thetennesseestar--2020-11-12--ES&S Voting Machines Vulnerable to Manipulation, Former Elections Chief Mark Shelden Says

Mark Shelden served as Champaign County Clerk from 1997 to 2011 | Youtube Champaign County Recorder of Deeds Mark Shelden says he knows voting machine tabulations are open to mistakes , manipulation and in the wrong hands , outright fraud .
In his 14 years as Champaign County Clerk , Shelden oversaw more than 20 elections as well as the purchase of voting machines from Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software ( E S & S ) , the largest player in the industry .
“ I think ES & S 's equipment is excellent , but in the wrong hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Shelden told the Chambana Sun .
Shelden said there are ways to alter user logs within voting machines , enabling bad actors to potentially change an election ’ s outcome undetected .
“ All of the systems are like virtually any kind of computer system out there , ” he said .
“ It has a back door for users to go in and make changes to the data outside of the normal pattern , the normal way the data comes in.
” Shelden said the so-called “ back door ” is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is a little known fact , ” he said .
“ I 've Googled it and have n't been able to find people who have really talked about it .
I 've talked to other election officials who really do n't like to talk about it because they do n't want people to have less confidence in the system.
” Shelden , a Republican , said that during one election , he and the Champaign County Democratic Party chairman worked to manually enter the vote results into one of their E @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did so to ensure all ballots were counted , after a glitch prevented them from loading in precinct results tape , as is customary .
This manual entry is logged by the E S & S system , Shelden said , so an auditor could theoretically examine it at a later date to determine if there was tampering .
But he said the user log could be tampered with itself , allowing someone intent on committing voter fraud to cover their tracks .
An unencrypted text file logging all user and voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine .
That file , which is sent to state election authorities who use it to certify results , would be reviewed in any audit the of the entire vote tabulation process .
However , Shelden said that with a simple word processor , a bad actor could open the file , change its contents , delete the original file and upload a new one , undetected without a forensic audit .
“ Theoretically , if somebody went in and changed the results , these actions would show up in that audit file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person who did it could just go and clean up the audit file and take out the incriminating information . ''
Shelden said that while he does not have direct evidence that election systems have been manipulated to perpetrate fraud , he has had suspicions over years .
“ The poll watchers , the people looking at that system and trying to make sure that it is indeed done honestly , they need to get that audit file and make sure it is created and presented to them immediately and make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
Shelden said legislators should address the issue to ensure audits are standardized in some form or fashion .
“ That to me is a super critical thing , ” he said .
“ I think the law should require that .
But it does n't .
In terms of ballot integrity , are laws are designed by attorneys and not by election administrators who actually know how these systems work.
” The elections space as a whole , including election machines such as those produced by E S & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to local officials free to use their own discretion .
“ There 's not a whole lot of oversight , ” Shelden said .
“ And there 's not a lot of guidance given .
And hopefully after this there 's going to be an effort to provide more guidance and more transparency to this process because we need transparency.
” While Shelden was mostly complimentary of E S & S itself , plenty of others have been critical .
E S & S has more than half of the market share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means half of all Americans casting presidential elections last week did so on E S & S machines .
The company has received attention in the past , when errors have been revealed in elections using its machines .
In 2019 , the company ’ s machines did not record more than 150,000 votes in Georgia Lt .
Governor race .
Last December , E S & S machines malfunctioned , resulting in the wrong candidates being selected on ballots during an election held in Northampton County , Penn .
Those same machines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
The company is known to employ former election officials as lobbyists across the country .
E S & S has used litigation to keep its market share .
In 2018 , ES & S filed suit against Cook County after it lost a $ 30 million contract .
The company ’ s machines can be found in 42 states , 4,500 local governments as well as in two U.S. territories .
Last year , a contingent of U.S. Senate Democrats sent letters to the three largest voting machine companies , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better understand how they operate .

Mark Shelden served as Champaign County Clerk from 1997 to 2011 | Youtube
Champaign County Recorder of Deeds Mark Shelden says he knows voting machine tabulations are open to mistakes, manipulation and in the wrong hands, outright fraud.
In his 14 years as Champaign County Clerk, Shelden oversaw more than 20 elections as well as the purchase of voting machines from Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software (E S & S), the largest player in the industry.
“I think ES & S's equipment is excellent, but in the wrong hands, it's subject to fraud,” Shelden told the Chambana Sun.
Shelden said there are ways to alter user logs within voting machines, enabling bad actors to potentially change an election’s outcome undetected.
“All of the systems are like virtually any kind of computer system out there,” he said. “It has a back door for users to go in and make changes to the data outside of the normal pattern, the normal way the data comes in.”
Shelden said the so-called “back door” is rarely spoken about by elections officials.
“This is a little known fact,” he said. “I've Googled it and haven't been able to find people who have really talked about it. I've talked to other election officials who really don't like to talk about it because they don't want people to have less confidence in the system.”
Shelden, a Republican, said that during one election, he and the Champaign County Democratic Party chairman worked to manually enter the vote results into one of their E S & S machines.
Shelden said they did so to ensure all ballots were counted, after a glitch prevented them from loading in precinct results tape, as is customary.
This manual entry is logged by the E S & S system, Shelden said, so an auditor could theoretically examine it at a later date to determine if there was tampering. But he said the user log could be tampered with itself, allowing someone intent on committing voter fraud to cover their tracks.
An unencrypted text file logging all user and voter actions is maintained within the ballot tabulating machine. That file, which is sent to state election authorities who use it to certify results, would be reviewed in any audit the of the entire vote tabulation process.
However, Shelden said that with a simple word processor, a bad actor could open the file, change its contents, delete the original file and upload a new one, undetected without a forensic audit.
“Theoretically, if somebody went in and changed the results, these actions would show up in that audit file," Shelden said. “But the person who did it could just go and clean up the audit file and take out the incriminating information."
Poll watchers are protection against fraud
Shelden said that while he does not have direct evidence that election systems have been manipulated to perpetrate fraud, he has had suspicions over years.
“The poll watchers, the people looking at that system and trying to make sure that it is indeed done honestly, they need to get that audit file and make sure it is created and presented to them immediately and make sure that it's not tampered with,” he said.
Shelden said legislators should address the issue to ensure audits are standardized in some form or fashion.
“That to me is a super critical thing,” he said. “I think the law should require that. But it doesn't. In terms of ballot integrity, are laws are designed by attorneys and not by election administrators who actually know how these systems work.”
The elections space as a whole, including election machines such as those produced by E S & S, is largely unregulated, left up to local officials free to use their own discretion.
“There's not a whole lot of oversight,” Shelden said. “And there's not a lot of guidance given. And hopefully after this there's going to be an effort to provide more guidance and more transparency to this process because we need transparency.”
While Shelden was mostly complimentary of E S & S itself, plenty of others have been critical.
E S & S has more than half of the market share in the voting machine industry. This means half of all Americans casting presidential elections last week did so on E S & S machines.
The company has received attention in the past, when errors have been revealed in elections using its machines.
In 2019, the company’s machines did not record more than 150,000 votes in Georgia Lt. Governor race.
Last December, E S & S machines malfunctioned, resulting in the wrong candidates being selected on ballots during an election held in Northampton County, Penn.
Those same machines were used for the Nov. 3 presidential election.
The company is known to employ former election officials as lobbyists across the country.
E S & S has used litigation to keep its market share. In 2018, ES&S filed suit against Cook County after it lost a $30 million contract.
The company’s machines can be found in 42 states, 4,500 local governments as well as in two U.S. territories.
ES&S is owned by Omaha-based McCarthy Capital.
Last year, a contingent of U.S. Senate Democrats sent letters to the three largest voting machine companies, including E S & S, seeking to better understand how they operate.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-12--New Unemployment Claims Fall to 709,000, Beating Expectations

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 709,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , according to the Department of Labor .
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented an decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Oct. 31 , in which there were 751,000 new jobless claims reported .
New jobless claims have been below 800,000 for four consecutive weeks .
Economists expected Thursday ’ s jobless claims number to come in around 740,000 , CNBC reported .
New jobless claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of August , which was the first time the weekly claims had fallen below 1 million since March .
“ The state of the labor market is precarious , ” Jobs for the Future president Maria Flynn told The Wall Street Journal .
“ We are at risk of backtracking given the surge of Covid cases in so many parts of the country.
” Average coronavirus cases and deaths per million have been increasing steadily in the U.S. since mid-October , according to The COVID Tracking Project and The Financial Times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine was over 90 % effective in trials causing the stock market to rally , according to The New York Times .
“ We are continuing to move in the right direction after a historic GDP report and a blockbuster jobs report , ” Alfredo Ortiz , president and CEO of the Job Creators Network said in a statement Thursday .
“ President Trump ’ s pro-growth policies and commitment to safely reopen society are clearly paying dividends.
” The U.S. added 638,000 jobs in October , while unemployment fell to 6.9 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data released Nov. 6 .
The U.S. economy surged by a record 33.1 % in the third quarter .
Jobless claims hovered around 200,000 per week before the pandemic , according to WSJ .
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Unemployment Insurance Claims Office ” by Bytemarks .
CC BY 2.0 .

