thetennesseestar--2020-12-20--Tennessee Stands Rallies Against Knox County Health Board Mandate

A group promoting individual liberty rallied Saturday afternoon to strip the Knox County Board of Health of its mandate powers .
“ No elected politician , or in this case an appointed board , should have the right to decide whether your business is valuable , ” Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles told The Tennessee Star .
Ogles spoke at the rally hosted by Tennessee Stands on Saturday afternoon .
Tennessee Stands , which describes itself as “ a nonprofit social advocacy organization that serves to protect the individual liberties of all Tennesseans as stated in the Tennessee State Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” organized the rally to push the Knox County Commission to vote in favor of an ordinance that would strip the Knox County Board of Health of its mandate powers , an return it strictly to an advisory role .
The group believes that the Knox County Board of Health has overstepped its boundaries during the COVID-19 pandemic with mask mandates and forced business closures .
If a supermajority of the 11-member County Commission votes in favor of a second reading of the ordinance , a special session will be convened to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the end of the year .
The vote on the second reading will be held Monday .
“ We need to make some noise and tell them to VOTE YES and move the Knox County Board of Health into an advisory role .
No more mandates from an unelected board !
” an invitation to the rally said .
The Star spoke with Ogles by phone before the event .
“ We ’ ve now set a precedent that during an emergency that state laws and the Constitution don ’ t matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wanted to be ruled by a King , I ’ d move to Great Britain .
But I don ’ t want to be ruled by a King .
I live in Tennessee.
” Ogles and Tennessee Stands are also concerned with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine , which Ogles says should not be mandatory .
“ This would apply to masks , this would apply to business , and this would apply to the vaccine , ” he said .
“ No one should be forced to take a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage everyone in the state of Tennessee to reach out to state legislators , ” he said .
“ The state legislature has authority to put an end to unconstitutional mandates .
They meet in January .
They have a job to do , and we ’ re asking them to do it.
” Pete D ’ Abrosca is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Pete on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-20--State Rep. Alleges Georgia House Speaker David Ralston ‘Lied to Trump’ About Following Through on Ef

State Rep. Alleges Georgia House Speaker David Ralston ‘Lied to Trump’ About Following Through on Efforts to Convene a Special Session

In an interview with The Georgia Star News on Friday , State Rep. David Clark ( R-Buford ) , alleged that Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston ( R-Blue Ridge ) has no intention to follow through on a promise he made to President Trump in a phone call earlier this month .
Clark alleged that in that phone conversation , Ralston promised President Trump he would use his power and influence to convene a special session of the Georgia General Assembly , for the purpose of reviewing the qualifications of Electors in the aftermath of the November 3rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud .
Clark further alleged Speaker Ralston lied to the president , telling him that he would collect enough signatures to convene a special session .
“ But Ralston lied to Trump .
He is always playing games .
That is who he is .
If you had 15 minutes with him he ’ ll say whatever you want him to say , ” Clark said .
“ I guarantee if he said ‘ Okay , 91 state representatives [ please ] step up it ’ s on the line ’ then they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in session tomorrow morning.
” Speaker Ralston and President Trump apparently spoke in a 15 minute phone call on December 7th .
In a December 8th interview with Brian K. Pritchard on Fetch Your News TV , Speaker Ralston said that he spoke with the president the previous day .
“ Obviously , he [ Trump ] would like a special session of the Georgia General Assembly .
He was clear on that .
I shared with him my belief that based on the understanding I have of Georgia law that that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle , ” Ralston said .
But Ralston also said that he would “ absolutely ” have a special session if there was a Constitutional way to do it .
[ Watch the full interview and read the full transcript here . ]
In that interview , Ralston went on to say that there are two ways that members of the Georgia General Assembly could have a special session .
“ One is if the governor issues a call .
I don ’ t think that ’ s going to happen , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would attempt to persuade Gov .
Kemp to hold a special session .
“ The other way is if three-fifths of each chamber , the Senate and the House , petition for a call .
The problem with that is that we appear to be at least two votes short in the House .
I ’ m not sure what the count is in the Senate , ” Ralston told Pritchard .
Article 5 , Section 3 , Paragraph 7 of the Georgia Constitution states that a special session of the Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Governor or by a three-fifths majority of the members of each state house .
The Georgia State Senate has a total of 56 members , 35 of which are Republicans .
The required three-fifths majority needed in the State Senate to join with the House Republicans to force the special session is 34 .
The Georgia House of Representatives has a total of 180 members , 105 of which are Republicans .
The required three-fifths majority in the House to force the special session is 108 .
The Georgia Constitution states that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any such special session except those which relate to the purposes stated in the proclamation or in any amendment thereto.
” But more than two dozen state legislators believe that the Georgia Constitution requirement of the three-fifths majority of each house to call a special session is superseded by Article 2 , Section 1 , Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution , which they say authorizes the Georgia General Assembly to convene a special session solely for the purpose of reviewing the qualifications of Electors with a simple majority of 50 percent-plus-1 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislators who have prepared a petition argue that it authorizes each state to appoint Electors in such manner as the legislature — and not the governor — may direct .
Essentially , legislators could appoint Electors in a self-convening special session called by 50 percent of the members in each chamber of the Georgia General Assembly plus one .
That equals 91 State House members and 29 State Senate members .
The Chairman ’ s report of the Election Law Study Committee of the Standing Georgia State Senate Judiciary Committee Summary of Testimony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concluded : Despite the vigorous support of many state lawmakers , this petition for a special session remains far short of the number needed – in either interpretation of what that number is – to convene a special session .
“ We could not get but 30 house members and about a dozen senators to sign [ a petition for the session ] , ” State Rep. Jeff Jones ( R-Brunswick ) told The Star News .
Jones added that the November 2020 presidential election in Georgia was not a secure one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ special session depends on Ralston .
“ If you put the pressure on the Speaker then he will call a special session , ” Clark said .
When asked what Georgians who want a special session of the Georgia General Assembly should do , Clark said to contact Speaker Ralston .
“ I would put out every bit of pressure .
Call the Speaker and demand that he call for a special session himself .
Call his office .
Kemp has shown he will not budge , but I think if Ralston comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him , ” Clark said .
“ Also , his district is in Blue Ridge .
It ’ s very conservative .
That is where you need to put the heat .
If anyone would budge then the Speaker would .
He is in a very red district.
” Clark blamed Speaker Ralston ’ s lack of support of this petition as the reason it has not yet secured a sufficient number of signatures to call a special session .
Jones said that Ralston is the most powerful politician in Georgia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can influence how House members vote .
“ Ralston will talk to President Trump and then he ’ ll get off the phone and tell members not to sign it [ a petition calling for a special session ] and then it never comes out , ” Clark told The Star News ; adding , “ There are only 30 of us to date who have taken a stand for Trump and for a special session , and it just shows you who he [ Ralston ] is.
” Jones said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move through the House of Representatives or the General Assembly that Ralston does not bless .
And that includes the state ’ s budget .
Even though the governor is charged with submitting a budget for which the House then evaluates and the Senate evaluates .
If Speaker Ralston does not want the budget to move or wants items stricken from that budget , then he has the power to make that happen.
” “ The legislation that we see move through the House is based upon Ralston ’ s personal legislative agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elected members or of the people of Georgia .
He can block anything he wants to , including the budget or any measures .
He just kills them in committee.
” Jones went on to say that he “ can not rationally explain why Ralston [ a Republican ] will not respond to people of state and call a special session.
” The Star News contacted Speaker Ralston and his top staff members on Friday to provide their side of the story , but they did not return our repeated requests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ralston ’ s political allies did contact The Star News on Saturday to defend Ralston .
State Rep. Jason Ridley ( R-Chatsworth ) told The Star News both State Rep. Clark and State Rep. Jones “ are just trying to stir crap like always and that is their M.O.
” “ It is to always look like they are trying to do something when they weren ’ t doing anything , ” Ridley said Saturday .
Clark recently ran for the speaker position against Ralston — and lost .
Jones , meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercises his authority over the Republican members of the Georgia General Assembly with an iron fist.
” “ Ralston does so threatening the loss of committee chairmanships and other perks .
The bottom line is a lot of the Republican House members are more interested in the brass ring than they are in doing the right thing for the citizens of the state of Georgia , ” Jones said .
“ Ralston and Lieutenant Governor [ Geoff ] Duncan attempted to and successfully intimidated both senators and representatives and said that they shall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort that we undertook to call a special session under the plenary powers of the U.S. Constitution .
They said you will lose your positions of power if you don ’ t acquiesce to my wishes.
” State Rep. Jones has served in the Georgia General Assembly for six years .
His biography on the Georgia General Assembly ’ s website describes him as a small businessman with prior corporate experience .
State Rep. Clark , a businessman and combat veteran who served in Afghanistan , took office in January 2015 , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Georgia General Assembly ’ s website , has served as speaker since 2010 .
Voters in Fannin , Gilmore , and Dawson counties elected him to the Georgia House for the first time in 2002 .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Background Photo “ Georgia Capital ” by andre m. CC BY-SA 3.0 .

