thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--Donald Trump Gives Bill Hagerty His ‘Complete and Total Endorsement’ During Tele-Town Hall Event

U.S. President Donald Trump joined U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty in a brief tele-town hall event Friday and told Tennesseans that Hagerty , if elected , will do great things .
During the nearly nine-minute phone call Trump told listeners that Hagerty had his “ complete and total endorsement.
” Hagerty hosted Trump on the call immediately after Tennessee ’ s polls opened for early voting .
“ I had plenty of choices , but Bill Hagerty is someone that I know very well .
He was my ambassador to Japan .
He was a fantastic ambassador .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan .
He knew every person over there .
He knew the businessmen .
He could pronounce those names that I had a hard time with .
It was amazing , ” Trump said during the call .
“ He was one of the truly great ambassadors that I ’ ve ever met .
And I ’ ve met some good ones , and I ’ ve met some very bad ones , to be honest .
Bill was so solid , so good .
And they still miss him , I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will act tough with China and fight for American ’ s Second Amendment rights .
Hagerty , meanwhile , told Trump that he , if elected , would make himself the president ’ s “ strongest ally there.
” “ Here in Tennessee we are working hard to ensure you are re-elected for four more years so we can continue to keep America great .
When you look around and you see this angry liberal mob , you see what ’ s happening in Portland , Oregon .
That can ’ t happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so grateful for your leadership here to make sure it never does , ” Hagerty said .
“ You have been clear .
That with you as our president America will never be a socialist country .
Yet that is exactly what this angry liberal mob wants .
They seek to destroy the America we know and love .
They want to ruin everything that makes this country great .
Your leadership is needed more now than ever .
And I want to thank you for all you are doing .
For us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Donald Trump and Bill Hagerty ” by Bill Hagerty .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--Justice Ginsburg Says Cancer Has Returned, but Won’t Retire

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Friday she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer , but has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court .
The 87-year-old Ginsburg , who has had four earlier bouts with cancer including pancreatic cancer last year , said her treatment so far has succeeded in reducing lesions on her liver and she will continue chemotherapy sessions every two weeks “ to keep my cancer at bay.
” “ I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain fully able to do that , ” Ginsburg said in a statement issued by the court .
Ginsburg , who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993 , is the senior liberal justice on a court that leans conservative by a 5-4 margin .
Her departure before the election could give President Donald Trump the chance to shift the court further to the right .
Ginsburg ’ s history with cancer goes back more than 20 years .
In addition to being treated without surgery for a tumor on her pancreas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for colorectal cancer in 1999 , pancreatic cancer in 2009 and lung cancer in December 2018 .
Dr. Alan Venook , a pancreatic cancer specialist at the University of California , San Francisco , who is not involved in Ginsburg ’ s care , said that “ clearly , she ’ s got incurable disease now ” because of the spread to her liver .
On average , patients with advanced pancreatic cancer live about a year , but the fact that her disease took so long to recur from her initial pancreatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ suggests that it ’ s not been growing rapidly , ” he said .
“ She ’ s above average in many ways.
” and has done remarkably well with all her treatments so far , Venook said .
“ There ’ s no reason to think she would die imminently.
” Asked earlier this week about a possible opening on the court before the election , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the president would act quickly if any opening were to arise .
Meadows commented after news that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment for an infection , which she said Friday was unrelated to the cancer .
“ I can ’ t imagine if he had a vacancy on the Supreme Court that he would not very quickly make the appointment and look for the Senate to take quick action , ” Meadows said , adding that he didn ’ t want any comment to be seen as wishing Ginsburg “ anything but the very best.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has said that if there were to be a vacancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s election cycle , the Republican-controlled Senate would likely confirm a nominee selected by Trump .
Ginsburg said she was disclosing her cancer treatment now because she is satisfied “ that my treatment course is now clear.
” Venook said the chemotherapy drug Ginsburg said she is getting , gemcitabine , is one that ’ s often used .
Immunotherapy , which Ginsburg ’ s statement said she tried unsuccessfully , has not worked well for pancreatic cancer , Venook said .
Ginsburg said a medical scan in February revealed growths on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ My most recent scan on July 7 indicated significant reduction of the liver lesions and no new disease , ” she said .
“ I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment.
” Ginsburg noted that she is able to “ maintain an active daily routine ” and that throughout her treatment she has “ kept up with opinion writing and all other Court work.
” When the justices heard arguments via telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic , Ginsburg participated one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She was being treated for gall stones , and said Friday that hospitalization also had nothing to do with the cancer .
Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko are reporters for The Associated Press .
AP Chief Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : In this Feb. 10 , 2020 , file photo U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks during a discussion on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington .
( AP @ @ @ @ @

Eighteen individuals are now collecting petitions for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District race as of last Friday.
Twelve people are collecting qualifying petitions for the GOP primary, three are gathering petitions for the Democrat primary, and three independents are also accumulating petitions.
The 12 Republicans listed on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website as collecting petitions are former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell of Nashville, businessman Baxter Lee of Nashville, Robby Starbuck of Franklin (listed as Robert Starbuck Newsom), Geni Batchelor of Lebanon, Natisha Brooks of Nashville, former Williamson County GOP Chair Omar Hamada of Franklin, Timothy Bruce Lee of Nashville, Annabelle Lee of Madison, Alan Clement Sharp of Nashville, David Vitalli of Brentwood, Stewart Parks of Nashville, and Richie Lee of Nashville.
Among the publicly announced candidates, Tennessee newcomer and former State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus and retired Brig. General Kurt Winstead have not yet been listed as having begun their qualifying petitions process. Hamada has not yet made a decision as to whether or not he is officially entering the race.
Records show that Harwell, Starbuck, Brooks, Baxter Lee, Ortagus, Winstead, Batchelor, and Timothy Bruce Lee have also filed candidate paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). Starbuck has raised $255,066.53 and has $138,741.16 on hand, which Brooks has raised $24,517.00 and has $19,655.34 on hand. The rest filed their FEC paperwork after the year-end December 31, 2022 deadline. The 2022 first quarter January 1-March 31 financial reports, which are scheduled to be released in mid-April, will cover all candidates who have reached the FEC reporting threshold.
Sources tell The Star that several Republican candidates are expected to have impressive fundraising totals.
Clay Faircloth, Richard H. Harris, and Joel Michael Hurbert, all from Nashville, are listed as collecting petitions for the Democrat primary.
Derrick Brantley of Nashville, Patrick O. Halfacre of Hohenwald, and Richard A. Shannon of Franklin are the independents who are collecting petitions. Shannon has appeared on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy. Only Brantley appears to have filed documents with the FEC.
In order to appear on the ballot, candidates are required to collect 25 valid signatures from registered voters and have until noon on April 7 to turn in those qualifying petitions. Candidates who qualify have until April 14 to withdraw their names from the ballot. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office told The Star, unless pending legislation changes things, that they will finalize the ballots on April 21.
The 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, and all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected] Follow Aaron on GETTR.
Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Martin Falbisoner. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--Crom Carmichael Describes the Idiocy of the ‘Grand Bargain’ Concept for Education

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
At the top of the third hour , Carmichael weighed in on a recent Wall Street Journal article that argued that schools should re-open and that teachers over 50 with pre-existing conditions should still teach citing a solution to give more money to facilitate that .
He added that spending is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has three unnecessary support staff members .
Leahy : Crom , we were talking a little bit about school ’ s getting back into session .
K-12 and universities .
There is an article you want to talk about .
The grand bargain .
That always makes me nervous when somebody talks about a grand bargain .
Carmichael : What we were talking about previously was good socialism versus bad socialism .
In order to argue that there is good socialism , you have to pervert the definition of socialism .
So now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy William Galston who writes a column for The Wall Street Journal probably once a week .
He ’ s a lefty but he ’ s not crazy he ’ s just not right .
But he ’ s not crazy .
It wasn ’ t more than a few months ago that he was writing an article that federal spending was way out of control .
He probably was writing that because he ’ s big on higher taxes .
Anything that promotes higher taxes , he ’ s for .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his solution is higher taxes .
He will give lip service to reducing spending but he always wants higher taxes .
Leahy : Isn ’ t one of those rules that you want higher taxes and then you ’ ll cut spending but you never cut spending ?
Carmichael : Right .
Right .
So here ’ s the guy who for a long time has wanted to balance the budget and who is now calling for more federal spending to reopen schools in the midst of the biggest budget deficits in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s doing is the grand bargain to reopen schools .
This is kind of interesting wherein the beginning of his article he gives information that our audience needs to hear and the implications of it and what it really means .
He says public education in Pre-K through 12th grade is $ 680 billion a year .
That ’ s how much is spent in total involving 51 million students .
That ’ s almost $ 14,000 a student .
But here ’ s the interesting one .
With more than six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s an eight to one ratio .
But we hear that the student-teacher ratio is over 20 to one .
Leahy : What ’ s going on there ?
Carmichael : You have a tremendous number .
For every teacher , according to this , there is more than one support staff .
So there ’ s an opportunity here .
And if that ’ s true here at the local level than that ’ s an opportunity .
Leahy : We ’ ve looked at that here in Nashville and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true .
Carmichael : I know , but I was trying to make an argument but you cut me off .
But that ’ s Ok. ( Laughter ) At any rate , moving right along .
But Galston then points out all these things about how pediatrics and all these associations and what not claim that online learning is detrimental to students .
And that ’ s true .
Carmichael : And then they say face to face is what we must have .
Then he goes on to say that what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the line is teachers over 50 with pre-existing conditions .
That ’ s not hard .
They just shouldn ’ t come to work .
Carmichael : That ’ s not his answer .
His answer is that they should come to work and we need to spend gobs and gobs of money to make sure they are protected .
Carmichael : That ’ s the point I ’ m trying to make .
Then he goes on and makes this statement .
The interest of students aren ’ t perfectly aligned with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to COVID-19 as a life-threatening condition .
Well , it would be true if the students have a pre-existing condition .
They should also stay at home .
So here ’ s the principle here .
What Galston is arguing is that the exception is more important than the rule .
Carmichael : And that is what the Left does over and over and over again .
The rule should be for the great majority of students and for the great majority of teachers in-person education must be done .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treating them as different and protecting them differently .
Leahy : The simple answer .
Keeping teachers over the age of 50 at home .
That ’ s it .
Everything else goes .
Let ’ s open up .
I ’ m totally with you .
Very good elucidation for that issue .
New word .
Elucidation .
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 @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--Gov. DeWine Vetoes Bill Looking to Limit Emergency Public Health Order Violations

