thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Arizona GOP Appeals Election Overturn Attempt to U.S. Supreme Court

The state chapter of the Republican Party is asking the nation ’ s highest court to consider its challenge to Arizona ’ s election results that was summarily rejected by other judges .
In the case , Kelli Ward , Arizona GOP chairwoman and plaintiff , posted a video Friday to Twitter announcing the appeal .
“ Our case is going to the Supreme Court of the United States , ” Ward said .
“ We are filing and , hopefully , will have an expedited ‘ oomph ’ behind us.
” Ward said the case has yet to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us not to have due process , which is time to be able to make a case , do discovery , and hold an entire hearing , ” she said .
Ward said the judge who decided the case set unrealistic deadlines , thinking he had to rule on the case by Dec. 8 .
That ’ s the “ safe harbor ” deadline for legal contests to election results in any given state .
Arizona ’ s Supreme Court had ruled unanimously against Ward , saying the GOP legal team failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would have justified further scrutiny of ballots than they ’ d already conducted .
That ruling was after the GOP was accused of “ forum shopping ” in a lower court ruling that denied their request to decertify the election and seize election equipment .
The appeal is different from another challenge to Arizona ’ s elections , labeled the “ Kraken ” case .
The U.S. Supreme Court is also mulling an election challenge from Texas that ’ s challenging the election results in four other swing states .
The Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president on Monday .
Ward has said in previous videos that the safe harbor deadline and casting of Electoral College votes don ’ t matter as much as when Congress tallies electoral votes in the first week in January .
Cole Lauterbach reports on Illinois and Arizona government and statewide issues for The Center Square .
He has produced radio shows for stations in Central Illinois and created award-winning programs for Comcast SportsNet Chicago .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Hunter Biden Called His Father and Chinese Business Partner ‘Office Mates’ in September 2017 Email

Hunter Biden called his father , President-elect Joe Biden , and his Chinese business partner “ office mates ” in a Sept. 21 , 2017 , email to the general manager of his former Washington , D.C. office building .
“ [ P ] lease have keys made available for new office mates , ” Hunter Biden wrote in the email before listing Joe Biden , his stepmother Jill Biden , his uncle Jim Biden and Gongwen Dong , who he identified as the “ emissary ” for the chairman of the now-bankrupt Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC .
Hunter Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his office stating “ The Biden Foundation ” and “ Hudson West ( CEFC US ) .
” Hunter Biden ’ s dealings with CEFC in 2017 were at the center of allegations from his ex-business partner , Tony Bobulinksi , who said in October that Joe Biden was “ plainly familiar ” with his family ’ s business dealings in China .
Bobulinski was one of the recipients of the much-publicized May 2017 email purportedly referencing Joe Biden as the “ big guy ” who would hold 10 % in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hunter Biden revealed this week that he has been notified that federal prosecutors in Delaware are investigating his “ tax affairs.
” Multiple news outlets have reported that the probe is also focused on Biden ’ s foreign business activities , including with CEFC , which was China ’ s fourth-largest energy conglomerate before going out of business .
Cecilia Browning , the general manager of the office building , the House of Sweden , responded to Hunter Biden ’ s request , saying she was “ very excited and honored to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to comment on the emails when reached by phone on Friday .
She did not dispute their authenticity after the Daily Caller News Foundation forwarded them to her for her review .
“ We have tenants who rent office space , and it is correct that Rosemont Seneca LLC rented an office at House of Sweden between February 2017 — February 2018 , ” Browning told the DCNF in an email when asked whether the emails were authentic .
“ However , please note that we do not share information about current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s campaign spokesman , Andrew Bates , said in October that the former vice president “ has never even considered being involved in business with his family , nor in any overseas business whatsoever .
He has never held stock in any such business arrangements nor has any family member or any other person ever held stock for him.
” While it ’ s unknown whether Joe Biden ever visited his son ’ s D.C. office , Hunter Biden ’ s request that his father be granted access to the suite raises questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family ’ s Chinese business dealings in 2017 .
Neither the Biden transition team nor Hunter Biden ’ s lawyer , George Mesires , did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
In his email to Browning , Hunter Biden provided the personal cell phone numbers for his father and uncle , and suggested that Browning ’ s associate call them “ if she insists.
” CEFC had wired $ 5 million to Hunter Biden ’ s company , Hudson West III , less than two months prior to Hunter Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keys be made for his father and the CEFC emissary , according to a Senate committee report released in September .
Starting on the day CEFC wired the funds to Hunter Biden ’ s company in August 2017 through September 2018 , Hudson West sent a total of $ 4.79 million to Hunter Biden ’ s law firm , Owasco , for consulting fees , according to the report .
U.S. regulators flagged the first wire transfer to Owasco , dated Aug. 4 , 2017 , for “ potential criminal financial activity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 2017 and August 2018 , Owasco wired a total of $ 1.4 million to James Biden ’ s consulting firm , the Lion Hall Group , according to the Senate report .
Those transactions were also flagged for potential criminal financial activity .
In addition to Hunter Biden ’ s partnership with CEFC , he also represented Patrick Ho , who served as chairman of China Energy Fund Committee , a U.S.-based think tank fully funded by CEFC China Energy .
Ho was arrested in November 2017 and later convicted on charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act ( FCPA ) by paying bribes to top officials in Uganda and Chad for oil rights in those countries .
CEFC paid Hunter Biden $ 1 million to represent Ho , who was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the scheme .
It is unclear what legal services Biden provided Ho .
He is not listed as an attorney on any of Ho ’ s court filings .
Federal prosecutors revealed that the FBI obtained warrants against Ho under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) on the belief that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a foreign country , court documents show .
Hunter Biden expressed concerns in May 2017 that a partnership with CEFC China Energy might run afoul of FCPA and the Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) .
“ We don ’ t want to have to register as foreign agents under the FCPA which is much more expansive than people who should know choose not to know , ” Biden wrote to Bobulinski on May 1 , 2017 , according to a message obtained by the DCNF .
“ No matter what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at some level in order for us to make bids on federal and state funded projects , ” he continued .
Hunter Biden also provided Browning , the House of Sweden general manager , contact information for Gongwen Dong and Mervyn Yan , who were partners in his dealings with CEFC .
He also identified Ye Jianming as one of his partners and provided a biography listing his affiliation with CEFC .
Dong and Yan did not respond to emails seeking comment .
In the September report , Republicans expressed concerns about Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The report said Ye served from 2003 to 2005 as deputy secretary general of the China Association for International Friendly Contacts ( CAIFC ) .
According to an Aug. 24 , 2018 , report from the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commission , CAIFC serves as a front group for the People ’ s Liberation Army and “ performs dual roles of intelligence collection and conducting propaganda and perception management campaigns.
” Hunter Biden ’ s email to Browning was located on a copy of Hunter Biden ’ s alleged laptop that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the DCNF in October .
Hunter Biden has not denied dropping off his laptop in April 2019 with a Delaware-based computer repair shop .
Thee owner of the shop is said to have provided it to Giuliani after Hunter Biden failed to retrieve it when services were completed .
A cybersecurity expert cryptographically authenticated a key email on the drive for the DCNF in late October .
Commercial leasing firm J Street Companies issued a press release in February 2017 announcing that Hunter Biden ’ s company , Rosemont Seneca Advisors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet at the House of Sweden office building .
Hunter Biden terminated his lease with House of Sweden in February 2018 , according to an email that Hunter Biden received from Browning the month prior .
That message was also located on the hard drive .
Andrew Kerr and Chuck Ross are reporters for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Hunter Biden ” by Burisma Group .

