thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--Thales Academy-Franklin to Hold Parent Informational Meeting Tuesday May 12 at 6:30 p.m. Per Social

Thales Academy-Franklin to Hold Parent Informational Meeting Tuesday May 12 at 6:30 p.m. Per Social Distancing Guidelines

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcasting live from Music Row on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by all-star panelist and Thales Academy-Franklin Principal Rachael Bradley .
Leahy : We are joined now by our very good friend and the newest all-star panelist , and the Principal of the new Thales Academy in Franklin school .
High quality and affordable K-3 school , Rachael Bradley .
Good morning Rachael .
Bradley : Good morning Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am delighted that April is over today .
( Laughter ) Bradley : You are not kidding .
I second that .
Leahy : Now you will start your second month as a resident of Tennessee .
You moved here in early April and are opening up Thales Academy-Franklin .
Tell our listeners a little bit about Thales Academy-Franklin for those that aren ’ t familiar with it .
Bradley : Thales Academy is an independent private school .
We started in 2007 .
We have eight campuses in North Carolina .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we chose Franklin , a booming beautiful small town .
We are so excited to be here .
As you mentioned in the intro Mike that our mission is to provide an excellent high-quality education at an affordable cost for families .
Leahy : And you use a teaching methodology called direct instruction which is different than most of the styles of teaching and methodologies used around in public schools and elsewhere .
Tell us a little bit about direct instruction .
Bradley : Direct instruction is a researched-based teaching methodology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
It ’ s data-driven and it ’ s a mastery-based program .
We are teaching to mastery .
And two of the key components that are really important to understand that with direct instruction we are able to maximize student engagement and maintain high time on task .
So all of our children are engaged and learning all of the time .
Leahy : The other thing I thought was very interesting was your schools in North Carolina for a couple of weeks have been doing online learning .
And you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Williamson County .
The way to find out about that is to go the tennesseestar.com and click on the Thales Academy blue banner and it will take you right to the information about how to contact Rachael and get set up for that .
You are going to open up July 20 ?
Is that the date you ’ re going to be opening up ?
Leahy : Before this crazy pandemic came about you were doing some parent information meetings .
I went to the first couple of them .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities located at Carothers Parkway in Franklin .
We had talked last time about the possibility of doing a socially distant gathering following all the social distance guidelines sometime this month .
Where are you on that if parents have an interest in learning more ?
Bradley : We ’ re ready to do that Mike .
We are fully capable of hosting that in a safe way .
As you mentioned with all the necessary precautions and following the recommended guidelines .
The Gate has a really large sanctuary and we would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make use of that space in a safe way .
I ’ m excited to host that .
I plan to be doing that Tuesday , May 12 .
Leahy : Tuesday , May 12 .
OK .
So here ’ s what we ’ ll do .
It ’ s going to be safely set up .
Is there a limit to the number of participants on this or is everybody just going to be spread out ?
There ’ s plenty of room there .
Bradley : There ’ s plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anticipate an issue but we ’ ll be prepared to deal with that .
Wouldn ’ t it be wonderful to have so much interest ?
I can look into that and see if we might want to create a way for families to sign up but I also don ’ t want to deter people .
We ’ re prepared to handle the group in a safe way .
Leahy : There will be a parental informational meeting on May 12th .
Starting at 6:30 p.m. ?
Leahy : By the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Thales Academy banner and you can find out how to sign up for this .
It ’ s 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. And this is at The Gate Community Church which Thales Academy has purchased .
And that ’ s where the school will be .
It ’ s at 3835 Carothers Parkway in Franklin ?
Bradley : Yes .
It ’ s very easy to find right off of I-65 .
Leahy : If you are coming from the south just before you get to Highway 96 intersection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see The Gate Community Church sign .
There will be very soon a Thales Academy sign there I think .
At least by the time you open up in July so people will be able to know where you are .
Bradley : We are working on those .
I ’ m excited .
We ’ re making some progress .
In fact , there was a bucket truck there yesterday and so I ’ m excited to head up there today and see if the new sign is installed .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun .
Bradley : It would be fun .
And that would be visible from I-65 .
So keep your eyes out .
Leahy : Yes .
Exactly .
Now your personal family transition , I mean you moved from North Carolina here .
I think you arrived on April 1 ?
Leahy : Right in the middle of this pandemic .
Nobody was there .
( Chuckles ) Was that the weirdest move you ’ ve ever had in your life ?
Bradley : Um , yes .
( Laughter ) It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it might have been like strangely calm because we were all home .
Typically when we ’ ve moved I am the one who does most of the packing and unpacking .
Picture hanging and my husband is working .
But he has been home as well so it has been a whole different world at the Bradley house .
Leahy : You have a young son who ’ s going to be in the third grade at Thales Academy-Franklin .
What has he been spending his time doing at this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riding and walking around our new neighborhood and exploring .
Our road dead-ends into the Harpeth River and there is a canoe launch and it ’ s amazing .
So we ’ ve walked down to the river .
And he has been able to continue his fourth quarter at Thales Academy thanks to the online courses .
So he is online Monday thru Friday doing his math lessons and language arts lessons with his classmates and teachers from North Carolina .
Leahy : I think a lot of parents in Williamson County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leahy : I want my kids occupied .
And it ’ s available by the way if you want to go to the tennesseeStar.com and click on the Thales Academy banner and talk to Rachael and sign up for the online learning .
They can send you an email at Bradley : My email is [ email protected ] .
I ’ ve had a lot of interest Mike .
I ’ ve got about a dozen Williamson County children signed up utilizing our Thales Academy online courses right now .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , parents , talk to Rachael if your kids need something to do .
Bradley : It ’ s free !
Even a couple of hours a day to have them engaged in something constructive is awesome .
( Chuckles ) Leahy : I ’ m excited about kind of getting back to normal here .
And if you are thinking about putting your kids back in school you ’ ll be able to get them back in school right now if you will be talking to the folks at Thales Academy-Franklin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up until August .
And it ’ s a long time between now and August .
Leahy : Rachael , I ’ m delighted to be there on May the 12th .
Leahy : Tuesday , May the 12th .
I will be there at Carothers Parkway .
If there are too many people inside I ’ ll stay outside .
But you know , I want to actually get out and do something .
And this is a great thing to do .
The parents ’ information meeting for Thales Academy-Franklin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Have a great week .
Bradley : OK .
Thank you , Mike .
Listen to the full third hour : 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 “ Rachael Bradley ” and Background Photo “ Thales Academy School ” by Thales Academy .

