thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--President Trump and First Lady Melania Test Positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON , D.C. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus , he said Friday .
The positive test comes a month until the election and after the president has spent the year largely downplaying the threat of the virus .
Trump ’ s positive test comes hours after the White House announced that senior aide Hope Hicks had come down with the virus after traveling with the president several times this week .
Trump was last seen by reporters returning to the White House on Thursday evening and looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 74 years old , putting him at higher risk of serious complications from a virus that has now killed more than 205,000 people nationwide .
“ Tonight , @ FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19 .
We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately .
We will get through this TOGETHER !
” Trump tweeted .
In a memorandum , the president ’ s physician said that the president and first lady “ are both well at this time ” and “ plan to remain at home within the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering , ” he added .
Trump had announced earlier in an interview with Fox News that he and the first lady were awaiting their results .
About forty minutes laters , First Lady Melania tweeted , “ We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements .
Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.
” Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever , cough and breathing trouble .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people , usually those with other medical complications , develop more severe symptoms , including pneumonia , which can be fatal .
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday , Trump said he was awaiting results of a COVID-19 test .
“ Whether we quarantine or whether we have it , I don ’ t know , ” he said , adding that first lady Melania Trump was also awaiting results .
Hicks traveled with the president multiple times this week , including aboard Marine One , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One to a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday , and aboard Air Force One to Tuesday night ’ s first presidential debate in Cleveland .
Senior staff have been tested for COVID-19 daily since two people who work at the White House complex tested positive in early May , prompting the White House to step up precautions .
Everyone who comes into contact with the president also receives a quick-result test .
Soon after President Trump ’ s announcement on social media , the White House released a copy of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 visus , ” the letter states .
The President and First Lady are both Well at this time , and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence .
The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch , and I appreciate the support provided by some of out country ’ s greatest medical professionals and institutions .
Rest assured I expect the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disruptions with recovering , and I will keep you updated on any future developments .
Christina Botteri contributed to this report .
Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin are reporters with The Associated Press AP writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report .
About the Headline Photo : President Donald Trump stands on stage with first lady Melania Trump after the first presidential debate with Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday , Sept. 29 , 2020 , at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic , in Cleveland , Ohio .
( @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, he said Friday. The positive test comes a month until the election and after the president has spent the year largely downplaying the threat of the virus.
Trump’s positive test comes hours after the White House announced that senior aide Hope Hicks had come down with the virus after traveling with the president several times this week. Trump was last seen by reporters returning to the White House on Thursday evening and looked to be in good health. Trump is 74 years old, putting him at higher risk of serious complications from a virus that has now killed more than 205,000 people nationwide.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” Trump tweeted.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
In a memorandum, the president’s physician said that the president and first lady “are both well at this time” and “plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.”
“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering,” he added.
Trump had announced earlier in an interview with Fox News that he and the first lady were awaiting their results.
About forty minutes laters, First Lady Melania tweeted, “We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.”
As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together. — Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 2, 2020
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. Most people develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Trump said he was awaiting results of a COVID-19 test. “Whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don’t know,” he said, adding that first lady Melania Trump was also awaiting results.
Hicks traveled with the president multiple times this week, including aboard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, and on Air Force One to a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, and aboard Air Force One to Tuesday night’s first presidential debate in Cleveland.
Senior staff have been tested for COVID-19 daily since two people who work at the White House complex tested positive in early May, prompting the White House to step up precautions. Everyone who comes into contact with the president also receives a quick-result test.
Soon after President Trump’s announcement on social media, the White House released a copy of Trump’s personal physician, Dr. Sean Conley.
“This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 visus,” the letter states.
It continues:
The President and First Lady are both Well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence. The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of out country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions. Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruptions with recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.
– – –
Christina Botteri contributed to this report. Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin are reporters with The Associated Press AP writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
About the Headline Photo: President Donald Trump stands on stage with first lady Melania Trump after the first presidential debate with Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--Sen. Marsha Blackburn Says James Comey Has ‘Memory Issues’ Because He Cannot Recall Details of Cross

Sen. Marsha Blackburn Says James Comey Has ‘Memory Issues’ Because He Cannot Recall Details of Crossfire Hurricane Investigation

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) appeared on Fox Business ’ Morning with Maria on Thursday and asked how former FBI director Jim Comey and others could have been so oblivious about details on Crossfire Hurricane .
Crossfire Hurricane refers to the FBI investigation of alleged collusion between President Donald Trump ’ s 2016 campaign with Russia .
Blackburn made her remark following the appearance of Comey Wednesday at the Senate Judiciary Committee .
She said he had “ memory issues ” and expressed incredulity he claimed he did not know what former President Barack Obama meant by having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The video segment is available here .
Blackburn tweeted , “ James Comey is smug and arrogant .
He was evasive and once again did not tell the truth @ SenJudiciary.
” The senator also tweeted , “ James Comey was at the White House for a January 5 , 2017 , Oval Office meeting , but he wasn ’ t sure how he got there or who invited him.
” Blackburn said , “ This was our third day of hearings .
We have had Rosenstein .
We ’ ve had Yates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is inconceivable that the three of them , DOJ and FBI , were oblivious to this taking place .
I told Jim Comey yesterday , ‘ Look , we ’ re trying to figure out who cooked up this plot , who gave the order to carry it out , and who did the dirty work.
’ And we ’ re still trying to fill out that narrative because the three of them now have said they don ’ t know who did this or who carried it out or who came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tell you : that DNI letter was pretty helpful in figuring it out.
” During the Judiciary hearing , U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) asked Comey about a letter claiming that Hillary Clinton had allegedly ordered a plot to vilify Trump by claiming that Russian had interfered in the election .
The letter purportedly is from John Ratcliffe , director of National Intelligence for Trump .
Comey said , “ I can ’ t answer that .
I ’ ve read Mr. Ratcliffe ’ s letter , which frankly I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee was bringing former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe in next week for more answers .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Marsha Blackburn ” by Marsha Blackburn .

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) appeared on Fox Business’ Morning with Maria on Thursday and asked how former FBI director Jim Comey and others could have been so oblivious about details on Crossfire Hurricane.
Crossfire Hurricane refers to the FBI investigation of alleged collusion between President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign with Russia.
Blackburn made her remark following the appearance of Comey Wednesday at the Senate Judiciary Committee. She said he had “memory issues” and expressed incredulity he claimed he did not know what former President Barack Obama meant by having the right people on the case.
The video segment is available here.
Blackburn tweeted, “James Comey is smug and arrogant. He was evasive and once again did not tell the truth @SenJudiciary.”
James Comey is smug and arrogant. He was evasive and once again did not tell the truth @SenJudiciary. pic.twitter.com/yHmQaZYj6f — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 1, 2020
The senator also tweeted, “James Comey was at the White House for a January 5, 2017, Oval Office meeting, but he wasn’t sure how he got there or who invited him.”
James Comey was at the White House for a January 5, 2017, Oval Office meeting, but he wasn’t sure how he got there or who invited him. pic.twitter.com/q4NlMCuXRe — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 1, 2020
Blackburn said, “This was our third day of hearings. We have had Rosenstein. We’ve had Yates. Now we have Comey, and it is inconceivable that the three of them, DOJ and FBI, were oblivious to this taking place. I told Jim Comey yesterday, ‘Look, we’re trying to figure out who cooked up this plot, who gave the order to carry it out, and who did the dirty work.’ And we’re still trying to fill out that narrative because the three of them now have said they don’t know who did this or who carried it out or who came up with it. But I have to tell you: that DNI letter was pretty helpful in figuring it out.”
During the Judiciary hearing, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked Comey about a letter claiming that Hillary Clinton had allegedly ordered a plot to vilify Trump by claiming that Russian had interfered in the election. The letter purportedly is from John Ratcliffe, director of National Intelligence for Trump.
Comey said, “I can’t answer that. I’ve read Mr. Ratcliffe’s letter, which frankly I have trouble understanding.”
Blackburn said the committee was bringing former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe in next week for more answers.
– – –
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--Commentary: A Man Versus the Movement