by Scott McClallen
About $13.5 million in taxpayer grants from the Going PRO Talent Fund will help train 8,500 workers across nearly 300 Michigan businesses to earn industry-recognized credentials and strong wages.
“The Going PRO Talent Fund is an investment in our state’s greatest asset – our people – helping them develop the skills they need to advance their careers and ‘make it’ in Michigan,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “These grants help us put thousands of Michiganders on paths to good-paying jobs and empower hundreds of Michigan businesses across the state develop the talent they need to compete in the global economy.”
The program launched in 2014. Since then, more than 6,000 Michigan businesses have received Going PRO Talent Fund awards to train 175,000 new and existing workers.
More than 60% of the employers receiving funds are small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Training must fill a demonstrated talent need experienced by the employer and result in the employee acquiring a credential for a transferable skill recognized by the industry.
Susan Corbin, the director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, said these grants keep Michigan businesses competitive globally.
“Programs like the Going PRO Talent Fund help businesses throughout Michigan train the talent they need in order to stay competitive in the global economy,” Corbin said in a statement. “Investments like these help us connect individuals and business leaders with tailored opportunities and unique resources they need to prosper. Together, we are creating a competitive and innovative environment that improves the quality of life for people who live, work and do business in Michigan.”
The average training cost per worker is $1,250. According to 2021 data, average hourly wages for Going PRO Talent Fund participants increased by $5.71 six months after completing training.
“The Going PRO Talent Fund has continued to help Michigan employers retain their workers by providing the necessary support for them to help upskill their workforce,” LEO’s Office of Employment and Training director Stephanie Beckhorn said in a statement. “These trainings have also provided an opportunity for employees to gain industry-recognized credentials they need to grow and thrive in these in-demand careers.”
LEO makes Going PRO Talent Fund awards to employers through Michigan Works! Agencies. Participating employers play an integral role in defining their crucial training needs, then work with their local MWAs and other partners to develop strategic training plans.
David Worthams, director of Employment Policy for the Michigan Manufacturers Association, said the talent fund is “arguably the best talent development program the state of Michigan has to offer.”
“As we get into the next cycle of grants, employers and their employees will see huge strides in new skills that we need as we move into the future of manufacturing in the state, Worthams said in a statement. “This is another reason why Michigan is one of the best states to do business in.”
– – –
Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi. In 2021, he published a book on technology and privacy. He co-hosts the weekly Michigan in Focus podcast.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Commentary: The Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database Tops 1,300 Cases