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcasting live from Music Row on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by all-star panelist and Thales Academy-Franklin Principal Rachael Bradley.
Leahy: We are joined now by our very good friend and the newest all-star panelist, and the Principal of the new Thales Academy in Franklin school. High quality and affordable K-3 school, Rachael Bradley. Good morning Rachael.
Bradley: Good morning Mike, how are you?
Leahy: I am delighted that April is over today. (Laughter)
Bradley: You are not kidding. I second that.
Leahy: Now you will start your second month as a resident of Tennessee. You moved here in early April and are opening up Thales Academy-Franklin. Tell our listeners a little bit about Thales Academy-Franklin for those that aren’t familiar with it.
Bradley: Thales Academy is an independent private school. We started in 2007. We have eight campuses in North Carolina. This is our first campus in Tennessee. And we chose Franklin, a booming beautiful small town. We are so excited to be here. As you mentioned in the intro Mike that our mission is to provide an excellent high-quality education at an affordable cost for families.
Leahy: And you use a teaching methodology called direct instruction which is different than most of the styles of teaching and methodologies used around in public schools and elsewhere. Tell us a little bit about direct instruction.
Bradley: Direct instruction is a researched-based teaching methodology with approximately 50 years of research behind it. It’s data-driven and it’s a mastery-based program. We are teaching to mastery. And two of the key components that are really important to understand that with direct instruction we are able to maximize student engagement and maintain high time on task. So all of our children are engaged and learning all of the time.
Leahy: The other thing I thought was very interesting was your schools in North Carolina for a couple of weeks have been doing online learning. And you’ve made that available to kids in Williamson County. The way to find out about that is to go the tennesseestar.com and click on the Thales Academy blue banner and it will take you right to the information about how to contact Rachael and get set up for that. You are going to open up July 20? Is that the date you’re going to be opening up?
Bradley: Yes.
Leahy: Before this crazy pandemic came about you were doing some parent information meetings. I went to the first couple of them. A lot of people were interested in the facilities located at Carothers Parkway in Franklin. We had talked last time about the possibility of doing a socially distant gathering following all the social distance guidelines sometime this month. Where are you on that if parents have an interest in learning more?
Bradley: We’re ready to do that Mike. We are fully capable of hosting that in a safe way. As you mentioned with all the necessary precautions and following the recommended guidelines. The Gate has a really large sanctuary and we would easily be able to spread out and make use of that space in a safe way. I’m excited to host that. I plan to be doing that Tuesday, May 12.
Leahy: Tuesday, May 12. OK. So here’s what we’ll do. It’s going to be safely set up. Is there a limit to the number of participants on this or is everybody just going to be spread out? There’s plenty of room there.
Bradley: There’s plenty of room. I don’t anticipate an issue but we’ll be prepared to deal with that. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have so much interest? I can look into that and see if we might want to create a way for families to sign up but I also don’t want to deter people. We’re prepared to handle the group in a safe way.
Leahy: There will be a parental informational meeting on May 12th. Starting at 6:30 p.m.?
Bradley: 6:30 p.m.
Leahy: By the way, go to the tennesseestar.com, click on the Thales Academy banner and you can find out how to sign up for this. It’s 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. And this is at The Gate Community Church which Thales Academy has purchased. And that’s where the school will be. It’s at 3835 Carothers Parkway in Franklin?
Bradley: Yes. It’s very easy to find right off of I-65.
Leahy: If you are coming from the south just before you get to Highway 96 intersection, look to your right and you can see The Gate Community Church sign. There will be very soon a Thales Academy sign there I think. At least by the time you open up in July so people will be able to know where you are.
Bradley: We are working on those. I’m excited. We’re making some progress. In fact, there was a bucket truck there yesterday and so I’m excited to head up there today and see if the new sign is installed.
Leahy: Oh! That would be kind of fun.
Bradley: It would be fun. And that would be visible from I-65. So keep your eyes out.
Leahy: Yes. Exactly. Now your personal family transition, I mean you moved from North Carolina here. I think you arrived on April 1?
Bradley: Yes. (Chuckles)
Leahy: Right in the middle of this pandemic. Nobody was there. (Chuckles) Was that the weirdest move you’ve ever had in your life?
Bradley: Um, yes. (Laughter) It was.
Leahy: Oh boy…
Bradley: It was. But it might have been like strangely calm because we were all home. Typically when we’ve moved I am the one who does most of the packing and unpacking. Picture hanging and my husband is working. But he has been home as well so it has been a whole different world at the Bradley house.
Leahy: You have a young son who’s going to be in the third grade at Thales Academy-Franklin. What has he been spending his time doing at this time?
Bradley: A lot of bike riding and walking around our new neighborhood and exploring. Our road dead-ends into the Harpeth River and there is a canoe launch and it’s amazing. So we’ve walked down to the river. And he has been able to continue his fourth quarter at Thales Academy thanks to the online courses. So he is online Monday thru Friday doing his math lessons and language arts lessons with his classmates and teachers from North Carolina.
Leahy: I think a lot of parents in Williamson County would say, I want that!
Bradley: Yes.
Leahy: I want my kids occupied. And it’s available by the way if you want to go to the tennesseeStar.com and click on the Thales Academy banner and talk to Rachael and sign up for the online learning. They can send you an email at
Bradley: My email is [email protected]. I’ve had a lot of interest Mike. I’ve got about a dozen Williamson County children signed up utilizing our Thales Academy online courses right now.
Leahy: Really?
Bradley: Yes.
Leahy: Wow! That is fantastic! Again, parents, talk to Rachael if your kids need something to do.
Bradley: Yes.
Leahy: It’s free.
Bradley: It’s free! Even a couple of hours a day to have them engaged in something constructive is awesome. (Chuckles)
Leahy: I’m excited about kind of getting back to normal here. And if you are thinking about putting your kids back in school you’ll be able to get them back in school right now if you will be talking to the folks at Thales Academy-Franklin. Public schools won’t’ open up until August. And it’s a long time between now and August.
Bradley: It’s a long time.
Leahy: Rachael, I’m delighted to be there on May the 12th.
Bradley: Oh good.
Leahy: That’s a Wednesday?
Bradley: Tuesday.
Leahy: Tuesday, May the 12th. I will be there at Carothers Parkway. If there are too many people inside I’ll stay outside. But you know, I want to actually get out and do something. And this is a great thing to do. The parents’ information meeting for Thales Academy-Franklin. 3835 Carothers Parkway. Thanks, Rachael. Have a great week.
Bradley: OK. Thank you, Mike.
Listen to the full third hour:

– – –
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 “Rachael Bradley” and Background Photo “Thales Academy School” by Thales Academy.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--Cooper Extends Nashville’s Safer at Home Until at Least May 8

Mayor John Cooper extended Davidson County ’ s safer at home order until at least May 8. Cooper announced the decision Thursday morning and blamed a rise in the average daily cases over the last two weeks , NewsChannel 5 said .
Cooper said hazard pay was approved for city employees who are on the front lines , including law enforcement .
The reopening metrics are available here .
Nashville ’ s economy will open in four phases .
We will only move to the next phase if there is positive improvement/stability in the metrics for 14 days .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious cases cause secondary or new cases in a population .
A transmission rate of 1.0 means that each person who has the virus passes it to one other person .
A transmission rate above a rate of 1.0 signals a spread ; a rate below 1.0 signals the spread is slowing .
The rate of transmission declining or remaining low is a critical to proceeding to each stage of reopening Metro .
Public health officials agree that each phase of the Roadmap for Reopening Nashville should begin only after 14 days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within 5-7 days of exposure , almost all are evident by 14 days .
A sustained downward trend in cases over the course of the 14 days is critical to proceeding to each stage of reopening Metro .
Goal : Flat or Decreasing Trend in New Cases The percentage of positive cases has stayed in the 10 percent range as the city has increased testing .
Cooper ’ s efforts compare to North Carolina ’ s , as reported by Breitbart .
When North Carolina ’ s Democrat Gov .
Roy Cooper announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order until at least May 8 , he also said the state will not move into Phase One of an economic reopening even after that date until two criteria are met .
•A decrease or sustained level in the number of cases , and •A decrease in the percentage of positive tests Those Phase One criteria differ in several ways from the Phase One criteria identified in the guidelines established by the Trump administration last week .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by John Cooper .

Mayor John Cooper extended Davidson County’s safer at home order until at least May 8.
Cooper announced the decision Thursday morning and blamed a rise in the average daily cases over the last two weeks, NewsChannel 5 said.
Cooper said hazard pay was approved for city employees who are on the front lines, including law enforcement.
The reopening metrics are available here.
Nashville’s economy will open in four phases. We will only move to the next phase if there is positive improvement/stability in the metrics for 14 days. Transmission Rate The transmission rate is the rate at which infectious cases cause secondary or new cases in a population. A transmission rate of 1.0 means that each person who has the virus passes it to one other person. A transmission rate above a rate of 1.0 signals a spread; a rate below 1.0 signals the spread is slowing. The rate of transmission declining or remaining low is a critical to proceeding to each stage of reopening Metro. Goal: Less Than 1.0 Transmission Rate Current: 1.0 Transmission Rate 14-Day New Case Trend Public health officials agree that each phase of the Roadmap for Reopening Nashville should begin only after 14 days of significant declines. Although most cases occur within 5-7 days of exposure, almost all are evident by 14 days. A sustained downward trend in cases over the course of the 14 days is critical to proceeding to each stage of reopening Metro. Goal: Flat or Decreasing Trend in New Cases Current: Increasing Trend in New Cases Public Health Capacity Goal: 28 – 105 Contact Investigators for Davidson County Current: 82 Contact Investigators for Davidson County Testing Capacity Goal: 4,667 Tests per Week Current: 4,919 Tests per Week Hospital Capacity: Floor Beds Goal: 25% of Floor Bed Capacity Available Current: 39% of Floor Bed Capacity Available Hospital Capacity: ICU Beds Goal: 25% of ICU Capacity Available Current: 32% of ICU Capacity Available
The percentage of positive cases has stayed in the 10 percent range as the city has increased testing.
On April 30, the Metro Public Health Department reported:
•Total number of tests administered: 25,393
•Total positive results: 2,669
•Total negative results: 22,724
•Positive results as percentage of total: 10.5%
April 29:
•Total number of tests administered: 24,819
•Total positive results: 2,612
•Total negative results: 22,207
•Positive results as percentage of total: 10.5%
April 28:
•Total number of tests administered: 23,996
•Total positive results: 2,588
•Total negative results: 21,408
•Positive results as percentage of total: 10.8%
April 27:
•Total number of tests administered: 23,339
•Total positive results: 2,488
•Total negative results: 20,851
•Positive results as percentage of total: 10.7%
April 26:
•Total number of tests administered: 22,692
•Total positive results: 2,370
•Total negative results: 20,322
•Positive results as percentage of total: 10.4%
April 25:
•Total number of tests administered: 21,400
•Total positive results: 2,213
•Total negative results: 19,187
•Positive results as percentage of total: 10.3%
April 24:
•Total number of tests administered: 20,890
•Total positive results: 2,176
•Total negative results: 18,714
•Positive results as percentage of total: 10.4%
Cooper’s efforts compare to North Carolina’s, as reported by Breitbart.
When North Carolina’s Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper announced last week the extension of his stay-at-home order until at least May 8, he also said the state will not move into Phase One of an economic reopening even after that date until two criteria are met. •A decrease or sustained level in the number of cases, and •A decrease in the percentage of positive tests Those Phase One criteria differ in several ways from the Phase One criteria identified in the guidelines established by the Trump administration last week.
– – –
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “John Cooper” by John Cooper.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--New American Populist Founder Jeff Webb Discusses His Recent Townhall Op-Ed ‘Giving the Financially