Commentary: A Man Versus the Movement

I do not think the Republican leaders are framing the election properly .
Nor are they doing a good job describing what ’ s at stake in this election .
This election is a contest between a man , Donald Trump , who believes America is good , and a man , Joe Biden , who is controlled by a movement that believes America is bad .
Or to put this another way , between a man who wants to preserve the American way of life and a man who will end up destroying it .
Republican leaders are too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a policy election .
This is a regime decision ; a way of life election .
One way of life , the traditional American way of life , is based on individual rights , rule of law , and a shared understanding of the common good .
Government ’ s role is to create the conditions for freedom to flourish .
The other way of life I call “ multiculturalism ” or “ identity politics.
” This way of life assumes that society is made up of identity groups , all of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s role in this regime is to create equal income and power for each group .
As should be immediately apparent , achieving this kind of “ outcome equality ” requires a never-ending redistribution of wealth and power .
This can only be achieved by a tyrannical form of government .
This is to say , multiculturalism , which has taken over the Democratic Party , constitutes a revolutionary movement .
I do not mean a metaphorical revolution .
It is not like a revolution ; it is a revolution , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump said in his excellent Mt .
Rushmore speech .
Republicans should say the same thing .
Republicans everywhere , at every level and at every opportunity .
In order to defend the American way of life , Republicans must disabuse the public of the notion that Black Lives Matter cares about black lives .
To BLM Republicans might say something like : “ absolutely , black lives matter .
They just don ’ t matter to you .
You don ’ t care about Mr. Floyd , the black businesses you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are getting killed because you have forced the police to back off .
These blacks are just abstractions to you .
Their tragedies are just a prop for your agenda .
You ’ re here for destruction .
Not black lives , not any lives.
” And then Republicans must explain how the revolution works .
Specifically , they must explain that the revolution is being led , not by Black Lives Matter , but by the left-wing of the Democratic Party which has used the BLM riots to move farther and faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The left-wing , let ’ s call it the “ BLM wing , ” has taken over the entire party .
Most Democrats , though not themselves revolutionaries , go along .
Joe Biden is one of the “ go-along BLM-Democrats.
” Their policy agenda is clear : reparations , socialism , endless affirmative action , open borders , confiscation of guns , and so forth .
But the revolution goes deeper .
BLM-Democrats understand that if they are to achieve their policy agenda then they must get us to change our values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves .
They must get us to believe that national borders and colorblindness are racist ; that we are not one culture but many ; and that the most important thing in our history—the thing around which all else pivots—is slavery .
More extensively , they must get us to believe that we are unworthy—not just that we have sinned ( which of course we have ) —but that we are irredeemably sinful , or , in the language of today , “ systemically racist.
” And sexist , homophobic , Islamophobic etc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite reasonably ) assume that once Americans accept their guilt they will accept the BLM-Democratic policy agenda .
Republicans can not let that happen .
They must assert—loudly and often— “ no , America is not racist.
” Period .
The American people need to hear what they know in their hearts : They are not racists .
Americans also need to hear that America is “ incredible , ” to use President Trump ’ s adjective of choice .
Republicans must remind the American people that , as a friend of mine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought more freedom and more prosperity to more people than any country in the history of mankind .
In order to change American values and principles , the BLM-Democrats must destroy , or radically restructure , the institutions that teach these values : family , religion , education , and community life .
We are engaged not in a policy war but in a culture war .
This is where the real action is .
Republicans are missing in action .
Republicans should use BLM , the riots , and the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the BLM-Democrats wish to destroy traditional marriage and religion , rewrite America ’ s past , further encroach into community life , and insist on even more affirmative action and the teaching of the America-is-evil narrative .
It should not be difficult to tie this radical agenda to the Democrats .
After all , the riots were never a popular uprising ; rather , they were always the work of elite Democrats : That is , state and local Democratic officials who permitted , even egged on , the rioting ; the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Democrats ’ largest contributors , major corporations and their leaders , who have given billions upon billions of dollars to BLM , and more recently , leading national Democrats who are , in effect , giving BLM permission to riot because President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Justice Ginsburg ’ s seat .
Republicans must make it clear that these are the “ Biden riots.
” For Biden too has embraced the agenda of the BLM wing of his party .
Just listen to him .
“ Let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the civil rights issue of our time , ” he said .
A year ago , he may not have even heard of transgenderism .
Biden now regularly talks about “ systemic ” racism .
On one occasion Biden said , though without evidence , there is “ absolutely systemic racism in law enforcement [ but ] “ it ’ s not just in law enforcement , ” he continued , “ it ’ s across the board .
It ’ s in housing , it ’ s in education…It ’ s in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on every count , but if indeed he believes that racism is in “ everything we do , ” that it is systemic , then , whether he realizes it or not , he is calling for the overthrow of the American way of life .
I presume that is not his intent , but when the words that he is reading off his BLM teleprompter get translated into policy , that will be the consequence—the destruction of the American way of life .
There is nothing to fear from Biden says Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters ?
” No , he does not , but what he does look like is a sap , a puppet being played by his handlers , 13 of which , by the way , gave money to post bail for BLM rioters , some of them alleged murderers .
Also , Republicans should give more support than they do to President Trump ’ s efforts to beat back multiculturalism .
Trump thinks our culture is “ incredible ” and that ’ s the way he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by , among many other things , his recently issued executive orders banning the teaching of the America-is-evil narrative in administrative agencies and establishing a national commission to promote patriotic education .
I know Trump has many faults .
I myself sometimes cringe listening to him .
He is a braggart , often misinformed , petty , and more .
And yet , we are very lucky to have him .
At any other time , he might well have been a bad president .
But in these times—these revolutionary times—he is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No other national Republican leader can hold a candle to President Trump .
I am almost prepared to say that having him is Providential .
How else to explain that we find ourselves with this most unusual , most unpresidential man who has just the attributes most needed for this moment ?
He has the indispensable attribute of a leader : courage .
As a leader must , he goes where others are afraid to go .
He has common sense , which means he generally wants to go to the right place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Above all else , and above anyone else , Trump is committed to America .
He is unreservedly , unquestionably pro-America .
He feels no guilt for America ’ s past .
He makes no apologies .
He concedes nothing .
And Trump has unlimited confidence in Americans .
In this time of woke guilt and doubt , this is just what the doctor ordered .
If we want to save our way of life , then we should support him—unequivocally .
I am .
I am giving many times more than I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This election is that important and President Trump is that good .
Remember , Trump versus Biden is the choice between a man who believes America is good and a man who is controlled by a movement that believes America is bad .
Thomas D. Klingenstein is a principal in the investment firm of Cohen , Klingenstein , LLC and the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Claremont Institute .