With the addition of the newest batch of cases , all from the state of Texas , The Heritage Foundation ’ s Election Fraud Database now has 1,302 cases of proven election fraud , and we are following numerous other ongoing prosecutions .
As these cases and the database demonstrate , the threats to election integrity and instances of election fraud throughout the country continue to jeopardize fair and free elections for the American people .
The Texas cases also demonstrate that fraud can happen at different points during the election process , and that it effectively dilutes legitimate ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 general election , for example , Avery Ayers sought to run as an independent challenging Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas .
However , he forged the signatures of voters to qualify to be a candidate on the ballot .
Ayers pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony fraud charge in state court and was sentenced to five years in prison .
Though he was paroled five months into his sentence on that charge , he ’ s now in federal prison for a separate wiretapping felony .
Threats to fair and free elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as some fraudsters use invalid or commercial addresses to register to vote in areas where they don ’ t actually live .
In 2013 , a group of at least four people attempted to take over a local utility board by falsely registering a Residence Inn as their home address .
James Jenkins , recently added to the database , pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 12 months of probation and a $ 2,000 fine for his involvement in this scheme .
One co-conspirator was convicted by a jury and sentenced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other conspirators entered pretrial diversion programs to avoid prosecution .
Others , like Israel Garza , attempt to vote even though they are ineligible .
When successful , such actions can negate the ballot of a legitimate voter , effectively disenfranchising that voter .
Garza , a convicted felon whose rights had not been restored , attempted to vote in a 2010 Texas municipal election even though he was ineligible .
He pleaded guilty to attempted illegal voting and was sentenced to a year in prison , two years of probation , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Benito Aranda Jr. , voted in the 2012 Texas primary election .
He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for voting illegally as a convicted felon , but is serving the remainder of his sentence under “ community supervision.
” That ’ s the Texas term for probation .
The Heritage database is not an exhaustive , nor comprehensive list .
It doesn ’ t capture all cases , and certainly doesn ’ t capture all reported instances or allegations of election fraud , some of which may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but aren ’ t .
But the database does highlight vulnerabilities in the election system .
We do our best to track cases that are brought to our attention , but we don ’ t add them to our database until a conviction has been obtained or a civil judgment entered .
Take , for example , a prosecution we are currently tracking in Texas , involving a social worker who has been charged with 134 felony counts of election fraud .
Kelly Reagan Brunner worked in a state-supported institution for Texans with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged to have registered 67 of the residents to vote without their knowledge or consent , many of whom had been declared mentally incompetent under Texas law .
As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said , it “ is particularly offensive when individuals purport to be champions for disability rights , when in reality they are abusing our most vulnerable citizens in order to gain access to their ballots and amplify their own political voice.
” Another prosecution we are tracking , this one out of Los Angeles , involves Carlos Antonio De @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a prospective mayoral candidate .
He was recently charged with numerous felony and misdemeanor offenses of election fraud for his alleged involvement in a scheme that is said to have involved submitting fraudulent voter registrations on behalf of homeless individuals .
It ’ s alleged that Montenegro filed more than 8,000 false registration applications over five months , forging names , addresses , and other information on nomination documents .
Thankfully , this attempted fraud was caught before a ballot was cast due to the actions of a county registrar who flagged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have recently started tracking involve other convicted felons illegally voting .
In Wisconsin , it ’ s alleged that at least four felons voted despite being on a special parole status that prohibited them from voting .
These men had been convicted of violent felonies , including rape , burglary , and strangulation of a woman .
Can you imagine the anger of their victims , or the victims ’ families , knowing that these criminals were casting ballots , taking part in the process that determines the laws that they intentionally violated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud often harms the most marginalized in communities , damaging the power the people have to freely choose their representatives .
Awareness of the current threats is the first step in securing fair and secure elections and should be a bipartisan priority in every state .
In the meantime , we will continue to bring attention to , and document , election fraud cases and convictions occurring throughout the country .
Hans von Spakovsky is an authority on a wide range of issues—including civil rights , civil justice , the First Amendment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government reform—as a senior legal fellow in The Heritage Foundation ’ s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies and manager of the think tank ’ s Election Law Reform Initiative .
Kaitlynn Samalis-Aldrich is a research assistant in the Meese Center for Judicial and Legal Studies at The Heritage Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Joe Biden: Georgia U.S. Senate Race Must End Before Civil Rights Leaders Can Go Back to Preaching ‘D

Joe Biden: Georgia U.S. Senate Race Must End Before Civil Rights Leaders Can Go Back to Preaching ‘Defund the Police’

Joe Biden reportedly doesn ’ t want civil rights leaders to discuss defunding the police until after the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs have concluded .
This , for fear that such rhetoric will scare off Georgia voters and prevent Democrats from controlling the U.S. Senate next year .
“ I also don ’ t think we should get too far ahead of ourselves on dealing with police reform in that , because they ’ ve already labeled us as being ‘ defund the police ’ …Anything we put forward in terms of the organizational structure to change policing — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Promise you .
Just think to yourself and give me advice whether we should do that before Jan. 5.
” 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 Raphael Warnock , respectively .
Perdue ’ s campaign , in a press release , said “ Biden ’ s advice is too little too late for radical liberal Jon Ossoff , who has already said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ on the line.
’ ” “ Georgians already know full well that Jon Ossoff would help his radical liberal supporters defund the police , and they won ’ t be fooled by Joe Biden ’ s feeble attempt conceal the far-left agenda the Democrats would pursue if they gained control of the Senate , ” said Perdue campaign spokesman John Burke .
“ No matter how hard they try to cover it up during the next 25 days , we will be holding the Ossoff-Biden Democrats accountable for their dangerous agenda to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of Georgia that Senator Perdue is the only candidate in this race who will keep them safe.
” As reported this week , U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA-12 ) held a virtual fundraiser for Warnock and Ossoff .
As The Star News reported Sunday , U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) , a socialist , endorsed Ossoff and Warnock to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Michigan AG and Sec. of State Block Results of Forensic Audit of 22 Dominion Machines in Antrim Coun

