thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Tennessee Officials Charge Virginia and Kentucky Women with TennCare Fraud

Tennessee officials have charged two out-of-state women with TennCare fraud in separate cases .
The women live in Kentucky and Virginia .
Per state law , only Tennessee residents may participate in the TennCare program .
The taxpayer-funded TennCare is Tennessee ’ s version of Medicaid .
According to a Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration press release , authorities arrested Tasha Testerman , 35 , who relocated from Tennessee to Virginia , and charged her with TennCare fraud and theft of services .
State officials said Testerman allegedly filed false information to obtain TennCare benefits .
“ Testerman is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services over $ 10,000 but under $ 60,000 , ” according to the press release .
“ Authorities say when Testerman lived in Tennessee , she falsely reported custody of her son in order to obtain TennCare benefits for herself and her child .
This misrepresentation resulted in TennCare paying $ 42,040.21 in fees and claims on their behalf.
” The theft of services charge is a class C felony and the TennCare fraud charge is a class D felony .
If convicted , Testerman could face penalties of up to a maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges .
Sullivan County District Attorney Barry P. Staubus of Sullivan County is prosecuting , according to the press release .
Authorities also arrested Christina L. Wetterau , 36 , of Hopkinsville , Ky. and charged her with TennCare fraud and theft of property .
Authorities said in a press release that Wetterau allegedly claimed she lived in Tennessee to obtain healthcare insurance benefits through TennCare .
“ Investigators say Wetterau allegedly reported a Tennessee residence in order to obtain TennCare benefits when her actual residence was in nearby Kentucky , resulting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims on her behalf , ” according to the press release .
The theft of property charge is a class C felony and the TennCare Fraud charge is a class D felony .
If convicted , Wetterau could face penalties of up to a maximum of 27 years in prison .
Hickman County District Attorney Kim R. Helper is prosecuting , the press release said .
Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 , toll-free or by logging on to www.tn.gov/oig/ and following the prompts that read “ Report TennCare Fraud.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Commentary: The Indispensable American Family

In August 1884 , Washington Gladden , possibly the most famous Christian preacher in the America of his day , wrote an article in The Century Magazine on “ Three Dangers ” besetting the welfare of the nation he loved .
Of the first and third dangers he named , intemperance and gambling , I have little to say here .
I will note that Dr. Gladden concedes that alcohol may be used well , even for conviviality , though he himself did not drink .
More challenging to our moral callousness is that he includes , under gambling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To say that gambling in margins is as bad as faro or roulette is a very weak statement ; it is immeasurably worse .
It is far more dishonest .
The gambler in margins does his best to load the dice on which he bets his money.
” In our time , said gambler has connections to federal bureaucracies that govern the lending of hundreds of billions of dollars .
The housing market collapse is a dreadful case in point .
But it is the second of the three dangers that I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that make war upon society by assaulting the family.
” Gladden was a liberal churchman , one of the fathers of the Social Gospel , and it is as such that he speaks .
“ The monogamous family , ” he says , “ formed by the union of one woman with one man , and by the increase of children born to them , is the structural unit of modern society.
” He is deliberate about every word .
Society is like a physical organism , which is composed not of separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , too , “ the modern social organism is composed not of individuals , but of households.
” Far from being primitive and atavistic , the family , he says , is “ a late product of the social evolution , ” and “ it is by most philosophers admitted to characterize that society whose type is the highest and whose foundations are the firmest.
” Whom does he call upon to support this assertion ?
Not John Wesley or Jeremy Taylor , but the liberal economist Walter Bagehot and the agnostic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which promiscuity prevails , or in which the marital relations are transitory , ” says Spencer , “ are incapable of much organization .
.
.
Only when monogamic marriage has become general and eventually universal , only when there have consequently been established the closest ties of blood , only when family altruism has been most fostered , has social altruism become most conspicuous.
” Of Roman boys bred to become Roman men , Bagehot notes , “ they were ready to obey their generals because they were compelled to obey their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manhood because as children they were bred in homes where the tradition of passionate valor was steadied by the habit of implacable order.
” It is not that Gladden wants Americans to become Romans .
The family is indispensable , he says , “ for the cultivation of the moral qualities that fit men for association with one another , ” as it is “ a training-school in which discipline and the habit of subordination and the unselfish sentiments and habitudes are acquired .
Without these virtues society is impossible , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these virtues that compares with the monogamous family.
” Indeed , “ an increase of the proportion of the people who do not live in families means an increase of public peril , a decay of social virtue , a diminution of the common weal.
” We need but look at the moral squalor of American cities , and the bewildering sexual and familial chaos wherein millions of American children are supposed to find their way to moral clarity and order , to see that what Gladden says here is true .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that hardly admits of argument .
Someone may tell me that we ought to live in open sewers , because filth and disease are subversive ; or that we ought to cut ourselves with razors , because razors are edgy .
What response can you give to him ?
He has placed himself outside of moral reasoning entirely .
What caused Reverend Gladden to worry about the American family in his time ?
For one thing , the dreadful surge in divorces .
From 1860 to 1878 , in the commonwealth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 243 to 600 , while the population had increased only 45 percent .
The census figures from 1880 show that Massachusetts had a population of 1,783,085 .
Taking that figure as a fair estimate of the population in 1878 , that means that there was one divorce for every 2,972 people .
A scandal , that .
I can hardly imagine what Gladden would say to our figures now .
In 2018 , the population of the United States was 327.2 million , and there were 780,000 divorces .
That gives us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rate is between seven and eight times as high as what Gladden thought warranted some serious attention .
Of course , what I have called the “ index of social dissolution ” is much higher still .
For in our time , many people do not bother to marry at all , but still have children , of whom 40 percent are now born out of wedlock .
So if we included as “ marriages ” all those sexual liaisons that last longer than two years and that produce at least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be as Mount Everest is to Mount McKinley : unimaginable , to what is hardly imaginable .
Asking what the reason is for this state of things , Gladden points to two developments , one of them economic and one of them moral .
The economic cause was clear : young men and women by the millions were leaving the country to work in industrial mills in the populous towns and cities , where they were “ thrown together rather rudely in their work , ” living in boarding houses that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a home.
” Its moral cause he attributes to the “ popular social philosophy , which during the last quarter of a century has greatly exaggerated individualism .
.
.
Most of our talk has been of rights , not much of duties or of services ; and the consequence is a disinclination to assume the responsibilities and to make the sacrifices involved in the family relation.
” In our time , we can not even talk about the sexes as such , since every individual claims the right to make up his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” even his own pronominal system .
Gladden would have seen this correctly as the height , or rather a deep sinkhole , of the antisocial .
And women , whom Gladden and many a friendly liberal viewed as the heart of a people ’ s moral sensibility , lead the charge to ensure that we will not return to anthropological realism ; nay , that a professor at a college , whose calling is to search for truth wherever he may find it , shall lose his very employment if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think it would be a fine and enlightening thing to read the works of American liberals before that sharp turn toward secularism we find in the wake of the Great War .
Enlightening , and not comfortable .
Anthony Esolen is a professor and writer in residence at Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts , in Warner , New Hampshire .
Dr. Esolen is a senior editor for Touchstone Magazine and a contributing editor for Chronicles .
He is a regular contributor to Crisis Magazine and the author of many books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western Civilization ( Regnery Press , 2008 ) and more .

by Eric Lendrum
On April 7th, an amicus brief was filed in favor of Florida’s current ban on using state funds to support “transgender” treatments, with 17 state attorneys general voicing their support for the law.
According to the Daily Caller, the brief’s filing was part of an ongoing legal battle in the state of Florida, where far-left, pro-transgender activists have teamed up with several pseudo-medical organizations to file a lawsuit against the law. The groups involved include the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The law in question states that Medicaid funds cannot be used to cover any transgender operations, including sex change surgery, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers.
The 17 states that have filed in support of Florida are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In their filing, the AGs argue that the organizations involved in the lawsuit have “prioritized politics over science.”
“The amici States submit this brief in support of Florida’s right to regulate medicine and determine appropriate treatments for Medicaid coverage,” the brief states. “Moreover, there is particular reason to be suspicious of the interest groups in this case.”
Their brief goes on to point out that several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have taken similar steps to crack down on transgender treatments, declaring that “transitioning treatments for minors are experimental.”
The case has already seen a judge order the three organizations to comply with subpoenas ordering them to turn over documents related to their guidance for children suffering from gender dysphoria, the official name for the condition of transgenderism. In addition, Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Biden Administration demanding access to similar internal documents related to the administration’s gender transition policies.
– – –
Eric Lendrum graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was the Secretary of the College Republicans and the founding chairman of the school’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Nationwide, Feds Find Cozy Connections Between China and University Professors