New American Populist Founder Jeff Webb Discusses His Recent Townhall Op-Ed ‘Giving the Financially Mismanaged States a Bailout is Morally Reprehensible’

Live from Memphis on the newsmakers line Thursday 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.– Leahy was joined by the New American Populist Founder Jeff Webb .
During the third hour , Webb touched on his recent op-ed at townhall.com explaining how the federal government ’ s disbursement of funds to American citizens was poorly organized and actually led to less being dispersed .
He added that he found it unnecessary to bailout blue states run by Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large debts and deficits .
Leahy : We are joined now by our very good friend , Jeff Webb .
Entrepreneur and founder of the Varsity Brands .
The guy who invented the cheerleading industry and the guy who knows how to get things done .
He ’ s an entrepreneur par excellence and a very good friend who is now advising us on politics .
He has a group called New American Populist and a fantastic op-ed in Townhall “ Giving the Financially Mismanaged States a Bailout is Morally Reprehensible.
” Welcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , Micheal .
Great to be with you .
Leahy : You lead off this op-ed which I recommend to everybody by saying “ a crisis is terrible to waste , how are blue-state Democrats trying not to waste this crisis ?
” Webb : You got so many of these states that typically are run by Democratic governors and controlled by Democratic legislatures .
They ’ ve been running up debts and deficits in their states for years and years .
Many of them have a large unfunded asset as far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And of course , then the pandemic hits and there ’ s all this money that ’ s been distributed by the federal government , companies , individuals , and states and municipalities and they have looked up and gone hey , there is a lot of money being doled out here why don ’ t we ask for money and use that money to help reduce our debt .
And in particular , take care of our unfunded pension programs .
Leahy : In fact what that means is that residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most well-managed states financially over the years are then subsidizing the bad reckless spending in these blue states like Illinois , New York , New Jersey and others like that .
That doesn ’ t sound fair or right to me .
Webb : No .
One can argue that it ’ s immoral .
But you ’ re absolutely right .
There are a number of states , again Tennessee ours included that have been governed the right way and have been prudent in their fiscal management that don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now the citizens of those states are being asked to make up for the bad behavior of these other states .
And let ’ s be fair here .
We talk about it just being the governors or just being the politicians but the people in those states that have this problem have consistently elected those representatives .
So everybody has to own it if you are in that state .
But you are right .
You talk about the states and mentioned the ones that are a problem .
Given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York in population .
And yet New York ’ s budget is nearly twice what the state budget is in Florida .
So , of course , you ’ re going to have these deficits you ’ re going to have to take care of .
And frankly , its come home to roost right now .
Leahy : Yes .
Absolutely .
Now as people look at this pandemic and they look at all of the draconian steps taken by many of these same blue states that are in financial trouble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been very fearful about it .
The status Democrats seem to see this as the opportunity they ’ ve been waiting for .
The crisis that they just must take advantage of .
I think that attitude is very troublesome .
What do you think about that Jeff ?
Webb : I totally agree with you .
It ’ s been amazing that Americans have been so willing to individually help to address this crisis .
They ’ ve been asked to stay at home and have been presented with a unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curve and what we can expect as far as hospitalizations .
And everybody has tried to cooperate .
What I think people didn ’ t expect was that once the curve was flattened and things did get to be better than these same types of draconian provisions were going to be remaining in place .
And there are some states , the states you mentioned , Illinois , New Jersey , Michigan and New York we are not seeing those governors come to the table and start loosening things up as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s frightening .
It smacks of authoritarianism .
Leahy : You had in your op-ed on Townhall something that was very interesting .
You pointed out that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had the temerity to suggest that states that had been overspending for years really ought to maybe consider declaring bankruptcy .
Oh , my goodness !
Heads exploded among these Democratic governors .
The quotes that you have in this article are just fantastic .
Governor Cuomo of New York said the idea was “ dumb and vicious.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion or so .
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy .
By the way , did you see Governor Murphy on Tucker Carlson defending his decision to arrest somebody who was exercising their First Amendment rights of freedom of assembly ?
Webb : I didn ’ t see it .
There are a number of examples like that and I think again , it should concern all of us .
Leahy : Exactly .
So he was whining about this .
He said it was mean because you know this is all mean .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ irresponsible .
And then Governor Whitmer , ( Laughter ) oh my goodness of Michigan and Governor Pritzker who ’ s a rich guy .
Did you see the story in Breitbart ?
He ’ s got all these stay-at-home orders .
But his wife got on a plane and left Illinois and went to Florida .
I thought that was funny .
Webb : Again , we ’ re seeing in spades now the elitist and financial government among us do not really think the same rules apply to them .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing golf and nobody else was on the golf course and the course was closed .
Nobody else was allowed to be there .
But somehow he was able to get somebody to take him to the golf course and get his round of golf .
This is typical hypocrisy and condescension .
I think we ’ re seeing from the elite .
Leahy : The other thing that you ’ ve talked about and you had another terrific op-ed about how inefficiently the government and Congress , in particular , have handled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did with what you had originally proposed ?
Webb : Well you know six weeks ago when it was obvious that things were shutting down and the economy was shutting down and people weren ’ t going to be able to go to work .
And most importantly that there wasn ’ t going to be much commerce going on and there was going to have to be some type of federal intervention .
My recommendation was to give every single man , woman , and child $ 3,000 boom !
Right off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a lot of money .
We have 330 million people in our country .
Leahy : Was it $ 3,000 right ?
Webb : Yes .
I ’ m sorry , $ 3,000 to just get started .
And they give them that money .
Now would we have to do that again in another month ?
Possibly so .
My point there was that if you give the money directly to the individuals and to our citizens they are going to be able to at least provide food .
Forty-five percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They don ’ t have all this money saved for some type of crisis like this .
So give them that money .
Let them spend it on food .
We have to give them another one next month the same thing but the government took it exactly the other way .
They said we ’ re going to appropriate this money and were going to take the money and the treasury is going to give the small business loans to the SBA ( Small Business Administration ) and the SBA will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the banks will give it to the companies and the companies will give it to the individuals .
Now think about the layers of inefficiency .
Every single one of those groups is going to take some fee .
So by the time you get to the end consumer , the citizens you ’ re not going to get as much money and it won ’ t have the same effect .
The other problem with the government ’ s position is that it ’ s taken too long .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come back to bite us when people start trying to figure out who has to pay the loan back .
What the criteria are ?
Who doesn ’ t qualify ?
Audits to determine who did the right thing .
So I think that again this is a classic example of government bureaucracy gone amuck .
And unfortunately in this crisis , our citizens just can ’ t afford it .
Leahy : Jeff Webb you ’ ve had some terrific ideas put out in this op-eds that you ’ ve had at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look forward to seeing more from you on this .
A voice of common sense and someone who ’ s protecting the residents of Tennessee from the blue state governors who want to have us subsidize their bad habits .
Jeff , thanks for joining us .
Webb : Nice to be with you .
Thanks , Michael .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen @ @ @ @ @

Live from Memphis on the newsmakers line Thursday 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.– Leahy was joined by the New American Populist Founder Jeff Webb.
During the third hour, Webb touched on his recent op-ed at townhall.com explaining how the federal government’s disbursement of funds to American citizens was poorly organized and actually led to less being dispersed. He added that he found it unnecessary to bailout blue states run by Democrats that mismanaged money which had resulted in large debts and deficits.
Leahy: We are joined now by our very good friend, Jeff Webb. Entrepreneur and founder of the Varsity Brands. The guy who invented the cheerleading industry and the guy who knows how to get things done. He’s an entrepreneur par excellence and a very good friend who is now advising us on politics. He has a group called New American Populist and a fantastic op-ed in Townhall “Giving the Financially Mismanaged States a Bailout is Morally Reprehensible.” Welcome, Jeff Webb.
Webb: Thank you, Micheal. Great to be with you.
Leahy: You lead off this op-ed which I recommend to everybody by saying “a crisis is terrible to waste, how are blue-state Democrats trying not to waste this crisis?”
Webb: You got so many of these states that typically are run by Democratic governors and controlled by Democratic legislatures. They’ve been running up debts and deficits in their states for years and years. Many of them have a large unfunded asset as far as their state pension program is concerned.
And of course, then the pandemic hits and there’s all this money that’s been distributed by the federal government, companies, individuals, and states and municipalities and they have looked up and gone hey, there is a lot of money being doled out here why don’t we ask for money and use that money to help reduce our debt. And in particular, take care of our unfunded pension programs.
Leahy: In fact what that means is that residents of financially prudent states like Tennessee one of the most well-managed states financially over the years are then subsidizing the bad reckless spending in these blue states like Illinois, New York, New Jersey and others like that. That doesn’t sound fair or right to me.
Webb: No. One can argue that it’s immoral. But you’re absolutely right. There are a number of states, again Tennessee ours included that have been governed the right way and have been prudent in their fiscal management that don’t have that kind of debt overhang.
Now the citizens of those states are being asked to make up for the bad behavior of these other states. And let’s be fair here. We talk about it just being the governors or just being the politicians but the people in those states that have this problem have consistently elected those representatives. So everybody has to own it if you are in that state. But you are right. You talk about the states and mentioned the ones that are a problem.
Given the idea that Florida is actually larger than New York in population. And yet New York’s budget is nearly twice what the state budget is in Florida. So, of course, you’re going to have these deficits you’re going to have to take care of. And frankly, its come home to roost right now.
Leahy: Yes. Absolutely. Now as people look at this pandemic and they look at all of the draconian steps taken by many of these same blue states that are in financial trouble shutting down the local economy. Everybody has been very fearful about it. The status Democrats seem to see this as the opportunity they’ve been waiting for. The crisis that they just must take advantage of. I think that attitude is very troublesome. What do you think about that Jeff?
Webb: I totally agree with you. It’s been amazing that Americans have been so willing to individually help to address this crisis. They’ve been asked to stay at home and have been presented with a unique situation and time in our country with the curve and what we can expect as far as hospitalizations. And everybody has tried to cooperate.
What I think people didn’t expect was that once the curve was flattened and things did get to be better than these same types of draconian provisions were going to be remaining in place. And there are some states, the states you mentioned, Illinois, New Jersey, Michigan and New York we are not seeing those governors come to the table and start loosening things up as we all had expected. And I think it’s frightening. It smacks of authoritarianism.
Leahy: You had in your op-ed on Townhall something that was very interesting. You pointed out that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had the temerity to suggest that states that had been overspending for years really ought to maybe consider declaring bankruptcy. Oh, my goodness! Heads exploded among these Democratic governors.
The quotes that you have in this article are just fantastic. Governor Cuomo of New York said the idea was “dumb and vicious.” (Webb snickers) They need 300 billion or so. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. By the way, did you see Governor Murphy on Tucker Carlson defending his decision to arrest somebody who was exercising their First Amendment rights of freedom of assembly?
Webb: I didn’t see it. There are a number of examples like that and I think again, it should concern all of us.
Leahy: Exactly. So he was whining about this. He said it was mean because you know this is all mean. He said it was completely and utterly irresponsible. And then Governor Whitmer, (Laughter) oh my goodness of Michigan and Governor Pritzker who’s a rich guy. Did you see the story in Breitbart? He’s got all these stay-at-home orders. But his wife got on a plane and left Illinois and went to Florida. I thought that was funny.
Webb: Again, we’re seeing in spades now the elitist and financial government among us do not really think the same rules apply to them. You saw with President Obama who was videoed playing golf and nobody else was on the golf course and the course was closed. Nobody else was allowed to be there. But somehow he was able to get somebody to take him to the golf course and get his round of golf. This is typical hypocrisy and condescension. I think we’re seeing from the elite.
Leahy: The other thing that you’ve talked about and you had another terrific op-ed about how inefficiently the government and Congress, in particular, have handled this stimulus money. Compare what they did with what you had originally proposed?
Webb: Well you know six weeks ago when it was obvious that things were shutting down and the economy was shutting down and people weren’t going to be able to go to work. And most importantly that there wasn’t going to be much commerce going on and there was going to have to be some type of federal intervention. My recommendation was to give every single man, woman, and child $3,000 boom! Right off the bat. Now, that sounds like a lot of money. We have 330 million people in our country.
Leahy: Was it $3,000 right?
Webb: Yes. I’m sorry, $3,000 to just get started. And they give them that money. Now would we have to do that again in another month? Possibly so. My point there was that if you give the money directly to the individuals and to our citizens they are going to be able to at least provide food.
Forty-five percent of working Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They don’t have all this money saved for some type of crisis like this. So give them that money. Let them spend it on food. We have to give them another one next month the same thing but the government took it exactly the other way.
They said we’re going to appropriate this money and were going to take the money and the treasury is going to give the small business loans to the SBA (Small Business Administration) and the SBA will then fund it to the banks and the banks will give it to the companies and the companies will give it to the individuals.
Now think about the layers of inefficiency. Every single one of those groups is going to take some fee. So by the time you get to the end consumer, the citizens you’re not going to get as much money and it won’t have the same effect. The other problem with the government’s position is that it’s taken too long.
It’s also created this bureaucratic mess that will come back to bite us when people start trying to figure out who has to pay the loan back. What the criteria are? Who doesn’t qualify? Audits to determine who did the right thing. So I think that again this is a classic example of government bureaucracy gone amuck. And unfortunately in this crisis, our citizens just can’t afford it.
Leahy: Jeff Webb you’ve had some terrific ideas put out in this op-eds that you’ve had at the Townhall and Washington Times. We look forward to seeing more from you on this. A voice of common sense and someone who’s protecting the residents of Tennessee from the blue state governors who want to have us subsidize their bad habits. Jeff, thanks for joining us.
Webb: Nice to be with you. Thanks, Michael.
Listen to the full third hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--Tennessee’s Barbershops and Salons Must Abide by New Guidelines Because of COVID-19

Employees at Cool Springs ’ Refine Men ’ s Salon are preparing to open their doors again after COVID-19 temporarily forced them out of business nearly a month and a half ago , but they must follow new rules .
The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology delivered specific guidelines this week .
“ There are some nerves involved , I ’ m not going to lie .
It ’ s a big deal that we ’ re being allowed to reopen , but this is a different time in our world that we have never had before , ” said Refine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t lie and say there isn ’ t a lot of nervousness , but I think that makes us more cautious .
We are not taking this lightly whatsoever .
I don ’ t know of anyone in this industry that is .
We are very serious about the safety and health of our staff and our clients .
We are taking every precaution we can.
” New government guidelines strictly forbid customers from crowding the salon come May 6 .
And there is a demand for this service .
Muirhead told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone won ’ t stop ringing .
“ Lots of clients reached out to us before and asked us to do haircuts on the side , but we said no , ” Muirhead said .
“ That is against the law.
” For now , Muirhead said she and other salons and barbershops in Tennessee must abide by the following guidelines : • No one can sit inside the salon ’ s or barbershop ’ s waiting area • Only stylists or barbers and their clients are allowed , with one receptionist up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after each service to clean and sanitize their workstation and wipe the chair their clients use , as well as the sink .
• Clients must wash their hands before they may sit at the stylist ’ s or barber ’ s work station • Barbers and stylists will have to wear masks as they work “ We are also temporarily suspending services that require skin-to-skin contact , such as facials and shaves and scalp treatments , ” Muirhead said .
“ We do haircuts , beard trims , and color , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until things calm down somewhat.
” Muirhead said state officials have not said when they will stop imposing these new guidelines .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Employees at Cool Springs’ Refine Men’s Salon are preparing to open their doors again after COVID-19 temporarily forced them out of business nearly a month and a half ago, but they must follow new rules.
The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology delivered specific guidelines this week.
“There are some nerves involved, I’m not going to lie. It’s a big deal that we’re being allowed to reopen, but this is a different time in our world that we have never had before,” said Refine employee Rosemary Muirhead.
“I won’t lie and say there isn’t a lot of nervousness, but I think that makes us more cautious. We are not taking this lightly whatsoever. I don’t know of anyone in this industry that is. We are very serious about the safety and health of our staff and our clients. We are taking every precaution we can.”
New government guidelines strictly forbid customers from crowding the salon come May 6.
And there is a demand for this service. Muirhead told The Tennessee Star Thursday that her business phone won’t stop ringing.
“Lots of clients reached out to us before and asked us to do haircuts on the side, but we said no,” Muirhead said.
“That is against the law.”
For now, Muirhead said she and other salons and barbershops in Tennessee must abide by the following guidelines:
• No one can sit inside the salon’s or barbershop’s waiting area
• Only stylists or barbers and their clients are allowed, with one receptionist up front
• Employees must have extra time after each service to clean and sanitize their workstation and wipe the chair their clients use, as well as the sink.
• Clients must wash their hands before they may sit at the stylist’s or barber’s work station
• Barbers and stylists will have to wear masks as they work
“We are also temporarily suspending services that require skin-to-skin contact, such as facials and shaves and scalp treatments,” Muirhead said.
“We do haircuts, beard trims, and color, but the more spa-type services we are suspending until things calm down somewhat.”
Muirhead said state officials have not said when they will stop imposing these new guidelines.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--American People Continue to Give President Trump High Marks on the Economy Despite COVID-19 Crash