Michigan AG and Sec. of State Block Results of Forensic Audit of 22 Dominion Machines in Antrim County

A Northern Michigan judge has allowed Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to block the results of a forensic audit of Dominion machines in Antrim County , where thousands of votes for President Trump were flipped to Joe Biden .
Chief Judge Kevin A. Elsenheimer last week issued an order granting a local man , William Baily , permission for a forensic examination of the county ’ s 22 Dominion tabulators .
Bailey filed a complaint on Nov. 23 , arguing that there was election fraud in the Republican-leaning Antrim County , along with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clause.
” A team of seven forensic investigators associated with Allied Security Operations Group ( ASOG ) examined the voting machines for about eight hours on Dec. 6 .
According to podcaster Steve Gruber of Real America ’ s Voice , “ Judge Elsenheimer allowed the ASOG team of seven to capture images of the hard drives , thumb drives , and master thumb drives from the 22 townships in Antrim County.
” Gruber claimed on Steve Bannon ’ s “ War Room ” broadcast on Monday that the forensics team reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was later found in an unattended , “ unsecured drawer.
” He said it is the first time anyone has done a “ deep dive ” into the machines .
Gruber also said that on the day after Thanksgiving , “ three townships found open ports in the machines.
” They were supposed to be able to release their results within 48 hours .
Because Dominion systems were used in 47 out of 83 counties , hard evidence that Dominion Systems were used to flip votes from Trump to Biden would be grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .
In his Dec. 4 court order allowing the forensic examination , Elsenheimer included a restriction on the “ use , distribution or manipulation of the forensic images and/or other information gleaned from the forensic investigation ” without court permission .
Nessell ’ s office said Elsenheimer ’ s order did not go far enough .
“ We ’ d like to know more about what was obtained , what the intent is for the use of the images obtained , ” said Assistant Attorney General Heather Meingast , noting “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could compromise their security in future elections.
” Elsenheimer , a Republican former lawmaker and member of former Gov .
Rick Snyder ’ s administration , granted Meingast ’ s request to intervene in the case , but warned he would proceed in haste .
“ I intend to move this matter quickly , aggressively , ” Elsenheimer said .
Matthew DePerno , a lawyer for Bailey , argued that Benson shouldn ’ t be allowed to intervene because she should not have direct involvement in local elections .
A state Court of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month on those very grounds , DePerno pointed out .
“ The court concluded there was no relief to be granted because elections are local and run by local officials , ” he said .
“ We think there are serious issues , and we ’ re preparing right now a motion to seek relief from the court from the protective order , ” DePerno said .
In his lawsuit , Bailey said he was one of the first people to notice a vote reporting error in Antrim County that put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Republican-leaning county .
Bailey alerted a local election official and the votes were pulled down to fix the error .
Trump later was shown to have a more than 5,000 vote lead in a county where about 16,000 votes were cast .
In his initial complaint , Bailey alleged that the Antrim County presidential election “ lacked all accuracy and integrity.
” But Elsenheimer in last week ’ s order focused on a proposed marijuana retailer ordinance in the Village of Central Lake , where a 262-262 tie was overturned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Three ballots were alleged to have been damaged , then reproduced to allow for retabulation .
Bailey argued those ballots don ’ t show up in the final count .
According to multiple news reports , the snafu Antrim County was the the result of human error .
“ The issue with Antrim County ’ s presidential results occurred after county Clerk Sheryl Guy failed to update Election Source software on all tabulators after performing an update to two of them , ” the Detroit News reported .
“ The failure caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were sent to the county ’ s main software.
” Guy , however , reportedly told DePerno in the days after the election that there was “ no way for human error to occur with what she did with the voting machines , Dominion software or the results of the election.
” She allegedly changed her story due to “ tremendous pressure from others in the county and at the state level as well.
” Patrick Colbeck , an election challenger from Wayne County who has testified before the state legislature , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elsenheimer ’ s order allowing Nessel and Benson to prohibit the disclosure of the forensic results was like “ the cardboard up on the window ” at the TCF Center in Detroit .
“ All of these people who are saying there was no election fraud are going deliberately out of their way to , filing court orders to prevent the dissemination of evidence of election fraud , ” he said .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Josh Hawley, Bernie Sanders Team Up, Pressure Congress for Direct Stimulus Checks

