thetennesseestar--2020-06-09--Commentary: Republican House Hijacks COVID Relief Bill to Benefit Unions and Hurt Taxpayers

For the first time in anyone ’ s memory , Ohio House Republicans are responsible for expanding an 89-year-old union-giveaway : the “ prevailing wage ” statute .
Worse , they did this by adding a last minute amendment to Senate Bill 310 , hijacking the must-pass emergency COVID-19 relief bill designed to help state and local governments with declining tax revenues .
Unless the Ohio Senate intervenes , taxpayers and local governments will pay the price .
So-called “ prevailing wage ” laws , introduced early last century , are one reason government construction costs significantly more than comparable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artificially inflate the wages for government construction projects .
Over the decades the scheme has invited a pay-to-play culture where unions shower campaign contributions on politicians who promise to protect their favored status .
To date , twenty-three states – including four of our five neighbors – have completely repealed their prevailing wage laws and their taxpayers have enjoyed the benefit of less expensive projects .
In 1997 the Republican led Ohio legislature exempted school construction from the prevailing wage law and billions of dollars have been saved since .
Studies routinely prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as 20 % .
It is unconscionable that House Republicans would use a COVID-19 relief bill to – without any public debate – increase costs for Ohioans when we are struggling to re-open our economy .
But the Ohio Senate can put the needs of all Ohioans first by sending SB 310 to a conference committee where this sneaky amendment can be removed .
And they should !
If the Ohio Senate fails to act , Governor Mike DeWine should stand up for the interests of 11.7 million citizens and line-item @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neither the Governor nor Republican Legislators campaigned on increasing the wasteful and outdated prevailing wage law .
That ’ s why they snuck it into the bill and that ’ s why the Senate should remove it .
And if they won ’ t , Governor DeWine should .
Beth Lear is the Vice President of Government Affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio .
Previously she was a reporter at The Ohio Star .

by Beth Lear
For the first time in anyone’s memory, Ohio House Republicans are responsible for expanding an 89-year-old union-giveaway: the “prevailing wage” statute. Worse, they did this by adding a last minute amendment to Senate Bill 310, hijacking the must-pass emergency COVID-19 relief bill designed to help state and local governments with declining tax revenues. Unless the Ohio Senate intervenes, taxpayers and local governments will pay the price.
So-called “prevailing wage” laws, introduced early last century, are one reason government construction costs significantly more than comparable private sector commercial construction. The laws artificially inflate the wages for government construction projects. Over the decades the scheme has invited a pay-to-play culture where unions shower campaign contributions on politicians who promise to protect their favored status.
To date, twenty-three states – including four of our five neighbors – have completely repealed their prevailing wage laws and their taxpayers have enjoyed the benefit of less expensive projects.
In 1997 the Republican led Ohio legislature exempted school construction from the prevailing wage law and billions of dollars have been saved since.
Studies routinely prove these prevailing wage requirements increase costs by as much as 20%.
It is unconscionable that House Republicans would use a COVID-19 relief bill to – without any public debate – increase costs for Ohioans when we are struggling to re-open our economy.
But the Ohio Senate can put the needs of all Ohioans first by sending SB 310 to a conference committee where this sneaky amendment can be removed. And they should!
If the Ohio Senate fails to act, Governor Mike DeWine should stand up for the interests of 11.7 million citizens and line-item veto the expansion of prevailing wage.
Neither the Governor nor Republican Legislators campaigned on increasing the wasteful and outdated prevailing wage law. That’s why they snuck it into the bill and that’s why the Senate should remove it. And if they won’t, Governor DeWine should.
– – –
Beth Lear is the Vice President of Government Affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio. Previously she was a reporter at The Ohio Star.


thetennesseestar--2020-06-09--Whitmer Extends Suspension Requirements of Youth Work Permit Application

Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer extended an executive order last week that temporarily suspended certain requirements relating to the youth work permit for Michigan workers .
The order allows suspends applications “ to the extent it requires an application of a work permit to be made in person , ” according to the order .
It allows applications to be submitted by mail , email , fax or a web-based form .
Youth work permits allow minors under the age of 18 to obtain work in the state .
Although there are separate permits for minors under 16 and minors over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirements that the colored paper of the respective permits need to be distinct from each other .
The order is set to end on July 3 .
“ Young people throughout Michigan are a vital part of our workforce and economy .
As summer begins , it is important to ensure they can still have the opportunity to work with the proper credentials and permits.
” Whitmer said in a statement .
“ This extension comes at an opportune time , as regions of our state continue to safely reopen .
We must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplace and in our daily lives to protect Michiganders from the spread of COVID-19.
” Whitmer ’ s office said that young Michigan workers make up an “ important part of the summer workforce , ” especially as the pandemic requires workers stay home .
Whitmer has recently allowed more of the state to open , moving Michigan from Phase 3 to Phase 4 in her MI Safe Start Plan .
Retail was allowed to reopen on June 4 , while restaurants were allowed to reopen on June 8 .
Michigan also saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state recently saw more than 1.7 million people file for unemployment insurance in the state .
Michigan saw a little more than 41,000 people file unemployment insurance in the week ending May 30 , down more than 20,000 from the previous week .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ]

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended an executive order last week that temporarily suspended certain requirements relating to the youth work permit for Michigan workers.
The order allows suspends applications “to the extent it requires an application of a work permit to be made in person,” according to the order. It allows applications to be submitted by mail, email, fax or a web-based form.
Youth work permits allow minors under the age of 18 to obtain work in the state. Although there are separate permits for minors under 16 and minors over 16, the order also suspends the requirements that the colored paper of the respective permits need to be distinct from each other.
The order is set to end on July 3.
“Young people throughout Michigan are a vital part of our workforce and economy. As summer begins, it is important to ensure they can still have the opportunity to work with the proper credentials and permits.” Whitmer said in a statement. “This extension comes at an opportune time, as regions of our state continue to safely reopen. We must all continue to be smart in the workplace and in our daily lives to protect Michiganders from the spread of COVID-19.”
Whitmer’s office said that young Michigan workers make up an “important part of the summer workforce,” especially as the pandemic requires workers stay home.
Whitmer has recently allowed more of the state to open, moving Michigan from Phase 3 to Phase 4 in her MI Safe Start Plan. Retail was allowed to reopen on June 4, while restaurants were allowed to reopen on June 8.
Michigan also saw a drop in unemployment claims recently as the state recently saw more than 1.7 million people file for unemployment insurance in the state. Michigan saw a little more than 41,000 people file unemployment insurance in the week ending May 30, down more than 20,000 from the previous week.
Read the full executive order here.
—
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-06-09--Civil Service Commission Proposes Rule Changes for Union Dues Authorization and Service Fee Collecti

Civil Service Commission Proposes Rule Changes for Union Dues Authorization and Service Fee Collection

The Michigan Civil Service Commission last Friday issued a notice of proposed changes in the how unions collect money from state employees .
The two proposed changes pertain to payroll deduction of union dues , discontinuing of union service fees , and authorization to collect union dues from employees .
The first amendment to current CSC rules is to Article 6-71 , which required employee authorization for deduction of union dues and service fees .
If the CSC amendment is approved , the rules would change to prohibit collecting service fees via payroll deduction and become effective Jan. 1 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CSC Article 6-72 , which would require unions to notify employees of their right to join or not join collective bargaining agreements on an annual basis .
“ Effective September 1 , 2020 , an authorization will expire if not authorized or reauthorized during the previous year .
The director shall provide annual notice to all exclusively represented employees of the right to join or not join an exclusive representative without affecting employment status , the right not to maintain membership in an exclusive representative to retain employment , an exclusive representative ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bargaining‐unit members , and the prohibition on union activities during actual‐duty time , ” the amendment reads .
Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , issued a statement late Friday in which she stated the proposed amendments “ weaken collective bargaining rights for state employees ” during the current coronavirus pandemic .
The governor ’ s release also notes the four members of the CSC were all appointed by her predecessor , former Gov .
Rick Snyder , a Republican .
“ Make no mistake , this action is a direct assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are serving bravely on the frontlines to protect the people of Michigan from COVID-19 , ” Gov .
Whitmer said in a statement .
“ We are in the middle of a global pandemic and the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes , and the notion that Civil Service Commission would choose this moment to take power away from our health care workers , road repair workers , corrections officers , and unemployment call center employees is unthinkable , ” she added .
“ This action will make it harder for these frontline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , health care , and a secure retirement .
I ’ m calling on the civil service commissioners to do the right thing and reject this anti-worker proposal .
Our frontline state workers have our backs , and now it ’ s time for us to have theirs , ” she said .
“ Some current authorizations were submitted decades ago when employees were unaware of later developments in [ U.S. Supreme Court lawsuits ] Green and Janus , ” the CSC notice reads .
“ Most current service-fee payers submitted authorizations while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or higher dues .
The Janus court held that ‘ nonmembers are waiving their First Amendment rights , and such a waiver can not be presumed , ’ that employees must ‘ affirmatively consent , ’ and that the waiver ‘ must be freely given and shown by ‘ clear and compelling ’ evidence.
” Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .

by Bruce Walker
The Michigan Civil Service Commission last Friday issued a notice of proposed changes in the how unions collect money from state employees.
The two proposed changes pertain to payroll deduction of union dues, discontinuing of union service fees, and authorization to collect union dues from employees.
The first amendment to current CSC rules is to Article 6-71, which required employee authorization for deduction of union dues and service fees. If the CSC amendment is approved, the rules would change to prohibit collecting service fees via payroll deduction and become effective Jan. 1, 2022.
The second amendment is to CSC Article 6-72, which would require unions to notify employees of their right to join or not join collective bargaining agreements on an annual basis.
“Effective September 1, 2020, an authorization will expire if not authorized or reauthorized during the previous year. The director shall provide annual notice to all exclusively represented employees of the right to join or not join an exclusive representative without affecting employment status, the right not to maintain membership in an exclusive representative to retain employment, an exclusive representative’s duty of fair representation to all bargaining‐unit members, and the prohibition on union activities during actual‐duty time,” the amendment reads.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, issued a statement late Friday in which she stated the proposed amendments “weaken collective bargaining rights for state employees” during the current coronavirus pandemic. The governor’s release also notes the four members of the CSC were all appointed by her predecessor, former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican.
“Make no mistake, this action is a direct assault on our hardworking state employees, who are serving bravely on the frontlines to protect the people of Michigan from COVID-19,” Gov. Whitmer said in a statement.
“We are in the middle of a global pandemic and the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes, and the notion that Civil Service Commission would choose this moment to take power away from our health care workers, road repair workers, corrections officers, and unemployment call center employees is unthinkable,” she added.
“This action will make it harder for these frontline workers to negotiate together for strong wages, health care, and a secure retirement. I’m calling on the civil service commissioners to do the right thing and reject this anti-worker proposal. Our frontline state workers have our backs, and now it’s time for us to have theirs,” she said.
“Some current authorizations were submitted decades ago when employees were unaware of later developments in [U.S. Supreme Court lawsuits] Green and Janus,” the CSC notice reads.
“Most current service-fee payers submitted authorizations while legally compelled to pay either that fee or higher dues. The Janus court held that ‘nonmembers are waiving their First Amendment rights, and such a waiver cannot be presumed,’ that employees must ‘affirmatively consent,’ and that the waiver ‘must be freely given and shown by ‘clear and compelling’ evidence.”
– – –
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as editor at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s MichiganScience magazine and The Heartland Institute’s InfoTech & Telecom News.


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Tennessee National Guard Returns from Washington D.C.

Soldiers and airmen from the Tennessee National Guard returned home from Washington D.C. Tuesday .
This , according to a press release on the Tennessee Department of Military ’ s website .
In response to the civil unrest in the District of Columbia and at the request of Gov .
Bill Lee , more the 1,000 Soldiers and Airmen from the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 134th Air Refueling Wing deployed to the nation ’ s capital last Thursday .
These Soldiers and Airmen provided additional support to the Washington D.C. National Guard , law enforcement and first responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ensure public safety .
“ As we ’ ve seen time and time again , the Tennessee National Guard can and will respond at a moment ’ s notice to provide capabilities and capacity , ” said Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes , Tennessee Adjutant General , in the press release .
“ In less than 24 hours and without hesitation , more than 1,000 Soldiers and Airmen were able to answer the call and support our fellow guard members in Washington D.C .
In true Tennessee volunteer spirit , we provided twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than any other state.
” The Tennessee National Guard currently had over 400 additional soldiers and airmen on duty within Tennessee supporting law enforcement and first responders , the press release said .
“ We couldn ’ t be prouder of the discipline and professionalism displayed by our men and women who continue to support these missions and more importantly , support our communities , ” Holmes said .
The total number of soldiers and airmen mobilized for various missions , to include COVID-19 response , is over 2,200 .
The Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members uniquely prepared to rapidly respond to the needs of Tennessee and the nation , the press release said .
As The Tennessee Star reported last week , like many major cities , Washington saw massive demonstrations in response to the death of George Floyd , an unarmed black man who was allegedly murdered by Minneapolis police .
Many of the protests took a violent turn .
Lee activated the Tennessee National Guard last Sunday after rioters set fire to the Metro Courthouse in Nashville .
Tennessee sent soldiers from the 278th Armored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support at the request of President Donald Trump ’ s administration .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

A 17-year-old student allegedly opened fire Friday at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, killing 10 people and wounding another 10, authorities said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said police found explosive devices, including a Molotov cocktail, at the suspected shooter’s home and a vehicle, as well as around the Santa Fe High School where the shooting took place.
Law enforcement officials said the suspect, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a junior at the school, was being held without bond on a capital murder charge.
Abbott said the suspect originally intended to commit suicide following the shooting but told law enforcement officials after he was arrested that he didn’t have the courage to go through with killing himself.
The governor said two guns were used in the attack — a shotgun and a .38-caliber revolver. He said the suspect’s father legally owned both guns.It was not clear whether the father knew his son had taken the weapons.
Abbott said there were “one or two” other people of interest being interviewed about the shooting.
Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said, “Injured students and staff have been transported to local hospitals.” He also said an officer from the Santa Fe Independent School District was among those shot.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the shooting as an “absolutely horrific attack,” one of many that have “been going on too long in this country.” Trump told the victims and their families that “we’re with you in this tragic hour and we will be with you forever.” He vowed to get guns “out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves and to others.”
An unidentified male student described fleeing the school during an interview with KHOU-TV in Houston. He said that after he heard three shots, “we all took off in the back, and I tried to get into the trees. I didn’t want to be in sight. I heard four more shots, and then we jumped the fence to somebody’s house.”
An unidentified female student said tearfully on cable channel CNN, “Nobody should have to go through this. Nobody should have to feel that pain.”
Facebook post
Pagourtzis had posted an image on Facebook of himself wearing a “Born to Kill” shirt, but the motive for Friday’s attack wasn’t known.
Abbott saidthat unlike previous school shootings, “there were not those types of warning signs” about the Santa Fe suspect. The governor saidthe early investigation had found no prior criminal history for Pagourtzis.
“The red-flag warnings were either nonexistent or very imperceptible,” Abbott said, though he acknowledged Pagourtzis’ posting of the photo on Facebook.
That same Facebook profile described Pagourtzis as planning to enter the U.S. Marine Corps next year, but the Marine Corps told The Associated Press it had reviewed its records and had found no one by that name as either a recruit or a person in their delayed entry pool.
Classmates described Pagourtzis as quiet and an avid video game player who routinely wore a black trench coat and black boots to class. He had played football on the school’s junior varsity squad and danced as part of a church group. Those who know him expressed shock he might be involved in the killings.
Calls for action
The latest incident came about three months after a shooter with a semiautomatic rifle killed 17 students and school staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It was the third-deadliest school shooting in American history.
The Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said urgent action was needed to prevent gun violence.
“Congress must show as much courage as they have, and act now to ensure that no other community or family must endure the unthinkable horror of gun violence. Our children deserve real leadership: a vote to prevent gun violence now.”
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said Congress must implement reforms that lawmakers recently passed “to make schools safer and keep deadly weapons away from those who should not have them.”
“Our hearts are filled with grief over this horrific loss of life,” he added.
Santa Fe is located in southeastern Texas between the cities of Houston and Galveston.
– – –
Some information for this report came from Associated Press.
VOA News


