thetennesseestar--2020-05-06--Gov. DeWine Stands Up for Amy Acton and News Media After Incidents Involving Protesters Last Weekend

Gov. DeWine Stands Up for Amy Acton and News Media After Incidents Involving Protesters Last Weekend: ‘I’m Fair Game’

Gov .
Mike DeWine defended the news media and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton during Monday ’ s press conference after several incidents occurred over the weekend when Ohio extended its lockdown order until May 29 last Friday .
The two incidents DeWine referenced during his press conference were a protester ’ s interaction with NBC4 Columbus Reporter Adrienne Robbins on May 1 and people protesting in the neighborhood Acton lives in on May 2 .
DeWine addressed the protesters ’ treatment of news media members after a video on Twitter showed a person asking Robbins questions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Cause you know that the company that you work for is lying to the America people !
” the protestor told Robbins .
“ You know that what you ’ re doing is wrong , at the end of the day .
You know it.
” To address the incident , Robbins tweeted , “ I asked this woman to respect my space after she was yelling and spitting in my face .
She said I had no right to social distancing in public and continued to follow me .
Complaining about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect her and those around me ) .
” In defense of reporters , the governor said he was fair game , and that it was not fair game to disrespect or be obnoxious to the news media .
“ You should come after me , don ’ t go after people who are exercising the First Amendment rights… that we value in this country so very much , ” DeWine said .
“ Reporters and photographers who are doing nothing more than following that First Amendment , informing the public — just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public about what you think , what you ’ re saying and what you think is important , ” he added .
The governor said he finds it “ very sad ” that demonstrators treat the news media with disrespect by not observing social distancing with them .
After talking about the incident with the reporter , DeWine defended Acton .
NewsCleveland5 reported that between 15 and 20 people gathered in Acton ’ s Bexley neighborhood on Saturday .
None of these protesters were charged with any crimes .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one who ran for office , I ’ m the one who makes the policy decisions .
Members of my cabinet , Dr. Acton included , work exceedingly , exceedingly hard , but I set the policy , ” he said .
“ So , when you don ’ t like the policy , again , you can demonstrate against me , that is certainly fair game , ” he added .
“ But , to bother the family of Dr. Acton , I don ’ t think that ’ s fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s right .
I don ’ t think it ’ s necessary to get your point across.
” DeWine standing up for Acton appeared to not work as freelance photographer KRForbesPhotography photographed more protesters in Acton ’ s neighborhood on Monday .
“ Despite the pleas of @ GovMikeDeWineduring today ’ s # COVID briefing , a group of about 40 protestors and counter-protestors gathered at the private residence of the director of ODH , Amy Acton .
noticeably louder , No weapons reported , ” the freelancer tweeted .
Zachery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] Photo “ Amy Acton Protesters ” by KRForbesPhotography .

Gov. Mike DeWine defended the news media and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton during Monday’s press conference after several incidents occurred over the weekend when Ohio extended its lockdown order until May 29 last Friday.
The two incidents DeWine referenced during his press conference were a protester’s interaction with NBC4 Columbus Reporter Adrienne Robbins on May 1 and people protesting in the neighborhood Acton lives in on May 2.
DeWine addressed the protesters’ treatment of news media members after a video on Twitter showed a person asking Robbins questions about her company’s coronavirus coverage.
I asked this woman to respect my space after she was yelling and spitting in my face. She said i had no right to social distancing in public and continued to follow me. Complaining about my mask (that is meant to protect her and those around me). https://t.co/M7BX888z11 — Adrienne Robbins (@ARobbinsTV) May 1, 2020
“Cause you know that the company that you work for is lying to the America people!” the protestor told Robbins. “You know that what you’re doing is wrong, at the end of the day. You know it.”
To address the incident, Robbins tweeted, “I asked this woman to respect my space after she was yelling and spitting in my face. She said I had no right to social distancing in public and continued to follow me. Complaining about my mask (that is meant to protect her and those around me).”
I asked this woman to respect my space after she was yelling and spitting in my face. She said i had no right to social distancing in public and continued to follow me. Complaining about my mask (that is meant to protect her and those around me). https://t.co/M7BX888z11 — Adrienne Robbins (@ARobbinsTV) May 1, 2020
In defense of reporters, the governor said he was fair game, and that it was not fair game to disrespect or be obnoxious to the news media.
“You should come after me, don’t go after people who are exercising the First Amendment rights… that we value in this country so very much,” DeWine said.
“Reporters and photographers who are doing nothing more than following that First Amendment, informing the public — just remember, they’re informing the public about what you think, what you’re saying and what you think is important,” he added.
The governor said he finds it “very sad” that demonstrators treat the news media with disrespect by not observing social distancing with them.
After talking about the incident with the reporter, DeWine defended Acton. NewsCleveland5 reported that between 15 and 20 people gathered in Acton’s Bexley neighborhood on Saturday. None of these protesters were charged with any crimes.
A small group of protestors have gathered in front of the central Ohio home of Dr Amy Acton. Neighbors report several men walking up and down the street with assault weapons stating that there will be no violence. “For now”
#ohio #amyacton #thisisamerica #asseenincbus pic.twitter.com/xC3HT0oVi6 — KRForbesPhotography (@KRForbesPhoto) May 2, 2020
“I’m the elected official. I’m the one who ran for office, I’m the one who makes the policy decisions. Members of my cabinet, Dr. Acton included, work exceedingly, exceedingly hard, but I set the policy,” he said.
“So, when you don’t like the policy, again, you can demonstrate against me, that is certainly fair game,” he added. “But, to bother the family of Dr. Acton, I don’t think that’s fair game. I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think it’s necessary to get your point across.”
DeWine standing up for Acton appeared to not work as freelance photographer KRForbesPhotography photographed more protesters in Acton’s neighborhood on Monday.
“Despite the pleas of @GovMikeDeWineduring today’s #COVID briefing, a group of about 40 protestors and counter-protestors gathered at the private residence of the director of ODH, Amy Acton. noticeably louder, No weapons reported,” the freelancer tweeted.
Despite the pleas of @GovMikeDeWine during today's #COVID briefing, a group of about 40 protestors and counter-protestors gathered at the private residence of the director of ODH, Amy Acton. noticeably louder, No weapons reported #Ohiolockdown #amyacton #dewine #ThisIsAmerica pic.twitter.com/8tzSiIr2si — KRForbesPhotography (@KRForbesPhoto) May 4, 2020
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected]
Photo “Amy Acton Protesters” by KRForbesPhotography.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-06--Ohio Governor Updates Coronavirus Testing Priority Categories

Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine updated the state ’ s guidelines for order of priority for coronavirus testing on Tuesday .
“ It ’ s important to remember that testing is only one response to this virus , ” DeWine said in a statement .
“ It allows us to quickly identify individuals infected with COVID-19 , promptly isolate them and determine who they ’ ve been in close contact with to minimize the spread.
” Testing priority is split into three categories .
Ohio residents who are considered Priority 1 include those who are presenting symptoms of COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as a behavioral health provider , home health worker , nursing facility and assisted living employee , or those who work in healthcare and congregate living settings .
The state defines “ congregate living settings ” as those where more than six people live , such as Ohio Veterans Home , residential facilities for substance abuse and psychiatric hospitals .
Those listed as Priority 2 are those who are presenting symptoms and are 65 years old or older , a first responder , someone with underlying conditions or someone who is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settings .
Priority 2 also includes residents or staff of congregate living setting that have been directly exposed to COVID-19 and those who have been designated by public health officials to evaluate or manage community outbreaks .
Those included in Priority 3 do not need to be exhibiting symptoms and includes those receiving essential procedures or those receiving procedures that do not require an overnight stay .
“ Increased testing capacity does not replace infection control and prevention practices such as social distancing , wearing a mask , washing your hands and sanitizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio has tested 160,735 residents for coronavirus , resulting in 20,969 positives and 139,766 negatives , according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project .
There have been 3,956 hospitalizations in the state and 1,038 confirmed deaths , according to the Ohio Department of Health .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ]

