ ve heard many reports of rape kits being destroyed.
” Omar didn ’ t cite sources for her claims about the MPD ’ s handling of homicides and rape kits .
The outspoken representative also didn ’ t go into depth about the reasons behind these realities .
Omar ’ s mention of unsolved homicide case numbers appears to refer to the results of an investigation by The Washington Post .
However , police categorize some cases as “ unsolved ” for reasons other than not knowing the killer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing their abuser , and lack of cooperating witnesses or even testimonies from witnesses all fail to lead to arrests .
Therefore , those cases qualify as “ unsolved ” cases .
Omar ’ s other point about police destroying rape kits belies the true issue .
Law enforcement officials have been asking Minnesota ’ s lawmakers to create a centralized storage system for rape kits and establish consistent , clear testing protocols .
Legally , there exists no standardization of the process – especially for victims who change their mind about reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually destroyed due to carelessness or incompetency .
Victims may decide not to pursue the matter , or police acted on unclear , inconsistent guidelines on discerning founded versus unfounded cases ( namely , issues with clarifying consent ) .
Omar also stated that “ a majority of the people don ’ t trust Minneapolis Police.
” Polling sends mixed messages : a majority of voters believe MPD shouldn ’ t be reduced in size , but hold an unfavorable opinion of MPD overall .
The congresswoman concluded that the solution was coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public safety would look like for them .
Omar didn ’ t offer specifics on this new body of public safety .
“ I believe we are a resilient city , and we will come through this with a plan that really provides safety for each and every single person in our city .
Regardless of what zip code they ’ re living in and what color of the skin that they are in.
” Limited policing didn ’ t improve the safety of Minneapolis residents after Floyd ’ s death .
MPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were told to stand down during the riots .
Going forward , Representative Omar stated that her main focus is to stop the re-election of President Donald Trump .
“ We must remember our communities have been facing decades of social & economic neglect .
We can not being to address that neglect if we don ’ t elect leaders who have fluency in our day to day struggles .
That starts with getting rid of this incompetent , corrupt president , ” she tweeted .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Minnesota Vikings Pregame Video: Early 20th-Century Racism Endures Today

The Minnesota Vikings aired a pregame video from the National Football League ( NFL ) likening today to the reality of early 20th-century black Americans .
“ As we celebrate the return to football , the Minnesota Vikings recognize the continuing fight for equality , and the work needed to improve our community , ” stated the announcer .
Marvel Cinematic Universe actor Anthony Mackie narrated the video .
Black and white pictures showed white individuals standing over black individuals working fields and enduring beatings .
“ At the dawn of the 20th century , America was a country full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Americans faced a different reality : a nation separate and unequal .
Yet their hope persisted .
Pained by inequality , but inspired by resilience , writer and Civil Rights activist James Weldon Johnson put to paper .
His words would become a unifying call – a hope for a brighter tomorrow .
A timeless exhortation to lift every voice and sing.
” Alicia Keys sang “ Lift Every Voice and Sing , ” the composition dubbed the “ Black national anthem.
” Clips of individuals marched wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video aired , George Floyd ’ s family stood in front of the Gjallarhorn to be honored .
The announcer stated that Floyd was killed “ senselessly and tragically.
” The video declared that Minneapolis was “ the epicenter in a worldwide call for justice , change , and racial equity.
” As a means of honoring those “ silenced ” by police killings , the Gjallarhorn wasn ’ t sounded at kickoff .
The tradition , established in 2007 , is usually an honor reserved for notable military or world-class professional athletes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death , Vikings donated over $ 5 million to “ organizations that fight hate , racism , and inequality.
” Those organizations aren ’ t specified .
The team also endowed $ 125,000 to a George Floyd Legacy Scholarship .
Every year , one graduating student will receive $ 5,000 in college tuition funds .
No announcements to local businesses destroyed by the riots were found .
In the Floyd case , the judge issued a pre-trial decision Friday to dismiss the prosecuting attorneys for being “ sloppy in not having someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness .
Judge Cahill also didn ’ t indicate any change the trial ’ s location after all four defendants argued that an impartial jury in the county wouldn ’ t be possible .
The next court date in the Floyd trials is scheduled for March 8th , 2021 .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Image “ Alicia Keys Sings ‘ Lift Every Voice and Sing ' ” @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Minnesota’s Eagan High School will Audit ‘Curriculum for Racist Content’

Eagan High School has adopted “ nine anti-racism goals ” in order to address an education system “ created to support whiteness , ” according to an email recently sent to parents .
“ This summer we heard from students , parents and guardians via listening sessions and through the feedback form , social media , and email .
We looked more critically at our data surrounding students , learning and achievement , ” said an email sent to parents Wednesday , a copy of which was obtained by Alpha News .
“ We held weekly faculty and staff discussions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a variety of other articles , podcasts , and videos .
Thank you to everyone who participated or reached out , ” the email continued .
According to the email , the school has made modifications to its in-school suspension policy so that it is “ more restorative for students , ” and plans to hire a full-time “ student support specialist ” to work specifically with students of color .
The school also intends to host a “ monthly community anti-racism listening session , ” the email noted .
The email was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Antiracism Reform Committee faculty , ” who recently published a list of “ nine anti-racism goals ” on the school ’ s website .
“ As a predominantly white school , with a predominantly white faculty and staff , in a system created to support whiteness , we need to address the needs and concerns and respond to our students of color and their families , ” states a webpage on “ anti-racism at Eagan High School.
” “ Eagan High School will become an anti-racist school where our curriculum , relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismantle racism in our school and empower students to dismantle racism after they leave our school , ” states an “ anti-racist vision.
” The high school ’ s list of anti-racist goals includes increasing the “ number of BIPOC faculty and staff , ” “ ongoing and persistent ” equity training for employees , and education that creates “ awareness of racist language and behavior ” among students .
“ EHS will work with the District 196 curriculum leaders and our departments at Eagan HS in the process of auditing our curriculum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department , ” states another goal .
The list of goals also promises to “ improve systems , structures , communications , and cultural expectations around access and enrollment in our honors and advanced classes for BIPOC and other underrepresented students.
” “ It means that we must be prepared to admit that Eagan High School creates , institutionalizes , and perpetuates racial inequities , whether they are academic , social , cultural , co-curricular , or otherwise .
It means that we must acknowledge that students of color have been and continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hallways , our stairwells , our gyms , our athletic fields , our administrative offices , and our grounds , ” states the website .
“ It means , ultimately , that we are ready to admit our failures , regardless of intention , and to begin the hard but necessary work of fixing them , ” it continues .
“ It means that we , as a school , must interrogate our culture , curriculum , and policies to identify and dismantle racist policies.
” Public schools across the state are instituting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd earlier this year .
One superintendent , for instance , told her teachers and staff to look for new jobs if they are “ indifferent to racial equity and anti-racist work.
” Hopkins Public Schools Superintendent Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed welcomed teachers back to school by urging them to examine their “ whiteness ” and declaring that a “ system of racism pervades every aspect of daily existence.
” Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News .
He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ End Racism ” by Garry Knight CC1.0