Arizona State Rep. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) and 19 other legislators issued a statement following a video that went viral of three black students kicking two white students out of Arizona State University’s multicultural center. They demanded accountability and threatened to withhold funding from the university.
They announced, “It has come to light following the racially-motivated harassment of two students and their subsequent removal from one of the campus’ study facilities that ASU has allowed a culture of institutionalized racism and neo-segregation to take hold on its campus. The racially-charged removal of these students from the multicultural center begs the question of why Arizonans are being forced to spend tens, potentially hundreds, of millions of their hard-earned tax dollars on a building at a public university that some of our citizens are not allowed to use?”
Hoffman is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and concluded that he would “get to the bottom of this and take the appropriate action in the upcoming budget. Not one penny of taxpayer money should be appropriated to a public institution that in any way enables racism or neo-segregation. Period.”
ASU said it is investigating the incident. The angry students may have been “triggered” by a sticker on the laptop belonging to one of the white males, which said “Police Lives Matter,” and the slogan on the other white male’s shirt, which said “Did not vote for Biden.” They told the two young men, “You’re making this space uncomfortable” and “white is not a culture.” They said the Police Lives Matter sticker was racist.
One of the three told the students to leave, and another remarked, “This white man thinks he can take up our space, and this is why we need a multicultural space, because they think they can get away with this sh*t.” One of the two males packs up and leaves, and the other one stands up and looks like he might have been about to leave too.
A fundraiser was started for the harassed students on GoFundMe — one of the students mentioned in the video that he works 60 hours a week to support himself and his tuition, explaining that he’s not entitled — but GoFundMe removed it, refunding the money back to the donors. The company said it violated their “prohibited conduct policy,” which bans content that GoFundMe finds to be “in support of hate, violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination, terrorism, or intolerance of any kind.”
– – –
Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-20--Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston Joins BKP Politics to Discuss His Call with President Tru

Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston Joins BKP Politics to Discuss His Call with President Trump and a Legal Path Forward

Listen to the full interview here : BKP : All right folks we ’ re back .
I ’ m your host BKP .
You ’ re watching BKP Politics .
Yesterday we found out that the President of the United States , Donald J.Trump had placed a phone call to the Georgia House Speaker David Ralston .
And we know the president has placed several phone calls also to the House Speaker of the state of Pennsylvania .
But this morning , joining me right now is our guest Georgia House Speaker David Ralston .
Speaker Ralston , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m great Brian .
I hope you are too .
BKP : I ’ m doing great .
And obviously , we have a quick question that we can get directly to .
We don ’ t have to beat around the bush on this one .
What took place and what are some of the highlights that you could share with us in that 15-minute conversation with the President yesterday ?
Ralston : Well it was a very pleasant conversation .
The President was upbeat .
He was very energetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the issues in the elections controversy in other states such as Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Arizona .
But he wanted to focus mostly on Georgia and I think to get my take on whether there was still a path forward here .
You know his head is still in the game without question .
I mean he believes very sincerely and very intensely that he won this election .
So he ’ s letting the court cases play out and also looking to see what avenues may be available if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : All right .
He wanted your take on a pathway forward and you being the Georgia Speaker of the House .
What was your answer ?
What is your take on a pathway forward ?
Was the President asking you to do any specific things or was he just wanting to hear what opportunities are still out there that you may be able to do as Speaker of the House ?
What was the answer to that when he asked ?
Ralston : Well obviously he would like a special session of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been clear on that before and he was clear on that in the phone conversation yesterday .
You know I shared with him my belief that based on the understanding I have of Georgia law that it was going to be very much an uphill battle .
We talked about one other possibility on that which I also talked about .
Earlier yesterday afternoon and I had a call from Mayor Giuliani we talked about that legal issue in particular .
Mayor Giuliani believes that there is a legal path forward .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at that now Brian to see if there is something that we can do because I want to be very very clear on this point .
And the President understands this .
But I want to be very clear with your listeners today .
Right now my understanding is that there are two ways if we have a special session of the Georgia General Assembly .
One is if the governor issues a call .
And I don ’ t think that ’ s going to happen .
And the other way is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the House petition for ( Inaudible talk ) .
The problem with that is we appear to be at least two votes short in the House .
I ’ m not sure what the count is in the Senate .
But we ’ re two votes short in the House because we don ’ t anticipate getting , well maybe we ’ ll probably get one Democrat vote and no others .
And if that ’ s the case then that path is blocked to us also .
BKP : I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let me get through this .
so you received a call from Mayor Giuliani and also from the president .
You talked about a path forward .
And the name escapes me I don ’ t have it written down but the constitutional professor last week that gave testimony in the Georgia Senate hearings said that article two of the constitution supersedes the state constitution which means you should be able to call the special session .
But I won ’ t ask you to take the time to explain that .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people that maybe argue that point .
You said a second path forward .
You ’ re not able to share with us what that looks like ?
Ralston : Well that would be the path that you just uh alluded to and that was described by the constitutional lawyer Professor Eastman .
Ralston : He was in Atlanta last week and testified before the Senate committee .
And I ’ m not sure what that would look like .
You know we got to be very very careful because whatever we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know this issue of can we come into session and disregard the fact that there have been two or three certifications whether we agree with them or not that Vice-President Biden got 12,000 more votes from the President ?
And just disregard that and send our electors to the President ?
That ’ s something I think we want to tread very very carefully around because that could be used against us someday .
As is this call for a special session .
BKP : Well no no no disrespect I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you say this could be used against us someday I just want to reiterate in the president ’ s Tweets , not mine .
And I think you know this because you ’ re getting phone calls and emails .
People are angry .
And when you say this could come back on us , I will say a lot of people don ’ t care what may come back .
They want to deal with what they feel is the fraud and the stealing today by however means they need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m saying on that .
So I mean when we hear that you know what I ’ m saying , Mr. Speaker ?
Ralston : I do .
I do .
And I guess look , I ’ ve gotten the emails .
I ’ ve got text messages .
I ’ ve got calls from my district and all around the state .
In fact , all around the nation and I ’ ve never seen in my public career the level of anger and concern that ’ s out there now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I get that .
I ’ m upset .
I told the President yesterday that one of the reasons I want to continue to look and be sure that we don ’ t foreclose any possibility here is because I believe it is vital that he be re-elected .
His policies are good for this country , particularly when compared to the policies of the other party .
And so I think that much of our country ’ s future depends on him winning and that ’ s why I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility that there is an avenue .
BKP : I want to make sure there are two other bridges we cross here .
In March , and many Americans feel that this along in other states like Pennsylvania and so many others .
But in March Secretary of State Raffensberger made a deal with the democrats that we feel is unconstitutional .
And that deal that was made with the upcoming election rules actually belongs to the legislative body in Georgia .
You and I spoke around April first of this past year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean how concerned are you that we ’ re going into January 5th with these same kinds of deals .
And maybe people are saying we need a special session and maybe not just to appoint electors to Donald J. Trump but to also correct things to make people feel that their vote is counted and their vote is safe actually come January fifth .
Because that ’ s another thing all eyes are on Georgia for .
Ralston : Well you know you you will remember that you and I did talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or three issues that I was really the only one in Atlanta and around the state that was speaking out on .
One of which was that consent decree which , you know how that happened I will never know .
We didn ’ t know about it in the legislature until after the fact .
That ’ s just wrong and unacceptable .
The other thing that we talked about which again I couldn ’ t find people to join with me because it didn ’ t sound like something that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the universal mail-in application where Secretary Raffensberger was sending an application for an absentee ballot to every registered voter in the state of Georgia .
Every registered voter .
And I want our voting process to be accessible and open to everybody .
But when you do that you ’ re opening the door for fraud .
You ’ re opening the door for all kinds of irregularities .
I was very concerned about that then .
I expressed my views to the Secretary .
He seemed to not think it was that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t going to do it in November .
But the problem is that under the law when he did it for the primary back in June , many of those people automatically were carried forward .
There ’ s no question in my mind if that made the difference in the Trump Biden race in Georgia on November third .
BKP : Well I will say this and I know you ’ re aware of it .
Now it ’ s carrying through to January fifth and people are very concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these rules like drop boxes .
What do you expect to accomplish or you think will come out of the house governmental affairs committee hearings Thursday that you ’ ll be holding ?
What do you expect that we will hear and see Thursday in those hearings ?
Ralston : I told chairman Shaw Blackmon who chairs that committee that I want him to drill down wherever the work leads them .
I want them to look forward .
The immediate objective right now is to make sure that people are comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fifth and that their vote will be secure .
That there will be no illegal votes .
So I ’ m not sure of the specifics of what he ’ s going to come back with .
I know that there are some good ideas that have been turning around the last few days .
And so I would encourage folks to pay attention to those hearings .
I told him I don ’ t want any showboating .
I just want people that are going our members that go down there and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s find out you know what we need to do to make sure that January fifth is a fair election .
And let me just say one other thing Brian before I have to go .
I completely reject this notion that and the President talked about this Saturday night in Valdosta , that some of his friends were saying well you know don ’ t go vote because your vote won ’ t count and all this kind of stuff .
If we take that attitude then we might as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Senate to Chuck Schumer because we ’ re defeated .
BKP : I agree with you , sir .
I agree with your sir .
I have two quick ones that will be direct .
Yesterday I had an opportunity to sit down with Senator David Perdue and I do have it on video and he reiterated and very strongly reiterated that he had requested Brad Raffensberger , Speaker of the House , he requested his resignation .
Have you considered anything like that where the secretary of state is concerned ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way as far as the Secretary of State ?
Could you answer that for us ?
Ralston : Well I think the secretary of state ’ s going to have to uh answer for his own decisions of what he does or does not do .
I generally prefer that the voters reject people or vote them back in .
He ’ s gon na have to stand for election in two short years .
You know it ’ s on his conscious what he doesn ’ t .
I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do that .
But there is going to be a reckoning day and it ’ s coming in the spring of 2022 .
BKP : The President said to you in the conversation and I don ’ t want to quote .
But I think he said something to the reference that he feels he won Georgia .
now I want to ask you I know Brad Raffenberger secretary of state has certified this election two or three times now .
And I understand the certification process .
But going on what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you that he won Georgia do you think he won Georgia Mr. Speaker ?
Ralston : I think you could make a case that he won Georgia .
The problem is that there seems to be a belief out in the public that there is all this evidence that suggests that the election was rigged and it was illegal .
And the truth of the matter is and I ’ ve looked through most of that evidence it ’ s just you know you you can ’ t just say that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from him .
There is enough evidence there in my mind that raises questions that need to be answered .
And that ’ s why I have kept I ’ ve resisted the call to join on with others that are issuing statements supporting the outcome of the election because I think that we we ’ ve got to answer and resolve all of these questions before we can know the answer to that question .
BKP : If you could find a constitutional way to do it as we talked with Professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session if you could find it in a constitutional way ?
BKP : All right .
You ’ re getting the emails and the phone calls .
And I know you are .
And I know and I can just imagine what they ’ re saying and people are angry .
So I ’ ll just say to you I would like to get back to Georgia being known as the number one place in the country for small businesses , jobs and to do business .
I ’ d like to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country to do business .
And I say this all tongue-in-cheek , to not be the place to steal an election or have all eyes on us in a derogatory way .
And I ’ m sure we share that .
Ralston : Absolutely .
I mean this is not a good moment for Georgia .
And the only thing that will make it worse is if we send the two most liberal people we ’ ve ever had on the statewide ballot Washington to represent us in the United States @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper Says Tennessee Republicans Are Embarrassing the Volunteer State