A dozen individuals have been charged in a gun-running conspiracy that funneled firearms from Tennessee and Kentucky to Chicago, according to a release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In total, the 12 individuals are facing a 21-count indictment with charges for dealing in firearms without a license, transporting and receiving firearms into another state, making false statements to a federally licensed firearm dealer, and multiple other offenses.
Three of the alleged members of the gun pipeline were enlisted members of the U.S. Army and were stationed at Fort Campbell in Clarksville.
Demarcus Adams, Brandon Miller, and Jarius Brunson, along with other individuals charged in the indictment, allegedly purchased legal firearms from dealers in the area. After securing the guns, the DOJ contends the group would deliver the firearms to individuals in Chicago.
Law enforcement officials also claim the scheme was connected to gang violence in Chicago, saying that “the defendants conspired to purchase and deliver over 90 illegally obtained firearms to the Chicago area to facilitate the ongoing violent disputes between the Pocket Town Gangster Disciples and their rival gangs.”
Authorities detailed that at least two deaths were connected to firearms distributed in the movement from Tennessee to the Chicago area.
In addition to Clarksville, the organized crime circle operated in Oak Grove, Kentucky:
“The indictment further alleges the methods used by co-conspirators to purchase firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers in the Clarksville, Tenn. and Oak Grove, Kentucky areas, which included communicating via text messages to coordinate the purchase and delivery of firearms to the Chicago area; providing false information on firearms purchase application forms; and using apps such as Zelle and CashApp to facilitate payment for the illegal transfer of firearms. On one occasion, the indictment alleges that in addition to several firearms available for sale, Brandon Miller had 1,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition available for purchase,” the release from the DOJ details.
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Justice Department Announces Superseding Indictment Charging 12 in Gun-Running Conspiracy to Supply” by The Justice Department.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Catholic Charities Receives $7M State Grant to Expand Services into Middle Tennessee Counties, But M

Catholic Charities Receives $7M State Grant to Expand Services into Middle Tennessee Counties, But Model May Duplicate Liberal Advocacy Policies from Nashville

Catholic Charities of Tennessee is receiving $ 7.3 million in state grant funds to expand social services to 10 Middle Tennessee counties , but part of the organization ’ s model is based on liberal services performed in Nashville .
The Tennessee Department of Human Services ( TDHS ) said it is giving $ 50 in grants to 23 organizations and educational entities through its Two Generation ( 2Gen ) approach .
These grants will put close to $ 50 million into innovative programs that move children and their parents towards educational success and economic security .
Each grant is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Families ( TANF ) program dollars and approved through a collaboration with the Tennessee General Assembly .
Catholic Charities said the program is called “ Tennessee Serves Neighbors ” and will create new family resource centers in 10 counties over the next two years .
They will add services this year in Montgomery , Maury , Marshall , Bedford and Coffee counties .
In 2021 , the program will expand to Grundy , Warren , White , Dekalb and Putnam counties .
DHS and Catholic Charities identified counties with high levels poverty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where Catholic Charities is likely to have a fast impact .
Catholic Charities Executive Director Judy K. Orr said the program will provide job training , life skills , help build stable families and work with healthcare providers .
Catholic Charities said its grant application included a focus on building and operating family resource centers , impacting multiple generations , creating jobs and “ leveraging the vast Catholic Church parish network.
” The organization touted its experience operating similar programs at the McGruder Family Resource Center and Casa Azafrán in Nashville .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ refugee resettlement , according to its page at Catholic Charities ’ website .
Casa Azafrán ’ s website said its partners include not only Catholic Charities but also Metro Nashville Public Schools , the American Muslim Advisory Council and Conexión Americas .
Officials associated with Tennessee ’ s American Muslim Advisory Council have previously said the U.S. Constitution “ is a document that writes white supremacy into law ” and endorsed proselytizing in schools , The Tennessee Star has reported .
Conexión Américas is an affiliate of The National Council of La Raza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ties to George Soros and advocates for policies like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) , or “ Dreamers , ” The Star reported .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Catholic Charities ” by Paul Sableman .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Scott McClallen
About $13.5 million in taxpayer grants from the Going PRO Talent Fund will help train 8,500 workers across nearly 300 Michigan businesses to earn industry-recognized credentials and strong wages.
“The Going PRO Talent Fund is an investment in our state’s greatest asset – our people – helping them develop the skills they need to advance their careers and ‘make it’ in Michigan,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “These grants help us put thousands of Michiganders on paths to good-paying jobs and empower hundreds of Michigan businesses across the state develop the talent they need to compete in the global economy.”
The program launched in 2014. Since then, more than 6,000 Michigan businesses have received Going PRO Talent Fund awards to train 175,000 new and existing workers.
More than 60% of the employers receiving funds are small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Training must fill a demonstrated talent need experienced by the employer and result in the employee acquiring a credential for a transferable skill recognized by the industry.
Susan Corbin, the director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, said these grants keep Michigan businesses competitive globally.
“Programs like the Going PRO Talent Fund help businesses throughout Michigan train the talent they need in order to stay competitive in the global economy,” Corbin said in a statement. “Investments like these help us connect individuals and business leaders with tailored opportunities and unique resources they need to prosper. Together, we are creating a competitive and innovative environment that improves the quality of life for people who live, work and do business in Michigan.”
The average training cost per worker is $1,250. According to 2021 data, average hourly wages for Going PRO Talent Fund participants increased by $5.71 six months after completing training.
“The Going PRO Talent Fund has continued to help Michigan employers retain their workers by providing the necessary support for them to help upskill their workforce,” LEO’s Office of Employment and Training director Stephanie Beckhorn said in a statement. “These trainings have also provided an opportunity for employees to gain industry-recognized credentials they need to grow and thrive in these in-demand careers.”
LEO makes Going PRO Talent Fund awards to employers through Michigan Works! Agencies. Participating employers play an integral role in defining their crucial training needs, then work with their local MWAs and other partners to develop strategic training plans.
David Worthams, director of Employment Policy for the Michigan Manufacturers Association, said the talent fund is “arguably the best talent development program the state of Michigan has to offer.”
“As we get into the next cycle of grants, employers and their employees will see huge strides in new skills that we need as we move into the future of manufacturing in the state, Worthams said in a statement. “This is another reason why Michigan is one of the best states to do business in.”
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi. In 2021, he published a book on technology and privacy. He co-hosts the weekly Michigan in Focus podcast.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Commentary: The Left’s Civility Claptrap

Joe Biden ’ s campaigns have rested on the most rancid racial politics .
In 2020 , he routinely accused his opponent of racism and support for white supremacism , drawing on nothing but his own libelous twisting of Trump ’ s words after the rioting in Charlottesville .
In 2012 , Biden had accused Republicans of planning to put blacks “ back in chains.
” His venom came out also on non-racial matters .
He once called opponents of gay marriage the “ dregs of society.
” In the Senate , he habitually hurled dirty charges , becoming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s thoughts turn to civility .
He promises to lead us out of a “ grim era of demonization.
” Biden is not the first Democrat to peddle this claptrap .
Indeed , it is a standard hypocrisy of Democrats : out of power , they extol incivility ; once they regain power , they denounce it .
Recall the Clinton era ’ s ludicrous “ civility ” commission , which the Democrats set up after Rush Limbaugh and company foiled their agenda .
In times of political exile , Democrats countenance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as John Lewis and company boycotted Trump ’ s inauguration .
They defended a play in Central Park that depicted a Trumpian figure stabbed to death .
They laughed as comedienne Kathy Griffin held up a mock-severed head of Trump .
More recently , they found nothing to condemn in the monstrously uncivil rhetoric of Black Lives Matter .
They only turn pacific after they feel safely ensconced in positions of power , and then “ civility ” becomes a means to defang opponents .
Michelle Obama , whose instincts are those of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t turn her thoughts to going “ high ” until reaching the White House .
But after leaving it , she quickly returned to gutter politics , egging John Lewis and company on in their uncivil behavior .
In power , Barack was also liable to muse on the importance of civility .
On his rise to power , however , he kept company with the shaggiest and most uncivil Alinskyites .
He launched his political career in the living room of a domestic terrorist , Bill Ayers .
He attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famous pronouncement was “ God damn America.
” He promoted the work of Saul Alinsky , who placed ends-justifies-the-means incivility at the center of his program of agitation .
In the pantheon of liberal heroes , figures of incivility and violence — from Fidel Castro to Che Guevera to the Black Panthers to the leaders of Black Lives Matter — hold high rank .
This reflects the morally relativistic core of liberalism , its willingness to ignore objective standards of right and wrong in the pursuit of power .
All of the ideologies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural moral law , which in the end is the only real guarantor and measure of civility .
Far from ending the “ grim era of demonization , ” Biden intends to give its left-wing proponents new perches of power from which to push it .
Look at all the talk emanating from Democratic circles about the need to draw up enemies lists and the like .
These are the thugs who will run his administration .
During the campaign , he told the ruthless acolytes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that they would all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His campaign was run by Anita Dunn , who is on the record saying that her favorite political philosopher was the mass murderer Chairman Mao .
“ Civility ” to the Left is simply a tool of propaganda with which to secure docility from the people .
But liberals have never felt the slightest need to practice it themselves , much less adhere to any moral system that would require it .
Biden used to mock proponents of the natural moral law , casting that thinking as hopelessly passé .
Recall his browbeating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So it is a little late for Biden to adopt the posture of the high-minded philosopher .
Under the moral relativism Biden has long espoused , politics is not about goodness but power .
All of the Left ’ s babbling about “ norms ” ill-befits a movement that obliterated them in the name of subjectivism .
The violent infantilism of the Left — on display across the country in Democrat-run cities — flows from that contempt for any principles grounded in reality .
The de-Christianization of the country , which Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of civility impossible .
Biden has no kinder , gentler view of America ; his vision is rooted in the nihilism of Planned Parenthood and Black Lives Matter .
He ran with a San Francisco radical whose idea of charity is to spring rioters chanting for the death of cops from jail .
Biden seeks not unity but submission , not civility but unchallenged power .
The “ grim era of demonization ” will not close but enter a new and even uglier chapter .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Commentary: Foxed Up Beyond All Recognition