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders joined forces Thursday , introducing an amendment that would provide direct cash payments to Americans as part of any additional coronavirus relief that Congress passes .
The unlikely allies agree that Congress should not leave Washington before passing a relief package , and that any such package must include direct payments to help mitigate the economic hardship inflicted on millions of Americans due to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ What I want to make clear today is that this must be part of any COVID relief package and if there isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then I want a vote on this stand-alone legislation , ” Hawley told reporters Thursday .
“ You can ’ t tell me you can ’ t find $ 300 billion for working families .
You just can ’ t tell me that isn ’ t possible , ” Hawley added .
“ It is absolutely imperative that we provide $ 1,200 for every working-class adult and $ 500 for each of their children , ” Sanders said during a speech on the Senate floor Thursday .
“ Congress can not go home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several Democrats have called for direct cash payments for working families , most congressional Republicans have objected over the price tag , citing the need to address the already record-high federal deficit .
The Trump administration proposed a $ 916 billion plan this week that included $ 600 stimulus checks , but Democrats rejected the offer since it excluded any federal unemployment assistance .
Moderate lawmakers from both parties compromised on a $ 908 billion plan that included $ 300 unemployment checks for 16 weeks .
Though the plan has the backing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has objected over the bill ’ s size and its lacking of a liability shield for businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits .
Republican leadership has accused Sanders of threatening to delay the passage of a stopgap bill to keep the government funded unless his and Hawley ’ s proposal gets a vote , an accusation that Sanders did not deny Thursday when pressed by reporters .
“ Let ’ s play it by ear , ” Sanders said , according to Roll Call .
“ They can blame me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home by the millions are going to be blaming this Congress for inaction for leaving their children to go hungry or get evicted.
” Hawley has said that he will support a stopgap bill , but will continue to press Congress to pass a bill that includes direct cash payments as well .
Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Bernie Sanders ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Pennsylvania House GOP Circulates Memo for Appointing New Pennsylvania Electors

House Republican lawmakers circulated a cosponsorship memo Friday that would appoint new electors if a pending Supreme Court legal challenge requires them to do so .
The move comes after GOP leaders in both chambers insisted the state constitution prevents them from choosing electors that defy the certified popular vote .
Some 31 Republican representatives signed the resolution that reads , in part , “ Having a vehicle for appointing electors positioned now will allow the General Assembly to move as quickly as possible.
” The resolution comes as the nation awaits a development on Texas v. Pennsylvania , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State and three others – Georgia , Michigan and Wisconsin – “ violated both the Electors Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
” “ While state legislatures can exercise this plenary power under the US Constitution at any time , we intend to employ it in response to significant activities contravening , frustrating , and substantially modifying the Pennsylvania Election Code which tainted and doomed the appointment process in its entirety , ” the memo reads .
“ We also foresee the possibility of being ordered to appoint these electors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States.
” The case , dubbed the “ big one ” by President Donald Trump , stands as one of the last surviving legal challenges designed to overturn the results of the election .
Former Vice President Joe Biden expects to receive 306 electoral votes when the electoral college convenes Monday , including 20 from Pennsylvania .
Republican leaders said they ’ d honor the certified vote and can ’ t appoint new electors without a change in state law – a long shot that likely wouldn ’ t go into effect until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not take steps to appoint electors for this election given these provisions in the Election Code , ” Republicans leaders from the House and Senate said in a joint statement last week .
“ Doing so would violate our Election Code and Constitution , particularly a provision that prohibits us from changing the rules for election contests of the President after the election .
… Make no mistake , this should not be misconstrued to suggest we will allow the issues presented with the 2020 General Election to evade complete legislative review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on Twitter Friday that Republicans tied to the Texas lawsuit need to “ accept reality and move on.
” “ Pennsylvania had a fair and secure election free of intervention , and our commonwealth will not tolerate these senseless attempts to silence the voices of millions of Pennsylvanians , ” he said .
Christen Smith follows Pennsylvania ’ s General Assembly for The Center Square .
She is an award-winning reporter with more than a decade of experience covering state and national policy issues for niche publications and local newsrooms alike .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--35 Years Ago: Unsolved Gander Aircrash Kills 248 101st Airborne Soldiers, 8 Crew