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Portsmouth Tea Party Calling for Senator Lucas to be Removed, Police Chief Greene Reinstated

As Portsmouth is divided among its city leadership , Senator Louise Lucas , and the police chief who announced felony charges against Lucas , the Portsmouth Tea Party is supporting Police Chief Angela Greene with a series of meetings and protests .
In their latest rally Sunday , over 100 people met in front of the Portsmouth City Hall , using constitution-based arguments to call for Greene to be reinstated and for Lucas to be removed .
Nelson Velez , Chairman of the Portsmouth Tea Party , told The Virginia Star that they were commemorating Constitution Day , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ We the People ” is central to the Constitution .
“ The idea being that the laws would be applied equally , that it wouldn ’ t matter if a person was an earl or baron or whatever .
Whatever class [ a person was , ] the laws would be applied equally and that justice was blind , so it wouldn ’ t matter because justice couldn ’ t see you .
What mattered was the criminal act itself and whether you were guilty or not , ” Velez said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she is able to have the power and connections to incite a riot , ” Velez alleged .
“ And she also has the power somehow to leverage , to stop the police from being able to do their sworn duty to defend and protect .
[ She ] still is in power , she ’ s not apologized for crimes committed.
” Velez added , “ Meanwhile , [ Greene ] does exactly what she swore an oath to do , to defend and protect and apply the laws to everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now she ’ s no longer the police chief .
So the black woman who actually does her job and does it as she swore to do is relieved of duty , but the other black powerful woman , who had actually violated our trust and commits felonies and releases a riot onto the very city [ where ] her constituents reside , she ’ s celebrated.
” Velez said the Portsmouth Tea Party has a plan to stop Lucas .
The first step is a petition .
If enough people sign the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recalled , resulting in a new election .
According to Tim Anderson , another Portsmouth Tea Party leader , the petition only needs 500 more signatures .
Velez said they are being careful to verify all signatures and record the last four digits of signatories ’ social security numbers .
They ’ re also trying to have a cushion of 1,000 extra signatures , for a total of around 6,000 signatures from Lucas ’ constituents .
“ So if they try any dirty tricks , it ’ s going to be really hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have all this identifying information on there , ” Velez said .
“ That ’ s one massive punch that we ’ re throwing .
The second massive punch is the felony charges that are going through the courts .
The evidence is clear she is guilty , without a reasonable doubt , beyond a reasonable doubt .
So if she ’ s convicted of those felonies , she gets thrown out , ” Velez claimed .
“ We got two punches going right to the midsection .
Both of them are knockout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photos “ Portsmouth Tea Party ” by Dennis Black .


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--70 Percent of Inmates Recently Tested at Pamunkey Regional Jail are Positive, Official Says

Roughly 70 % of inmates at the Pamunkey Regional Jail recently tested for COVID-19 are positive , causing the facility to go on lockdown , jail officials said in a statement Wednesday .
The facility , which takes offenders from the town of Ashland , Hanover and Caroline counties and the U.S .
Marshals Service , can hold up to 549 inmates , but currently houses only 382 .
Prisoners were tested for Coronavirus on September 4th and 5th , and drive-through testing for all staff was also conducted on the 5th , according to Col. James Willett , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , September 8th that 124 of the 178 ( 69.66 percent ) offenders tested were positive , ” Willett said in the release .
“ Additionally , the staff test results were returned the following day , of which 20 of 129 tests were confirmed positive .
“ Immediately upon receiving offender results on Monday afternoon , affected individuals were identified and isolated from the general population.
” Willett also said that all positive employees have been placed on emergency paid leave .
Three staff and 12 inmates tests were still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test was inconclusive which requires a retest .
There have been no hospitalizations or deaths and the “ vast majority ” of positive staff and inmates were asymptomatic or were showing mild symptoms , according to Willett .
The first COVID-19 case at the Hanover County facility occurred back on August 20th , when two staff tested positive and then immediately self-isolated .
The third case occurred on August 28th when a jail contractor tested positive and , on August 31st , another staff member reported positive as well , Willett said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on September 3rd .
According to the Hanover County website , 252 inmate tests were conducted on Friday and all prisoners have been tested at that time .
COVID-19 case counts in Hanover County drastically increased on Thursday , the day after the release , with 122 cases , compared to 11 on Wednesday , according to the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 daily dashboard .
There is no way to know if those 122 cases are inmates at Pamunkey jail or from completely separate persons in the county or a mix of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily cases between Wednesday and Thursday it seems likely that some are inmates .
Inmates who are at a higher risk of COVID-19 complications and meet the eligibility criteria – good time release date , medical conditions , and offense history – will only be released if the necessary community support and resources are available , according to the Virginia Department of Corrections COVID-19 response inmate early release plan .
The Pamunkey jail activated its COVID response protocol back in March at the beginning of the pandemic in the United States , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners , a screening tool and temperature checks for every person before entering the facility , personal protective equipment for both inmates and staff as well as enhanced cleaning within the building , Willett said .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Pamunkey Regional Jail ” by Pamunkey Regional Jail .