New , but not improved , Fox News has chosen to present its election coverage with a strong pro-Joe Biden bias , calling Arizona early ( it is still in question eight days after Election Day ) , predicting Democrats would pick up five seats in the House of Representatives ( Republicans appear to have picked up as many as a dozen ) , calling the election prematurely ( Biden is not the “ president-elect ” ) , and suppressing news on election fraud and related litigation ( it ’ s real and ongoing ) .
This is the story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News , and the rise of Newsmax and One America News .
Once upon a time in America there were three news networks .
A function of FCC control of airwaves , three major networks ABC , CBS , and NBC were licensed to broadcast VHF television .
Incoming signals were free .
The sale of advertisements paid for the broadcasting .
The Nielsen rating/share—a measure of eyeballs—drove the value of advertising time .
This oligopoly structure disciplined the media .
Each network competed for a three-way news hour rating/share .
When it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS , and NBC each targeted a broad audience .
News had to appear trustworthy to many people , and bias had to be carefully structured to preserve a strong trust signal to a large number of people .
“ And that ’ s the way it is , ” became left-biased Walter Cronkite ’ s signature signoff from CBS News .
Journalism ’ s ethos was different then .
Separating news reporting from analysis and opinion was the best way to get a broad ratings/share .
But this separation was also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thus favored a stylistically dry , “ In Michigan today , counting continues , as one campaign raises doubts about the possibility of fraud and the other denies it.
” The news would often close with an explicit opinion piece , “ In an act of desperation , the campaign has refused to concede in the face of a fair and clear election.
” But a broadcaster could not alienate its audience with a single opinion bias .
The next night the broadcaster might close with “ The importance of confidence in free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go on , even if the apparent winner objects.
” And so on .
Ted Turner , a liberal tycoon , invented 24-hour cable news television in 1980 .
Rather than running evening news at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. , CNN ran an evening news all day and night long .
CNN employed a “ trust ” format .
Explicitly audiences were to consider CNN “ the most trusted name in news.
” CNN , quickly popular with viewers seeking up-to-the-minute news , did not break out in a large way with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War .
CNN carried the war in real time , and the public was glued to CNN coverage of the fighting .
War plus 24-hour cable news equals entertainment .
Entertainment equals ratings share which equals money .
The success of CNN led to a proliferation of specialty news channels , each chasing increasingly narrow markets .
With the chasing of narrow audiences , however , bias had to become more apparent , because narrow audiences wanted their biases confirmed .
And this trended Left , so much so that , in 1992 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against television news media bias using the slogan “ Annoy the Media : Re-elect Bush.
” Fast forward to 1996 .
Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes , seeing an opening , launched Fox News .
Fox News would shake up the cable television news market .
The trust model shifted : Fox News would claim to be “ fair and balanced.
” Left and Right biases would be presented , but with the Right bias getting the upper hand , filling an empty niche in the news world .
Fox News thus pioneered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows such as “ Hannity and Colmes , ” “ The O ’ Reilly Factor , ” and attractive female anchors situated at glass tables .
Fox News was an enormous success , and the success bred imitation .
The number of specialty news channels grew to include MSNBC , which indulged left-wing middle-brow interest in opinion , rants , and outright delusions from partisans like Keith Olbermann , who would scream about “ the worst person in the world ” in his segments , echoing the fictional Howard Beale of the 1979 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up ratings by threatening to blow his brains out on television .
The amplitude of the bias continually increased and intersected with a change in journalism ’ s ethos , percolating in the journalism schools and already in practice in the niche newsroom .
The broadcasters departed from the pretense of honest fact gathering and reporting .
The “ news cycle ” drove events rather than merely reporting them , and narratives displaced who , what , where , and how as the key news elements .
In 2004 , legendary CBS News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog confronted with a new trick , found himself fired for running a takedown story about George W. Bush that was sourced with clearly fraudulent documents .
With the departure of Rather , the networks continued to segregate according to audience bias , chasing ever shrinking infotainment micro-markets .
During the Obama Administration , Jon Stewart ’ s show on Comedy Central conflated satire and news .
Young leftist audiences lapped it up , taking narrative a step further .
Journalism is not just telling the story of the day , but making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s face .
Enter social media and Donald Trump .
By 2016 , social media had segregated audiences by affinity , using algorithms designed to squeeze the last drop dopamine out of confirmation bias .
Unexpectedly , Trump was able to bypass conventional media with Twitter , evading the soft-filter bias pervasive in the cable and broadcast networks and strong-filter bias in the newer news media sources , such as late night television .
With Trump ’ s election , CNN targeted the strongly anti-Trump audiences and drafted a narrative for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about President Trump and his supporters .
Fox News broke hard for the pro-Trump half of the country .
The end result : a partition of trust in broadcast media .
If you trusted Fox News , you did not trust CNN .
If you trusted CNN , you did not trust Fox News .
Each network ’ s audience regarded the other ’ s as idiotic .
In a fully biased—and in some cases , fully based—world of multiple news sources with each churning narrative rather than reporting , there remained for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of news sources and re-filter that information to get at the who , what , where , when , and how of events .
You might not be able to figure out what is going on listening to Fox News or CNN alone , but you could figure it out if you surfed enough sources and didn ’ t cling on too tightly to your own biases in the process .
For the 2020 election , however , the social media tycoons joined the journalism-narrative game .
They suppressed critical information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these plutocrats seems to have been that if people can not see information they could not possibly think of it .
Predictably , this had the opposite effect .
In the absence of information—when the data is no good because of human manipulation—people think of the missing data , and they assume the worst .
Fox News—with programming led by Tucker Carlson , Lou Dobbs , and Sean Hannity—remained through the 2020 campaign the only large venue for diverse , if biased , information .
That ended on Election Night .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News made a decision to deploy a heavy pro-Biden bias as results were coming in .
In theory , Fox News was to ape the old model of trust .
In practice , Fox News shattered all trust at a critical moment .
By constricting the diversity of fact filters through the shut down of right-leaning coverage of the election , Fox News compelled right-leaning audiences to disregard all information that all media was delivering .
Our nation is on the brink .
The market is now ripe for the growth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsmax and OAN .
Ramping up production values and original reporting with an explicit right-leaning bias would make for a better public understanding , and will make Newsmax and OAN a lot of money .
J. Whig is an attorney practicing in New York and a resident of Connecticut specializing in insolvency and restructuring .
Opinions are his own .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Four to Six Week Nationwide Lockdown Could Curb the Pandemic and Jumpstart the Economy, Biden Covid

Four to Six Week Nationwide Lockdown Could Curb the Pandemic and Jumpstart the Economy, Biden Covid Advisor Says

Dr. Michael Osterholm , a coronavirus advisor to President-elect Joe Biden , said that a 4-6 week lockdown that shut down businesses and compensated workers for lost wages may curb the spread of the virus and get the economy on track until a vaccine is approved and distributed .
Osterholm , the director of the Center of Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota , told Yahoo Finance Wednesday that the strategy would help decrease daily case counts and hospitalizations until an effective vaccine arrives .
“ We could pay for a package right now to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for individual workers , for losses to small companies , to medium-sized companies or city , state , county governments , ” Osterholm said .
“ If we did that , then we could lock down for four to six weeks.
” Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm on what Americans should expect from the coronavirus pandemic in the next few months : Earlier this week , Osterholm said that the United States is heading towards “ Covid hell , ” and said that people ’ s growing unwillingness to wear masks and socially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” according to CNBC .
In addition to Osterholm , Biden ’ s 12-member coronavirus advisory board includes Dr. Rick Bright , a vaccine expert and whistleblower who was fired from the Trump administration in April and is led by Dr. Vivek Murthy , the former surgeon general under President Barack Obama .
The United States confirmed a record-high 143,000 cases yesterday , marking the ninth consecutive day with over 100,000 cases .
Over 10.4 million Americans have been infected with the virus , and over 241,000 Americans have died , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Detroit Schools to Shift to Online-Only Learning Monday After COVID-19 Positivity Rate Increases

Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College @ @ @ @ @ on Forbes.com and FEE.org .
Previously , he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi @


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--IT Professional, Software Expert Explains How Dominion Is Hackable – and How Georgia’s Voting System