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper ( D-TN-05 ) said earlier this month that Tennessee Republicans embarrass him because they won ’ t concede the U.S. presidential election to Joe Biden .
Cooper said this in a December 11 newsletter that his staff emailed to his constituents .
The congressman made these remarks after a majority of members of the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed asking them to block Georgia , Wisconsin , Michigan , and Pennsylvania from casting their electoral college votes .
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery joined 16 other state attorneys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Republicans are in denial and undermining the United States .
“ I am embarrassed for our state that so many Tennessee Republicans are refusing to admit who won the presidential election , ” Cooper said .
“ Every single signatory should be ashamed of themselves for attempting to destroy our democracy .
Joe Biden is president-elect.
” As The Tennessee Star reported last month , Cooper , who has long scolded others to act civil , compared South Carolina voters to people who have Down Syndrome .
Cooper reportedly said this when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Post asked Cooper about Democratic U.S. Senate candidates who raised $ 100 million for their campaigns — but still lost .
“ You ’ re probably talking about Jaime Harrison , who was an outstanding candidate .
But that is South Carolina .
I ’ ve said for years that they have extra chromosomes , South Carolina voters , ” Cooper said .
Cooper ’ s staff later apologized for the analogy to The Tennessean and said he was referring to South Carolina ’ s history of “ bigotry and racism.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Sen. Tim Scott ( R-SC ) , an African-American , represents the state , per the voters ’ wishes .
In January 2018 The Tennessean listed Cooper among their “ Champions of Civility.
” In 2011 Cooper , via his Twitter , asked “ Will civility prevail ?
” That same year , Cooper , again on Twitter , said , “ Congress needs more civility and less partisan food fights.
” As The Star reported in August , Cooper heavily implied , without solid evidence , that U.S. Postmaster General Louis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked DeJoy if he secretly hoped U.S. President Donald Trump would one day pardon him — as the president did for Roger Stone .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Rep Jim Cooper ” by Rep Jim Cooper .

by Tom Joyce
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is leading a group of 21 attorneys general in an amicus brief regarding federal immigration law.
The attorneys general are asking the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold a federal statute to enforce federal immigration law in United States v. Hansen.
“In the middle of this man-made disaster at our southern border, we need every tool and law available,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a press release. “The last thing we need is anyone incentivizing migrants to come here illegally and further straining our social safety net. Border communities are being overwhelmed by the influx of people.”
A grand jury charged California resident Helaman Hansen with multiple crimes in 2017 for scamming hundreds of noncitizens out of more than $1 million by promising them a nonexistent path to citizenship.
According to the release, Hansen was charged under a federal statute for encouraging people to come to the United States illegally for “commercial advantage or private financial gain,” according to the release.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals then struck down the statute arguing that the words “encourage” and “induce,” in the law are too broad.
General Brnovich and the attorneys general argue in their amicus brief that the Ninth Circuit decision jeopardizes the constitutionality of criminal law in all 50 states. They worry that the decision may cause other state and federal courts to invalidate existing criminal laws.
The other attorneys general who signed the brief is from the states of: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
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Tom Joyce is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Mark Brnovich” by Mark Brnovich. Background Photo “U.S. Supreme Court” by AscendedAnathema. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Commentary: A Republic, But Can We Keep It?

With the fate of our Republic hanging in the balance , not even a visit to see the White House Christmas decorations can escape a spirited discussion about the election fraud .
Two friends and I had the privilege of visiting the White House today and we spent the entire time talking about the overwhelming evidence of massive voter fraud and our frustration with the courts ’ refusal to even hear the merits of the many cases .
“ Have you seen the video of the woman instructing poll workers on how to change the votes ?
” my friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed one vote to another.
” She asked if we had seen the scatter plot graph showing batches of Virginia absentee on the Virginia Project site .
“ It defies all logic , ” Farnsworth said .
“ At a certain point in the count , it showed a massive increase for Biden .
It was a statistical impossibility.
” “ There is just no way Joe Biden , the guy who sat in his basement for eight months and couldn ’ t attract more than a dozen people to a rally got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I added .
“ I fundamentally believe that Americans reward effort .
No one worked harder than Donald Trump in this election.
” “ Yes , ” our friend Barbara Dunn added .
“ Americans believe in hard work and fairness .
“ That ’ s what ’ s really bothering me about this election .
It is clear that one side cheated.
” All three of us love American history and noted that America has always had factions and political rivalries .
I shared that I am reading “ Washington ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck by the hostilities between some of the Founding Fathers .
“ We are almost ungovernable as a people , ” I said .
“ We have always been that way .
We ’ ve never really been united.
” “ What is it Benjamin Franklin supposedly said as he walked out of Independence Hall after the Constitutional Convention in 1787 , when someone shouted out , ‘ Doctor , what have we got ?
A republic or a monarchy ?
’ ” Farnsworth noted .
“ He famously answered , ‘ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ” That is the question before us now : can we keep our Republic ?
We can and we must .
Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning believes the path to preserving our nation is through the states .
“ One of the geniuses of James Madison , Father of the Constitution , is that he recognized that people were going to disagree , ” Manning explained .
“ He created a framework for majority rule and minority rights to ensure that one group could not oppress another .
Similarly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that may be the key to correcting fraudulent vote count .
It is up to state legislators to forcefully push Congress to perform their constitutional duty by rejecting certified electors who resulted from a litany of electoral corruption .
“ We fight because we must fight .
Because if our elections are so tainted that they would make a third world dictator the blush , the consent of the governed is thwarted and the very legitimacy of our government is questionable .
That is why we fight until Inauguration Day .
Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give up on the American experiment.
” As my friends and I walked through the brilliantly decorated rooms of the White House , I thought about all the history that had been made within those walls .
“ It ’ s a great feeling to be immersed in that even for just a little while , ” Farnswoth said .
“ America represents the great opportunity to have true freedom and liberty.
” As we left the White House , we encountered a young couple from Britain who asked us to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friendly conversation about the differences between our two countries .
“ We ’ re a rowdy bunch here in America , ” I said .
“ We ’ ve always been that way .
We simply won ’ t be told what to do .
Maybe we can ’ t govern ourselves , after all .
Wouldn ’ t it be easier to have a monarch again ?
” I quipped .
“ We tried to tell you that two-hundred years ago , ” one of the Brits replied .
“ But you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that America was in a bad way these days , with many of us wondering about the very survival of our country .
Our British friends seemed surprised by my concern .
“ You Americans always blow things up like that , ” one of them said .
“ You take small things and make them ten times larger than they really are.
” I was reminded of what another Brit told me years ago when I asked what the British learned in school about the American Revolution .
“ Well , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” my friend said .
“ We just don ’ t understand what all the fuss was about , the price of tea or something.
” That something would be freedom .
It is the greatest cause there is .
Perhaps our British friends are right , we Americans do “ blow things up ” a bit .
But sometimes that ’ s what freedom calls for .
To take action to save our Republic , go to GetLiberty.org and send a note to your state lawmakers demanding that they stand up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mortensen is the Vice President of Communications at Americans for Limited Government .
She can be reached at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Nunes Plans Criminal Referrals to DOJ Following Release of Strzok’s Internal FBI Messages