Thirty-five years years later , questions remain how Arrow Air 1285 crashed into a wooded hillside in Gander , Newfoundland , with 248 soldiers from 101st Airborne Division for the final leg of their journey Cairo to Fort Campbell , Kentucky , killing all the soldiers and the eight crewmembers .
“ There was catastrophic structural failure in the air and witnesses on the Trans-Canadian Highway saw the orange glow in the belly of the plane—and fire , ” said Saul M. Montes-Bradley , the author of “ Gander : Terrorism , Incompetence and the Rise of Islamic National Socialism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air flight attendant at the time of the crash .
“ The plane actually broke up in several parts—it lost the tail , the cockpit and one wing , ” Montes-Bradley said .
“ I was part of the crew that took the 101st to Egypt , he said .
“ I could have been on that flight , I just was not scheduled.
” Montes-Bradley said on that trip to Egypt at the beginning of the six-month rotation , he told an officer he admired the patch for their peacekeeping mission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ logo and he pulled it off and gave it to me , ” he said .
The former flight attendant and later airline executive said he still has the patch , and he is bringing it with him to today ’ s memorial service at Fort Campbell .
“ To me this thing was and is very painful , ” he said .
“ Number one , one of the flight attendants killed in the crash was my fiancée , ” he said .
His fiancée , Stacy Cutler , trained with him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crew were all friends , classmates of mine .
Mikey Fowler was like a father to me , so that after the shock—because the first reaction was : ‘ This is not happening.
’ ” A. Michael “ Mikey Fowler was the flight engineer in the cockpit .
Greatest single loss of life in the history of the 101st Airborne Division The vast majority of the 248 soldiers on Flight 1285 were attached to 3rd Battalion , 502nd Airborne Infantry Regiment , which in now part of the 101st Airborne Division ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lt. Gen. Egil J. Ingebrigtsen , the field commander peacekeeping mission , read a statement to reporters , when he learned of the crash .
″These men gave their lives in the cause of peace , ” Ingebrigtsen said .
″As force commander , I spent much time with the U.S. battalion , with these young men and women , during the last few months , and I think I certainly knew them well , ” he said .
“ I listened to them , inspected them , talked with them , joked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And I say they were among the finest troops I have seen in my career , both the leaders and the soldiers , and this is not eyewash , I really mean it.
” Janice Fried , who was an Arrow Air flight attendant on Cairo-to-Cologne leg of the trip , said she has never forgotten the soldiers she flew with out of Egypt .
“ I loved those guys , because they were so happy they were coming home to Fort Campbell for Christmas , ” she said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just over a week before the end of World War II .
The “ Screaming Eagles ” were reconstituted as airborne infantry in World War II and in the Vietnam War took on its current air assault mission .
Despite the 101st seeing ferocious combat , since its return to the inventory , including service in Iraq and Afghanistan , the loss of 248 personnel at Gander remained the division ’ s single greatest loss of life .
Twenty-three of the Gander crash victims are buried at Arlington National Cemetery .
Today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Campbell , dedicated in 2019 , after the 256 trees planted at the original memorial became too large and unruly .
The new memorial has also has a tree for each of the victims .
President Ronald W. Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan attended the first memorial service held Dec. 16 , 1985 at Fort Campbell .
Most of the young men and women we mourn were returning to spend the holidays with their families , ” Reagan said .
“ They were full of happiness and laughter as they pushed off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them at their last stop spoke of how they were singing Christmas carols .
They were happy ; they were returning to kith and kin , ” he said .
“ Then the terrible crash , the flags lowered to halfstaff , and the muffled sobs , and we wonder : How this could be ?
How could it have happened , and why ?
” he said .
“ Who else but an idealist would choose to become a member of the Armed Forces and put himself or herself in harm ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” he said .
“ Who but the idealist would go to hard duty in one of the most troubled places of the world and go not as a matter of conquest , but as a force that existed to keep the peace ?
” As Reagan and the first lady consoled and embraced the loved ones in the cavernous hangar , a child ’ s plea rang out : “ I want my daddy !
” Canadians blame ice on the wings for the crash , but evidence points to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two reports in 1988 , the majority report signed by five members said the probable cause of the crash was the aircraft ’ s unexpectedly high drag and reduced lift condition , because of ice on the wings and an understated cargo weight .
The minority report dismissed ice-on-the-wings as the significant cause , and instead pointed to the all the evidence that there was an onboard explosion .
Ted West , the technician who fueled Flight 1285 at Gander said he saw no ice on the wings .
Arrow Air ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air safety consultant , who retired from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as the director of NASA ` s Aerospace Safety Research and Data Institute , to conduct his own investigation .
Pinkel walked the debris fields and found pieces of the plane with evidence of an explosion—even though the crash sites were bulldozered on the orders of the U.S. Army .
The former NASA safety czar told the Chicago Tribune in 1990 , ” All I can say is there was an explosion , and in all probability , it happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fried said she suspects the bomb was planted on the plane in Egypt , because the it was the only point of the trip when non-Americans were near the plane and handling cargo .
“ I don ’ t think it was planted in Cologne , ” she said .
“ It might have been boarded in Egypt , I think on that trip , the Egyptians were loading the plane , not the Americans , ” she said .
“ I just thought it was strange that the Egyptians were loading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane , too , because there were so many large duffel bags—it could have been overloaded , but I am not even sure about that.
” If Fried ’ s narrative is correct , that means she was riding on the plane with the bomb on that first leg .
“ God doesn ’ t want me yet , ” she said .
Montes-Bradley said the evidence of an onboard explosion was overwhelming .
In addition to the witnesses , who saw the orange burst on the belly of the plane , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuselage that are the signature of an explosion blast from inside .
The initial reports were already speculating that the pilots did not know how to fly in the winter conditions at Gander , he said .
This is absurd , because Gander was one of the regular fueling stops for Arrow Air crews , he said .
The problem with the bomb onboard explosion theory was that if someone killed 248 Army soldiers in a terrorist attack , there was no way the government could ignore it , he said .
Pentagon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have no indications of explosions prior to the crash or of a hostile action.
” At the White House , Deputy Press Secretary Larry Speakes told reporters there was no evidence of sabotage .
Yet , a new terrorist group called the Islamic Jihad called news agencies to take credit—and in their statement , they knew that the flight was delayed—which is why they said the bomb went off at Gander and not at Fort Campbell .
Montes-Bradley said the ice-on-the-wings theory allowed the U.S. government pretend that an act of war against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were very happy to let the Canadians bungle it.
” Janet Fowler , the flight engineer ’ s daughter , said she was a 25-year-old Arrow Air flight attendant when her father was killed in the crash .
When the call came , she said she asked : “ Was Dad on it ?
” The voice on the other end of the phone said : “ Yes.
” Upon hearing the answer , she said she threw the phone and went into shock .
Fowler said her father was an Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become a commercial airline flight engineer .
“ The other flight attendants would always tell me that Dad could put a plane together with spit and chewing gum and make it fly , ” she said .
But , that did not mean he did not take safety seriously , she said .
“ He would never do anything that would hurt anyone or hurt the operation .
He was very conscientious.
” Witnesses testified that before the one-minute flight and crash in the woods by Gander Lake , they saw her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DC-8 , she said .
“ I know damn-well he did a walk-around .
I know damn-well he was out there—he checked the wings—he did it.
” Gander crash may be tied to Arab hostility to Camp David Accords Arrow Air was a charter airline with a number of federal government contracts for routes , such at taking U.S. soldiers to-and-from peacekeeping duty with the Multinational Force and Observers task force established as a buffer between Egypt and Israel .
The MFO was part of the 1978 Camp David Accords President James .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East rivals , he said .
Israel and Egypt fought two wars , the 1967 “ Six Day War ” and the 1973 “ Yom Kippur War , ” in addition to other skirmishes .
Carter facilitated 12 days of secret talks at the presidential retreat at Camp David , Maryland between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat .
Begin and Sadat won the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for the accords and the agreement is the foundation of the peaceful relationship between the two countries today .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , the Camp David Accords were regarded as a sellout of the Palestinian claims on Israeli territory .
The Arab League expelled Egypt for the next decade and the Muslim Brotherhood condemned Sadat .
Originally , the United Nations were supposed to maintain the peacekeeping mission , but opposition from Arab countries and the Soviet Union , forced the United States to take over the mission .
In 1984 , Leamon R. Hunt , the first American director of the Sinai MFO mission , was gunned down in Rome by members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years after the peace treaty , members of Islamic Jihad , the same group that claimed responsibility for taking down Flight 1285 , gunned down Sadat as he reviewed a military parade .
In the context of the peacekeeping mission in Sinai , the U.S. troops were seen as guarantors of Sadat ’ s betrayal of the Palestinians and the group that claimed responsibility , Islamic Jihad , or al-Jihad , in 1981 to avenge that betrayal .
In the summer of 2001 , al-Jihad merged with Al Qaeda .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Three Churches Sue Northam Over COVID-19 Executive Orders