IT Professional, Software Expert Explains How Dominion Is Hackable – and How Georgia’s Voting Systems Are Vulnerable

IT professionals and software experts are coming forward to share how the controversial Dominion Voting Systems ( Dominion ) can be hacked .
They also call into question components within Dominion shared by other voting systems .
The Tennessee Star interviewed career IT professional and security software expert Garland Favorito to learn more about vulnerabilities within Dominion Voting Systems ’ software in Georgia .
Favorito created the Georgia-based nonprofit , nonpartisan volunteer organization that aims to preserve election integrity : Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia ( VOTER GA ) .
The organization reviews and seeks to reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that issues with voting have come down to two main sources : signature verification for mail-in voting , and the electronic voting software .
He expressed confidence in the decision by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to audit ballots by hand .
“ Whether or not the software was tabulated correctly will be made apparent in the audit , ” he said .
In regard to the internet connectivity within these voting systems , Favorito explained that having one central hub made the entire state ’ s voting processes vulnerable .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply programmed .
In 2017 , the systems were found to be exposed to the internet .
The way that Georgia ’ s simplified distribution system works is that it is a singular area of attack , ” he said .
Any hacker who compromised Georgia ’ s simple election preparation system can control any election in any county in any of their voting systems .
If the hacker gets into the state simple computer , they can put malware on that computer , and then it will be automatically downloaded further into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s undetectable.
” When The Star asked if there existed any means of discovering these hacks , Favorito stated that it would be very difficult .
“ You would have to have some type of forensic access to the computers , and the Secretary of State ’ s office has fought that dramatically in the U.S. District court lawsuit .
I think this is the biggest vulnerability in Georgia ’ s system , ” he said .
“ And it is virtually unreported , so it ’ s virtually unknown to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day , all of Georgia ’ s voting systems received a system update .
Apparently , government officials don ’ t have total knowledge of what these updates include .
“ The Secretary of State ’ s office has a general idea of what it includes , but I don ’ t believe they have the technical capability to verify what is in the updates is correct , ” he said .
“ So , I believe they are taking it for granted to a large decree .
Raffensperger awarded Dominion a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system last year .
Georgia ’ s new Dominion systems have presented glitches and delays throughout this year .
This past week , Georgia has experienced more of the same issues .
The resulting or coincidental voting irregularities have sowed doubt in the election ’ s integrity .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Carol Swain Discusses Progress and Diversity in the Republican Party and Asks That We Pray for Our S

Carol Swain Discusses Progress and Diversity in the Republican Party and Asks That We Pray for Our Supreme Court Justices to Make the Right Decisions

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist , Dr. Carol Swain , to the studio to weigh in on the diversity of newly elected Republican representatives and requests prayers for the SCOTUS .
Leahy : And that ’ s Tom Emmer who is from Minnesota .
And he won .
He defeated Collin Peterson in the Western District of Minnesota .
We ’ re talking about folks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s another Republican victory in Congress in the First Congressional District Nancy Mace .
A strong conservative won .
And most of these new victors Carol were Republican women .
Swain : I know and that is progress .
I ’ m looking forward to seeing more racial and ethnic minorities elected in the Republican Party because that ’ s an area where we have not done as well .
But I celebrate , you know , more diversity especially with the conservative women who will stand strong for pro-life and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They really understand what ’ s at stake .
Leahy : I ’ m going to throw you a curveball here Carol .
Are you ready ?
Leahy : It ’ s a little bit of a curveball .
So you say that and you know , you ’ ve you made waves as a candidate for mayor .
Would you ever consider other political offices ?
Swain : What I have learned is to never say never .
Because if you ’ d spoken to me three years ago , I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for office .
And so I did not foresee in my future that I would run for a political office .
And certainly not for mayor .
If I was going to run for the Senate or the House .
I would never have imagined myself running for local office .
Leahy : Okay .
But you ’ re never gon na say never .
Swain : No , because I ’ m a Christian and I listen to what I think is God leading .
And there may be circumstances .
Someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would run for office again .
And I usually end up doing things when no one else will step up to the plate .
Leahy : Well , I think our listeners are probably thinking , hmm .
( Swain chuckles ) What office could we persuade Carol to run for ?
Swain : I don ’ t know if they can persuade me to run for something but what I ’ ve learned is that if you ’ re not independently wealthy you are very unlikely to be successful .
and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president and if those people are behind you .
I would say that my visibility places me in a totally different situation now than I was a few years ago .
But locally , I don ’ t think I ’ m that popular .
I mean I have people that love me but I have people that hate me too .
Swain : I know but they don ’ t like what I stand for .
I ’ m too transparent .
Like a politician , you know , I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my mouth .
I absolutely can ’ t .
What you see is what you get .
And some people don ’ t like what they see .
Leahy : Well , I think virtually all of our listening audience likes what they hear from Carol Swain .
Swain : Well , I can tell you that if I were the mayor of Nashville , we wouldn ’ t be suffering the way we ’ re suffering .
Leahy : Oh , yeah , I think I think again our listening audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us now what is on your agenda in this period of you know while we ’ re still litigating shall we say and counting the votes in the presidential election ?
And we ’ ve got the Georgia runoff election scheduled for I think January fifth and those two Senate races .
What ’ s on your agenda for the next month ?
Swain : Well , first of all , I ’ m falling everything with the election irregularities very closely .
I ’ m quite active on social media people probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I ’ m very active with social media .
And this weekend I will be in D.C. at a conference for the Council on National policy .
Leahy : That ’ s a very very long-established and well-respected group .
Swain : Well The Washington Post says it ’ s a White supremacist group , but I am a member .
( Laughter ) Leahy : Oh my goodness .
Oh my goodness , and where is The Washington Post to report that ?
You mean the Jeff Bezos ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had member reports and I will also give an update on my Unity Training Solutions .
So that ’ s one thing I ’ m doing .
Leahy : By the way , that ’ s a fabulous project and a fabulous company that you ’ re working on .
Swain : Well , I yeah , I think so .
Leahy : It ’ s interesting because now did you see that the leaders of Black Lives Matter now are demanding a meeting with Joe Biden .
Swain : Well , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives matter is and I was on a foreign television interview with this Black woman and she was attacking Trump .
And she said he won ’ t say it !
He won ’ t say it !
He won ’ t say Black Lives Matter !
They believe that they should be able to force any individual to repeat that slogan .
And that if you don ’ t repeat the slogan , then you are racist or you are anti-Black .
And even if Donald Trump said it they would still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would be bowing before them .
And so they don ’ t understand you know , this whole thing about force .
I am just so tired of all of that .
But this is taking me off of something as I was thinking about .
( Chuckles ) Leahy : Let ’ s go back to what you were thinking about .
In this segment on Thursdays , people want to hear what Carol has to say .
What were you going to say ?
Swain : Well , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have hope for the president and for the rule of law in America and for the Supreme Court .
And one of the posts that I have made is for people who pray , and I think a lot of them listen to your show , especially on Thursdays .
Swain : Pray individually for the members of the Supreme Court so that they will have wisdom and that they will uphold the Constitution and pretty much that they would do the right thing .
Because when it comes to these voting rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , or one person one vote .
And the irregularities with these mail-in ballots and the fraud potential and all of the stuff that ’ s already been documented .
Although the mainstream media says what evidence ?
There ’ s no evidence .
There is evidence everywhere .
Leahy : There is evidence everywhere and they ’ re just not reporting it .
I mean duck Tucker Carlson showed last night that dead people in Georgia and Nevada were voting .
Dead people voted in Michigan .
Swain : Well they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the results of the election .
But when you add up all the cheating , I mean , this was such a coronavirus grab just like the way John Cooper used coronavirus to destroy businesses in Nashville .
This should never happen again .
And when I hear Joe Biden say apparently he wants to shut down the country again for six weeks or something like that .
Swain : Yeah .
I know but all of this stuff these people are dangerous the American people voted against them .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pretty much institute universal voting with no standards .
Leahy : That ’ s a problem .
No standards .
All sorts of ways to cheat when you have these absentee and mail-in ballots .
Swain : Democrats have always cheated .
I have a friend that is a Democrat and she says for both sides .
Well , Republicans don ’ t do it very well .
They get caught .
( Chuckles ) Listen to the second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Host Leahy and Carol Swain Discuss the Mayflower Compact’s 400th Year Anniversary and the Significan

Host Leahy and Carol Swain Discuss the Mayflower Compact’s 400th Year Anniversary and the Significance of Covenants