Rep. Devin Nunes , the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , said Sunday he plans to make new criminal referrals to the Justice Department following the release of internal FBI messages from the account of Peter Strzok , the top FBI investigator on Crossfire Hurricane .
In an interview on Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures , ” Nunes said the messages , which the Justice Department and FBI declassified earlier this month , should have been provided to Congress years ago when Republicans began investigating whether the FBI abused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aide Carter Page .
“ They knew that we were investigating FISA abuse , why would this not have been given to Congress ?
This is just another example we ’ re going to have to do another criminal referral , ” Nunes said Sunday .
The messages in question are from Strzok ’ s Lync account , the FBI ’ s internal messaging system .
The messages , which The Daily Caller News Foundation published on Thursday , show Strzok discussing details of Crossfire Hurricane , the FBI ’ s counterintelligence investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show Strzok , who was fired from the FBI in August 2019 , commenting on July 28 , 2016 , about open counterintelligence investigations related to Trump .
The FBI has insisted that the bureau was not investigating Trump before Strzok opened Crossfire Hurricane on July 31 , 2016 .
Nunes has long doubted the FBI ’ s official claims about the beginning of its investigation of the Trump campaign .
He said Sunday that Strzok ’ s messages show the FBI ’ s narrative “ was always nonsense.
” Strzok sent a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 , 2016 , asserting that former British spy Christopher Steele had spoken to a news outlet regarding a dossier he compiled on Donald Trump in order to “ influence ” the FBI ’ s investigation .
The Justice Department inspector general blasted the Crossfire Hurricane team for withholding exculpatory information regarding the Steele dossier in its applications for FISA warrants against Carter Page .
Nunes did not identify who he plans to refer for criminal investigation , but he asserted that Justice Department and FBI officials lied to Congress regarding the existence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strzok messages .
“ This is clearly lying and obstructing Congress .
This is information that we asked for numerous times , ” Nunes said .
“ We sat in meetings with DOJ and FBI and they sat there and stone cold said ‘ Oh , there ’ s no more information , there ’ s no more text messages , ’ ” Nunes said , adding that “ these were the text messages that we really needed to run a proper investigation .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--NBA Quiet on Chinese Slave Labor

NBA Quiet on Chinese Slave Labor

The National Basketball Association is remaining quiet on the issue of Chinese slave labor , despite new revelations about the nature and sizeUighur Muslim labor camps .
In 2018 , three Uyghur regions alone mobilized at least 570,000 laborers into cotton-picking through the government ’ s forced labor training and transfer scheme , according to a new Center for Global Policy report .
When BBC reporters tried to visit the region to document its “ huge industrial expansion ” a number of unmarked cars followed them as they filmed the perimeter of the complex when officials stopped them from filming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Since the first revelations about the camps , the NBA has not addressed Chinese human-rights violations even as it pursues a social-justice agenda domestically .
The league declined to comment when asked about the BBC report , ” writes The Washington Free Beacon .
The NBA has billion-dollar deals in China , in 2019 they reaped more than $ 500 million in Chinese revenue and signed a $ 1 billion deal with Beijing tech giant Tencent to exclusively stream games in China .
NBA China , a separate entertainment arm of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 5 billion by one sports consulting firm in 2019 .
“ While the NBA has publicly supported political expression among progressive players and coaches , it has cracked down on those who criticized China .
In 2019 , former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey faced sharp rebuke from his peers for supporting Hong Kong human-rights activists.
” the Beacon reported .
According to the Beacon , “ other athletes have sacrificed lucrative careers to speak out against the abuse of Chinese dissidents .
Famed European soccer players Mesut Özil and Antoine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Chinese Communist Party .
Özil , a German-born , ethnically Turkish Muslim , has lost millions of dollars in endorsement money for criticizing Beijing ’ s treatment of Uighurs , even being scrubbed from video games sold in China and Chinese internet searches .
Griezmann recently severed sponsorship ties with Chinese telecom supergiant Huawei over its role in the regime ’ s surveillance of Uighurs .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Congress Agrees on Coronavirus Relief Package After Months of Negotiations

Congress agreed on a $ 900 billion coronavirus relief package Sunday , overcoming several last-minute stalemates over the Federal Reserve ’ s lending powers and direct cash payments , Senate leaders announced .
“ At long last , we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed , ” Senate Majority Leader McConnell said Sunday on the Senate floor .
“ I hope we can do this as promptly as possible.
” A compromise was reached late Saturday between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey , who had sought to end the Fed ’ s emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CARES Act ’ s passage in March .
Though congressional leaders touted the agreement , it came to be after months of partisan gridlock stemming from disagreements over the bill ’ s size and scope .
Though an agreement was reached , the bill ’ s text has yet to be released .
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on a House conference call that they should expect a Monday vote , and the Senate should vote on the bill shortly after , though McConnell declined to provide a timeline when asked by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes $ 600 relief checks for most Americans , Politico reported , providing at least some financial relief as coronavirus cases and deaths climb and weekly unemployment numbers rise again .
Congress also hopes to tie a $ 1.4 trillion bill that funds the government through September 2021 to the relief package after passing two stopgap bills in the past nine days .
The House is expected to pass a one-day stopgap bill to fund the government through Monday and then consider a week-long stopgap to give the Senate more time to pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the holidays .
Following the compromise , senators expressed a sense of relief that a deal was reached before the holidays and a possible government shutdown .
“ The great news is that Congress is not going to be the Grinch , ” said Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner on ABC ’ s “ This Week ” Sunday .
“ We ’ re going to get this package done.
” His comments were echoed by Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , who said on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the bill “ is going to get done , ” adding that he played a central role in dissolving the dispute between Toomey and Senate Democrats .
“ It should have happened a long time ago… but it ’ s going to get done before Christmas , ” he said .
In addition to the $ 600 relief checks , the bill includes weekly $ 300 unemployment checks , over $ 300 billion in relief for small businesses and substantial sums of money for schools , hospitals , and vaccine distribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were ultimately omitted from the bill were liability shields for larger businesses and aid for state and local governments .
Democrats objected over liability shields while Republicans said that state and local aid amounted to a “ Blue State bailout , ” leading both to be left out of the final bill .
Several senators supported a bipartisan effort led by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and Vermont Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders that called for $ 1,200 relief checks instead of the $ 600 proposed .
Both earlier floated objecting to any funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief .
Their push gained the support of President Donald Trump , who early Sunday called on lawmakers to increase the amount of money Americans receive .
Their push was ultimately blocked two separate times Friday by Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson , who said that he was concerned about the relief bill ’ s size and the impact that it could have on the national debt .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Biden Eyes a Return to the Obama Era Policy to Combat ‘Rape Culture’ on American Campuses