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Virginia House Passes Mental Health, Earned Sentence Credit Reforms

The Virginia House passed four more pieces of criminal justice reform legislation that will be sent to the Senate , including mandatory local mental health teams , more restrictions on police acquiring military surplus weapons and an expansion of the earned sentence credit program .
House Bill 5043 would require every local government to have a trained mental health response team to respond to relevant situations .
The teams would be armed with only nonlethal weapons , but police also would be dispatched to the scene for backup , if necessary .
Teams would need to be established by July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Bill 5049 , would prohibit police departments from acquiring military surplus property unless provided a waiver by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services .
The prohibition includes military rifles , grenades and other explosives , aircrafts designed for combat and weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles .
The bill would not apply to the National Guard or Virginia Defense Force .
The chamber also passed House Bill 5148 , which would expand the state ’ s earned sentence credit program , and House Bill 5090 , which would make criminal investigative files accessible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason to not allow their release .
All four bills cleared the House on Thursday .
The House and Senate have advanced a series of criminal justice reform bills over the special session and sent them to the other chamber .
The chambers will have to work out differences on minor legislation before they can send the bills to the governor .
Tyler Arnold is a reporter for The Center Square Photo “ Virginia Capitol ” by Mike Fonseca CC2.0


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Despite Allegations, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax Enters Race for Governor

FAIRFAX , Virginia ( AP ) — Virginia Lt. Gov .
Justin Fairfax formally kicked off his campaign for governor Saturday , a year after facing two allegations of sexual assault .
Fairfax delivered a campaign speech at the Old Court House in Fairfax in northern Virginia .
In February 2019 , Fairfax faced calls for his resignation from fellow Democrats after two women publicly accused him of sexual assault .
Meredith Watson , who attended Duke University with Fairfax , said he raped her in 2000 .
Vanessa Tyson , a California professor , said Fairfax forced her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004 .
Fairfax has denied the allegations and accused the women of being part of a “ smear campaign ” to end his political career .
“ The voters are incredibly smart .
They see through this kind of destructive , politically motivated kind of politics .
And they are ready to move to higher ground , ” he told The Associated Press this week .
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Debra Katz , Tyson ’ s attorney , renewed calls for a public hearing by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats have previously rejected those calls .
“ Apparently Lt .
Governor Fairfax believes that the citizens of the Commonwealth have forgotten about the serious and credible allegations of sexual assault made against him by Dr. Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson and about his deplorable treatment of them after they came forward , ” Katz said in a statement .
Fairfax , the second African American elected to statewide office in Virginia , has repeatedly likened the accusations against him to the lynching of African Americans during the Jim Crow era , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic racism .
On Sunday , Fairfax is scheduled to speak at Fort Monroe in Hampton , where in 1619 the first enslaved Africans in English North America arrived 401 years ago .
The sexual assault allegations against Fairfax were made soon after Gov .
Ralph Northam faced calls for his resignation over the disclosure of a racist photo in his medical school yearbook .
Northam says he was not in the image , but acknowledged he had worn blackface for a Michael Jackson costume when he took part in a 1984 dance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photo : In a Monday , Jan. 20 , 2020 file photo , Virginia Lt .
Governor Justin Fairfax speaks during the 9th Annual wreath laying and ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial , in Washington .
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax formally kicked off his campaign for governor Saturday , Sept. 12 , 2020 a year after facing two allegations of sexual assault .
( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana , File )


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--State Board Meets Today to Decide if Ohio Secretary of State May Spend Up to $3M to Prepay Absentee

State Board Meets Today to Decide if Ohio Secretary of State May Spend Up to $3M to Prepay Absentee Ballot Postage

A state board is meeting today to decide if Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose can spend up to $ 3 million to pay for absentee ballot postage for the November elections .
The Ohio Controlling Board will consider LaRose ’ s request today .
Their agenda is here , and more information about LaRose ’ s request is here .
This appropriation of state funds will be used by the Ohio Secretary of State to pay the cost of returning absentee ballots on behalf of any Ohio voter who opts to use that manner of voting in the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not expand Ohio ’ s existing absentee voting opportunities and will not permit universal vote by mail .
There will still be in-person voting at polling locations on Election Day , November 3 , 2020 .
In response , U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown on Sunday tweeted , “ OHIOANS : state officials meet Monday to decide whether to pre-pay for the return postage on our absentee ballots .
They absolutely should – it ’ s the most straightforward , nonpartisan way to ensure every Ohioan ’ s vote is counted this November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio House in June passed House Bill 680 that , among other things , would prevent state officials from moving the date , place and manner of an election .
The bill also says the secretary of state or board of elections “ shall not prepay the return postage for that ( absentee ballot ) application.
” The bill is pending in the Senate .
Democrats last month attacked LaRose after the Controlling Board failed to hear his request for the funds , The Ohio Star reported .
LaRose ’ s request to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary .
LaRose generated a Facebook firestorm Sept. 1 when his office mailed out absentee ballot applications , with some people reporting they received multiple applications and even applications for previous residents , The Star reported .
In an email exchange with The Star , Maggie Sheehan , the press secretary for LaRose , said “ absentee ballot request forms have been sent in every even-year Ohio general election since 2012.
” Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Sale Closes for $800 Million in ‘Rebuilding Michigan’ Bonds

The Michigan Department of Transportation ( MDOT ) announced Thursday afternoon it has closed an $ 800 million bond issue .
The $ 800 million is the first installment in Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s Rebuilding Michigan program .
The governor is seeking to raise $ 3.5 billion to repair and expand Michigan ’ s infrastructure after her plan to raise the state ’ s fuel tax by 45 cents a gallon became a legislative nonstarter and tremendously unpopular with voters .
According to an MDOT news release , “ The bonds closed today will cover the cost of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly traveled freeways , including a $ 60 million project in progress on I-496 west of Lansing .
When all of the $ 3.5 billion bonds are sold over the next few years , they will finance or help accelerate rebuilding or major rehabilitation of 122 major highways across the state.
” The bond sales were approved unanimously on Jan. 30 by the Michigan State Transportation Commission .
The commission authorized MDOT to issue and sell $ 3.5 billion bonds backed by state trunkline revenues , according to MDOT ’ s press release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freeways have been held together with patches and emergency repairs , ” Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement .
“ The Rebuilding Michigan program assures Michiganders across the state that they can drive to work and drop their kids at school on safe and reliable roads for many decades to come .
It has also allowed us to start moving dirt this year , without an increase at the gas pump.
” Moody ’ s Investor Services defended the bond sale during the COVID-19 pandemic , saying , “ Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ susceptible to immediate material credit risks related to coronavirus because of strong coverage of debt service and limits on additional leverage .
The longer-term impact will depend on both the severity and duration of the crisis.
” According to the governor and MDOT , the $ 800 million will generate total proceeds of $ 1.017 billion , and all-in true interest costs are 2.727 percent .
“ The maximum annual debt service maintains 6.4 times coverage against revenues , well above the four times coverage required by State Transportation Commission policy , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not everyone is celebrating the selling of bonds to “ fix the damned roads ” in Michigan , however .
James Hohman , director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy , for example , takes issue with the additional costs not mentioned in the governor ’ s news release .
“ The governor signed the state up to pay over $ 500 million in interest costs on this debt that could otherwise have gone to road repairs , ” Hohman told The Center Square .
“ It takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state puts the roads together faster than they fall apart.
” Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
Photo “ Reconfigured I-75 Interchange ” by MDOT .