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Antifa Militia Wing Says They Believe in Abolishing ‘Everything, Including the Police’ in New Projec

Antifa Militia Wing Says They Believe in Abolishing ‘Everything, Including the Police’ in New Project Veritas Video

Project Veritas on Tuesday released a third installment of the # ExposeAntifa series , in which members of the militia wing talk about abolishing everything , including the police .
The video is available here .
In addition to secretive meetings and violent combat training , the footage shows members of an Antifa group , Redneck Revolt , practice their shooting with semi-automatic weapons at a gun range .
“ Our latest video further demonstrates how dangerous Antifa is .
This well-organized international organization is willing to engage in street fights and apparently prepares for armed combat .
Project Veritas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the veil and find out who is empowering this very heavily armed group , ” Project Veritas CEO and founder James O ’ Keefe said in a statement .
President Trump recently instructed the Justice Department to label Antifa as a domestic terrorist group .
Following that announcement , Attorney General William Barr said : “ There are extremist agitators who are hijacking the [ George Floyd ] protests to pursue their own separate and violent agenda.
” “ Redneck Revolt is a heavily armed fringe organization , and the Department of Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said O ’ Keefe .
Project Veritas will continue to update the situation with Antifa updates as they occur .
• Undercover Journalist : “ And they believe in total abolition of everything , including the police , you know , Charlottesville was comprised of your typical Antifa black bloc measures…There were multiple chapters of Redneck Revolt that went to Charlottesville and acted as the militia wing of the anti-fascist movement.
” • Redneck Revolt Members at Gun Range : “ …while you ’ re aiming , don ’ t touch the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull the trigger ” • Paul Ditz , Redneck Revolt Member : “ I hate the NRA .
The NRA is a white supremacist terrorist organization , absolutely.
” • Undercover Journalist : “ They see them themselves as armed revolutionaries… ” • Clyde , Redneck Revolt Member : “ …if an officer of the state came to the door and asked you questions about your political ideology and people you associate with , how would you respond ?
” This is not the first time Project Veritas has investigated Antifa .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an antifa plot to violently rebel if socialist Bernie Sanders lost the nomination , which he eventually did , The Tennessee Star reported .
The Project Veritas website , along with # ExposeAntifa , is available here .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Commentary: President Trump’s Reelection Odds Will Improve in the Coming Months as America Reopens

The U.S. economy created over 3.8 million jobs in May in the Bureau of Labor Statistics ’ household survey , and 2.5 million in its establishment survey , heralding the bottom of labor markets in April .
How do we know April was the bottom ?
Unless we ’ re anticipating losing 3.8 million jobs in June when America is reopening , barring a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic , when the momentum is moving precisely in the opposite direction , the likelihood is that June , July and August will only add to what has already been gained .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which added 1.7 million Americans back to the civilian labor force last month alone .
So , millions of jobs added each month , reaching a fever pitch this summer in time for the political conventions , highlighting easing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and the current protests and riots , and it ’ s easy to see how President Donald Trump and his reelection bid will be dramatically strengthened .
It ’ s not hard to predict at all .
Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning praised the numbers , stating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve turned the corner on the Chinese originated virus economic disaster .
More people are working , more people are in the workforce , and America is reopening .
This is great news for the millions of Americans who fear that they may not have a job to return to .
It is also a confirmation of President Trump ’ s emphasis on supporting small and mid-sized businesses that were either shut down or damaged as a result of the Covid-19 response.
” So far , the sectors of the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 391,000 added in health care , 464,000 in construction , 225,000 in manufacturing , and 367,000 in retail .
Other factors lending to the current upside include the now weakening dollar from its record highs during the height of the pandemic , making deflation less likely during the recession , at least for now .
A sudden strengthening of the dollar might reverse those gains .
Oil appears to be resurgent after OPEC agreed to production cuts into July but remains very volatile .
Add to the picture that Americans have been cooped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one can see a big recipe for pent-up demand fueling a recovery this summer .
The question is how rapid it will be .
The good news is that with the labor market bottom having already been felt in April , this recession has already beat the financial crisis and Great Recession , when it took 25 months for all the jobs to be lost , and about five years to recover .
Here , it took just two months for the worst of the job losses to be felt .
So if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s easier to make a case that so too will be the upside .
However , should the job gains slow down considerably next month , that would be a large cause for concern .
Assuming the charts continue to be pointed in the right direction , very soon , President Trump can claim some vindication of his June 3 prediction that “ I feel more and more confident that our economy is in the early stages of coming back very strong .
Not everyone agrees with me , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , October , November .
Next year will be one of the best ever , and look at the Stock Market NOW !
” So far , the way things are playing out , Trump may be right and it may even be on an accelerated timetable , months sooner than expected .
In the political back and forth then between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden , then , so far it seems to be the advantage is yielding to Trump .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Commentary: Cato Forgets to Tell People This About the Jones Act

One example is the Cato Institute ’ s attacks upon the Jones Act .
The libertarian think tank should be appreciated for some other efforts , but not for its strident campaign to let foreign interests take over water transportation within the United States .
Last week , the Jones Act turned 100 years old .
While it has served America well , it has come under repeated attack by those who forget its purpose .
The century-old Jones Act continues policies that trace back to the founding of America .
It requires that internal trade between American ports should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built in America , and mostly crewed by Americans .
The Jones Act does not apply , however , to international trade that moves between a U.S. port and a foreign port .
Cato claims some domestic shipping costs might be lower , short-term at least , if we invited in foreign interests .
But the Jones Act is about national security , not about money .
Even Cato ’ s hero , the Scottish economist so dearly loved by early Americans , Adam Smith , recognized that a country does not benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
If Cato succeeded in repealing our Jones Act , one nation that could jump big-time into our domestic trade is China .
China is aggressively pursuing a chokehold on maritime trade because 90 percent of global trade goes by ship .
Control of the seas is key both to economic and military control .
China ’ s global “ Belt and Road Initiative ” injects it into transportation and infrastructure of 138 countries , a companion to its “ Made-in-China 2025 ” plan .
Thanks to enormous government subsidies , China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other country—almost 1,300 a year compared to only eight a year in the United States .
China has purchased control of major cargo ports on every continent except Antarctica , often including military bases as well .
China links its businesses with its People ’ s Liberation Army .
The Communist regime in Beijing uses forced labor and spends unlimited money toward these goals .
But the Jones Act stops them from doing within the United States what China is doing around the globe .
They ’ re developing dominance within the 41,000-ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Without the Jones Act , they could also expand among the other 40,000 vessels ( ships , barges , tugs , etc . )
which handle America ’ s internal trade along our riverways , intracoastal canals , and between American ports .
China also pursues what Forbes called “ China ’ s Seaport Shopping Spree ” worldwide .
They even acquired major facilities in the Port of Long Beach , California , until President Trump forced them to divest it , with a sales price of $ 1.8 billion .
China has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategic interests .
The United States has not given shipbuilding a similar priority .
But instead of recognizing that the Jones Act thwarts China , the Cato Institute distorts common sense by claiming that somehow this law benefits China instead of the United States .
That makes as much sense as calling their Great Wall nothing but a little picket fence .
The Jones Act is part of a consistent and important U.S. policy .
Our aviation laws contain similar restrictions , requiring passenger and freight flights within the United States to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like China Southern , Lufthansa , Air France , British Air , etc.
, are allowed only to fly between a U.S. city and a foreign city .
Likewise , our defense and national security laws follow this America First policy through “ Buy American ” requirements that are based on security needs and to maintain our critical industries .
America ’ s values are protected by economic strength as well as by military strength .
The problem with unbridled libertarianism is that it makes no moral distinction between sustaining a democratic republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned the hard way that relying on cheap imports was hollowing out America ’ s economy and manufacturing sector .
And while we recover from the coronavirus shutdowns , the last thing we need is to shift more American jobs to China by repealing the Jones Act .
Sorry , Cato , but please focus on better ideas instead of this one .
Ernest Istook is a former congressman from Oklahoma .
While in Congress , Rep. Istook held key positions dealing with trade and transportation .
He now practices law , teaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fellow with the Frontiers of Freedom Foundation .
Photo “ Port of Seattle ” by SounderBruce .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--State Senator Kerry Roberts Talks Systemic Racism and the Perception of Reality