The Chinese Virus began infiltrating the United States in early 2020 , but the communist country already had a foot in the door well before then .
In the last year , Campus Reform has covered multiple instances of U.S. law enforcement officials charging professors and students with lying about their ties to China while conducting U.S.-funded research and even attempting to smuggle U.S.-funded researched to China .
In the summer of 2019 , UCLA adjunct professor Yi-Chi Shih was found guilty of conspiring to steal U.S. missile secrets for China .
A University of Kansas associate professor and researcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties to China while conducting U.S.-funded academic research .
The Harvard University chemistry department chair was arrested for his alleged ties to a Wuhan , China laboratory , where he was paid up to $ 1.5 million to build the lab , plus an additional $ 50,000 per month .
An Emory University associate professor and medical researcher was charged in late 2019 with allegedly lying about his employment at a Chinese university while simultaneously working at Emory .
He pleaded guilty in May 2020 .
A University of Arkansas professor was charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties to China while conducting U.S.-funded academic research .
A UT-Knoxville associate professor and researcher was charged in February with lying to the federal government about his connections to Chinese universities in order to receive a federal research grant .
A Chinese national medical student at Harvard University ’ s Beth Israel Deaconess Teaching Hospital was arrested in December for allegedly attempting to smuggle vials of cancer research out of the U.S. on a flight to Beijing , China .
Not only has China attempted to gain a foothold on American university campuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communist regime has also targeted dozens of campuses nationwide by paying to open what are known as Confucius Institutes .
Campus Reform has covered these centers extensively .
Below , you can see an interactive map of the locations of each Confucius Institute .
Jon Street is managing editor for Campus Reform .
Photo “ Charles Leiber ” by the University of Harvard .
Photo “ Yi-Chi Shih ” by Yi-Chi Shih .
Background Photo “ Great Hall of the People and National Centre for the Performing Arts ” by Soramimi .
CC @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Letter to the Editor: Results Are All That Matter

Once when I was a health care worker in a small , rural hospital in the desert Southwest , we respiratory therapists and nurses were in the cafeteria , discussing at lunch the relative merits of various doctors with whom we worked , in ER and on the clinical floors .
Who was better ?
It was unanimous that a guy who was a jovial , folksy dude with a decent bedside manner was our LAST choice — because he was incompetent .
But none of us would object to ourselves or our loved ones being treated by a stiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European immigrant whose businesslike , matter-of-fact manner could scare old people and children without half trying .
Why ?
Why would we prefer an old , cold , suit to a young , cordial dude ?
The stiff old European was VERY seldom wrong on his first impression about a patient ’ s condition .
He had a jaw-dropping volume of useful , clinical information available in his head .
He was serious as hell about doing his absolute best for every single human being he treated .
If he saw we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect , and taught us useful little tidbits about patient assessment , medicinal effects and anatomy and physiology that we carried with us the rest of our careers .
RESULTS are what matter .
Not congeniality ; not likability ; not eloquence ; not affability .
Anybody can be a nice guy for a while , but only good people produce good results , again and again .
If you hate him , that doesn ’ t matter to you , but your opinion doesn ’ t matter to those of use who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with your saints or your rock stars .
We ’ ll stick with the leader who does things right for the right reasons and gets the right RESULTS .
Because , in the end , RESULTS are all that matter .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Commentary: Rigid Lockdowns vs. Relative Freedom

In North Carolina , Gov .
Roy Cooper has adopted the policy premise that anything done in the name of safety from the coronavirus trumps all other interests , including economic , religious , or other health considerations .
Despite comparatively low numbers in the Tar Heel state , the ninth most populous state in the United States , and with no evidence of the healthcare system being overwhelmed , North Carolina has been in full lockdown for over a month .
It matters not if you live in the mountains or on the coast—rural or urban—all residents are required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crippling effect COVID-19 has had on the $ 25 billion tourism industry , the devastation to the small business community , and over a million job losses , “ thou shalt not work ” unless the good governor has deemed you “ essential.
” In Mississippi , Gov .
Tate Reeves has operated under an alternative premise : that medical safety is a major consideration , but so is allowing people to protest , or to fish , or to earn a living .
The governor in the Magnolia State has taken a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slam the economy shut and quick to discuss reopening it .
He has also caught a lot of flak for allowing counties and cities to determine what works best in their own communities and for refusing to tell Mississippi churches how to conduct their affairs .
Like North Carolina , Mississippi has relatively low numbers of COVID-19 deaths and no apparent strain on the healthcare system , despite having a very high rate of citizens with obesity , heart disease , and diabetes .
Small businesses are on life support across both states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels in the state of the Dogwood and in the state of the Magnolia—now higher than during the financial crisis .
Medical advisers in both states are giving warnings and covering all their bases at daily briefings as they stand beside their respective governors .
There is no question that both governors have taken this disease seriously and offered intelligent advice about how we should protect ourselves .
So , how do you explain the vastly different approach to the pandemic from two red states with similarly low coronavirus impact ?
The difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language , and in the viewpoint of how best to mitigate risks and protect citizens .
Cooper ’ s instincts are to restrict the personal freedoms of his citizens ; Reeves ’ instincts are to protect the personal freedoms of his .
Cooper believes shutting down businesses won ’ t lead to shortages of food and paper products and that denying the constitutional rights of his residents won ’ t lead to a citizen uprising .
( Note citizens are staging weekly protests at the state capital and the governor ’ s mansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reeves has moved to open retail shops , acknowledged the rights of protestors to peacefully assemble at the Capitol , and refused to accept the premise that we must choose between prudent healthcare measures and protecting our economy .
In the state of Michael Jordan , hospitals are losing revenue and laying off personnel because the governor won ’ t allow the treatment of non-coronavirus patients .
In the state of Archie Manning , elective procedures have begun again because the governor recognizes cancer surgeries are pretty “ essential ” to the patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors , and the other 48 , managed this pandemic .
But as data comes in , it ’ s looking like the quarantines will not prevent us from getting sick .
It appears we ’ re basically delaying the inevitable infection rate .
As these long days go by , the models continue to indicate initial predictions were vastly overstated .
However , the data on the destruction of our economies and on the hopes and dreams of our citizens may be far worse than ever imagined .
The American economy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the interconnected and voluntary exchanges that take place every day , in every community .
It remains to be seen if this economic miracle of free enterprise can survive the kind of body blows delivered by the heavy hand of government—especially by the kind of authoritarian governors who seem hellbent on taking a sledgehammer to our economies when a scalpel would have been more useful .
Jon L. Pritchett is president and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy , the state ’ s non-partisan , free-market think tank .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he worked as an investment banker , executive , and entrepreneur over a 28-year career in private business .
Ed Tiryakian is the chief strategist and managing director of Argentum Group ; a former first vice president at UBS/Paine Webber , serving on the President ’ s Council .
Ed is starting his 10th year at Duke University as a visiting associate professor , teaching corporate finance and business economics at Duke University and is a Contributing Fellow at the Publius Institute .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Music Spotlight: Brian Callihan

Music Spotlight: Brian Callihan

NASHVILLE , Tennessee – Born and raised on a small farm in South Georgia , Brian Callihan was your typical country boy as he hunted and played baseball and football .
However , he found his true passion when he started listening to Keith Whitley .
Callihan said when he was around 10 or 11 years old he got a “ Keith Whitley ’ s Greatest Hits for Christmas , ” which was his dad ’ s favorite singer .
“ I grew up in a very rural community .
Even the radio station down there didn ’ t play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Callihan said .
“ I grew up listening to Y96 and every Saturday night they had this thing called ‘ Classic Country Jukebox ’ and I grew up on that.
” Blues and southern rock were also popular in the area where he grew up .
In addition to Keith Whitley , Callihan names his influences as being Joe Diffe , Travis Tritt , and Randy Travis .
Even though they were way before his time Vern Gosdin , Merle Haggard , George Jones , Lefty Frizzell also had a big impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old stuff .
For some reason , I sort of lean towards that , ” the country singer said .
The 34-year-old came to Nashville around 2010 and like so many , he wanted to be an artist and he was able to get his foot in the door because of his songwriting ability .
He signed a publishing deal two years later .
Callihan ’ s traditional country voice reminds one of another Georgia native , Cole Swindell .
He has written “ a ton of songs ” with Cole Swindell and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a while when he first moved to Nashville .
He has had 4 publishing deals in all and is currently is taking a break to pursue “ this artist thing ” full-time .
But after living in Nashville for 10 years and writing songs with and for various artists he has realized he no longer has to have a publishing deal to write good songs .
Meeting the right people makes a difference .
“ Friendships gets a whole lot of songs cut , ” the Georgia native said .
Callihan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” kind of rides the line between traditional and pop and country but most of his songs have a classic country sound .
Even though he admits it was a little bit left of center than what he usually writes/sings , he states he “ really loved ” the lyric of it .
“ It said what it needed to say and I thought it would really connect with a lot of people .
Everyone has a few times in their life where you have a breakup and you don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At this point , Callihan expects to release one more single , and then later on this year , they will release the whole EP .
He , like everyone else in the music industry , has been turned on his ear during the pandemic .
When they recently shot the music video for “ Broke it Down , ” they did it social distancing style with a minimum number of people allowed on set .
He is still writing songs and has done a few song writes on Zoom but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-writing remotely can “ kind of take the creativity out it.
” Callihan also penned the hit , “ Living Room ” for Dylan Scott which he states is one of his all-time favorite songs he has ever written .
To stay up-to-date with Brian Callihan , follow him on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer .
You can follow her blog , Instagram and Twitter .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Loeffler Turns Over Documents to SEC, DOJ Over Stock-Trading

Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler has turned over documents related to controversy over her stock-trading to the Securities and Exchange Commission , the Department of Justice and the Senate Ethics Committee , according to Politico .
The documents she submitted show that both she and her husband Jeffry Sprecher “ acted entirely appropriately and observed both the letter and the spirit of the law , ” a spokeswoman for Loeffler said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ The documents and information demonstrated her and her husband ’ s lack of involvement in their managed accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts , ” spokesperson said in the statement .
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr announced Thursday that he would step down from his position after the Federal Bureau of Intelligence issued a warrant for his cell phone .
Burr , a North Carolina Republican , has come under fire for stock transactions made after he also received a private briefing on the coronavirus , Politico reports .
He denies any wrongdoing .
Loeffler has pushed back on accusations that she used information she received during a coronavirus briefing to sell of millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic negatively impacted the markets .
Loeffler has said that third parties controlled her portfolio .
“ This is a political attack that is designed to distract from the issue at hand and to use this outbreak to play politics , ” Loeffler said in April .
“ We have addressed this and taken extraordinary measures to make sure that we can ’ t be attacked for our success .
This gets at the very heart of why I came to Washington , to defend free enterprise , to defend capitalism , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Background Photo “ SEC Building ” by AgnosticsPreachersKid .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--ICE Program Collects DNA Samples of Illegal Aliens

A division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) has begun collecting DNA samples of illegal aliens in its custody and storing the information in a national database .
ICE ’ s Enforcement and Removal Operations launched a pilot program earlier in May in Dallas , Texas , that collects the DNA samples of individuals arrested and placed into its custody , the agency confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Friday .
The launch of the pilot program followed backlash from critics who chastised the agency for not implementing it sooner .
“ To comply with updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) to collect DNA samples of everyone arrested and fingerprinted , [ ICE ’ s ] Enforcement and Removal Operations ( ERO ) began a pilot program on May 1 in Dallas , Texas , to create a process for full implementation , ” the agency said in a statement provided to the DCNF .
ICE officers will use DNA-sample collection kits provided by the FBI to swab the inside of an alien ’ s cheek and deliver the kit to the FBI Laboratory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also be uploaded into the National DNA Index System , a nationwide database of DNA information , to verify if it matches with other crimes in the system .
“ ICE is implementing measures to ensure that the collection of DNA is conducted properly , in accordance with protections for an individual ’ s privacy , and that all records and data are retained and disposed of in compliance with federal law and policy , ” the agency added .
Politico first reported on the implementation of the pilot program .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
ICE will not gather DNA from any individuals 13 or younger — adhering to longstanding DHS policy that prohibits fingerprint collection of anyone in that age group .
Legal permanent residents are also exempt from the pilot program .
The program puts DHS one step closer to a large-scale DNA collection of illegal aliens arrested by its agents , bringing to fruition a 15-year-old law that has yet to fully materialize .
Congress passed the DNA Fingerprint Act in 2005 , directing DHS to collect DNA information of undocumented aliens arrested by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was never fully implemented due to pushback from DHS .
Namely , officials argued that the rules were overly burdensome and not properly funded .
After whistleblower complaints and pushback from the Department of Justice , the Trump administration has begun to implement the 2005 law .
The ICE pilot program in Dallas is anticipated to pave the way for a much larger scale collection effort down the road .
ICE ’ s efforts came months after Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) , another agency within DHS , has already launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from aliens arrested by CBP and Border Patrol officers .
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--‘She’s Lost Her Mind’: Former ICE Chief Reacts to Pelosi’s Plan to Give Illegal Aliens Stimulus Fund

‘She’s Lost Her Mind’: Former ICE Chief Reacts to Pelosi’s Plan to Give Illegal Aliens Stimulus Funds

A former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) claims House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s coronavirus relief package exploits the pandemic to push a progressive agenda .
“ Nancy Pelosi and her party , they are taking advantage of this crisis to push a radical agenda .
Look , she wants to use our taxpayer ’ s money to reward illegal behavior , ” said Tom Homan on Fox News Thursday .
Homan led ICE early on in the Trump administration .
Pelosi introduced the HEROES Act on Tuesday , a $ 3 trillion spending bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Republican leaders have deemed it dead-on-arrival in the Senate .
Particularly on immigration issues , the legislation would make many illegal aliens eligible for $ 1,200 relief checks , along with a number of anti-enforcement measures .
“ She wants to use U.S. citizens ’ taxpayer money to pay illegal aliens … They committed a crime and entered this country illegally , they are in violation of law for working in this country illegally , ” Homan said .
House Democrats ’ HEROES Act , if passed into law , would allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which are frequently used by illegal aliens who don ’ t have Social Security numbers — to be eligible for stimulus funds .
The bill also forbids federal grant money from being withheld from sanctuary cities , and it calls on ICE to release detainees who do not pose a “ threat to public safety or national security.
” The legislation includes a section that provides “ temporary protections for essential critical infrastructure workers , ” giving protections to illegal aliens employed in jobs that are declared “ essential.
” If the legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would enjoy a period of deferred action on repatriation , and be authorized to work if they meet a certain requirements .
Homan said that Pelosi had argued for years that Trump is not above the law , but she thinks illegal aliens are above the law .
“ Here ’ s the Speaker of the House for three years [ saying ] the president is not above the law , the president is not above the law , but apparently in her eyes , illegal aliens are above the law , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know what the skies are in her world but she lost her mind on this stimulus package , ” Homan added .
Pelosi ’ s bill , which House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said was a “ liberal wishlist that has no chance of becoming law , ” is not anticipated to make it past the Republican-controlled Senate .
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Tom Homan ” by Fox News .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Pakistani Doctor Indicted on Charges of Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

A man in Minnesota has been indicted by a federal grand jury on an attempt to provide a terrorist organization with material support , according to a statement from the Department of Justice .
Muhammad Masood has been charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization .
Initially , the 28-year-old Pakistani national was charged in a criminal complaint in March , 2020 .
Masood , who is licensed to practice medicine in his home country , was previously employed at a medical clinic in Rochester , Minnesota under the H-1B Visa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinic was not released by officials , a LinkedIn page for a man with the same name shows he has the same work history as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Mayo Clinic .
Between January 2020 and March 2020 , procesutors say Masood pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham ( ISIS ) and its leader .
He also said he planned to fly to Syria to fight for the terrorist organization , as well as expressed desire to conduct “ lone wolf ” terrorist attacks in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ticket on February 21 , 2020 , originally planning to fly from Chicago , Illinois , to Amman , Jordan , and then to Syria .
The coronavirus pandemic changed his plans , as Jordan closed its borders .
Masood then planned to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet with someone he believed would assist him in traveling via cargo ship into ISIS territory .
Masood was arrested by the FBI ’ s Joint Terrorism Task Force on March 19 after he checked in at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously reported , several men who have resided in Minnesota have been linked to Middle East terrorist groups – some of whom have been convicted on terror-related charges .
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S .
Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Timothy C. Rank , with assistance from Trial Attorney Katie Sweeten of the National Security Division ’ s Counterterrorism Section .
Masood is currently in custody in the Sherburne County Jail awaiting further court proceedings .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun .
Follow her on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Whitmer, Legislature Face Off Over Emergency Powers Via Zoom Court Battle