by Thomas D. Klingenstein
I do not think the Republican leaders are framing the election properly.
Nor are they doing a good job describing what’s at stake in this election.
This election is a contest between a man, Donald Trump, who believes America is good, and a man, Joe Biden, who is controlled by a movement that believes America is bad. Or to put this another way, between a man who wants to preserve the American way of life and a man who will end up destroying it.
Republican leaders are too focused on policy. This is not a policy election. This is a regime decision; a way of life election. One way of life, the traditional American way of life, is based on individual rights, rule of law, and a shared understanding of the common good. Government’s role is to create the conditions for freedom to flourish.
The other way of life I call “multiculturalism” or “identity politics.” This way of life assumes that society is made up of identity groups, all of which are oppressed by white males. Government’s role in this regime is to create equal income and power for each group.
As should be immediately apparent, achieving this kind of “outcome equality” requires a never-ending redistribution of wealth and power. This can only be achieved by a tyrannical form of government. This is to say, multiculturalism, which has taken over the Democratic Party, constitutes a revolutionary movement. I do not mean a metaphorical revolution. It is not like a revolution; it is a revolution, an attempt to overthrow the American Founding as President Trump said in his excellent Mt. Rushmore speech. Republicans should say the same thing. Republicans everywhere, at every level and at every opportunity.
In order to defend the American way of life, Republicans must disabuse the public of the notion that Black Lives Matter cares about black lives. To BLM Republicans might say something like: “absolutely, black lives matter. They just don’t matter to you. You don’t care about Mr. Floyd, the black businesses you have destroyed, or the blacks who are getting killed because you have forced the police to back off. These blacks are just abstractions to you. Their tragedies are just a prop for your agenda. You’re here for destruction. Not black lives, not any lives.”
And then Republicans must explain how the revolution works. Specifically, they must explain that the revolution is being led, not by Black Lives Matter, but by the left-wing of the Democratic Party which has used the BLM riots to move farther and faster than it otherwise could have moved. The left-wing, let’s call it the “BLM wing,” has taken over the entire party. Most Democrats, though not themselves revolutionaries, go along. Joe Biden is one of the “go-along BLM-Democrats.”
Their policy agenda is clear: reparations, socialism, endless affirmative action, open borders, confiscation of guns, and so forth.
But the revolution goes deeper. BLM-Democrats understand that if they are to achieve their policy agenda then they must get us to change our values and principles and the way we understand ourselves. They must get us to believe that national borders and colorblindness are racist; that we are not one culture but many; and that the most important thing in our history—the thing around which all else pivots—is slavery. More extensively, they must get us to believe that we are unworthy—not just that we have sinned (which of course we have)—but that we are irredeemably sinful, or, in the language of today, “systemically racist.” And sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic etc. to boot. The BLM-Democrats (quite reasonably) assume that once Americans accept their guilt they will accept the BLM-Democratic policy agenda.
Republicans cannot let that happen. They must assert—loudly and often—“no, America is not racist.” Period. The American people need to hear what they know in their hearts: They are not racists. Americans also need to hear that America is “incredible,” to use President Trump’s adjective of choice. Republicans must remind the American people that, as a friend of mine is fond of saying, America has brought more freedom and more prosperity to more people than any country in the history of mankind.
In order to change American values and principles, the BLM-Democrats must destroy, or radically restructure, the institutions that teach these values: family, religion, education, and community life. We are engaged not in a policy war but in a culture war. This is where the real action is. Republicans are missing in action.
Republicans should use BLM, the riots, and the government’s response to the Coronavirus to show that the BLM-Democrats wish to destroy traditional marriage and religion, rewrite America’s past, further encroach into community life, and insist on even more affirmative action and the teaching of the America-is-evil narrative.
It should not be difficult to tie this radical agenda to the Democrats. After all, the riots were never a popular uprising; rather, they were always the work of elite Democrats: That is, state and local Democratic officials who permitted, even egged on, the rioting; the Democratic media which looked the other way; Democrats’ largest contributors, major corporations and their leaders, who have given billions upon billions of dollars to BLM, and more recently, leading national Democrats who are, in effect, giving BLM permission to riot because President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat.
Republicans must make it clear that these are the “Biden riots.” For Biden too has embraced the agenda of the BLM wing of his party. Just listen to him. “Let’s be clear, transgender equality is the civil rights issue of our time,” he said. A year ago, he may not have even heard of transgenderism.
Biden now regularly talks about “systemic” racism. On one occasion Biden said, though without evidence, there is “absolutely systemic racism in law enforcement [but] “it’s not just in law enforcement,” he continued, “it’s across the board. It’s in housing, it’s in education…It’s in everything we do.”
He is wrong on every count, but if indeed he believes that racism is in “everything we do,” that it is systemic, then, whether he realizes it or not, he is calling for the overthrow of the American way of life. I presume that is not his intent, but when the words that he is reading off his BLM teleprompter get translated into policy, that will be the consequence—the destruction of the American way of life.
There is nothing to fear from Biden says Biden: “Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?” No, he does not, but what he does look like is a sap, a puppet being played by his handlers, 13 of which, by the way, gave money to post bail for BLM rioters, some of them alleged murderers.
Also, Republicans should give more support than they do to President Trump’s efforts to beat back multiculturalism. Trump thinks our culture is “incredible” and that’s the way he wants to keep it, as evidenced by, among many other things, his recently issued executive orders banning the teaching of the America-is-evil narrative in administrative agencies and establishing a national commission to promote patriotic education.
I know Trump has many faults. I myself sometimes cringe listening to him. He is a braggart, often misinformed, petty, and more.
And yet, we are very lucky to have him. At any other time, he might well have been a bad president. But in these times—these revolutionary times—he is the best president we could have had. No other national Republican leader can hold a candle to President Trump. I am almost prepared to say that having him is Providential. How else to explain that we find ourselves with this most unusual, most unpresidential man who has just the attributes most needed for this moment?
He has the indispensable attribute of a leader: courage. As a leader must, he goes where others are afraid to go. He has common sense, which means he generally wants to go to the right place. And he is a fighter.
Above all else, and above anyone else, Trump is committed to America. He is unreservedly, unquestionably pro-America. He feels no guilt for America’s past. He makes no apologies. He concedes nothing. And Trump has unlimited confidence in Americans. In this time of woke guilt and doubt, this is just what the doctor ordered.
If we want to save our way of life, then we should support him—unequivocally. I am. I am giving many times more than I would in a normal election cycle. This election is that important and President Trump is that good.
Remember, Trump versus Biden is the choice between a man who believes America is good and a man who is controlled by a movement that believes America is bad.
– – –
Thomas D. Klingenstein is a principal in the investment firm of Cohen, Klingenstein, LLC and the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Claremont Institute.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--Metro Council Member at-Large Steve Glover Talks About Metro Government’s Determination to Destroy N

Metro Council Member at-Large Steve Glover Talks About Metro Government’s Determination to Destroy Nashville and Cooper’s Plummeting Approval Rating