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine updated the state’s guidelines for order of priority for coronavirus testing on Tuesday.
“It’s important to remember that testing is only one response to this virus,” DeWine said in a statement. “It allows us to quickly identify individuals infected with COVID-19, promptly isolate them and determine who they’ve been in close contact with to minimize the spread.”
Testing priority is split into three categories.
Ohio residents who are considered Priority 1 include those who are presenting symptoms of COVID-19 and are also hospitalized or a healthcare worker such as a behavioral health provider, home health worker, nursing facility and assisted living employee, or those who work in healthcare and congregate living settings.
The state defines “congregate living settings” as those where more than six people live, such as Ohio Veterans Home, residential facilities for substance abuse and psychiatric hospitals.
Those listed as Priority 2 are those who are presenting symptoms and are 65 years old or older, a first responder, someone with underlying conditions or someone who is a resident of long-term care or congregate living settings. Priority 2 also includes residents or staff of congregate living setting that have been directly exposed to COVID-19 and those who have been designated by public health officials to evaluate or manage community outbreaks.
Those included in Priority 3 do not need to be exhibiting symptoms and includes those receiving essential procedures or those receiving procedures that do not require an overnight stay.
“Increased testing capacity does not replace infection control and prevention practices such as social distancing, wearing a mask, washing your hands and sanitizing high-touch surfaces,” DeWine said.
Ohio has tested 160,735 residents for coronavirus, resulting in 20,969 positives and 139,766 negatives, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project. There have been 3,956 hospitalizations in the state and 1,038 confirmed deaths, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
– – –
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-06--University of Akron Announces Plans for Major Budget Cuts Due to Coronavirus

The University of Akron President Gary Miller said in a video message to campus Monday that the school is set to lose between $ 65 million to $ 70 million as a result of the coronavirus outbreak .
Last week , Miller outlined a detailed path to adjust to the realities of the post-COVID 19 world .
All University revenue sources have been significantly diminished by the pandemic “ real and anticipated ” loss of revenue .
Miller began his occupancy as president in October , immediately implementing a strategic planning process aimed at increasing enrollment and revenues .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to coronavirus .
The announcement came a week after he released a similar video sharing plans for substantial cuts to athletics and a reorganization of departments .
Senior administrators hired before April 1 , including Miller , will take a 10 % salary reduction next fiscal year .
“ I have directed the Provost and his leadership team ( including the deans ) to present a plan for a full reorganization of the academic division that reduces the number of colleges and the number of programs while fine-tuning our traditional strength areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has continued to drop for the last decade to just under 20,000 this year .
The budget approved for the current fiscal year , which ends in June , called for using the university ’ s reserves by about $ 11 million .
Newly appointed Provost John Wiencek will announce further details within the next week , Miller said about the initial plan to consolidate the university into five colleges .
The university currently has 11 colleges , including a graduate school , law school and the Wayne College campus .
Miller did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but said newly appointed Executive Vice President and Provost John Wiencek would make that announcement in the coming days .
Wiencek is the first to hold the Executive Vice President/Provost position , which makes him the second-ranking officer of the university .
Miller said Wiencek is working with the university ’ s chief financial officer and other cabinet members to plan the cost-saving measures .
The goal of establishing the Executive Vice President and Provost position are : • To consolidate all vice-president-level planning through the work of the most senior cabinet member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the institution is always represented in all University budget decisions .
Also members of the university community including University Council , the University Council Budget and Finance Committee , Faculty Senate and student government will then be able to provide feedback either directly to their department chairs or through tools that will be attached to Wiencek ’ s messages , Miller said .
“ This challenge must be met in the coming fiscal year , thus we must adjust immediately , ” Miller said Monday .
Interim CFO Stephen Storck said last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expect a $ 5 million reduction in state funding the rest of this fiscal year , and a $ 20 million reduction next year .
Federal stimulus funds will total $ 14 million for Akron , but half that is required to go to students , leaving the university with just $ 7 million to fill its growing hole .
The university already spent almost $ 8 million refunding students this semester for part of their room and board after they were sent home .
In April , Miller announced that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to include 20 % reductions in athletic expenses and the expenses of all non-academic administrative divisions .
The University of Akron ’ s school president added he is working with the school ’ s athletic director to reduce the athletics budget .
“ Like all other universities in Ohio and elsewhere , the pandemic has weakened us to an extent requiring immediate and decisive action , ” he said .
A final draft of the plan will go to the board of trustees in June , with review by the faculty senate prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reporter at The Ohio Star .
Photo “ University of Akron ” by JEN9841 .
CC BY-SA 3.0 .

The University of Akron President Gary Miller said in a video message to campus Monday that the school is set to lose between $65 million to $70 million as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Last week, Miller outlined a detailed path to adjust to the realities of the post-COVID 19 world. All University revenue sources have been significantly diminished by the pandemic “real and anticipated” loss of revenue.
Miller began his occupancy as president in October, immediately implementing a strategic planning process aimed at increasing enrollment and revenues. The planning process was put on hold due to coronavirus.
The announcement came a week after he released a similar video sharing plans for substantial cuts to athletics and a reorganization of departments. Senior administrators hired before April 1, including Miller, will take a 10% salary reduction next fiscal year.
“I have directed the Provost and his leadership team (including the deans) to present a plan for a full reorganization of the academic division that reduces the number of colleges and the number of programs while fine-tuning our traditional strength areas,” Miller said.
The university enrollment has continued to drop for the last decade to just under 20,000 this year. The budget approved for the current fiscal year, which ends in June, called for using the university’s reserves by about $11 million.
Newly appointed Provost John Wiencek will announce further details within the next week, Miller said about the initial plan to consolidate the university into five colleges. The university currently has 11 colleges, including a graduate school, law school and the Wayne College campus.
Miller did not identify which five colleges would remain but said newly appointed Executive Vice President and Provost John Wiencek would make that announcement in the coming days.
Wiencek is the first to hold the Executive Vice President/Provost position, which makes him the second-ranking officer of the university. Miller said Wiencek is working with the university’s chief financial officer and other cabinet members to plan the cost-saving measures.
The goal of establishing the Executive Vice President and Provost position are:
To consolidate all vice-president-level planning through the work of the most senior cabinet member.
To ensure the academic mission of the institution is always represented in all University budget decisions.
Also members of the university community including University Council, the University Council Budget and Finance Committee, Faculty Senate and student government will then be able to provide feedback either directly to their department chairs or through tools that will be attached to Wiencek’s messages, Miller said.
“This challenge must be met in the coming fiscal year, thus we must adjust immediately,” Miller said Monday.
Interim CFO Stephen Storck said last month the state already told the university to expect a $5 million reduction in state funding the rest of this fiscal year, and a $20 million reduction next year. Federal stimulus funds will total $14 million for Akron, but half that is required to go to students, leaving the university with just $7 million to fill its growing hole. The university already spent almost $8 million refunding students this semester for part of their room and board after they were sent home.
In April, Miller announced that the university’s saving measures were set to include 20% reductions in athletic expenses and the expenses of all non-academic administrative divisions. The University of Akron’s school president added he is working with the school’s athletic director to reduce the athletics budget.
“Like all other universities in Ohio and elsewhere, the pandemic has weakened us to an extent requiring immediate and decisive action,” he said.
A final draft of the plan will go to the board of trustees in June, with review by the faculty senate prior to that vote.
– – –
Samantha Witwer is a reporter at The Ohio Star.
Photo “University of Akron” by JEN9841. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-06--Nessel Sends Letter to Law Enforcement Saying Stay Home Order, Social Distancing Still Enforceable

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a letter of guidance to law enforcement on Tuesday to reaffirm that they should continue to enforce social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders .
Nessel said that after an extension of the state of emergency and disaster failed to pass the Michigan Legislature , many law enforcement officials and members of the public contacted the Department of the Attorney General to clarify what was enforceable .
“ The restrictions in Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 bear a real and substantial relationship to securing the public health , and they are reasonable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Further , although some restrictions on social interactions have been judiciously loosened by the Governor , the restrictions in Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 remain necessary to protect the lives of all Michiganders and bring the emergency created by COVID-19 in Michigan under control .
As a result , Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 are valid and enforceable under the [ Emergency Powers of Governor Act ] .
” After going head-to-head with lawmakers over extending the state of emergency , Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ended the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reissued them under the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 and the Emergency Management Act of 1976 .
Both new orders are set to expire on May 28 .
Whitmer also created two new orders — Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 — that close public spaces and restrict non-essential businesses , which Nessel declared valid .
“ COVID-19 has created a public health crisis of unprecedented gravity in our lifetime .
To date , the most effective means to contain an infectious pandemic is to keep people away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ In promulgating Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 , the Governor has done just that by placing restrictions on certain activities to limit social interactions .
The absence of these restrictions would open gateways for the virus to reach every family and social network in every part of the State.
” Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ Dana Nessel ” by Dana Nessel .
Background Photo “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police .