Three churches from Culpeper County and Madison County are suing Governor Ralph Northam , because although his latest capacity limits do not include churches , the other restrictions of Northam ’ s recent orders do .
According to lawyer Mike Sharman , the government is legally allowed to restrict religious expression for a compelling state interest , however courts have argued that that must be done in the least restrictive means possible .
Sharman said that since organizations like schools and medical establishments are able to set some of their own standards , that demonstrates that the restrictions remaining on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Here we ’ ve got a couple real clear points that make it [ pretty clear ] what they think is the least restrictive , because no healthcare or medical services have the same restrictions we do .
The government allows them to decide what they ’ re going to do , ” Sharman said .
Sharman noted that essential services including food banks , government , and media are similarly unrestricted .
“ My pastor is both a pastor and he also helps run the food bank , but at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the same restrictions as he does when he pastors .
Well , that doesn ’ t make sense.
” Sharman had previously sued Northam in May , but that lawsuit was settled after Northam agreed to only leave a mask mandate in place against church attendees .
“ [ The agreement ] had only in it that the people attending churches would have the mask requirement , ” Sharman said .
The onus for enforcement of masks was on the individual , not the organization .
“ So that seemed like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they would have liked to investigate whether or not the governor had the authority to make such laws .
However , they accepted the agreement instead .
“ We figured having 98 percent of churches in Virginia be able to open was worth it.
” However , later executive orders from Northam require organizations to enforce mask mandates .
Sharman started his latest lawsuit before Northam ’ s Thursday announcement of new restrictions under Executive Order 72 .
Executive Order 72 requirements include physical distancing , cleaning , and signs reminding of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not be conducted in compliance with the above requirements , they must not be held in-person , ” Executive Order 72 states .
Sharman is suing under state law , which provides stronger religious freedoms than the U.S. Constitution .
He said that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that called New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ’ s restrictions “ discriminatory ” suggests a likelihood of success for his own case .
Although that Supreme Court decision isn ’ t official precedent yet , it suggests that there is merit in similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representing seven people including Sharman , from three churches : Slate Mills Baptist Church , Alum Springs Baptist Church , and Novum Baptist Church .
Sharman said the next court date has yet to be scheduled .
“ Individuals assembled for educational instruction can do what their governing body or educational institution says .
But they don ’ t trust the church to do that , ” Sharman said .
“ Right there it ’ s unconstitutional , and it also reflects the bigotry .
We trust schools , we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t trust churches .
We trust government , we don ’ t trust churches.
” Sharman said , “ What ’ s happening is they ’ re discriminating against people of faith , and intentionally so .
They might not think it ’ s wrong , but in a patronizing way , they think it ’ s right.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Falls Church City School Board in Virginia Votes to Rename George Mason High and Thomas Jefferson El

Falls Church City School Board in Virginia Votes to Rename George Mason High and Thomas Jefferson Elementary