thetennesseestar--2020-09-14--Ohio Attorney General Yost Calls on Netflix to Remove ‘Cuties’

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called on Netflix to remove the controversial new movie “ Cuties ” from their platform .
In a joint letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings , Yost , Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody , Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry , and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton requested that the platform “ voluntarily remove ” the movie “ from your service due to the great harm it causes to our children.
” The group called the filmmakers stated goals of fighting the hypersexualization of children “ admirable ” but noted that how “ the film attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more harm than good.
” The group pointed to the contents of the movie as evidence of the harm that ’ d be caused to children .
This film contains the gratuitous exposure of a young girl ’ s breast ; it repeatedly shows children using their bodies in a sexual manner to get themselves out of trouble ; it graphically focuses on the clothed genitalia of children ; and it shows the creation and publication of child pornography .
Repeated images of eleven-year old children gyrating , “ twerking , ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply serves as fodder for those with criminal imaginations , serving to normalize the view that children are sexual beings .
It whets the appetites of those who wish to harm our children in the most unimaginable ways—ways I have had to prosecute.
” The letter goes on to call the fight against human trafficking “ seemingly never-ending ” and the movie “ counterproductive.
” and goes on to state that “ the sexualization of our children leads traffickers to view them as commodities that can be sold , over and over again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face vulnerabilities similar to those of the protagonist in ‘ Cuties . '
” Co-signer of the letter and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody took to Twitter to echo the letters discontent saying she was “ disgusted and discouraged ” by the film .
Netflix continues to take heat for the publication of the movie , with the director reportedly receiving death threats for her part in the work .
As of now , there has been no statement about the letter from the streaming giant .
Ben Kolodny is a reporter for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Network .
You can follow Ben on Twitter .
Photo “ Cuties Movie ” by Netflix .


thetennesseestar--2020-09-15--Controversy Erupts in Paris, Tennessee After Former Resident, Now in Los Angeles, Wants to Remove Co

Controversy Erupts in Paris, Tennessee After Former Resident, Now in Los Angeles, Wants to Remove Confederate Statue

A group of Paris , Tennessee residents said they had reason to believe that members of ANTIFA or Black Lives Matter wanted to tear down a statue of a Confederate soldier perched at their local courthouse square .
According to the U.S. Census numbers , Paris has slightly more than 10,000 people .
Local residents said a woman who grew up there , Rachel Allison , who now resides in Los Angeles , encourages people to remove the statue from a distance of 2,000 miles away .
The statue , which the locals refer to as The Sentinel , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces the north , almost as if it ’ s tracking a possible invasion from the Union Army , said Rick Revel , a local who has taught and written books about American history .
Revel said he and other people in town heard a few weeks ago that ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter were on their way to the statue .
“ The word went out on a Saturday evening that this would take place .
Therefore , the message went out like the Minutemen of old , and I was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guard the statue ] .
There were probably two to three of us who got there at the same time , 10 minutes after the signal went out , ” Revel said .
“ There were some people driving around in cars shouting ‘ Black Lives Matter ’ and honking their horns .
Of course , everybody there by the statue yelled back ‘ All Lives Matter.
’ It was pretty much a tit for tat that you would normally see at something like that .
It did dissipate and by 10 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent .
It was all peaceful.
” Henry County Commissioner David Webb , who is also the County Historian , told The Tennessee Star Monday that the rumor that members of BLM or ANTIFA were on their way originated out of Murray , Kentucky .
There , Murray State University students peacefully protested a Confederate statute .
“ I think some people got confused .
There was no group that was planning to take it down or deface it .
It was just a rumor , ” Webb said .
“ In response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people that showed up to defend the statue , if that were to happen .
There was nothing to it , once the dust settled down.
” The Star contacted a Rachel Allison on Facebook who said she originally hails from Paris , Tennessee but now lives in Los Angeles .
That Rachel Allison did not reply as of press time .
But Allison , on her petition , said it ’ s time to “ stop glorifying ” Confederate soldiers “ who fought for their right to have slaves.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be removed in order to better reunite all of our communities , ” Allison said .
“ The biggest problem with old Southern heritage is that people believe that the Confederates are a sign of ‘ Southern pride ’ which in reality it is symbolizing racism , the slavery of black men and women , and segregation .
It is time we move past this and look to the future and I believe taking down this statue is the first move.
” Revel , meanwhile , said another online petition opposes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as the Volunteer State , so named after Davy Crockett and the Tennesseans who died at the Alamo , ” the counter petition said .
“ Henry County is also known as the Volunteer County in the Volunteer State .
All history matters.
” Webb told The Star that it ’ s highly likely the statue will stay exactly where it is .
“ If the statue were to be moved or relocated or renamed or anything done with it then first there would have to be a vote of the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The statue falls under the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act , which is a state law .
That addresses all monuments , memorials , plaques , statues , and anything historical .
A petition would then have to go to the Tennessee Historical Commission , and they would have to vote on that , ” Webb said .
“ If you read the act there is also a clause in there that states an automatic denial if it is on the National Register of Historic Places .
And the statue is .
Because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District that is on the National Register .
Basically , it is a non-starter , even if the County Commission wanted to take it down .
The Tennessee Historical Commission is not going to approve that , not unless there is some compelling reason why it should be moved .
Right now there are no plans to do so.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

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


thetennesseestar--2020-09-15--Tennessee’s High School Graduation Rate Declines, New Data Reveals

Tennessee ’ s graduation rate among public school students has declined for the first time since 2015 , according to data on the Tennessee Department of Education ’ s website .
A total of just 89.6 percent of the state ’ s high school students graduated in 2020 , the TDOE ’ s website reported .
The TDOE website reported the following numbers for past five academic school years : • Tennessee ’ s high school graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year was 89.7 percent • Tennessee ’ s high school graduation rate for the 2017-2018 and also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee ’ s high school graduation rate for the 2015-2016 school year was 88.5 percent • Tennessee ’ s high school graduation rate for the 2014-2015 school year was 87.9 percent The Tennessee Star sent an email to the TDOE ’ s public information office Monday and specifically asked department officials to comment .
We also asked what , if anything , they can say to public school parents and other state residents to assure them that this is not the start of a downward trend .
Unfortunately , no one at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The information is available on the TDOE website ’ s Data Downloads & Requests page under the sub-category titled “ Graduate Cohort Data.
” “ The Graduation Cohort data displays the numerator , denominator , and graduation rates for all Tennessee public schools and districts , as well as the state as a whole , ” according to the TDOE ’ s website .
As The Star reported in April , members of the Tennessee Board of Education lowered graduation requirements this spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Under the rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , high school students couldn ’ t receive a grade lower than one they earned in their courses as of March 20 , but they could still improve their grades via remote learning opportunities .
High school seniors weren ’ t required to take end-of-course exams , the state ’ s required civics exam , or the ACT or SAT in order to graduate .
Additionally , state officials lowered the number of credits required for graduation from 22 to 20 for that academic year .
Students aren ’ t weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comprehensive assessment program ( TCAP ) tests for the spring semester .
“ The board has also directed public schools not to mark any students as absent or truant during the period of school closure , since some students don ’ t have Internet access and thus can ’ t participate fully in remote learning opportunities , ” The Star reported at the time .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-09-15--Commentary: The ‘Great and Powerful’ Biden