President Donald Trump appears impervious to bad news .
At least that ’ s what one might discern from the April 21 Hill/HarrisX poll , where 56 percent approve of his performance on the economy despite 26 million jobs lost and counting amid the government-directed closures in response to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic .
Overall , 50 percent approve of the job the President is doing .
Perhaps that is because of Trump ’ s Herculean efforts to do whatever it takes to prevent society itself from collapsing while everything is still shuttered up .
The biggest surprise comes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where 24 percent approve including 9 percent who strongly approve .
On the economy , Trump garners 31 percent approval among blacks including 10 percent who strongly approve .
A similar pattern emerges among Hispanics , where 30 percent approve including 10 percent who strongly approve , with the numbers jumping to 36 percent among Hispanics on the economy including 14 percent strong approve .
Overall , Trump ’ s greatest strength comes on stimulating jobs , where 58 percent approve , including 64 percent of whites , 32 percent of blacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say , if those are Trump ’ s numbers on Election Day , it won ’ t even be close against former Vice President Joe Biden .
How to account for Trump ’ s resilience amid the economic carnage and devastation from the pandemic ?
The President has stuck the landing on fighting the COVID-19 outbreak .
He quickly organized a military response effort to deliver testing , medical equipment including ventilators and worked closely with State governors to save as many lives as possible .
There , Trump gets 51 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s relentless attempts to drive up the President ’ s negatives almost to a fever pitch .
They are growing desperate , and with states and the economy prepped to reopen very soon , Trump has nowhere to go but up .
The difference between his overall approval and that on the economy clearly demonstrates that he has room to grow .
And in the back of voters ’ minds , they know it was President Trump who was the most concerned about the economic fallout to do with the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump also gets credit for wisely warning that the economy would be taking a big hit , and having the foresight to gain $ 2.7 trillion from Congress to prop up American businesses .
Trump ’ s considered yet robust approach to the pandemic to save as many lives and jobs as possible has inoculated the President against apparently any political fallout from the economic crash .
He took the approach favored by most Americans , who , in turn , are giving him a pass on the economy that would otherwise realign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other incumbent .
Can Trump be beat ?
By now , internally , Democrats must be in a full panic mode .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government .

by Robert Romano
President Donald Trump appears impervious to bad news. At least that’s what one might discern from the April 21 Hill/HarrisX poll, where 56 percent approve of his performance on the economy despite 26 million jobs lost and counting amid the government-directed closures in response to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
Overall, 50 percent approve of the job the President is doing. Perhaps that is because of Trump’s Herculean efforts to do whatever it takes to prevent society itself from collapsing while everything is still shuttered up.
The biggest surprise comes from Trump’s growing approval among African-Americans, where 24 percent approve including 9 percent who strongly approve. On the economy, Trump garners 31 percent approval among blacks including 10 percent who strongly approve.
A similar pattern emerges among Hispanics, where 30 percent approve including 10 percent who strongly approve, with the numbers jumping to 36 percent among Hispanics on the economy including 14 percent strong approve.
Overall, Trump’s greatest strength comes on stimulating jobs, where 58 percent approve, including 64 percent of whites, 32 percent of blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics.
Suffice to say, if those are Trump’s numbers on Election Day, it won’t even be close against former Vice President Joe Biden.
How to account for Trump’s resilience amid the economic carnage and devastation from the pandemic? The President has stuck the landing on fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. He quickly organized a military response effort to deliver testing, medical equipment including ventilators and worked closely with State governors to save as many lives as possible. There, Trump gets 51 percent approval.
This explains the left-wing media’s relentless attempts to drive up the President’s negatives almost to a fever pitch. They are growing desperate, and with states and the economy prepped to reopen very soon, Trump has nowhere to go but up. The difference between his overall approval and that on the economy clearly demonstrates that he has room to grow.
And in the back of voters’ minds, they know it was President Trump who was the most concerned about the economic fallout to do with the virus. By effectively dealing with the pandemic, Trump also gets credit for wisely warning that the economy would be taking a big hit, and having the foresight to gain $2.7 trillion from Congress to prop up American businesses.
Trump’s considered yet robust approach to the pandemic to save as many lives and jobs as possible has inoculated the President against apparently any political fallout from the economic crash. He took the approach favored by most Americans, who, in turn, are giving him a pass on the economy that would otherwise realign American politics for a generation for any other incumbent. Can Trump be beat? By now, internally, Democrats must be in a full panic mode.
– – –
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--Carol Swain: ‘Democrats, in My Opinion, Have Become Enemies of the State’