A Michigan Court of Claims Judge on Friday heard the first oral argument in which the GOP-led legislature challenged Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s authority to extend her emergency orders unilaterally .
The legislature filed its lawsuit on May 6 .
The case ’ s ruling will impact the entire state .
Republicans want to open up Michigan ’ s economy faster than Whitmer , citing bleak unemployment numbers and a looming $ 3.2 budget deficit .
Whitmer says that opening the economy too fast would backfire in the long run .
Judge Cynthia Stephens , appointed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Granholm , heard the case via Zoom .
Michael Williams , who represented the House of Representatives , argued with Whitmer ’ s attorney , Chris Allen , whether Whitmer has exceeded her statutory authority .
Allen argued the legislature had purposely granted Whitmer the power to act .
Williams argued the executive “ seized ” power from legislative tools to manage the COVID-19 pandemic .
Williams said the case hinged on whether a governor , now or in the future , can “ exercise effectively a limitless , unilateral , temporally unbounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this state for as long as the governor wishes.
” Williams argued both laws granted Whitmer limited powers , for which she took power but ignored limits .
Allen countered that Whitmer was adhering to laws granted to her by the legislature to protect Michiganders .
Two laws guide the governor ’ s emergency power ; the Emergency Management Act of 1976 allows the legislature to review the executive ’ s action after 28 days and the Emergency Powers of Governor Act of 1945 , which has no such limit .
Allen argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency exists , for which the governor can harness her emergency powers – even after 28 days .
Just because the legislature voted not to extend her emergency power “ that doesn ’ t remove the governor ’ s duty to declare [ an emergency ] if the conditions warrant it , ” Allen said .
Judge Stephens pressed Allen on who could challenge the governor if she extended the emergency for an entire term by issuing and rescinding executive orders .
The legislature ’ s lawsuit revolves around the locality in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency , arguing it ’ s limited to smaller areas than the entire state .
But the 1945 law allows the governor to proclaim whether an emergency exists and to “ designate ” the impacted area .
Stephens questioned Williams how he knows “ area ” means a local area instead of the entire state .
Williams cited past context used for local emergencies such as the 1967 riots in Detroit .
Allen argued that an area ’ s definition depended on the circumstances , and in COVID-19 ’ s case , encompassed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court transcript be ready by Tuesday , and concluded by suggesting that the Michigan Supreme Court will probably hear the case .
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 .
Photo “ Zoom Meeting ” by CivicCenter TV .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--Gov. DeWine Tells Kentucky Democratic Senate Candidate Amy McGrath to Stop Using His Image in Ads Ag

Gov. DeWine Tells Kentucky Democratic Senate Candidate Amy McGrath to Stop Using His Image in Ads Against Sen. Mitch McConnell

Gov .
Mike DeWine released a statement asking that Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath not use his image in an “ attack ad ” against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
“ Ohioans are focused exclusively on getting through COVID-19 and getting our people back to work , and I ’ m proud to work with partners at the local and federal level to get it done .
It ’ s for that reason that I ’ m particularly disappointed with an attack ad by Amy McGrath that uses my image against my friend , Mitch McConnell , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Mitch and I have worked together for a long time and I know that he is focused , as I am , on this crisis and I appreciate his leadership , ” the governor added .
“ I ask for the McGrath campaign to remove my image from her advertising immediately.
” McGrath , who is challenging McConnell this November for his Senate seat , released an ad Saturday called “ About You.
” In the 62 second long video , it briefly features an image of DeWine .
“ Republican governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hogan in Maryland , and Democrats like Andrew Cuomo in New York and our own governor Andy Beshear , ” the add said .
“ They are all showing us what real leadership is and political parties has nothing to do with it.
” After praising these governors for their work handling the coronavirus , McGrath switches to criticizing McConnell .
“ Senator McConnell sees it differently , he doesn ’ t want to pass what he calls ‘ blue state bailouts ’ even though Kentucky would get badly needed help too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell , it is always about politics.
” In response to DeWine ’ s comments about the ad , McGrath said “ this is exactly what is wrong with politics.
” “ Every comment is , unfortunately , examined through a red or blue lens .
In this case , I ’ m pointing out that leadership doesn ’ t depend on your political jersey color .
It ’ s about your actions , ” McGrath tweeted .
“ Governors on both sides of the aisle are doing important work .
Governor DeWine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointing that he rejects sincere appreciation from a Democrat , and it shows how far we have strayed from our ideals as a nation , ” she concluded.
” I strongly stand by my ad.
” Cook Political Report , which is a non-partisan newsletter that “ analyzes elections and campaigns , ” says Kentucky ’ s Senate seat will “ likely ” remain Republican .
By its rating “ likely , ” it means that the race is not competitive , but has the potential to become competitive .
Zachery Schmidt is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] Background Photo “ Mike DeWine ” by Amy McGrath .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-17--#FreeTN Rally Sunday Expands Message to Protecting Constitutional Liberties from Government Overreac

#FreeTN Rally Sunday Expands Message to Protecting Constitutional Liberties from Government Overreach

The # FreeTN movement is expanding its messaging for a rally scheduled for Sunday from a focus on reopening the economy to protecting constitutional liberties against government overreach .
This rally will be held at the Tennessee State Health Department building on 710 James Robertson Parkway , Nashville from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To start this movement , Nashville resident Kim Edwards organized rallies while the state was on a shut down to “ flatten the curve ” of the COVID-19 spread .
Since the rallies held in seven cities across the state including Nashville on April 19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state capitol building , at Governor Bill Lee ’ s direction , the reopening plan for 89 of Tennessee ’ s 95 counties is well underway .
For Tennessee ’ s six largest counties all having their own health departments – Davidson , Hamilton , Knox , Madison , Shelby and Sullivan – their reopening has been a hodge-podge of different plans .
In Nashville/Davidson County , it has been the Chief Medical Director Michael C. Caldwell , M.D.
, M.P.H.
, who has issued and amended the Safer at Home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her rally invitations sent by email and via a Facebook video , the government is supposed to protect the rights of citizens .
However , in addition to Nashville ’ s unelected medical director , Edwards pointed out “ some of our elected officials have handed over our rights to bureaucratic committees they call task forces.
” She further described the individuals to whom power has been delegated , as “ people we did not elect .
People who have sworn no oaths .
People who aren ’ t held to any standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who meet behind closed doors.
” Edwards said that Tennesseans responded to the threat of the unknown virus , heeding the advice of the bureaucrats by staying home , closing business and events being postponed and canceled , all to prevent hospitals from being overrun .
What started out as guidelines “ escalated quickly to executive orders from both our mayors and our governor , ” said Edwards .
With regard to the executive orders , Edwards said that after our rights were taken away , the issuers “ are slowly giving them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential who are willing to comply with their new guidelines , little by little , as they stair-step us into tyranny.
” Reflecting on the initial intent of the stay-at-home executive orders , Edwards said , “ They don ’ t talk about overrunning the hospitals anymore .
They don ’ t even talk about flattening the curve.
” Even as the state is supposed to be reopening , Edwards pointed out , “ Today , some people can have some of their rights back if they wear masks and operate at half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Next , some people can have some of their rights back if they comply with social distancing , soon to be monitored by contact tracing.
” It ’ s easy to see the escalation path that Edwards laid out .
“ Then what ?
Some people can have some of their rights back if they get tested for antibodies and prove they ’ re [ sic ] immunity ?
When they have a vaccine , only those who agree to take it as often as they tell us to will be given back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , as with anything so consuming as a global pandemic , has brought about new terminology not the least of which is what is being called “ a new normal.
” To that , Edwards declared , “ We the people to do not consent to a new normal .
These rights are not given to us by man .
They are given to us by God .
We must fight to protect them.
” Edwards promotes an American ideal and hints at how it is being violated in the current state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions about your own health .
Freedom to pursue happiness .
Freedom to provide a life for yourself .
Freedom to worship and pray freely , ” she said .
Civil rights attorney Robert Barnes of Barnes Law , who has represented eight Covington Catholic High School students and agreed to support those looking to legal action against government overreach , will be speaking at the rally about constitutional liberties , the legal ramifications of the shutdown and the need for movements like # FreeTN .
Local medical professionals , Dr. Theron Hutton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the importance of health freedom , expert perspectives the health department is overlooking and alternative solutions that address public health without trampling on constitutional liberties , according to the rally information .
Live music , including a performance of the national anthem , will be provided by Kate Taylor & Band .
Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .
Photo “ Free Tennessee Protesters ” by Robert Donovan .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Nearly 10,000 Tennesseans Have Recovered from COVID-19

As of Sunday night , COVID-19 had claimed the lives of 295 Tennessee residents , and it had hospitalized 1,474 @ @ @ @ @ The Covid Tracking Project ’ s website .
The Covid Tracking Project also reported that @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .
Conversely , the same website reported Sunday that 302,913 Tennesseans tested @ @ @ @ @ state residents had recovered from it .
Also on Sunday , officials with the Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ their website that Davidson and Shelby counties continued to lead the state in numbers of @ @ @ @ @ officials on Sunday reported the following number of cases , by county : Chris Butler @ @ @ @ @ The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected @

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


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--EXCLUSIVE: The Treasury Department Spied on Flynn, Manafort, and the Trump Family, Says Whistleblowe

EXCLUSIVE: The Treasury Department Spied on Flynn, Manafort, and the Trump Family, Says Whistleblower