For the first time as governor , Mike DeWine vetoed a bill Friday that restricted penalties for people who violate public health orders .
Senate Bill ( SB ) 55 , which was introduced by state Senator Theresa Gavarone ( R-Bowling Green ) , would have allowed Ohioans who violate public health orders to receive a warning rather than receive fines .
According to the bill , if people did not follow the public health orders then it would result in a fine no more than $ 100 for each subsequent violation .
According to The Toledo Blade , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an epidemic can be charged as a second-degree misdemeanor .
If found guilty of this crime , a person could receive up to 90 days in jail and a maximum of $ 750 fine .
When this bill was introduced in February 2019 it wanted to increase penalties for people who committed drug trafficking offenses near substance addiction services .
In May , the clause about restricting fines became apart of the bill .
In his objection letter , DeWine says he supports the drug trafficking part of the bill , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health orders .
“ In the midst of this pandemic , now is not the time to change tactics and impede local health officials ’ ability to protect all Ohioans , ” the governor wrote .
“ Our collective goals are always to ensure the safety of the public , guard against the health care system from being overwhelmed , and allowing all Ohio workers and businesses to do what they do best , which is grow our economy.
” “ A robust public health system protects us from E-coli and Legionella outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemics , ” he added .
SB 55 will now be sent back to the state Senate where the bill originated .
For the Ohio Legislature to overrule DeWine ’ s veto it needs to receive a three-fifths majority in each chamber .
For the original vote , the Senate passed it 18 to 10 and the House approved it 72 to 23 .
For the Legislature to overrule the governor ’ s veto , it will need two more state senators to vote in favor of the bill .
Zachery Schmidt is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] .
Follow Zachery on Twitter @ zacheryschmidt2 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--Columbus Statue to Remain on Ohio Statehouse Grounds for Now

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) — A statue of Christopher Columbus will not be removed from the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse until at least 2025 , officials said Thursday .
The 9-foot-tall , copper statue of Columbus , in place since 1932 , will remain erected in front of the Statehouse in the largest city that bears the explorer ’ s name until a formal process for removal is undergone by the agency that manages the grounds .
In its first meeting since January , one prompted by divisions of the sculpture , the Capitol Square Review and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time that would outline a policy of removing a statue or monument off of Capital Grounds — but with a long timeline .
“ We want to make good decisions that are not necessarily based on the moment of the day but long-term , ” House Speaker Larry Householder told reporters after the meeting .
“ These are historical grounds .
This is forever.
” The decision will allow any group or individual to submit a proposal to the board for the removal of the Columbus statue , but the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period of five years , meaning the earliest the statue could be removed will not be until sometime in 2025 .
The meeting to discuss the removal of the statue comes as two others have fallen in the namesake city in recent weeks as the nation faces a racial reckoning over the monuments and statues dedicated to Confederates and other historical figures who repressed or oppressed other people .
A statue of the explorer located on the campus of Columbus State Community College was removed June 19 and the one in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 and placed in storage .
“ We do not seek to erase history , but to make an intentional shift in what we visibly honor and celebrate as an institution , ” Columbus State Board of Trustees President Anthony Joseph said upon announcing the removal .
State Senator Hearcel F. Craig , a Columbus Democrat who sits on the board , voted in favor of the new statue-removal rules Thursday , but he said delayed action is unwarranted for a statue whose removal is “ long overdue.
” “ We must remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statue to further demonstrate our commitment to combating the lingering racism and oppression resulting from his legacy , ” Hearcel said in a statement .
“ Citizens around Ohio do not condone divisiveness and egregious injustice , and do not want to see symbols of oppression on their public properties.
” Householder called removal of both the other statues “ knee jerk reactions , ” that did not allow for all parties to weigh in .
There has long been debate across the nation over the Columbus ’ legacy , with some calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subjugation of indigenous people .
Columbus , Ohio ’ s capital , quietly canceled its Columbus Day holiday beginning in 2018 .
Dozens of other statues in honor of Columbus have also come down around the country as nationwide protests took place in response to the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Householder told reporters at this point he would not be inclined to support the removal of the Columbus statue .
“ Nobody ’ s perfect , the Republican lawmaker said .
” I always look at all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their accomplishments , more than whether they are a perfect human or not.
” Farnoush Amiri is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Photo “ Christopher Columbus Statue-Ohio Statehouse ” by Dr Bob Hall .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--Antone Melton-Meaux Outraises Ilhan Omar in 2020’s Second Quarter Just Ahead of the August 11 Democr

Antone Melton-Meaux Outraises Ilhan Omar in 2020’s Second Quarter Just Ahead of the August 11 Democratic Primary

Democratic congressional candidate Antone Melton-Meaux experienced big fundraising numbers in 2020 ’ s second quarter as he tries to unseat Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-MN-05 ) at the August 11 primary .
The winner will face Lacy Johnson , the Republican candidate , in November ’ s general election to represent Minnesota ’ s 5th Congressional District .
In 2020 ’ s second quarter , Melton-Meaux took in $ 3.2 million in donations , according to the Federal Elections Commission ( FEC ) .
This was almost seven times more than Omar received .
Melton-Meaux now has $ 2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Omar at $ 1.1 million .
“ Our incredible momentum and support is an affirmation that the people are tired of President Trump , ” stated Melton-Meaux in a press release .
According to an analysis of the two campaigns published by MinnPost , Omar has consistently outraised her main opponent in small donations under $ 200 at a ratio of 10-to-1 .
These donations are mostly from individual voters , who are the only determinants on Election Day .
However , according to FEC regulations , there is no requirement to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is no way of telling whether these voters reside in the 5th District .
In contrast , the bulk of contributions to Melton-Meaux ’ s campaign have come from donations greater than $ 200 , including “ $ 382,000 in donations bundled by the Pro-Israel America PAC , a nonpartisan political committee that supports both Republican and Democrat pro-Israel candidates .
He also raised nearly $ 106,000 in bundled donations through NORPAC , a political action committee that supports conservative policies in Israel , ” the MinnPost article reported .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 ’ s second quarter , Omar released a poll on July 16 showing she still leads by 37 points .
As reported in Newsweek , the survey was conducted by Change Research on Omar ’ s behalf .
It showed that 66 percent of likely primary voters back her , while only 29 percent of likely primary voters support Melton-Meaux .
The undecided accounted for only 2 percent , and the other three candidates polled in single digits .
Melton-Meaux responded with a statement , released the next day , claiming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a C-rating from Nate Silver and 538.
” The statement also pointed to inherent flaws in the poll , including that Change Research failed to reveal its methodology , so “ the results likely include many people who are not residents or voters in our district.
” This is Melton-Meaux ’ s first campaign for public office .
He lives in the 5th District in the Uptown-East Isles neighborhood of Minneapolis with his wife , a surgeon and medical professor , and their two children .
The primary election will be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Minnesota permits no-excuse early voting with an absentee ballot at local elections offices .
The first day to vote early was June 26 , and last day is Monday , August 10 .
Voter registration may be done online or via print forms until July 21 .
Voters may also register in person on Election Day or when they vote early .
Patrick J. McCloskey is a reporter at The Ohio Star .
Send tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Antone Melton-Meaux @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ilhan Omar ” by Ilhan Omar .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--US Rep. Amash Officially Won’t Seek Reelection to Congress

LANSING , Mich. ( AP ) — U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan , a former Republican who backed the impeachment of President Donald Trump , is officially not running for reelection .
Amash had suspended his congressional campaign in February and later explored seeking the Libertarian Party ’ s nomination for president .
Thursday was Michigan ’ s deadline to run as an independent , though some were also holding out hope he might seek the Libertarians ’ nomination at a state convention Saturday .
“ I love representing our community in Congress .
I always will , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice , but I ’ m still going to miss it.
” Amash , 40 , initially became an independent a year ago after becoming disenchanted with partisan politics and being the lone House Republican to support an impeachment inquiry .
He was one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus .
The Trump critic has represented Michigan ’ s 3rd Congressional district in the western part of the state since 2011 .
The district , which leans Republican , has a five-way GOP primary set for Aug. 4 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Democrats see a chance to flip the open seat in November because Trump has been lagging in recent polls .
David Eggert is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : In this Aug. 21 , 2019 , file photo U.S. Rep. Justin Amash , I-Cascade Township , holds a constituent meeting in Grand Rapids , Mich. Amash of Michigan , a former Republican who was the lone GOP lawmaker to support the impeachment of President Donald Trump , is officially not running for reelection .
( Cory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ File )


thetennesseestar--2020-07-18--Legislators, Gov. Walz Face off Over Emergency Powers via Zoom Court Battle