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Metro Nashville ’ s City Council Member-at-Large Steve Glover to the studio .
During the second hour , Glover revealed recent polling that shows Mayor Cooper ’ s approval rating has plummeted by 50 percent .
He was dismayed by the Metro Government ’ s choice to raise taxes and keep the city shutdown for no good reason .
Leahy : We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend in studio Metro Council member-At-large Steve Glover .
Good morning Steve .
Glover : Good morning Michael .
How are you , sir ?
Leahy : Well , I ’ m great .
I ’ m great .
I wonder Steve how a conservative survives in this far-left environment that is the Metro Council .
That is the Nashville Metro Government ruled under , my words the tyrannical control of Mayor John Cooper .
How do you deal with all these guys ?
Glover : Well , so for me , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I said I was going to do when I campaigned .
I was going to fight to protect your wallet .
I was going to do these various things .
Well , I am a fighter .
And the bottom line is simply this .
I never could have imagined a 34 to 37 percent property tax increase when we were here talking a year and a half ago .
Leahy : Yeah .
You were a district representative council member and had decided to run for Metro council at large right on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that time , no one was considering a 34 percent to 37 percent property tax increase at all .
It was not on the horizon .
Glover : I don ’ t remember the exact phrasing but they ’ ve never met a crisis they couldn ’ t take advantage of .
Glover : And that ’ s what they did .
They ’ ve said look , we ’ ve got this terrible thing happening .
We ’ ve got this terrible shortfall of money .
Oh my gosh .
The sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I heard a thing yesterday , you know , the one thing the far left loves to do is try to scare us all the time .
and by scaring us all the time , then they will sneak in the door and they ’ ll put their plans down .
So Mayor Cooper rolls out a 32 percent property tax increase which I thought was ludicrous .
And I ’ ve never seen this as long as I ’ ve been involved with the Metropolitan government and it ’ s about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , right ?
And now this okay now at large representing the entire city , I ’ ve never seen the council say no , no , I think we need to raise it higher .
Who does that ?
Leahy : Well , so let ’ s talk about this for a minute .
Why is it that if you look at the Metro Council , there are 40 members of the council ?
There are five at-large members .
You ’ re one .
You ’ re the only conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the second or third mode highest votes third .
Leahy : Pretty good performance , by the way .
Then there are 35 districts and of those 35 districts , I would say probably 27 are represented by left-wing lunatics .
These are my words , not you yours .
My words .
Not yours .
Glover : I don ’ t understand their way of thinking .
I don ’ t understand the way people think .
And let me say this Michael .
You know , everybody ’ s tuned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you remember a year some odd ago when I was talking about how local will affect your you know life a lot more than the national does normally .
And what you ’ re seeing is it is happening right now .
People in Nashville are starting to wake up .
I mean , I polled a couple of weeks ago and I ’ ll tell you I outpolled everybody and it was a primarily Democratic poll .
Because all I ’ m trying to do is protect the people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have a job , I don ’ t think you can afford a 34 to 37 percent property taxing increase .
The other thing I was going to tell you was I was on the phone and I really hate to say it this way but literally , all I could picture was little old ladies .
I mean , they ’ re retired many of them their husbands had passed away .
They are on Social Security .
They ’ ve got a very limited income Social Security and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were crying because maybe they made $ 1 too much or $ 5 too much or $ 100 too much in order to qualify to get their taxes frozen at last year ’ s rate .
They were crying saying , how am I going to figure out ?
How do I buy food , prescriptions and now this ?
You know , maybe if you ’ re making really good money an additional $ 70 to $ 100 a month isn ’ t going to kill you .
But I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re on a fixed income and you ’ re living in a household with four children three , children two , and both parents are working one of you lose your job .
It doesn ’ t matter what age you are and it doesn ’ t matter what color you are .
Oh and by the way , we ’ re kind of creating our own destiny here , you know by the mayor keeping us closed and to do that to people… Leahy : For no good reason for what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No , it ’ s not .
I agree with that one and I ’ ll tell you this is the lousiest thing I ’ ve ever seen .
Leahy : By the way , we have so many things to talk about but I know I ’ m rambling , you know , you ’ re not rambling .
Actually , we have an hour and a half today and we ’ ll hit all these topics one at a time .
We ’ ve got the property tax increase .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view the absolute defiance of the rule of law by the Metro legal counsel and by the mayor to defy the charter and to not allow this that this repeal referendum to go to the voters .
And then you have all of the hiding of coronavirus data .
But making when it finally comes out to make decisions not supported by the data .
I mean , we ’ ve got a lot to talk about , and then of course we have the disgraceful conduct of Bob Mendes in his tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about .
Glover : The night before last .
Leahy : I wanted to go back to this little intriguing thing you said here .
I caught it .
You said that you ’ ve been polled on recently .
I ’ m going to assume you have to say who was this is for your own personal information , but I ’ m assuming it was well-respected polling for him .
Leahy : Got it .
Okay now to me , I don ’ t know and maybe we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It would seem to me that when John Cooper was sworn in just a year ago .
Leahy : Yeah , just a little over a year ago .
I would guess his popularity rating was probably very his approval rating was high .
Glover : I think he was sitting above 80 percent .
It ’ s now 32.9 percent .
Leahy : His approval rating has dropped from 80 percent to 30 percent ?
Glover : If you took the election itself , right , he was sitting just below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just shortly after the election within the first month and I think I heard and I didn ’ t see this .
So please you can ’ t take me on my word on this one .
You know , I heard it was in the 80s .
I don ’ t know if it was or was not but the one I just did 32.9 percent .
Leahy : That is a huge drop of almost 50 percent in his approval rating here .
Leahy : Yeah , it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling did you take a look at why what were the driving factors in that decline in his approval rating ?
Glover : Taxes and closing the city shutdown ?
Those were the two driving factors .
Leahy : Okay .
So these are all bad things .
I ’ m trying to figure out what has happened to his mind .
Glover : You know , I don ’ t ever like speaking on behalf of someone else .
I ’ ve said this a million times .
And I stay by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you .
I don ’ t know how you take an economy the size of Nashville that you know , as I said a year year and a half ago .
We don ’ t have a money problem in Nashville .
We have a spending problem .
We still do have a spending problem .
Even after 30 to 35 tax increase .
Leahy : Yeah , everybody else is cutting employees .
He increased it by five percent .
Glover : He never touched a thing never and never cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoke and mirrors as far as what they pretended like the cuts were .
But what ’ s driving it , Michael ?
I don ’ t know because the only thing I can figure is are you trying to depress the city so much downtown that real estate becomes very inexpensive .
Leahy : Now to me , it looks like he ’ s trying to crush the Nashville restaurant industry .
The bars and the tourism industry out of no good scientific reason .
Glover : After the great people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
Now , look not everything ’ s perfect .
There are people that get completely , you know , they complain about you know , the Pedal Taverns and the this that right and I agree .
I mean maybe it went a little too far but you don ’ t do you don ’ t drag it back so hard so fast that you kill that economy .
Leahy : But that ’ s what it appears what he wants to do for no good reason .
I mean we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reporter Dennis Ferrier great reporter got the data from the health department only 146 out of 25,000 cases of coronavirus are attributable to restaurants and bars .
Glover : I want to talk about the apology demanded from a couple of weeks ago .
Leahy : Oh yeah .
You ’ ve got ta listen to that .
We ’ ve got the truth for you .
You better listen up because you are not going to hear it anywhere else .
Listen to the full second hour : Tune in weekdays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Metro Nashville’s City Council Member-at-Large Steve Glover to the studio.
During the second hour, Glover revealed recent polling that shows Mayor Cooper’s approval rating has plummeted by 50 percent. He was dismayed by the Metro Government’s choice to raise taxes and keep the city shutdown for no good reason.
Leahy: We are joined now by our very good friend in studio Metro Council member-At-large Steve Glover. Good morning Steve.
Glover: Good morning Michael. How are you, sir?
Leahy: Well, I’m great. I’m great. I wonder Steve how a conservative survives in this far-left environment that is the Metro Council. That is the Nashville Metro Government ruled under, my words the tyrannical control of Mayor John Cooper. How do you deal with all these guys?
Glover: Well, so for me, it was very important that I do everything I said I was going to do when I campaigned. I was going to fight to protect your wallet. I was going to do these various things. Well, I am a fighter. And the bottom line is simply this. I never could have imagined a 34 to 37 percent property tax increase when we were here talking a year and a half ago.
Leahy: Yeah. You were a district representative council member and had decided to run for Metro council at large right on a conservative, common platform. At that time, no one was considering a 34 percent to 37 percent property tax increase at all. It was not on the horizon.
Glover: I don’t remember the exact phrasing but they’ve never met a crisis they couldn’t take advantage of.
Leahy: Yes.
Glover: And that’s what they did. They’ve said look, we’ve got this terrible thing happening. We’ve got this terrible shortfall of money. Oh my gosh. The sky is falling. The sky is falling. I heard a thing yesterday, you know, the one thing the far left loves to do is try to scare us all the time. and by scaring us all the time, then they will sneak in the door and they’ll put their plans down.
So Mayor Cooper rolls out a 32 percent property tax increase which I thought was ludicrous. And I’ve never seen this as long as I’ve been involved with the Metropolitan government and it’s about 20 years now. Because school board schools, right? And now this okay now at large representing the entire city, I’ve never seen the council say no, no, I think we need to raise it higher. Who does that?
Leahy: Well, so let’s talk about this for a minute. Why is it that if you look at the Metro Council, there are 40 members of the council? There are five at-large members. You’re one. You’re the only conservative of the at large. You got what the second or third mode highest votes third.
Glover: Third highest.
Leahy: Pretty good performance, by the way. Then there are 35 districts and of those 35 districts, I would say probably 27 are represented by left-wing lunatics. These are my words, not you yours. My words. Not yours.
Glover: I don’t understand their way of thinking. I don’t understand the way people think. And let me say this Michael. You know, everybody’s tuned in on this presidential election right now. If you remember a year some odd ago when I was talking about how local will affect your you know life a lot more than the national does normally.
And what you’re seeing is it is happening right now. People in Nashville are starting to wake up. I mean, I polled a couple of weeks ago and I’ll tell you I outpolled everybody and it was a primarily Democratic poll. Because all I’m trying to do is protect the people of Nashville.
I mean if you don’t have a job, I don’t think you can afford a 34 to 37 percent property taxing increase. The other thing I was going to tell you was I was on the phone and I really hate to say it this way but literally, all I could picture was little old ladies. I mean, they’re retired many of them their husbands had passed away.
They are on Social Security. They’ve got a very limited income Social Security and it’s maybe their only income. They were crying because maybe they made $1 too much or $ 5 too much or $100 too much in order to qualify to get their taxes frozen at last year’s rate.
They were crying saying, how am I going to figure out? How do I buy food, prescriptions and now this? You know, maybe if you’re making really good money an additional $70 to $100 a month isn’t going to kill you.
But I will tell you right now if you’re on a fixed income and you’re living in a household with four children three, children two, and both parents are working one of you lose your job. It doesn’t matter what age you are and it doesn’t matter what color you are. Oh and by the way, we’re kind of creating our own destiny here, you know by the mayor keeping us closed and to do that to people…
Leahy: For no good reason for what I could tell.
Glover: No. No, it’s not. I agree with that one and I’ll tell you this is the lousiest thing I’ve ever seen.
Leahy: By the way, we have so many things to talk about but I know I’m rambling, you know, you’re not rambling. Actually, we have an hour and a half today and we’ll hit all these topics one at a time. We’ve got the property tax increase.
We’ve got the what in my view the absolute defiance of the rule of law by the Metro legal counsel and by the mayor to defy the charter and to not allow this that this repeal referendum to go to the voters. And then you have all of the hiding of coronavirus data.
But making when it finally comes out to make decisions not supported by the data. I mean, we’ve got a lot to talk about, and then of course we have the disgraceful conduct of Bob Mendes in his tweet last night. So many things to talk about.
Glover: The night before last.
Leahy: I wanted to go back to this little intriguing thing you said here. I caught it. You said that you’ve been polled on recently. I’m going to assume you have to say who was this is for your own personal information, but I’m assuming it was well-respected polling for him.
Glover: It was yeah. It’s a national firm.
Leahy: Got it. Okay now to me, I don’t know and maybe we’ll break some news here. Maybe not. It would seem to me that when John Cooper was sworn in just a year ago.
Glover: September 26.
Leahy: Yeah, just a little over a year ago. I would guess his popularity rating was probably very his approval rating was high.
Glover: I think he was sitting above 80 percent. It’s now 32.9 percent.
Leahy: His approval rating has dropped from 80 percent to 30 percent?
Glover: If you took the election itself, right, he was sitting just below 70 percent. There was a poll just shortly after the election within the first month and I think I heard and I didn’t see this. So please you can’t take me on my word on this one. You know, I heard it was in the 80s. I don’t know if it was or was not but the one I just did 32.9 percent.
Leahy: That is a huge drop of almost 50 percent in his approval rating here.
Glover: Greater than 50 percent.
Leahy: Yeah, it’s a huge drop. And now in your polling did you take a look at why what were the driving factors in that decline in his approval rating?
Glover: Taxes and closing the city shutdown? Those were the two driving factors.
Leahy: Okay. So these are all bad things. I’m trying to figure out what has happened to his mind.
Glover: You know, I don’t ever like speaking on behalf of someone else. I’ve said this a million times. And I stay by that one. I can’t tell you. I don’t know how you take an economy the size of Nashville that you know, as I said a year year and a half ago. We don’t have a money problem in Nashville. We have a spending problem. We still do have a spending problem. Even after 30 to 35 tax increase.
Leahy: Yeah, everybody else is cutting employees. He increased it by five percent.
Glover: He never touched a thing never and never cut anything. Oh, it Is all smoke and mirrors as far as what they pretended like the cuts were. But what’s driving it, Michael? I don’t know because the only thing I can figure is are you trying to depress the city so much downtown that real estate becomes very inexpensive.
Leahy: Now to me, it looks like he’s trying to crush the Nashville restaurant industry. The bars and the tourism industry out of no good scientific reason.
Glover: After the great people of Nashville have worked years to build this up. Now, look not everything’s perfect. There are people that get completely, you know, they complain about you know, the Pedal Taverns and the this that right and I agree. I mean maybe it went a little too far but you don’t do you don’t drag it back so hard so fast that you kill that economy.
Leahy: But that’s what it appears what he wants to do for no good reason. I mean we looked at the data FOX News 17 a reporter Dennis Ferrier great reporter got the data from the health department only 146 out of 25,000 cases of coronavirus are attributable to restaurants and bars.
Glover: I want to talk about the apology demanded from a couple of weeks ago.
Leahy: Oh yeah. You’ve gotta listen to that. We’ve got the truth for you. You better listen up because you are not going to hear it anywhere else.
Listen to the full second hour:

– – –
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--2020-10-02--Thales Academy Franklin Adds Fourth and Fifth Grade After Huge Success of K-3 Programs That Opened i

Thales Academy Franklin Adds Fourth and Fifth Grade After Huge Success of K-3 Programs That Opened in August

Thales Academy Franklin will add grades fourth and fifth to their programs for the 2021-2022 school year , due to a successful first quarter .
Applications are now open and will be selected on a first-come , first-serve basis .
Thales Academy Franklin is one in a college preparatory network of Pre-K-12 independent schools founded in North Carolina .
The Pre-K-5 programs use a Direct Instruction ( DI ) educational model .
DI groups and paces children based on their skill levels rather than age .
Thales Academy classifies itself as “ rigorous , college-prep academics that emphasize learning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skills development ; personalized attention and affordable tuition with no extra fees or fundraising.
” It emphasizes an approach to teaching students “ how to think , not what to think.
” Thales Academy Franklin was established this past July ; it is the first Thales Academy in Tennessee .
That same month , Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visited Thales Academy Apex K-5 in North Carolina .
Pence and DeVos commended the academies for resuming classes in person , rather than opting for online learning like most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has openings remaining in their first , second , and third grade classes .
Thales Academy Franklin Administrator Rachael Bradley reported that the families and staff contributed greatly to their successful first quarter of in-person learning .
“ [ We ] encourage families looking for a reliable , high-quality education at an affordable price to apply now and join us as we head into the second quarter , which starts October 12.
” While annual tuition is $ 5,300 normally , families who join during the upcoming second quarter will only pay a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scholarships , discounts , and payment plans to facilitate costs .
Parents or guardians interested in more information or tours with Thales Academy Franklin can reach Bradley via email .
Applications and more details are available on their website .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .

Thales Academy Franklin will add grades fourth and fifth to their programs for the 2021-2022 school year, due to a successful first quarter. Applications are now open and will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Thales Academy Franklin is one in a college preparatory network of Pre-K-12 independent schools founded in North Carolina. The Pre-K-5 programs use a Direct Instruction (DI) educational model. DI groups and paces children based on their skill levels rather than age.
Thales Academy classifies itself as “rigorous, college-prep academics that emphasize learning to mastery; character formation; real world skills development; personalized attention and affordable tuition with no extra fees or fundraising.” It emphasizes an approach to teaching students “how to think, not what to think.”
Thales Academy Franklin was established this past July; it is the first Thales Academy in Tennessee.
That same month, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visited Thales Academy Apex K-5 in North Carolina. Pence and DeVos commended the academies for resuming classes in person, rather than opting for online learning like most other schools have.
The academy currently has openings remaining in their first, second, and third grade classes. Thales Academy Franklin Administrator Rachael Bradley reported that the families and staff contributed greatly to their successful first quarter of in-person learning.
“[We] encourage families looking for a reliable, high-quality education at an affordable price to apply now and join us as we head into the second quarter, which starts October 12.”
While annual tuition is $5,300 normally, families who join during the upcoming second quarter will only pay a prorated tuition. The academy also offers scholarships, discounts, and payment plans to facilitate costs.
Parents or guardians interested in more information or tours with Thales Academy Franklin can reach Bradley via email. Applications and more details are available on their website.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--GALLUP: Majority of Americans Think Trump Will Win Election

The good news for President Trump : His job approval has hit its highest point since May , Gallup reported on Thursday .
The bad news : His approval rating is 46 % , while his disapproval rating is 52 % .
But the latest Gallup poll included one fascinating finding .
“ Regardless of whom they personally support , 56 % of Americans expect Trump to prevail over Biden in the November election , while 40 % think Biden will win , ” Gallup wrote .
“ Although majorities of partisans think their party ’ s candidate will win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump will win ( 90 % ) than Democrats are to think Biden will ( 73 % ) .
Fifty-six percent of independents predict that Trump will win.
” The pollster doesn ’ t offer an explanation as to how Trump can be underwater on his approval rating but still be the majority pick to win the election .
But Gallup said the finding might not be great news for Trump .
“ Looking back , Gallup has asked Americans for their predictions in the late summer or fall of every presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ABC NewsIWashington Post poll included a comparable question in 2016 .
In each of these polls , Americans accurately predicted the winner of the popular vote , though not the winner of the Electoral College .
That is , in 2000 and 2016 , the public predicted Al Gore and Hillary Clinton , respectively , would win the election .
Although both of these Democratic candidates won the popular vote , George W. Bush and Trump , respectively , won the most electoral votes and ultimately became president , ” Gallup wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory is not consistent with the average of recent national presidential vote-preference polls , which show Biden with a significant lead , but it is consistent with Americans ’ expectation of a victory for the incumbent president in every race in which one has been running .
The two most recent elections in which an incumbent lost – 1980 and 1992 – occurred before Gallup began asking Americans to handicap the presidential election race.
” As reference , in 2016 , just 31 % of those surveyed thought Trump would win , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2000 , 56 % thought Gore would win , just 35 % thought Bush would come out on top .
The finding on independents also appears interesting : Fifty-six percent thinks Trump will win , while just 39 % predict Biden will win .
There has been talk that Trump supporters have gone underground and he may actually have more support than national polls say – Trump is routinely trailing in those , sometimes by double digits .
A poll last month by Monmouth University of 401 Pennsylvania voters found that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters out there who aren ’ t being counted .
“ The media consistently reports that Biden is in the lead , but voters remember what happened in 2016 .
The specter of a secret Trump vote looms large in 2020 , ” said Patrick Murray , director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute .
“ Most voters ( 57 % ) believe there are a number of so-called secret voters in their communities who support Trump but won ’ t tell anyone about it .
Less than half that number ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters for Biden .
The suspicion that a secret Trump vote exists is slightly higher in swing counties ( 62 % ) and Clinton counties ( 61 % ) than in Trump counties ( 51 % ) , ” the pollsters wrote .