Media bias is not new .
In addition to the Russian collusion hoax and the phone-call impeachment farce , who can forget the marquee media toadies of JournoList and the release of John Podesta ’ s email trove ?
Or the moderator Donna Brazile ’ s primary debate questions , leaked through CNN , or Candy Crowley ’ s hijacking of a debate as moderator-turned-real-time-hack “ fact-checker ” ?
Nothing then is new to the media ’ s fusion and collusion with the “ progressive party.
” Yet never in American history have mainstream journalists not merely promoted a candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the point of warping , fabricating , and Trotskyizing the news and indeed history itself .
The trope of a vast charade to create an illusionary powerful figure out of nothing is an old one in fiction , Hollywood and television .
We remember “ The Great and Powerful ” Wizard of Oz fakery , a formidable screen image created backstage by gears and levers operated by a tiny man “ behind the curtain.
” Similar is the famous scene in an episode of the old Star Trek series , depicting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a televised prop by his puppeteers , in a utopian federation project gone haywire .
But reality has outdone art with the Biden campaign .
The concoction is holistic , from the mundane construction of a fantasy , on-the-go candidate to the supposed middle-of-the road old Joe Biden from Scranton radiating an aura of kindness and moderation in times of plague , panic , and protest .
For six months , Biden has run a Zoom campaign on the pretext of mandatory quarantines—our current version of a 19th-century , stationary presidential candidate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wisdom while immovable on his front porch .
Biden has conducted no free-wheeling , unscripted press conferences .
He will not do extended one-on-one interviews with a disinterested journalist .
He rarely will even try Trump-like cameo appearances on CNN or MSNBC to answer unscripted questions from supporters .
His press events instead are Orwellian , requiring a media mass suspension of disbelief .
The questions are canned .
They are submitted in advance by “ journalists , ” whether formally or via electronic chatter .
The inquiries are obsequious—seldom a word about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s troubling racist remarks , his handsy past , his scary cognitive lapses , or his “ contract ” with Senator Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) .
Instead the softball , known-in-advance inquiries are in spirit carried over from the Obama years , phrased in the manner of “ Were you outraged enough by Trump ’ s outrage ?
” Biden ’ s Oz functionaries seemingly are always experimenting with all sorts of screen props .
The trick is to discover how best their challenged candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and remaining semi-coherent , while not giving away the game that his illusionists are feeding him answers to synthetic questions .
When asked point-blank on Fox News by Brett Baier whether Biden used a stealth teleprompter , his national press flak , T.J. Ducklo would not answer with a simple yes or no .
Instead , he went on the attack , with the fossilized accusation that right-wing Fox News asks too many partisan questions .
So we were left with a de facto “ yes ” : Biden does read off a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives the impression he does not .
But Biden , like the mirage of the Wizard of Oz , nonetheless can ’ t always keep the curtain closed .
When he strains to see the teleprompter that sits just behind , and thus out of sight of , his camera lens , he slips and mutters “ bring it closer ” —reminding any who watch , except the media that helps collude in these orchestrations , that the question asked is not a serious one , but a prompt to facilitate the proper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not act out the part of the Star Trek federation ’ s addled Gill without someone either giving him the prewritten answer on the teleprompter or writing it out for him in real-time .
Sometimes if Biden is not reading a hidden teleprompter script , he looks down in panic for notes or his smartphone instructions in ways that only expose the sheer ridiculousness of this faux media-staged event .
Sometimes he shows off family pictures on screen that seemingly inadvertently reflect and expose the ghostly presence of a teleprompter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasions when speaking , Biden searches in vain for his “ schedule ” and asks handlers to fetch it , whatever that exactly means .
In a presidential campaign first , Biden even reads out the written directives of his controllers as if to say “ I ’ m not really saying this myself , but so what ?
” So not surprisingly , during one of these sessions , out came a reference to his script ’ s talking point “ topline ” headings .
When faking impromptu answers , Biden bumps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ end of quotation.
” Occasionally a “ citizen ” questioner sort of rebels from the media Borg and asks an unapproved question ( e.g .
“ I ’ m just going to be honest Mr. Biden , I was told to go off this paper , but I can ’ t .
We need the truth and I am a part of the truth ” ) .
In reaction , Biden ’ s handlers and fact-checkers rush to assure the public that the approved question was written by the questioner ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden itself—as if we are supposed to believe the campaign had no idea what its own surrogates would ask .
Sometimes the effort is scary .
When old photos reappear in a CNN puff piece about a younger Biden holding his young son at a long-ago Washington Redskins game , the team logo – the now-politically incorrect Redskins logo – is airbrushed from his son ’ s stocking cap .
And then presto , legions of “ disinterested ” “ fact-checkers ” in the media emerge to confess that Biden , not CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in turn , the Biden campaign assures the press that the doctoring was only for “ copyright ” reasons , as if candidates routinely photoshop out all the cap logos they wear .
The impression is that Biden is terrified that his new leftist friends in the Ministry of Truth are combing his past and ordering embarrassing moments to go down the memory hole .
As a general rule , the Soviet-style apologia for the media-Biden fusion – usually outsourced to a now utterly corrupt left-wing institution called “ fact-checking ” – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Biden campaign are indistinguishable .
In Soviet times , one easily just assumed the opposite from Moscow ’ s party-line efforts and , presto , stumbled onto the truth .
In the case of Biden ’ s optics and press conferences and appearances , we easily deduce that the downside of scripting and programming a compliant candidate far outweighs the existential risk of turning Biden loose to answer questions like a normal human being .
True , even before his cognitive decline , Biden was known in Washington as someone whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends more than hurt his enemies – in addition to his long history of plagiarism and inflating his thin résumés with false data about his past .
But with the onset of his cognitive decline , Biden ’ s own once-feeble social antennae are now more or less unplugged most of the day .
The result is that he has a creepy propensity to blurt out patently racist tropes as if the old inner Biden who talked of Obama as “ clean ” and the first “ articulate ” black presidential candidate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with references to the inner-city “ jungle , ” is now free of his harnesses , bits , and halters .
For some time , Biden unchained has shouted about “ you ain ’ t black , ” and , earlier , his Corn Pop series of inflated tales as Biden , the white knight , equipped with a chain no less , protecting the inner city from itself .
Biden showed his tough-guy mettle with put-downs of a transitorily noncompliant black journalist and sneered that he is comparable to a “ junkie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberated Biden , blacks just don ’ t think independently like Latinos .
Given all that , the decision of his campaign and their media stand-ins to reinsert Biden into his safe space , wheel him out for scripted occasions , and pray at least that he can follow either the teleprompter , his iPhone , or written notes in his lap , or remember his cues – without including the prompts themselves – seems understandable .
This was all known to Democratic primary voters who initially wanted little to do with Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris and Corey Booker implied that he was either a virtual racist or cognitively challenged or both – insinuations the left-wing media was willing to fuel , in the heydays of a preferable Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren , or Beto O ’ Rourke prairie fire candidacy .
All that media fantasy imploded when would-be savior Michael Bloomberg proved little more than a billionaire bore and Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders cranky and shrill socialist septuagenarians with even scarier agendas .
So the lightweight Biden was reflated as a sort of centrist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ float the hard-Left basket carriage beneath across the election defining line .
But fusion/collusion is not just a matter of a Potemkin veneer .
Biden ’ s agenda is a fantasy creation .
His role was to save the party from Sanders , win suburbanites , and pander to the party ’ s socialist sympathizers of Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement .
That is an impossible task because today ’ s Democratic Party is a conglomeration of squabbling tribes and looney agendas .
Biden is now ordered to keep still on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he once said to get nominated and please the Left would lose him the election .
He wants to defund the police , but not to defund the police .
He wants to phase out fossil fuels and end fracking but not to end fracking in Electoral College-rich Pennsylvania .
The rioting , Biden insists , is due to police brutality but not due to it entirely .
Trump ’ s COVID policies killed thousands , but Biden ’ s own bromides are either identical or would be less effective .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to wink and nod to the Left that his only role is to get them elected before collapsing at the finishing line .
The media thinks this will work , and so owns the project .
Biden will stay sequestered , visit a key state occasionally , pop out of the plane to say he is “ barnstorming ” Michigan or Wisconsin and then fly back into his Biden bunker for more Zoom puff interviews – and hope progressive polls show that he can endure weekly bleeding until November 3 .
Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blast the airways with , “ Trump is ripping out mailboxes , ” “ Trump won ’ t concede and will have to be forcibly removed , ” “ Trump insulted our war dead as ‘ losers ’ and ‘ suckers ’ as he hid from the rain to keep his hair dry.
” Most recently Bob Woodward ’ s book queued up for its turn of 72 hours of smears , right after gab-bag Jeffery Goldberg ’ s anonymous sources faded out .
Will this joint project of progressive ideologues of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
So far the rope-a-dope has succeeded in slowing down somewhat the pace of the erosion of Biden ’ s lead .
And Biden as the tough-talking Wizard projection will continue until , when , or if the polls show an undeniable Trump surge ahead .
For now Biden ’ s best hope is that some Emerald City media lackey does not play the role of the tiny dog Toto , rip away the curtain , and reveal the tiny man and his machinery behind the projection .
Victor Davis Hanson is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classics professor , and scholar of ancient warfare .
He was a professor of classics at California State University , Fresno , and is currently the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Stanford University ’ s Hoover Institution .
He has been a visiting professor at Hillsdale College since 2004 .
Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush .
Hanson is also a farmer ( growing raisin grapes on a family farm in Selma , California ) and a critic of social trends related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by Insomnia Cured Here CC2.0