Live from Nashville , Tennessee Thursday 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.– Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by former Vanderbilt and Princeton Professor Dr. Carol Swain .
During the second hour , Swain weighed in on New York City ’ s Mayor DeBlasio ’ s recent threats to a group of Jewish funeral attendees noting that this was more evidence of what a Democratic America would look like .
She added that Democrats were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were utilizing the pandemic to leverage a win in the November election .
Leahy : That is Mayor Bill DeBlasio of New York City trying to crawl out of a hole he dug for himself .
There was a famous Rabbi , well respected in New York City who died .
And he threatened to arrest anybody who attended that funeral .
And Carol that was widely perceived as being antisemitic .
Did you follow that at all ?
Swain : I know that 2,500 people attended and I say cheers to Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what we do as Americans and at some point , I think our liberties are more important than us trying to protect ourselves .
And I ’ m speaking as a Christian .
Those are religious men and women who probably believe that God is in control of when they die .
Leahy : Yes .
Very interesting .
And it ’ s troublesome to me how these authoritarian Democrats just love to tell people what they can and can ’ t do .
They ’ re infringing on the First Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Freedom of worship .
Very troublesome .
Do you see them letting up on this at all ?
Swain : No .
I can clearly see what a nation would be like if the Democrats had total control because they are far worse than anything I ever imagined that I would see taking place in America .
And the pandemic is just an excuse .
Leahy : Yes exactly .
Now speaking of that .
Let ’ s go back to Nashville .
I ’ m not sure what the evidence is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep Nashville closed .
I was going to say that he said now that we have to have 14 days of declining metrics .
It ’ s hard to find the data on this at the Nashville Public Health Department website .
They aren ’ t sharing it as much as they should .
I think it ’ s out there somewhere .
It ’ s just hard to find it .
Overall so far there have been 25 deaths in Davidson County .
And that ’ s about like three out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two out of 100,000 for the state .
It ’ s very low compared to the rest of the country .
Looking at the number of tests .
I think about 14,000 people have been tested in Nashville .
The positive rate is still fairly low .
195 deaths in Tennessee .
Of those deaths , only about 30 of those deaths are from people under the age of 61 .
When do you think that Mayor Cooper will say , ok time to open up ?
Swain : Well first of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now I know when Carol starts and says , first of all , Michael .
I know she ’ s going to say something more or less in agreement with me .
When Carol says , well Michael Patrick , ( Swain giggles ) then I know we ’ re in trouble and she ’ s going to disagree .
( Laughs ) Swain : First of all , those 25 deaths , some of them were reported in the news .
They were people who were dying from other serious conditions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers nationally they have been skewed because of the CDC guidelines and the fact that they have incentivized doctors , clinics , and hospitals to label deaths as COVID even if people were dying of other causes .
So the numbers mean nothing to me .
And if we were testing people for cancer .
For diabetes and made everyone take a test for hypertension you would find rising numbers .
And so the test , the politics behind it , there ’ s no way you can untangle the politics behind it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity for political gain that destroys our economy and destroying our nation .
And it ’ s all about politics .
It ’ s not about saving lives .
If they were interested in saving lives they would close the abortion clinics .
They are not interested in saving lives .
And they are not interested in the elderly .
And I think the cruelest thing that they are doing is isolating people in hospitals .
Isolating the elderly .
Leahy : Well yes .
we ’ ll see how this all plays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor is going to have some sort of announcement as to whether or not by their metrics .
I guess they are looking at the percentage of those that are tested and tested positive .
That number , by the way , is a little over 2,400 in Nashville that has tested positive .
About 14,000 tests have been taken .
That means its a little over 15 % which is below the national average .
I ’ m talking about in the city of Nashville itself .
And again , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about data .
They talk about metrics and you can ’ t really see on any of the city websites where those metrics are right now in the city of Nashville .
I ’ m sure they ’ ve got it and perhaps they ’ ll talk about it at today ’ s press conference .
You know they say that today they are going to look back 14 days and if the trends are down they ’ ll start opening up .
I don ’ t know if that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no real incentive for them to open up because they really want to push people turning around papers to prove that they have complied and their long term gain is to say that we can ’ t have an election in November unless we do it by mail .
So the Democrats have a national strategy and they stick together .
Their long term goal is all about winning in November .
Leahy : We all know and you ’ re a former professor of political science , this vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic fraud .
It ’ s not like an absentee ballot where you have to show up and show your identification and verify it .
They send these votes by mail things to anybody .
There are all sorts of opportunities for fraud on that .
Swain : I know .
And they don ’ t respect the political process .
They want people who are not American citizens voting .
They ’ ve been very clear about that .
And the Democrats , in my opinion , have become enemies of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I love my home it works for my family , but I really feel like that I would like to leave Davidson County because I ’ ve tried to change .
I ’ ve not been successful .
Leahy : Well , keep us posted on that and we ’ ll see .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Nashville, Tennessee Thursday 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.– Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by former Vanderbilt and Princeton Professor Dr. Carol Swain.
During the second hour, Swain weighed in on New York City’s Mayor DeBlasio’s recent threats to a group of Jewish funeral attendees noting that this was more evidence of what a Democratic America would look like. She added that Democrats were not concerned about public health and safety and were utilizing the pandemic to leverage a win in the November election.
(Bill DeBlasio clip plays)
I understand that when people are going through mourning they are in real pain but we have to understand what it means to hold a large gathering in NYC today. It means unfortunately that people know that people gathering some will be sick with this disease.
Leahy: That is Mayor Bill DeBlasio of New York City trying to crawl out of a hole he dug for himself. There was a famous Rabbi, well respected in New York City who died. And he threatened to arrest anybody who attended that funeral. And Carol that was widely perceived as being antisemitic. Did you follow that at all?
Swain: I know that 2,500 people attended and I say cheers to Americans for standing up. We take responsibility for what we do as Americans and at some point, I think our liberties are more important than us trying to protect ourselves. And I’m speaking as a Christian. Those are religious men and women who probably believe that God is in control of when they die.
Leahy: Yes. Very interesting. And it’s troublesome to me how these authoritarian Democrats just love to tell people what they can and can’t do. They’re infringing on the First Amendment. Every element. Freedom of assembly. Freedom of worship. Very troublesome. Do you see them letting up on this at all?
Swain: No. I can clearly see what a nation would be like if the Democrats had total control because they are far worse than anything I ever imagined that I would see taking place in America. And the pandemic is just an excuse.
Leahy: Yes exactly. Now speaking of that. Let’s go back to Nashville. I’m not sure what the evidence is that Mayor Cooper is looking at here to keep Nashville closed. I was going to say that he said now that we have to have 14 days of declining metrics.
It’s hard to find the data on this at the Nashville Public Health Department website. They aren’t sharing it as much as they should. I think it’s out there somewhere. It’s just hard to find it. Overall so far there have been 25 deaths in Davidson County. And that’s about like three out of every 100,000. Compared to about two out of 100,000 for the state.
It’s very low compared to the rest of the country. Looking at the number of tests. I think about 14,000 people have been tested in Nashville. The positive rate is still fairly low. 195 deaths in Tennessee. Of those deaths, only about 30 of those deaths are from people under the age of 61. When do you think that Mayor Cooper will say, ok time to open up?
Swain: Well first of all Michael…(Laughter)
Leahy: See now I know when Carol starts and says, first of all, Michael. I know she’s going to say something more or less in agreement with me. When Carol says, well Michael Patrick, (Swain giggles) then I know we’re in trouble and she’s going to disagree. (Laughs)
Swain: First of all, those 25 deaths, some of them were reported in the news. They were people who were dying from other serious conditions. And so if you look at the numbers nationally they have been skewed because of the CDC guidelines and the fact that they have incentivized doctors, clinics, and hospitals to label deaths as COVID even if people were dying of other causes.
So the numbers mean nothing to me. And if we were testing people for cancer. For diabetes and made everyone take a test for hypertension you would find rising numbers. And so the test, the politics behind it, there’s no way you can untangle the politics behind it and the fact that Democrats see an opportunity for political gain that destroys our economy and destroying our nation.
And it’s all about politics. It’s not about saving lives. If they were interested in saving lives they would close the abortion clinics. They are not interested in saving lives. And they are not interested in the elderly. And I think the cruelest thing that they are doing is isolating people in hospitals. Isolating the elderly.
Leahy: Well yes. we’ll see how this all plays out. Today I suspect that the mayor is going to have some sort of announcement as to whether or not by their metrics. I guess they are looking at the percentage of those that are tested and tested positive. That number, by the way, is a little over 2,400 in Nashville that has tested positive.
About 14,000 tests have been taken. That means its a little over 15% which is below the national average. I’m talking about in the city of Nashville itself. And again, I’m a little bit frustrated because they talk about data. They talk about metrics and you can’t really see on any of the city websites where those metrics are right now in the city of Nashville.
I’m sure they’ve got it and perhaps they’ll talk about it at today’s press conference. You know they say that today they are going to look back 14 days and if the trends are down they’ll start opening up. I don’t know if that’s going to happen though.
Swain: There is no real incentive for them to open up because they really want to push people turning around papers to prove that they have complied and their long term gain is to say that we can’t have an election in November unless we do it by mail. So the Democrats have a national strategy and they stick together. Their long term goal is all about winning in November.
Leahy: We all know and you’re a former professor of political science, this vote by mail is just an opportunity for more Democratic fraud. It’s not like an absentee ballot where you have to show up and show your identification and verify it. They send these votes by mail things to anybody. There are all sorts of opportunities for fraud on that.
Swain: I know. And they don’t respect the political process. They want people who are not American citizens voting. They’ve been very clear about that. And the Democrats, in my opinion, have become enemies of the state. As far as Davidson County, I love my home it works for my family, but I really feel like that I would like to leave Davidson County because I’ve tried to change. I’ve not been successful.
Leahy: Well, keep us posted on that and we’ll see.
Listen to the full second hour here:

– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--Matt Gaetz Introduces Bill to Deport All Illegal Aliens During Pandemic

Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced legislation that , if signed into law , would require all illegal aliens under U.S. custody to be deported when the government declares a national emergency due to a communicable disease .
“ It is unconscionable that at a time when we should be working together as Americans , Democrats are working to socially engineer our country and advance their legislative priorities , ” the Republican lawmaker said in a statement first shared with Fox News on Wednesday .
He continued : “ The PANDEMIC Act puts Americans first by requiring that all illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensuring our resources are used to benefit and protect American citizens.
” The Protect American Nationals During Emergencies by Mitigating the Immigration Crisis Act , or PANDEMIC , was introduced in response to legislation filed by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal — both Democrats — that called on federal immigration authorities to release detainees and stop targeting illegal aliens who are believed to not pose a substantial public safety risk .
That was not the first time Democratic lawmakers in Washington , D.C. , have asked federal authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
A group of House Democrats , led by Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar , requested Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) in March freeze all deportations in response to the virus .
Gaetz pointed to the actions taken by the Mexican government , which has nearly repatriated all of the illegal aliens in its custody to remove the likelihood of migrant detention centers becoming hotbeds for outbreaks .
“ I think we should love our country at least as much as Mexico loves theirs , ” the Florida lawmaker said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways , has scaled back its immigration enforcement efforts .
ICE announced it would focus more on individuals who pose a greater public safety threat , and the agency has released hundreds of immigrants at risk of coronavirus complications .
At the same time , the administration has increased enforcement operations in other areas .
The Department of Homeland Security , for example , has closed the northern and southern borders off to all “ non-essential ” traffic , immediately turning back illegal entrants , and President Donald Trump has threatened visa sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deportees from the United States .
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Jason Hopkins
Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced legislation that, if signed into law, would require all illegal aliens under U.S. custody to be deported when the government declares a national emergency due to a communicable disease.
“It is unconscionable that at a time when we should be working together as Americans, Democrats are working to socially engineer our country and advance their legislative priorities,” the Republican lawmaker said in a statement first shared with Fox News on Wednesday.
He continued: “The PANDEMIC Act puts Americans first by requiring that all illegal aliens be deported during a pandemic, ensuring our resources are used to benefit and protect American citizens.”
The Protect American Nationals During Emergencies by Mitigating the Immigration Crisis Act, or PANDEMIC, was introduced in response to legislation filed by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal — both Democrats — that called on federal immigration authorities to release detainees and stop targeting illegal aliens who are believed to not pose a substantial public safety risk.
That was not the first time Democratic lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have asked federal authorities to scale back their operations amid the coronavirus pandemic. A group of House Democrats, led by Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, requested Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March freeze all deportations in response to the virus.
Gaetz pointed to the actions taken by the Mexican government, which has nearly repatriated all of the illegal aliens in its custody to remove the likelihood of migrant detention centers becoming hotbeds for outbreaks.
“I think we should love our country at least as much as Mexico loves theirs,” the Florida lawmaker said.
The Trump administration, in some ways, has scaled back its immigration enforcement efforts. ICE announced it would focus more on individuals who pose a greater public safety threat, and the agency has released hundreds of immigrants at risk of coronavirus complications.
At the same time, the administration has increased enforcement operations in other areas. The Department of Homeland Security, for example, has closed the northern and southern borders off to all “non-essential” traffic, immediately turning back illegal entrants, and President Donald Trump has threatened visa sanctions on any country that refuses to accept deportees from the United States.
– – –
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--New York Funeral Home Directors Claim COVID-19 Is Put on Death Certificates Without Confirmed Result

New York Funeral Home Directors Claim COVID-19 Is Put on Death Certificates Without Confirmed Results