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a letter of guidance to law enforcement on Tuesday to reaffirm that they should continue to enforce social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders.
Nessel said that after an extension of the state of emergency and disaster failed to pass the Michigan Legislature, many law enforcement officials and members of the public contacted the Department of the Attorney General to clarify what was enforceable.
“The restrictions in Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 bear a real and substantial relationship to securing the public health, and they are reasonable,” Nessel said in the letter. “Further, although some restrictions on social interactions have been judiciously loosened by the Governor, the restrictions in Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 remain necessary to protect the lives of all Michiganders and bring the emergency created by COVID-19 in Michigan under control. As a result, Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 are valid and enforceable under the [Emergency Powers of Governor Act].”
After going head-to-head with lawmakers over extending the state of emergency, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ended the previous state of emergency and disaster declarations and reissued them under the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 and the Emergency Management Act of 1976. Both new orders are set to expire on May 28.
Whitmer also created two new orders — Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70 — that close public spaces and restrict non-essential businesses, which Nessel declared valid.
“COVID-19 has created a public health crisis of unprecedented gravity in our lifetime. To date, the most effective means to contain an infectious pandemic is to keep people away from each other,” Nessel said in a statement. “In promulgating Executive Order 2020-69 and Executive Order 2020-70, the Governor has done just that by placing restrictions on certain activities to limit social interactions. The absence of these restrictions would open gateways for the virus to reach every family and social network in every part of the State.”
Read Nessel’s full letter here.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected]
Photo “Dana Nessel” by Dana Nessel. Background Photo “Michigan State Police” by Michigan State Police.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-06--Tennessee Dems Ask Lee to Support No-Excuse Absentee Voting in Response to Pandemic

The Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus called for no-excuse absentee voting in a recent letter to Gov .
Bill Lee and Secretary of State Tre Hargett .
The letter asks Lee and Hargett to protect voters from the coronavirus by allowing any Tennessean to vote absentee and expanding early voting options .
“ Unfortunately , the right of every Tennessean to participate equally and freely in our state and federal elections – without exposing themselves to the coronavirus – is in jeopardy .
Therefore we are writing you today urging extraordinary measures be implemented to safeguard voting for our upcoming elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the letter , Tennessee allows residents to vote by mail only if they satisfy one of 14 reasons , none of which include a pandemic .
A lawsuit filed against Hargett on Friday claims that Tennessee is one of just seven states that haven ’ t loosened requirements for voting absentee in response to the coronavirus .
“ Administering fair , accessible elections during a pandemic is new territory .
But we do not have to choose between public health and a functioning democracy , ” the caucus writes in its letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability and time to ensure everyone can register , cast a ballot and have their vote counted – without compromising their health.
” In-person voting for Tennessee ’ s August state primary is scheduled to begin on July 17 and Democrats said every precinct should be approved by a county health official .
“ To show voters our commitment to their health and safety , state election officials , in conjunction with the governor ’ s office , should require that every voting precinct be reviewed and approved by a local or regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Health department officials should direct election commissions on the appropriateness of precinct venues , setup and additional measures to prevent virus transmission.
” Some election commissions across the state are reportedly planning to consolidate voting precincts for this year ’ s elections , but Senate Democrats called this plan “ the exact opposite of social distancing.
” “ Combining polling locations , at face value , reduces access to voting and increases the number of voters in a single place , ” the letter states .
“ If promoting physical distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contagious virus are our shared goals , the state should be providing science-based guidance to local election officials against any counterproductive measures.
” Nationally , Democrats in Congress have introduced a bill that would require every state in the nation to allows its residents to vote by mail during the 2020 election .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Bill Lee ” by Bill Lee .

The Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus called for no-excuse absentee voting in a recent letter to Gov. Bill Lee and Secretary of State Tre Hargett.
The letter asks Lee and Hargett to protect voters from the coronavirus by allowing any Tennessean to vote absentee and expanding early voting options.
“Unfortunately, the right of every Tennessean to participate equally and freely in our state and federal elections – without exposing themselves to the coronavirus – is in jeopardy. Therefore we are writing you today urging extraordinary measures be implemented to safeguard voting for our upcoming elections,” states the letter.
According to the letter, Tennessee allows residents to vote by mail only if they satisfy one of 14 reasons, none of which include a pandemic. A lawsuit filed against Hargett on Friday claims that Tennessee is one of just seven states that haven’t loosened requirements for voting absentee in response to the coronavirus.
“Administering fair, accessible elections during a pandemic is new territory. But we do not have to choose between public health and a functioning democracy,” the caucus writes in its letter. “We have the resources, ability and time to ensure everyone can register, cast a ballot and have their vote counted – without compromising their health.”
In-person voting for Tennessee’s August state primary is scheduled to begin on July 17 and Democrats said every precinct should be approved by a county health official.
“To show voters our commitment to their health and safety, state election officials, in conjunction with the governor’s office, should require that every voting precinct be reviewed and approved by a local or regional health department,” the letter continues. “Health department officials should direct election commissions on the appropriateness of precinct venues, setup and additional measures to prevent virus transmission.”
Some election commissions across the state are reportedly planning to consolidate voting precincts for this year’s elections, but Senate Democrats called this plan “the exact opposite of social distancing.”
“Combining polling locations, at face value, reduces access to voting and increases the number of voters in a single place,” the letter states. “If promoting physical distance and reducing the spread of a highly contagious virus are our shared goals, the state should be providing science-based guidance to local election officials against any counterproductive measures.”
Nationally, Democrats in Congress have introduced a bill that would require every state in the nation to allows its residents to vote by mail during the 2020 election.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--After COVID-19, Nashville’s Lower Broadway Bar Owners May Have to Wait Even Longer to Reopen

Nashville Mayor John Cooper might not tweak his four-phased plan to reopen the city ’ s economy , even if it means bar owners on Lower Broadway have to wait a lot longer to reopen their businesses .
In other words , if Nashville ’ s COVID-19 numbers stay in a holding pattern then Cooper will apparently stick with the script .
He might not deviate from previously announced plans .
Cooper seemed to suggest that at a press conference Wednesday .
The media asked Cooper to address bar owners in that section of Nashville .
Cooper said he sympathized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they contribute to the city ’ s economy .
Cooper would not directly say whether he might revise his plans .
He seemed to stress safety first .
“ We have to get back to work and get back to work as quickly as we can , but we also have to keep our staff and our customers safe , ” Cooper said .
“ I believe that we are proceeding in a very good direction to launch us into Phase One , but this is our learning time as a community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One successfully .
That will be PPE .
That will be masks .
That will be protocols that will be walking through with your employees on how to manage in Phase One.
” As The Tennessee Star reported , retail businesses will open in Phase One , and restaurants will have dine-in services , all at half-capacity with added guidelines and restrictions .
“ Now , bars are not open in Phase One .
As a restaurant serving food off of a menu with social distancing protocols that is possible .
But that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge to be able to do that and not spread the disease as we learn how to work together to live with the presence of coronavirus as a constant danger in our community , ” Cooper said .
“ It will take good technique and good protocols to do it .
I am excited that everybody open in a way that keeps everybody safe .
Again , I urge them to consult with the public health department on any questions about protocol that might advance public safety.
” During Phase Two , businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with certain guidelines .
In Phase Three businesses and restaurants will go to full capacity .
In addition , bars and entertainment venues will open at half capacity .
Bars and entertainment venues , meanwhile , will operate at full capacity in Phase Four .
Also at the press conference , Metro Coronavirus Task Force Chair Alex Jahangir said COVID-19 claimed the life of another Davidson County man , who was 55-years-old .
County officials said the virus had killed 33 county residents as of Wednesday .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Lower Broadway Bars ” by Robert Easton .
CC BY 2.0 .