thetennesseestar--2020-09-15--Federal Judge Tosses Wolf Administration’s Limits on Gatherings, Orders Closing Businesses

A federal judge on Monday threw out portions of the Wolf administration ’ s orders that restricted activity during the coronavirus pandemic , saying that the governor had exceeded his authority .
The ruling by Judge William Stickman in the Western District of Pennsylvania court delivers to Gov .
Tom Wolf ’ s political opponents what they had failed to achieve for months in the Legislature as bill after bill to curtail the governor ’ s power was passed , only to be vetoed .
Specifically at issue were the administration ’ s orders closing “ non-life-sustaining businesses ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his ruling , Stickman said that while the administration ’ s restrictions were well intended , they violated the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution .
“ However , good intentions toward a laudable end are not alone enough to uphold governmental action against a constitutional challenge , ” he wrote in his ruling .
“ Indeed , the greatest threats to our system of constitutional liberties may arise when the ends are laudable , and the intent is good – especially in a time of emergency.
” Stickman wrote that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be difficult to restore after the emergency has passed , leaving courts with the challenge of interpreting whether emergency measures have gone too far .
He wrote that the limit on the size of gatherings violated the right of assembly guaranteed by the First Amendment , the stay at home and business closing orders violated the due process clause of the 14th Amendment , and the business closures also violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment .
The judge noted that while many of the restrictions have since been lifted as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wolf administration had reserved the authority to reimpose them if the COVID-19 crisis showed signs of worsening again .
Among the plaintiffs in the case were several counties , a number of businesses , and individuals , including U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and state Reps. Daryl Metcalfe , Marci Mustello and Tim Bonner .
Stickman , in his ruling , excluded the county plaintiffs , saying they were excluded from bringing claims of constitutional violations .
Stickman wrote that the scope and scale of the Wolf administration ’ s orders was unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state had cited a similar response to the Spanish flu outbreak about 100 years ago , but he insisted that the orders issued at that time were not comparable .
“ While , unquestionably , states and local governments restricted certain activities for a limited period of time to mitigate the Spanish Flu , there is no record of any imposition of a population lockdown in response to that disease or any other in our history.
” He had similar concerns about the business closure orders , saying there was no action like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s history .
“ Never before has the government exercised such vast and immediate power over every business , business owner , and employee in the Commonwealth , ” he wrote .
“ Never before has the government taken a direct action which shuttered so many businesses and sidelined so many employees and rendered their ability to operate , and to work , solely dependent on government discretion.
” Ultimately , Stickman wrote , individual liberty may not be made subordinate to a momentary crisis .
“ The Constitution can not accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ where the basic liberties of the people can be subordinated to open-ended emergency mitigation measures , ” he wrote .
“ Rather , the Constitution sets certain lines that may not be crossed , even in an emergency .
Actions taken by Defendants crossed those lines .
It is the duty of the Court to declare those actions unconstitutional.
” Dave Lemery is a regional editor for The Center Square .
Photo “ Pittsburgh Federal Courthouse ” by Tony Webster CC2.0


thetennesseestar--2020-09-15--VOTER FRAUD: We Are Now at a Point Where Both Sides Must Play Exactly By the Same Rules, says Crom C