Earlier this year , President Trump ’ s often embattled Education Secretary , Betsy DeVos , established new rules on handling sexual assaults on campus to strengthen protections for accused students , almost all of them men .
Joe Biden , who was the Obama administration ’ s point man for the policies DeVos upended , has made his displeasure clear .
“ The Trump Administration ’ s Education Department … is trying to shame and silence survivors , ” the Biden campaign platform declared .
“ Instead of protecting women , ” it has “ given colleges a green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survivors of their civil rights.
” To “ stand with survivors , ” Biden has promised not only to restore a set of Obama-era “ guidelines ” to combat so-called campus “ rape culture ” – with compliance a condition of federal dollars – but to add to them .
As president , his campaign literature states , he would push for legislation creating , among other things , “ online , anonymous sexual assault and harassment reporting systems.
” But as he works to restore and expand a “ believe women ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others criticized as a presumption of male guilt , Biden will face much more serious headwinds than the Obama guidelines did when first introduced in 2011 .
In developments barely reported in the mainstream media , hundreds of colleges and universities across the country have run into a legal thicket as they ’ ve implemented the original guidelines .
There has been a flood of lawsuits , more than 600 of them , brought by accused men in both state and federal courts claiming that colleges used biased , one-sided and unfair proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconduct and punished them , mainly by suspensions and expulsions from their schools .
Notable is that around half of the lawsuits heard by the courts to date have met with rulings in favor of the accused men – in effect a validation of the Trump-DeVos effort to protect the due-process rights of accused men and a rebuke to the Obama-Biden approach .
Then there is the matter of the Supreme Court , reconstituted with a conservative majority by President Trump ’ s three justice appointments — including Amy Coney Barrett .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was central in in what some lawyers view as a landmark case , Doe v. Purdue , when a federal appeals court found that Purdue University may have discriminated against a male student on the basis of sex , believing his female accuser ’ s version of events while barring the young man from presenting evidence on his own behalf .
“ It is plausible , ” the court said in its unanimous decision written by Barrett , that Purdue “ chose to believe Jane because she is a woman and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ A real battle is shaping up , ” Andrew Miltenberg , the lawyer who brought the case against Purdue , said in a Zoom interview .
“ On the one hand , you have Biden , the moving force behind the 2011 Obama policies who will attempt to roll back some of the regulations put into place under Trump , so we ’ re going to be revisiting due process and related matters , like investigations , hearings , and appeals.
” “ At the same time , ” Miltenberg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerging field of law , continued , “ you have a clear majority on the Supreme Court who will be sympathetic to the plight of young men accused of sex assault and who haven ’ t had an equitable opportunity to be heard .
And you have Supreme Court Justice Barrett , who ’ s written the most significant decision on the matter to date .
It ’ s setting up an interesting and potentially volatile dynamic.
” Lawyers expect that as Biden strives to return to the Obama-era policies , confusion will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and universities try to figure out what set of policies they should follow because it would probably take years to rescind and replace the Trump/DeVos rules .
But it seems almost inevitable that the Biden administration will return to beliefs about sexual assault long advanced by feminists and the campus left .
The very Biden vocabulary – the use of the term “ survivor ” rather than the more neutral “ alleged victim ” or simply “ plaintiff ” – is telling .
It illustrates an inclination to assume , as Barrett found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that sexual assault accusations should take priority over any contrary arguments or even evidence presented by the accused student .
Biden ’ s past statements indicate an acceptance of the “ rape culture ” ideology , the belief that , as one feminist website puts it , “ sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture , ” and that the deeply embedded misogyny of patriarchal culture requires extraordinary measures to combat – a vision of society rejected by its critics as wild exaggeration .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the quickest place to change culture is to change it on the campuses of America , ” Biden said in a 2015 speech at Syracuse University .
Biden was especially blunt in a 2017 speech at George Mason University when he said , “ Guys , a woman who is dead drunk can not consent — you are raping her , ” a statement suggesting but then dismissing the ambiguities that often cloud sexual assault claims , including the common presence of alcohol , and differing and changing recollections .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2011 “ Dear Colleague ” letter introducing the guidelines to college administrators , even though from the outset there were strong objections to some of its provisions .
Among them , the letter encouraged schools to use a “ preponderance of the evidence ” standard of proof in deciding sex assault cases , rather than the more stringent “ clear and convincing evidence ” standard , which had been commonly in use in these cases before .
A “ preponderance of the evidence ” is the lowest standard used to legal proceedings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as more than 50 % likely to be true .
The Obama guidelines also permitted a “ single adjudicator model , ” whereby the person responsible for handling the case does both the investigation into the facts and makes the judgment of the accused person .
This person is more often than not the Title IX coordinator on campus , Title IX being the 1972 law that banned sex discrimination in education , generally seen as an effort to advance women ’ s rights .
The guidelines also left it up to schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which accused students could present exculpatory evidence , call witnesses , or cross-examine the students accusing them .
Some court decisions that have gone against colleges have found that some sort of live hearing and some sort of questioning of accusers is necessary for a fair outcome .
“ We did see some bad cases in the Obama era , cases where it basically didn ’ t matter what evidence there was , ” Jackie Gharapour Wernz , a lawyer who worked in the Education Department ’ s Office of Civil Rights in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a Zoom interview .
“ The college was going to find against the defendant , the male defendant , no matter what .
I think the schools felt pressure under the Obama guidance.
” Conservatives aren ’ t the only ones who have raised questions about the guidelines .
The liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , whom Coney Barrett replaced upon her death this year , expressed misgivings about them in a 2018 interview , just when DeVos was announcing the new rules : “ There ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for not giving the accused person a fair opportunity to be heard , and that ’ s one of the basic tenets of our system.
” Similarly , 28 Harvard Law School professors signed a letter in 2014 protesting the measures Harvard had adopted in response to the guidelines which , they said , “ lack the most basic elements of fairness and due process ” and “ are overwhelmingly stacked against the accused.
” The law professors complained that Harvard “ decided simply to defer to the demands of certain federal administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A survey conducted by YouGov in mid-November showed 68 % of the 2,532 Americans polled agreeing that “ students accused of crimes on college campuses should receive the same civil liberties protections from their colleges that they receive in the court system.
” Only 8 % disagreed .
The DeVos rules , formally adopted in May after a two-year process of “ notice and comment , ” addressed the main complaints expressed about the Obama-era guidelines .
Among other things , the DeVos rules require live hearings and the right of the accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to cross-examine the accuser ; give schools the option to use “ clear and convincing evidence ” as their standard of proof ; and narrow the concept of harassment .
Of course , no reasonable person condones sexual assault , or opposes punishing those genuinely guilty of it , but experts say it is often difficult to determine whether the activity was coercive or consensual .
“ Probably 40 or 50 % of allegations of sexual assault are baseless , ” Brett A. Sokolow , the head of TNG , a risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as an expert witness in many cases , said in a phone interview .
“ There are a lot of cases where someone says they were incapacitated , but the evidence doesn ’ t support that they weren ’ t able to make a decision .
“ There ’ s also the education that schools provide , ” Sokolow continued , “ telling students that if you were drunk and somebody had sex with you , come to us.
” Sokolow estimates that over the years across the country some 20,000 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universities for sexual misconduct .
According to a data base posted on the “ Title IX for All ” website , some 676 lawsuits have been brought against universities by men claiming discrimination or due process violations against them , and 194 of those decided by the courts have met with a favorable outcome for the student plaintiffs .
Many cases that have gone against the universities have been settled out of court , 98 of them , according to KC Johnson , a history professor at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track of the cases filed .
This usually occurs after the school has lost its preliminary effort to have charges against it dismissed .
But there have been two cases that have actually gone to trial , one involving a student suspended for alleged sexual misbehavior at Brown University , another at Boston College , one before a judge , the other a jury , and the students prevailed in both of them .
Johnson argues that courts are generally deferential to universities and reluctant to interfere in academic questions , which makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the accused itself “ quite remarkable.
” What ’ s also remarkable , as Johnson put it in a phone interview , is that “ Biden has never acknowledged even a single one of these cases.
” Whether he recognizes them or not , any effort by Biden to formally rescind and replace the DeVos rules will take time , given that the DeVos rules were adopted after a lengthy , formal administrative process .
By contrast , the Obama guidelines were a set of informal recommendations , taken seriously by schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but never having the status of formally adopted regulations .
A more difficult problem could well be that many of the court decisions issued so far presage difficulties for schools that adopt the very policies that a Biden administration is likely to favor .
Doe v. Purdue , for example , showed that schools could be found to be discriminating against accused men if they adopt a “ start by believing ” approach .
As Barrett put it in her decision in which the parties were anonymized : “ The majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to credit Jane based on her accusation alone , given that they took no other evidence into account .
They made up their minds without reading the investigative report and before even talking to John.
” The court in Doe v. Purdue didn ’ t address the question of cross-examination , required by the DeVos rules but likely to be made optional in a Biden program .
But in several cases already decided , courts have affirmed that cross-examination , or , at least , some direct questioning of an accuser by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fair procedure .
In a 2018 case , Doe v. Baum , for example , the University of Michigan expelled a male student after he was accused by a female student of having sex with her when she was too drunk to give consent .
The university expelled John after a three-person panel found that Jane ’ s account was “ more credible ” than his .
John , who said the sex was consensual , sued , and a federal appeals court ruled in his favor , on the grounds that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cross-examine [ Jane ] or her witnesses.
” “ When the university ’ s determination turns on the credibility of the accuser , the accused or witnesses , that hearing must include an opportunity for cross examination , ” the court found .
In another recent case , Doe v. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , a male student accused of sexual assault ( the female complainant saying that she had been too intoxicated to give her consent ) argued that the school ’ s use of the Obama guidelines rather than the stricter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , and the court agreed .
In other words , the court seemed to be saying that the DeVos rules could be applied retroactively to ongoing cases , even if they had been initially filed before the DeVos rules came into effect .
“ There is no question that the decision increases the risk of legal challenges by respondents against their schools for using old procedures in ongoing or new cases , ” Wernz wrote in a blog post .
The difference in these cases led one expert , Peter Lake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy to say , “ Due process in higher education is becoming a ball of confusion – a mix of conflicting cases and regulations in flux.
” That is why some experts believe the matter is likely to end up at the Supreme Court .
“ Accused students have had appellate decisions in their favor in much of the country , but no general standard has been established , and there have been contrary decisions as well , ” KC Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Biden administration will construct a narrative around the decisions that have gone in favor of sexual misconduct accusers .
It will be eager to confront the courts on this.
” If the issue does go to the Supreme Court , the case will be heard by two among the nine justices , Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh , whose confirmation hearings were dominated by accusations of sexual misconduct against them , which both angrily denied .
The newest justice , Barrett , has already given a strong indication in her Doe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule .
And then there ’ s the irony that Biden himself , though a “ believe women ” champion , has himself been accused of assault .
Tara Reade , a former staffer , claims that some 30 years ago , when Biden was a senator , he pushed her against a wall in the Senate Office Building and digitally penetrated her , an incident that she recounted to friends at the time .
Biden has adamantly denied the accusation , saying that the alleged incident “ never , never happened.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were to undergo the sort of campus procedure that he advocated during the campaign , with a presumption in favor of the accuser , no live hearing , and no opportunity to present witnesses or to cross-examine Reade , he would most likely be found guilty .
Richard Bernstein is an investigative journalist with RealClearInvestigations .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Commentary: Stop the Financial Deplatforming of Conservatives