Live from Music Row Tuesday 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 state Senator Kerry Roberts ( R-Springfield ) to the studio .
During the second hour , Roberts discussed how the country ’ s new buzzword had gone from “ social distancing ” to “ systemic racism ” in the span of 24 hours .
He further acknowledged the black Conservative perspective has changed and predicted that Trump could take the black vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Leahy : We are joined now by all-star panelist and good friend , State Senator Kerry Roberts .
Good morning Kerry .
Roberts : Good morning !
How are you this morning ?
Leahy : I am great .
I love America .
( Roberts laughs ) The counter-revolution has begun Kerry .
Roberts : Oh , wait wait wait .
The revolution or the counter-revolution ?
Leahy : The counter-revolution has begun .
We are pushing back against all the lefties .
Roberts : Right .
Yes .
I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the right track there .
( Laughs ) Leahy : Historically this has so many comparisons .
What the Left is doing with all these riots out there destroying personal property left and right .
Although they seem to be calming down a bit .
It ’ s very comparable to the French Revolution .
Now , there was not really a successful counter-revolution then .
But there will be one here .
Roberts : I ’ ve said this before and I ’ m going to say it again but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you are a Democrat and a decent person .
If you are a law-abiding citizen , you go to work every day and you ’ re honest and you have integrity .
You go to church on Sunday , why in the world are you still a Democrat ?
Because your party has led the absolute insane inmates takeover of the asylum known as the Democratic Party .
It is stunningly unbelievable that Nancy Pelosi ( Leahy snickers ) can ’ t nip it in the bud and say no .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police .
I mean , she dances around the topic and she can ’ t come out .
At least Biden had the sense to say no that ’ s bad .
Leahy : Well he actually didn ’ t quite say no .
He had his spokesperson say no .
Roberts : Well , I have a feeling he ’ s going to have a spokesperson saying a lot of things between now and November .
( Leahy laughs ) Don ’ t you ?
I don ’ t think they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now .
It ’ s absolutely stunning that all of these radicals if you look at the rounds and it ’ s not just the people who are making a heartfelt plea about racial equality .
Racial unity .
They ’ ve also got a lot of nut jobs up there who are talking about stuff that has nothing to do with racial equality or real problems .
The new buzzword , we ’ ve gone from social distancing to systemic racism .
That ’ s the new buzzword .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutional racism .
That means racism against one group or another .
One race is codified in law and procedures .
Now , I saw Attorney General Bill Barr actually said you know it is true that there was systemic racism in the United States for much of our history until about the 1960s .
And the law has been modified since then .
Policies and procedures are very clear .
Nowhere will you find any state entity , any governmental entity , any federal entity that supports any aspect that is racially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than another .
Roberts : The argument or the pushback of course is , well that ’ s not true on the local level .
Or that ’ s not true on the street level .
Or that ’ s not true of what the police do .
And you do have bad actors .
And of course , the one bad actor ends up driving the reality of perception , right ?
That is a very very powerful video to see George Floyd on the ground .
And that one video has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perception .
And that perception of course is what drives reality .
Leahy : Let ’ s talk about this .
Everybody has seen the video from May 25 .
George Floyd a black man .
Apparently , there was a complaint that he had been allegedly passing a counterfeit $ 20 bill .
All we see then is in the video is this police officer surrounded by three others with George Floyd on the ground and the police officer has his knee on the neck of George Floyd .
And about five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I can ’ t breathe , I can ’ t breathe ” and then he stops moving for three minutes .
Now , systemic racism would be if the policy of the Minneapolis Police Department was the following when you apprehend a black suspect you must put your knee on his neck until he dies .
Or something like that .
It ’ s not their policy .
Roberts : No it ’ s not their policy .
But let me move to a different issue here .
Do you know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they are acknowledging the fact and not to nuance words because I think if you say , well there ’ s not systemic racism because here ’ s the definition of systemic racism .
Then they ’ ll say , well I don ’ t know what you call it but there is racism baked into the system .
Leahy : Let ’ s talk about that .
Racism baked into the system .
What exactly does that mean ?
Roberts : Then it delves into the discussion of white privilege and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baked into the system into the brain of this police officer ?
Was it that this is a black guy and therefore I must put my knee on his neck ?
Or was it , this is somebody I ’ m trying to apprehend who ’ s not cooperating with the apprehension ?
Roberts : Well I have no idea .
But the problem is people say what more do you need to see .
You watch a video where he didn ’ t let a guy up and the guy dies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes the metaphor .
That becomes the rallying cry .
But let me go back to black Conservatives .
Black Conservatives are basically saying , I am stronger than your racism .
What an incredible statement to make .
Stop and think of the opposite of that .
The opposite of that is , well I ’ m a victim .
I can ’ t accomplish .
I can ’ t achieve .
I can ’ t do anything because of white supremacy .
Where can I go ?
What can I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t care what you think .
I live in a free country .
I ’ ll do what I want to do .
Did you see that incredible video of that young lady who took on the protesters and she was saying , I ’ m free !
I live in the greatest country of America .
And these white protesters started shouting her down with shame on you .
Shame on you .
Shame on you .
Leahy : Where was this video ?
Roberts : I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a young black lady with a Jamaican accent or something like that .
I ’ m sorry I don ’ t know .
Roberts : No .
No .
They were out protesting in the park and she just came up and started yelling at the protesters and making some very emotional and cogid points about the fact that I live in a free country and I am free .
I can get an education .
I can work .
I can do what I want to do .
And you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up getting shouted down .
I thought , how incredible of an image of this is .
White protesters for Black Lives Matter shout down a young black woman that says “ I am stronger than your racism .
You don ’ t define me .
Your words don ’ t hurt me.
” Leahy : So she was saying the white liberals were racist .
Roberts : Yes .
It was powerful .
It was amazing .
What bravery to go into a crowd and start doing that .
Leahy : I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman who owns some kind of retail business in Brooklyn or the Bronx I guess and she came out and was just excoriating the protesters who had destroyed her business .
And she said I ’ m black .
My life matters .
Right ?
Why are you destroying my business ?
Roberts : And then a couple of days ago the news comes out that among likely black voters Donald Trump has a 40 % approval rating .
That ’ s only going to grow because what you are seeing with black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowerment , it is a stunningly powerful thing when you say to someone , I don ’ t care what you think .
When I get to the point Michael where I don ’ t care what you think then you no longer hold any power or control over me .
And there may be things that are baked into the system or not and people can argue that .
And your point is very well made .
But the point is when I don ’ t care what you think , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And that is a powerful moment in time .
Listen the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Background Photo “ Tennessee General Assembly ” by the Tennessee General Assembly .


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Judge Issues Order Halting Lee Statue Removal for 10 Days