VOTER FRAUD: We Are Now at a Point Where Both Sides Must Play Exactly By the Same Rules, says Crom Carmichael

Live from Music Row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
During the third hour , Carmichael weighed in on the idea that Joe Biden could be on drugs to support his mental decline .
Later in the segment , he discussed mail-in voting and the timelines that apply to other laws that should be recognized in the instance of counting ballots to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) That ’ s Donald Trump talking about Joe Biden .
Crom , 50 days until election day .
All sorts of things going on in vote by mail fraud .
( Laughter ) Leahy : A good Freudian slip there , because it was descriptive .
Carmichael : But let me say this .
The Democrats love to beat and bang on Trump for not releasing his tax returns .
OK. That ’ s fair game .
He doesn ’ t want to release them .
I can understand that .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t release mine .
Leahy : But also , Crom , he ’ s probably got like 900 pages every year .
Carmichael : That doesn ’ t matter .
He just doesn ’ t want to release them .
But he makes a good point .
So what would you rather have ?
A president who won ’ t release his tax returns but has taken physicals that show that he ’ s in wonderful health ?
Or would you rather have a president who ’ s on hallucinogenics or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ m saying the only way to know is , see Trump won ’ t release his tax returns .
So you can guess whatever you want to about Trump ’ s taxes .
Biden will not take a cognitive test .
So now you are allowed , if we are going to treat people equally , you can now assume that the reason he won ’ t take a cognitive test is that he knows he would fail it .
Because he has terrible problems mentally .
And Trump makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs to try to mitigate the damage that ’ s been done to his brain ?
You know he has had two aneurysms , Biden did .
So I think using unnamed sources in this case you can actually name the source .
It ’ s Trump .
He ’ s concerned about Biden ’ s cognitive health .
And a good friend of mine , and he ’ s not alone by the way , that thinks that Biden will call in sick the day of the debate .
And that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that would be evidence all the evidence that you need to know .
First of all , Biden has never been very smart .
Where he ’ s made a call or exercised judgment , he ’ s been wrong just about every single time .
In fact , I challenge Biden ’ s supporters to tell me when he ’ s been right .
But anyway I think that this will continue to be an issue .
But Michael as we were talking , voting has already started .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start on September 18th in Minnesota for early voting .
Carmichael : And our early voting is October 14th .
Leahy : October 14th .
A couple of things here , Crom , two weeks from tomorrow , September 29th , supposedly the first presidential debate will happen .
So we ’ ll know if he shows up or not .
Carmichael : That ’ s right .
We will know .
Just to finish up on something that we were talking about .
The Democrats in a number of states are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so close to the election , that there is zero question as to whether or not there will be votes that come in after the election day .
And that is the legal question because the constitution requires that election day be the same in every state .
The Congress gets to set the date of the election and as of right now , Congress has said that the date of this election shall be the Tuesday following the first Monday .
And that ’ s the way it ’ s been now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that date .
Congress also sets the date that the electors will meet and vote .
Marco Rubio is trying to accommodate this mess that we see coming , the train wreck , Marco Rubio is trying to introduce legislation to move the date the electors must meet from December 14th to January 2nd .
Leahy : That will be even more of a mess .
Carmichael : It will be because it ’ s eventually saying that voter fraud is OK. Let the voter fraud begin .
I like Marco Rubio .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my second choice .
My first choice was Scott Walker , who lasted one debate .
And then Marco Rubio fell out after he repeated himself .
This is a strong indication of why Marco Rubio should never be President of the United States because he tries to accommodate where accommodating is a bad idea .
Carmichael : Its a really bad idea .
For our election to be a fair election , the ballots need to be in by election day .
There is no one that can not vote by election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
Because there are so many different ways that you can vote .
But mailing in your ballot and having it come in two or three days after the election is a recipe for boxes of ballots to be stored and then brought in the day after if they are needed .
Leahy : Mysteriously arrive just to put you over the top and then stay .
I wonder how that will happen ?
Carmichael : At the close of business on election day there will be a vote tally .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that date .
And so it ’ s my hope , I ’ m just going to be straight up here , I hope Trump does the same thing .
I ’ ve concluded that we are now at a point where both sides must play by exactly the same rules .
And if votes can come in after the date of the election , it is my great hope , I ’ m not saying that I will participate , ( Leahy laughs ) it ’ s my great hope that Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots as Democrats do .
One for one .
Leahy : Well the other thing about this that is very troubling with the Rubio proposal , which I don ’ t think will come into effect .
By federal statute , the electors must meet on December 14th no matter what .
Right ?
Leahy : He wants to change that .
Carmichael : There is even a safe harbor .
I think its September 6th or September 8th where electors must have been chosen .
Carmichael : States must have chosen their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now to extend it another three weeks till January 7th is going to do nothing but create more opportunities for stuffing ballots .
Leahy : And it will be utter chaos .
Carmichael : No .
It ’ s a terrible idea .
That one idea is so terrible .
Marco Rubio may be a fine Senator , and a fine Senator can have an idea every so often , and it won ’ t ever see the light of day because it ’ s such a bad idea .
What you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United States .
Leahy : The reason that his proposal is unlikely to work is even if he could persuade Mitch McConnell and the other Republicans to vote in favor of it , the president would almost certainly veto it .
Carmichael : Well yeah .
I ’ m talking about the idea itself is so bad .
It ’ s essentially saying that I ’ ll accept the fact that you are going to do things that are stupid , and I will help you do things that are stupid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrupt .
And so as I said , I ’ m just hoping that the corruption is equal .
( Leahy chuckles ) I ’ m just hoping the corruption is equal .
If there is corruption , I hope that it ’ s equal .
That way every legitimate vote will count .
Leahy : Well Crom , I do think that the scenario on election night is to set your expectations is there will be about eight battleground states that will not be called .
Carmichael : And then the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the courts , what is a legitimate ballot ?
And the constitution requires the law .
Which by the way , I say this because Kanye West ’ s representatives showed up 14 seconds late in Wisconsin .
And the Democrats said ah !
He ’ s 14 seconds late and all of his signatures can not be included because he showed up 14 seconds late .
Well , OK .
If we are going to apply equal standards under the law , then a ballot that arrives after election day is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you go .
Carmichael : And should not be counted anywhere in the country .
Listen to the third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Mail-In Ballot ” by Tony Webster CC2.0


thetennesseestar--2020-09-15--Oracle and TikTok Struck a Deal the Details of which Remain Secret