The result of a court hearing Thursday could impact the daily lives of about 5.6 million Minnesotans .
Ramsey County District Court Judge Thomas Gilligan heard from Minnesota Solicitor General Liz Kramer and Erick Kaardal , who ’ s representing more than a dozen state legislators and the Free Minnesota Small Business Coalition that claim harm under Gov .
Tim Walz ’ s executive orders .
The plaintiffs seek to invalidate the Democratic governor ’ s 79 executive orders that they claim violate civil liberties of Minnesotans , including through restricted business capacities .
Walz first declared a peacetime state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 and has extended it through Aug. 12 , which would tally 152 days .
“ The statutes authorizing peacetime emergency executive orders are themselves unconstitutional , ” Kaardal said in a previous statement .
“ Under the state constitution and appellate case law , pure legislative power can not be delegated to or exercised by the executive branch.
” About 475 people watched the attorneys spar through Zoom Thursday morning .
The lawsuit argues that Walz violated the state Constitution ’ s nondelegation doctrine that separates branches of power by making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishments of a law .
Kaardal argued Walz was acting with almost unchecked powers , asking “ Are we all now wards of the governor ?
” Kramer said the goal plaintiffs are seeking would leave Walz powerless to respond to a possible second wave of COVID-19 .
“ This flies in the face of common sense , it flies in the face of public health recommendations , and it flies in the face of Minnesota law , ” Kramer said .
Kramer called the nondelegation doctrine the “ crux of the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12.31 , the governor ’ s orders were limited to situations that endanger life and property , and that overburden local government resources .
The lawsuit argues that statute 12.31 doesn ’ t authorize a governor to proclaim a state of emergency for public health purposes , but just for “ an act of nature , a technological failure or malfunction , a terrorist incident , an industrial accident , a hazardous materials accident , or a civil disturbance.
” The legislature didn ’ t grant this provision , the lawsuit argues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers to work together in such circumstances .
Kramer pointed out that the legislature can end Walz ’ s emergency powers through a majority vote by each chamber .
The GOP-controlled Senate has voted twice to end them , but the DFL-dominated House hasn ’ t agreed .
“ I ’ m a little bit uncomfortable being the referee between two branches of government , ” Gilligan said .
Kramer cited Jacobson v. Massachusetts that provided Walz a “ guardrail ” that he can take emergency action only if it has a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public emergency and doesn ’ t invade people ’ s rights .
Kaardal contended three missing protections resulted in an unconstitutional law .
“ If there ’ s no legislative guidance on restricting civil liberties , there ’ s no administrative procedural safeguards and there ’ s no judicial review , then you ’ re out , ” Kaardal said .
Gilligan said he would issue a decision “ as soon as I can.
” Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi .
Photo “ Minnesota Capitol ” by Gabriel Vanslette .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Tom Cotton Scheduled to Appear in Clarksville Alongside Bill Hagerty on Friday

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty announced Saturday that he will host U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) in Clarksville on Friday .
“ Team Hagerty is looking forward to hosting Senator Tom Cotton in Tennessee next week , ” Hagerty said in a press release his staff posted on his campaign ’ s website .
“ Senator Cotton is a true patriot who has been leading the way on calling out the Communist Chinese Party for what it is – an authoritarian regime that has lied repeatedly to the world about the Wuhan virus .
Chrissy and I are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cotton , and as Team Hagerty ’ s momentum continues to grow , we are looking forward to welcoming him to Clarksville , ” Hagerty said in the press release .
Hagerty and Cotton will also appear in-studio on The Tennessee Star Report Friday between 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. “ Bill is a strong conservative leader and a trusted friend to President Trump .
We need Bill in the U.S. Senate , ” Cotton said in the press release .
“ Bill supported President Trump in 2016 , even when it wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked to beat Hillary Clinton .
Bill Hagerty is tough on crime , he ’ ll stand up to China , and I am doing everything I can to ensure he is elected as the next Senator from the great state of Tennessee.
” Tennesseans can RSVP to attend lunch with Cotton and Hagerty .
People may also listen to Hagerty ’ s Tele-Town Hall With Cotton .
As The Tennessee Star reported last month , Cotton participated in a tele-town hall with Hagerty and described why he believes COVID-19 originated in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people originally believed the virus started at a Chinese wet market .
“ All the evidence I am about to lay out is circumstantial .
It ’ s not direct evidence .
That doesn ’ t mean it ’ s not persuasive .
In fact there is no circumstantial or direct evidence to support the theory that it started in a so-called wet market in Wuhan .
And every day in America people are convicted on circumstantial evidence in our courts , ” Cotton told Hagerty and other people on last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstantial evidence is usually all you have in the intelligence business .
You have to piece together bits of circumstantial evidence to put together a full painting and understand what really happened .
The circumstantial evidence supports the theory that there was an accidental breach from this laboratory , not that it was genetically engineered or modified in some way.
” Cotton went on to say that a virus can occur naturally .
People can later study the virus in a laboratory , and that a laboratory can have an accidental breach .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Tennessee Star .
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by Bethany Blankley
Nineteen attorneys general, led by Indiana, have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a lawsuit filed by Texas and Missouri against the Biden administration.
They’re asking the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court’s order instructing the Biden administration to follow the law to fully reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), otherwise known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy.
“No one is above the law in America, and we are simply insisting that the Biden administration follow the law,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said (pictured above).
“The rule of law is the framework that enables American liberty to survive and thrive,” he added. “The situation at our southern border provides the perfect example of how going soft on the rule of law gives rise to anarchy, chaos, and ultimately the erosion of our freedom and safety.”
In January 2021, President Joe Biden announced via executive order that he was terminating MPP. Months later, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas began dismantling it and other immigration policies. Southern border encounters then surged to historic levels. In Biden’s first year in office, Customs and Border Protection and Border Patrol agents encountered or apprehended roughly 2 million people entering the southern border illegally. This number excludes the several hundred thousand who are estimated to have evaded law enforcement.
At the same time, Mayorkas implemented a wide range of policy changes to effectively halt most deportations. CBP and Border Patrol agents were directed to release illegal immigrants into the U.S. en masse instead of sending them back to Mexico to go through the immigration process.
Texas and Missouri sued, District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas granted their request for a permanent injunction and ordered the administration to reinstate the MPP. He ruled the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it halted the MPP.
The administration appealed to the Fifth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court and lost. Both courts denied its request to stay Kacsmaryk’s ruling.
After its Supreme Court loss, the administration said it was appealing Kacsmaryk’s ruling, vowing to “vigorously challenge it.” In a statement, it said, “As the appeal process continues, however, DHS will comply with the order in good faith. Alongside interagency partners, DHS has begun to engage with the Government of Mexico in diplomatic discussions surrounding the Migrant Protection Protocols.”
But compliance hasn’t happened, as evidenced by the flood of illegal immigrants the administration is releasing into the U.S. and by the tactics it’s used in court to circumvent the law, the AGs argue.
“From the beginning of this Administration, the United States has been forthright about its intention to terminate MPP simply because it did not like the program, and its conduct demonstrates its readiness to do anything – including ignore the APA’s requirements – to accomplish that objective,” they argue in the brief.
“The Administration’s ‘act now, justify later’ approach began on Inauguration Day, when it summarily paused MPP,” they add.
Throughout the appeals process, “the Fifth Circuit correctly concluded that the United States’ efforts to avoid judicial review violated basic principles of procedure,” they argue.
An unprecedented number of people are expected to come through the southern border after the administration ends the Title 42 public health authority May 23, the attorneys general have argued, necessitating the urgency for the Supreme Court to weigh in.
Implemented under President Donald Trump in January 2019, the MPP led to a reduction in the number of people entering the U.S. illegally. The Trump administration also invoked Title 42 to enable CBP and Border Patrol agents to quickly expel illegal immigrants and prevent entry to a greater number of people during a public health emergency.
Current law requires those not authorized to enter the U.S. to be detained, to stay in Mexico, or be “paroled” into the U.S. based on narrowly defined case-by-case circumstances including “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”
The Biden administration has been issuing paroles en masse to release illegal immigrants into the U.S., the attorneys general argue, violating the law.
The administration maintains it’s inherited a flawed system, and its policies are more humane than the previous administration’s. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last December after the administration lost another court battle in the case, “it is not our preference to be reimplementing and reinstituting the Migrant Protection program. … we still feel that the program is inefficient, inhumane, and we are not – we weren’t, we were – did not eagerly reimplement it.”
– – –
Bethany Blankley is a regular contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “AG Todd Rokita” by AG Todd Rokita.