Nashville Mayor John Cooper might not tweak his four-phased plan to reopen the city’s economy, even if it means bar owners on Lower Broadway have to wait a lot longer to reopen their businesses.
In other words, if Nashville’s COVID-19 numbers stay in a holding pattern then Cooper will apparently stick with the script. He might not deviate from previously announced plans.
Cooper seemed to suggest that at a press conference Wednesday.
The media asked Cooper to address bar owners in that section of Nashville. Cooper said he sympathized with the business owners and missed what they contribute to the city’s economy. Cooper would not directly say whether he might revise his plans. He seemed to stress safety first.
“We have to get back to work and get back to work as quickly as we can, but we also have to keep our staff and our customers safe,” Cooper said.
“I believe that we are proceeding in a very good direction to launch us into Phase One, but this is our learning time as a community, and that is how to do Phase One successfully. That will be PPE. That will be masks. That will be protocols that will be walking through with your employees on how to manage in Phase One.”
As The Tennessee Star reported, retail businesses will open in Phase One, and restaurants will have dine-in services, all at half-capacity with added guidelines and restrictions.
“Now, bars are not open in Phase One. As a restaurant serving food off of a menu with social distancing protocols that is possible. But that will, of course, be a challenge to be able to do that and not spread the disease as we learn how to work together to live with the presence of coronavirus as a constant danger in our community,” Cooper said.
“It will take good technique and good protocols to do it. I am excited that everybody open in a way that keeps everybody safe. Again, I urge them to consult with the public health department on any questions about protocol that might advance public safety.”
During Phase Two, businesses and restaurants can go to three-quarters capacity with certain guidelines. In Phase Three businesses and restaurants will go to full capacity. In addition, bars and entertainment venues will open at half capacity.
Bars and entertainment venues, meanwhile, will operate at full capacity in Phase Four.
Also at the press conference, Metro Coronavirus Task Force Chair Alex Jahangir said COVID-19 claimed the life of another Davidson County man, who was 55-years-old. County officials said the virus had killed 33 county residents as of Wednesday.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Lower Broadway Bars” by Robert Easton. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Commentary: If Michael Flynn Can’t Withdraw His Guilty Plea, Then President Trump Should Pardon Him

New documents appear to show that the FBI was intent on setting up former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn in a perjury trap to help keep the Justice Department ’ s then-ongoing investigation into President Donald Trump going in Jan. 2017 on false allegations he was a bought and paid for Russian agent that themselves were bought and paid for by the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign .
Russia hacked the DNC and John Podesta and had their emails published on Wikileaks during the 2016 election campaign , and it was viewed by the Obama administration as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a digital Pearl Harbor .
But the first response was not to sanction Russia , which would not come until Dec. 2016 after the election , it was to spy on the Trump campaign with Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) warrants beginning in Oct. 2016 , and even before that .
First , it was by targeting George Papadopoulos via foreign agency efforts beginning in mid-2016 , and then the FISA warrant applications on Carter Page beginning in Oct. 2016 , fueled by the DNC-Steele dossier falsely accusing President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian agents .
Those were renewed after the election and then finally the fateful strike on Michael Flynn in Jan. 2017 , spying on his Dec. 22 , 2016 conversation he had with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak , leaking it to the Washington Post on Jan. 12 , 2017 , sending the FBI to ask about it on Jan. 24 , 2017 .
Now , we know based on the newly released documents that it was all a set up .
One handwritten internal FBI note stated , “ We have a case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal ?
Truth/Admission or to get him to lie , so we can prosecute him or get him fired ?
… If we get him to admit to breaking the Logan Act give facts to DOJ + have them decide… If we ’ re seen as playing games , WH will be furious .
Protect our institution by not playing games.
” Instead , play games is exactly what the FBI did .
It went in and questioned Flynn , and within days Flynn had lost his job as National Security Advisor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported in Feb. 2018 that the FBI did not think so , reporting , “ [ Former FBI Director James ] Comey told lawmakers that the FBI agents who interviewed Flynn did not believe that Flynn had lied to them , or that any inaccuracies in his answers were intentional.
” Nobody at the time thought that Flynn had done anything wrong by having the conversation with Kislyak — including the FBI which investigated the conversation concluding no crime had been committed , the Washington Post reported a day prior to his questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the conversation did mention the Obama administration ’ s midnight implementation of sanctions against Russia .
That was no crime .
Meaning , as of Jan. 24 , 2017 , there was no crime for the FBI to have been investigating Flynn for having committed , by the FBI ’ s own account , nor one to have questioned Flynn about .
Yet , the interview took place all the same .
It was Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates who was obsessed with the idea that Flynn had committed a violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the Examiner ’ s York reported on Dec. 3 , 2017 , “ Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates has told Congress that the Logan Act was the first reason she intervened in the Flynn case — the reason FBI agents were sent to the White House to interview Flynn in the Trump administration ’ s early days .
It was that interview , held on Jan. 24 , 2017 , that ultimately led to Flynn ’ s guilty plea.
” York added , “ Starting in the summer of 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Logan Act , while mostly unknown to the general public , became a hot topic of conversation among some Democrats .
A number of lawmakers , former officials , and commentators called on the Obama administration to investigate the Trump team for a possible Logan Act violations — and to do it while Democrats still controlled the executive branch.
” Meaning , the Logan Act investigation appears to have begun months prior to Flynn ’ s conversation with Kislyak .
Flynn appears in the DNC and Clinton paid for dossier by former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking engagement , which was really an interview led by a Russian reporter , Sophie Shevardnadze , in a public forum , at the Russia Today 10-year anniversary in Moscow in Dec. 2015 .
Steele wrote in Aug. 2016 : “ Kremlin engaging with several high profile U.S. players , including… former DIA Director Michael Flynn… and funding their recent visits to Moscow.
” But it was not that controversial at the time of his visit , since Flynn apparently briefed the Defense Department both before and after the event and had his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact .
There was the topic that Flynn spoke of at the Russia Today event , which was the potential for U.S.-Russian cooperation to defeat Islamic State , focusing on “ mutual interests ” and restoring “ strategic stability ” to the Middle East .
Flynn was there to sell the idea that the U.S. and Russia had a common enemy in Islamic State and more broadly radical Islam , a proposal candidate Trump would adopt in 2016 .
Flynn stated , “ This back and forth , and I do appreciate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have to have this debate , we absolutely have to have this debate , and we have to have it now .
And we can ’ t—the United States—and I ’ m speaking as a really a private citizen—the United States can ’ t sit there and go , Russia , you ’ re bad , and Russia can ’ t sit there and say , the U.S. , you ’ re bad .
What we have to do , like we have done in the past , and I could go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe would not be the Europe that it is today , thriving , had it not been for Russia and the United States working together 75 years ago , and in other places [ is ] where we have worked together .
So , this idea of us not being able to work together is a misnomer , and I think we have to step back and we have to say , okay , what are the common interests , and then , what are the common goals that we want to achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number one goal is to… eliminate the cancerous idea that exists inside of the Islamic religion , we must do that.
” Flynn called on Arab leaders to work with the U.S. and Russia toward that end , and added , “ the second common goal is to then , to keep some level of stability in the Middle East that creates a new set of economic conditions , to deal with these… frankly , theses 15-to-35-year-old young men that exist… ” Flynn also called for patching up U.S.-Russian relations , another position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Stop being like two bullies in a playground .
Quit acting immature… with each other and know that I have… a disagreement with you , you have a disagreement with me .
You know , this is a funny marriage between Russia and the United States , but it ’ s a marriage… whether we like it or not .
And , that marriage is very , very rocky right now , and what we don ’ t need is we don ’ t need that marriage to break up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past , but we need to… look at this , I mean , I ’ m deadly serious about this , because I know this enemy… and I think there ’ s some in this country that know this enemy from having dealt with it in Chechnya and Dagestan and other places .
This is a very , very deadly enemy.
” lynn expressed hope that his idea for cooperation would be accepted in both Washington , D.C. and Moscow to defeat their common enemy and to avoid a larger conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that we figure out a way strategically to work together , I think that that ’ s the way ahead .
Whether or not we work together 20 years from now , I don ’ t know , but I know if we don ’ t work together right now , the potential for going to a larger conflict against each other or the potential for this enemy to do far more damage than they already have is very , very real.
” Maybe that was Flynn ’ s true “ crime.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East and perhaps to avert a wider , unnecessary conflict between the U.S. and Russia , and supported then-candidate Trump on the campaign trail with that message in 2016 , helping Trump win over swing voters in battleground states .
And so the Obama administration , intelligence agencies and the Justice Department went to great lengths to decapitate the Trump administration in its very first days .
Out of mistrust , fear or revenge , who knows ?
Some answers may come from a Jan. 20 , 2017 email that former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself on the day Trump was inaugurated about a Jan. 5 , 2017 meeting in the Oval Office , in which Rice wrote , “ On January 5 , following a briefing by IC leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election , President Obama had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director Jim Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in the Oval Office .
Vice President Biden and I were also present.
” This was the Russian interference into the 2016 election briefing given a day before then-Director of National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment on the same , but the version that was given to former President Barack Obama and then-President-Elect Trump on Jan. 5 , 2017 also reportedly included some of the allegations leveled by former British spy Christopher Steele in his infamous dossier , paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee , that Trump was a Russian agent .
It looks like the goal was to trap then-President-Elect Trump with former FBI Director James Comey conducting the interview , and to keep the predicate for continuing the investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would lie about the extent of the investigation of President Trump , who would fire him in May 2017 , leading to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller .
The rest , as they say , is history , but it is also prologue .
In light of Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s finding of no conspiracy or coordination between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia after a nearly three-year investigation that was originally ordered by intelligence agencies and the Justice Department during the Obama administration , it is time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detail .
Given the weight of evidence that both Flynn and Trump were set up with bogus allegations they were Russian agents , and the fact that Trump has since been cleared of such a conspiracy by Mueller , if the judge overseeing Flynn ’ s case won ’ t allow him to withdraw his guilty plea , then President Trump should do what is necessary and pardon him once and for all , and probably give him back his job .
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn ” by Michael Flynn .