by Joseph Curl
The good news for President Trump: His job approval has hit its highest point since May, Gallup reported on Thursday.
The bad news: His approval rating is 46%, while his disapproval rating is 52%.
But the latest Gallup poll included one fascinating finding.
“Regardless of whom they personally support, 56% of Americans expect Trump to prevail over Biden in the November election, while 40% think Biden will win,” Gallup wrote. “Although majorities of partisans think their party’s candidate will win, Republicans are more likely to believe Trump will win (90%) than Democrats are to think Biden will (73%). Fifty-six percent of independents predict that Trump will win.”
The pollster doesn’t offer an explanation as to how Trump can be underwater on his approval rating but still be the majority pick to win the election. But Gallup said the finding might not be great news for Trump.
“Looking back, Gallup has asked Americans for their predictions in the late summer or fall of every presidential election year from 1996 through 2012, and an ABC NewsIWashington Post poll included a comparable question in 2016.
In each of these polls, Americans accurately predicted the winner of the popular vote, though not the winner of the Electoral College. That is, in 2000 and 2016, the public predicted Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, respectively, would win the election. Although both of these Democratic candidates won the popular vote, George W. Bush and Trump, respectively, won the most electoral votes and ultimately became president,” Gallup wrote.
“The prediction of a Trump victory is not consistent with the average of recent national presidential vote-preference polls, which show Biden with a significant lead, but it is consistent with Americans’ expectation of a victory for the incumbent president in every race in which one has been running. The two most recent elections in which an incumbent lost – 1980 and 1992 – occurred before Gallup began asking Americans to handicap the presidential election race.”
As reference, in 2016, just 31% of those surveyed thought Trump would win, while 58% thought Clinton would win. In 2000, 56% thought Gore would win, just 35% thought Bush would come out on top.
The finding on independents also appears interesting: Fifty-six percent thinks Trump will win, while just 39% predict Biden will win.
There has been talk that Trump supporters have gone underground and he may actually have more support than national polls say – Trump is routinely trailing in those, sometimes by double digits.
A poll last month by Monmouth University of 401 Pennsylvania voters found that a majority of voters think there are Trump supporters out there who aren’t being counted.
“The media consistently reports that Biden is in the lead, but voters remember what happened in 2016. The specter of a secret Trump vote looms large in 2020,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
“Most voters (57%) believe there are a number of so-called secret voters in their communities who support Trump but won’t tell anyone about it. Less than half that number (27%) believe there are secret voters for Biden. The suspicion that a secret Trump vote exists is slightly higher in swing counties (62%) and Clinton counties (61%) than in Trump counties (51%),” the pollsters wrote.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--James Comey Testifies That He’s ‘Proud’ of FBI’s ‘By the Book’Crossfire Hurricane Investigation

Fired FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday testified that he is “ proud ” of the FBI ’ s Crossfire Hurricane ( CH ) investigation , the manifestly corrupt deep state operation that targeted the Trump campaign in 2016 .
Comey appeared remotely before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about his role in the anti-Trump operation , which included the FBI ’ s use of fraudulent applications to obtain surveillance warrants against former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page .
“ In the main , it [ Crossfire Hurricane ] was done by the book , it was appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be done , ” Comey stated , when asked by Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham to rate the FBI ’ s job on the CH investigation .
“ Overall , I ’ m proud of the work , ” Comey answered matter-of-factly .
“ There are parts of it that are concerning which I ’ m sure we ’ ll talk about , but overall I ’ m proud of the work ” he added .
Much has been learned since Comey ’ s last public testimony on June 7 , 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed-door deposition to House investigators in December 2018 .
The Special Counsel in the Spring of 2019 released a report finding that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election , which was the main focus of the FBI ’ s Crossfire Hurricane investigation .
Moreover , the Justice Department inspector general released a report last Fall saying that the FBI ’ s surveillance applications under Comey ’ s direction were riddled with “ significant ” errors and omissions .
It has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August of 2016 that Carter Page had contacts with certain Russians because he was working with the CIA , and that the FBI doctored evidence to indicate the opposite .
Crossfire Hurricane team member , Kevin Clinesmith , pleaded guilty in August to making false statements by altering a June 2017 email from a CIA analyst to say that Carter Page was “ not a ‘ source ’ ” rather than “ a source ” for the spy agency .
Clinesmith told government prosecutors that he shared both the doctored email and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspirators , suggesting that other malefactors are probably being investigated for the same crime .
Comey testified that he knew nothing about Page ’ s relationship with the CIA except for what he read in IG Michael Horowitz ’ s report , but disagreed with Graham ’ s premise that Page was a source for the spy agency .
He also told the senator that he knew nothing about Clinesmith other than what he had read in the public record .
“ How do you feel in general about an FBI lawyer doctoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Graham asked Comey , cutting to the chase .
“ Any false statement during the course of the investigation is deeply concerning , ” the disgraced G-man admitted .
“ But you didn ’ t know anything about that , okay !
” Graham fired back dismissively .
He went on to ask Comey what actions were taken in October of 2016 to verify the discredited Steele dossier before the FBI submitted their application to the FISA court .
Comey answered that he didn ’ t know “ specifically , ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain amount of time ruling in and ruling out Christopher Steele ’ s allegations .
Steele was hired by liberal opposition research firm Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on candidate Trump during the 2016 campaign .
Fusion , in turn , was paid by the Clinton Campaign and the DNC for that purpose .
Comey told Graham that he didn ’ t know who actually prepared the fraudulent application , and when asked if he agreed that there was never an effort to verify the anti-Trump dossier , he demurred .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that , ” the disgraced former g-man said .
A recently declassified FBI memo revealed that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation against Igor Danchenko , the primary source for dossier author Christopher Steele , in 2009 , strongly suggesting that Russian disinformation was planted in the dossier .
Although the Bureau ’ s Crossfire Hurricane team learned of the Danchenko investigation in December 2016 , it continued to rely on the dossier for its investigation of the Trump team and went on to obtain three additional Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Graham noted that the bureau did not disclose the investigation of Danchenko to the FISA Court in the applications Comey signed off on .
He also noted that the FBI interviewed Danchenko over a three day period January 2017 when he dismissed Steele ’ s reporting on Trump and his associates as unverified rumors .
Comey said under oath that he didn ’ t remember anything about Steele ’ s source .
“ I don ’ t remember learning anything additional about Steele ’ s sources , ” he told Graham .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the FBI finds in its file that the man that prepared the dossier for Steele was suspected of being a threat to national security—and it doesn ’ t make it up to you ?
!
” Graham asked .
“ I don ’ t know , ” Comey said .
“ I could speculate , but I don ’ t know , I haven ’ t spoken with the people … ” Comey answered weakly .
The former FBI director also said he doesn ’ t remember being briefed by DOJ official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bias .
Nor could he remember being warned by the CIA that the Steele dossier was a collection unreliable “ internet rumors.
” “ I don ’ t remember ever being told anything like that , ” Comey said .
Even though Comey , if one is to believe him , was ignorant of these basic facts , he fought hard to use the unverified dossier in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment ( ICA ) on Russian election interference , according to the IG report .
Comey also denied having heard that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a Russian disinformation campaign .
“ I ’ m not familiar with what you ’ re reading from , ” Comey told Graham after he had read the allegations .
“ If in fact the Russians had infiltrated Steele ’ s sources to create this myth about sexual misconduct of the president , that to me seems to cry out for slowing down or stopping [ the investigation ] , not keep using the document !
” Graham added incredulously .
“ There was ample evidence of the other side [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a scandal around Trump , Graham pointed out , noting that they even “ hired a foreign agent ” to carry out the operation .
“ Did you have a duty to look at any allegations regarding Clinton and Russia ?
” Graham asked .
After a long pause , Comey answered , “ I don ’ t know what you mean.
” Graham pointed out that the former FBI director had testified that he felt it was his duty to investigate allegations regarding Trump and the Russians , but as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ratcliffe revealed , the FBI were aware of Russian analysis regarding Hillary Clinton ’ s plan to link Trump to Russia .
Did you have an investigation to look into whether any of that was true ?
” the S.C. senator asked .
“ I can ’ t answer that .
I ’ ve read Mr. Ratcliffe ’ s letter which frankly I have trouble understanding , ” Comey answered dismissively , although the letter is quite clear .
Comey and fired former FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok were sent an investigative referral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Clinton ’ s approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.
” Ratcliffe wrote .
As Mollie Hemingway and Sean Davis noted at the Federalist : “ Rather than investigate at the time whether Russian intelligence had infiltrated the Clinton operation ’ s anti-Trump campaign and sowed Russian disinformation within it , the FBI instead used unverified gossip from a suspected Russian agent to obtain federal warrants to spy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had trouble remembering that detail about what the Russians said they knew about the Clinton campaign .
In fact , according to his testimony , Comey was very much out of the loop on a lot of the FBI ’ s shenanigans in 2016 , although he does find some of it “ concerning .
”