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Commentary: Democrats Don’t Have the Winning Hand

It may be premature ( as well as unoriginal ) , but I believe , in one of the Democrats ’ former favorite phrases , that “ the walls are closing in ” on Joe Biden .
The Rasmussen poll—one of the only regular polls consistently accurate in 2016 and one that tends to lead fluctuations in the current polling—has recorded a six-point gain for President Trump in the past 10 days .
Aggregators that issue averages of a group of polls can not be relied upon because most polls , like most of the media , start from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Almost all of these polls are of echelons of the population and not of likely voters , and there is always a reticence among pro-Trump respondents .
The Democrats and their media toadies have used polls for the last two months to create the illusion of an inevitable Biden victory on November 3 .
CNN ’ s aptly named Don Lemon , that pillar of impartiality , tells us Trump ’ s “ number ’ s up.
” The political analysis operation FiveThirtyEight breathlessly advised last week that Biden was on the verge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead .
These are standard partisan political tactics .
The fact that Trump is now returning upwards in key polls illustrates again that no matter what is thrown at him he is practically indestructible .
This indestructibility rests partly on his record in office and partly on what appears to be an almost impenetrable resistance to the pressure of events .
To those who have followed Trump ’ s career , this latter trait was revealed when he was technically insolvent , facing approximately 100 banks that had loaned him several billion dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always his strong suit ) , he explained that the way to get everyone out without the loss of a cent was to permit him to manage up and opportunistically liquidate some of his assets .
What he did not do was convey to the financial community the true fragility of his position .
Certainly , he did not want the lenders to imagine they could run or sell his assets better than he could .
He was sufficiently self-deprecating not to antagonize them and sufficiently purposeful to satisfy them that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the problem .
He did so very rapidly and with some rather artistic and imaginative transactions along the way .
Even though this was occurring in the midst of the spectacular public demise of his first marriage , Trump was completely unflappable and apparently never demoralized .
We saw this trait again late in the 2016 election campaign when the Democrats , thinking the time had come for their coup de grace , arranged for the publication of the “ Access Hollywood ” -Billy Bush tape in which Trump made lewd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party chairman and even his vice-presidential candidate went to ground .
Many senators , governors , and other prominent Republicans ran for the hills .
Yet the candidate held a press conference with women who claimed to have been sexually molested by President Bill Clinton and another woman who claimed to have been raped by a client of Hillary Clinton ’ s .
Two days after the damaging tape was released , though some deny it , Trump won a televised debate with Hillary Clinton , even as he was under more pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the original exchanges between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960 .
It is another important figment of the Democratic script that Trump completely botched the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has the blood of 135,000 coronavirus fatalities on his hands .
In fact , he followed for a time his instinct to downplay it , recognized when the near unanimity of scientific opinion required him to change course , and allowed the chief scientists to devise a lockdown system which the Democrats enthusiastically endorsed as likely to produce an economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and use to win the election after all .
Trump inherited a public health disaster response system from the Obama Administration that was completely inadequate for any serious crisis , and when he acted preemptively in closing direct air traffic from China on January 31 , Biden accused him of “ xenophobia and hysteria.
” Trump mobilized a national effort to produce necessary medical supplies that was astonishingly successful and demonstrated his executive talents .
When the momentum of the virus slowed , Trump sponsored a national economic reopening which has produced impressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed the Democrats on the horns of a dilemma over school reopening .
About 75 percent of the population wants to reopen the schools .
But the Democrats are pushing for continued school closure , their party dominated by teachers ’ unions that have reduced American state school systems to little more than daycare centers .
Unionized school employees are now addicted to their paid shutdown holidays..
Assuming the fatality rates from the coronavirus do not significantly increase , Trump is almost certain to win this argument .
Now that the riots have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the unjust killing by white policemen of an African-American in Minneapolis on May 25 led so suddenly to the destruction of statues of Columbus , U.S. Grant , Frederick Douglass , and almost of Abraham Lincoln , as well as to the defacing of monuments to American World War II dead .
As the dust settles on this ghastly episode , the country will have to reflect on the hopeless Democratic municipal satrapies—headed by such allegories of the insolent corruption of incumbency as Mayors Bill de Blasio ( New York ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcetti ( Los Angeles ) , and Muriel Bowser ( Washington , D.C. ) .
As these reduce police budgets and truckle to African-American radicals like those leading Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) , who are riddled with anti-white racists and Marxist guerrillas and thugs , will their constituencies see the connections between these policies and events ?
Even with the incessant Democratic media effort to terrify the entire population out of its wits over the COVID-19 pandemic , it will no longer be possible to represent Trump as President Chaos .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 20 percent of people above the age of 70 and therapeutic treatments are steadily becoming more efficient and available , it should be possible to cap COVID-related fatalities well below their present level—which already is approximately 70 percent below the high when the national shutdown was imposed .
From his great address at Mount Rushmore , Trump has played the traditional winning hand of leaders facing the attempted atomization of their voters into a swath of aroused grievance-groups .
He raises and honors the flag of an imperfect but ever-improving America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He calls for national unity against an internal enemy of racists , arsonists , and vandals who are propping up the Democrats , who are otherwise engaged in trying to maintain panic over COVID-19 and to perpetuate an economic recession and a national school holiday .
BLM and Antifa can riot and pillage and desecrate American history , but the people can ’ t go to school , houses of worship , or public entertainments .
The inert , contemptible Democratic big-city mayors are sitting ducks for Trumpian abuse .
Who has @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--11 Incidents in Which Lawful Gun Owners Made a Difference

As the Supreme Court continued its decade-long silence in protecting the Second Amendment , Americans last month nevertheless proved that they understand the importance of the right to keep and bear arms .
The FBI conducted a record-high 3.9 million background checks for firearms sales and transfers in June .
The previous record of 3.7 million was set just this past March .
It is little surprise that , during these difficult and uncertain times , many Americans who never before considered the prospect of gun ownership are coming to appreciate their Second Amendment rights .
Even in “ normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their firearms to protect themselves and others .
According to a 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , almost every major study on the issue has found that Americans use their firearms in self-defense between 500,000 and 3 million times a year .
There ’ s good reason to believe that most of these defensive gun uses never are reported to police , much less make the local or national news .
For this reason , The Daily Signal each month publishes an article detailing some of the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defensive gun use that you may have missed—or that might not have made it to the national spotlight in the first place .
( Read accounts from 2019 and 2020 here ) .
The following examples of defensive gun use represent only a small portion of the stories we found in June .
You can explore more examples in The Heritage Foundation ’ s interactive Defensive Gun Use Database .
• June 1 , Edinburg , Virginia : A Virginia pastor drew his handgun to protect himself from five trespassers who assaulted him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastor had noticed two of them apparently disposing of large items illegally in a dumpster at an apartment complex he owns , and asked the two to leave .
They became angry and returned with three others , surrounding the pastor .
The five threatened him with racial slurs , and one head-butted him .
The pastor defended himself with his handgun and called 911 .
After an unfortunate mix-up in which police initially detained the pastor , officers arrested the threatening individuals and charged them with hate crimes .
• June 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotted a man underneath a car in his driveway late at night , and grabbed a shotgun to confront him .
The man , who police suspect was trying to steal car parts , rushed at the homeowner , who shot and wounded him .
Investigators later discovered that the would-be thief possessed several power tools and had put a jack under the homeowner ’ s car .
• June 5 , Dudley Shoals , North Carolina : When two armed men tried to rob a convenience store , the clerk drew his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they fled .
The store ’ s security camera captured the drama , police said .
• June 6 , Lake Elsinore , California : A store owner intervened with his firearm to protect a woman from an assailant , police said .
The store owner had seen the man punch and kick the woman .
The attacker left when the store owner attempted to stop him , but returned minutes later holding a metal object .
When the store owner stood between the man and the woman , the assailant pushed him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woman again .
The store owner retrieved his firearm and shot the man , who fled .
Police later arrested him .
• June 13 , Ogden , Utah : A vengeful ex-boyfriend drove to the residence of his former girlfriend shared with her new boyfriend and , after an argument , opened fire on them .
The woman , who police said was the past victim of domestic violence by him , drew her own handgun and fired in self-defense .
Police later arrested the man and charged him with numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New York : A good Samaritan with a shotgun came to his neighbors ’ rescue when he realized their apartment had been broken into by an armed intruder , police said .
The intruder entered through a bedroom window and pistol-whipped a woman .
The neighbor went into the apartment and fired at the intruder , who fled .
• June 16 , Delta Township , Michigan : A concealed-carry permit holder intervened to defend himself and other motorists when a mentally distressed man began firing a handgun at cars on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 calls about the man before he jumped in front of the permit holder ’ s car and pointed a gun at him , police said .
The permit holder , who had been on his way to enjoy a round of golf , shot and killed the man .
• June 20 , Turner , Maine : A homeowner held two suspected burglars at gunpoint until law enforcement could arrive and arrest them .
The homeowner , who had noticed a back door was forced open and a lock ripped off , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ items in their hands .
He drew his handgun , detained them , and called police .
• June 23 , Spokane , Washington : An armed mother used her firearm to protect her teenage son after a meet-up to buy a cellphone turned into an attempted robbery .
Her son had agreed to meet the [ MK1 ] sellers in a grocery store parking lot , but the cellphone was not as advertised .
When he declined to buy it , the men assaulted the teen and tried to take money from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mother , who had parked nearby , saw what was happening , drew her firearm , and fired at the men—who promptly got into their vehicle and fled .
• June 27 , Louisville , Kentucky : When a man opened fire on a crowd protesting the police shooting of Breonna Taylor in her apartment , armed bystanders fired back , wounding the shooter .
Eventually , several protesters were able to hold the shooter at gunpoint and convince him to drop his weapon .
Police said the shooter had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges .
Earlier that day , other protesters had asked the man to leave because of his “ disruptive behavior.
” • June 29 , North Freedom , Wisconsin : Parents shot their adult son in self-defense after he fired rounds at their home and broke in during the early morning hours .
Police said the parents called 911 to report that someone was shooting at their bedroom windows .
They attempted to retreat to the basement when their son entered the home , but ultimately shot and wounded him .
Police charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felonies .
He already was facing charges for other violent offenses .
Sometimes , lawful gun owners get it wrong and end up in the national news for using their guns irresponsibly .
But more often , they get it right and few of us hear about it .
Many of us don ’ t hear about mothers defending their sons , or good Samaritans coming to the rescue of innocent neighbors .
Many of us don ’ t hear about the protesters whose Second Amendment rights saved the lives of those exercising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us don ’ t hear about the countless others whose lives and livelihoods were protected because of lawfully owned firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens .
As the silence from the Supreme Court reaches deafening levels , we promise to keep telling these stories and highlighting the importance of protecting the right to keep and bear arms .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--‘Anti-Catholic Bigotry’: Rep Banks Demands Investigations into Anti-Catholic Crimes

Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks denounced incidents of vandalism of Catholic churches that have occurred throughout the United States in a Friday statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation , and called on the Department of Justice to investigate the attacks .
The Indiana representative spoke out Friday following repeated instances of apparently anti-Catholic attacks in Florida , Rhode Island , Massachusetts , Connecticut , New York , and many more locations .
Banks said that as hate crimes increase throughout the country , not every hate crime is given the same amount of attention .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate against many communities throughout the United States , but only some are receiving any recognition at all , ” Banks told the DCNF .
“ It seems crimes are highlighted not due to science-based data aggregated to show prevalence or severity , but in pre-existing narratives those in power want to perpetuate.
” “ I would like to see more people documenting the rise of anti-Catholic bigotry in this country , ” he said .
A spokesman for Banks told the DCNF that the representative is requesting that both the Federal Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look into these crimes and to “ prosecute those perpetrating hate crimes against the Catholic Church to the fullest extent of the law.
” Banks ’ comments came the same day that a senior White House official told the DCNF that the “ criminals ” who have vandalized and targeted Catholic churches and religious statues will be prosecuted “ to the fullest extent of the law.
” “ President Trump joins the Catholic community in solidarity during this difficult time , ” the official told the DCNF .
“ Rest assured , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American communities , and ensure the criminals causing these sacrilegious acts will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
” Trump ’ s campaign also commented on the matter to the DCNF .
“ The rise in violence against houses of worship , religious symbols , and sacred spaces is quickly becoming an epidemic across the country led by radical leftists hell-bent on destroying the very moral fabric of our nation , ” Trump campaign deputy press secretary Ken Farnaso told the DCNF .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Guest Lineups for the Sunday News Shows

Guest Lineups for the Sunday News Shows

• ABC ’ s “ This Week ” — Govs .
Asa Hutchinson , R-Ark.
, and Jared Polis , D-Colo. ; Rep. Donna Shalala , D-Fla. ; Grenita Lathan , interim superintendent of the Houston Independent School District .
• NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” — Polis ; Rep. James Clyburn , D-S.C. ; Dr. Francis Collins , director of the National Institutes of Health ; Gov .
Mike DeWine , R-Ohio ; Michael Osterholm , director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota .
• CBS ’ “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Larry Hogan , R-Md .
; Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta ; Dr. Michael Drake , incoming president of the University of California .
• CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” — Clyburn ; Mayors Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles and Ted Wheeler of Portland , Oregon ; Gov .
Tate Reeves , R-Miss .
; Rep. Ayanna Pressley , D-Mass .
Left to Right : Photo “ Chris Wallace ” by Fox News .
Photo “ Margaret Brennan ” by Face the Nation .
Photo “ Jake Tapper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephanopoulos ” by ABC News .
Photo “ Chuck Todd ” by NBC News .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Commentary: Why Sweden Succeeded in ‘Flattening the Curve’ and New York Failed

Coronavirus deaths have slowed to a crawl in Sweden .
With the exception of a single death on July 13 , no deaths in this nation of 10 million have been reported since July 10 .
But the debate over Sweden ’ s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic , which relied on individual responsibility instead of government coercion to maintain social distancing , is far from over .
Last week , The New York Times labeled Sweden ’ s approach to the pandemic a “ cautionary tale ” for the rest of the world , claiming it “ yielded a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from damage.
” To be accurate , Sweden has outperformed many nations around the world with its “ lighter touch ” approach and was one of the few nations in Europe to see its economy grow in the first quarter of 2020 .
Meanwhile , Anders Tegnell , Sweden ’ s top infectious disease expert , continues to defend his nation ’ s approach to the pandemic .
“ I ’ m looking forward to a more serious evaluation of our work than has been made so far , ” Tegnell said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radio before taking a scheduled vacation .
“ There is no way of knowing how this ends.
” Sweden has become a global lightning rod , but this has less to do with the results of its policies than the nature of its policies .
While Sweden ’ s death toll is indeed substantially higher than neighbors such as Finland , Norway , and Denmark , it ’ s also much lower than several other European neighbors such as Belgium , the United Kingdom , Italy , and Spain .
Indeed , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather similar populations—reveals that Belgium suffered far worse than Sweden from the coronavirus .
The reason Sweden is a “ cautionary tale ” and Belgium is not is because Belgium followed the script .
Early in the pandemic , Belgian officials closed all non-essential business and enforced strict social distancing rules .
All non-emergency workers were told to stay home .
Shopping was limited to a single family member .
Individuals could leave for medical reasons or to walk a pet or get a brief bit of exercise—so long as social distancing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC reported , were strictly enforced by Belgian police using “ drones in parks and fines for anyone breaking social distancing rules.
” Sweden clearly endured the pandemic better than Belgium , which had nearly twice as many COVID-19 deaths despite its economic lockdown .
Yet the Times chose Sweden as its “ cautionary tale ” because Sweden chose not to institute an economic lockdown .
Sweden took such an approach for two reasons .
First , as Tegnell has publicly stated , there is little to no scientific evidence that lockdowns work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , lockdowns come with widespread unintended consequences : mass unemployment , recession , social unrest , psychological deterioration , suicides , and drug overdoses .
Even if Sweden has seen its death toll rise more sharply than Scandinavian neighbors such as Finland and Norway , it ’ s strange that the Times would go thousands of miles across an ocean and continent to find a “ cautionary tale.
” A far better cautionary tale can be found right under the Grey Lady ’ s nose .
A simple comparison between New York and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far worse from COVID-19 than the Swedes .
Yinon Weiss , an entrepreneur and founder of Rally Point , recently compared Sweden and New York using data from the COVID Tracking Project .
The first thing one notices about the comparison is that Sweden was able to “ flatten the curve , ” so to speak .
Though the phrase is largely forgotten today , flattening the curve was originally the entire purpose of the lockdowns .
To the extent that there was a scientific basis for lockdowns , it was in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to help hospitals avoid being overwhelmed by sick patients .
Dr Robert Katz , founding director of the Yale‐Griffin Prevention Research Center , observed that by flattening the curve “ you don ’ t prevent deaths , you just change the dates.
” But a temporary lockdown could at least prevent everyone from getting sick at once , which would be catastrophic .
If flattening the curve was the primary goal of policymakers , Sweden was largely a success .
New York , on the other hand , was not , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing policies .
The reason New York failed and Sweden succeeded probably has relatively little to do with the fact that bars and restaurants were open in Sweden .
Or that New York ’ s schools were closed while Sweden ’ s were open .
As Weiss explains , the difference probably isn ’ t related to lockdowns at all .
It probably has much more to do with the fact that New York failed to protect the most at-risk populations : the elderly and infirm .
“ Here ’ s the good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or keep them open .
Close schools or stay in session .
Wear masks or not , ” says Weiss , a graduate of Harvard Business School .
“ The virus will make its way through in either case , and if we protect the elderly then deaths will be spared.
” This is precisely the prescription Dr. John Ioannidis , a Stanford University epidemiologist and one of the most cited scientists in the world , has advocated since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Like Tegnell , Ioannidis early on expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned they could produce wide-ranging unintended outcomes .
“ One of the bottom lines is that we don ’ t know how long social distancing measures and lockdowns can be maintained without major consequences to the economy , society , and mental health , ” Ioannidis wrote in a STAT article in March .
“ Unpredictable evolutions may ensue , including financial crisis , unrest , civil strife , war , and a meltdown of the social fabric.
” Sadly , many of the adverse consequences Ioannidis predicted have since come to pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Swedish leaders have mostly stood by their lighter touch approach , although there is a recognition that they , too , could have more effectively protected at-risk populations .
“ We must admit that the part that deals with elderly care , in terms of the spread of infection , has not worked .
It is obvious .
We have too many elderly people who have passed away , ” Sweden ’ s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said in June .
Yet it ’ s a mistake to label Sweden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sweden is being criticized less because of the results of their public health policies and more because of the nature of them .
By embracing a much more market-based approach to the pandemic in lieu of a centrally planned one , Sweden is undermining the narrative that millions and millions of people would have died without lockdowns , as modelers predicted .
Without Sweden and a few similar outliers , it would be far easier for central planners to say , Sure , lockdowns were harsh and destructive .
But we had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most destructive pandemic in a century , there will be considerable discussion as to whether the lockdowns , which stand to trigger a global depression in addition to other psychological and social costs , were truly necessary .
In a sense , the disagreement over the pandemic largely resembles a much larger friction in society : should individuals be left free to pursue their own interests and weigh risks themselves or should they be guided , coerced , and protected by planners who want to do all this for them .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern social conflict is largely a struggle over who gets to design the world , individuals or authorities .
Mises saw few things more dangerous than central planners seeking to supplant the plans of individuals with plans of their own , which they see as a preeminent good .
It was partly for this reason Mises saw market economies as superior to command economies .
“ Whatever people do in the market economy , is the execution of their own plans .
In this sense every human action means planning , ” Mises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sociological Analysis .
“ What those calling themselves planners advocate is not the substitution of planned action for letting things go .
It is the substitution of the planner ’ s own plan for the plans of his fellow-men .
The planner is a potential dictator who wants to deprive all other people of the power to plan and act according to their own plans .
He aims at one thing only : the exclusive absolute pre-eminence of his own plan.
” When Mises speaks of the “ pre-eminence of his own plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to think of New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , who in March sounded downright indignant when a reporter asked about nursing homes objecting to his plan of prohibiting them from screening for COVID-19 .
“ They don ’ t have the right to object , ” Cuomo answered .
“ That is the rule , and that is the regulation , and they have to comply with it.
” Cuomo clearly saw his central plan as superior to that of individuals acting within the marketplace .
The policy of forcing nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was adopted by numerous US states with high virus death tolls , is a stark contrast to Sweden ’ s market-based approach that trusted individuals to plan for themselves .
“ Our measures are all based on individuals taking responsibility , and that is … an important part of the Swedish model , ” Hakan Samuelsson , the CEO of Volvo Cars , observed in April .
Sweden ’ s approach of encouraging social distancing by giving responsibility to individuals may very well explain why the Swedes fared so much better than New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prevented nursing homes from taking sensible precautions .
It ’ s almost absurd to look at New York ’ s pandemic plan and declare it superior to Sweden ’ s , yet many in the intellectual class will continue to hammer away at Sweden while ignoring the catastrophic numbers in New York , New Jersey , Massachusetts , and other states .
This likely would have been no surprise to Mises .
As he pointed out , the central planner is primarily concerned with a single factor : the pre-eminence of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood , one can finally understand the drumbeat of criticism against Sweden .
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine , The Wall Street Journal , CNN , Forbes , Fox News , and the Star Tribune .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Pandemic Triggered Massive Decline in US Prison Population: Report