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist , Dr. Carol Swain , to the studio to celebrate and discuss the historical significance of the Mayflower Compact and the importance of its covenants .
Leahy : A lot of our listeners are cheering today because it ’ s Thursday .
And Thursday means at 6:30 All-Star panelist , former Vanderbilt professor , former Nashville Mayoral candidate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the studio .
Good morning , Carol .
Swain : Good morning to you Michael and good morning to all the listeners .
Leahy : See Thursday ’ s are highlights from many of our listeners .
They think what Carol is going to say today .
Swain : I never know what I ’ m going to say .
Leahy : But it ’ s always interesting .
We ’ ll talk about your travel schedule in a bit .
But you came in with something extraordinarily interesting to me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it .
Leahy : Yes , and I think our listeners will be excited because I doubt that any of them right now understand the significance of the day .
It ’ s today is November 12th and this is the 400 year anniversary of the signing of the Mayflower Compact .
Swain : And since it ’ s short enough and you had that great radio voice , I ’ m going to ask you to read it .
Leahy : Here we go .
It was signed on board the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harbor .
Depending on the calendar , November 11th or November 21st .
Swain : November 12 is the day that we ’ ve decided to celebrate it .
Leahy : So it ’ s being celebrated today .
400 years ago .
Let me read it .
This is the modern version .
In the name of God Amen .
We whose names are underwritten the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James by the grace of God of Great Britain , France , and Ireland King defender of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God in the advancement of the Christian faith .
And the honor of our King and Country a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for our better ordering and preservation .
And furtherance of the ends aforesaid .
And by The Virtue hereof do enact constitute and frame such just and equal laws ordinance axed constitutions and officers from time to time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convenient for the general good of the Colony unto which we promise all due submission and obedience .
In witness whereof , we have hereto subscribe to our names at Cape Cod the 11th of November in the reign of our Sovereign Lord James of England , France , and Ireland the 18th and of Scotland the 54th in the year of our Lord 1620 .
Swain : And the significant thing about that is that not only does it form the basis of the rule of law in the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about whether or not the people that founded America were Christians .
To me , that ’ s among the evidence of our Judeo-Christian roots .
But also the 13 colonies , they all had constitutions that acknowledged God .
And I think that that is important for people to remember at this point in history where we have so much lawlessness .
Leahy : Yeah , boy , do we have lawlessness all over the place .
By the way , this was signed by 41 men .
Swain : And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not agree , but they were not self-interested people .
They thought beyond themselves and so they looked at what was good for the whole .
And today with identity politics and multiculturalism everyone ’ s interested in what ’ s good for me and what ’ s good for my group rather than looking at what ’ s good for the whole .
Leahy : Here is an interesting statement made 100 years ago by one of my favorite presidents Calvin Coolidge and it was on the 300th anniversary of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts at the time who would become president a few years later .
This is what he said about it .
He said the ‘ the compact which they signed was an event of the greatest importance .
It was the foundation of liberty based on law and order and that tradition has been steadily upheld .
They drew up a form of government that has been designated as the first real constitution of modern times .
It was Democratic in the acknowledgment of liberty under law and order and the giving to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government while they promise to be obedient to the laws .
But the really wonderful thing was that they had the power and strength of character to abide by it and live by it from that day to this .
Some governments are better than others .
But any form of government is better than anarchy and any attempt to tear down government is an attempt to wreck civilization .
Swain : It is a timely compact for us to reflect on .
And if you also think about these 41 men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And if you study covenants are stronger than contracts .
Leahy : Well , you know , I wrote a book back in 2012 called Covenant of Liberty .
Swain : You certainly did .
Leahy : The Ideological Origins of the Tea Party Movement .
Leahy : And I use the word covenant for that very reason a covenant is a stronger agreement than a contract because it is signed in the presence of God .
Really that ’ s why a covenant matters .
Swain : And we have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken for a long time .
And if you think about those 41 men you think about the pilgrims and the Puritans they saw it , you know for America to be the new Israel .
It was going to be the shining city on a hill .
and Jonathan Edwards , you know warned them of the consequences of the broken covenant .
What would happen if they broke the covenant .
If you look at Massachusetts today and New England is , you know among the most liberal parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can never top California .
Leahy : Yeah , and it ’ s interesting because you know this is perhaps providential I guess you could say .
They intended to go to Virginia and they didn ’ t make it to Virginia .
Swain : No , they didn ’ t make it to my home state .
Leahy : They ended up in the Cape Cod area in Plymouth and it was a separate colony from Massachusetts .
It was the Plymouth Colony .
Leahy : It ’ s interesting because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also very many individualists .
In 1630 when the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts in the Bay Colony on the Arabella .
You know , John Winthrop wrote that famous city on a hill speech , which was their covenant .
And it wasn ’ t until much later in that the 17th century where the Plymouth Colony combined with the Massachusetts colony to become the colony of Massachusetts .
Swain : But they certainly sought to become the new Israel .
And when I ponder about all of that , I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they certainly had wives otherwise the colony wouldn ’ t have grown .
They had the entire Bible when they were making that decision to covenant with God and so they knew God ’ s dealings with Israel .
And I think that it ’ s significant that they knew that there would be consequences for breaking Covenant and yet they sought to have one with the God .
Leahy : It ’ s interesting to contrast that colony , Massachusetts which had these strong Christian elements in the founding with Virginia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise .
Swain : Well going back , I didn ’ t finish when I said with the God .
They saw the Covenant with the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob .
And so they knew the whole entire Bible .
With Virginia , it was more capitalistic and we know that the first Blacks that came to America in bondage you know , that was Virginian 1619 .
Swain : And yet America had enough of a Christian influence that they were only held seven years as indentured servants .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backbone of free Blacks in Virginia .
And once they started keeping Blacks in permanent bondage if they converted to Christianity , they were set free up until 1661 .
Leahy : Yes .
You know your history very well .
Swain : I know that part of it .
Leahy : That ’ s a very good point .
And of course , this is in contrast to the false history of the 1690 project .
And again indentured servitude was the practice in that period of time in England and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many Irish and many Scotts-Irish who came as indentured servants as well in 1619 .
And they would serve seven years and then they would be free to go about their business .
Many Blacks in that period got their freedom after the seven years .
And it wasn ’ t , and you know we talked about this before , it wasn ’ t until 1661 when a freed Black former indentured servant… Swain : Was his name John Punch ?
Leahy : I think so .
When he filed a lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ran away .
And it was the court of Virginia then based upon that lawsuit that established the principle of chattel slavery .
Different from the indentured servitude that had preceded it .
Swain : Well , maybe we should acknowledge him when we talk about Black history because he ’ s responsible for slavery .
Leahy : Well , you know , it ’ s like there were a lot of other forces going on the time .
But at the time it was a British colony and it was British law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Listen to the second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Mayflower ” by GmaJoli .
CC BY-SA 4.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--New Report Shows Education Savings Accounts Would Help Taxpayers in Shelby and Davidson Counties

Shelby County Schools would save more than $ 2,000 for each student who chooses to utilize Education Savings Accounts , and Metro Nashville Schools would save more than $ 500 for each student who uses them .
This , according to a new research report that staff at the Beacon Center of Tennessee published Thursday .
“ Beacon ’ s latest study on school choice in Tennessee is consistent with what we have seen in other states , that educational choice saves public schools money while giving parents more options , ” said Beacon Policy Director Ron Shultis , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educational choice detractors use scare tactics and unfounded claims that ESAs take money out of the educational system , nothing could be further from the truth .
Not only does educational choice give students who leave better outcomes , but it also helps those children who stay .
If Tennessee ’ s ESA program reached the capped 15,000 student limit , these two school districts would save a combined $ 21 million a year.
” Last year Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee signed The Tennessee Education Savings Account into law .
Lawmakers said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opportunity to have new educational opportunities .
The Tennessee ESA Act passed the General Assembly as a pilot program , with limits on the number of students who could take advantage of it .
The program also had geographic restrictions for eligible students , mainly limited to those currently attending public school in either Metro Nashville Public Schools or Shelby County Schools , according to the Beacon report .
“ Metro Nashville and Shelby County sued the state over the program , with Nashville Mayor John Cooper stating that the program would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educate the city ’ s most needy students.
’ Just like Mayor Cooper , opponents of school choice often proclaim that these programs take funds away from public schools , especially from classrooms that need funding the most , ” the report said .
“ The assumption that the ESA pilot program would remove all funding or add costs to the district is unfounded , since the ESA value is less than current per-student costs and only applies to students that have been enrolled in a public school within these two districts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private school would be able to use funds meant for public school students .
The claims also fail to acknowledge any savings that come from such programs and inaccurately assume all educational costs are fixed.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--‘We Have a List’: Anti-Trump Activists Signal Coming Punishment for Trump Associates, Supporters

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thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Pfizer Notified Biden Before Trump on Vaccine Success