President Barack Obama ’ s Treasury Department regularly surveilled retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn ’ s financial records and transactions beginning in December 2015 and well into 2017 , before , during and after when he served at the White House as President Donald Trump ’ s National Security Director , a former senior Treasury Department official , and veteran of the intelligence community , told the Star Newspapers .
“ I started seeing things that were not correct , so I did my own little investigation , because I wanted to make sure what I was seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You never want to draw attention to something if there is not anything there.
” The whistleblower said she only saw metadata , that is names and dates when the general ’ s financial records were accessed .
“ I never saw what they saw.
” By March 2016 , the whistleblower said she and a colleague , who was detailed to Treasury from the intelligence community , became convinced that the surveillance of Flynn was not tied to legitimate criminal or national security concerns , but was straight-up political surveillance among other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When I showed it to her , what she said , ‘ Oh , sh % t !
’ and I knew right then and there that I was right – this was some shady stuff , ” the whistleblower said .
“ It wasn ’ t just him , ” the whistleblower said .
“ They were targeting other U.S. citizens , as well.
” Only two names are listed in the whistleblower ’ s official paperwork , so the others must remain sealed , she said .
The second name is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman of Trump ’ s 2016 presidential campaign .
The other names include : Members of Congress , the most senior staffers on the 2016 Trump campaign and members of Trump ’ s family , she said .
“ Another thing they would do is take targeted names from a certain database – I can not name , but you can guess – and they were going over to an unclassified database and they were running those names in the unclassified database , ” she said .
This ruse was to get around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
Once the Treasury personnel had enough information about someone they were targeting from the black box , they would go to the white box for faster and more informed search .
It was routine for these searches that had no criminal nor national security predicate , merely a political predicate , she said .
In March 2017 , she filed a formal whistleblower complaint with Acting Treasury Inspector General Richard K. Delmar , who continues in that office today , she said .
Beyond Delmar acknowledging receipt of the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the matter .
This formal complaint was a follow-up to an August 2016 notification to Delmar that did not meet the full requirements of formal complaint , but it provided Delmar with the details of Treasury ’ s surveillance of Flynn , she said .
The whistleblower filed a subsequent complaint with the Office of Special Counsel May 2017 , which is the permanent office established to work with whistleblowers and is not related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller .
This surveillance program was run out of Treasury ’ s Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leadership of S. Leslie Ireland .
Ireland came to OIA in 2010 after a long tenure at the Central Intelligence Agency and a one-year stint as Obama ’ s daily in-person intelligence briefer .
The whistleblower said Treasury should never have been part of the unmasking of Flynn , because its surveillance operation was off-the-books .
That is to say , the Justice Department never gave the required approval to the Treasury program , and so there were no guidelines , approvals nor reports that would be associated with a DOJ-sanctioned domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without approved and signed attorney general guidelines would violate U.S. persons constitutional rights and civil liberties , ” she said .
“ IC agencies have to adhere to Executive Order 12333 , or as it is known in the community : E.O .
12-Triple-Three .
Just because OIA does not have signed guidelines does not give them the power or right to operate as they want , if you want information on a U.S. person then work with the FBI on a Title III , if it is a U.S. person involved with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process for a FISA , but without signed AG guidelines you can not even get started , ” she said .
Title III refers to the FBI authority to electronically surveil Americans .
Top Obama Treasury officials among those who unmasked Flynn Because the intercepts from Flynn ’ s Dec. 29 , 2016 phone call with the Russian ambassador Sergei were captured by an entity other than Treasury , Patrick Conlon , the OIA director , who succeeded Ireland , was on the list of 37 Obama administration officials who either requested that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were shown the unmasked surveillance product .
There must have been some kind of meeting that day .
These are all of the other Treasury Department officials looking at Flynn that day : Secretary Jacob Lew , Acting Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis A. Daniel “ Danny ” McGlynn , Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Michael Neufeld , Deputy Secretary Sarah Raskin , Under Secretary Nathan Sheets and Acting Under Secretary Adam Szubin .
Lew is the only one who made the list again , this time Jan. 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s name sounds familiar , Raskin is the wife of Rep. Jamin B .
“ Jamie ” Raskin ( D.-Md . )
, one of the House Prosecutors , who argued for the removal of Trump after his impeachment .
The congressman ’ s wife was also an Obama-appointed Federal Reserve governor .
Neil W. McCabe is a Washington-based national political reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network .
In addition to the Star Newspapers , he has covered the White House , Capitol Hill and national politics for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Events and Townhall .
Before coming to Washington , he was a staff reporter for Boston ’ s Catholic paper , The Pilot , and the editor of two Boston-area community papers , The Somerville News and The Alewife .
McCabe is a public affairs NCO in the Army Reserve and he deployed for 15 months to Iraq as a combat historian .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Commentary: The Great, Steaming Heart of ‘The Swamp’ Beats in the U.S. Senate

Donald Trump was elected in 2016 on a platform that , broadly , called for draining “ the swamp.
” The definition of swamp , for the most part , was left to the listener , but generally , it was assumed to represent the established interests that dictated federal policy toward the ends of a few , and away from the benefit of the country .
This week , the depth , breadth , and scope of the swamp made itself clear .
It started with the unraveling of the case against former national security advisor Michael Flynn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating the Logan Act – an 18th-century statute that has never successfully been used to prosecute anyone , not in the least because of its dubious constitutionality .
Ultimately , Flynn was charged with lying to federal agents – a process crime but hardly treason .
This week , it was revealed that members of the Obama Administration , many of whom had no real role in counterintelligence operations , repeatedly unmasked ( that is , requested their identities and activities from intelligence gathering sources ) Trump ’ s incoming staff – including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least two reasons .
First , the very day former Vice President Joe Biden , and others , received this classified intelligence , it was leaked to the press – a violation of both the law and Flynn ’ s Fourth Amendment rights .
And second , it gives further credence to the claim that Flynn was railroaded by the FBI into a guilty plea so the agency could continue their Russian collusion investigation into the Trump campaign – despite having basically no evidence to support it .
This is hardly a one-off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of national intelligence lied to Congress about spying on American citizens .
That was before John Brennan , Obama ’ s CIA director , spied on Senate staff and broke into their computer files .
And , of course , Eric Holder , Obama ’ s attorney general , used the Espionage Act to surveil journalists from Fox News and the Associated Press .
And let ’ s not forget the time they eavesdropped on the phone calls of members of Congress .
It has also become clear how the Obama FBI abused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to spy on the Trump campaign , altering evidence , and repeatedly lying to the FISA court to obtain illegal warrants .
It ’ s part of the reason that , when FISA was reauthorized in the Senate this week , it was done with the inclusion of moderate reforms .
The reforms were largely due to the efforts of Senator Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) who relentlessly has been doing the spadework to fix the nation ’ s spy powers since last leading the efforts in 2015 .
Thanks to Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now have at least a measure of accountability and transparency .
But there is still work to do .
An amendment to forbid the FISA court from authorizing surveillance of American citizens ( thus forcing the National Security Agency and the FBI to go through the traditional courts to get a warrant ) from Senator Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) failed .
So , too , did an amendment from Senators Steve Daines ( R-Mont . )
and Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) to require a warrant before allowing the NSA to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of individual Americans .
One of the senators who voted against requiring a warrant for internet-snooping , ironically , was served with one of his own just a day later .
Richard Burr ( R-N.C. ) had his cell phone seized by the FBI as they continue to investigate allegations that the senator profited from classified information regarding the coronavirus , making several stock trades following an intelligence briefing that netted him up to $ 1.7 million .
His brother-in-law , working at the federal National Mediation Board , made similar trades .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast and wide as you think .
But it doesn ’ t just operate in the shadows .
In fact , there is an element of the swamp that is quite overt : what former House Speaker Sam Rayburn called “ The Interests.
” And those Interests claw at anything that goes against the conventional narrative .
That narrative is , of course , set by the nomenklatura in D.C .
This was also on display this week in just the latest attempt to shut down debate on a question that the D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside of the Beltway .
Senator Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
followed up on his case against the World Trade Organization by introducing a resolution to withdraw from the multinational trading body .
Hawley ’ s argument basically distills to this : trade is good – particularly bilateral trade , where the United States works out agreements with individual countries .
But multilateral trade agreements and trading bodies , on the other hand , harm U.S. interests , our workers , and our sovereignty , because they are too easily captured by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – particularly China .
As former Senator Jim DeMint said recently : Americans intrinsically understand this .
It ’ s why job losses and the trade deficit remain key concerns in opinion polls regarding China .
But you know who doesn ’ t understand this ?
Or , more cynically , does understand it , but doesn ’ t care ?
The Senate .
Nearly as soon as Hawley introduced his resolution under a mechanism designed to bring it to the Senate floor automatically , the powers-that-be brought it to a halt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate ’ s parliamentarians – the smartest staffers in the Senate – uncharacteristically made a mistake and gave Hawley the wrong information , rendering his efforts moot .
Oops !
Too bad .
No vote for you .
Sadly , this is not unique .
Similar moves were made in the House against Representative Thomas Massie ’ s ( R-Ky. ) efforts to force a resolution of disapproval vote against the war in Yemen .
The Interests protect nothing as fiercely as their right to engage in endless war , unconstrained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome of these votes that scares the establishment forces in Congress .
They know they can beat them .
Rather , it ’ s the debate and the fact of the vote itself .
Votes are clarifying .
They create a record .
They tell you what your elected representatives really think when pressed to take a stand .
And it ’ s that kind of transparency – and the attendant accountability – that swamp dwellers fear the most .
In the annals of representative government , it was a bad week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lied to , told to mind our betters because we “ just don ’ t understand how trade works , ” and had our rights manipulated by a government intent on spying on us .
But it was a bad week for the swamp , too , whose motives and moves were on display for an increasingly disillusioned public .
If you ’ re going to drain the swamp , you have to know where to pull the plug .
That , at least , is becoming a bit easier to see .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Conservative Partnership Institute and Senior Advisor to the Internet Accountability Project .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Commentary: COVID-19 Proves America Needs Economic Nationalism

Reports of a deadly new virus began trickling out of China in December .
The infection spread rapidly .
By March 12 , the World Health Organization deemed COVID-19 a global pandemic .
The next day President Trump declared COVID-19 a “ national emergency ” that would require the “ full power of the federal government ” to handle .
Many assumed this meant building temporary hospitals to care for COVID-19 patients .
Others thought the government would provide local authorities with emergency medical supplies .
Some imagined we would develop a vaccine .
Instead , the government shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distance ” – destroying more than 36 million jobs and at least $ 2 trillion in economic output – while it scrambled to buy basic medical equipment from China , of all places .
At the behest of academics , bankers , and “ conservative ” pundits like Ben Shapiro and Bill Kristol , America has offshored the bulk of its manufacturing industry to countries like China , Japan , and Mexico – countries that do not put America first .
This has made America vulnerable to the biological , political , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the world .
The American people will not be safe until we embrace the wisdom of tariffs – as did our Founding Fathers – and bring our factories back home .
In World War II , America produced the gauze , iodine , and syringes that allowed allied troops to soldier on in the face of bloodshed and broken bones .
Times have changed .
Today , America can not produce the basic medical supplies it needs to fight COVID-19 .
Alex Azar , the Health and Human Services secretary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs 25 times more masks than it currently has stockpiled .
Worse still , it turns out that America can not even manufacture the masks it needs because most of the factories are in China .
Evidently , it will take years for domestic mask-makers to fulfill the order placed by America ’ s Strategic National Stockpile .
Until then we are at China ’ s mercy .
This problem is not limited to masks .
America imports other basic supplies like syringes and latex gloves .
Even more embarrassing is the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of which were donated by China , to keep the sick alive .
American lives are in Chinese hands .
Offshoring poses a massive health and security risk to the American people .
Consider what would happen if China were to suffer another outbreak of COVID-19 , and refused to export medical equipment .
American physicians will be without masks .
Patients without ventilators .
People would die – all in the name of economic “ efficiency.
” Suppose that China continued exporting masks in this scenario .
Do you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or will they price-gouge us like the despicable hucksters selling their toilet paper hoards in New York City ?
My money is on the latter .
Medical supplies are just the tip of this iceberg .
While it is no secret that America imports a large portion of its material wealth from foreign nations – particularly China – most shrug it off .
After all , they say we import little more than “ cheap plastic junk.
” This could not be further from the truth .
In fact , America is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computers , medical supplies , sophisticated machinery – upon which our civilization depends .
Without imports , America quickly ( if temporarily ) would become a Third World nation populated by farmers and unemployed designers .
A quick look at America ’ s trade profile with China makes this clear : In 1986 , more than 53 percent of our imports from China were articles of clothing or fabric .
Additionally , about 20 percent of our imports were raw materials such as seafood , oil , and exotic fruits .
Conversely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of our exports to China were machinery , 13 percent were electronic goods , and 11 percent were aircraft .
Given the above data , one reasonably could assume that the United States was the more advanced and prosperous economy .
They would have been right .
Today , this situation is reversed .
In 2016 , garments and textiles constituted less than 15 percent of our imports from China .
Raw materials , under 2 percent .
Instead , electronics constituted 42 percent of our imports while machinery made up another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 percent of our exports to China were raw or lightly-refined materials like cereals , vegetable oils , and minerals .
Based on this more recent data , one could be forgiven for believing that China was a developed nation while America was an agrarian basket-case .
If these trends continue then this indeed could be America ’ s future .
After all , how can we sustain our way of life when it is literally made in China ?
How can we build a future when we are busy buying it ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dependence on China is a problem because it gives China tremendous political leverage over America .
For example , if China wants to influence an American election , or nudge policy in a particular direction , it simply needs to disrupt the flow of trendy consumer goods , and the mainstream media will knuckle under .
For proof , skeptics need only recall the enormous influence that Saudi Arabia has wielded in American foreign policy over the last 50 years .
All of this was due to the simple fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil .
Today , China produces everything and America needs everything .
China ’ s level of influence – if not control – will be proportional to its leverage .
This should chill the heart of every red-blooded American patriot .
Finally , imagine what would happen if America were to enter into a cold or – God forbid – hot war with China .
What happens ?
Presumably , we will need to scale-up our industrial production to build more uniforms , missiles , ships , etc .
There ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why ?
In order to manufacture more weapons , America would first need to build more factories .
America , however , imports almost all of its industrial components and machine tools .
That is , we don ’ t even manufacture the things we need in order to manufacture more things .
America ’ s economy is unable to replicate its own complexity .
It is sterile .
It is dead .
Today , America is in danger because it can not produce enough medical masks .
Tomorrow , it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produce enough computers , steel rebar , or aircraft engines .
No one knows .
The only thing we know for certain is that the future is uncertain .
The only way for America to be truly prepared for the unknown is for it to be economically independent – to produce enough of everything to survive a global shortage of anything .
This can only be done by imposing tariffs and bringing the factories back home .
If not , COVID-19 will be the least of our worries .
Spencer P. Morrison is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not Gold .
He is the editor-in-chief of the National Economics Editorial .
Follow him on Twitter @ SPMorrison_ .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Scientists, Economists Urge Trump to Bring on Statistician to Avoid Getting Duped by Bad Health Mode

Scientists, Economists Urge Trump to Bring on Statistician to Avoid Getting Duped by Bad Health Models

Dozens of scientists , economists and medical experts are urging President Donald Trump to add a professional statistician to his coronavirus task team because they worry the models his administration are relying upon could potentially lead his administration astray .
A slate of academics provided the Trump administration with a letter Tuesday listing several ideas the president could use to help boost his team ’ s pandemic response .
They believe adding an expert statistician to the COVID-19 task team could help Trump avoid relying on poor models that don ’ t reflect the real world .
“ Having an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the President ’ s team is an urgent matter , ” they wrote in a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ Such an immediate addition will reduce the chances of being misled by speculative computer models and other data.
” The letter ’ s signees cite two articles to help explain why they think models get it wrong without a statistician ’ s help .
They cite an April 23 Daily Signal article from retired epidemiologist James Enstrom who says in the piece that “ all other COVID-19 models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is currently little knowledge.
” Enstrom , one of the letter ’ s signees , also suggests that “ some deaths are being classified as COVID-19 deaths even when COVID-19 is not the underlying cause.
” Enstrom also mentions the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( IHME ) , which projected on April 1 that 262,029 hospital beds would be needed on the peak date of the coronavirus spread in the United States .
The researchers behind the IHME model eventually dropped that projected number down by 58 percent to 140,823 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to Trump administration officials Tuesday , John Droz , a physicist who authored the memo , told the DCNF .
“ We support the President and wanted to give him several constructive suggestions going forward — and these are evidently somewhat different from what he is hearing from the Coronavirus Team , ” Droz said .
Statistician Stanley Young , climatologist Patrick Michael , and immunologist Jonathan Bernstein are among the 70 scientists and academics who signed the letter asking the administration to strengthen the task force .
Michaels worked as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cato Institute until 2019 , and Bernstein is a clinical immunologist at Bernstein Allergy Group in Ohio .
Young , for his part , is a member of the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s Science Advisory Board and recently made waves after he criticized an April 4 Harvard University study drawing an association between particulate matters and coronavirus deaths .
“ The paper is written in a way that strongly implies cause and effect , ” he told the Washington Examiner in April , referring to the research .
Young and the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pieces of advice for the administration , including emphasizing the importance of flattening the curve , a policy designed to slow the spread of coronavirus such that it flattens out the number of cases over time .
In addition , they want the Trump administration to refrain from imposing “ one-size-fits-all mandates ” and instead allow states to stagger when they reopen .
The pandemic has killed more than 85,000 people in the United States thus far .
“ The main benefit is that it will enable higher efficacy COVID-19 therapies to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than vaccines will ) , ” the letter explains , noting that flattening the curve is not a permanent solution .
“ The public needs to be much better advised as to this rationale for short-term flattening.
” They also want Trump ’ s task force to keep better track of COVID-19 complications and deaths .
“ It would be informative if deaths related to lock-downs , higher prices , reduced incomes was kept track of , ” they write , adding that it is not helpful when medical professionals sometimes lump deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Misstating such deaths can make for bad policy , they argue .
Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the White House ’ s COVID team have responded to the DCNF ’ s request for comment regarding the letter .
Recent reports suggest coronavirus death tolls are much higher than official numbers suggest .
Data from the CDC show total deaths are nearly 50 % higher in states slammed by the coronavirus pandemic .
Death numbers in New York , Maryland , New Jersey , Michigan , Massachusetts , Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 11 , data show .
The data appear to illustrate how the pandemic is causing an increase in deaths , perhaps as a result of people forgoing hospital visits for what would otherwise be treatable conditions .
The New York Times initially reported on the data on April 28 , suggesting that the CDC ’ s findings show that coronavirus death tolls are likely higher than official counts .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Chinese Official Confirms China Ordered Labs to Destroy Coronavirus Samples

A senior Chinese government official confirmed Friday that authorities ordered laboratories to destroy samples of coronavirus in early January .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had accused Chinese officials of ordering the samples ’ destruction as part of the regime ’ s cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak in its early stages .
Pompeo said on April 22 that China “ censored those who tried to warn the world , it ordered a halt to testing of new samples , and it destroyed existing samples.
” He offered more specificity on May 6 , stating that China ’ s National Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed on Jan. 3 .
NHC official Liu Dengfeng conceded at a briefing on Friday that the agency had ordered the labs to destroy the samples , but said that the order was given for safety reasons .
“ If the laboratory conditions can not meet the requirements for the safe preservation of samples , the samples should be destroyed on the spot or transferred to a professional institution for safekeeping , ” Dengfend said , according to The Wall Street Journal .
“ Based on comprehensive research and expert opinion , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pneumonia as Class II — highly pathogenic — and imposed biosafety requirements on sample collection , transport and experimental activities , as well as destroying the samples , ” Dengfeng said , according to the South China Morning Post .
Chinese officials repeatedly suppressed the truth about coronavirus .
Chinese authorities silenced doctors , whistleblowers and journalists who sought to warn the public about the virus .
The majority view among the U.S. intelligence community agencies is that COVID-19 is a naturally occurring virus that accidentally leaked out of a laboratory in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
China has stonewalled the rest of the world , including the China-friendly World Health Organization , from its investigation into the virus ’ s origins .
Peter Hasson is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Medical Lab Waste ” by the US Air Force and “ ATI Medical Waste Incinerator ” by Jobrosse CC3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--State Department Inspector General Is Fired, Was Investigated for Mishandling Sensitive Information

President Donald Trump fired Steve Linick , the State Department ’ s inspector general , on Friday night , sources told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Trump notified House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he was removing Linick from office , effective in 30 days .
He said in the letter that “ it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General.
” “ That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.
” Two sources familiar with Linick ’ s ouster told the DCNF that while they were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watchdog was fired , he was under investigation last year by the Department of Defense ’ s inspector general for mishandling sensitive material .
The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter .
Linick , who has served as the State Department ’ s watchdog since Sept. 30 , 2013 , gained national attention last year when he arranged an impromptu briefing for lawmakers in which he turned over a batch of documents that Rudy Giuliani provided to the State Department regarding issues in Ukraine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other documents that Giuliani passed to Sec .
of State Mike Pompeo through an intermediary regarding Joe Biden and his son ’ s activities in Ukraine .
Lawmakers , including Democrats , expressed confusion about the purpose of the briefing .
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said at the time that the briefing “ raises more questions than it answers.
” The State Department and Defense Department inspectors general offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Linick ’ s office also investigated a meeting that State Department officials held in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former British spy who accused Donald Trump and his associates of conspiring with the Russian government .
Republican senators criticized Linick for failing to interview several participants in the meeting .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Background Photo “ State Department Building ” by AgnosticsPreachersKid .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Official with Taxpayer-Funded Lebanon Medical Facility Allegedly Stole More than a Half-Million Doll

Official with Taxpayer-Funded Lebanon Medical Facility Allegedly Stole More than a Half-Million Dollars

The former chief operating officer of the taxpayer-funded Cumberland Pediatric Associates in Lebanon allegedly stole more than half a million dollars , Tennessee Comptrollers said .
CPA provides preventative and acute care to children from birth to age 18 .
The facility serves patients from its clinics in Lebanon and Gordonsville and accepts TennCare insurance payments .
“ Investigators determined that Gannon stole at least $ 513,302 between January 2014 and August 2019 .
Gannon was responsible for issuing payroll payments to all CPA staff , including herself , and she manipulated the process in multiple ways to obtain and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ The investigation revealed that Gannon paid herself an additional $ 312,852 by inflating CPA ’ s payroll payments to herself .
For example , in March 2015 , Gannon gave herself a $ 60,000 raise without the owner ’ s knowledge or approval .
Gannon also paid herself bonuses totaling at least $ 200,450 without the knowledge of the owner .
As Chief Operating Officer , Gannon produced federal Form W-2s for all CPA employees .
Gannon prepared her own W-2s which substantially reduced the actual compensation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gannon ’ s employment in August last year .
This month the Wilson County Grand Jury indicted Gannon on one count of theft over $ 250,000 , two counts of forgery , and one count of criminal simulation , according to the press release .
This is the first Comptroller ’ s Office investigation completed since the General Assembly passed legislation addressing this issue in 2019 .
That legislation allows the Comptroller ’ s Office to assist district attorneys general and the TBI in the investigation of private funds if the Comptroller deems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest , the press release said .
“ Our Office employs some of Tennessee ’ s foremost experts in forensic accounting and fraud examination , ” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said in the press release .
“ This investigation was clearly in the public interest because this medical practice accepts TennCare payments .
I am pleased we can bring our expertise to the fight against fraud in Tennessee.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jail .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--John Brennan Says He Is Willing To Meet With Prosecutor Investigating Origins Of Russia Probe

Former CIA Director John Brennan said Friday that he has yet to be interviewed by the federal prosecutor investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia probe , but that he is willing to do so and has “ nothing to hide.
” “ I feel very good that my tenure at CIA and my time at the White House during the Obama administration was not — that was not engaged in any type of wrongdoing or activities that caused me to worry about what this investigation may uncover , ” Brennan said in an interview with MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviewed by any of those individuals involved in this matter , but I ’ m willing to do so because I do believe that for too long , the American public have been misled by Donald Trump , by William Barr and others.
” John Durham , the U.S. attorney for Connecticut , has been investigating several aspects of the FBI , CIA and other agencies ’ investigations and intelligence-gathering activities related to associates of Donald Trump in 2016 and 2017 .
Durham is reportedly scrutinizing Brennan ’ s activities , though there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncovered any wrongdoing on the former spy chief ’ s part .
The New York Times has reported that Durham has requested Brennan ’ s CIA communications to find out what role he played in developing an Intelligence Community Assessment that said the Russian government intervened in the 2016 election specifically to help Trump .
On Wednesday , two Republican senators released a list of Obama administration officials who made requests for intelligence reports that that led to the “ unmasking ” of Michael Flynn .
The list , which was declassified by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national intelligence , showed that Brennan made a request for a report that identified Flynn on Dec. 15 , 2016 .
Former Vice President Joe Biden also made a so-called “ unmasking ” request on Jan. 12 , 2017 .
Former FBI Director James Comey also made a request on Dec. 15 , 2016 .
Brennan defended the so-called “ unmasking ” requests , saying that he and other Obama administration officials were “ carrying out our responsibilities correctly ” when they requested intelligence reports that discussed Flynn .
Brennan asserted that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” because he has “ spoken out against the corruption , the incompetence , the mischaracterizations that he and individuals around him have made to the American public.
” Durham is also reportedly investigating some of the same areas detailed in a Justice Department inspector general ’ s report on the FBI ’ s Crossfire Hurricane probe .
The IG found that the FBI made 17 “ significant ” errors and omissions in applications for surveillance warrants against former Trump campaign aide Carter Page .
Many of the omissions centered on the Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI used to obtain authorization to wiretap Page .
The IG report said that FBI investigators withheld exculpatory information that undercut the theory that Page and other Trump aides were working with the Kremlin .
FBI and Justice Department officials also failed to disclose information that called dossier author Christopher Steele ’ s reliability into question .
The FBI also received evidence throughout 2017 that Russian intelligence operatives fed disinformation to Steele , a former MI6 officer .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Republican Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Cut Waste from Coronavirus Bill

U.S .
Representatives Ted Budd ( R-NC-13 ) and Ken Buck ( R-CO-04 ) introduced the Getting Americans Back to Work Act to amend a portion of the CARES Act , which resulted in some unemployed filers receiving higher wages through unemployment compensation than through their previous jobs .
The bill caps the amount an individual can receive from unemployment insurance at 100 percent of their previous wages .
The CARES Act provides an additional $ 600 per week in federal funds toward the amount filers receive in unemployment benefits from states .
The CARES Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those previously not covered by traditional unemployment insurance , including the self-employed , contractors , gig economy workers and others .
More than 36 million U.S. workers have filed for unemployment over the past two months , according to U.S. Department of Labor data .
“ At a time when our unemployment rate has surged to its highest point since the Great Depression , businesses across the nation are struggling to hire workers because many individuals are receiving more money through unemployment insurance than they earned when they were working , ” Budd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must do everything in our power to eliminate this perverse incentive .
We have to get our fellow citizens back into the workforce as soon as possible.
” According to a new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research ( NBER ) , 42 percent of recent layoffs due to the coronavirus response in the U.S. will result in permanent job losses .
The researchers found that only 3 new hires were made in the U.S. for every 10 people who were laid off as a result of state executive orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimate that 42 percent of recent layoffs will result in permanent job loss.
” “ Unemployment benefit levels that exceed worker earnings , policies that subsidize employee retention , occupational licensing restrictions , and regulatory barriers to business formation will impede reallocation responses to the COVID-19 shock , ” they add .
“ A record number of Americans have lost their jobs because of this nationwide shutdown and we need to do everything we can to encourage people to safely return to their places of work , ” Buck said .
The $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would , among other things , extend the $ 600 a week in additional unemployment insurance benefits through January 2021 , six months longer than authorized under the CARES Act .
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Sheriffs Across the Country Are Refusing to Enforce Unconstitutional Stay at Home Orders

Dozens of sheriffs across the country are refusing to enforce stay-at-home orders because of their unconstitutional nature .
Sheriff Brent Waak of Polk County , Wisconsin made national headlines last month when he announced that he wouldn ’ t enforce the state ’ s stay-at-home order because he respects his constituents ’ “ fundamental rights.
” “ I believe the extension of the safer at home order that was set to expire on April 24 , 2020 is an overreach of the state government .
As your sheriff , I have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have always respected the civil liberties of the citizens of Polk County , ” Waak said in an April 21 statement .
Sheriffs all over the country have now followed Waak ’ s lead , including at least one other Wisconsin sheriff .
“ I took an oath to uphold the constitutional rights of our citizens , and I can not in good faith participate in the destruction of Racine County businesses or interfere in the freedoms granted to all of us by our Constitution , ” Racine County Sheriff Christopher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the state ’ s lockdown measures in a 4 to 3 decision .
In the state that borders Wisconsin , four Michigan sheriffs representing counties in the northern portion of the state released a joint statement in April to announce that they wouldn ’ t enforce Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s shelter-in-place order .
“ While we understand her desire to protect the public , we question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority , ” the sheriffs of Leelanau , Benzie , Manistee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens.
” The sheriffs said they consider themselves the “ last line of defense in protecting your civil liberties.
” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco of California said during a May 5 meeting of the county ’ s board of supervisors that he can ’ t enforce an executive order that makes “ criminals out of business owners.
” “ Not only do we not have the resources to enforce unreasonable orders , I refuse to make criminals out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise healthy individuals for exercising their constitutional rights , ” Bianco said .
“ There can not be a new normal .
We are talking about a country formed on the fundamental freedoms of life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness .
Any new normal is a direct attack on those basic rights which set us apart and make us the greatest country in the world.
” In Arizona , Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb are refusing to enforce unconstitutional executive orders .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the pursuit of happiness , ” Lamb said in a recent interview .
“ Part of life is going out and being able to work and provide for your family .
That ’ s being inhibited right now.
” One Alabama sheriff sent a letter directly to Republican Gov .
Kay Ivey to inform her that he wouldn ’ t arrest anyone for going to church or work .
“ In recognition of those individual rights , while we respect the governor ’ s order , we don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply put them in jail because they were trying to make a living or go into a house of worship to worship , ” said Baldwin County Sheriff Huey Mack – the second sheriff in Alabama who has refused to enforce the governor ’ s order .
Tazewell County Sheriff Jeffrey Lower of Illinois said he has consistently argued throughout the pandemic that the governor “ can not create law.
” “ What he has mandated are executive orders .
Nothing in them give me or my office any authority in law and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ I will continue to fight against what I believe is a violation of our constitutional rights .
We the People are not just words on a paper .
They represent sacrifices that were fought and died for to give us the rights and privileges through the Constitution.
” Another Illinois sheriff said some parts of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order violated his “ statutory rights as sheriff to control the internal operations of ” his agency .
“ I swore an oath to defend the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois , and in my opinion , enforcing the executive order would cause me to go against the very principles I swore to protect , ” said Douglas County Sheriff Joshua Blackwell .
At least two sheriffs in Washington state said they are done with Gov .
Jay Inslee ’ s order , including Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney and Franklin County Sheriff J.D .
Raymond .
“ As your elected sheriff I will always put your constitutional rights above politics or popular opinion , ” Fortney said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ assemble .
We have the right to keep and bear arms .
We have the right to attend church service of any denomination .
The impacts of COVID-19 no longer warrant the suspension of our constitutional rights.
” Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ COVID-19 Protests ” by GoToVan .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Ohio Professor Qing Wang the Latest to be Arrested over China Ties

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine professor and former Cleveland Clinic employee was arrested Wednesday over his alleged ties to China .
The Justice Department announced that Qing Wang was arrested at his Shaker Heights , Ohio home as part of a joint operation conducted by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector-General .
Wang was charged with wire fraud related to more than $ 3.6 million in grant funding that Wang and his research team at the Cleveland Clinic had received from the National Institutes of Health .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affiliations with Chinese universities .
He also allegedly failed to disclose that he had received grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China for a nearly identical research project .
He held the title Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology .
Cleveland Special Agent-in-Charge Eric Smith said this wasn ’ t “ a simple case of omission , ” adding that “ Wang deliberately failed to disclose his Chinese grants and foreign positions and even engaged in a pervasive pattern of fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Staff of the Lerner Research Institute , a research arm of the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic .
Campus Reform found that Wang also held a professorship at CWRU ’ s School of Medicine , where he was involved with its departments of Molecular Medicine , Genetics and Genome Sciences , and its Division of General Medical Sciences .
He was a member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center located at the Cleveland , Ohio university .
Campus Reform reached out to Case Western Reserve University for comment on the arrest of Wang .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ WJW-TV : “ Like many highly qualified health professionals and researchers who work at our hospital partners , this person held a faculty appointment title but received no compensation from the university .
While this individual was not employed by the university , we are grateful for federal investigators ’ dedication to protecting our nation ’ s exceptional research efforts from wrongdoing.
” Wang is just one of a growing number of professors at U.S. colleges to be arrested over their ties to China .
Leo Thuman is a Ohio Campus Correspondent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PhD.
” by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and “ The Allen Memorial Medical Library ” by Soundoftoday CC3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-05-18--Michigan Facing Estimated $3 Billion in Revenue Losses this Fiscal Year

Michigan is facing a grim outlook for the state ’ s economic future .
Legislators are divided over whether the crisis requires severe budget cuts or a federal bailout to fix .
Lawmakers are facing a projected $ 6.2 billion drop in revenue over the next two fiscal years .
Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer and other local government officials have asked for federal help .
The Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act ( CARES ) Act granted a restricted $ 800 million to large Michigan municipalities but didn ’ t include smaller units of local governments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities will lose 37 percent of revenues , the fourth-highest in the nation .
On Thursday , local government leaders advocated for a $ 3 trillion U.S. House Democrat package that aims to give $ 375 billion to cities around the nation .
“ We have already cut dozens of jobs from the city payroll , including in my office , and are facing more drastic service reductions that our citizens need , ” said Bill Wild , the mayor of Westland and vice president of the Michigan Municipal League board .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means reductions in revenue sharing .
The federal government has helped businesses – now it needs to aid cities that are vital to the success of those businesses , too.
” House and Senate Appropriations Republican leaders on Friday called on Whitmer to slash spending to “ immediately ” balance the budget .
“ While the governor has time for regular press conferences and appearances on national news shows , it ’ s time to put a priority on resolving this budget crisis , ” Sen. Jim Stamas , R-Midland , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work with the governor to enact a budget correction plan as soon as possible that puts Michigan families first .
Every day she waits leaves us with fewer options and less money.
” Stamas gave an example to explain the problems ’ magnitude .
“ For example , if we cut state employees by 30 % , cut the remaining payments to public universities , community colleges and local governments , and cut Medicaid coverage in our state , it would cover just over half of the shortfall , ” Stamas said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Democrat from Flint , argued a hole this deep required federal help .
“ There ’ s no other way to put it : the numbers presented at today ’ s conference are sobering , ” Ananich said .
“ Just like every other state that ’ s been ravaged by COVID-19 , we will need a national solution to address this national problem.
” He cautioned against reopening the economy too quickly .
“ It is also clear that we can ’ t afford another coronavirus spike .
As we discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state must continue to use the best science to guide those critical decisions , ” Ananich said in a statement .
“ We can not let all of the sacrifices Michiganders have made in the past two months go in vain.
” 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 .
Photo “ Michigan House Floor ” by MittenStatePhototog CC2.0 .