A new undercover video released by Project Veritas features numerous funeral home directors expressing doubt over the official number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 .
“ To me , all you ’ re doing is you ’ re padding the statistics .
You know , you ’ re putting people on that have COVID-19 and if they didn ’ t have it , you ’ re making the death rate for New York City a lot higher than it should be , ” said Joseph Antioco , director of the Schaeffer Funeral Home in Brooklyn , New York .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video are from New York City , which is considered the epicenter of America ’ s coronavirus pandemic .
“ To be honest with you , all of the death certificates , they ’ re writing COVID on all the death certificates , whether they had a positive test or whether they didn ’ t ” said Michael Lanza , director of Staten Island ’ s Colonial Funeral Home .
“ So I think , you know , again this is my personal opinion , I think like the mayor in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal funding and the more they put COVID on the death certificate , the more they can ask for federal funds .
So I think it ’ s political , ” he added .
Josephine DiMiceli , president of the DiMiceli and Sons funeral home , said the sister of a deceased client “ refused to believe that her sister had COVID-19.
” “ Right away they put down COVID-19 on her death certificate , ” she said .
“ They did an independent autopsy , bingo – no COVID-19.
” Antioco claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down on the death certificate COVID-19 , ” unless the patient was under the care of a private doctor .
“ Two weeks ago , I had a 40-year-old man that died in his house , okay ?
They didn ’ t even go to the house , the guy had no underlying causes , no medical conditions .
They released him from the house without even going , saying he had COVID-19 because he had a fever , ” he said .
“ But now , how do you know that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t .
But now the death certificate shows that he had COVID-19.
” Minnesota Sen. Scott Jensen ( R-Chaska ) , a practicing physician , faced backlash earlier this month when he claimed that doctors can place COVID-19 on death certificates without confirmed test results .
Jensen said a guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) implies that it “ would be appropriate to diagnosis on the death certificate COVID-19 ” if a patient exhibited symptoms but never actually tested positive .
Minnesota Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s claims and said he was spreading “ misinformation.
” “ When deaths are registered as suspected or probable COVID-19 , we don ’ t just leave it at that .
The MDH Office of Vital Records staff follows up on these death records .
Staff contact the medical certifiers to ask them if testing came back to confirm COVID-19 , ” Malcolm said during a press briefing .
“ When it has , the medical certifier updates the cause of death statement that they previously registered or provided .
There might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probable if the cause of death statement was written but testing was never ordered or the record doesn ’ t get updated by the health care provider , ” she continued .
As of Thursday , New York City had 162,212 cases of COVID-19 and 12,572 deaths .
Photo “ Michael Lanza Interview ” by Project Veritas .
Neil McCabe , The Tennessee Star and Star News Network National Correspondent , also serves as a contract communications manager for Project Veritas

A new undercover video released by Project Veritas features numerous funeral home directors expressing doubt over the official number of deaths attributed to COVID-19.
“To me, all you’re doing is you’re padding the statistics. You know, you’re putting people on that have COVID-19 and if they didn’t have it, you’re making the death rate for New York City a lot higher than it should be,” said Joseph Antioco, director of the Schaeffer Funeral Home in Brooklyn, New York.
All of the funeral home directors featured in the video are from New York City, which is considered the epicenter of America’s coronavirus pandemic.
“To be honest with you, all of the death certificates, they’re writing COVID on all the death certificates, whether they had a positive test or whether they didn’t” said Michael Lanza, director of Staten Island’s Colonial Funeral Home.
“So I think, you know, again this is my personal opinion, I think like the mayor in our city, they’re looking for federal funding and the more they put COVID on the death certificate, the more they can ask for federal funds. So I think it’s political,” he added.
Josephine DiMiceli, president of the DiMiceli and Sons funeral home, said the sister of a deceased client “refused to believe that her sister had COVID-19.”
“Right away they put down COVID-19 on her death certificate,” she said. “They did an independent autopsy, bingo – no COVID-19.”
Antioco claimed that medical examiners are “automatically putting down on the death certificate COVID-19,” unless the patient was under the care of a private doctor.
“Two weeks ago, I had a 40-year-old man that died in his house, okay? They didn’t even go to the house, the guy had no underlying causes, no medical conditions. They released him from the house without even going, saying he had COVID-19 because he had a fever,” he said. “But now, how do you know that’s what he had? You don’t. But now the death certificate shows that he had COVID-19.”
Minnesota Sen. Scott Jensen (R-Chaska), a practicing physician, faced backlash earlier this month when he claimed that doctors can place COVID-19 on death certificates without confirmed test results.
Jensen said a guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implies that it “would be appropriate to diagnosis on the death certificate COVID-19” if a patient exhibited symptoms but never actually tested positive.
Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm pushed back on Jensen’s claims and said he was spreading “misinformation.”
“When deaths are registered as suspected or probable COVID-19, we don’t just leave it at that. The MDH Office of Vital Records staff follows up on these death records. Staff contact the medical certifiers to ask them if testing came back to confirm COVID-19,” Malcolm said during a press briefing.
“When it has, the medical certifier updates the cause of death statement that they previously registered or provided. There might be records that stay as suspected or probable if the cause of death statement was written but testing was never ordered or the record doesn’t get updated by the health care provider,” she continued.
As of Thursday, New York City had 162,212 cases of COVID-19 and 12,572 deaths.
– – –
Photo “Michael Lanza Interview” by Project Veritas.
Neil McCabe, The Tennessee Star and Star News Network National Correspondent, also serves as a contract communications manager for Project Veritas


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--YouTube Yanks Viral Video of California Docs Questioning Extreme Social Distancing Measures

YouTube on Monday removed a viral video featuring two California doctors discussing why they believe that the heavy-handed measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic throughout the nation are unnecessary .
Bakersfield Urgent Care doctors Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi called a press conference last week to release their conclusions about the 5,213 COVID-19 tests they had conducted at their centers and testing site .
The doctors claimed their results showed that the virus is much more widespread than at first thought , and thus not all that dangerous to the general public .
Dr. Erickson argued that the numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale to the flu .
“ The initial models were woefully inaccurate , ” he said .
“ They predicted millions of cases of deaths—not of prevalence or incidents—but deaths .
That is not materializing.
” Extrapolating from their study and testing done in other states , Erickson said , “ we ’ re seeing millions of cases , small amount of death.
” Erickson also pointed out that the death rates have been inflated because deaths that resulted from a number of causes are being attributed to COVID-19 .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing up my death report , I ’ m being pressured to add covid , ” Erickson said .
“ Why is that ?
” The doctor argued that the draconian measures taken by the government to combat the virus are “ not about science and not even about covid.
” “ When they use the word ‘ safe ’ … that ’ s about controlling you , ” he warned .
A local television report on the press conference went viral , garnering over 5.46 million views on YouTube .
Tesla founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 million-plus Twitter followers .
Musk is hoping to reopen his manufacturing plant in Fremont , Calif. , this week .
YouTube pulled the 23ABC News video apparently because it violated “ community guidelines.
” The Bakersfield station verified that the video is no longer available on its YouTube channel , and said that it has submitted an appeal .
The full press briefing can still be viewed on the station ’ s website .
In response to the video being taken down , Erickson said , “ Anytime you push against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who don ’ t like it.
” A number of public health experts quickly came out to debunk the doctors ’ findings , according to the nonprofit California news site Cal Matters .
The doctors should never have assumed that the patients they tested — who came for walk-in COVID-19 tests or who sought urgent care for symptoms they experienced in the middle of a pandemic — are representative of the general population , said Dr. Carl Bergstrom , a University of Washington biologist who specializes in infectious disease modeling .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average height of Americans from the players on an NBA court.
” And most credible studies of COVID-19 death rates in reality are far higher than the ones the doctors presented .
“ They ’ ve used methods that are ludicrous to get results that are completely implausible , ” Bergstrom argued .
“ This pandemic has been so severely politicized in this country that evidence , no matter how poor , gets amplified enormously if it benefits one side or another , ” he added .
“ We always hoped this crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it did we ’ d all be in this together .
That ’ s been a huge surprise for all of us doing infectious disease epidemiology .
It ’ s amazing to have to deal with this misinformation that ’ s being spread around for political purposes and the ways that interferes with adequate public health response.
” In a long thread on Twitter , Bergstrom expounded on why he believes the doctors are wrong .
Monday night , Dr. Erickson and Dr. Massihi appeared on Fox News ’ s Ingraham Angle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has been impressed with doctors like Johan Giesecke and Dr. Anders Tegnell of Sweden , who have been able to achieve herd immunity in their country with very relaxed social distancing measures .
“ These two doctors have taken an approach where people are allowed to move about , children under 16 are in school , and they haven ’ t done a lock-down—they ’ ve done some basic social distancing , ” he explained .
“ And Dr. Giesecke just finished doing a report where he said there ’ s really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ extreme social-distancing ] techniques.
” The doctor explained how herd immunity happens .
“ You get it by letting the virus spread throughout the community .
Once it hits 70 to 80 percent , the virus has nowhere else to go and it burns out , ” he said .
The other option is to wait for a vaccine to be developed which takes time and isn ’ t always effective .
Dr. Massihi said that the reason he thinks their video struck a nerve is because the American people related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s people at home , they don ’ t have a job , they ’ ve lost their source of income , there ’ s increasing alcoholism , folks are depressed , suicides are happening .
People are struggling .
So we felt like we needed to be an advocate for them and discuss this important issue.
” This isn ’ t the first time Big Tech has targeted what they have deemed to be “ misinformation ” about the coronavirus .
YouTube also recently took down a video about Healight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a potential treatment for COVID-19 .
And earlier this month , Facebook took down a number of posts promoting anti-quarantine protests in several states .
Debra Heine reports for American Greatness .
Photo “ Doctors from Banned Video ” by Paul Musee .