Conservatives face all kinds of censorship from the private sector .
Big Tech will ban your account and employers will fire you just because of your political beliefs .
This free market suppression could escalate into conservatives losing their bank accounts and credit cards due to their political views .
For some people , it ’ s already happened .
We could very well see this nightmare scenario under a President Joe Biden .
That ’ s why it ’ s imperative for the Trump Administration to do something right now to protect ordinary Americans from the depredations of liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do something about this .
The Office of Comptroller of the Currency ( OCC ) is considering a new rule that would bar banks from denying service for non-financial reasons , such as a customer ’ s political views .
The idea has a solid legal basis .
It simply implements the language in Title III of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2020 , which directs the OCC to “ assure the safety and soundness of , and compliance with laws and regulations , fair access to financial services , and fair treatment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in draft form and is open for public comment here .
The rule states that a financial institution may not “ deny any person a financial service the bank offers except to the extent justified by such person ’ s quantified and documented failure to meet quantitative , impartial risk-based standards established in advance by the covered bank.
” The proposal advises banks to do more to assess potentially risky customers rather than practice “ total avoidance.
” “ Higher-risk categories of customers call for stronger risk management and controls , not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
The OCC ’ s leadership understands why this rule is needed : to protect ordinary Americans and groups from political discrimination.
“ There is a creeping politicization of the banking industry that has the propensity to be very , very dangerous , ” acting comptroller of the currency David P. Brooks and OCC chief economist Charles W. Calomiris wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed .
“ Many of the targeted industries are those unpopular on the political left .
But we ’ ve also heard allegations of banks being pressured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the right , such as Planned Parenthood.
” OCC is playing smart politics by noting that both sides of the political aisle are affected by financial blacklisting .
In the age of woke capitalism , however , there ’ s no question that the Right is under greater threat .
The draft proposal notes two targets of woke debanking : privately-run immigration detention facilities and gun businesses .
“ Some banks have reportedly ceased to provide financial services to owners of privately owned correctional facilities that operate under contracts with the Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of shotguns and hunting rifles have reportedly been debanked in recent years , ” the rule says .
The proposal is correct .
JP Morgan Chase , Wells Fargo , and Bank of America all cut ties to ICE facilities due to activist pressure .
These same banks also discriminate against gun manufacturers and sellers for the same reasons .
In 2018 , the New York Times published an article that argued for this approach to achieve gun control .
The article advocated for Visa and Mastercard to pressure gun sellers so “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every firearms store in America because otherwise the sellers would be cut off from the credit card system.
” “ It takes leadership and courage – exactly what these executives say they have .
If they don ’ t want to back up their words with actions , the next time there ’ s a school shooting that prompts a conversation about gun companies , it should also include the financial complex that supports them , ” the Times ’ article concluded .
The OCC ’ s rule would force banks to ignore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militants and uphold the principles of American liberty .
Several Republican senators support such protections as proposed by the OCC ’ s rule .
Senators Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) , Mike Crapo ( R-Idaho ) , Lisa Murkowski ( R-Alaska ) , Dan Sullivan ( R-Alaska ) , Tim Scott ( R-S.C. ) , and John Kennedy ( R-La . )
have expressed support for the OCC ’ s rule or similar measures .
“ Banks provide financial services ; they are not arbitrators of social policy .
They should not punish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealers because they disagree politically , nor should they promote credit to politically favored industries , ” Sen. Scott said in a November press release .
Scott is exactly right .
As OCC ’ s leaders made clear in their op-ed : “ Banks don ’ t set national policy .
They don ’ t choose what goods and services are available to consumers .
Nor do they determine which industries are legal .
It is the job of democratically elected government to make those decisions.
” Free speech makes America great , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists can weaponize corporate power to deny basic services to their political enemies .
What good is the First Amendment if you can ’ t access the internet , can ’ t work , and can ’ t even bank because of what you say ?
It ’ s time for our lawmakers to protect average Americans from the malevolent power of woke capitalism .
No one should lose their bank account simply because of their political views .
Paul Bradford is a Capitol Hill refugee now earning an honest living .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Court Rules Ohio Must Allow Changes to Birth Certificates of Transgender People

A federal court ruled Wednesday that Ohio must allow changes , or what proponents call corrections , to gender markers on birth certificates , leaving as Tennessee , for the time being , as the only state in the nation not to allow changes .
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio struck down the policy that prevented transgender people born in Ohio from adjusting the gender marker on their birth certificate .
The decision comes in a lawsuit filed two years on behalf of three Ohio women and one man .
“ This is truly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every aspect , ” said Stacie Ray , one of the four plaintiffs .
The court , in siding with the American Civil Liberties Union , the ACLU of Ohio and Lambda Legal said the state ’ s birth certificate rule executed by the Ohio Department of Health and the Office of Vital Statistics is unconstitutional .
“ Today ’ s ruling affirms that the state must recognize the dignity and true identity of every transgender Ohioan , ” Elizabeth Bonham , staff attorney for the ACLU of Ohio , said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced years of unlawful discrimination , but today we celebrate this victory as an acknowledgement to their commitment to justice.
” Ohio had argued the rule was necessary to prevent fraud and keep an historically accurate record of its people .
In his ruling , Judge Michael Watson called the rule discriminatory and said the state ’ s arguments were “ nothing more than thinly veiled post-hoc rationales to deflect from the discriminatory impact of the policy.
” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost ’ s office told the Associated Press it was weighing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transgender people from Ohio will be able to correct their birth certificates so that this necessary identity document is consistent with their gender identities , ” Kara Inglehart , staff attorney at Lambda Legal , said .
“ Accurate birth certificates are essential .
They are foundational to our ability to access a variety of benefits such as employment and housing , and to navigate the world freely and safely , as who we truly are.
” When the suit was filed only Ohio , Tennessee and Kansas prohibited the changes .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement and was ordered to begin issuing corrected birth certificates .
J.D .
Davidson is a regular contributor to The Center Square .
He is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio , Georgia , Alabama and Texas .
Photo “ Transgender Flags ” by Ted Eytan CC2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--University of Michigan’s IT Department Told to Stop Using Word ‘Picnic’ as it Could ‘Harm Morale’