RICHMOND , Virginia ( AP ) — A judge in Richmond has issued an injunction preventing Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s administration from removing an iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee for 10 days .
The temporary injunction order issued Monday says the state is a party to a deed recorded in March 1890 in which it accepted the statue , pedestal and ground they sit on and agreed to “ faithfully guard ” and “ affectionately protect ” them .
It is in the public interest to await resolution of the case on the merits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the order says .
The lawsuit was filed by William C. Gregory , who is described in the complaint as a descendant of two signatories to the deed .
Named as defendants are Northam and the director of the Department of General Services , the agency tasked with handling the removal .
“ ( Gregory ’ s ) family has taken pride for 130 years in this statue resting upon land belonging to his family and transferred to the Commonwealth in consideration of the Commonwealth contractually guaranteeing to perpetually care for and protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
Northam ’ s spokeswoman , Alena Yarmosky , said in a statement that the governor ’ s administration is still reviewing the order .
“ Governor Northam remains committed to removing this divisive symbol from Virginia ’ s capital city , and we ’ re confident in his authority to do so , ” she said .
Northam last week ordered the statue of Lee taken down , citing the pain felt across the country over the death of George Floyd , a black man in Minneapolis , after a white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neck .
Motivated by a bystander ’ s video of Floyd ’ s agony , demonstrators around the world have vowed to sustain a movement focused on addressing racial injustice and police brutality .
In the American South , they ’ re also advocating for the swift removal of Confederate monuments , with or without the approval of authorities .
Opponents of the monuments say they celebrate white supremacy and gloss over the nation ’ s history of slavery .
Others who advocate for keeping them say they have historical or artistic value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities have removed other symbols since protests erupted two weeks ago , including a massive obelisk in Birmingham , Alabama , and a bronze likeness of Admiral Raphael Semmes that had stood in a middle of a downtown street near the Mobile , Alabama , waterfront for 120 years .
In Fredericksburg , Virginia , a 176-year-old slave auction block was removed from the city ’ s downtown , and the United Daughters of the Confederacy removed its statue from Old Town , Alexandria .
In other cases , protesters aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend , protesters toppled a statue of Gen. Williams Carter Wickham in a park near downtown , and in Bristol , England , a statue of slave trader Edward Colston met a watery end .
Northam has said the enormous Lee statue would be removed “ as soon as possible ” and his administration would seek public input about its future .
Crews inspected the statue earlier Monday as part of the planning for its removal .
“ The massive statue weighs approximately 12 tons , stands 21 feet tall , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
Meticulous planning is required to remove an aging monument of this size and scale safely , ” the Department of General Services said in a statement .
Four other Confederate monuments dot Monument Avenue , a prestigious residential street in Richmond , which was also the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War .
Richmond ’ s city council has affirmed unanimous support for removing the other four , according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch .
Together , they are among the nation ’ s most prominent collection of tributes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been widely praised by black leaders and activists .
Sarah Rankin reports for The Associated Press .
AP photographer Steve Helber contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services inspect the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Monday Jun .
8 , 2020 , in Richmond , Va. Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue .
( AP Photo/Steve Helber )


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Leahy and Senator Roberts Discuss a Potential Tennessee State Comptroller Takeover of Metro Nashvill

Leahy and Senator Roberts Discuss a Potential Tennessee State Comptroller Takeover of Metro Nashville’s Budget

Live from Music Row Tuesday 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 Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts in the studio .
At the end of the third hour , Leahy and Roberts discussed how the Tennessee State Comptroller ’ s office may need to step in as Metro Nashville ’ s un-balanced budget yields a 32 percent property tax increase and an increase in spending .
The men agreed that this would not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comptroller .
Leahy : I am in the studio with State Senator Kerry Roberts .
Kerry , you brought to my attention Justin Wilson the comptroller of the state has sent a letter to the Vice-Mayor Jim Shulman and Bob Mendes .
Why did it go to the vice-mayor and not the mayor ?
Roberts : Probably because he ’ s chair of the finance committee .
I ’ m not exactly sure the way they are structured .
It was a very significant letter from the beloved as we call him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilson .
Top guy .
Roberts : Yes .
Anybody that can show up in the Easter Bunny suit and pull it off .
( Leahy chuckles ) We love the guy .
No kidding .
He ’ s beloved .
That ’ s what we call him .
He ’ s a great comptroller , does a fantastic job for the state of Tennessee .
And he points out that Metro ’ s done something that ’ s kind of tough by holding on to a double-A long term rating on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are supported by non-tax revenues .
That ’ s tough considering the circumstances , however , their outlook has moved from stable to negative .
And so what comptroller Wilson says is… Roberts : Yes .
You got to do two things with this budget .
You ’ ve got to do two things .
It ’ s got to be balanced .
It ’ s got to be structurally balanced and you ’ ve got to improve your reserves .
Your reserves need to be basically five percent operating balance .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s going to be bad .
And bad means the state is basically going to have to take you over .
Leahy : Let me read from his letter to the vice mayor and Bob Mendes chairman of the budget committee .
The failure to meet operating fund balance policy minimums could have catastrophic consequences .
Inadequate reserves would at a minimum result in the impoundment of funds by the Metro Finance Director .
More seriously a budget that is not balanced or fails to meet Metro ’ s legal obligations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unless corrected would result in a takeover by the comptroller ’ s office of Metro ’ s finances .
Roberts : Dash , nobody wants that to happen .
Which is the last part of it .
Leahy : Hold on .
Hold on .
I ’ m glad you added that dash .
Nobody wants that to happen .
I don ’ t think that ’ s actually correct .
( Roberts laughs ) Roberts : Probably some people do yes .
Nobody in the comptroller ’ s office wants it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the comptroller ’ s office wants it to happen .
If you really want to improve the finances of the city , now this Kevin Crumbo is a pretty strong guy but it ’ s the mayor and the Metro Council calling the shots , and the shots are basically spending money like drunken sailors and raising taxes .
Roberts : Right right .
So people take a letter than and wave it around and say , see it proves my point .
( Leahy laughs ) The pro-mayor property tax increase people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a balanced budget and the only way we can do that is with a 32 percent tax increase .
Leahy : That ’ s one way to do it .
Cutting expenses instead of raising the five percent would be another way .
Roberts : It would be another way .
The point is people say what does the comptroller have to do with this anyway ?
You have to remember that our counties are a creation of the Tennessee General Assembly .
Leahy : In our federalist form of government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national government and there are state governments .
And that ’ s it !
Roberts : So our local governments are a creation of the state so these budgets have to be approved by the comptroller ’ s office .
If they are not the comptroller , it has the right to take over their budget .
Logistically it ’ s not an easy thing to do but it has been done before in circumstances .
It could be done again .
Let ’ s hope that they get it right .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to be approved by the end of this month .
So we ’ ll see .
Leahy : I don ’ t think Comptroller Justin Wilson wants to take over the finances of Nashville .
But , the Metro Council may force him to do that .
I ’ m not convinced that raising property taxes 32 % while increasing spending at five percent is ultimately going to solve the problem .
Roberts : That ’ s what is going to get a lot of people .
If you are having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think you get a little more buy-in from the taxpayer .
Because that is a dire situation .
When you are increasing spending that ’ s a nonstarter for a lot of people .
Leahy : And the curveball here for all of these plans is this , nashvilletaxpayerprotectionact.com .
If Jim Roberts gets enough signatures for that to appear on the ballot as a separate item for an up or down vote in December .
I think voters would reject a 32 percent property tax increase then .
Roberts : What is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The point is that Jim Roberts is going to have enough signatures I think .
It will be on the ballot and my guess is the voters will say we don ’ t want to raise property taxes by 32 percent .
Roberts : I will add that if people are going to download the petition and go get signatures if you don ’ t have people register in your jurisdiction their name is not going to count .
Leahy : It has to be Davidson County .
Roberts : It has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t do that it ’ s not going to count .
Leahy : So predictions , when we meet here next week on Tuesday you are in the studio again , will the Tennessee General Assembly still be in session ?
Roberts : I think that probably a week from today , my guess , and I don ’ t have any inside information , I think one week from today could possibly be our last day .
Leahy : Well we ’ ll see .
Notice , possibly .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) has been in the political arena for some time .
Every statement must have a qualifier and this is a wise qualifier .
Roberts : Or I could say I really don ’ t have any idea and I ’ m playing pin the tail on the donkey but you asked me for a date and I gave you one .
Leahy : If I look at this , I understand what the House is doing .
They want to generate activity .
Leahy : But I also understand the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really do .
My beef is that I want us to be there when the public is there .
That ’ s my pet peeve .
Leahy : What I think is going to happen is , and you have more insights than I do , I think they ’ ll just pass the budget .
There will be very little else that passes .
Two weeks from today for sure the Tennessee General Assembly will have adjourned .
That ’ s what I think .
Roberts : I agree .
Necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Necessary for the reign of government .
Those are the three categories of bills that are going to pass .
Leahy : As always , State Senator Kerry Roberts , a delight having you in the studio .
We are just having too much fun .
Roberts : I enjoyed it .
Let ’ s do it again next week .
Same time , same place .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Chinese Propaganda Outlet Has Paid US Newspapers $19 Million for Advertising, Printing