by Robert Romano
New documents appear to show that the FBI was intent on setting up former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn in a perjury trap to help keep the Justice Department’s then-ongoing investigation into President Donald Trump going in Jan. 2017 on false allegations he was a bought and paid for Russian agent that themselves were bought and paid for by the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Russia hacked the DNC and John Podesta and had their emails published on Wikileaks during the 2016 election campaign, and it was viewed by the Obama administration as an act of war, calling it a digital Pearl Harbor. But the first response was not to sanction Russia, which would not come until Dec. 2016 after the election, it was to spy on the Trump campaign with Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants beginning in Oct. 2016, and even before that.
First, it was by targeting George Papadopoulos via foreign agency efforts beginning in mid-2016, and then the FISA warrant applications on Carter Page beginning in Oct. 2016, fueled by the DNC-Steele dossier falsely accusing President Donald Trump, Page and Paul Manafort of being Russian agents. Those were renewed after the election and then finally the fateful strike on Michael Flynn in Jan. 2017, spying on his Dec. 22, 2016 conversation he had with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak, leaking it to the Washington Post on Jan. 12, 2017, sending the FBI to ask about it on Jan. 24, 2017.
Now, we know based on the newly released documents that it was all a set up. One handwritten internal FBI note stated, “We have a case on Flynn & Russians… What is our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired? … If we get him to admit to breaking the Logan Act give facts to DOJ + have them decide… If we’re seen as playing games, WH will be furious. Protect our institution by not playing games.”
Instead, play games is exactly what the FBI did. It went in and questioned Flynn, and within days Flynn had lost his job as National Security Advisor. The Washington Examiner’s Byron York reported in Feb. 2018 that the FBI did not think so, reporting, “[Former FBI Director James] Comey told lawmakers that the FBI agents who interviewed Flynn did not believe that Flynn had lied to them, or that any inaccuracies in his answers were intentional.”
Nobody at the time thought that Flynn had done anything wrong by having the conversation with Kislyak — including the FBI which investigated the conversation concluding no crime had been committed, the Washington Post reported a day prior to his questioning on Jan. 23, 2017 — even if the conversation did mention the Obama administration’s midnight implementation of sanctions against Russia. That was no crime.
Meaning, as of Jan. 24, 2017, there was no crime for the FBI to have been investigating Flynn for having committed, by the FBI’s own account, nor one to have questioned Flynn about. Yet, the interview took place all the same.
It was Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates who was obsessed with the idea that Flynn had committed a violation of the Logan Act by talking with Kislyak. As the Examiner’s York reported on Dec. 3, 2017, “Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates has told Congress that the Logan Act was the first reason she intervened in the Flynn case — the reason FBI agents were sent to the White House to interview Flynn in the Trump administration’s early days. It was that interview, held on Jan. 24, 2017, that ultimately led to Flynn’s guilty plea.”
York added, “Starting in the summer of 2016 and intensifying in the transition period, the Logan Act, while mostly unknown to the general public, became a hot topic of conversation among some Democrats. A number of lawmakers, former officials, and commentators called on the Obama administration to investigate the Trump team for a possible Logan Act violations — and to do it while Democrats still controlled the executive branch.”
Meaning, the Logan Act investigation appears to have begun months prior to Flynn’s conversation with Kislyak. Flynn appears in the DNC and Clinton paid for dossier by former British spy Christopher Steele because of his speaking engagement, which was really an interview led by a Russian reporter, Sophie Shevardnadze, in a public forum, at the Russia Today 10-year anniversary in Moscow in Dec. 2015. Steele wrote in Aug. 2016: “Kremlin engaging with several high profile U.S. players, including… former DIA Director Michael Flynn… and funding their recent visits to Moscow.”
But it was not that controversial at the time of his visit, since Flynn apparently briefed the Defense Department both before and after the event and had his security clearance reupped in April 2016 after the fact.
There was the topic that Flynn spoke of at the Russia Today event, which was the potential for U.S.-Russian cooperation to defeat Islamic State, focusing on “mutual interests” and restoring “strategic stability” to the Middle East. Flynn was there to sell the idea that the U.S. and Russia had a common enemy in Islamic State and more broadly radical Islam, a proposal candidate Trump would adopt in 2016.
Flynn stated, “This back and forth, and I do appreciate it… and I respect it, because we have to have this debate, we absolutely have to have this debate, and we have to have it now. And we can’t—the United States—and I’m speaking as a really a private citizen—the United States can’t sit there and go, Russia, you’re bad, and Russia can’t sit there and say, the U.S., you’re bad. What we have to do, like we have done in the past, and I could go into a couple of historical examples where Europe would not be the Europe that it is today, thriving, had it not been for Russia and the United States working together 75 years ago, and in other places [is] where we have worked together. So, this idea of us not being able to work together is a misnomer, and I think we have to step back and we have to say, okay, what are the common interests, and then, what are the common goals that we want to achieve, and those goals I believe the number one goal is to… eliminate the cancerous idea that exists inside of the Islamic religion, we must do that.”
Flynn called on Arab leaders to work with the U.S. and Russia toward that end, and added, “the second common goal is to then, to keep some level of stability in the Middle East that creates a new set of economic conditions, to deal with these… frankly, theses 15-to-35-year-old young men that exist…”
Flynn also called for patching up U.S.-Russian relations, another position Trump would adopt on the campaign trail: “Stop being like two bullies in a playground. Quit acting immature… with each other and know that I have… a disagreement with you, you have a disagreement with me. You know, this is a funny marriage between Russia and the United States, but it’s a marriage… whether we like it or not. And, that marriage is very, very rocky right now, and what we don’t need is we don’t need that marriage to break up. We’ve had our break ups in the past, but we need to… look at this, I mean, I’m deadly serious about this, because I know this enemy… and I think there’s some in this country that know this enemy from having dealt with it in Chechnya and Dagestan and other places. This is a very, very deadly enemy.”lynn expressed hope that his idea for cooperation would be accepted in both Washington, D.C. and Moscow to defeat their common enemy and to avoid a larger conflict: “My wish and my hope is that we figure out a way strategically to work together, I think that that’s the way ahead. Whether or not we work together 20 years from now, I don’t know, but I know if we don’t work together right now, the potential for going to a larger conflict against each other or the potential for this enemy to do far more damage than they already have is very, very real.”
Maybe that was Flynn’s true “crime.” He wanted things to change in the Middle East and perhaps to avert a wider, unnecessary conflict between the U.S. and Russia, and supported then-candidate Trump on the campaign trail with that message in 2016, helping Trump win over swing voters in battleground states. And so the Obama administration, intelligence agencies and the Justice Department went to great lengths to decapitate the Trump administration in its very first days. Out of mistrust, fear or revenge, who knows?
Some answers may come from a Jan. 20, 2017 email that former National Security Advisor Susan Rice sent to herself on the day Trump was inaugurated about a Jan. 5, 2017 meeting in the Oval Office, in which Rice wrote, “On January 5, following a briefing by IC leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, President Obama had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director Jim Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in the Oval Office. Vice President Biden and I were also present.”
This was the Russian interference into the 2016 election briefing given a day before then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper issued the joint intelligence assessment on the same, but the version that was given to former President Barack Obama and then-President-Elect Trump on Jan. 5, 2017 also reportedly included some of the allegations leveled by former British spy Christopher Steele in his infamous dossier, paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, that Trump was a Russian agent. It looks like the goal was to trap then-President-Elect Trump with former FBI Director James Comey conducting the interview, and to keep the predicate for continuing the investigation into the Trump administration.
Afterward, Comey would lie about the extent of the investigation of President Trump, who would fire him in May 2017, leading to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The rest, as they say, is history, but it is also prologue.
In light of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s finding of no conspiracy or coordination between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia after a nearly three-year investigation that was originally ordered by intelligence agencies and the Justice Department during the Obama administration, it is time to revisit all of these episodes in great detail.
Given the weight of evidence that both Flynn and Trump were set up with bogus allegations they were Russian agents, and the fact that Trump has since been cleared of such a conspiracy by Mueller, if the judge overseeing Flynn’s case won’t allow him to withdraw his guilty plea, then President Trump should do what is necessary and pardon him once and for all, and probably give him back his job.
– – –
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.
Photo “Michael Flynn” by Michael Flynn.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Has Been Released from the Hospital