by Debra Heine
Fired FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday testified that he is “proud” of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane (CH) investigation, the manifestly corrupt deep state operation that targeted the Trump campaign in 2016.
Comey appeared remotely before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about his role in the anti-Trump operation, which included the FBI’s use of fraudulent applications to obtain surveillance warrants against former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page.
“In the main, it [Crossfire Hurricane] was done by the book, it was appropriate, and it was essential that it be done,” Comey stated, when asked by Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham to rate the FBI’s job on the CH investigation.
“So you’re proud of it,” Graham replied, nonplussed.
“Overall, I’m proud of the work,” Comey answered matter-of-factly. “There are parts of it that are concerning which I’m sure we’ll talk about, but overall I’m proud of the work” he added.
.@Comey said that Operation Crossfire Hurricane was "done by the book" and he is "proud of the work" during his testimony. pic.twitter.com/svn6jU9INT — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 30, 2020
Much has been learned since Comey’s last public testimony on June 7, 2017, before the Senate Intelligence Committee and his closed-door deposition to House investigators in December 2018.
The Special Counsel in the Spring of 2019 released a report finding that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election, which was the main focus of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
Moreover, the Justice Department inspector general released a report last Fall saying that the FBI’s surveillance applications under Comey’s direction were riddled with “significant” errors and omissions.
It has also since been revealed that the FBI knew in August of 2016 that Carter Page had contacts with certain Russians because he was working with the CIA, and that the FBI doctored evidence to indicate the opposite.
Crossfire Hurricane team member, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty in August to making false statements by altering a June 2017 email from a CIA analyst to say that Carter Page was “not a ‘source’” rather than “a source” for the spy agency. Clinesmith told government prosecutors that he shared both the doctored email and the original with some of his FBI conspirators, suggesting that other malefactors are probably being investigated for the same crime.
Comey testified that he knew nothing about Page’s relationship with the CIA except for what he read in IG Michael Horowitz’s report, but disagreed with Graham’s premise that Page was a source for the spy agency.
He also told the senator that he knew nothing about Clinesmith other than what he had read in the public record.
“How do you feel in general about an FBI lawyer doctoring information exculpatory to someone being surveilled?” Graham asked Comey, cutting to the chase.
“Any false statement during the course of the investigation is deeply concerning,” the disgraced G-man admitted.
“But you didn’t know anything about that, okay!” Graham fired back dismissively.
He went on to ask Comey what actions were taken in October of 2016 to verify the discredited Steele dossier before the FBI submitted their application to the FISA court.
Comey answered that he didn’t know “specifically,” but the CH Hurricane team had spent a certain amount of time ruling in and ruling out Christopher Steele’s allegations.
Steele was hired by liberal opposition research firm Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on candidate Trump during the 2016 campaign. Fusion, in turn, was paid by the Clinton Campaign and the DNC for that purpose.
Comey told Graham that he didn’t know who actually prepared the fraudulent application, and when asked if he agreed that there was never an effort to verify the anti-Trump dossier, he demurred.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” the disgraced former g-man said.
A recently declassified FBI memo revealed that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation against Igor Danchenko, the primary source for dossier author Christopher Steele, in 2009, strongly suggesting that Russian disinformation was planted in the dossier.
Although the Bureau’s Crossfire Hurricane team learned of the Danchenko investigation in December 2016, it continued to rely on the dossier for its investigation of the Trump team and went on to obtain three additional Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against Carter Page.
Senator Graham noted that the bureau did not disclose the investigation of Danchenko to the FISA Court in the applications Comey signed off on. He also noted that the FBI interviewed Danchenko over a three day period January 2017 when he dismissed Steele’s reporting on Trump and his associates as unverified rumors.
Comey said under oath that he didn’t remember anything about Steele’s source.
“I don’t remember learning anything additional about Steele’s sources,” he told Graham.
“How can it be Mr. Director that the FBI finds in its file that the man that prepared the dossier for Steele was suspected of being a threat to national security—and it doesn’t make it up to you?!” Graham asked.
“I don’t know,” Comey said. “I could speculate, but I don’t know, I haven’t spoken with the people … ” Comey answered weakly.
The former FBI director also said he doesn’t remember being briefed by DOJ official Bruce Ohr about Steele’s anti-Trump bias. Nor could he remember being warned by the CIA that the Steele dossier was a collection unreliable “internet rumors.”
“I don’t remember ever being told anything like that,” Comey said.
Even though Comey, if one is to believe him, was ignorant of these basic facts, he fought hard to use the unverified dossier in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian election interference, according to the IG report.
Comey also denied having heard that the salacious information in the Steele dossier was part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
“I’m not familiar with what you’re reading from,” Comey told Graham after he had read the allegations.
“It’s in the Horowitz report!” Graham exclaimed.
“If in fact the Russians had infiltrated Steele’s sources to create this myth about sexual misconduct of the president, that to me seems to cry out for slowing down or stopping [the investigation], not keep using the document!” Graham added incredulously.
“There was ample evidence of the other side [Democrats] being involved with Russia to create a scandal around Trump, Graham pointed out, noting that they even “hired a foreign agent” to carry out the operation.
“Did you have a duty to look at any allegations regarding Clinton and Russia?” Graham asked.
After a long pause, Comey answered, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Graham pointed out that the former FBI director had testified that he felt it was his duty to investigate allegations regarding Trump and the Russians, but as a recent memo declassified by the DNI John Ratcliffe revealed, the FBI were aware of Russian analysis regarding Hillary Clinton’s plan to link Trump to Russia. Did you have an investigation to look into whether any of that was true?” the S.C. senator asked.
“I can’t answer that. I’ve read Mr. Ratcliffe’s letter which frankly I have trouble understanding,” Comey answered dismissively, although the letter is quite clear.
Comey and fired former FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok were sent an investigative referral on September 7, 2016, regarding “Clinton’s approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.” Ratcliffe wrote.
As Mollie Hemingway and Sean Davis noted at the Federalist: “Rather than investigate at the time whether Russian intelligence had infiltrated the Clinton operation’s anti-Trump campaign and sowed Russian disinformation within it, the FBI instead used unverified gossip from a suspected Russian agent to obtain federal warrants to spy on the Trump campaign.”
But Comey had trouble remembering that detail about what the Russians said they knew about the Clinton campaign.
In fact, according to his testimony, Comey was very much out of the loop on a lot of the FBI’s shenanigans in 2016, although he does find some of it “concerning.”
– – –
Debra Heine reports for American Greatness.
Photo “James Comey” by CSPAN.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--NFL Postpones Steelers-Titans After Two More Positive Tests

NASHVILLE , Tennessee ( AP ) — The NFL postponed Sunday ’ s Pittsburgh Steelers game at Tennessee until later in the season after one additional Titans player and one personnel member tested positive for COVID-19 .
The announcement Thursday came one day after the league said it hoped to play the game on Monday or Tuesday .
The NFL said a new game date would be announced “ shortly.
” “ The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players , coaches and game day personnel , ” the league said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice.
” On Tuesday , the Titans ( 3-0 ) placed three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list , including key players defensive captain and lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley .
Outside linebacker Kamalei Correa became the fourth on that list Wednesday .
With the two new cases , the Titans ’ total is now 11 : five players and six other organization members .
That doesn ’ t include outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen whose positive result came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling with Tennessee to Minnesota for a 31-30 win .
Coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday he was not among the group of five personnel , but he declined to identify any of those people who tested positive .
Vrabel said some of those who tested positive were experiencing “ flu-like ” symptoms .
Now the NFL has to figure out how to reschedule a game between two of its seven undefeated teams after the league ’ s first COVID-19 outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic .
The simplest scenario for rescheduling is Week 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Titans ’ bye .
Pittsburgh is scheduled to play at Baltimore that week , but both the Steelers and Ravens have byes in Week 8 allowing the NFL to make a change affecting only one other team .
The challenge is turning this week into a bye for both Tennessee and Pittsburgh and comes after both teams started preparing to play as early as Monday .
The Titans , who played in the AFC championship game in January , and the Steelers , revived with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back now , may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the regular season .
Pittsburgh hosts Philadelphia on Oct. 11 .
Buffalo is scheduled to visit Tennessee that day , the next game that could be affected depending on how the Titans ’ outbreak continues .
Teresa M. Walker is a reporter for The Associated Press .
Photo “ Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans ” by Paula Lively .
CC BY 2.0 .