One of China ’ s main propaganda outlets has paid American newspapers nearly $ 19 million for advertising and printing expenses over the past four years , according to documents filed with the Justice Department .
China Daily , an English-language newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party , has paid more than $ 4.6 million to The Washington Post and nearly $ 6 million to The Wall Street Journal since November 2016 , the records show .
Both newspapers have published paid supplements that China Daily produces called “ China Watch.
” The inserts are designed to look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain a pro-Beijing spin on contemporary news events .
One insert from September 2018 touted an initiative pushed by Chinese President Xi Jinping with the headline : “ Belt and Road aligns with African nations.
” The same insert ran a story titled “ Tariffs to take toll on U.S. homebuyers ” that asserted that U.S. tariffs on Chinese lumber would raise the cost of building homes in the United States .
China Daily also paid for advertising in several other newspapers : The New York Times ( $ 50,000 ) , Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Des Moines Register ( $ 34,600 ) and CQ-Roll Call ( $ 76,000 ) .
It spent a total of $ 11,002,628 on advertising in U.S. newspapers , and another $ 265,822 on advertising with Twitter .
China Daily has also paid out more than $ 7.6 million to newspapers and printing companies for its newspaper for U.S.-based readers , the Justice Department ’ s filings show .
The Los Angeles Times , The Seattle Times , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , The Chicago Tribune , The Houston Chronicle and The Boston Globe are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Chinese outlet paid the Los Angeles Times $ 657,523 for printing services , according to the FARA filings .
The Justice Department has for years required China Daily to disclose its activities semi-annually under the Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) .
The most recent filing , which China Daily submitted on June 1 , is the first to include detailed breakdowns of payments to American news outlets .
The outlet disclosed those expenditures for the period between November 2016 and April 2020 .
It is unclear if China Daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Justice Department or on its own .
Pro-democracy groups have long warned about the Chinese government ’ s attempts to push propaganda through American news outlets .
Freedom House and the Hoover Institution have both drawn attention to China Daily ’ s paid inserts in reports on the Chinese government ’ s efforts to influence the media .
China Daily and other Beijing-controlled propaganda mills have come under intense scrutiny amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Chinese government officials have tried to divert blame for the spread of the virus to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of the regime-controlled outlets , including China Daily , have echoed the communist leaders ’ talking points .
China Daily has slowed its advertising expenditures in recent months , the filings show .
China Daily last paid The Washington Post for advertising in December 2019 .
Its payments to The Wall Street Journal have been less than half their average amount since February 2020 , the documents show .
China Daily did not respond to a request for comment .
Chuck Ross is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Woodhead .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Amid US Tension, Iran Builds Fake Aircraft Carrier to Attack

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) — As tensions remain high between Iran and the U.S. , the Islamic Republic appears to have constructed a new mock-up of an aircraft carrier off its southern coast for potential live-fire drills .
The faux foe , seen in satellite photographs obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press , resembles the Nimitz-class carriers that the U.S. Navy routinely sails into the Persian Gulf from the Strait of Hormuz , its narrow mouth where 20 % of all the world ’ s oil passes through .
While not yet acknowledged by Iranian officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the port city of Bandar Abbas suggests Iran ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is preparing an encore of a similar mock-sinking it conducted in 2015 .
It also comes as Iran announced Tuesday it will execute a man it accused of sharing details on the movements of the Guard ’ s Gen. Qassem Soleimani , whom the U.S. killed in a January drone strike in Baghdad .
The replica carries 16 mock-ups of fighter jets on its deck , according to satellite photos taken by Maxar Technologies .
The vessel appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long and 50 meters ( 160 feet ) wide .
A real Nimitz is over 300 meters ( 980 feet ) long and 75 meters ( 245 feet ) wide .
The fake carrier sits just a short distance away from the parking lot in which the Guard unveiled over 100 new speedboats in May , the kind it routinely employs in tense encounters between Iranian sailors and the U.S. Navy .
Those boats carry both mounted machine guns and missiles .
The mock-up , which first began to be noticed among defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resembles a similar one used in February 2015 during a military exercise called “ Great Prophet 9.
” During that drill , Iran swarmed the fake aircraft carrier with speedboats firing machine guns and rockets .
Surface-to-sea missiles later targeted and destroyed the fake carrier .
“ American aircraft carriers are very big ammunition depots housing a lot of missiles , rockets , torpedoes and everything else , ” the Guard ’ s then-navy chief , Adm. Ali Fadavi , said on state television at the time .
That drill , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked in negotiations over Tehran ’ s nuclear program .
Today , the deal born of those negotiations is in tatters .
President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in May 2018 .
Iran later responded by slowly abandoning nearly every tenant of the agreement , though it still allows U.N. inspectors access to its nuclear sites .
Last summer saw a series of attacks and incidents further ramp up tensions between Iran and the U.S .
They reached a crescendo with the Jan. 3 strike near Baghdad International Airport that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s expeditionary Quds , or Jerusalem , Force .
Also on Tuesday , judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said Iranian citizen Mahmoud Mousavi Majd had been convicted in a Revolutionary Court , which handles security cases behind closed doors .
Esmaili accused Majd of receiving money for allegedly sharing security information on the Guard and the Quds Force , as well as the “ positions and movement routes ” of Soleimani .
Majd was “ linked to the CIA and the Mossad , ” the Israeli intelligence agency , Esmaili alleged , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Israeli prime minister ’ s office , which oversees the Mossad , declined to comment .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if Majd had an attorney .
Esmaili did not say when Majd would be executed , other than that it would be “ soon.
” He also stopped short of directly linking the information allegedly offered by Majd to Soleimani ’ s death .
Later Tuesday , the judiciary said Majd was detained in October 2018 and sentenced to death in September 2019 , before Soleimani ’ s killing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be a member of Iran ’ s military , paramilitary or intelligence apparatus , given his ability to access what would be the establishment ’ s innermost secrets .
It recalled the 1984 execution of Iranian navy chief Adm. Bahram Afzali , whom Iran killed along with nine others in the military over allegations they passed classified material onto the Communist Tudeh party , which then gave the material to the Soviet Union .
Iran retaliated for Soleimani ’ s killing with a ballistic missile strike Jan. 8 targeting U.S. forces in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 American troops with serious brain injuries .
That same day , the Guard accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner in Tehran , killing 176 people .
Iran ’ s announcement of the looming execution shows how seriously they still take Soleimani ’ s assassination .
An exercise targeting a mock U.S. aircraft carrier could send that message as well , particularly if it involves a swarm attack of smaller vessels , which analysts believe Iran would employ if it did get into a shooting war with the U.S. Navy .
The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which patrols Mideast waters , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Jon Grambell reports for The Associated Press .
AP writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran , Iran , contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : In this Sunday , June 7 , 2020 satellite photo provided by Maxar Technologies , a fake aircraft carrier is seen off the coast of Bandar Abbas , Iran .
As tensions remain high between Iran and the U.S. , the Islamic Republic appears to have constructed a new mockup of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for potential live-fire drills .
The faux foe , seen in satellite photographs obtained by The Associated Press , resembles the Nimitz-class carriers that the U.S. Navy routinely sails into the Persian Gulf from the Strait of Hormuz , its narrow mouth that sees 20 % of all the world ’ s oil pass through it .
( Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--California Sheriff: Gunman ‘Very Intent’ on Killing Police