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital following a brief stay for a non-surgical gallbladder treatment , according to CNN .
“ She is doing well and glad to be home , ” a short statement from the Supreme Court read .
“ The Justice will return to The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore , Maryland , for follow-up outpatient visits over the next few weeks to eventually remove the gallstone non-surgically.
” On Tuesday Ginsburg was hospitalized on Tuesday , according to a Supreme Court press release .
“ Following oral arguments on Monday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital in Washington , D.C. , that confirmed she was suffering from a gallstone that had migrated to her cystic duct , blocking it and causing an infection , ” the press release said .
Ginsburg , who is 87 years old and the oldest member of America ’ s highest court , has fought numerous ailments over the last couple of years .
In 2019 , the Democratic Supreme Court Justice underwent successful treatment for a malignant tumor on her pancreas .
Ginsburg told CNN in January that she was cancer-free .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ribs after falling in her office .
Then a month later , she underwent surgery for a left-lung lobectomy .
President Bill Clinton appointed Ginsburg to the Court in 1991 .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ]

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital following a brief stay for a non-surgical gallbladder treatment, according to CNN.
“She is doing well and glad to be home,” a short statement from the Supreme Court read. “The Justice will return to The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, for follow-up outpatient visits over the next few weeks to eventually remove the gallstone non-surgically.”
On Tuesday Ginsburg was hospitalized on Tuesday, according to a Supreme Court press release.
“Following oral arguments on Monday, the Justice underwent outpatient tests at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., that confirmed she was suffering from a gallstone that had migrated to her cystic duct, blocking it and causing an infection,” the press release said.
Ginsburg, who is 87 years old and the oldest member of America’s highest court, has fought numerous ailments over the last couple of years. In 2019, the Democratic Supreme Court Justice underwent successful treatment for a malignant tumor on her pancreas.
Ginsburg told CNN in January that she was cancer-free.
In 2018, the justice fractured three ribs after falling in her office. Then a month later, she underwent surgery for a left-lung lobectomy.
President Bill Clinton appointed Ginsburg to the Court in 1991.
– – –
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Trump’s Win with Appeals Court Prevents Release of 250 ICE Detainees

A panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has overruled a lower court ’ s order to reduce the detention population of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) facility by the hundreds .
The Trump administration scored a major win on Tuesday after a three-judge panel ruled that detainees in the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility , a dentition center that sits northeast of Los Angeles , do need to be released en masse while a lower court ruling is being appealed , according to the Los Angeles Times .
The decision overrules a decision made by U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The judge had ordered the Adelanto facility to no longer accept new inmates and reduce its detainee population by at least 250 by the end of the month .
Such a move , Hatter said , would allow remaining inmates and employees to properly practice social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The decision pertained to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union , a progressive organization that has adamantly opposed President Donald Trump ’ s immigration agenda .
Attorneys for the Trump administration lodged an emergency request against Hatter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bid to prevent an immediate release of more than 200 detainees .
The Ninth Circuit panel who overruled the decision consisted of judges Barry Silverman , Jacqueline Nguyen and Daniel Collins .
In a written opinion , Collins said the injunction must “ state its terms specifically , ” according to the LA Times .
“ One of the many problems with the district court ’ s injunction is that it disregards the very sort of considerations that the CDC says may require adaption of the guidelines in the context of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Adelanto facility , one of the biggest ICE detention centers in the country , holds space for roughly 2,000 detainees , but it currently is holding around 1,200 .
Across the country , ICE is currently detailing just shy of 29,700 foreign nationals , according to the agency latest data .
Information provided by the agency also shows that a total of 1,346 inmates have been tested for coronavirus .
Of those , 674 detainees have tested positive for the disease .
The Trump administration has been recently dealt a mixed bag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s come to recent decisions regarding its immigration agenda .
On Monday , the appeals court blocked a request from the administration to deny green card applicants who can ’ t prove they can afford health care .
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .

by Jason Hopkins
A panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has overruled a lower court’s order to reduce the detention population of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility by the hundreds.
The Trump administration scored a major win on Tuesday after a three-judge panel ruled that detainees in the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility, a dentition center that sits northeast of Los Angeles, do need to be released en masse while a lower court ruling is being appealed, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The decision overrules a decision made by U.S. District Judge Terry Hatter on April 23. The judge had ordered the Adelanto facility to no longer accept new inmates and reduce its detainee population by at least 250 by the end of the month.
Such a move, Hatter said, would allow remaining inmates and employees to properly practice social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. The decision pertained to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, a progressive organization that has adamantly opposed President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
Attorneys for the Trump administration lodged an emergency request against Hatter’s decision one day later in a bid to prevent an immediate release of more than 200 detainees.
The Ninth Circuit panel who overruled the decision consisted of judges Barry Silverman, Jacqueline Nguyen and Daniel Collins. In a written opinion, Collins said the injunction must “state its terms specifically,” according to the LA Times.
“One of the many problems with the district court’s injunction is that it disregards the very sort of considerations that the CDC says may require adaption of the guidelines in the context of a particular facility,” Collins wrote.
The Adelanto facility, one of the biggest ICE detention centers in the country, holds space for roughly 2,000 detainees, but it currently is holding around 1,200. Across the country, ICE is currently detailing just shy of 29,700 foreign nationals, according to the agency latest data.
Information provided by the agency also shows that a total of 1,346 inmates have been tested for coronavirus. Of those, 674 detainees have tested positive for the disease.
The Trump administration has been recently dealt a mixed bag from the Ninth Circuit when it’s come to recent decisions regarding its immigration agenda. On Monday, the appeals court blocked a request from the administration to deny green card applicants who can’t prove they can afford health care.
– – –
Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--John Cooper Wears Mask with Image of Kurdistan Flag…but He Won’t Say Why

Staff for Nashville Mayor John Cooper would not say why he wore a COVID-19 face mask Tuesday that had an image of the Kurdistan flag on it .
Cooper generated buzz on Facebook and Twitter after he appeared at a press conference Tuesday and approached a microphone to update Nashville residents about COVID-19 .
Cooper did not wear the mask as he spoke .
He lowered the mask so he could speak clearly into the microphone .
But , as of Wednesday night , Cooper ’ s reasons for wearing the Kurdistan mask remain unclear .
Cooper ’ s staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s request for comment on the matter .
A Kurdish journalist who said on YouTube that he works in Afghanistan played the clip of Cooper wearing the mask .
Meanwhile , The Tennessee Kurdish Community Council and the Kurdish Cultural Center of Illinois , among other Kurdish-oriented Facebook pages , recognized Cooper for the same reason .
The author of another Kurdish-oriented Facebook page said that “ because of the enormity of the Kurdish community in Nashville , it is known as Little Kurdistan.
” As The Star reported last week , Nashville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants live , has a large cluster of confirmed COVID-19 cases .
The entire county remains closed for business because of the virus .
Chris Song , spokesman for Nashville Mayor John Cooper , said last week that Davidson County officials will still impose restrictions upon all of the county , and not just parts of it .
“ Every Nashvillian feels an urge to return to business as normal , and many livelihoods depend on it , ” Song said in an email .
“ But in order to get our economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay the course and reduce the rate of coronavirus infections across all communities here in Nashville.
” Leslie Waller , an epidemiologist with the Metro Nashville Public Health Department , said at a press conference last week that members of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition have partnered with the county to devise strategies to fight COVID-19 in that one area .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ John Cooper ” by John @ @