More than 100,000 state and federal prisoners were released from custody between March and June as the coronavirus spread nationwide , according to analysis from a criminal justice organization .
The overall U.S. prison population declined by 8 % over the course of those four months compared to the 2.2 % decrease that occurred in the entirety of 2019 , according to data compiled by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press .
The decrease was mostly a result of prisons not accepting individuals from county jails to stop the virus from spreading and court closures , although some facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The AP reported .
“ I would have helped someone who had nine or 10 months , someone who absolutely needed it , ” said Stephanie Parris , who was released weeks early from a two-year sentence at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women , according to The AP .
“ There was a lady in there who was very elderly , and she has very bad health problems .
I would have given my place to her.
” Rhode Island led the way in declining prison populations with a 32 % decrease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a 22 % decrease , and North Dakota and West Virginia each saw an 18 % decline in federal prisoners , The AP reported .
Rhode Island ’ s prison population declined by 771 prisoners , according to The AP , but just 71 were released due to coronavirus , Gov .
Gina Raimondo said .
Meanwhile , Connecticut ’ s prison population declined by 1,961 people , most of which are not due to early releases , according to The Middletown Press .
With less activity and people ordered to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in criminal arrests during the pandemic , according to The New York Times , a likely factor in prison population declines .
For example , 2,734 people were arrested in Connecticut in April compared to the 6,196 who were arrested during April 2019 , CT Mirror reported .
Courts across the country have been backed up with cases due to restrictions put into place to combat the spread of the virus , another factor in prisoner decreases according to The AP .
Courts in Illinois , which saw its prison population decrease by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mountain ” of cases , The Center Square reported .
At least 57,000 prisoners have had coronavirus , The AP reported .
More than 650 have died from the virus .
As coronavirus spread rapidly across the world in March , President Donald Trump declared a national emergency .
Meanwhile , the U.S. has experienced a recent surge in daily cases , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Vandalizing American History: A List of 64 Toppled, Defaced, or Removed Statues