In an interview with WMAL radio show Wednesday morning , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar appeared to confirm that the Trump administration learned of Pfizer ’ s successful COVID-19 vaccine trial from press coverage not from company officials directly .
“ I…learned of this from media reports on Monday morning , ” Azar told “ Mornings on the Mall ” program on November 11 .
“ There certainly was a gap in communications , let ’ s say.
” Azar , whose agency is a lead government partner in Operation Warp Speed , the president ’ s ambitious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 vaccine doses by early next year , found out about Pfizer ’ s results after Joe Biden was notified .
“ Last night , my public health advisors were informed of this excellent news , ” Team Biden said in a statement Monday morning .
“ I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope.
” The press-ordained president-elect who is promising to unite Americans , however , did not credit the current president or his administration for their efforts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage that Pfizer slow-walked news about their Phase 3 trial until after Election Day .
“ As I have long said , @ Pfizer and the others would only announce a Vaccine after the Election , because they didn ’ t have the courage to do it before , ” Trump tweeted November 9 .
“ Likewise , the @ US_FDA should have announced it earlier , not for political purposes , but for saving lives !
” Pfizer , after discussion with the FDA sometime in October , “ elected to drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first interim analysis at a minimum of 62 cases , ” the company disclosed this week .
( It ’ s worth noting that Dr. Scott Gottlieb , a frequent cable news guest and op-ed columnist who uses his platform to stoke unnecessary fear about COVID-19 , is the former head of the FDA and a Pfizer board member . )
A separate news article reported that Pfizer ’ s lab placed test samples in “ storage ” and resumed testing last Wednesday—the day after Election Day .
“ It also means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan , the data would likely have been available in October , ” an industry journal confirmed after Pfizer ’ s official announcement .
The pharmaceutical company , whose employees donated four times as much to Joe Biden than to Donald Trump , also attempted to distance itself from Operation Warp Speed in early press reports .
A spokeswoman had to clarify comments made by Pfizer ’ s head of vaccine development to the New York Times that the company “ was never a part of Warp Speed.
” On the same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Albert Bourla sold 60 percent of his personal stock at $ 41.94 per share for a total of $ 5.6 million ; the company ’ s stock hit a one-year high of $ 41.99 per share shortly after the news broke Monday .
Julie Kelly is a political commentator and senior contributor to American Greatness .
She is the author of Disloyal Opposition : How the NeverTrump Right Tried―And Failed―To Take Down the President .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Music Spotlight: Larry Fleet

Music Spotlight: Larry Fleet

NASHVILLE , Tennessee – I stopped when I first heard “ Where I Find God ” on the radio .
The words to the song were so pure and real that I wanted to hear it again and again .
I wasn ’ t familiar with Larry Fleet but read somewhere that he was from Chattanooga .
I had to find out more about this gifted singer/songwriter .
It turns out that Fleet is not from Chattanooga , but currently lives there with his wife of six years and his young son , Waylon .
He is from White Bluff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fleet ’ s great grandfather and great uncle were the musical ones in his family .
They played gospel and bluegrass .
They had a little band and called themselves the Happy Toots .
Although they had regular jobs , they would go to local radio stations and play their live music .
By the time got old enough to play guitar , his great grandad was unable to get around much .
But his Great Uncle Jim taught him how to play guitar by ear .
His cousin could play the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate family was musically inclined .
After church , everyone would go to Uncle Jim ’ s house and they would eat and play music .
Fleet was young , but he knew he wanted to participate in what was going on .
When he was five or six , his uncle taught him a few chords then prompt taught him to play “ Wildwood Flower.
” ( Made famous by the Carter family . )
After that , the young boy learned to play by ear .
Once he was older , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music .
He first learned to play bluegrass .
Learning to play this technically challenging genre ’ made it easier to learn other styles of music .
Fleet and a group of kids played bluegrass at Ryman when he was about seven .
He recalls , “ At seven-years-old , you really don ’ t know what the Ryman Auditorium is , but now I know and I finally got to go back and play it again before COVID.
” He got his first publishing deal when he was about 22-years-old .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trying to do .
He had some holds on a few songs by some big artists , but never had anything cut or made much money .
At one point he even worked at the famous WSM , Home of the Grand Ole ’ Opry .
Songwriting was always his main goal , but he was able to sing and play well enough that he performed at festivals and bars in Nashville and Chattanooga area .
He was around country music his whole life but it never panned out for him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had a good job there , he moved to East Tennessee and worked construction when things didn ’ t appear to be working out in Music City .
He did well in construction and like his job and was “ pretty content.
” However , he put together a little three-piece band in Chattanooga and they played music on the weekends .
“ We got back to our roots and enjoyed playing music , ” he stated .
One night , he played a private gig outside of Nashville and country music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told him , “ You are too good to be playing over here in a bar to ten or twenty people.
” Fleet told him that he worked construction and just played music for fun .
Owen told him he was too good to be pouring concrete .
Fleet recalls his response .
“ I ’ ve tried this for ten years and it didn ’ t work for me , so this is the way it is.
” Owen replied , “ I think you are an idiot to be throwing away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Owen , “ If you take me on the road with you , maybe I ’ ll think about quitting my job.
” Owen agreed and Fleet toured Florida and Michigan with him and then he did quit the construction job .
Since then he has shared the bill with Jon Pardi and Willie Nelson and joined Jake Owen on the Down to the Tiki Tonk Tour .
The Green Bay Press-Gazette raved that Fleet “ instantly impressed a crowd that chanted his name throughout the night ” .
He admitted , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I moved away and that ’ s when it happened Getting out of Nashville and really figuring out what I wanted to do , that ’ s when it really happened for me.
” “ Jake has always been a big supporter of mine and a good friend and we are still real tight .
We talk all the time and write songs together .
We are signed on the same record label and he took me under his wing and he has been good to me .
He gave me his word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He also gives credit to his wife .
It is scary when you quit a good-paying job to try to make a living by singing music .
She said , “ If Jake is on board and he thinks you are good enough , you should go for it .
That first year I didn ’ t make hardly any money and she really picked up the slack for me to be able to [ travel ] .
” He continued , “ It ’ s tough .
A lot of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you play at Tootsies one night and you are going to get a big record deal .
Even if you get a record deal , you have to work hard to keep that record deal .
To get on the radio is hard and to stay on it is even harder .
Whenever you step up to another level , it ’ s harder to stay there.
” Even if you are moderately successful , the overhead can make it difficult to make a decent living .
Fleet and his band were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut everything down .
Even though he can still make money writing songs and having new success on the radio , he doesn ’ t make enough to pay his band too .
He stated , “ My drummer is working at U-Haul and my bass player is working construction .
Everyone is doing side jobs just to get by until we can get back on the road .
It ’ s a weird business .
You got to be a little bit crazy to want this .
But if it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes to keep going.
” “ Where I Find God ” follows his Big Loud Records debut of Workin ’ Hard released in November 2019 .
The title track strongly resonates with the working man as does his current single .
The smash hit was co-written with Connie Harington who also co-wrote the award-winning , “ I Drive Your Truck ” for Lee Brice and “ Mine Would Be You ” for Blake Shelton .
“ I knew there was something special about this song.
” He put it out on Good Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and got a million views the first week .
Sirius XM the Highway finally put in on the weekend show , “ On the Horizon ” where it was tagged and lauded by fans until it was moved to the regular rotation .
Host Storme Warran proclaimed , “ This is one of the best songs we ’ ve had in years .
It gets people ’ s attention because people live this song every day.
” Currently “ Where I find God ” is climbing the charts on Sirius XM ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a barstool to that Evinrude / Sunday mornin ’ in a church pew / In a deer stand or a hayfield / An interstate back to Nashville / In a Chevrolet with the windows down / Me and Him just ridin ’ around / Sometimes , whether I ’ m lookin ’ for Him or not / That ’ s where I find God , many people personally relate to this song .
Now that that Fleet has signed with Big Loud Records , he still lives in Chattanooga but drives over once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or for meetings .
For the time being , he has no plans to move back to Nashville .
Fleet is reminiscent of a young Chris Stapleton .
With his bluegrass background , innate songwriting ability , and honest vocals , he is sure to charm music fans from every genre ’ .
In the meantime , listen/stream “ Where I Find God.
” ( You ’ ll play it again and again . )
Then hop on over to Fleet ’ s YouTube channel and listen to “ Workin ’ Man ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Lied About Love ” and many of his other singles/covers .
You , like me , may just discover your newest favorite country singer .
You can follow Fleet on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and YouTube .
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer .
You can follow her blog , Instagram , Twitter , and YouTube .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Ilhan Omar Paid Husband’s Company Nearly $2.8M

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar paid her husband ’ s political consultancy firm $ 2.8 million during the 2019-2020 election cycle , campaign finance records show .
Omar handed husband Tim Mynett ’ s E Street Group LLC $ 1.6million between 2019 and July 22 this year , Fox News reported Tuesday , citing Federal Election Commission data .
Another $ 1.1million was sent to the firm between July 22 and the end of September and paid an additional $ 27,000 in the following weeks .
The $ 1.1 million paid by Omar ’ s campaign in the third quarter was close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those three months , per Fox News , which first reported the figures on Tuesday .
FEC records show the majority of the money had been spent on digital advertising , but charges also include consultancy fees and more than $ 2,700 in travel expenses .
The many controversies surrounding Omar , a Democrat from Minnesota , who allegedly at one time married her brother , had little impact on her campaign and was re-elected last week .
She took almost 65 per cent of the ballot , compared to Republican challenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Omar has defended her expenses and said her campaign worked with Mynett ’ s firm long before they began a relationship .
Federal anti-nepotism laws prohibit politicians from giving jobs to family members , but do not block relatives from doing campaign work .
“ We consulted with a top FEC campaign attorney to ensure there were no possible legal issues with our relationship , ” she said in a Twitter post in March , just days after she married Mynett .
“ We were told this is not uncommon and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Omar and Mynett married in March , and just weeks after they tied the knot , Mynett ’ s consulting firm was paid $ 189,000 by Omar ’ s campaign , The Post reported in July .
Richard Painter , who served as chief ethics attorney to George W. Bush , told The Post back in July “ It should not be allowed , ” the practice creates suspicion and should be banned .
‘ I think it ’ s a horrible idea to allow it , given the amount of money that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Catherine Smith reports for American Greatness .
Photo “ Ilhan Omar ” by Leopaltik1242 .
CC BY-SA 4.0.Background Photo “ Ilhan Omar and Tim Mynett ” by CAIR .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Richmond Men’s Basketball Ranked First in Conference Preseason Poll, Unveil Challenging Schedule