SANTA CRUZ , California ( AP ) — An Air Force sergeant and leader in an elite military security force was armed with homemade bombs , an AR-15 rifle and other weapons and had a desire to harm police when he launched a deadly attack on unsuspecting officers , a Northern California sheriff said Monday .
Gunfire and explosives rained down from a hillside Saturday afternoon as Staff Sgt .
Steven Carrillo fired from the high ground onto police who scrambled to find cover and defend themselves , Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said .
“ He was very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Hart said at a news conference .
“ They had no idea that they were about to get into this firefight.
” One of Hart ’ s deputies , Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , 38 , was shot and killed .
Another deputy was shot in the chest — his bulletproof vest saving him — and suffered shrapnel wounds from an explosive and then was struck by Carrillo ’ s vehicle as the suspect fled the home .
The deputy , whose name has not been released , was in stable condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A California Highway Patrol officer was wounded in the hand .
Carrillo escaped , carjacked a vehicle and tried to carjack several others before being subdued through the herculean efforts of a heroic resident , Hart said .
The man saw Carrillo in his backyard and confronted him .
Carrillo , armed with the AR-15 , demanded the man ’ s car keys .
The man retrieved the keys , gave them to Carrillo and when Carrillo turned away the man tackled him and the rifle fell away from him .
As they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his pants and tried unsuccessfully to light it .
He then pulled out a pistol and the man was able to knock it out of his hands and then subdue him as neighbors came to help , Hart said .
“ This guy could have done a lot more damage in our community , ” Hart said .
The man who subdued Carrillo does not want to be publicly identified , Hart said , but he plans to award him a medal .
Carrillo suffered a gunshot wound at some point and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FBI also is investigating if Carrillo , 32 , has any links to the killing of a federal security officer who was shot outside the U.S. courthouse in Oakland during a protest against police mistreatment of black people on May 29 .
Authorities said the gunman opened fire from a white van .
On Saturday , deputies responded to a 911 call about a suspicious white van in Ben Lomond , an unincorporated area outside the beachfront city of Santa Cruz south of San Francisco .
The caller said guns and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When deputies arrived , the van pulled away and they followed .
The van went down a driveway at Carrillo ’ s home , and the driver ambushed the deputies , authorites said .
Afterward , authorities found pipe bombs , multiple firearms , a large amount of ammunition and bomb-making equipment at the hillside , said Hart , who called Carrillo by name at the start of the news conference and then said “ I don ’ t even want to say his name again.
” Neither Hart nor John Bennett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in charge in San Francisco , would provide additional information about the possible nexus between Carrillo and the Oakland shooting .
Carrillo was a team leader for the Phoenix Ravens at Travis Air Force Base northeast of San Francisco , as part of the 60th Security Forces Squadron .
The Phoenix Ravens are tasked with protecting aircraft and crews from assaults on airfields “ where security is unknown or additional security is needed to counter local threats , ” according to the Air Force .
Carrillo had no record of disciplinary issues during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Kuwait for four months in 2019 , according to the Air Force .
Carrillo ’ s wife , Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo , who also was in the Air Force , was found dead in an off-base hotel in May 2018 while she was stationed in South Carolina .
She was 30 .
Her death was ruled a suicide , according to the Air Force .
Carrillo arrived at Travis Air Force Base the month after her death , the military said .
Bennett said it ’ s believed Carrillo was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he ’ s not a suspect .
Carrillo ’ s arraignment is scheduled for Friday afternoon .
He is expected to be charged with first-degree murder .
“ It ’ s very important for Damon ’ s memory that we get this case right , ” Hart said .
A fundraising site for the Gutzwiller ’ s family set up by the state ’ s largest law enforcement organization , the Peace Officers Research Association of California , had raised more than $ 230,000 by Monday afternoon .
Gutzwiller is survived by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martha Mendoza and Stefanie Dazio report for the Associated Press .
Dazio reported from Los Angeles .
Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez contributed .
About the Headline Photo : Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart speaks during a news conference Monday , June 8 , 2020 , in Santa Cruz , Calif. , about the killing of Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller .
FBI Special Agent in Charge John Bennett is at right and Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell is second from right .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing a Northern California sheriff ’ s deputy in an ambush-style attack was a leader for a military base ’ s elite security force , officials said Monday .
Staff Sgt .
Steven Carrillo has been arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting Santa Cruz County sheriff ’ s Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller and wounding two other officers Saturday .
He is expected to be charged with first-degree murder .
( Shmuel Thaler/The Santa Cruz Sentinel via AP )


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Court Docs Show Man Charged with Killing David Dorn Didn’t Serve Anytime for a Previously Convicted

Court Docs Show Man Charged with Killing David Dorn Didn’t Serve Anytime for a Previously Convicted Felony

The man charged with killing former St. Louis Police Capt .
David Dorn was convicted of a felony , but he never served a single day behind bars , court records show .
Stephan Cannon , 24 , was supposed to be locked up for seven years following a 2014 robbery conviction , but he received a suspended execution of sentence and was let loose .
He also violated his parole after his release on two separate occasions and was still not sent to jail , according to a Fox 2 report , which cited court records .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s killing , but would have been behind bars until 2021 if he was incarcerated originally , Fox 2 reported .
“ Captain Dorn was amongst other police officers that I had an opportunity to run into before even getting the opportunity to work in law enforcement , ” St. Louis police officer Robert Howard told Fox 2 .
“ Those were the individuals I looked up to .
They wore the uniform with pride.
” Cannon was charged with shooting and killing Dorn on June 2 as the former captain stood watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee ’ s Pawn and Jewelry .
He was reportedly left to die on the street as an armed group ransacked the store .
St. Louis was a hotbed for riots at the time of Dorn ’ s death .
Four uniformed police officers were also hit with gunfire after protests and riots erupted following the death of George Floyd , who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes , according to video of the incident .
President Donald Trump extended his “ highest respect ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jake Dima is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Ulysses S. Grant Mini-Series Review: Who Controls the Past Controls the Future