The list of American statues and other monuments that have been toppled , decapitated , defaced , or removed since the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis grew longer almost daily through June and into July .
A mob cheered as it pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus in Saint Paul , Minnesota .
In Washington , D.C. , rioters used ropes to tear down a bronze depiction of Albert Pike , a Confederate general , and then set the 11-foot statue on fire .
Vandals have not discriminated among the monuments they target , defacing statues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and going after those that have no association with racism , such as a 120-year-old statue of an elk in Portland , Oregon .
Vandals defaced—and/or officials removed—at least four statues and monuments in each of three states : Alabama , New York , and Texas .
Five such incidents occurred in North Carolina , nine in California , and 11 in Virginia .
Here is a list of 64 statues and other monuments vandalized or removed since May 30 , according to news reports .
The list may not be complete , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled down a statue in Nashville , Tennessee , depicting 19th-century newspaper editor Edward Carmack .
According to the Tennessee State Museum , Carmack criticized Ida B .
Wells , an African American journalist and civil rights advocate who wrote against racial injustice .
Vandals painted red handprints on the University of Mississippi ’ s Confederate monument in Oxford , Mississippi , along with the words “ spiritual genocide.
” A mob toppled a statue of Charles Linn , a Confederate navy captain who was one of the founders of Birmingham , Alabama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the depiction of Linn once it was on the ground .
Police arrested and charged three men and one woman in connection with toppling a statue of Robert E. Lee outside a high school in Montgomery , Alabama , that bears the name of the celebrated Confederate general .
Authorities dropped charges of first-degree criminal mischief against all four June 11 .
Someone applied graffiti to deface the plaque in front of the statue of Lee at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg , Maryland .
The United Daughters of the Confederacy removed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lone soldier to commemorate all of the city ’ s Confederate soldiers .
The bronze statue had stood in Old Town Alexandria since 1899 .
A vandal or vandals defaced a Confederate monument at a cemetery in Mount Pleasant , South Carolina , by painting a swastika , the letter “ X , ” and the letters “ USA ” on it .
Workers removed a statue of Frank Rizzo , the Democratic mayor of Philadelphia in the 1970s , from the steps of the Municipal Services Building .
Someone had spray-painted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former Philadelphia police chief .
Rizzo allowed violence against black Americans while mayor from 1972 to 1980 , The Philadelphia Inquirer reported .
A judge blocked the efforts of Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam , a Democrat , to remove a 60-foot statue of Lee from Monument Avenue in Richmond .
Vandals had covered the statue in graffiti , and its location has been the site of numerous protests since Floyd ’ s death .
Officials in Dearborn , Michigan , removed a statue of Orville Hubbard , the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a firm advocate of racial segregation , according to the Detroit Historical Society .
The family of the late mayor now possesses the statue , which had stood outside the Dearborn Historical Museum .
Crews removed a statue of Raphael Semmes , an admiral in the Confederate navy , in downtown Mobile , Alabama .
“ Moving this statue will not change the past .
It is about removing a potential distraction so we may focus clearly on the future of our city , ” Mayor Sandy Stimpson , a Republican , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williams Carter Wickham , a Confederate general , in Richmond ’ s Monroe Park .
Graffiti reading “ BLM ” ( an acronym for Black Lives Matter ) covered the base of the statue , which had stood in the park since 1891 .
Rioters littered a Confederate monument in Norfolk , Virginia , with toilet paper and graffiti , including the letters “ BLM.
” City officials said they planned to remove the monument .
Indianapolis city workers removed a monument dedicated to Confederate soldiers who died in a Union prison camp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We must name these instances of discrimination and never forget our past—but we should not honor them , ” Mayor Joe Hogsett , a Democrat , said .
City crews in Louisville , Kentucky , removed a statue of John Breckinridge Castleman , a Confederate officer , from the center of the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood .
Castleman became a brigadier general in the U.S. Army after the Civil War and was instrumental in setting up Louisville ’ s segregated park system , The Courier-Journal reported .
Officials planned to move the statue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is buried .
The City Council of Rocky Mount , North Carolina , approved removal of a Confederate monument featuring a soldier standing atop a tall pillar .
Crews removed a statue of a Confederate soldier from Hemming Park in Jacksonville , Florida .
“ We ’ ve got to find a way to come together , ” Mayor Lenny Curry , a Republican , said the next day .
“ We ’ re not going to agree on everything—that ’ s just not human history , human nature .
We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man spray-painted the word “ racist ” and the acronyms “ BLM ” and “ ACAB ” ( an acronym for “ All Cops Are Bastards ” ) on a statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross , a Confederate general , on the Texas A & M campus in College Station .
The man also placed a rainbow wig on the statue ’ s head .
A small group of demonstrators used black spray paint to cover a plaque at a monument reading “ In memory of our Confederate patriots 1861-1865 , ” outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas .
Vandals defaced a statue of inventor , manufacturer , and abolitionist Matthias Baldwin in Philadelphia with graffiti reading “ COLONIZER ” and “ MURDERER ” on an unknown date in early June .
They also covered the face of the statue with red paint .
Demonstrators used ropes to pull down a statue of Jefferson Davis , president of the Confederacy , in Richmond , Virginia , which was the capital of the Confederate States of America .
The bronze depiction of Davis originally was placed along Monument Avenue in 1907 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four Confederate soldiers , all part of the same monument , in Portsmouth , Virginia .
Rioters covered the monument with graffiti and pulled down one figure , which hit a man in the head , landing him in a hospital .
Vandals beheaded the statue of Columbus in Boston ’ s North End , prompting the city to remove it .
Vandals previously had defaced the statue with paint in 2015 and beheaded it in 2006 .
Rioters pulled down the statue of Columbus that had stood in Richmond , Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American flag on top of the statue before throwing it into a nearby lake .
Protesters gathered outside the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul used rope to pull down a 10-foot bronze statue of Columbus .
Rioters spray-painted black-power fists , a hammer and sickle , and the initials BLM over a plaque beneath the statue of Columbus in Miami .
They also covered the statue ’ s face and hands in red paint .
Police arrested seven suspects shortly afterward .
Vandals spray-painted a statue of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami park where someone defaced the Columbus statue .
Authorities said a protest began peacefully , but quickly grew violent .
The Madison County Commission voted to remove a Confederate monument outside the courthouse in downtown Huntsville , Alabama .
Vandals spray-painted obscenities and other words on a sculpture of Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Oñate outside El Paso International Airport in Texas .
A city work crew removed a statue of a Texas Ranger entitled “ One Riot , One Ranger ” that had stood at Love Field airport in Dallas since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statue of Philip Schuyler , a Revolutionary War general , from in front of Albany City Hall .
In a tweet , Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan , a Democrat , said Schuyler reportedly was “ the largest owner of enslaved people in Albany during his time.
” Vandals defaced the base of a Columbus statue with red handprints and graffiti reading “ MURDER ” and “ OG PIG ” in Pittsburgh ’ s Schenley Park .
The incident marked the third time the statue has been defaced in recent years .
Workers removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhode Island , after rioters splashed red paint across it and hung a sign reading , “ STOP CELEBRATING GENOCIDE.
” The city officials were determining whether they would relocate the statue .
A vandal or vandals spray-painted the acronym BLM on a statue of Columbus on Chicago ’ s Museum Campus .
Vandals defaced a statue of the Founding Father and first president in Washington Park , covering the base in red spray paint reading “ SLAVE OWNER ” and “ GOD BLESS AMERIKKKA.
” The perpetrators also placed a white gown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vandal or vandals spray-painted a statue of 19th-century Quaker poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier in the city named after him , writing “ BLM ” and “ — Slave Owners ” on it .
Whittier was a delegate to the first meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Convention , the Whittier Daily News reported .
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller , a Democrat , announced the removal of a statue of Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Oñate after the shooting of a man during rival protests around it .
The next day , crews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Workers removed a bronze depiction of California settler and businessman John Sutter from Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento after vandals defaced it with graffiti .
Sutter abused and enslaved Native Americans in the 1840s , according to HistoryNet .
Rioters toppled Richmond ’ s Howitzer Monument and littered it with graffiti .
The monument , built in 1892 , commemorates a Confederate artillery unit known as the Howitzers , the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported .
Rioters toppled a statue of Francis Scott Key , author of “ The Star-Spangled Banner , ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commemorates the day in 1865 that slaves in Texas learned Lincoln had freed them a year and a half earlier .
A mob pulled down a statue of St. Junipero Serra , an 18th-century Roman Catholic priest and missionary , that had stood in San Francisco ’ s Golden Gate Park for over a century .
Some sources say the Spanish missionary abused Native Americans on the West Coast and subjected them to forced labor .
Rioters toppled a bust of Ulysses S. Grant , the Union general and later president who played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America .
A crowd of 400 gathered and watched in San Francisco ’ s Golden Gate Park as vandals pulled down the monument .
Police were present , but made no arrests .
A crowd cheered as rioters toppled a statue of Albert Pike , apparently the only Confederate statue in Washington , D.C .
The group gathered around the fallen statue shouting , “ Black lives matter ” before setting it on fire with lighter fluid .
Demonstrators pulled down statues of two Confederate soldiers from a monument just outside the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bronze depiction of a cavalryman down the road with a rope around its neck and hung the statue from a lightpost .
They dragged the statue of an artilleryman to the front of the Wake County Courthouse .
Gov .
Roy Cooper , a Democrat , ordered work crews to remove what was left of the monument .
Crews removed a statue of Henry Lawson Wyatt , believed to be the first Confederate soldier killed at the start of the Civil War , from its location in Raleigh .
Gov .
Roy Cooper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public safety .
By the governor ’ s order , workers removed a monument dedicated to the women of North Carolina who lived during the Civil War .
A crowd shouted “ Take it down !
Take it down !
” as rioters toppled a bronze depiction of St. Junipero Serra in Father Serra Park in downtown LA .
The Los Angeles Times reported that Native Americans of various ages gathered around the face-down statue as some doused it with red paint .
Rioters attempted to tear down a statue of Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , but police intervened .
Vandals did succeed in defacing the base of the statue with graffiti reading “ KILLER ” and “ RACIST SCUM , ” among other things .
The Justice Department on July 2 charged four men with defacing the statue , including a man identified as a ringleader .
Workers removed a statue of former Vice President John C. Calhoun from Marion Square in Charleston .
The City Council had voted unanimously June 23 to remove the statue .
A man and a woman threw balloons filled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that stand on either side of the famed arch at Washington Square Park in Manhattan .
One depicts Washington as president , the other as a Revolutionary War general .
Boston ’ s Art Commission voted to remove a statue of President Abraham Lincoln holding the Emancipation Proclamation while a freed slave rises from a kneeling position with broken shackles on his wrists .
Citizens began a petition drive to keep the statue at its Park Square location .
Rioters used black spray paint and tape to deface statues of three figures standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hall in Manhattan .
On and around the statues , they wrote phrases such as “ ALL COPS LIE , ” “ You f— a— cops are getting abolished , ” and “ NO JUSTICE NO PEACE.
” A mob set fire to an iconic , 120-year-old statue of an elk atop a fountain in Portland , which also had been covered with graffiti in recent weeks .
The city removed the statue the next day , citing safety concerns .
Work crews in Richmond removed a graffiti-covered statue of Matthew Fontaine Maury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil War who is more broadly known as the “ Father of Oceanography.
” Rioters toppled and set fire to a statue of St. Junipero Serra , an 18th-century Roman Catholic priest , outside the California State Capitol in Sacramento .
They also pounded the statue with sledgehammers .
Someone decapitated a statue of Columbus outside Waterbury City Hall .
Someone spray-painted the words “ F— Colonizers ” on the base of a statue honoring Mexican-American soldiers in Sacramento .
The act was a “ hate crime , ” Chris Marzan , spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation , said .
Rioters toppled a white marble statue of Columbus and threw it into Baltimore ’ s Inner Harbor .
Crews lifted the remains of the sculpture from the water the following Monday .
Someone ripped a statue of Frederick Douglass from its base in Rochester on the 168th anniversary of the celebrated abolitionist ’ s famous speech there titled “ What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July ?
” The statue suffered significant damage , authorities said .
Workers used a crane to remove a statue of J.E.B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richmond ’ s Monument Avenue .
Rioters had spray-painted the bronze monument of the general atop a horse .
Crews removed a statue known as “ Columbus ’ Last Appeal to Queen Isabella ” from the rotunda of the State Capitol in Sacramento .
The sculpture had been on display since 1883 .
Police arrested three suspects in connection with the vandalism with graffiti of a 111-year-old Confederate monument in front of a United Methodist church in Cornelius .
Workers removed a 100-foot monument known as “ Confederate Soldiers and Sailors ” from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had covered the base of the monument—featuring a Confederate soldier atop a pillar—with graffiti .
Virginia Allen is a news producer for The Daily Signal .
She is the co-host of The Daily Signal Podcast and Problematic Women .
Photo “ Christopher Colombus Statue Removal ” by Tony Webster .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Mark Levin Endorses Manny Sethi for U.S. Senate

This according to an emailed press release that Sethi ’ s campaign distributed to the media .
“ I am endorsing Dr. Manny Sethi , ” Levin said in the press release .
“ I have kids who live in Tennessee , I have grandkids who live in Nashville .
If I lived there , I would be voting for him .
That ’ s the bottom line .
I like that he ’ s a citizen , a serious doctor , he ’ s a conservative , and he ’ s not tied to Romney .
Tennessee needs him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tied so closely to Romney , that if he gets into the Senate , you know damn well what will happen.
” As The Tennessee Star reported Saturday , former U.S. Sen Jim DeMint ( R-SC ) also endorsed Sethi .
“ I am endorsing Dr. Manny because Tennessee needs to send a rock solid conservative to DC who will take on the Swamp , fight Amnesty , and stand with President Trump , ” DeMint said .
“ Dr .
Manny is a proven fighter , with the courage to not cave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known for his work in the Tea Party , is a University of Tennessee graduate and founder of the Senate Conservatives Fund .
Also as reported , individuals such as U.S. Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) , Memphis-based Varsity Spirit founder Jeff Webb , and former Congressmen John J. Duncan Jr. have endorsed Sethi .
“ I do not want this country to become like Seattle , Minneapolis , or the countries all over the world that have fallen for the myths of socialism , ” Duncan said in a statement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr .
Manny Sethi is an honest , sincere , intelligent conservative who has been taught by his legal immigrant parents to work hard and love and appreciate this country .
Tennessee , and more importantly America , needs a man like Dr. Manny in the U.S. Senate.
” As reported last month , former Congressman Zach Wamp also endorsed Sethi .
Wamp served in the U.S. Congress , representing Tennessee ’ s Third District from 1995 through 2011 .
Also , as reported last month , former Congressman Ed Bryant endorsed Sethi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as a magistrate judge for the Western District of Tennessee .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Mark Levin ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .
Photo “ Manny Sethi ” by Manny Sethi .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--All These Major American Companies with Hong Kong Footprints Weighed in on George Floyd’s Death, but