Following a fantastic 2019 campaign , the University of Richmond men ’ s basketball team enters the 2020-21 season projected to win the Atlantic 10 ( A10 ) conference and the Spiders will have plenty of tough matchups on the schedule to prove the ranking is accurate .
Richmond received 19 out of 28 first-place votes in Tuesday ’ s preseason poll , which is voted on by the head coaches and certain media members , marking the first time the Spiders have been picked to win the A10 since joining the conference in 2001 .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked first in a great conference and we ’ ve been working hard for a long time to try to make that come true , ” head coach Chris Mooney said during A10 media day .
“ Our practices have been very good and competitive , and I think that we ’ re all very very anxious to play.
” The expectations that Richmond will be one of the best teams in the conference is no fluke .
The Spiders finished last season second in the A10 with a 14-4 conference record and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also returns four starters from 2019 , including senior guard Jacob Gilyard , graduate guard Blake Francis and senior forward Grant Golden .
Gilyard was named to the preseason All-conference first team , while Golden and Francis received second team honors .
“ We expect to be the best team in the A10 , we expect to win the A10 and to get to the [ NCAA ] Tournament , ” Gilyard told The Virginia Star .
“ I think the expectations this year are the same as our hopes and goals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Richmond ] we weren ’ t really great .
Then , we had a really good season last year but weren ’ t able to go to the tournament , so that left a sour taste in our mouth .
It is motivation for us this year , obviously we know what ’ s ahead and the opportunity we have.
” Along with a number of upperclassmen , the Spiders also have very good depth at most positions .
When senior guard Nick Sherod suffered a season-ending last month , sophomore forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting lineup to file that void .
“ [ Tyler ] is really a talented player and I ’ ve said a number of times that I think he has a chance to be one of the best players Richmond ’ s had , ” Mooney said .
“ [ Tyler ] is very fortunate that he ’ s surrounded by such good veteran players who have a really good sense for how to play and how to help him get better.
” Because of limitations set by the NCAA , the Spiders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season – nine non-conference matchups and then an 18-game A10 slate .
Richmond starts its season on November 25 at the Bluegrass Showcase in Lexington , Kentucky , first playing Detroit Mercy and then Morehead State two days later .
The Spider ’ s first real test comes on the road against N0.10 Kentucky on November 29 .
In December , Richmond plays its first home game against Furman .
Later in the month , the Spiders have back-to-back road games against Power 5 conference teams in Vanderbilt and No.15 West Virginia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the schedule ] , ” Gilyard told The Star .
“ We ’ re going to play a lot of good teams , but I think we ’ re a good team as well .
This is what we ’ ve all signed up for when we came to play for Richmond , because you want to play the best teams and the best talent.
” The team starts its conference-slate at home against Duquesne on December 19 .
Overall , Richmond will play Saint Louis , George Mason , La Salle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crosstown rival Virginia Commonwealth University twice .
Other A10 opponents include Rhode Island , Saint Joseph ’ s , Fordham , UMass and the 2019 A10 champion Dayton .
“ We know what we ’ ve got ahead for ourselves , but I think we ’ ll be fine , ” Gilyard said .
“ If we just go out and compete every day , we ’ ll be just alright.
” Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--All Republicans, Conservatives of Virginia Invited to ‘March for Trump’ Washington Rally

Virginia ’ s Republicans and conservatives are invited to join the March for Trump in Washington , D.C. this Saturday .
A bus will depart from Richmond on Saturday morning for the event , also called “ Million MAGA March.
” City of Richmond Republican Committee member Jennifer Anderson came up with the idea to bus Virginians to the rally .
In an interview with The Virginia Star , Anderson shared that the widespread mistrust in election integrity inspired her to take action .
“ I was told : if you can do anything , donate to the Donald J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lawyers to contest the election , ” she said .
However , the increasing allegations of voting irregularities and fraud caused Anderson to desire for involvement beyond donations .
“ This time it ’ s critical , because they ’ ve just presented the evidence [ for potential voter fraud ] to the Supreme Court , ” she said .
At that point , Anderson reached out to her friend , Elizabeth Butler , to make reservations for the bus and social media coverage .
Both women encouraged Virginian Republicans and conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media .
“ You know , it ’ s kind of the reverse [ of what we ’ ve traditionally done ] , ” stated Anderson .
“ Before , he came to us .
And now , we come to him .
Why shouldn ’ t we come to him ?
To me , this rally isn ’ t only supporting President Trump .
It ’ s about our Republic.
” Bus tickets are $ 25 per person .
Ticket requests can be made through [ email protected ] .
Payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after emailing reservation requests .
The bus will meet at 8:30 am EST at Glenside Park & Ride , and depart at 9 am .
The bus will arrive in D.C. at Freedom Plaza , where the group will walk together to the Supreme Court .
After the event , the bus will depart from D.C. at 4 pm .
Anderson stated that this was the least that President Donald Trump ’ s supporters could do .
“ This is easy – you show up at 8 am and you ’ re driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want .
And , you ’ ll be home in time for dinner , ” she said .
“ It ’ s only $ 25.
” State Representative-Elect Marjorie Greene ( R-GA-Paulding County ) also announced that she would also be attending the march in D.C. on Saturday .
Amy Kremer , another Georgian as well as the Women for America First Chairwoman and Women For Trump Co-Founder , dispelled rumors that the march was cancelled .
Kremer warned that Big Tech companies such as Facebook , Mailchimp , and Eventbrite were spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin at noon on Saturday , November 14th .
Individuals may also RSVP through # StopTheSteal on their website .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Trump Supporters ” by Fibonacci Blue .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--North Carolina Couple Sues to Block ‘The Poet X’ from Their Son’s Highschool Class

A North Carolina family is suing to keep young adult novel “ The Poet X ” from being read in their son ’ s freshman class at Huntersville-based Lake Norman Charter School .
On Monday , John and Robin Coble appealed to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond , Virginia to overturn a North Carolina district court ruling ; the family claims the assignment violates their freedom of religion .
“ We are in a fight to protect our children ’ s First Amendment rights to learn in an environment that is free from religious discrimination and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” John Coble wrote on a GoFundMe page .
“ Lake Norman Charter High School has adopted for use in [ ninth ] grade English “ The Poet X , ” a book filled with profanity , sexual situations involving minors and over 20 anti-Christian verses which we will not reprint here , ” Coble wrote .
“ We feel that reading this book in the classroom constitutes a hostile work environment for Christians and we believe that there is no place for soft-core pornography in schools.
” The Cobles also asked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the book from being studied while the case goes through the court ; however the Fourth Circuit denied the request .
According to court documents , the Cobles claim teaching the book is a violation of First Amendment rights .
“ The School ’ s plan to teach the book to the young impressionable minds in their public secondary school runs afoul of the most basic precept underpinning the Religion Clauses – that government must remain neutral in matters of religion and is certainly forbidden from promoting or endorsing materials that exhibit hostility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The school told The Charlotte Observer that they offered the Cobles an alternative book to read .
The Cobles ’ lawyer Joel Bondurant provided court documents to The Virginia Star .
In the documents , the Cobles argue that an alternative assignment does not address the First Amendment violation .
“ Because of the heightened constitutional concerns in the primary and secondary schools , the Supreme Court has routinely held that offering a voluntary alternative to the offending practice is not sufficient to salvage the unconstitutional policy , ” the documents said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order against using the book while the lawsuit proceeds , North Carolina District Judge Max Cogburn expressed concern over the school ’ s use of “ The Poet X.
” “ The Court is troubled by Defendants ’ decision to teach a book that is so controversial that they have an established opt-out procedure in place to deal with ‘ several students who have chosen not to read ‘ The Poet X ’ this fall.
’ ( Doc .
No .
9 ) , ” Cogburn said .
Nevertheless , Cogburn said offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged harm of the book .
“ The Court finds that Plaintiffs are not likely to suffer irreparable harm absent an injunction because the school has provided accommodations to Plaintiffs ’ son that enable him to opt out of reading the book while still receiving the same quality of instruction from a different English Language Arts certified teacher , ” he said .
The Fourth Circuit Court also declined to grant an injunction while the case proceeds .
Nevertheless , Bondurant said they will continue with the lawsuit .
In an email Bondurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit also denied an emergency request for injunctive relief pending appeal but did so in a short order that doesn ’ t give any insight into the court ’ s thinking .
So now we just go forward on the merits.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Poet X ” by Amazon .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Gov. Mike DeWine Re-Imposes Statewide Mandatory Mask Mandate