“ Crack the whip.
” “ Master/slave.
” Even the term “ picnic ” has been deemed offensive , according to a lengthy list of words and phrases put out recently by the University of Michigan ’ s Information and Technology Services ’ “ Words Matter Task Force.
” “ To effectively communicate with customers , it is important for ITS to evaluate the terms and language conventions that may hinder effective communication , harm morale , and deliberately or inadvertently exclude people from feeling accepted to foment a healthy and inclusive culture , ” states the memorandum obtained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last updated December 8 , contains nearly 36 recommendations for alternative words and phrases , the naming of artifacts , cultural development within the organization , the creation of an advisory board , and a list of “ next steps.
” A centerpiece of the memo is the first of four appendices , a table of terms deemed offensive and alternatives to replace them .
The list includes the word “ picnic ” under the offensive column .
It suggests using “ gathering ” instead .
The University of Michigan media relations department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions from The College Fix on the list and what would happen to employees who refused to abide by the guidelines in the memo .
The University of Michigan ’ s Information and Technology Services leadership also did not respond to a request for comment from The Fix on whether the list could be seen as a form of policing language .
An internet search on the issue of the word “ picnic ” being racist includes a Reuters article from July 2020 headlined : “ Fact check : The word picnic does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the rest of the list , it contains several words containing a variation on the word “ man , ” such as “ spokesman ” or “ chairman.
” The guide recommends using terms like “ spokesperson or “ chairperson ” instead .
IT terms such as “ blacklist/whitelist ” and “ privileged account ” also made the list .
Instead of using “ crazy , ” “ dummy , ” or “ sanity check , ” the list encourages “ unthinkable , ” “ placeholder , ” and “ coherence check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offend those with mental illnesses .
Terms that might offend those with disabilities such as “ crippled ” and “ handicapped ” are replaced with “ weakened ” and “ restricted.
” The feelings of Native Americans are also taken into account .
Information and Technology Services ’ employees should not use the phrase “ off the reservation ” and are encouraged to replace it with “ outside the norms ” or “ rogue.
” The phrase “ grandfathered in ” also made the cut .
The College Fix previously reported on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist .
The same professor also took issue with the use of “ low-hanging fruit , ” which she claimed referenced lynching .
“ Low-hanging fruit ” does not appear on U-M ’ s list .
The memo also describes new ways for organizational development to adhere to standards of diversity , equity , and inclusion , or DEI .
One way the IT department is achieving this goal is through the use of “ educational animations , ” each lasting approximately two minutes .
“ To bring moments in which inclusive language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective , we want to create educational animations/short videos for ITS staff to learn more about why these issues are important , ” the memo reads .
The document lists three goals in creating the modules : The authors of the memo were sure to note that the videos would include stick figures , which they call “ neutral characters.
” The memo also links to a document of case studies that gives employees recommendations on how to deal with “ interpersonal interactions ” that are unoffensive to transgender people , black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a sample email to vendors who choose to partner with ITS , informing them of why the changes to the language codes are taking place .
Finally , the task force recommends the creation of an advisory board which “ will continue to support ITS as it relates to updating inclusive language resources and artifact naming standards and supporting ITS services in the adoption of inclusive language best practices.
” Many of these words and phrases on the Information and Technology Services ’ memo also appear on a list in a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have racist histories .
According to the article , the term “ uppity ” described segregated black people “ who didn ’ t know their place.
” The phrase , “ sold down the river , ” used to describe someone who has been cheated , but it originally referred to plantation owners who would quite literally sell slaves down the Mississippi River .
“ Gyp ” ( as in , when one is gypped ) is apparently a derivative of “ gypsy , ” a term which describes the Romani , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Jews , faced discrimination in Medieval Europe and the Holocaust .
College Fix contributor Charles Hilu is a sophomore at the University of Michigan studying political science .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Rep. Ayanna Pressley Calls Loeffler, Perdue and McConnell ‘the Bonnie and Clyde of Corruption’

Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Friday compared Republican Georgia Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “ the Bonnie and Clyde of corruption.
” Pressley criticized “ this GOP-led Senate ” on MSNBC host Joy Reid ’ s “ The ReidOut ” for sticking with the Trump administration ’ s policies and criticized them for being distant from challenges Americans face due to COVID-19 .
Pressley criticized President Donald Trump and said he permitted the economic challenges .
“ Georgia , do your thing , I know we ’ re asking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing , Georgia , do what you do .
All eyes are on Georgia .
Mitch McConnell , Loeffler and Purdue , they are the Bonnie and Clyde of corruption .
They are all the same .
We need to regain control of the Senate .
Georgia do what you do , ” Pressley said .
Loeffler and Perdue are competing against Democratic candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff respectively for Georgia ’ s Senate seats .
The two races on January 5 determine what political party controls the Senate .
Pressley said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive and listed the challenges Americans are facing .
“ At this point these are not even stimulus checks .
These are survival checks .
My constituents need these , these , these moneys .
To remain safely housed .
We are looking at a eviction tsunami .
At the threat of a tent city throughout this country in the midst of a second surge of a pandemic , ” Pressley said .
The congresswoman said families depend on the money and listed a variety of families ’ needs where the money is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not even cover one month ’ s rent ” and noted money “ is only part of the negotiation.
” Pressley said Democrats and progressives have been advocating “ direct cash relief and reoccurring payment ” in the past eight months .
The congresswoman said her party has “ been fighting for a rent and mortgage cancellation , eviction and foreclosure moratoriums .
For work protections.
” Pressley criticized Republicans for preventing progress in the last four years and cited numerous examples .
“ And if they can approve a 740 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to hear about a deficit .
Because the only deficit is a deficit of empathy and their abdication and responsibility to lead and to provide the American people real relief from the hurt that they experiencing , ” Pressley said .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Republican State Senator Emmett Hanger Still Seriously Considering a Bid for Governor

As the 2021 elections inch closer and begin to dominate almost all political talk in the Commonwealth , State Sen. Emmett Hanger ( R-Augusta ) is still exploring a potential run to become the 74th governor of Virginia .
Hanger , 72 , recently discussed the gubernatorial election and the difficulty of securing the GOP nomination in an interview with The Virginia Star .
“ I ’ m inclined to go ahead and run , ” Hanger said .
“ I have not made an official announcement , but I ’ m going through the work of making the contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could work for the nominating process.
” “ The timing and the actual plan for how to win a nomination , and how that could lead to a victory in a general election is what I ’ m working on right now , ” Hanger continued .
“ It ’ s tricky business out here now with the lay of the land of the political scene.
” The political landscape for Virginia Republicans has been quite up and down since the party ’ s state central committee chose in early December to nominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention instead of a primary .
That decision caused GOP candidate and fearless State Sen. Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) to announce she would run as an independent , creating division amongst the party and boosting Democratic confidence , before eventually caving and agreeing to take part in the convention as a Republican .
“ Right now , a very big hurdle for me is the nominating process , ” Hanger told The Star .
“ So , I ’ m hoping to convince people , particularly individuals that want someone maybe harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t really feel that I ’ ve changed my position over the years in terms of my conservative credentials.
” Hanger said the thought of competing for the Republican nomination in a convention does not deter him from entering the race , and that he would “ perhaps ” run for governor regardless of the nominating process .
However , Hanger did mention that he heard last week the party might be re-considering using a convention .
The longtime state lawmaker believes he would be the right choice for Republican voters and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fall and , due to his ability to work across the aisle and brand of traditional conservatism , be able to pull a wider array of voters while still preserving core conservative principles like religion , the Second Amendment and fiscal issues .
Hanger said he is still working to develop a concrete platform , but that it would involve “ reinforcing policy positions that are a part of our Republican creed ” as well as broader items such as education , the economy , COVID-19 recovery , state spending as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two parties .
Besides Chase , former House Speaker Del .
Kirk Cox ( R-Colonial Heights ) is the only other declared GOP candidate .
Northern Virginia businessman and entrepreneur Pete Snyder is expected to announce a run soon , though .
The Democrats vying for the nomination are former governor Terry McAuliffe , State Sen. Jennifer McClellan ( D-Richmond City ) , the current Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and Jennifer Carroll Foy – who recently resigned from the House of Delegates to focus on the gubernatorial race .
Del .
Lee J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise money , but has not officially announced yet .
In terms of a potential Hanger announcement , no date has been determined yet nor has he submitted any paperwork to the Virginia Department of Elections , a necessary step in running for office .
Hanger did commit to making a definitive decision before the General Assembly convenes for its regular session on January 13th .
“ I was born with a rosy disposition , a positive outlook and I never got over it , ” Hanger said .
“ I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m proud of Virginia , and I really want to convince people that I have the ability and desire to serve in that leadership capacity.
” Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Emmet Hanger ” by Emmet Hanger .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Minnesota Attorney General Sues Two More Restaurants Open for Dine-In Service