by Debra Heine
YouTube on Monday removed a viral video featuring two California doctors discussing why they believe that the heavy-handed measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic throughout the nation are unnecessary.
Bakersfield Urgent Care doctors Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi called a press conference last week to release their conclusions about the 5,213 COVID-19 tests they had conducted at their centers and testing site.
The doctors claimed their results showed that the virus is much more widespread than at first thought, and thus not all that dangerous to the general public. Dr. Erickson argued that the numbers indicate that the coronavirus is similar in scale to the flu.
“The initial models were woefully inaccurate,” he said. “They predicted millions of cases of deaths—not of prevalence or incidents—but deaths. That is not materializing.”
Extrapolating from their study and testing done in other states, Erickson said, “we’re seeing millions of cases, small amount of death.”
Erickson also pointed out that the death rates have been inflated because deaths that resulted from a number of causes are being attributed to COVID-19.
“It’s interesting. When I’m writing up my death report, I’m being pressured to add covid,” Erickson said. “Why is that?”
The doctor argued that the draconian measures taken by the government to combat the virus are “not about science and not even about covid.”
“When they use the word ‘safe’ … that’s about controlling you,” he warned.
California doctors Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi blow the whistle on the Fauci virus hysteria, breaking down the real science behind the pandemic compared to what’s being presented by the mainstream media and governments around the world to keep economies https://t.co/JdPeVPDj5q pic.twitter.com/gxykcU6nRZ — Paul muthembil musee (@realPaulMusee) April 27, 2020
A local television report on the press conference went viral, garnering over 5.46 million views on YouTube. Tesla founder Elon Musk praised the docs to his 33 million-plus Twitter followers. Musk is hoping to reopen his manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif., this week.
Docs make good points https://t.co/WeXuZpMghY — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 26, 2020
YouTube pulled the 23ABC News video apparently because it violated “community guidelines.”
The Bakersfield station verified that the video is no longer available on its YouTube channel, and said that it has submitted an appeal. The full press briefing can still be viewed on the station’s website.
In response to the video being taken down, Erickson said, “Anytime you push against the grain, you are going to have people who don’t like it.”
A number of public health experts quickly came out to debunk the doctors’ findings, according to the nonprofit California news site Cal Matters.
The doctors should never have assumed that the patients they tested — who came for walk-in COVID-19 tests or who sought urgent care for symptoms they experienced in the middle of a pandemic — are representative of the general population, said Dr. Carl Bergstrom, a University of Washington biologist who specializes in infectious disease modeling. He likened their extrapolations to “estimating the average height of Americans from the players on an NBA court.” And most credible studies of COVID-19 death rates in reality are far higher than the ones the doctors presented.
“They’ve used methods that are ludicrous to get results that are completely implausible,” Bergstrom argued.
“This pandemic has been so severely politicized in this country that evidence, no matter how poor, gets amplified enormously if it benefits one side or another,” he added.
“We always hoped this crisis wouldn’t come, but that if it did we’d all be in this together. That’s been a huge surprise for all of us doing infectious disease epidemiology. It’s amazing to have to deal with this misinformation that’s being spread around for political purposes and the ways that interferes with adequate public health response.”
In a long thread on Twitter, Bergstrom expounded on why he believes the doctors are wrong.
Unfortunately the misleading claims of those two doctors in Bakersfield keep making the rounds, so I want to very briefly address the problem with what they are saying. I won't get into their possible motives, past political activity, etc.https://t.co/IGzeamfqce — Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) April 26, 2020
Monday night, Dr. Erickson and Dr. Massihi appeared on Fox News’s Ingraham Angle to defend their conclusions.
Erickson said he has been impressed with doctors like Johan Giesecke and Dr. Anders Tegnell of Sweden, who have been able to achieve herd immunity in their country with very relaxed social distancing measures.
“These two doctors have taken an approach where people are allowed to move about, children under 16 are in school, and they haven’t done a lock-down—they’ve done some basic social distancing,” he explained. “And Dr. Giesecke just finished doing a report where he said there’s really not a lot of science backing these [extreme social-distancing] techniques.”
The doctor explained how herd immunity happens.
“You get it by letting the virus spread throughout the community. Once it hits 70 to 80 percent, the virus has nowhere else to go and it burns out,” he said.
The other option is to wait for a vaccine to be developed which takes time and isn’t always effective.
Dr. Massihi said that the reason he thinks their video struck a nerve is because the American people related to what they were saying.
“There’s people at home, they don’t have a job, they’ve lost their source of income, there’s increasing alcoholism, folks are depressed, suicides are happening. People are struggling. So we felt like we needed to be an advocate for them and discuss this important issue.”
This isn’t the first time Big Tech has targeted what they have deemed to be “misinformation” about the coronavirus. YouTube also recently took down a video about Healight, an ultraviolet light product that could offer a potential treatment for COVID-19.
And earlier this month, Facebook took down a number of posts promoting anti-quarantine protests in several states.
– – –
Debra Heine reports for American Greatness.
Photo “Doctors from Banned Video” by Paul Musee.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--Fauci: Antiviral Drug Remdesivir Testing Shows It Can Be Effective Treating COVID-19

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said a study of the antiviral drug remdesivir showed promising signs for treatment of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ rate for COVID-19 patients given remdesivir was 8 percent compared to 11 percent for those @ @ @ @ @ Remdesivir has a clear-cut , significant , positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery @ @ @ @ @ director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
“ It is a @ @ @ @ @ because what it is proving is that a drug can block this virus.
” Individuals @ @ @ @ @ 11 days compared to 15 days for those on the placebo .
Fauci did not @ @ @ @ @ the illness and stressed that more study was needed .
“ This will be the @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Dan McCaleb is the executive editor of The Center Square .
He @ @ @ @ @ Dan at [ email protected ]

by Dan McCaleb
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said a study of the antiviral drug remdesivir showed promising signs for treatment of coronavirus.
Faucie said the mortality rate for COVID-19 patients given remdesivir was 8 percent compared to 11 percent for those taking a placebo.
“Remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “It is a very important proof of concept because what it is proving is that a drug can block this virus.”
Individuals given remdesivir were sick for 11 days compared to 15 days for those on the placebo.
Fauci did not suggest the drug could cure the illness and stressed that more study was needed.
“This will be the standard of care,” he said.
– – –
Dan McCaleb is the executive editor of The Center Square. He welcomes your comments. Contact Dan at [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-01--Nearly 50 Members of Congress Made Thousands of Stock Trades During Coronavirus

Almost 50 members of Congress , between both houses , made thousands of stock exchanges during the coronavirus outbreak in an effort to capitalize on the economic turmoil , according to a report by Politico .
The report comes from a watchdog group called the Campaign Legal Center , which found that from early February to early April , various stock transactions were made by 12 senators and 37 representatives ; the former made a total of 127 transactions , while the latter made over 1,300 transactions in the same time period .
These transactions could constitute insider-trading , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential economic impact of the coronavirus in the days and weeks before the shutdowns began .
Initially , the scrutiny was focused on a handful of senators who had engaged in such trading , including Richard Burr ( R-N.C. ) , Kelly Loeffler ( R-Ga. ) , and Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) .
In a statement assessing their own report , the CLC declared that “ ground for suspicion remains as members of Congress buy and sell stock for their personal portfolios , while simultaneously picking winners and losers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The group has called for new laws to prevent lawmakers from being able to make individual stock transactions , and other measures to prevent insider-trading .

by Eric Lendrum
Almost 50 members of Congress, between both houses, made thousands of stock exchanges during the coronavirus outbreak in an effort to capitalize on the economic turmoil, according to a report by Politico.
The report comes from a watchdog group called the Campaign Legal Center, which found that from early February to early April, various stock transactions were made by 12 senators and 37 representatives; the former made a total of 127 transactions, while the latter made over 1,300 transactions in the same time period.
These transactions could constitute insider-trading, as Congress had been attending closed-door meetings on the potential economic impact of the coronavirus in the days and weeks before the shutdowns began. Initially, the scrutiny was focused on a handful of senators who had engaged in such trading, including Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
In a statement assessing their own report, the CLC declared that “ground for suspicion remains as members of Congress buy and sell stock for their personal portfolios, while simultaneously picking winners and losers in the market as they craft economic stimulus packages.” The group has called for new laws to prevent lawmakers from being able to make individual stock transactions, and other measures to prevent insider-trading.
– – –
Eric Lendrum reports for American Greatness.