( AP ) — The short-video app TikTok has chosen Oracle as its corporate savior to avoid a U.S. ban ordered by President Donald Trump .
The U.S. government will review the prospective deal .
That much is known .
Everything else is confusion , at least to outsiders .
For instance : — What does it mean that , as Oracle declared , it will become a “ trusted technology provider ” for TikTok ?
Is this a joint venture , a vendor agreement or something else ?
Oracle is pointedly not referring to its deal as a sale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an arrangement after having threatened a ban if TikTok remains owned by its China-based parent ByteDance ?
Would it answer the national-security concerns around potential data siphoning , censorship and propaganda from Beijing that Trump raised ?
— Will the Chinese government go along with it ?
— Will TikTok get kicked out of the major app stores after Sept. 20 , when Trump ’ s threatened ban was supposed to go into effect , threatening its future in the U.S. ?
“ This whole process has been a mess , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Peterson Institute for International Economics .
Microsoft , an announced TikTok suitor , said Sunday that its rejected bid would have protected U.S. national security interests by making “ significant changes ” to ensure security , privacy , online safety , and anti-misinformation measures .
Oracle ’ s statement Monday was more muted , emphasizing that it has a “ 40-year track record providing secure , highly performant technology solutions.
” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appeared to support the Oracle bid on CNBC Monday morning .
Oracle ’ s proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , ” Mnuchin said .
He also noted a new commitment — by whom , he didn ’ t say — to make TikTok ’ s global operations a U.S.-headquartered company with 20,000 new jobs .
Neither TikTok nor Oracle mentioned that pledge Monday , although TikTok said in July that it would add 10,000 U.S. jobs TikTok said in a statement Monday that its proposal to the Treasury Department should “ resolve the Administration ’ s security concerns ” and emphasized the importance of its app to the 100 million users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which says it has about 700 million globally , is known for its fun , goofy videos of dancing , lip-syncing , pranks and jokes .
It ’ s also home to more political material , some of which is critical of Trump .
An Aug. 6 Trump order threatened a vague ban on TikTok , creating a sense of emergency and seeding chaos into an existing national-security review of TikTok by a U.S. interagency group , the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States , or CFIUS .
A subsequent Aug. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. business .
In addition , Trump insisted that the U.S. government get a cut of any deal , something experts said was unprecedented and possibly illegal .
Matters were complicated further when the Chinese government appeared to suggest that the technology used in TikTok ’ s algorithm could not be exported without government permission .
On Sunday , ByteDance tapped Oracle as its U.S. partner , embracing a company whose co-founder Larry Ellison has raised funds for Trump .
Its decision also followed criticism of Microsoft by a Trump trade adviser , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not answer questions about the structure of the proposal on Monday .
The Treasury Department didn ’ t return an emailed request for more information about the proposal .
“ We don ’ t know that this is the wrong outcome .
But we do know that ( the administration ) shouldn ’ t have politicized it this way , ” said Derek Scissors , who studies China at the American Enterprise Institute think tank .
The promise of 20,000 new jobs and a U.S. headquarters for TikTok “ certainly smacks of crony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyst Paul Triolo noted that if ByteDance retains ownership of TikTok , it won ’ t have actually sold anything .
China doesn ’ t want to be seen approving a deal where a Chinese company is forced to a sale or stripped of its intellectual property , he said , while Trump can ’ t easily walk back a ban without major concessions he can point to .
“ A face saving way out of this will be very difficult for all parties to find , ” he said .
Any deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Foreign Investment in the United States , or CFIUS , a group chaired by the Treasury Secretary that studies mergers for national security reasons .
Mnuchin said he expects the group to review the proposal this week and later make a recommendation to the president .
The president can approve or deny a transaction recommended by the panel , though Trump has already voiced support for Oracle as a “ great company ” that could handle the acquisition .
Oracle primarily makes database software .
It competes with tech giants such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as business-software specialists like Salesforce .
Some analysts see Oracle ’ s interest in a consumer business as misguided , but its shares popped 4.3 % on Monday to $ 59.46 .
If the arrangement is approved by the U.S. government , TikTok would be allowed to continue operating .
Whether the Oracle-TikTok deal will allow the sidestepping of Chinese export restrictions depends on which entity retains control of TikTok in the U.S. , said Paul Haswell , a Hong Kong-based partner at law firm Pinsent Masons .
Another loose end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner with Microsoft on the acquisition .
The retailer said Sunday it “ continues to have an interest in a TikTok investment ” and is talking about it with ByteDance and other parties .
Matt O ’ Brien and Tali Arbel are reporters for The Associated Press .
AP technology writer Zen Soo in Hong Kong contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : This Feb. 25 , 2020 , file photo , shows the icon for TikTok in New York .
TikTok ’ s owner has chosen Oracle over Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular video-sharing app , according to a source familiar with the deal , Sunday , Sept. 13 , 2020 .
( AP Photo/File )


thetennesseestar--2020-09-15--Verizon to Buy Prepaid Phone Seller Tracfone for Up to $6.9 Billion

( AP ) — Verizon , the country ’ s largest phone company , is buying prepaid phone seller Tracfone for up to $ 6.9 billion , expanding its low-income customer business .
Tracfone , a subsidiary of Mexico telecom giant America Movil , is a mobile reseller , the largest in the U.S .
It doesn ’ t build its own network , instead paying companies like Verizon , AT & T and T-Mobile a fee to use theirs .
Nearly two-thirds of Tracfone ’ s 21 million U.S. customers get their service from Verizon via Tracfone renting Verizon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers are “ postpaid ” rather than prepaid — they pay a monthly phone bill .
Prepaid customers are more likely to be low-income or have bad credit .
Tracfone is a major provider of the U.S. Lifeline service , which discounts phone and internet service for low-income customers .
Verizon said Monday that it would continue to offer Lifeline through Tracfone .
The deal consists of $ 3.1 billion in cash , $ 3.1 billion in stock and up to $ 650 million more in cash for America Movil based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sale .
Verizon said it expects the deal to close in the second half of 2021 .
Regulators must approve it .
Tali Arbel is a reporter for The Associated Press .
Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson contributed from Mexico City .
Photo “ Verizon ” by Mike Mozart CC2.0