Staff for Nashville Mayor John Cooper would not say why he wore a COVID-19 face mask Tuesday that had an image of the Kurdistan flag on it.
Cooper generated buzz on Facebook and Twitter after he appeared at a press conference Tuesday and approached a microphone to update Nashville residents about COVID-19. Cooper did not wear the mask as he spoke. He lowered the mask so he could speak clearly into the microphone.
But, as of Wednesday night, Cooper’s reasons for wearing the Kurdistan mask remain unclear. Cooper’s staff did not return The Tennessee Star’s request for comment on the matter.
Cooper attracted worldwide attention for wearing the Kurdish mask.
A Kurdish journalist who said on YouTube that he works in Afghanistan played the clip of Cooper wearing the mask. Meanwhile, The Tennessee Kurdish Community Council and the Kurdish Cultural Center of Illinois, among other Kurdish-oriented Facebook pages, recognized Cooper for the same reason.
The author of another Kurdish-oriented Facebook page said that “because of the enormity of the Kurdish community in Nashville, it is known as Little Kurdistan.”
As The Star reported last week, Nashville’s southeastern area, where many immigrants live, has a large cluster of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The entire county remains closed for business because of the virus.
Chris Song, spokesman for Nashville Mayor John Cooper, said last week that Davidson County officials will still impose restrictions upon all of the county, and not just parts of it.
“Every Nashvillian feels an urge to return to business as normal, and many livelihoods depend on it,” Song said in an email.
“But in order to get our economy back up and running, we must stay the course and reduce the rate of coronavirus infections across all communities here in Nashville.”
Leslie Waller, an epidemiologist with the Metro Nashville Public Health Department, said at a press conference last week that members of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition have partnered with the county to devise strategies to fight COVID-19 in that one area.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “John Cooper” by John Cooper.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Clint Brewer on School Voucher Program: ‘The Status Quo Is Not Working in Our Largest Cities’

Public affairs strategist and all-star panelist Clint Brewer joined 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. – Wednesday morning on the newsmakers line .
During the second hour , Leahy and Brewer discussed the recent push back in the Tennessee school voucher programs proposed for Shelby and Davidson Counties .
Brewer said that the status quo was no longer working and that both sides of the aisle need to urgently come together and find a solution .
Leahy : We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all-star panelist Clint Brewer .
Clint , you were going to add a thought on Mayor Cooper wearing the face mask with the flag of Kurdistan .
Not the flag of Tennessee or the United States at the press conference yesterday .
Brewer : I certainly get your point .
I was going to say the Kurds have traditionally been American allies and Nashville has a very unique role in Kurdish history .
We ’ ve had Kurdish families here for the better part of 40 years .
A lot of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upstanding members of the community .
They were fighting Saddam Hussein long before most Americans knew who Saddam Hussein was .
Leahy : The counter to that is I hear there are problems with gangs in the Kurdish community here in Nashville .
Brewer : There have been in the past .
I think you could say that about just about any group of young men in an urban environment .
Leahy : The Irish gangs have left Nashville .
They were here a long time ago .
Brewer : They probably were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
But at the same time , I think the Kurds hold a special place the hearts here .
Leahy : They certainly hold a special place in the heart of John Cooper and he was eager to show that to the entire world yesterday .
Leahy : The other news had to do with the voucher program .
Governor Lee ’ s voucher program was challenged in court and a state judge ruled yesterday that it ’ s unconstitutional because it applies only to failing schools in Shelby County and Davidson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Clint ?
Brewer : I haven ’ t read the ruling .
Here ’ s the thing .
( Chuckles ) The state of Tennessee has been passing laws for maybe 100 years that apply only to specific cities .
Sometimes those laws stipulate which cities they apply to because the laws include population thresholds .
So it will say something like a city with only 150,000 people or more .
So that ’ s essentially Memphis , Nashville , Knoxville , and Chattanooga .
They ’ ve been doing it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws are passed and legislators want to opt their cities or counties out of it .
And that ’ s been aloud .
I don ’ t know if this ruling will stand .
I imagine the state will appeal it .
It ’ s unfortunate but I think we need to be creative in how we think about public schools .
Particularly in our larger cities where we have real problems .
Leahy : Yes .
Because they ’ re basically a disaster .
Let ’ s face it .
Shelby County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They did a study .
More than 60 % of the graduates of those high schools in those districts when they went to college needed remedial math .
That ’ s not exactly a stellar performance .
The ruling here Clint , Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin ruled that the act was in violation of the Home Rule Amendment in the Tennessee Constitution .
I think you ’ re right .
I think Governor Lee ’ s administration might appeal it .
My guess is that you ’ re also right that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court they will rule it as unconstitutional .
I think the ruling and the law was made more on politics .
But we ’ ll see how that plays out .
The whole thing has been kind of a political mess though if you want to be honest about it .
I mean , I support vouchers .
There was a discussion going back to the very origins of it that when the governor first said we ’ re only going to apply this to failing schools in Shelby County and Davidson County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake .
But that was the strategy they thought they had to implement to get it passed .
They got it passed by barely .
It was very controversial .
Then former Speaker Glen Casada held the House vote in session an extra 45 minutes while one representative changed their vote .
It passed by one vote .
What do you think of that in terms of what will ultimately happen in that arena assuming the state Supreme Court rules in favor of the governor ?
Will the voucher program be a success @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know if this voucher program will .
It sounds like it ’ s in the hands of the courts right now .
Here ’ s the thing .
And you have to give everyone involved credit for it .
We have endlessly debated the value of charter schools and vouchers .
The bottom line is the status quo is not working in our largest cities .
Let ’ s set aside all of the different mechanisms for addressing that .
We just simply have to agree on both sides of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working in Nashville and it ’ s not working in Memphis .
In the Davidson and Shelby counties .
This resistance to change and resistance of attempts from the right side of the aisle to fix it just seems like protectionism of that status quo .
Which is kind of reprehensible if you want to get right down to it .
Look at the statistics you just rolled out .
I think the future is that sooner or later both sides are going to have to find some common ground and figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could make the argument Michael that in Middle Tennessee one of the greatest drivers of economics and economic patterns is the failure of Metro Nashville public schools .
Look at what ’ s happened to the suburbs .
The suburban schools are fantastic .
I live in Wilson County and the school system is terrific .
Williamson County , Rutherford County , and Sumner county .
Those school systems are flourishing and people are being driven out of Davidson County because they don ’ t want their kids to go to public school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an option .
I think that all of these fixes that are out there at some point somebody ’ s got to have to just say we ’ ve got to try something that ’ s not the status quo .
I think that ’ s what the Lee administration was trying to do and I expect it will prevail in court eventually .
Leahy : Yes .
It will prevail in court .
The teacher unions though will continue to oppose this and paint it as ( Wimpy voice ) your taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottom line is that they are doing an awful job at educating kids on the basics of reading , writing , and arithmetic .
I would probably add a little different view on that .
I ’ m not that enamored by the Williamson County schools .
I think their schools have been teaching left-wing propaganda in the civics arena for some time .
And that the superior scores you see there are a reflection of the income of the parents .
But that ’ s another issue and we can talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s exactly right .
The scores in Davidson and Shelby County are also a reflection of the fact that you have some incredibly challenging family situations and neighborhood situations where these kids are not in the best situation to learn .
If you get one meal a day or two meals a day and those come from school , what does your weekend look like ?
How do you show up on Monday morning ready to learn if food is an issue ?
It ’ s a huge challenge in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But we have to find a way to fix it .
It ’ s not an option .
Leahy : One group that has no interest in my view , no interest in solving the problem is the nine-member Metro Nashville Board of Education because they just decided to say no to five new charter schools .
They don ’ t want charter schools .
They don ’ t want the competition .
I don ’ t think any reason or any logic will have any influence on them because they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just my view Clint .
Brewer : Look , when I took over The City Paper in 2006 so 14 years ago , ( Laughs ) the Metro Nashville school board was exactly the same .
( Leahy laughs ) It was a mess .
I mean it was an absolute mess .
They fought with each other .
They fought with the director of schools .
But here ’ s the thing , I agree with you to a certain extent but some of those charter school companies don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them are organic and they start here at home and are funded by local people who truly have the resources and want to affect change .
Some are national chains that come in and they don ’ t do a great job .
Leahy : I think I will disagree with you on that .
( Brewer laughs ) But we ’ ll talk about that next time you come back , Clint .
Listen to the second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Public affairs strategist and all-star panelist Clint Brewer joined 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. – Wednesday morning on the newsmakers line.
During the second hour, Leahy and Brewer discussed the recent push back in the Tennessee school voucher programs proposed for Shelby and Davidson Counties. Brewer said that the status quo was no longer working and that both sides of the aisle need to urgently come together and find a solution.
Leahy: We’re talking with our good friend and all-star panelist Clint Brewer. Clint, you were going to add a thought on Mayor Cooper wearing the face mask with the flag of Kurdistan. Not the flag of Tennessee or the United States at the press conference yesterday.
Brewer: I certainly get your point. I was going to say the Kurds have traditionally been American allies and Nashville has a very unique role in Kurdish history. We’ve had Kurdish families here for the better part of 40 years. A lot of them own businesses. They are employers and upstanding members of the community. They were fighting Saddam Hussein long before most Americans knew who Saddam Hussein was.
Leahy: The counter to that is I hear there are problems with gangs in the Kurdish community here in Nashville.
Brewer: There have been in the past. I think you could say that about just about any group of young men in an urban environment.
Leahy: The Irish gangs have left Nashville. They were here a long time ago.
Brewer: They probably were. (Leahy chuckles) I get it. But at the same time, I think the Kurds hold a special place the hearts here.
Leahy: They certainly hold a special place in the heart of John Cooper and he was eager to show that to the entire world yesterday.
Brewer: True. True.
Leahy: The other news had to do with the voucher program. Governor Lee’s voucher program was challenged in court and a state judge ruled yesterday that it’s unconstitutional because it applies only to failing schools in Shelby County and Davidson County. What do you make of that Clint?
Brewer: I haven’t read the ruling. Here’s the thing. (Chuckles) The state of Tennessee has been passing laws for maybe 100 years that apply only to specific cities. Sometimes those laws stipulate which cities they apply to because the laws include population thresholds. So it will say something like a city with only 150,000 people or more.
So that’s essentially Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. They’ve been doing it for a long time. And then sometimes laws are passed and legislators want to opt their cities or counties out of it. And that’s been aloud. I don’t know if this ruling will stand. I imagine the state will appeal it. It’s unfortunate but I think we need to be creative in how we think about public schools. Particularly in our larger cities where we have real problems.
Leahy: Yes. Because they’re basically a disaster. Let’s face it. Shelby County. Davidson County. Terrible schools. They did a study. More than 60% of the graduates of those high schools in those districts when they went to college needed remedial math.
That’s not exactly a stellar performance. The ruling here Clint, Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin ruled that the act was in violation of the Home Rule Amendment in the Tennessee Constitution. I think you’re right. I think Governor Lee’s administration might appeal it.
My guess is that you’re also right that when this goes to the state Supreme Court they will rule it as unconstitutional. I think the ruling and the law was made more on politics. But we’ll see how that plays out. The whole thing has been kind of a political mess though if you want to be honest about it.
I mean, I support vouchers. There was a discussion going back to the very origins of it that when the governor first said we’re only going to apply this to failing schools in Shelby County and Davidson County. I thought that probably was a mistake. But that was the strategy they thought they had to implement to get it passed. They got it passed by barely. It was very controversial.
Then former Speaker Glen Casada held the House vote in session an extra 45 minutes while one representative changed their vote. It passed by one vote. What do you think of that in terms of what will ultimately happen in that arena assuming the state Supreme Court rules in favor of the governor? Will the voucher program be a success or not?
Brewer: I don’t know if this voucher program will. It sounds like it’s in the hands of the courts right now. Here’s the thing. And you have to give everyone involved credit for it. We have endlessly debated the value of charter schools and vouchers.
The bottom line is the status quo is not working in our largest cities. Let’s set aside all of the different mechanisms for addressing that. We just simply have to agree on both sides of the aisle that it’s just not working in Nashville and it’s not working in Memphis. In the Davidson and Shelby counties.
This resistance to change and resistance of attempts from the right side of the aisle to fix it just seems like protectionism of that status quo. Which is kind of reprehensible if you want to get right down to it. Look at the statistics you just rolled out.
I think the future is that sooner or later both sides are going to have to find some common ground and figure out a way to fix it. You could make the argument Michael that in Middle Tennessee one of the greatest drivers of economics and economic patterns is the failure of Metro Nashville public schools.
Look at what’s happened to the suburbs. The suburban schools are fantastic. I live in Wilson County and the school system is terrific. Williamson County, Rutherford County, and Sumner county. Those school systems are flourishing and people are being driven out of Davidson County because they don’t want their kids to go to public school there and perhaps private school is not an option.
I think that all of these fixes that are out there at some point somebody’s got to have to just say we’ve got to try something that’s not the status quo. I think that’s what the Lee administration was trying to do and I expect it will prevail in court eventually.
Leahy: Yes. It will prevail in court. The teacher unions though will continue to oppose this and paint it as (Wimpy voice) your taking money away from our kids. But the bottom line is that they are doing an awful job at educating kids on the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic.
I would probably add a little different view on that. I’m not that enamored by the Williamson County schools. I think their schools have been teaching left-wing propaganda in the civics arena for some time. And that the superior scores you see there are a reflection of the income of the parents. But that’s another issue and we can talk about that another day.
Brewer: That’s exactly right. The scores in Davidson and Shelby County are also a reflection of the fact that you have some incredibly challenging family situations and neighborhood situations where these kids are not in the best situation to learn.
If you get one meal a day or two meals a day and those come from school, what does your weekend look like? How do you show up on Monday morning ready to learn if food is an issue? It’s a huge challenge in our biggest cities of how to fix this. But we have to find a way to fix it. It’s not an option.
Leahy: One group that has no interest in my view, no interest in solving the problem is the nine-member Metro Nashville Board of Education because they just decided to say no to five new charter schools. They don’t want charter schools. They don’t want the competition. I don’t think any reason or any logic will have any influence on them because they are absolute left-wing liberal ideologues. But that’s just my view Clint.
Brewer: Look, when I took over The City Paper in 2006 so 14 years ago, (Laughs) the Metro Nashville school board was exactly the same. (Leahy laughs) It was a mess. I mean it was an absolute mess. They fought with each other. They fought with the director of schools.
But here’s the thing, I agree with you to a certain extent but some of those charter school companies don’t do themselves any favors. Some of them are organic and they start here at home and are funded by local people who truly have the resources and want to affect change. Some are national chains that come in and they don’t do a great job.
Leahy: I think I will disagree with you on that. (Brewer laughs) But we’ll talk about that next time you come back, Clint.
Brewer: Sounds good.
Listen to the second hour here:

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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.


thetennesseestar--2020-05-07--Texas Salon Owner Jailed for Reopening Business

A salon owner in Frisco , Texas has been arrested after defying the government shutdown to reopen her salon , according to the New York Times .
Shelley Luther , who owns the Salon A La Mode , reopened her business on April 24th , after it had been closed for an entire month .
On the same day , police officers arrived at her business and handed her a citation , pressuring her to re-close the salon .
She was subsequently sent a cease-and-desist letter by a judge in Dallas County ; on April 25th , while appearing at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the cease-and-desist letter .
Luther was eventually forced to appear in court , with Judge Eric Moye of the 14th Civil District Court presiding .
The case was heard via Zoom , with Judge Moye wearing a mask .
In a video that has since gone viral , Judge Moye asks Luther to apologize to her elected officials and acknowledge that she was wrong in order to avoid jail time , telling her that “ failure to do so will only have catastrophic consequences.
” Luther refused to do so , asserting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for the sake of “ feeding [ her ] kids , ” was not selfish .
“ If you think the law ’ s more important than kids getting fed , ” Luther fired back , “ then please go ahead with your decision .
But I am not going to shut the salon.
” Moye subsequently declared Luther to be “ criminally and civilly in contempt , ” and was sentenced to a week in jail and a fine of $ 3,500 .

by Eric Lendrum
A salon owner in Frisco, Texas has been arrested after defying the government shutdown to reopen her salon, according to the New York Times.
Shelley Luther, who owns the Salon A La Mode, reopened her business on April 24th, after it had been closed for an entire month. On the same day, police officers arrived at her business and handed her a citation, pressuring her to re-close the salon. She was subsequently sent a cease-and-desist letter by a judge in Dallas County; on April 25th, while appearing at a lockdown protest, Luther publicly tore up the cease-and-desist letter.
Luther was eventually forced to appear in court, with Judge Eric Moye of the 14th Civil District Court presiding. The case was heard via Zoom, with Judge Moye wearing a mask.
In a video that has since gone viral, Judge Moye asks Luther to apologize to her elected officials and acknowledge that she was wrong in order to avoid jail time, telling her that “failure to do so will only have catastrophic consequences.” Luther refused to do so, asserting that her decision to reopen her business, for the sake of “feeding [her] kids,” was not selfish. “If you think the law’s more important than kids getting fed,” Luther fired back, “then please go ahead with your decision. But I am not going to shut the salon.”
Moye subsequently declared Luther to be “criminally and civilly in contempt,” and was sentenced to a week in jail and a fine of $3,500.
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Eric Lendrum reports for American Greatness.