The History Channel ’ s recent series about Ulysses S. Grant was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and based on the best-selling biography by Ron Chernow .
It concluded on Wednesday and was just about what one would expect from a film created by some of academia ’ s and entertainment ’ s biggest leftists .
Although the series did fairly well in rehabilitating and humanizing Grant ’ s better characteristics , it could not resist hammering home trite narratives about Reconstruction , going so far as to omit well-documented history about Grant and his administration to accomplish the task .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past and what we know about the past controls the future .
This show , like much of what is created in academia and entertainment , advances that project .
Let ’ s start with the good .
The documentary shows the hard-scrabble roots of Hiram Ulysses Grant .
From the very beginning , we get a glimpse into the poverty and struggles with which the young future president coped while growing up in the old Northwest .
We see his withdrawn , humble , yet strong nature—which shined during his performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Battle of Monterrey .
It rightly shows the tensions in Grant ’ s marriage to Julia Dent , the daughter of a Missouri patriarch who owned slaves , amid the gradually escalating and heightening conflicts surrounding slavery and abolition in the pre-Civil War period .
We get a glimpse of Grant ’ s true heart and patriotism as he decides to get back into the Army in order to fight for and preserve the Union .
That ’ s best summed up in the letter he wrote to his father after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina : By this point , the documentary has basically set up the Civil War as a war fought exclusively over the issue of slavery .
It omits the other issues—such as tariffs—which had been a sectional conflict going back for decades ; it also omits the fact that Southern legislatures voted to secede from the Union democratically and that most Confederates thought that they were doing in 1860 what their great-grandfathers had done in 1776 .
The documentary is about teaching the Civil War as a morality play .
Nonetheless , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s military triumphs , his calm during battle , and his strategic brilliance .
The stories of the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson and the bloodbaths at Shiloh , Wilderness , and Cold Harbor are aptly told .
Though it was curious that they skipped over the Battle of Spotsylvania—an engagement that saw periodic episodes of hand to hand fighting that lasted for over 20 hours .
By the time the show gets to the surrender of Lee at Appomattox , one can clearly see that the Union victory is indelibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genius and his embrace of modern warfare ; he knew that the North could sustain losses which the South could not and he used the weight of both its greater population and its industrial base to drown the Confederacy in a tidal wave of men and equipment .
But after the Civil War , the documentary goes heavy into ginning up a simplistic narrative about Reconstruction and why it failed .
The narrative is simple : Grant is a white savior who struggles admirably but fails to advance Civil Rights because of evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post-Civil War Republican governments of the South .
At the same time , Grant is undermined by a closeted racist Northern population that doesn ’ t have the stomach to hold the line against Southern racial violence but instead gives up because they weren ’ t really committed anti-racists .
This simplistic narrative is useful insofar is it advances Leftist aims today , but it omits actual history .
The subtext of the assertions about Reconstruction is that anyone who opposes the “ social justice ” narrative of DiCaprio or Ta-Nehisi Coates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic consulted and featured in the documentary ) is just following in the footsteps of racist or insufficiently “ anti-racist ” Southern and Northern whites in a backlash against the movement towards equality .
The problem is that this is not accurate history .
Reconstruction could have ended up much worse .
Anyone who has studied the post-civil war periods of Russia , Yugoslavia , Rwanda , and the Congo can attest to that .
On the other hand , while the documentary gives praise for Sherman ’ s March to the Sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shenandoah Valley in 1864 and 1865 , it completely elides the consequences of these actions on the South after the Civil War .
The devastation was almost total .
As one author puts it , One month after Appomattox , Grant himself wrote home to his wife , describing the conditions : “ The suffering that must exist in the South the next year ( 1866 ) .
.
.
will be beyond conception .
People who talk of further retaliation and punishment…do not conceive of the suffering endured already , or they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of course , omitted in the History Channel ’ s narrative of Grant ’ s life .
After all the death and devastation of the Civil War , the South received no Marshall Plan as post-1945 Japan and Germany did .
If you recall , that piece of American largesse offered aid and assistance to our defeated enemies worth $ 13 billion in 1945 ( or more than $ 180 billion in today ’ s money ) .
The Freedman ’ s Bureau which kept newly freed blacks ( and countless poor whites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budgets compared to what post-World War II America spent on her defeated adversaries .
The Bureau spent approximately $ 13 million in its entire existence on aid , mostly to freed black slaves ( $ 200 million today ) .
Sherman ’ s March to the Sea in 1864 caused over $ 100 million of damage alone ( $ 1.5 billion in today ’ s dollars ) .
These facts were completely overlooked .
For once-wealthy Southern whites , the situation after 1865 was disastrous .
Most had lost much of their cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had invested in Confederate bonds lost those entirely .
Capital was non-existent in the South as Confederate currency was no longer valid .
And for those whites and even fewer blacks who owned land , growing cash crops like cotton was no longer the easy path to wealth it once had been .
During the Civil War , cotton production in Egypt and India soared , increasing competition for American Southerners in a way that they were singularly unprepared for—regardless of their race .
Hardly anything was done to alleviate the suffering of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals were in an even tougher spot , most ended up sharecropping because they had neither capital nor land after the war .
But the History Channel mentioned none of this .
Add in the explosive mix of poverty and race that characterized Reconstruction governments in the South and what followed was a predictable debacle .
But DiCaprio and Chernow ’ s hagiography completely skipped over the examples of corruption in Southern legislatures during Reconstruction .
Telling this part of the complicated truth is out of fashion .
So , following the fashion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed over it .
But Southern legislatures during Reconstruction were indeed often very corrupt .
Louisiana ’ s debt went from $ 17.3 million in 1868 to $ 29.6 million in 1872 ; Alabama ’ s state debt went from $ 8.3 million to $ 25 million during the same period .
And taxes went up alongside this corrupt spending .
In one Mississippi county in 1866 , the property tax rate was $ 3.25 on each $ 1,000 worth of property ; by 1874 , it was $ 30 per $ 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay their property taxes could have their lands confiscated by corrupt local and state officials , who auctioned it off to well-connected political friends .
For cash poor , land-rich whites this was a dire threat .
Add in the fact that ex-Confederates were barred from receiving land under the Homestead Act and landless Southern ex-Confederates were stuck in an economically devastated backwater .
Like their poor white counterparts , very few freed blacks had the cash means to purchase the necessities to move West and avail themselves of the lands available with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups , poor whites , landed whites , and freed blacks were left to fight over economically devastated land .
And fight they did .
This toxic mix of economic devastation and internal conflict accelerated an already bad situation in the South after the war .
The History Channel also completely passed over President Grant ’ s role as commander in chief during the Plains Indian Wars and spent about 30 seconds discussing the Credit Mobilier Scandal and the Whiskey Ring .
These omissions were curious .
The Battle of the Little Big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership .
Bringing the same scorched earth tactics he used to force the Confederacy to submit to the Plains , General William Tecumseh Sherman—again subordinate to now President Grant—destroyed everything that could be of use to the American Indians who resisted the tidal wave of American settlement overspreading tribal lands .
And just like the defeated South , American Indians were basically given the back of the federal government ’ s hand and allowed to rot under the appalling conditions of what was left of their land—the reservation system .
A curious omission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his book ) skip this because it makes it harder to unrepentantly glory in the devastation inflicted on the White Confederate South during 1864 and 1865 ?
Further , why did DiCaprio and Chernow pass over all reference to the Credit Mobilier scandal and the Whiskey Ring , where well-connected Northern Republican politicians and financiers bilked taxpayers out of millions of dollars in railroad grants and whiskey tax revenue ?
Maybe this was done because Chernow ’ s book was devoted to revising the view of Grant as a corrupt president and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set the record straight in a well-balanced fashion .
If anything , it shows that the documentary was more hagiography than a truthful portrayal of both the good and bad about Grant .
Neverthless , I ’ d say this documentary deserves a decent grade—a C+ perhaps ?
It does fairly well at going over Grant ’ s early life and many of his achievements during the Civil War .
But it fails utterly to provide balance to its hagiography , above all because of the agenda that propels it .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tired leftist tropes about “ this is who we are-ism ” that overlook a more complex reality on the ground .
As long as American history is told and portrayed by left-leaning academics and entertainers , they will control what people know about history , what they ’ re allowed to talk about in our history , and more importantly—how they ’ re allowed to talk about our history .
He who controls the past controls the future .
For now , the telling of the past belongs to the Left .
Hezekiah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school teacher and coach with a B.A .
from an Ivy League University and an M.A .
in teaching from a Jesuit college on the West Coast .
A teacher of the year in his first school district , he holds a National Board Certificate for Adult and Youth Social Studies .
He has an interest in politics , religion , economics , and military history .
His 2019 book , Trojan Horse Religion explains in detail the beliefs and practices of the Progressive Liberal religion and describes how Progressive Liberalism aims @ @ @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-06-10--Report: Consumers on Track for Record Year of Debt Repayment Before Coronavirus Hit

U.S. consumers were on track for a record year of debt repayment before the coronavirus shutdown , according to a new 2020 Credit Card Debt Study published by the personal-finance website WalletHub .
Consumers entered 2020 owing more than $ 1 trillion in credit card debt after a $ 76.7 billion net increase during 2019 .
By the end of March , however , they posted the largest first-quarter credit card debt paydown – $ 60 billion – since at least 1986 .
Jill Gonzalez , WalletHub analyst , said that it ’ s common for consumers to pay down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of the year , “ as this is when many people receive annual salary bonuses and tax refunds.
” But this year ’ s first-quarter paydown was an outlier , she added , because payments “ were at least 50 percent higher than anything we ’ ve seen in the past 20 years.
” WalletHub notes that the large paydown indicates that consumers “ were on pace for one of their best years ” before government restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 turned 2020 “ into one of the worst [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that total consumer debt was $ 1.6 trillion higher in nominal terms than at debt peak during the 2008 financial crisis .
Total household debt increased $ 155 billion , or 1.1 percent , in the first quarter this year , the Federal Reserve Bank reported .
“ However , this data , which is through March 31 , 2020 , likely doesn ’ t include the full impact ” of the coronavirus shutdown , Forbes analyst Zack Friedman said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mortgages are the highest category of consumer debt , he said , adding that total mortgage debt increased to $ 9.7 trillion and consumers “ should expect an impact on the housing market in the coming quarters.
” Now that national unemployment is at a record high , WalletHub projects that U.S. consumers will add another $ 140 billion in debt through the end of 2020 , totaling a net increase of $ 80 billion in credit card debt .
WalletHub compared more than 2,500 cities based on how much residents owe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balances changed in the first quarter .
According to the report , outstanding credit card debt dropped by roughly 6.5 percent compared to the previous quarter .
Since the end of the Great Recession , consumer performance has regressed on a year-over-year basis in 6 of every 10 quarters , the report found .
The average household ’ s credit card balance is $ 8,509 , roughly $ 1,889 below WalletHub ’ s projected breaking point .
WalletHub identified the ten cities whose residents made the largest debt paydowns : Ewa Beach , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Texas , Westport , Connecticut , Beverly Hills , California , Colleyville , Texas , Collegeville , Pennsylvania , Scarsdale , New York , Greenwich , Connecticut , and Waipahu , Hawaii .
Cities with residents who made the smallest paydowns live in Paradise , California , Clarkston , Georgia , Sun City West , Arizona , Inkster , Michigan , Barberton , Ohio , Sun City Center , Florida , Wisconsin Rapids , Wisconsin , and Laguna Woods , California .
Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square .