by Teresa M. Walker
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — The NFL postponed Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game at Tennessee until later in the season after one additional Titans player and one personnel member tested positive for COVID-19.
The announcement Thursday came one day after the league said it hoped to play the game on Monday or Tuesday. The NFL said a new game date would be announced “shortly.”
“The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel,” the league said. “The Titans facility will remain closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice.”
On Tuesday, the Titans (3-0) placed three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including key players defensive captain and lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley. Outside linebacker Kamalei Correa became the fourth on that list Wednesday.
With the two new cases, the Titans’ total is now 11: five players and six other organization members. That doesn’t include outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen whose positive result came back last Saturday, preventing him from traveling with Tennessee to Minnesota for a 31-30 win.
Coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday he was not among the group of five personnel, but he declined to identify any of those people who tested positive. Vrabel said some of those who tested positive were experiencing “flu-like” symptoms.
Now the NFL has to figure out how to reschedule a game between two of its seven undefeated teams after the league’s first COVID-19 outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The simplest scenario for rescheduling is Week 7 on Oct. 25. That’s the Titans’ bye. Pittsburgh is scheduled to play at Baltimore that week, but both the Steelers and Ravens have byes in Week 8 allowing the NFL to make a change affecting only one other team.
The challenge is turning this week into a bye for both Tennessee and Pittsburgh and comes after both teams started preparing to play as early as Monday. The Titans, who played in the AFC championship game in January, and the Steelers, revived with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back now, may be playing without a break through the rest of the regular season.
Pittsburgh hosts Philadelphia on Oct. 11. Buffalo is scheduled to visit Tennessee that day, the next game that could be affected depending on how the Titans’ outbreak continues.
– – –
Teresa M. Walker is a reporter for The Associated Press.
Photo “Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans” by Paula Lively. CC BY 2.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--California to Study Reparations for Black Americans

SACRAMENTO , California ( AP ) — California will develop a detailed plan for reparations under a new law signed on Wednesday by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , making it the first state to mandate a study of how it can make amends for its role in the oppression of Black people .
The law creates a nine-member task force to come up with proposals for how the state could provide reparations to Black Americans , what form those reparations might take and who would be eligible to receive them .
“ This is not just about California , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dent , across the rest of the country , ” Newsom said moments after signing the bill during a ceremony broadcast on his YouTube channel .
The law does not limit reparations to slavery , although it requires the task force to give special consideration for Black people who are descendants of slaves .
California never had a government-sanctioned system of slavery .
It entered the Union in 1850 as a free state after gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada mountains .
But the state did let slave-owning whites bring their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed a law making it legal to arrest runaway slaves and return them to their owners .
“ California has come to terms with many of these issues , but it has yet to come to terms with its role in slavery , ” said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber , a Democrat from San Diego who authored the bill .
The law does not say the reparations must be cash payments .
Other options could include forgiving student loans and paying for public works projects or job training .
In July , the City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved reparations by pledging to make investments in areas where Black people face disparities .
Reparations are not without precedent in the United States .
The U.S. government partially funded German reparations to Holocaust victims following World War II .
And in 1988 , the federal government set up a reparations program for Japanese-Americans who were held in concentration camps during World War II .
Reparations for slavery have been debated for decades in the United States .
A similar proposal to study reparations for Black Americans was first introduced in Congress in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Congress held a hearing on the proposal last year .
Momentum has been building once again for similar proposals in state and local governments across the country after the May police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota reignited a national movement for racial justice .
State legislatures in Texas , New York and Vermont have considered studying reparations , but none have passed measures .
Newsom would appoint five members of California ’ s task force .
The other four would come from the Legislature , with two each appointed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The law says the task force must include at least two people from “ major civil society and reparations organizations ” and at least one person from academia who is an expert in civil rights .
The task force must have its first meeting no later than June 1 .
It must submit its recommendations to the state Legislature one year after its first meeting .
Adam Beam is a reporter for The Associated Press .
About the Headline Photo : This image made from video from the Office of the Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into law a bill that establishes a task force to come up with recommendations on how to give reparations to Black Americans on Wednesday , Sept. 30 , 2020 , in Sacramento , Calif .
The law establishes a nine-member task force to come up with a plan for how the state could give reparations to Black Americans , what form those reparations might take and who would be eligible to receive them .
( Office of the Governor via AP )

by Adam Beam
SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — California will develop a detailed plan for reparations under a new law signed on Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, making it the first state to mandate a study of how it can make amends for its role in the oppression of Black people.
The law creates a nine-member task force to come up with proposals for how the state could provide reparations to Black Americans, what form those reparations might take and who would be eligible to receive them.
“This is not just about California, this is about making an impact, and a dent, across the rest of the country,” Newsom said moments after signing the bill during a ceremony broadcast on his YouTube channel.
The law does not limit reparations to slavery, although it requires the task force to give special consideration for Black people who are descendants of slaves.
California never had a government-sanctioned system of slavery. It entered the Union in 1850 as a free state after gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada mountains. But the state did let slave-owning whites bring their slaves to California. The Legislature even passed a law making it legal to arrest runaway slaves and return them to their owners.
“California has come to terms with many of these issues, but it has yet to come to terms with its role in slavery,” said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, a Democrat from San Diego who authored the bill.
The law does not say the reparations must be cash payments. Other options could include forgiving student loans and paying for public works projects or job training. In July, the City Council in Asheville, North Carolina, approved reparations by pledging to make investments in areas where Black people face disparities.
Reparations are not without precedent in the United States. The U.S. government partially funded German reparations to Holocaust victims following World War II. And in 1988, the federal government set up a reparations program for Japanese-Americans who were held in concentration camps during World War II.
Reparations for slavery have been debated for decades in the United States. A similar proposal to study reparations for Black Americans was first introduced in Congress in 1989. It has never passed, but Congress held a hearing on the proposal last year.
Momentum has been building once again for similar proposals in state and local governments across the country after the May police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota reignited a national movement for racial justice. State legislatures in Texas, New York and Vermont have considered studying reparations, but none have passed measures.
Newsom would appoint five members of California’s task force. The other four would come from the Legislature, with two each appointed by the leaders of the state Senate and Assembly. The law says the task force must include at least two people from “major civil society and reparations organizations” and at least one person from academia who is an expert in civil rights.
The task force must have its first meeting no later than June 1. It must submit its recommendations to the state Legislature one year after its first meeting.
– – –
Adam Beam is a reporter for The Associated Press.
About the Headline Photo: This image made from video from the Office of the Governor shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom signing into law a bill that establishes a task force to come up with recommendations on how to give reparations to Black Americans on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Sacramento, Calif. The law establishes a nine-member task force to come up with a plan for how the state could give reparations to Black Americans, what form those reparations might take and who would be eligible to receive them. (Office of the Governor via AP)


thetennesseestar--2020-10-02--Michael Eric Dyson to Join Vanderbilt University Next Year

Michael Eric Dyson will join Vanderbilt University ’ s faculty next year , according to a press release that school officials published on Vanderbilt ’ s website this week .
The Tennessee Star asked former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain to comment .
Swain said she didn ’ t have much to say about the topic .
“ I would say he has exactly the kind of profile that Vanderbilt finds attractive in a black faculty member , ” Swain said .
“ His position on issues of race would be perfectly consistent with the direction of the university.
” Swain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly visible public intellectual who has been at a number of different universities and I ’ m sure he will bring new energy to the campus.
” Dyson , on his Twitter , has praised former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a “ feminist icon ” and a “ justice warrior in the truest sense.
” He has also encouraged people to vote to aid progressive causes .
Dyson will join Vanderbilt as Centennial Chair and University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethics and Society in the Divinity School .
He is scheduled to do so in January , the press release said .
Dyson is currently a professor of sociology at Georgetown University in Washington , D.C. , and a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times .
In addition , he serves as contributing editor at The New Republic and The Undefeated , a website from ESPN .
A native of Detroit , Dyson earned a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University .
Throughout his career , he has held teaching positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , the Chicago Theological Seminary and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , among others , the Vanderbilt press release said .
Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said in the press release that Dyson has “ a proven ability to empower students and transform lives.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Michael Eric Dyson ” by Michael Eric Dyson .
Background Photo “ Vanderbilt University Campus ” by Vanderbilt University .

Michael Eric Dyson will join Vanderbilt University’s faculty next year, according to a press release that school officials published on Vanderbilt’s website this week.
The Tennessee Star asked former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain to comment.
Swain said she didn’t have much to say about the topic.
“I would say he has exactly the kind of profile that Vanderbilt finds attractive in a black faculty member,” Swain said.
“His position on issues of race would be perfectly consistent with the direction of the university.”
Swain went on to call Dyson “a highly visible public intellectual who has been at a number of different universities and I’m sure he will bring new energy to the campus.”
Dyson, on his Twitter, has praised former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a “feminist icon” and a “justice warrior in the truest sense.” He has also encouraged people to vote to aid progressive causes.
Dyson will join Vanderbilt as Centennial Chair and University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and University Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School. He is scheduled to do so in January, the press release said.
Dyson is currently a professor of sociology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times. In addition, he serves as contributing editor at The New Republic and The Undefeated, a website from ESPN.
A native of Detroit, Dyson earned a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. Throughout his career, he has held teaching positions at the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, the Chicago Theological Seminary and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, among others, the Vanderbilt press release said.
Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said in the press release that Dyson has “a proven ability to empower students and transform lives.”
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Michael Eric Dyson” by Michael Eric Dyson. Background Photo “Vanderbilt University Campus” by Vanderbilt University.