All These Major American Companies with Hong Kong Footprints Weighed in on George Floyd’s Death, but Not China’s Hong Kong Takeover

Major American companies were quick to issue statements in support of Black Lives Matter or social justice causes in the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s death , but dozens of those same firms that have operations in Hong Kong have yet to weigh in on the Chinese Communist Party ’ s de facto takeover of the city .
Bank of America , Coca-Cola , Marriott , McDonalds , Nike and Scholastic are among the dozens of major American companies with footholds in Hong Kong that weighed in after Floyd ’ s death but have yet to weigh in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the city , which impacts its employees working in the city and which critics say is designed to crack down on dissent of the ruling Communist Party .
The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to 31 major American companies listed in the American Chamber of Commerce ( AmCham ) Hong Kong membership directory that haven ’ t issued public statements on the security law while issuing statements attesting to their commitment to social justice and racial equality in America , asking if they had any comment on the law .
American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communications Andrew R. Johnson provided the DNCF with a link to a June 3 statement on its website announcing it would be donating $ 1 million to the National Urban League and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund following the publication of this article , however , he declined to comment when asked if the company had any comment on the Hong kong security law The People ’ s Bank of China granted approval to American Express on June 13 to process Chinese currency , making it the first foreign payments network to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This approval represents an important step forward in our long-term growth strategy , ” American Express CEO Stephen Squeri said in a statement , Bloomberg News reported .
Dell Technologies was the only company that responded to the DCNF , saying in a statement through a spokesperson : “ The implications of China ’ s National Security Law are still evolving .
We are evaluating what the possible impact could be to our team members and operations in Hong Kong.
” HP , whose CEO , Enrique Lores , quoted Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a threat to justice everywhere , ” in a statement in late May following Floyd ’ s death , did not respond to the DCNF .
Nor did Walmart , whose CEO Doug McMillon said in June that the company ’ s goal was to “ help replace the structures of systemic racism , and build in their place frameworks of equity and justice that solidify our commitment to the belief that , without question , Black Lives Matter.
” Most of the American companies that have commented on the Hong Kong security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data such as Facebook , Google , Twitter , Microsoft , Zoom and Telegram , all of which announced last week that they would temporarily pause sharing data with Hong Kong following the implementation of the security law , Fortune reported .
The New York Times also announced on Tuesday it would relocate its Hong Kong-based digital news operation to South Korea , citing concern that the security law would impact its ability to produce journalism .
The security law has the majority of American companies in Hong Kong on edge , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong in early July which found that 76 % of its members were “ extremely concerned ” or “ somewhat concerned ” about the law .
Despite those concerns , over 64 % of the survey respondents said their companies had no intention of leaving the city .
“ There is a small minority who feel much better because the streets … are quieter , and they feel they are safer there .
But the majority … were concerned , or extremely concerned about the national security law , ” AmCham Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The law applies to any person that engages in what Beijing defines as “ subversive ” activities in Hong Kong , including those who aren ’ t permanent residents , meaning employees working for American companies in the city could be impacted .
The Hong Kong security law , approved in secret in Beijing in late June , criminalizes successionist and subversive activities in the city , according to the Wall Street Journal , and enables the Chinese communist government to supervise and intervene in the policing of such activities in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life in prison .
The law was implemented after months of widespread pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong against Beijing ’ s creeping influence in the city .
“ It ’ s meant to suppress and oppress , and to frighten and intimidate Hong Kongers , ” pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo told The New York Times .
“ And they just might succeed in that.
” Andrew Kerr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Fiona Murchake contributed to this report .
Photo “ Hong Kong Protesters ” by Studio Incendo @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--FBI Tore Apart NYT Report on Trump-Russia Contacts in Newly Declassified Memo

An FBI document released Friday details at least 14 inaccuracies in a New York Times report from early 2017 that leveled shocking allegations of Trump associates ’ contacts with Russian intelligence officers .
The document shows then-FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok ’ s comments on a Feb. 14 , 2017 article entitled “ Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence.
” Written by journalists Michael Schmidt , Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo , the story cited four current and former American officials who said that U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies had intercepted call records showing that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year prior to the election .
Strzok , who was the lead investigator on the Trump investigation , spotted 14 errors in the article .
The Senate Judiciary Committee released the document on Friday along with a memo of the FBI ’ s interviews with a key source of information for dossier author Christopher Steele .
“ This statement is inaccurate and misleading as written , ” Strzok wrote in reference to the lead of the Times story , which said that officials had intercepted calls and obtained phone records of contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump .
“ We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [ Intelligence Officers ] , ” Strzok ’ s note said .
The Times reported that sources said former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was one of the individuals picked up in intercepted calls with Russian intelligence officers .
The story also said that the FBI was sifting through a vast trove of call logs and intercepted communications as part of the investigation into any links between Trump associates and Russia .
Strzok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are unaware of any call with any Russian government official in which Manafort was a party.
” He also wrote that the FBI had “ very few ” call logs in its possession .
Strzok reiterated in another section of the document that the FBI had no evidence that any Trump advisers had contact with Russian intelligence officials .
“ Again , we are unaware of ANY Trump advisers engaging in conversations with Russian intelligence officials , ” he wrote .
The Times also inaccurately reported that the FBI was at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump confidant .
“ We have not investigated Roger Stone , ” Strzok wrote in reference to a section that said the FBI had “ closely examined ” the political operative along with several Trump campaign aides .
Stone later became a target of the special counsel ’ s probe in October 2017 .
Strzok ’ s commentary also shows that the FBI had doubts about Christopher Steele , the former British spy who wrote the anti-Trump dossier .
The Times story portrayed Steele in a positive light , saying that FBI officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track record ” and that he had briefed the FBI about how he collected information for the dossier .
Strzok indicated that the FBI had obtained information that raised questions about Steele ’ s dossier .
“ Recent interviews and investigation , however , reveal Steele may not be in a position to judge the reliability of his source network , ” he wrote .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , who released the FBI documents on Friday , said in a press release that Strzok ’ s annotations on the Times article “ are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there was no reliable evidence that anyone from the Trump Campaign was working with Russian Intelligence Agencies in any form.
” James Comey , the former FBI director , criticized the Times report shortly after he was fired in May 2017 .
He told the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 7 , 2017 , that the story was “ almost entirely ” inaccurate .
The Times stood by the story despite the pushback from Comey .
“ The original sources could not immediately be reached after Mr. Comey ’ s remarks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was published , they have indicated that they believed the account was solid , ” the paper said in a statement following Comey ’ s testimony .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--Nearly 60 Percent of Ohio Now Required to Wear Face Coverings in Public

Gov .
Mike DeWine announced on Thursday that eight new counties were added to the Red Level 3 Public Emergency .
When an Ohio county reaches this level its population is required to wear a face covering in public .
Level 3 is considered an area where exposure and spread of the coronavirus is very high .
According to the governor ’ s press release , almost 60 percent of the state ’ s population will be required to wear face coverings in public .
The new counties added to Level 3 are Athens , Allen , Delaware , Licking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union .
Currently , 19 counties have reached Level 3 .
Trumbull County dropped down to Level Two which means people who live in this county aren ’ t required to wear face coverings in public .
The other twelve counties in Level 3 are Butler , Clermont , Cuyahoga , Fairfield , Franklin , Hamilton , Lorain , Montgomery , Pickaway , Summit and Wood .
These new counties were expected to follow this mandate on Friday .
Athens County is approaching Purple Alert Level 4 which means the coronavirus has severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health uses seven indicators to determine what level a county is at in terms of coronavirus risk level alerts : In a Wednesday primetime address , DeWine implored Ohioans to unite to defeat the coronavirus .
“ Today , more Ohioans are getting sick than at any previous point in this pandemic .
We are sliding down a very dangerous path , with our once flattened-curve starting to sharpen and spike , ” DeWine during his speech .
“ This is a worrisome , disturbing reversal of our progress – a jarring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can change.
” Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] .
Follow Zachery on Twitter @ zacheryschmidt2 .


thetennesseestar--2020-07-19--GOP Challenger Kendall Qualls Has More Cash on Hand Than Congressman Dean Philips

Kendall Qualls , a Republican Candidate for US Congress , has more campaign funds on hand than his opponent , incumbent Dean Phillips .
Qualls , who is running to represent MN ’ s 3rd Congressional District , has nearly $ 500,000 on hand , while Democrat incumbent Phillips is still $ 250,000 in debt from his previous campaign .
“ I have no doubt that as the campaign progresses , we will see Dean Phillips spend whatever he feels necessary from his personal fortune to try to stay competitive in the race .
Dean Phillips claims he wants money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is his own .
Qualls has $ 446,125 on hand , over $ 15,000 more than Rep. Phillips , and has cited grassroots support for his show of strength and support .
“ I am honored that thousands of Minnesotans have invested in our message of providing strong leadership in challenging times , economic revitalization , and offering an unwavering vision of hope for the future , because America is an exceptional place full of exceptional people.
” This comes shortly after Tyler Kistner , another Republican candidate for Congress , outraised his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large amount of support for a previously unelected candidate .