COLUMBUS , Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine made time during Wednesday night ’ s special broadcast to laud Pfizer and their progress on a coronavirus vaccine before effectively re-instating a mandatory mask mandate across the state .
“ On Monday , our country received some very promising news regarding a Coronavirus vaccine that Pfizer is developing .
The first results from phase three , the final research phase on their vaccine , show it to be very effective in preventing COVID 19 .
That ’ s great news .
This should give us all great hope , ” said DeWine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here as early as December .
And we will be ready.
” The rest of the address covered what the state plans to do before Ohio receives vaccine doses and reaches the governor ’ s desired level of immunity from significant vaccination uptake .
Back in March , DeWine declared a state of emergency in Ohio and on Wednesday night he made it clear Ohio is still under an emergency and intends to extend the order – “ today , I was asked by our hospital leaders to confirm that Ohio remains in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m telling you tonight it most certainly does.
” On Monday , during a specially-called press conference with doctors who lead Ohio ’ s three healthcare zones , Dr. Robert Wyllie of the Cleveland Clinic , Dr. Andrew Thomas of Ohio State University Medical Center and Dr. Richard Lofgren of UH Health all weighed-in on the increase in COVID patients throughout Ohio ’ s hospitals .
They warned that short-staffed facilities may be at risk .
DeWine echoed that thought on Wednesday night , “ If we don ’ t change this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate care for all the Ohioans who need it .
All the Ohioans who need it for COVID and for all those Ohioans who require other emergency care – things such as accidents , strokes , and heart attacks .
Hospitals will gain be forced to postpone important but less urgent care.
” The governor said , if cases continue to rise , bars restaurants and fitness centers would have to be shut down .
This came after weeks of praise during pressers for the job restaurants and bars were doing and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formal settings such as businesses .
DeWine said he would look at the numbers next week to determine a course of action .
However , at a different point in the speech , DeWine said , “ we ’ ve learned throughout this pandemic that what happens today sometimes won ’ t reveal its true impact for weeks .
This is certainly true of hospitalizations and sadly it ’ s also true of deaths – leaving us with the stark reality that we simply won ’ t know the ultimate fate of individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks – or even months.
” Restaurants , bars and fitness centers aren ’ t the only businesses that will be scrutinized .
A revised mask order will put compliance pressure on retail businesses .
“ Most retail businesses have done a good job providing a safe place for their employees to work and for their customers to shop .
However , it is clear that there are some businesses where mask wearing is simply lacking .
We know that masks work .
They are the easiest , most cost-effective way to limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee has the right to work in an environment that is as safe as can be , which means all customers must wear masks .
Further , each Ohioan who goes out to shop , wherever they go , they have the right to know that every store they enter , every door they go into to shop , will be safe and the people they encounter in that store will all be wearing a mask.
” The revised mask order will contain three additional provisions : • Each business will be required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all public entrances to the store ; • Each store will be responsible for ensuring that customers and employees are wearing masks ; • A new retail compliance unit comprised of agents led by the Bureau of Workers Compensation ( BWC ) will be commissioned – they will be inspecting to ensure compliance of that mask order .
No statements were made regarding a third offense , nor did the cost to fund the retail compliance unit .
Consequently , The Ohio Star reached out to the governor ’ s Press Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask order would take effect , whether it would contain exemptions that are in the July 23 order and for people who have already recovered from COVID .
The Star also asked who would be funding the retail compliance unit and how much it will cost .
Tierney said that the order is still being drafted and will be finalized and made effective in the coming days .
He also confirmed that the BWC will fund the mask enforcement but did not reply with how much it will cost Ohioans .
A new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works .
The limit on gatherings to 10 or fewer will remain for both public and private events with congregate areas no longer open .
Everyone must wear a mask unless eating or drinking .
Dancing and games are also prohibited .
Regarding schools , DeWine urged masking and mitigation measures , saying , “ We must do everything in our power to slow this virus down so our kids can stay in school .
It is up to each and every one of us .
What you do in the community – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – impacts whether our kids will be able to stay in school .
No matter how good the schools are , they can not overcome widespread COVID in the community – it will get into the schools.
” “ My fellow Ohioans , few times in our lives will we ever be able to do something , or refrain from doing something , that will or can save a life .
This is one of those rare times , ” he added .
Prior to the Wednesday night briefing , the state pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and DeWine continued to plea for Ohioans to restrict their personal behavior , saying , “ Please , please don ’ t host that birthday party or that baby shower , or that kids ’ sleepover or that get together to watch the football game .
Don ’ t attend the gatherings that you ’ re invited to – stay home when you can .
Work from home if you can .
And as we approach the upcoming Thanksgiving Day Holiday that when someone you don ’ t live with in your household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you live with at risk.
” Additional pleas from the governor came through an attempt to appeal to religious beliefs .
“ All the world ’ s great religions have their version of what we learned as children as the golden rule – treat others as we wish to be treated .
Now , whether you were raised in a religious household or not , and whether you adhere to religious teaching or not , all of our most revered teachings are based really on the principle of believing in and working for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a common good .
It ’ s the love for our fellow man – it ’ s our obligation for our fellow man .
And there ’ s no higher purpose than to work for that common good .
Each of us has a moral obligation to do our part and I believe each one of us will do this , ” said DeWine .
Yet the message on mask compliance has been mixed – at one time DeWine was praising Ohioans for complying at a level of 80 % to 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in cases and hospitalizations is due to non-compliance .
Yesterday The Star received communication from the Ohio Department of Health on the topic of mitigation measures and the spread of other respiratory illnesses .
In an email , Press Secretary Melanie Amato wrote : The Star followed up with Amato to find out why mitigation measures were working for other illnesses but not COVID and if the state , in fact , has evidence to support any claims regarding the level of masking , distancing and other mitigation measures throughout Ohio .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual respiratory illness we generally see in Ohio .
This fact has been well established in the scientific literature .
Additional information on the differences between COVID-19 and influenza can be found on the CDC website here .
As we all know , respiratory illnesses are more common in the winter months .
There are many reasons for this including the fact that people spend more time inside , the air is drier which helps the virus get through mucous membranes , and the viruses themselves tend to survive longer in colder temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , it is so contagious that we had outbreaks in the summer months which is highly unusual for a respiratory virus .
Flu season is also just beginning as it usually starts in October .
Because mask wearing and social distancing help to prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses , it helps reduce the ability for the virus to transmit in the population .
Wearing masks is more effective against the more common respiratory illness like flu because they are already less transmissible .
There is plenty of evidence that the mitigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other respiratory viruses in the southern hemisphere during the winter months when it was summer here in the northern hemisphere .
Here is some information from CDC on this topic : https : //www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6937a6.htm .
The impact of these mitigation efforts have stronger effects on less transmissible disease .
To slow the spread of COVID-19 , we need more people to consistently wear masks , avoid crowds , and socially distance than you would need to prevent the spread of other respiratory viruses.
” Jack Windsor is Managing Editor at both The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV and The Virginia Star .
Follow Jack on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-13--Strippers, Drugs, and PGA Tickets: USDA Contractor Admits to Giving Gifts to USDA Officials

A 60-year-old Virginia resident Eric Schneider pled guilty on Friday to conspiracy to violate the Procurement Integrity Act and to obstruction of justice , according to a Department of Justice ( DOJ ) press release .
“ Schneider admitted to giving gifts to multiple officials at the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) to influence the award of contracts worth over $ 19.2 million to [ Communications Resource , Inc. ( CRI ) ] and another company he controlled , ” the press release states .
“ Schneider admitted to giving USDA officials Corvette wheels , concert tickets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol , strip clubs , parking , concierge medical services , prescription drugs , and other cash tips.
” According to the press release , Schneider is the former Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of CRI .
The DOJ press release states : “ Schneider further admitted that , as part of the conspiracy , he drafted or instructed employees to draft procurement documents in such a way as to favor the award of a multi-million dollar contract to CRI .
Schneider then provided the documents to a USDA official to whom he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procurement process as if they had been prepared by the USDA.
” “ Schneider also admitted to directing two CRI employees to destroy documents responsive to a federal grand jury subpoena , ” the DOJ press release adds .
No sentencing date is scheduled yet .
One 2018 CRI press release lists Schneider as primary contact , and announces the company won a USDA security system and testing contract .
“ In an effort to support regulatory mandates , CRI was chosen to enhance security , efficiency and compliance , by implementing comprehensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintenance , troubleshooting and technical support for specific facilities.
” According to CRI press releases , the company has received multiple awards from the USDA .
“ Communications Resource Inc. ( CRI ) announced today that it has been named the Small Business of the Year by the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) , ” states one 2009 press release .
The company has also served several other government departments .
A 2020 CRI press release states , “ CRI , a certified woman-owned small business ( WOSB ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported the federal government for over 25 years.
” The release lists several specialties focused on technology and physical security .
CRI President Victoria Johnson told The Virginia Star in an email , “ Mr .
Schneider has not been employed by our company for some time.
” She added , “ We have already distanced ourselves from Mr. Schneider , whose actions do not mirror our culture and values .
CRI is committed to conducting its business with the highest legal and ethical standards and our performance as a federal contractor continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The USDA did not respond to a request for comment .
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ]