thetennesseestar--2020-08-27--Department of Justice Requests Nursing Home Data on COVID-19 Deaths from Michigan

The Civil Right Division of the U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ ) has requested information about COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes from the state of Michigan .
The request , made on Wednesday , will help the department determine if it will open up an investigation under the federal Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act , which will identify if the state orders requiring coronavirus-positive patients to be admitted to nursing homes were responsible for the deaths of residents .
“ Protecting the rights of some of society ’ s most vulnerable members , including elderly nursing home residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s most important obligations , ” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband said in a statement .
“ We must ensure they are adequately cared for with dignity and respect and not unnecessarily put at risk.
” Current policy in Michigan requires nursing homes segregate patients that have tested positive for COVID-19 in a separate unit .
Michigan has seen more than 8,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,000 deaths from COVID-19 in long-term care facilities , according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government ’ s request in a statement released late Wednesday .
“ Protecting the health , safety , and wellbeing of our seniors and most vulnerable residents has been a top priority throughout this crisis .
The fact that this letter was sent during the middle of the Republican National Convention week to four Democratic governors should make it crystal clear that this is nothing more than election year politics by an administration that is more concerned with the president ’ s re-election campaign than protecting Michigan seniors , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor .
“ We will review this letter and respond as appropriate , however , Americans would all be better served if the Trump administration stopped the partisan games and focused on delivering a real plan to defeat COVID-19.
” The DOJ emphasized that the data request is not an accusation of wrongdoing .
It also requested information from New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania .
The department ’ s letter follows a similar call from an investigation from U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Coronavirus sent on June 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania — requested Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel investigate the impact Whitmer ’ s coronavirus policies have had on long-term care facilities .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter at The Michigan Star and Star News Digital Media .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-27--More Virginia Localities Established as Second Amendment Sanctuaries

Two more localities have passed resolutions establishing Second Amendment Sanctuaries .
On August 24 , the Front Royal Town Council unanimously passed their version of the non-binding resolution , and the next day , Greene County also passed theirs .
The resolutions are the result of lobbying efforts by the Virginia Citizens Defense League , declaring that the localities will not pass laws restricting firearms .
In July , new state laws took effect that allow cities and counties to pass their own gun laws , triggering a flurry of action .
Some places are restricting guns , others are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns .
The resolutions are like a covenant — local leaders can still pass ordinances to the contrary — but are a way to signal allegiances to citizens and politicians .
“ These resolutions are important to send a message to citizens that live in an area : ‘ We are your government that represents you , we ’ re going to protect your rights and not take them away , ’ and also send a message back to Richmond , ” VCDL President Philip Van Cleave said .
At the Greene County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lamb read a letter from the Commonwealth ’ s Attorney Edwin Consolvo and Sheriff Steven Smith .
The letter called for the board to pass the resolution noting that it “ demonstrates the county ’ s resolve not to restrict the rights of the people to keep and bear arms.
” In the letter , Consolvo added that having different gun laws in different localities would be confusing for people trying to travel .
The letter stated , “ Even if others believe that such legislation is prudent at this time , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ craft an untested , experimental ordinance bound for protracted court proceedings and endless appeals at the county ’ s expense.
” Greene County voted unanimously to pass the law with little other discussion .
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Concealed Carry ” by Clinger Holsters .
CC BY-ND 2.0 .

by Thomas Catenacci
A group of 27 Republican congressmen urged President Donald Trump to order a Justice Department-appointed special counsel investigation of “legitimate questions” about election irregularities.
The Republican congressmen asked Trump to direct Attorney General William Barr to appoint the special counsel, according to a letter obtained by Politico that was sent to the White House on Wednesday. Reps. Lance Gooden, Paul Gosar, Louie Gohmert, Scott Perry and Jody Hice were among the 27 congressmen who signed onto the letter.
“The American people deserve a definitive resolution to the uncertainty hovering over the outcome of our election, but legitimate questions of voter fraud remain unanswered,” the congressmen wrote.
Barr said on Dec. 1 that the Department of Justice has yet to find any evidence of election fraud that could sway the result, sparking criticism from conservatives. Trump hesitated when asked if he still had confidence in Barr.
“The Department of Justice has been asked on multiple occasions to launch an investigation into this matter, but inaction from the Department along with public comments made by the Attorney General indicate a lack of willingness to investigate the irregularities your campaign and other elected officials across the nation have alleged,” the Republican congressmen continued.
“The appointment of a Special Counsel would establish a team of investigators whose sole responsibility is to uncover the truth and provide the certainty America needs,” they added.
Several news organizations including The Associated Press and Fox News declared former Vice President Joe Biden the winner of the election on Nov. 7. Trump’s campaign has filed numerous lawsuits alleging widespread fraud, but courts across the country have handed the campaign many defeats.
Texas filed a new lawsuit against Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin Tuesday arguing the states altered their election procedures illegally. Alabama and Louisiana have expressed interest in joining the suit, according to Newsweek.
“Our Country stands at an important crossroads,” the lawsuit said. “Either the Constitution matters and must be followed, even when some officials consider it inconvenient or out of date, or it is simply a piece of parchment on display at the National Archives.”
“We ask the Court to choose the former,” it continued.
– – –
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-27--Henrico County Officials Shut Down State Senator’s Fundraiser for COVID-19 Relief and Black Lives Ma

Henrico County Officials Shut Down State Senator’s Fundraiser for COVID-19 Relief and Black Lives Matter

Henrico County officials and the Henrico County Manager shut down a fundraiser to support COVID-19 relief and Black Lives Matter on Tuesday .
State Senator Joe Morrissey ( D-16 ) was hosting and sponsoring the event alongside local Richmond promoters Avantae Jones and Keron Dixon with their company True Society Events , LLC .
“ About two weeks ago I approached two young , African American promoters about doing a COVID-19 [ and ] BLM fundraiser at my farm on the [ James ] river , ” Morrissey said in an interview with The Virginia Star .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I have had about 12 parties there for my district in the last 12-15 years .
It ’ s a big farm , there is ten acres just for parking and we have had food , alcohol , bands , etc.
, [ for events ] .
Jones and Dixon began promoting the September 5 event online and had sold about 300 tickets .
“ The real big part of the fundraiser is a lot of kids don ’ t have laptops or tablets right now for virtual learning , so most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Black Lives Matter , ” Jones said in an interview with The Star .
Police , who monitor social media , saw posts about the event and called saying they were going to shut down the fundraiser because it violated local ordinates , which prohibit “ having a festival in a residential neighborhood , ” Morrissey said .
Tuesday , a Zoom conference call took place between Morrissey , Jones and Dixon , Henrico County officials and a representative from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority , according to Morrissey .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festivals in residential neighborhoods were prohibited , which prompted Morrissey to ask why there was never any issues with his previous parties , one that had 2,000 people attend , Morrissey explained .
Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas , who was not invited to the call but had been listening in with one county official , then interjected saying that the fundraiser was shutdown and that was the end of the discussion , Morrissey said .
Jones and Dixon were not even given an opportunity to speak and argue in favor of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8,000 of their own money toward , according to Jones .
“ I felt a little racial profiling toward me because of the fact that if we probably were Caucasian , it would have never been misconstrued or anything , ” Jones said .
Vithoulkas and other Henrico County officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment The Star by the time of publication .
Henrico County officials told Morrissey that they were not aware the event was a COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter fundraiser , but the decision to was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think they made a decision that we don ’ t want that element in here , therefore we are going to close it down without even listening to [ the promoters ] , ” Morrissey said .
“ They came on to the Zoom conference call and had already made up their minds .
“ I think it is disgraceful and I think the county manager has got to answer for why he shut down a BLM/COVID-19 fundraiser that was being promoted by two African Americans on my farm under the guise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residential neighborhood.
” Now , the event is being labeled as a cookout at Morrissey ’ s farm with no tickets being sold and voluntary donations to both causes , Morrissey said .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-27--Senate Passes Bill Eliminating Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Assaulting Law Enforcement Officers,

Senate Passes Bill Eliminating Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Assaulting Law Enforcement Officers, Others

RICHMOND , Virginia – The Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would eliminate the mandatory minimum sentence of six months jail time for assaulting a law enforcement officer or other public servants .
The bill passed by a vote of 21-Y 15-N after over an hour of back and forth between Senators .
During discussions , many Republican lawmakers spoke in opposition issuing a bevy of grievances with the legislation and calling for the body to not pass the bill , Senate Bill ( SB ) 5032 .
Multiple Republican Senators said that the bill sends a message that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection and well being of law enforcement officers .
Other conservative legislators spoke about the general disdain that some of the public has toward police given the social justice protests occurring in Richmond and other cities across the country .
“ I think [ the bill ] is opening the door to assaulting police officers by lessening the offenses , it will enc ourage assaults , ” Sen. Bill DeSteph ( R-08 ) said in an interview with The Virginia Star .
“ If not the perception alone , this leads to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you want to protect citizens , then you should be doing everything possible to discourage an assault on our police officers .
“ Almost every bad outcome you see on TV is a direct result of an assault , resisting arrest or the escalation of a demand of an officer that was ignored.
” Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment ( R-03 ) said the timing and perception of the bill are as critical to the actual language given the current times and called for it to be moved to the 2021 regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-11 ) bluntly said “ this [ bill ] is an attack on our law enforcement.
” Senate Democrats argued that the bill would allow for more fairness in certain criminal cases where the punishment exceeds the crime and explained that the legislation was not anti or against law enforcement .
Sen. Scott Surovell ( D-36 ) , the sponsor of the legislation , also said that other criminal charges for assaulting law enforcement officers were not being affected , such as a malicious wounding charge , which carries a mandatory minimum two-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill was as much about policing reform as it was about mandatory minimums , ” Surovell said in an interview with The Star .
“ These felony assault on law enforcement officer charges are often coupled with over aggressive traffic stops or other over aggressive pedestrian encounters where people end up being probably inappropriately manhandled .
“ Hopefully with the reform bill passing and if this bill goes through , we will see some of the police officers that have a habit of being too aggressive moving on to other professions.
” Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session , one being Sen. Bryce Reeves ( R-17 ) who announced yesterday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 , and Sen. Richard Stuart ( R-28 ) left before the vote , which explains the 36 total votes and 15 nays .
The bill passed with amended substitutes that keep assaulting a law enforcement officer a felony charge , instead of a misdemeanor as originally drafted , but authorizes a judge or court to downgrade the charge to a class 1 misdemeanor if there was no bodily harm , the degree of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person ’ s diminished physical or mental capacity or a developmental disorder .
The bill also stats that if a juvenile commits assault and battery against a law enforcement officer , a separate law enforcement officer who was not the subject of the assault and approved by an attorney of the Commonwealth will investigate the case .
The Senate plans to send over its passed-bills to the House of Delegates by next Wednesday , even though the House just began considering bills in Committee this week .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-27--Ohio State University May Shut Down In Person Learning After Outbreak, Suspensions

Ohio State University ( OSU ) is “ preparing for a variety of situations ” after violations of the school ’ s COVID-19 guidelines lead to a wave of suspensions .
Two hundred twenty-eight students received interim suspensions due to breaches of the school ’ s “ Together As Buckeyes Pledge , ” The Ohio Star previously reported .
The suspensions came after a weekend of partying that violated the new guidelines against large social gatherings of more than 10 people .
In a statement to The Star , OSU spokesman Ben Johnson said : Eighty OSU students and 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after just the first week of testing , according to the university ’ s new COVID-19 Dashboard .
The number is roughly 1 % of all people tested so far .
Of the positives , there are currently 34 students in isolation and 29 in quarantine in on-campus living facilities .
With the suspensions and the new COVID cases , it is unclear if on-campus learning will continue at OSU .
In a joint message the University Provost and Executive Vice President Bruce A. Mcpherson and Dr. Hal Paz , the chancellor for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wexner Medical Center , said , “ We want to be clear : Our return to on-campus operations in the autumn is fully dependent on each member of the university community following all requirements and guidance .
If we fail to collectively maintain this culture of caring for ourselves and each other , we will not be able to be together on our campuses.
” Johnson said OSU was preparing for a variety of situations “ We will continue to closely monitor a number of different indicators , follow guidance from local , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consult with our own experts to make decisions in this fluid environment , ” he said .
Johnson pointed to the school ’ s “ strong capacity for online operations ” as a substitute should in-person learning close .
In response to a question about what would be done with student fees should the school close , and for those who received interim suspensions barring them from campus Johnson said , “ Ohio State may provide partial refunds of housing and dining costs in the event the university requires students to move out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official move-out date for the semester.
” “ Any decision about adjusting our plans will be made on the totality of the facts , in consultation with public health authorities , and based on the latest science and data .
The health and safety of our community continues to be our top priority , ” Johnson concluded .
– – – Ben Kolodny is a reporter at The Ohio Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Ben on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn’s Leadership Polarizing Many, According to Some Educa

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn’s Leadership Polarizing Many, According to Some Educators

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn may have lost the confidence of some influential people in Tennessee , at least according to a new editorial that the Professional Educators of Tennessee ( PET ) published this week .
The Nashville-based PET is a statewide professional association of educators , according to its website .
PET cited , among other things , a high turnover rate within the Tennessee Department of Education ( TDOE ) under Schwinn ’ s leadership .
Members of the group also cited a growing number of assistant commissioners making six-figure salaries and the way Schwinn has managed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The PET editorial said members of the Tennessee General Assembly might consider submitting a letter to Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee expressing no confidence in Schwinn ’ s leadership .
No one in either Lee ’ s office or the TDOE returned The Tennessee Star ’ s requests for comment Thursday .
“ Legislators , especially those that champion limited government , are likely to question the number of chiefs or assistant commissioners at the Department of Education , which has increased from the 13 under Commissioner McQueen to roughly 23 chiefs or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to PET ’ s editorial .
“ Our estimate is that the average salary of these chiefs and assistants exceeds $ 135,000 yearly .
There were several lower-salaried employee positions eliminated and many of those were not replaced .
However , the savings were not realized by taxpayers , but merely shifted into higher salaries for other staff with new job titles .
What Legislators should look at is simple : Has service to districts , parents , and educators improved under Schwinn or not ?
Ultimately , that is the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As reported last year , the TDOE had experienced a 19 percent turnover rate under Schwinn after nine months .
Previous commissioners had rates between 9 percent and 14 percent .
PET , in its editorial , said its criticism of Schwinn has focused on how she ’ s handled COVID-19 .
“ Should Commissioner Schwinn be given a no-confidence vote ?
That is not our decision to make , nor are we advocating it , ” PET wrote .
“ We want her , or anyone in that office , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only priority .
And we will never apologize for speaking up for our educators and students.
” As The Star reported this week , the organization Tennessee Stands called Schwinn a leftist and a statist who wants the government to have too great of a role developing public school students .
As reported last year , Schwinn , a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley , began her career in education working as a teacher for Teach for America .
Teach for America is a controversial non-profit organization that pays new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of its mission to address “ educational inequity ” and “ help children overcome obstacles like systemic racism and poverty.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

by Peter Hasson
Twenty-eight congressional Democrats signed a letter Wednesday condemning the Department of Education for ruling that public schools that allow biological males who identify as transgender to play girls’ sports are violating Title IX civil rights legislation.
Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined 27 House Democrats in signing the letter, which charged that the department’s order “discriminates against transgender youth” by restricting girls’ sports to biological females.
“The decision of the Department of Education to issue a determination targeting transgender student athletes on the eve of Pride Month is not coincidental. It is a transparent example of their campaign against the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ children,” Connecticut Rep. Jahana Hayes, the letter’s lead signer, said in a press release.
The DOE on May 15 issued a ruling stating that public schools that allow biological males into girls’ athletics are violating Title IX, which protects women’s access to education and athletics.
The Department of Justice previously backed a lawsuit filed by high school girls in Connecticut who said the liberal state’s transgender policies violated their rights.
Sports across the country are on hold due to the novel coronavirus, but biological males who identify as transgender have previously racked up accomplishments in female athletics.
Franklin Pierce University runner CeCe Telfer, for example, won an NCAA DII women’s track championship in May 2019. Telfer is a biological male who identifies as transgender.
University of Montana runner June Eastwood, a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman, was named the Big Sky Conference’s female athlete of the week in October 2019. Both Eastwood and Telfer previously competed on their university’s men’s team before switching to the women’s team.
Rachel McKinnon, a biological male who identifies as transgender, won women’s cycling world championships in both 2018 and 2019.
Wednesday’s letter isn’t the first instance of Democratic politicians arguing in favor of allowing biological males into female athletics.
Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar in February 2019 called for an investigation into USA Powerlifting for barring biologically male athletes from women’s events.
A piece of Democratic legislation called the Equality Act, which passed the House with unanimous support from Democrats, would require schools to allow biologically male athletes into girls’ sports, if the male athletes identify as transgender.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, pledged to get the Equality Act passed into law within his first 100 days in office, if he wins the November election.
“Transgender equality is the civil rights issue of our time,” Biden wrote in a January tweet. “There is no room for compromise when it comes to basic human rights.”
– – –
Peter Hasson is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--President Donald Trump Accepts the Nomination for Re-Election

In a speech that had White House guests riveted for over an hour , President Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination to the presidency .
His remarks as prepared are included here in full : Friends , delegates , and distinguished guests : I stand before you tonight honored by your support ; proud of the extraordinary progress we have made together over the last four years ; and brimming with confidence in the bright future we will build for America over the NEXT four years !
As we begin this evening , our thoughts are with the wonderful people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Hurricane Laura .
We are working closely with state and local officials in Texas , Louisiana , Arkansas , and Mississippi , sparing no effort to save lives .
While the hurricane was fierce , one of the strongest to make landfall in 150 years , the casualties and damage were far less than thought possible only 24 hours ago .
This is due to the great work of FEMA , law enforcement , and the individual states .
I will be going this weekend .
We are one national family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and care for each other .
Here tonight are the people who have made my journey possible , and filled my life with so much joy .
For her incredible service to our nation and its children , I want to thank our magnificent First Lady .
I also want to thank my amazing daughter Ivanka for that introduction , and to all of my children and grandchildren – I love you more than words can express .
I know my brother Robert is looking down on us right now from Heaven .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ very proud of the job we are doing .
Let us also take a moment to show our profound appreciation for a man who has always fought by our side , and stood up for our values – a man of deep faith and steadfast conviction : Vice President Mike Pence .
Mike is joined by his beloved wife , a teacher and military mom , Karen Pence .
My fellow Americans , tonight , with a heart full of gratitude and boundless optimism , I proudly accept this nomination for President of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the party of Abraham Lincoln , goes forward united , determined , and ready to welcome millions of Democrats , Independents , and anyone who believes in the GREATNESS of America and the righteous heart of the American People .
In a new term as President , we will again build the greatest economy in history – quickly returning to full employment , soaring incomes , and RECORD prosperity !
We will DEFEND AMERICA against all threats , and protect America against all dangers .
We will LEAD AMERICA into new frontiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will reach for new heights of national achievement .
We will rekindle new faith in our values , new pride in our history , and a new spirit of unity that can ONLY be realized through love for our country .
Because we understand that America is NOT a land cloaked in darkness , America is the torch that enlightens the entire world .
Gathered here at our beautiful and majestic White House – known all over the world as the People ’ s House – we can not help but marvel at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Story .
This has been the home of larger-than-life figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Andrew Jackson who rallied Americans to bold visions of a bigger and brighter future .
Within these walls lived tenacious generals like Presidents Grant and Eisenhower who led our soldiers in the cause of freedom .
From these grounds , Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on a daring expedition to cross a wild and uncharted continent .
In the depths of a bloody Civil War , President Abraham Lincoln looked out these very windows upon a half-completed Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His Providence , to save our union .
Two weeks after Pearl Harbor , Franklin Delano Roosevelt welcomed Winston Churchill , and just inside , they set our people on a course to victory in the Second World War .
In recent months , our nation , and the entire planet , has been struck by a new and powerful invisible enemy .
Like those brave Americans before us , we are meeting this challenge .
We are delivering lifesaving therapies , and will produce a vaccine BEFORE the end of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will defeat THE VIRUS , end the pandemic , and emerge stronger than ever before .
What united generations past was an unshakable confidence in America ’ s destiny , and an unbreakable faith in the American People .
They knew that our country is blessed by God , and has a special purpose in this world .
It is that conviction that inspired the formation of our union , our westward expansion , the abolition of slavery , the passage of civil rights , the space program , and the overthrow of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towering American spirit has prevailed over every challenge , and lifted us to the summit of human endeavor .
And yet , despite all of our greatness as a nation , everything we have achieved is now endangered .
This is the most important election in the history of our country .
At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties , two visions , two philosophies , or two agendas .
This election will decide whether we SAVE the American Dream , or whether we allow a socialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will decide whether we rapidly create millions of high paying jobs , or whether we crush our industries and send millions of these jobs overseas , as has foolishly been done for many decades .
Your vote will decide whether we protect law abiding Americans , or whether we give free reign to violent anarchists , agitators , and criminals who threaten our citizens .
And this election will decide whether we will defend the American Way of Life , or whether we allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joe Biden and his party repeatedly assailed America as a land of racial , economic , and social injustice .
So tonight , I ask you a very simple question : How can the Democrat Party ask to lead our country when it spends so much time tearing down our country ?
In the left ’ s backward view , they do not see America as the most free , just , and exceptional nation on earth .
Instead , they see a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YOU can only come from giving power to THEM .
This is a tired anthem spoken by every repressive movement throughout history .
But in this country , we don ’ t look to career politicians for salvation .
In America , we don ’ t turn to government to restore our souls – we put our faith in Almighty God .
Joe Biden is not the savior of America ’ s soul – he is the destroyer of America ’ s Jobs , and if given the chance , he will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 47 years , Joe Biden took the donations of blue collar workers , gave them hugs and even kisses , and told them he felt their pain – and then he flew back to Washington and voted to ship their jobs to China and many other distant lands .
Joe Biden spent his entire career outsourcing the dreams of American Workers , offshoring their jobs , opening their borders , and sending their sons and daughters to fight in endless foreign wars .
Four years ago , I ran for President because I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country any longer .
I could not sit by as career politicians let other countries take advantage of us on trade , borders , foreign policy and national defense .
Our NATO partners , as an example , were far behind in their defense payments .
But at my strong urging , they agreed to pay $ 130 billion more a year .
This will ultimately go to $ 400 billion .
Secretary General Stoltenberg , who heads NATO , was amazed , and said that President Trump did what no one else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment I left my former life behind , and a good life it was , I have done nothing but fight for YOU .
I did what our political establishment never expected and could never forgive , breaking the cardinal rule of Washington Politics .
I KEPT MY PROMISES .
Together , we have ended the rule of the failed political class – and they are desperate to get their power back by any means necessary .
They are angry at me because instead of putting THEM FIRST , I put AMERICA FIRST @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shocked the Washington Establishment and withdrew from the last Administration ’ s job-killing Trans Pacific Partnership .
I then approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines , ended the unfair and costly Paris Climate Accord , and secured , for the first time , American Energy Independence .
We passed record-setting tax and regulation cuts , at a rate nobody had ever seen before .
Within three short years , we built the strongest economy in the history of the world .
Washington insiders asked me NOT to stand up to China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China continue stealing our jobs , ripping us off , and robbing our country blind .
But I kept my word to the American People .
We took the toughest , boldest , strongest , and hardest hitting action against China in American History .
They said that it would be impossible to terminate and replace NAFTA – but again , they were wrong .
Earlier this year , I ended the NAFTA nightmare and signed the brand new U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement into law .
Now auto companies and others are building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not firing their employees and deserting us .
In perhaps no area did the Washington special interests try harder to stop us than on my policy of pro-American immigration .
But I refused to back down – and today America ’ s borders are more secure than EVER before .
We ENDED catch-and-release , stopped asylum fraud , took down human traffickers who prey on women and children , and we have deported 20,000 Gang Members and 500,000 Criminal Aliens .
We have already built 300 miles of Border Wall – and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
The Wall will soon be complete , and it is working beyond our wildest expectations .
We are joined this evening by members of the Border Patrol union , representing our country ’ s courageous border agents .
Thank you all .
When I learned that the Tennessee Valley Authority laid off hundreds of American Workers and forced them to train their lower-paid foreign replacements , I promptly removed the Chairman of the Board .
And now , those talented American Workers have been RE-HIRED and are back providing power to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mississippi , North Carolina , and Virginia .
They have their old jobs back , and some are here with us this evening .
Please stand .
Last month , I took on Big Pharma and signed orders that will massively lower the cost of your prescription drugs , and to give critically ill patients access to lifesaving cures , we passed the decades long-awaited RIGHT TO TRY legislation .
We also passed VA Accountability and VA Choice .
By the end of my first term , we will have approved more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great new Supreme Court Justices .
To bring prosperity to our forgotten inner cities , we worked hard to pass historic criminal justice reform , prison reform , opportunity zones , the long-term funding of historically black colleges and universities , and , before the China Virus came in , produced the best unemployment numbers for African-Americans , Hispanic-Americans , and Asian-Americans ever recorded .
I have done more for the African-American community than any president since Abraham Lincoln , our first Republican president .
I have done more in three years for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done in 47 years—and when I ’ m reelected , the best is yet to come !
When I took office , the Middle East was in total chaos .
ISIS was rampaging , Iran was on the rise , and the war in Afghanistan had no end in sight .
I withdrew from the terrible , one-sided Iran Nuclear Deal .
Unlike many presidents before me , I kept my promise , recognized Israel ’ s true capital and moved our Embassy to Jerusalem .
But not only did we talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got it built .
Rather than spending $ 1 billion on a new building as planned , we took an already owned existing building in a better location , and opened it at a cost of less than $ 500,000 .
We also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights , and this month we achieved the first Middle East peace deal in 25 years .
In addition , we obliterated 100 percent of the ISIS Caliphate , and killed its founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi .
Then , in a separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s number one terrorist , Qasem Soleimani .
Unlike previous administrations , I have kept America OUT of new wars – and our troops are coming home .
We have spent nearly $ 2.5 trillion on completely rebuilding our military , which was very badly depleted when I took office .
This includes three separate pay raises for our great warriors .
We also launched the Space Force , the first new branch of the United States military since the Air Force was created almost 75 years ago .
We have spent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden inflicted over the last 47 years .
Biden ’ s record is a shameful roll call of the most catastrophic betrayals and blunders in our lifetime .
He has spent his entire career on the wrong side of history .
Biden voted for the NAFTA disaster , the single worst trade deal ever enacted ; he supported China ’ s entry into the World Trade Organization , one of the greatest economic disasters of all time .
After those Biden calamities , the United States lost 1 in 4 manufacturing jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio , New Hampshire , Pennsylvania , and many other states didn ’ t want Joe Biden ’ s hollow words of empathy , they wanted their jobs back !
As Vice President , he supported the Trans Pacific Partnership which would have been a death sentence for the U.S. Auto Industry ; he backed the horrendous South Korea trade deal , which took many jobs from our country .
He repeatedly supported mass amnesty for illegal immigrants .
He voted FOR the Iraq War ; he opposed the mission to take out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani ; he oversaw the rise of ISIS , and cheered the rise of China as “ a positive development ” for America and the world .
That ’ s why China supports Joe Biden and desperately wants him to win .
China would own our country if Joe Biden got elected .
Unlike Biden , I will hold them fully accountable for the tragedy they caused .
In recent months , our nation , and the rest of the world , has been hit with a once-in-a-century pandemic that China allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grateful to be joined tonight by several of our incredible nurses and first responders – please stand and accept our profound thanks .
Many Americans have sadly lost friends and cherished loved ones to this horrible disease .
As one nation , we mourn , we grieve , and we hold in our hearts forever the memories of all of those lives so tragically taken .
In their honor , we will unite .
In their memory , we will overcome .
When the China Virus hit , we launched the largest national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Defense Production Act , we produced the world ’ s largest supply of ventilators .
Not a single American who has needed a ventilator has been denied a ventilator .
We shipped hundreds of millions of masks , gloves and gowns to our front line healthcare workers .
To protect our nation ’ s seniors , we rushed supplies , testing kits , and personnel to nursing homes and long term care facilities .
The Army Corps of Engineers built field hospitals , and the Navy deployed our great hospital ships .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest and most advanced testing system in the world .
America has tested more than every country in Europe put together , and more than every nation in the Western Hemisphere COMBINED .
We have conducted 40 million more tests than the next closest nation .
We developed a wide array of effective treatments , including a powerful anti-body treatment known as Convalescent Plasma that will save thousands of lives .
Thanks to advances we have pioneered , the fatality rate has been reduced by 80 percent since April .
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any major country in the world .
The European Union ’ s case fatality rate is nearly three times higher than ours .
Altogether , the nations of Europe have experienced a 30 percent greater increase in excess mortality than the United States .
We enacted the largest package of financial relief in American history .
Thanks to our Paycheck Protection Program , we have saved or supported more than 50 million American jobs .
As a result , we have seen the smallest economic contraction of any major western nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over the past three months , we have gained over 9 million jobs , a new record .
Unfortunately , from the beginning , our opponents have shown themselves capable of nothing but a partisan ability to criticize .
When I took bold action to issue a travel ban on China , Joe Biden called it hysterical and xenophobic .
If we had listened to Joe , hundreds of thousands more Americans would have died .
Instead of following the science , Joe Biden wants to inflict a painful shutdown on the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lasting harm on our nation ’ s children , families , and citizens of all backgrounds .
The cost of the Biden shutdown would be measured in increased drug overdoses , depression , alcohol addiction , suicides , heart attacks , economic devastation and more .
Joe Biden ’ s plan is not a solution to the virus , but rather a surrender .
My Administration has a different approach .
To save as many lives as possible , we are focusing on the science , the facts and the data .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk – especially the elderly – while allowing lower-risk Americans to safely return to work and school .
Most importantly , we are marshalling America ’ s scientific genius to produce a vaccine in RECORD TIME .
Under Operation Warp Speed , we have three different vaccines in the final stage of trials right now , years ahead of what has been achieved before .
We are producing them in advance , so that hundreds of millions of doses will be quickly available .
We will have a safe and effective vaccine this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
At the Democrat convention , you barely heard a word about their agenda .
But that ’ s not because they don ’ t have one .
It ’ s because their agenda is the most extreme set of proposals ever put forward by a major party nominee .
Joe Biden may claim he is an “ ally of the Light , ” but when it comes to his agenda , Biden wants to keep you completely in the dark .
He has pledged a $ 4 trillion tax hike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will totally collapse our rapidly improving economy and once again record stock markets .
On the other hand , just as I did in my first term , I will cut taxes even further for hardworking moms and dads , not raise them .
We will also provide tax credits to bring jobs out of China BACK to America – and we will impose tariffs on any company that leaves America to produce jobs overseas .
We ’ ll make sure our companies and jobs stay in our country , as I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s agenda is Made in China .
My agenda is MADE IN THE USA .
Biden has promised to abolish the production of American oil , coal , shale , and natural gas – laying waste to the economies of Pennsylvania , Ohio , Texas , North Dakota , Oklahoma , Colorado , and New Mexico .
Millions of jobs will be lost , and energy prices will soar .
These same policies led to crippling power outages in California just last week .
How can Joe Biden claim to be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own party can ’ t even keep the lights on ?
Joe Biden ’ s campaign has even published a 110-page policy platform co-authored with Far-Left Senator Bernie Sanders .
The Biden-Bernie Manifesto calls for suspending ALL removals of illegal aliens , implementing nationwide Catch-and-Release ; and providing illegal aliens with free taxpayer-funded lawyers .
Joe Biden recently raised his hand on the debate stage and promised to give away YOUR healthcare dollars to illegal immigrants .
He also supports deadly Sanctuary Cities that protect criminal aliens .
He promised to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he pledged to increase refugee admissions by 700 percent .
The Biden Plan would eliminate America ’ s borders in the middle of a global pandemic .
Biden also vowed to oppose School Choice and close down Charter Schools , ripping away the ladder of opportunity for Black and Hispanic children .
In a second term , I will EXPAND charter schools and provide SCHOOL CHOICE to every family in America .
And we will always treat our teachers with the tremendous respect they deserve .
Joe Biden claims he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party he leads supports the extreme late-term abortion of defenseless babies right up to the moment of BIRTH .
Democrat leaders talk about moral decency , but they have no problem with stopping a baby ’ s beating heart in the 9th month of pregnancy .
Democrat politicians refuse to protect innocent life , and then they lecture us about morality and saving America ’ s soul ?
Tonight , we proudly declare that all children , born and unborn , have a GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO LIFE .
During the Democrat Convention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the Pledge of Allegiance – not once , but twice .
The fact is , this is where they are coming from .
If the left gains power , they will demolish the suburbs , confiscate your guns , and appoint justices who will wipe away your Second Amendment and other Constitutional freedoms .
Biden is a Trojan horse for socialism .
If Joe Biden doesn ’ t have the strength to stand up to wild-eyed Marxists like Bernie Sanders and his fellow radicals , then how is he ever going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most dangerous aspect of the Biden Platform is the attack on public safety .
The Biden-Bernie Manifesto calls for Abolishing cash bail , immediately releasing 400,000 criminals onto your streets and into your neighborhoods .
When asked if he supports cutting police funding , Joe Biden replied , “ Yes , absolutely.
” When Congresswoman Ilhan Omar called the Minneapolis police department a cancer that is “ rotten to the root , ” Biden wouldn ’ t disavow her support and reject her endorsement – he proudly displayed it on his website .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to Joe Biden , the radical left will Defund Police Departments all across America .
They will pass federal legislation to reduce law enforcement nationwide .
They will make every city look like Democrat-run Portland , Oregon .
No one will be safe in Biden ’ s America .
My administration will always stand with the men and women of law enforcement .
Every day , police officers risk their lives to keep us safe , and every year , many sacrifice their lives in the line of duty .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She was part of a team of American Heroes called the NYPD or New York ’ s Finest .
Three years ago on Fourth of July weekend , Detective Familia was on duty in her vehicle when she was ambushed just after midnight and murdered by a monster who hated her purely for wearing the badge .
Detective Familia was a single mom – she ’ d recently asked for the night shift so she could spend more time with her kids .
Two years ago , I stood in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and held their Grandmother ’ s hand as they mourned their terrible loss and we honored Detective Familia ’ s extraordinary life .
Detective Familia ’ s three children are with us this evening .
Genesis , Peter , and Delilah , we are so grateful to have you here tonight .
I promise you that we will treasure your mom in our memories forever .
We must remember that the overwhelming majority of police officers in this country are noble , courageous and honorable .
We have to give law enforcement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are afraid to act .
They are afraid to lose their pension .
They are afraid to lose their jobs , and by being afraid they are not able to do their jobs .
And those who suffer most are the great people who they want so desperately to protect .
When there is police misconduct , the justice system must hold wrongdoers fully and completely accountable , and it will .
But what we can never have in America – and must never allow – is MOB RULE .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemns the rioting , looting , arson and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities like Kenosha , Minneapolis , Portland , Chicago , and New York .
There is violence and danger in the streets of many Democrat-run cities throughout America .
This problem could easily be fixed if they wanted to .
We must always have law and order .
All federal crimes are being investigated , prosecuted , and punished to the fullest extent of the law .
When the anarchists started ripping down our statues and monuments , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison , and it all stopped .
During their convention , Joe Biden and his supporters remained completely silent about the rioters and criminals spreading mayhem in Democrat-Run Cities .
In the face of left-wing anarchy and mayhem in Minneapolis , Chicago , and other cities , Joe Biden ’ s campaign did not condemn it – they DONATED to it .
At least 13 members of Joe Biden ’ s campaign staff donated to a fund to bail out vandals , arsonists , looters , and rioters from jail .
Here tonight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Captain David Dorn , a 38-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department .
In June , Captain Dorn was shot and killed as he tried to protect a store from rioters and looters .
We are honored to be joined tonight by his wife Ann and beloved family members : Brian and Kielen .
To each of you : we will never forget the heroic legacy of Captain David Dorn .
As long as I am President , I will defend the absolute right of every American citizen to live in security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrat Party wants to stand with anarchists , agitators , rioters , looters , and flag-burners , that is up to them , but I , as your President , will not be a part of it .
The Republican Party will remain the voice of the patriotic heroes who keep America Safe .
Last year , over 1,000 African-Americans were murdered as result of violent crime in just four Democrat-run cities .
The top 10 most dangerous cities in the country are run by Democrats , and have been for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent crime in these communities Joe Biden and the left ignore these American Victims .
I NEVER WILL .
If the Radical Left takes power , they will apply their disastrous policies to every city , town , and suburb in America .
Just imagine if the so-called peaceful demonstrators in the streets were in charge of every lever of power in the U.S. Government .
Liberal politicians claim to be concerned about the strength of American institutions .
But who , exactly , is attacking them ?
Who is hiring the radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who is trying to abolish immigration enforcement , and establish speech codes designed to muzzle dissent ?
In every case , the attacks on American institutions are being waged by the radical left .
Always Remember : they are coming after ME , because I am fighting for YOU .
We must reclaim our independence from the left ’ s repressive mandates .
Americans are exhausted trying to keep up with the latest list of approved words and phrases , and the ever-more restrictive political decrees .
Many things have a different name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changing .
The goal of cancel culture is to make decent Americans live in fear of being fired , expelled , shamed , humiliated , and driven from society as we know it .
The far-left wants to coerce you into saying what you know to be FALSE , and scare you out of saying what you know to be TRUE .
But on November 3rd , you can send them a thundering message they will never forget !
Joe Biden is weak .
He takes his marching orders from liberal hypocrites who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fleeing far from the scene of the wreckage .
These same liberals want to eliminate school choice , while they enroll their children in the finest private schools in the land .
They want to open our borders while living in walled-off compounds and communities .
They want to defund the police , while they have armed guards for themselves .
This November , we must turn the page FOREVER on this failed political class .
The fact is , I ’ m here , and they ’ re not – and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we will write the next chapter of the Great American Story .
Over the next four years , we will make America into the Manufacturing Superpower of the World .
We will expand Opportunity Zones , bring home our medical supply chains , and we will end our reliance on China once and for all .
We will continue to reduce taxes and regulations at levels not seen before .
We will create 10 million jobs in the next 10 months .
We will hire MORE police , increase penalties for assaults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors into high-crime communities .
We will BAN deadly Sanctuary Cities , and ensure that federal healthcare is protected for American Citizens – not illegal aliens .
We will have strong borders , strike down terrorists who threaten our people , and keep America OUT of endless and costly foreign wars .
We will appoint prosecutors , judges , and justices who believe in enforcing the LAW – not their own political agenda .
We will ensure equal justice for citizens of every race , religion , color and creed .
We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms .
We will protect Medicare and Social Security .
We will always , and very strongly , protect patients with pre-existing conditions , and that is a pledge from the entire Republican Party .
We will END surprise medical billing , require price transparency , and further reduce the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance premiums .
We will greatly expand energy development , continuing to remain number one in the world , and keep America Energy Independent .
We will win the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world ’ s best cyber and missile defense .
We will fully restore patriotic education to our schools , and always protect free speech on college campuses .
We will launch a new age of American Ambition in Space .
America will land the first WOMAN on the moon – and the United States will be the first nation to plant its flag on Mars .
This is the unifying national agenda that will bring our country TOGETHER .
So tonight , I say again to all Americans : This is the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
There has never been such a difference between two parties , or two individuals , in ideology , philosophy , or vision than there is right now .
Our opponents believe that America is a depraved nation .
We want our sons and daughters to know the truth : America is the greatest and most exceptional nation in the history of the world !
Our country wasn ’ t built by cancel culture , speech codes , and soul-crushing conformity .
We are NOT a nation of timid spirits .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and independent American Patriots .
We are a nation of pilgrims , pioneers , adventurers , explorers and trailblazers who refused to be tied down , held back , or reined in .
Americans have steel in their spines , grit in their souls , and fire in their hearts .
There is no one like us on earth .
I want every child in America to know that you are part of the most exciting and incredible adventure in human history .
No matter where your family comes from , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ANYONE CAN RISE .
With hard work , devotion , and drive , you can reach any goal and achieve every ambition .
Our American Ancestors sailed across the perilous ocean to build a new life on a new continent .
They braved the freezing winters , crossed the raging rivers , scaled the rocky peaks , trekked the dangerous forests , and worked from dawn till dusk .
These pioneers didn ’ t have money , they didn ’ t have fame– but they had each other .
They loved their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they loved their God !
When opportunity beckoned , they picked up their Bibles , packed up their belongings , climbed into covered wagons , and set out West for the next adventure .
Ranchers and miners , cowboys and sheriffs , farmers and settlers – they pressed on past the Mississippi to stake a claim in the Wild Frontier .
Americans built their beautiful homesteads on the Open Range .
Soon they had churches and communities , then towns , and with time , great centers of industry and commerce .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future , we don ’ t tear down the past !
We are the nation that won a revolution , toppled tyranny and fascism , and delivered millions into freedom .
We laid down the railroads , built the great ships , raised up the skyscrapers , revolutionized industry , and sparked a new age of scientific discovery .
We set the trends in art and music , radio and film , sport and literature – and we did it all with style , confidence and flair .
Because THAT is who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life was threatened , our heroes answered the call .
From Yorktown to Gettysburg , from Normandy to Iwo Jima , American Patriots raced into cannon blasts , bullets and bayonets to rescue American Liberty .
But America didn ’ t stop there .
We looked into the sky and kept pressing onward .
We built a 6 million pound rocket , and launched it thousands of miles into space .
We did it so that two brave patriots could stand tall and salute our wondrous American flag planted on the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is impossible .
Over the next four years , we will prove worthy of this magnificent legacy .
We will reach stunning new heights .
And we will show the world that , for America , no dream is beyond our reach .
Together , we are unstoppable .
Together , we are unbeatable .
Because together , we are the proud CITIZENS of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .
And on November 3rd , we will make America safer , we will make America stronger , we will make America prouder , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever before !
Thank you , God Bless You .
God Bless America — GOODNIGHT !


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--DC Protesters Put Trump Effigy Under Guillotine During White House RNC Speech

Protesters staged outside the White House Thursday night placed an effigy of President Donald Trump under a mock guillotine .
The demonstration occurred during Trump ’ s Republican National Convention speech , which was given on the White House South Lawn .
Trump ’ s address concluded the four-night convention that featured a wide array of Republican leaders .
Later in the night , kneeling protesters posed with what appeared to be a different Trump effigy .
They made the effigy kneel with them .
“ Ticket – Fascist , Rapist , Criminal , ” a piece of paper placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Caller reporter Shelby Talcott .
Other protesters appeared to harass and assault an elderly man at a different point in the protest .
The man said he was going to view the fireworks display that was set to take place following Trump ’ s speech .
A massive protest organized by civil rights leader Rev .
Al Sharpton ’ s National Action Network ( NAN ) is expected to take place in Washington D.C. on Friday .
The protest is titled the “ Commitment March : Get Your Knee Off Our Necks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died in Minneapolis police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck , video shows .
“ This inter-generational inclusive day of action will demonstrate our advocacy for comprehensive police accountability reform , the Census , and mobilizing voters for the November elections , ” NAN ’ s description of the protest read .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--Commentary: In Kenosha, The Seeds of Civil War

A previous entry in this space , written after an active-duty Army sergeant moonlighting as an Uber driver in Austin shot and killed a “ mostly peaceful ” anti-police protester who pointed his rifle at the driver at close range , talked about the make-believe revolution that has been taking place on the streets of America ’ s worst-run cities this summer : Was this a sad occurrence ?
Sure .
It ’ s never a happy thing that a 28-year-old is gunned down on a city street in America .
Yet what happened to Garrett Foster was bound to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , particularly among the participants in the make-believe revolution , haven ’ t learned a real lesson yet .
Which is that people get killed in a revolution .
Point a gun at the driver of a car you ’ re blocking in on a city street , after footage of drivers being pulled out of cars and beaten in similar circumstances is everywhere on the internet , and you will be one of the lives claimed in that revolution .
Stupid lives don ’ t matter .
Not when those lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t stop the make-believe revolution .
It continued .
And when a police officer in Kenosha , Wisconsin , shot a 29-year-old black man named Jacob Blake after a rather bizarre incident in which Blake , a participant of some kind in a domestic dispute who was wanted in connection with another incident involving third-degree sexual assault , trespassing , and disorderly conduct , fought with police and then walked around the front of his car as he was being tased to no effect , and then reached into the driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a policeman attempted to restrain him by his shirt .
At some point the incident escalated to Blake being shot seven times in the back ; he ’ s now paralyzed from the waist down .
A knife was found on the floor of the driver ’ s seat of the vehicle .
It ’ s unclear whether it was there and Blake was reaching for it , or if he already had it and dropped it when he was shot .
The policemen involved are on administrative leave .
But for two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleas from his family not to resort to violence , Kenosha erupted in rioting and looting .
Entire city blocks have burned to the ground , and more than 30 local businesses in the once-peaceful town of 100,000 along Lake Michigan just north of the Illinois border have been destroyed .
By Tuesday night , armed groups of volunteers , who could be defined as militia or perhaps vigilantes , had congregated in Kenosha with a mission to protect those businesses surviving the first two nights of violence .
One of them appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Antifa and Black Lives Matter “ mostly peaceful ” rioters was that if they wanted to torch government buildings or fight the police , they were indifferent ; looting and burning private property , however , was not acceptable .
Included in that group was a 17-year-old from Antioch , Illinois , just on the other side of the border named Kyle Rittenhouse , who reports say is the son of a local policeman .
Earlier Tuesday Rittenhouse had joined volunteers in washing graffiti off the outer walls of the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How he ended up holding a long gun with much older adults in that militia group Tuesday night is unclear .
It ’ s also unclear how Rittenhouse got separated from the group .
What is known is as the group massed to defend a gas station from a gaggle of Antifa/BLM types who grew increasingly hostile , elements of the Antifa side made their way to a nearby car lot where they attempted to set vehicles aflame and took baseball bats to windshields in an attempt at wholesale destruction of private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as visible from video collected at the scene , Rittenhouse was being chased by an individual , described as a 36-year-old from Kenosha , who threw something at him .
Reports had it the object was a Molotov cocktail ; if that ’ s true , it either wasn ’ t lit or didn ’ t ignite .
Rittenhouse turned and shot the individual , who collapsed to the ground with a bullet to the head and expired shortly thereafter .
On video , Rittenhouse is then seen pulling out his phone and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment it looks as if he intends to wait at the scene — perhaps for law enforcement , perhaps not .
But someone in the crowd is heard exhorting the Antifa side to “ get ” Rittenhouse , and he beats a fast retreat .
Video shows him being chased by what looks like well more than a dozen people , and he trips as he runs .
At that point he ’ s attacked by three people in succession .
One , a black man , kicks him and then runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 26-year-old from Silver Lake , a town about 20 minutes away from Kenosha , beats Rittenhouse with a skateboard and then attempts to wrest his rifle away .
The shoulder strap holds and Rittenhouse shoots Huber center-mass ; he staggers a few feet away and then collapses and dies .
Then a third man , 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz of suburban Milwaukee , who is a member of something called the People ’ s Revolution Movement , approaches Rittenhouse with a pistol in his right hand .
On video Grosskreutz comes within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this point has righted himself and is in a sitting position with his rifle raised in defense , and pauses ; Grosskreutz then rushes Rittenhouse , who shoots him in the arm and badly wounds him , but not fatally .
Rittenhouse then makes his way down the street in what looks like a defensive retreat toward the advancing police vehicles .
He puts his hands in the air and is not arrested .
After the fracas , Rittenhouse returned home to Antioch , but he was arrested Wednesday on first-degree murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
First of all , 17-year-olds ought not be carrying long guns in riot-torn streets in neighboring states on school nights .
While all three shootings clearly appear from the video to be acts of self-defense , as all three “ victims ” can be seen attacking Rittenhouse with weapons , it ’ s not clear a 17-year-old can legally open carry in Wisconsin .
He ’ s also violating a curfew , though so is everyone else on the scene .
It ’ s a fair criticism that this volunteer group/militia/vigilante cabal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept 17-year-olds in their number .
For that reason , one should feel at least somewhat reticent to heap too much praise on Rittenhouse or his mission .
That said , Kyle Rittenhouse , or someone like him , was utterly and completely inevitable , and the People ’ s Revolution Movement and other Antifa/BLM covens bear total responsibility for his appearance .
What did you morons think was going to happen ?
That you could continue burning down a small city in middle America without any resistance ?
People are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or later , you know .
You may have caught a break in that your nemesis turned out to be a 17-year-old you can cancel as a crazed would-be school shooter , but the next incident might very well run your people up against decorated Navy SEALS or Marines or retired cops with unblemished service records .
Or just plain pillars of the community well-versed in firearms .
Particularly in a place like Wisconsin where those with hunting licenses represent a fighting force as large as the army of many a small nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ought to be surprised .
The make-believe revolution must at some point become real .
In Kenosha it became real .
And in real revolutions people get killed , because more than one side is fighting .
But while Antifa and Black Lives Matter have lit the match to this powderkeg , perhaps the real culprits are the men standing by with buckets of water but refusing to use them to douse the fuse .
And for that , Wisconsin ’ s Democrat Gov .
Tony Evers is far more at fault for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Evers spun the Blake incident into the riot it turned out to be , for political reasons .
He issued a fiery statement bashing the police without knowing anything about the case and used it as a lever to demand the Wisconsin Legislature convene a special session to debate social-justice measures .
And then , when his creation quickly got out of control and local law enforcement notified Evers they needed 750 National Guardsmen to restore order , he provided only 250 .
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows then offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what was needed .
Evers turned him down on Tuesday .
That kind of atrocious leadership is by no means limited to Wisconsin .
It is what has ignited the make-believe revolutionaries all over the country and turned city after city into burned-out ghost towns .
And after months of Portlands and Minneapolises , the suburbs and smaller cities ( an incident not dissimilar to Kenosha played out in Lafayette , Louisiana , over the weekend and was spinning into a similar mess until Hurricane Laura ’ s approach washed it away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning to smolder .
And the nation ’ s silent majority is beginning to crackle .
When CNN ’ s Don Lemon , who has done as much as anyone to justify and cheerlead the Black Lives Matter movement , is now putting on the brakes because , he says , public discontent with riots is beginning to show up in the presidential polls , it ’ s a sign things have gone too far .
But the real question is whether the People ’ s Revolution Movement and the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones presumably just a little smarter than those who think it ’ s a good idea to chase someone with a gun he just used , are put off by the idea they ’ re doing damage to Joe Biden ’ s campaign hopes .
I fear that consideration is of no interest to them whatsoever .
My guess is if they ever thought Biden would win , they never really believed his promises to give them the keys to the kingdom .
I think a lot of the Antifa/Black Lives Matter mob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolution could be real without any real cost to them and their friends , and making it a real revolution has been and is their goal .
I think the genie is out of the bottle .
I think Kenosha showed us a glimpse of it .
And I think unless the political class in states like Wisconsin , Oregon , Washington , New York , Minnesota , and elsewhere finally wakes up , the sad fact is it could well require thousands or even millions of Kyle Rittenhouses to put out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And that ’ s an even larger problem than what happens on November 3 .
For both sides .
Scott McKay is publisher of the Hayride , which offers news and commentary on Louisiana and national politics .
He ’ s also a novelist — check out his first book “ Animus : A Tale of Ardenia , ” available in Kindle and paperback .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--Commentary: Gallup Poll Shows Homeschooling Rate Doubles as School Satisfaction Plummets

Results of a new Gallup poll released this week may give us the sharpest look yet at how the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted American education and what may lie ahead .
According to the poll , parents ’ overall satisfaction with their child ’ s education dropped 10 percent over last year , while at the same time the number of parents saying they will choose homeschooling doubled in 2020 to 10 percent .
Throughout the summer , parents have expressed their frustration with back-to-school plans , including disappointment over continued remote learning and strict social distancing requirements .
Homeschooling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many families began to spontaneously organize “ pandemic pods ” to offer small group learning and social interaction for their children .
Opting out of conventional schooling this fall for homeschooling or “ podding ” has become not only acceptable but widely embraced .
Indeed , the new Gallup poll found that attendance in public schools , while still most common , declined 7 percent in 2020 to 76 percent of US K-12 children , indicating that more parents are seeking alternatives to their assigned district school .
Many of these parents are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Gallup defines as “ not enrolled in a formal school , but taught at home.
” This wording clarification is significant in distinguishing between children who are learning at home while enrolled in a public , private , or virtual school , and children who are being independently homeschooled .
The rise in homeschooling this year is likely being accelerated by the creation of collaborative learning pods that make homeschooling easier for parents and profitable for teachers .
As teachers ’ unions stymie reopening plans , and court battles ensue , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to parental demand , bypassing the bureaucratic back-to-school mayhem and offering valuable solutions .
Entrepreneurs like Sarah Kurtz McKinnon have stepped in to facilitate pod-building and expand schooling alternatives .
The founder of Pod School Prep , Kurtz McKinnon is a long-time summer camp director and camp counselor trainer who recognized the rapid growth of pods and wanted to help train facilitators to lead pod programs .
“ As schools across the country moved to virtual models , I quickly recognized that there was going to be a childcare crisis , ” Kurtz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I saw immediate discussions in Facebook groups about the idea of ‘ pods ’ and thought that camp-counselor type people would be excellent candidates to lead pods , but training is necessary.
” In addition to targeting podding parents who want trained facilitators , Kurtz McKinnon and her startup team are also partnering with organizations such as the YMCA that are providing alternative learning spaces this fall .
In Virginia , for example , the YMCA recently announced all-day in-person programming for children whose public schools pursue remote learning plans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and educators are getting forced into a new educational model .
It ’ s a big experiment and it ’ s happening rapidly !
” said Kurtz McKinnon .
“ We want parents , educators , and students to be inspired by the possibilities that pod learning presents and use this knowledge to make education as we know it even better.
” The increased openness to pod learning and homeschooling this year , along with a greater emphasis on school choice mechanisms to expand learning options to more families , will likely continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and after the pandemic .
Now that parents have gained a closer look at what their children are learning ( or not learning ) in school , and feel more empowered to help guide their education , they will not so quickly hand back the reins to bureaucrats and educationists .
Parents are positioned to be a driving force in advancing education choice and innovation , while entrepreneurs respond with new learning models that suit the 21st century far better than the current 19th-century prototype .
The virus and related lockdowns have created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Gallup poll suggests , they may have also exposed parents to new possibilities for education beyond traditional schooling .
Now , more parents may feel emboldened to advocate for new and better learning options for all children .
Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled : Raising Curious , Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom ( Chicago Review Press , 2019 ) .
She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor .
Kerry has a B.A .
in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
in education policy from Harvard University .
She lives in Cambridge , Massachusetts with her husband and four children .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--Republican Political Operative Roger Stone Reflects on His Arrest and Talks Redemption This Sunday A

Republican Political Operative Roger Stone Reflects on His Arrest and Talks Redemption This Sunday August 30 at Global Bible Church in Mt. Juliet

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed political operative Roger Stone to the newsmakers line .
During the third hour , Stone highlighted some of the instances that he went through during his tumultuous and unfair trial spearheaded by the deep state in Washington , D.C .
He added that it was his redemption and prayer with Jesus Christ that helped him get through the trial and inevitably prevail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump .
Leahy : We are joined on the line now by a legendary Republican political operative .
Perhaps you ’ ve seen him in the news of late , Roger Stone .
Good morning Roger .
Stone : Good morning .
Delighted to be with you .
Leahy : Roger , the long story short .
You were convicted in a kangaroo federal court for making a joke to your neighbor .
Is that basically what you were convicted of ?
Stone : Well , I ’ m a 40-year friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was the subject of a political prosecution in an effort to pressure me into testifying against the president falsely so that it could be used as an article of impeachment .
And I refused .
So they indicted me on a bunch of ridiculous charges of lying to Congress because I testified voluntarily to the House Intelligence Committee and I told them honestly there was no Russian collusion .
And there was no collaboration with WikiLeaks .
And they couldn ’ t come up with any proof to the contrary or evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my life .
( Leahy laughs ) They thwarted several judges into giving them broad warrants allowing them to look at all my emails , text messages , and phone calls .
I was the victim of the Mueller Witch Hunt .
And thank God and President Donald Trump who recognized that I not only did not get a fair trial but the notion of incarcerating me immediately in a prison with over 200 active cases of COVID-19 at my age and with my physical condition was really a death sentence .
Leahy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently he offered you a pardon and you chose for the commutation because you wanted to defend your name in court ?
Is that what happened ?
Stone : Yes , essentially .
The problem is that if you look at the D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals they upheld the unconstitutional gag against me .
They ruled only a month ago that unlike every other non-violent person convicted of a crime in the country who was being moved to home confinement to protect them from COVID-19 , Michael Cohen , Michael Avenatti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No .
Roger Stone has to be incarcerated immediately .
They refused to dismiss the charges against General Flynn .
They ordered that Don McGahn the president ’ s lawyer must testify to Congress about his confidential discussions with the president .
And they said that Hilary Clinton does not have to testify about her emails .
So can justice be gotten from this left-wing politicized court ?
And then of course Michael if I did win a new trial I ’ d be back in front of the same deeply biased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And at that point , we don ’ t know who will be president .
I think it will be Donald Trump .
But what if were to be crazy Joe Biden ?
Leahy : Yeah , exactly .
Roger , let me ask you this .
You are going to be here in Mt .
Juliet at the Global Vision Bible Church this Sunday .
You are going to be speaking about your faith .
That church was vandalized .
Tell us a little bit about whether you are coming .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are going to say .
Stone : Yes .
It ’ s shocking and disgusting that anybody would desecrate a house of worship over political differences .
Pastor Greg Locke invited me .
He ’ s a man of enormous courage .
I ’ m going to tell people openly about the role that Jesus Christ played in my redemption .
Not only my redemption but in essentially delivering me from my persecutors .
As you know 99 percent of the people who chose to fight the federal government when they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying in prison .
It is only my being re-born and rededicating my life to Christ that saved me .
I believe that gave the president the divine guidance that he gets every day from God to do the right thing .
It took enormous courage in a presidential year .
So I want to tell people on Sunday that I don ’ t care what your problem is .
Whether it ’ s alcoholism , or drug abuse , or family problems , or financial problems , God will never abandon you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will walk with you if you walk in his way .
I ’ m living proof that prayer works and that Jesus Christ is all-powerful .
And I ’ m not going to be intimidated by a bunch of punks who want to go desecrate a church .
I will be there and I invite people of good faith to be there with us .
Leahy : Roger , in the studio with me is our all-star panelist , former Vanderbilt professor , very conservative Carol Swain .
Swain : I have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m very sorry about what they did to you and the fact in America today it seems as if you are White , male , and over 60 you have a target on your back .
And I think that we have to do something in this nation to make sure that the constitutional rights apply to everyone equally .
So I commend you and I know that your testimony is strong that only Jesus and faith and the prayers of others could have gotten you through what you ’ ve gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be vindicated and your name cleared at some point in the future .
Stone : Well , I appreciate that very much .
The only clarification I guess I would make is that if you are White and over 50 and a male that as long as you are working for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama you have no legal worries .
Swain : Because you are an anti-racist then .
( Chuckles ) Stone : I don ’ t understand how people like Comey , Clapper , Brennan , McCabe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real crimes .
We have directed by Barack Obama and Joe Biden the greatest single abuse of power in American history in which they used the full authority in the U.S. government and the extraordinary capabilities for surveillance of our intelligence agencies to spy on a Republican candidate for president .
To defraud the FISA courts .
And to mount two illegal coups to try to undo the 2016 election .
I worked for Richard Nixon .
This makes Watergate look like small potatoes .
The Democrats just shrug their shoulders and talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Senate Intelligence Committee this past week essentially released a report which is a recycled bunch of garbage unproven garbage .
We are right back to the beginning .
Roger Stone is a Russian intelligence agent .
No .
Roger Stone ’ s relatives were mowed down by Russian tanks in Budapest in 1956 .
These people don ’ t know what they are talking about .
They just keep spewing their lies over and over again .
Swain : And the Democrats , they lie before Congress as a sport .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And they lie about things that are material and consequential and things that are substantial .
I made misstatements to Congress .
But non of them hide any underlying crimes .
None of them are significant in any way .
They are innocuous .
Yeah , I forgot there was an email between me and Steve Bannon talking about an article in that morning ’ s newspaper .
So what were we hiding ?
We had nothing to hide .
No conservative , no Christian , no Republican , and no Trump supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District of Columbia .
Leahy : I ’ m very curious about how the past year ’ s ordeal has been just devastating to you personally and your financial circumstances .
What is your game plan for Roger Stone ’ s life for the next year ?
Stone : Well I have written five books and have now written my sixth because I was gagged for 16 months by the judge in this case .
People don ’ t even know what it was that I was convicted of .
They don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jury forewoman in my case who was posting attacks about me online just prior to the trial .
And then put them on a private setting during the jury selection in the trial .
Then she deleted them afterward .
in my case .
They don ’ t know about the epic misconduct of the prosecutors in my case .
They don ’ t know about the various unconstitutional rulings of an extremely hostile judge .
So I have to tell that story .
I had a pretty good head of steam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to shut down when 29 FBI agents in SWAT gear stormed my home almost two years ago .
Leahy : With CNN cameras documenting it all .
Gee , I wonder how that happened ?
Stone : It ’ s just totally coincidental .
( Leahy laughs ) They just happened to be there .
How amazing .
Leahy : And how many times has somebody at your age at that level , how many times do they send in a CNN crew and 29 SWAT team members of the FBI to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know because a CNN producer emailed one of my lawyers a draft copy of an indictment at 7:00 a.m .
I was arrested at 6:00 a.m .
Received my indictment at 7:00 a.m .
The indictment wasn ’ t unsealed by a federal magistrate until 9:30 a.m. Leahy : Gee , I wonder how that happened ?
Roger , final comments from you .
Stone : Folks should come out and see me and Pastor Locke .
I ’ m going to witness for Jesus Christ .
I have a powerful story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am this Sunday , August 30 at the Global Vision Bible Church in Mt .
Juliet , Tennessee .
You should come on out .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Roger Stone ” by Fox News .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--Heidi Newfield Releases the Highly Anticipated Barfly Sessions, Vol. 1

Nashville , Tennessee – When I interviewed Heidi Newfield in April 2020 , I provided the “ where she came from ” story of this Northern California horsewoman and how she learned the harmonica , became part of the group Trick Pony and wrote the timeless lyrics to Johnny and June .
Now , on August 28 , after releasing multiple singles , she has finally released her sophomore solo album and it is well worth the wait .
Newfield co-produced The Barfly Sessions with Jim “ Moose ” Brown who , in addition to being a hit-making songwriter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bandleader of Bob Seger ’ s Silver Bullet Band .
She has known Moose Brown from almost as soon as she moved to Nashville .
“ Besides the fact that Moose is genuinely a kind , loving easy-going kind of guy , his musicality has no boundaries .
He ’ s a Muscles Shoalsy kind of guy .
He loves that loose sort of thing but then he can be a technical guy , ” she said .
They worked together on demos for years .
They even considered using Brown for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wasn ’ t met to be .
In the past , Newfield always had a record label take care of all of the production details , but now that she was putting out her own record , Brown was the obvious choice to help her co-produce it .
“ We just work so well together .
We are friends and he truly has that musical mindset I was hoping to achieve with this record .
He can cut the country of countriest type songs and not get in the way of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the notes you play , it ’ s often about the notes you don ’ t play , ” the songstress reminded .
Brown is a multifaceted artist who not only honors the traditional sound of country music and but is steeped in blues , gospel , and good rock n roll .
Brown and Newfield handpicked their dream band and purposely set to record it at Brown ’ s studio in Goodlettsville , ( TN ) instead of Music Row .
“ We were stuck out there , ” she explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blues , country , soul , and rock singer that can only be Newfield and let it go from there .
“ We would let Fred ( Eltringham ) count it off and see what would happen and nine times out of then , it was magic .
Because we picked the right players , they knew when to play and when not play , ” she said .
Brown also plays on the record and is known for playing a B3 Hammond organ and anything else with keys .
Even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decent ” rhythm guitar player which helps with songwriting , she didn ’ t need to play on her new album .
When you ’ re in the studio with likes of Bobby Terry ( a stellar steel guitar player ) , the award-winning Michael Rhodes on bass guitar player , or Brown , she didn ’ t need to pick up a guitar too much .
This freed up Newfield to “ turn loose ” on harmonica .
Moose helped push her along and reinforced her confidence to include the instrument more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record , diversity was very important to Newfield .
She elucidated , “ When we were finished , we didn ’ t just have a country record , we had a record full of music that smacks you across the face from the very first song and then you go for a ride.
” The various songs from The Barfly Sessions will make you want to two-step , then cry , then shoot whiskey and laugh , and also rock out .
This is music you can ’ t put in a box @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indie artist , it was a blessing to be able to co-produce and have creative control of my album and then this happened [ COVID ] .
It makes it especially daunting to put this record out when you can ’ t put a tour around it .
Putting a record out in this climate is like jumping off a cliff and praying you don ’ t die.
” Although The Barfly Sessions is comprised mostly of songs that she helped write , Newfield and Delbert McClinton ’ s cover of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the best things you will hear all year .
God created Newfield ’ s voice to sing the blues and this song showcases that talent like none other .
Additionally , Newfield added her harmonica intro which takes the song to a whole other level and proves that she belongs with the men in the ( fictional ) Harmonica Hall of Fame .
Newfield exclaimed , “ This is the kind of music that has no boundaries .
How do you put a label on that ?
Yeah , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of soul , kind of country , it ’ s everything .
It ’ s got all the feels.
” With “ Blues is My Business , ” the singer gets down and dirty on this rhythmic romper , blowing her harp while wailing a saucy vocal with McClinton .
Jim Lauderdale sang “ I Could Fall for You ” with Newfield .
“ I was going for that Bakersfield , early-type George Jonesy feel and not very many people , especially women , can sing like that anymore .
But that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his voice just melded right in with mine.
” Debuted on The Bluegrass Situation and written alongside Chris Stapleton and Trent Willmon , “ When Heaven Falls ” originated with the loss of her mother back in 2004 .
She had carried around the grief and it finally found its way out in this song .
Says the crooner , “ It ’ s a little tattered and it ’ s not busy or fancy , but there was a timing and transparency that was captured at that moment that we wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Business , ” the only other song she sings that she didn ’ t co-write is “ Whitley ’ s Tombstone ” which she duets with the incomparable Randy Houser .
Newfield explained , “ The song was brilliantly written by Leslie Satcher , Kent Blazy , and Jon Randall and paints such a raw and truthful picture of love lost.
” “ ’ Bring This House Down ’ and ‘ Come Hell or High Water Blues ’ have such a good feel to it and I don ’ t care who you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these songs will make you feel good .
You can ’ t help but roll your shoulders , shake your ass and move your feet , ” Newfield exuberantly shared .
With “ Wrong Side of the Bottle ” you have forlorn lyrics like Nursing a heartache/Lord it ain ’ t right/But I ’ m on the wrong side of the bottle tonight .
You can ’ t help but ( gladly ) commiserate with the woefulness of this melancholy masterpiece .
Another anthem you can ’ t omit is the heart-ache @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the bluesy cadence , you ’ ll swear you heard it back in the day on Beale Street , but it is an original song crafted by Newfield , Brown and Rivers Rutherford .
It doesn ’ t matter if you think you don ’ t like country music .
If you like soul-searching , kick-ass music with clever , classic lyrics , alongside the top-rated session band members and background vocalists ( Wendy Moten , anyone ? )
mixed with the most talented sound engineers you can find , you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of your music collection .
Click here for track listing and more information The Barfly Sessions .
You can follow Newfield on Facebook , Instagram , Youtube , Twitter , and Spotify .
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer .
You can follow her blog , Instagram and Twitter , and YouTube .


thetennesseestar--2020-08-28--Hurricane Laura Thrashes Louisiana, but Damage Is Less Than Predicted

LAKE CHARLES , Louisiana ( AP ) — One of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. , Laura barreled across Louisiana on Thursday , shearing off roofs , killing at least six people and maintaining ferocious strength while carving a destructive path hundreds of miles inland .
A full assessment of the damage wrought by the Category 4 system was likely to take days .
But despite a trail of demolished buildings , entire neighborhoods left in ruins and more than 875,000 people without power , a sense of relief prevailed that Laura was not the annihilating menace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that we did not sustain and suffer the absolute , catastrophic damage that we thought was likely , ” Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said .
“ But we have sustained a tremendous amount of damage.
” He called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana , meaning it surpassed even Katrina , which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005 .
The hurricane ’ s top wind speed of 150 mph ( 241 kph ) put it among the strongest systems on record in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laura finally lose hurricane status as it plowed north and thrashed Arkansas , and even by Thursday evening , it remained a tropical storm with winds of 40 mph ( 65 kph ) .
The storm came ashore in low-lying Louisiana and clobbered Lake Charles , an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people .
On Broad Street , many buildings had partially collapsed , and those that didn ’ t were missing chunks .
Windows were blown out , awnings ripped away and trees split in half in eerily misshapen ways .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unmoored and hit a bridge .
At the local airport , planes were overturned , some on top of each other .
In front of the courthouse was a Confederate statue that local officials had voted to keep in place just days earlier .
After Laura , it was toppled .
“ It looks like 1,000 tornadoes went through here .
It ’ s just destruction everywhere , ” said Brett Geymann , who rode out the storm with three family members in Moss Bluff , near Lake Charles .
He described Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a jet engine around 2 a.m. “ There are houses that are totally gone .
They were there yesterday , but now gone , ” he said .
Not long after daybreak gave the first glimpse of the destruction , a massive plume of smoke visible for miles began rising from a chemical plant .
Police said the leak was at a facility run by Biolab , which manufactures chemicals used in household cleaners such as Comet bleach scrub and chlorine powder for pools .
Nearby residents were told to close their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditioners .
State and federal aircraft headed into the skies over the coast to look for signs of any other industrial damage .
The fatalities included a 14-year-old girl and a 68-year-old man who died when trees fell on their homes in Louisiana , as well as a 24-year-old man who died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator inside his residence .
Another man drowned in a boat that sank during the storm , authorities said .
No deaths had been confirmed in Texas , which Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chevellce Dunn considered herself among the fortunate after a night spent huddling on a sofa with her son , daughter and four nieces and nephews as winds rocked their home in Orange , Texas .
Left without power in sweltering heat , she didn ’ t know when power might be restored .
“ It ain ’ t going to be easy .
As long as my kids are fine , I ’ m fine , ” Dunn said .
President Donald Trump planned to visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents evacuated under the shadow of a coronavirus pandemic and calls for masks and social distancing to combat its spread .
It was the largest evacuation order since the pandemic began and many people followed it , filling hotels and sleeping in cars .
Although not everyone fled from the coast , officials credited those who did leave for minimizing the loss of life .
Forecasters had warned that the storm surge of 15 to 20 feet would be “ unsurvivable ” and could push 40 miles inland .
Edwards said the storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of 9 feet to 12 feet — still bad , but far from the worst forecast .
He was hopeful that damaged homes could quickly be made habitable .
The priority , Edwards said , was search and rescue , followed by efforts to find hotel or motel rooms for those unable to stay in their homes .
Officials in Texas and Louisiana have both sought to avoid traditional mass shelters for evacuees over fears of spreading COVID-19 , and Edwards was concerned that the storm would inhibit coronavirus testing as schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 78 , of Lake Arthur , Louisiana , considered evacuating but decided to ride out the storm with family due to concerns about the coronavirus .
He said a small tornado blew the cover off the bed of his pickup and made him think the roof on his house was next .
“ You ’ d hear a crack and a boom and everything shaking , ” he said .
The force of Laura ’ s winds blew out every window of the living room in the Lake Charles house where Bethany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two others .
They sought safety in a closet when the hurricane was at its worst .
“ It was like a jigsaw puzzle in this closet .
We were on top of each other , just holding each other and crying , ” Agosto said .
The storm was so powerful that it could regain strength after turning east and reaching the Atlantic Ocean , potentially threatening the densely populated Northeast .
Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola , including 20 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where it knocked out power and caused intense flooding .
It was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year , setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August .
The old record was six in 1886 and 1916 , according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
Laura was tied with five other storms for fifth most powerful U.S. hurricane , behind the 1935 ’ s Labor Day storm , 1969 ’ s Camille , 1992 ’ s Andrew and 2004 ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Stacey Plaisance and Gerald Herbert are reporters for The Associated Press .
AP contributors include Jeff Martin in Marietta , Georgia ; Kevin McGill in New Orleans ; John L. Mone in Holly Beach , Louisiana ; Paul J. Weber in Austin , Texas ; Seth Borenstein in Kensington , Maryland ; Juan A. Lozano in Houston ; Jay Reeves in Birmingham , Alabama ; Jill Bleed in Little Rock , Arkansas ; and Sophia Tulp in Atlanta .
About the Headline Photo : Buildings and homes are flooded in the aftermath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , in Cameron , La .
( AP Photo/David J. Phillip )