Attorney General Keith Ellison ’ s office yesterday filed lawsuits against two restaurants that have been open for dine-in despite the governor ’ s executive orders .
Cornerstone Café in Monticello and Cork in Anoka are Ellison ’ s latest projects .
Ellison ’ s office issued a statement that says these restaurants have been running in “ open violation ” of Gov .
Tim Walz ’ orders , putting the “ community at risk by violating ban on on-premises dining intended to slow the spread of COVID-19.
” Executive Order 20-99 , and now Executive Order 20-103 , prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , which Cornerstone Café and Cork have both openly been participating in since earlier this week .
Ellison ’ s office ’ s statement claims an “ investigator ” confirmed the in-person dining situation at Cornerstone Café on Dec. 17 , also noting , “ Cornerstone ’ s table service posed particularly high risks during the global pandemic.
” Tables were fewer than six feet apart and no masks were being worn .
Cornerstone ’ s owner acknowledged the attempts made by Ellison ’ s office to “ win compliance ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to them.
” Cork advised the Attorney General ’ s office of its plan to stay open , and “ an investigator witnessed patrons eating and drinking inside the restaurant.
” Earlier this week , the Attorney General ’ s office released a statement announcing they would be holding accountable establishments that refuse to comply with the governor ’ s orders .
They included a list of “ enforcement tools ” at their disposal to force businesses to comply .
Alongside the “ tool list , ” Ellison proclaimed to defiant restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people at risk .
People will get sick and die because of you .
Not only from COVID-19 : if someone has a heart attack or a stroke or a car accident and dies because they can ’ t get an ICU bed that ’ s being used by someone who got COVID at your establishment , or got it from someone who got it at your establishment , that death is also on you.
” In each lawsuit , Ellison has asked the court to declare the actions of owners and patrons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders , to “ stop anyone associated with these establishments from violating or threatening to violate the executive orders , and to “ impose civil penalties of up to $ 25,000 for each violation or threatened violation of the executive order , ” among other issues .
The statement declares that the Attorney General ’ s office continues “ to work closely with state agencies and local law enforcement to gather evidence of violations of the executive order.
” They claim they will “ actively pursue more enforcement actions ” upon discovering more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ are among the very few that have refused to live up to their responsibility to keep their customers , employees , and communities safe.
” He also acknowledged , “ Of the few that have threatened not to comply and the even fewer that violated the law , many have already pulled back.
” Ellison said , echoing his previous statement released Dec. 16 , “ I don ’ t enjoy using the enforcement tools I have available because I ’ d much prefer people do the right thing on their own.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will use them when I have no other choice to protect Minnesotans from this deadly virus.
” Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Richmond Mom Accessed Explicit Content on School-Issued Virtual Learning Computer

Richmond Public Schools ( RPS ) has tightened content filtering restrictions on school computers after parent Janet Kelly discovered she could access explicit YouTube content on her elementary-aged son ’ s computer .
Kelly is pleased that the school responded to her concerns , but she ’ s worried about long-term harms linked to having children in front of computers constantly for virtual learning .
“ We are creating a generation of screen addicts but it doesn ’ t have to be that way .
Many kids simply do not have the capability to draw healthy boundaries for themselves when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Kelly said .
“ Sites that compete against learning should be replaced , time-restricted or rejected altogether .
It ’ s hard enough for kids to learn online , we shouldn ’ t be feeding them an endless supply of the educational equivalent of cake and candy on the side.
” Kelly is the President of Virginia ’ s Kids Belong , a non-profit organization focused on solving the foster care crisis by working to create “ A collaborative effort uniting faith , business , and creative leaders with child welfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Virginia is in a loving home , ” according to its website .
Kelly is warning other parents of the risks through her website Safe Screens for Students , where she said that she became aware of how much time her son was spending on YouTube .
After hearing of a rise in falling grades and mental health problems among students , she investigated her son ’ s computer usage .
Although her son had not accessed explicit content , she found that she could find nudity , racist content , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The website states , “ After numerous requests to her city ’ s school administrators to implement better solutions ( teachers ’ sharing screens , other platforms , stronger filters and/or time limits ) , she launched this petition.
” Delegate Kirk Cox ( R-Colonial Heights ) criticized the district on Facebook .
He wrote , “ As a former educator , I find it disheartening to see that RPS is not taking serious steps to mitigate the loophole in their firewalls to protect students from graphic and inappropriate content.
” Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions .
RPS spokesperson Danielle Pearce told The Virginia Star that initially , YouTube content restrictions weren ’ t set at the most strict level , a move meant to allow teachers to use the platform in their classes .
“ We have now increased our YouTube filters to the most restricted permissions .
These are the same settings that are used in neighboring school divisions , ” Pearce said .
“ In addition to filters on RPS devices , we also use Gaggle , an online safety management tool , that reviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ensure their safety and well-being in digital learning spaces.
” Pearce added that emails and files are reviewed for inappropriate content and sent to the division for review , giving the school and parents a chance to intervene .
“ We also have digital citizenship lessons that are provided periodically to students , and we encourage students , families , and staff to review our internet safety resources , ” Pearce said .
Kelly said , “ I ’ m grateful RPS strengthened their filter , especially right before the holidays when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downtime .
There is more work to do to ensure kids are learning and not falling behind.
” On her website , Kelly tells parents not to trust that their schools have appropriate content filtering , and to be aware of the risks of addiction .
“ Significant amounts of time spent on screens , even if the content is age-appropriate , can pave the way for significant mental health challenges , ” the website states .
“ Kids are outsmarting adults when it comes to virtual learning , ” Kelly said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a parent , teacher or school administrator , but we can not allow our own busyness to prevent us from doing right by our kids.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Janet Kelly ” by Virginia ’ s Kids Belong and photo “ At the Computer ” is by Lars Plougmann CC2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Outcome of Georgia U.S. Race Will Determine New York City’s Budget, Mayor Bill de Blasio Says

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said late last week that his city ’ s budget hinges on the results of the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs .
This , according to a transcript of a press conference that de Blasio held Thursday .
The mayor ’ s staff published the transcript on The City of New York ’ s official website .
A reporter named Nolan asked de Blasio about federal stimulus funding for cities and states .
The transcript did not identify Nolan ’ s last name or his media outlet .
“ You ’ ve banked your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid .
What ’ s the plan if it doesn ’ t show up ?
” Nolan asked de Blasio .
“ Mitch McConnell ’ s answer to we need to plow the streets is cities and states should go bankrupt .
Like , what ’ s your plan B if the aid doesn ’ t show up ?
” The mayor said that Joe Biden , if he assumes the oath of office next month , “ will work intensely for a real stimulus.
” “ We don ’ t know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be .
So , what I ’ m going to do in January is present a budget based on all the facts .
When I present that budget , we will know the results of the Georgia election , ” de Blasio said .
“ And we will know whether there has been a stimulus achieved by the end of this Congress right now .
And we ’ ll present what we got to do .
We all know there ’ s lots of tough options that we can turn to if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have horrible impact on the life of the city .
You know , it would take away the services people need and the things we need to recover .
But it ’ s not time to project that yet .
It ’ s time to see what comes of this and then make the adjustments accordingly.
” As reported , U.S. Sen. David Perdue ( R-GA ) and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) , are on the January 5 , 2021 ballot for the U.S. Senate against Democrats Jon Ossoff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these two elections will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the majority of the U.S. Senate .
On Friday de Blasio said , “ I like to say very bluntly , our mission is to redistribute wealth.
” Georgia Republican Party spokeswoman Abigail Sigler said in an emailed statement that “ Georgia taxpayers should not be forced to bail out liberal state and local politicians for reckless fiscal decisions.
” “ Extreme liberals from New York to California to Washington will do everything they can to implement their radical socialist agenda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ossoff to do it , ” Sigler said .
“ Implementing their socialist agenda at every level of government hinges on having Warnock and Ossoff in the Senate .
Electing these two radical liberals would take our country down the path towards socialism and forever change the America we know and love .
We can not allow that to happen.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-21--Governor Lee Bans Gatherings of More Than 10 People

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee ( R ) announced in a five-minute address Sunday evening that the state will ban indoor public gatherings of more than 10 people in response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ I ’ m signing an order that will limit indoor public gatherings to 10 people , ” Lee said in a televised message to Tennesseans .
“ We now have around 10,000 Tennesseans getting sick every day , ” he said , adding that Tennessee was “ ground zero ” for the COVID-19 pandemic , and that cases have surged in the state since Thanksgiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abstain from large gatherings at Christmas .
“ So tonight , I ’ m asking you to make some hard decisions , ” Lee said .
“ I ’ m asking you to not engage in indoor gatherings for the holidays that include anyone outside your household.
” He also announced that the state will limit attendance at indoor sporting events , and implored business owners to let employees work from home for the next month .
Tennessee is one of the few remaining states in America that has not implemented a statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Until Sunday , it had not limited indoor gatherings .
But during his evening remarks , Lee lauded local governments that had implemented mask mandates , and encouraged residents to wear them .
“ Masks work , and I want every Tennessean to wear one , ” he said .
Lee has apparently been wavering in his position about mask mandates for months .
The governor was overhead regretfully saying that he had not implemented a mask mandate in a video recorded by local television station WJHL .
“ I said to someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had the hindsight of 2020 and we ’ d done a mask requirement at the beginning of March , we probably wouldn ’ t have had to close everything down , ” he said in the video filmed in July at a COVID-19 testing center in Johnson City .
Meanwhile , Tennessee residents and advocacy groups spent their weekend fighting for individual liberty .
The nonprofit group Tennessee Stands held a rally Saturday urging the Knox County Commission to strip the Knox County Board of Health of its mandate powers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an advisory role , as reported by The Tennessee Star .
The Star spoke to Ogles after Lee ’ s Sunday evening address .
“ I am relieved the governor did not do a statewide mask mandate , ” he said .
“ We can ’ t sacrifice liberty and infringe on the Constitution , even though there ’ s a virus , and even though people are scared.
” “ Yes , the virus is serious , ” he said .
“ But at the end of the day this is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network .
Follow Pete on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]