The Falls Church City School Board voted to change the names of local schools George Mason High and Thomas Jefferson Elementary on Tuesday night .
The seven-member board was unanimous in its decision to rename and each member offered remarks during the virtual meeting to explain their reasoning or opinion .
“ Are these two men appropriate namesakes today for schools in a division committed to anti-racism ?
After careful consideration of everything I ’ ve heard , I come to the conclusion that they are not , ” said Greg Anderson , chair of the school board .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so is in the best interest of students , and consistent with our commitment to foster equity and equality for our staff , our students , our families and our community.
” The decision comes in light of results from a survey – released to parents , staff , students and community members – where the majority answered no when asked if the two schools should be renamed .
Specifically , 56 percent of the overall respondents did not want to see the school names changed , including 61 percent of Thomas Jefferson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from George Mason High , according to the survey .
For both schools , over 70 percent of community members were against renaming .
The most common answer of students from Thomas Jefferson indicated they had no opinion on the matter ( 39 percent ) , while 38 percent of George Mason students did not favor changing the names , according to the survey .
The survey is part of a two-stage process the board adopted back in June when they first started to consider the possibility of renaming .
During the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board heard from a mix of people speaking against and for renaming the two schools , both of which are currently conducting classes virtually .
Many school board members had similar , if not the same views , on the topic and why they thought it was necessary .
Almost all said they had taken time to come up with a decision and brought up the historically cemented contributions of Mason and Jefferson to the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia .
Both Susan Dimock and vice-chair Shawna Russell mentioned how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to make decisions that are in the best interest of students and making sure the five schools within the division are welcoming places for all .
“ If our mandatory public schools make some of our own students feel less worthy , because of the name over the door , that is a big problem , ” Russell said .
“ No child should ever have to be in a building where they feel marginalized or uncomfortable because it ’ s named after a person who participated in slavery .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first and foremost serve the children in our community and that means all the children.
” The board ’ s only Black member , Lawrence Webb , said by reading certain public comments it became clear to him that some people do not comprehend the anguish or compassion of minorities in America .
Webb ’ s argument ultimately aligned similarly with Russell ’ s .
“ I am in support of changing the names of our elementary and high schools because if one student feels uncomfortable walking into a building named for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of another human , that ’ s one too many , ” Webb said .
“ Changing a name is only one step in this process , ” Webb continued .
“ Falls Church City schools are committed to equality and that work will continue.
” The board member whose remarks differed most from others was Philip Reitinger .
After discussing the results of the survey , the overall opinion of the community and his desire to change the names , Reitinger brought up the recent presidential election and that Falls Church City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
Reitlinger then talked about the need to do more for diversity and inclusion by bringing up President Donald Trump ’ s comments on White supremacists in Charlottesville , the 2019 detentions of South American immigrants at the border with Mexico and said that Trump stokes division .
After the vote had taken place , Anderson said the next step in the process is to find new names for both schools .
That will involve creating a committee to gather more public input , deliberate potential replacement names and then recommend a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the board for a final decision .
More details will be discussed at the school board ’ s next meeting on December 15 , Anderson said .
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 “ George Mason High School ” by Falls Church City Public Schools .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--No Trial, No Jail for Man Who Destroyed Columbus Statue in Minnesota

Michael Anthony Forcia , the man who organized the destruction of Minnesota ’ s Christopher Columbus statue , never faced trial and will not go to jail .
Forcia once faced a first-degree criminal property damage charge , which has now been suspended , and his trial was replaced with a virtual Zoom-based hearing .
Instead of going to jail , he will have to perform 100 hours of community service and write a letter acknowledging that he destroyed the statue , according to Fox 9 .
Forcia doesn ’ t even seem to regard this as a punishment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , ” he told a judge at his sentencing , adding that he ’ d “ probably do over 100 hours , as a matter of fact , ” Fox 9 reports .
Forcia was the only person charged with the destruction of the Christopher Columbus statue , which used to stand outside the Minnesota Capitol building .
The statue was torn down on July 10 by Forcia ’ s group of protesters who were affiliated with the American Indian Movement ( AIM ) .
No arrests were made during the vandalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while $ 154,000 worth of damage was inflicted , per a statement from the Ramsey County Attorney ’ s Office .
The legal response to the vandalism is in line with the “ restorative justice ” that officials promised in August .
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi provided a statement to Alpha News about this model of justice shortly after the statue was toppled and suggested that his office would not pursue traditional punishment .
“ The restorative process allows for all voices related to this incident to be heard and perhaps a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishment of one individual , ” the county attorney said at the time .
The Columbus statue , which was gifted to the state by an Italian immigrant as a token of gratitude for Minnesota ’ s acceptance of Italians , has not yet been replaced .
Meanwhile , several other statues around the metro area have fallen prey to similar treatment at the hands of vandals with a social justice agenda .
A statue of former President George Washington that used to sit across from the Minneapolis Institute of Art was torn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That same day , a monument to the pioneers who settled in Minnesota was spray-painted with left-wing slogans .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--In Virginia, Jerry Falwell Jr. Drops Lawsuit Against Liberty University

Jerry Falwell Jr. has dropped his lawsuit for defamation against Liberty University , although he says he is keeping his options open .
Falwell , the former president and chancellor of the university , did not explain why he dropped the suit .
“ In Virginia , you are allowed to non-suit your case , one time , which we have chosen to do .
You can then refile it at any time you like so long as it within the Virginia statute of limitation , ” Falwell said in a Friday statement .
Liberty University said there were no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suit .
“ Falwell ’ s unilateral and voluntary dismissal was not prompted by any payments , promises , or other consideration from Liberty , ” the school said in a statement .
“ The University ’ s administration and Board of Trustees are pleased that Falwell has dropped his lawsuit and look forward to pressing onward with the work of Liberty ’ s President and Chancellor Search Committee to find the new leadership to succeed Falwell.
” Falwell ’ s announcement is the latest step in the divorce between Falwell and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to take the University in a more Notre-Dame-like direction — a university founded in Christianity , but that has shifted over the years to focus on sports and Ivy League-level prestige .
However , he faced a Board of Directors focused on maintaining the conservative Christian values of Jerry Falwell Sr .
The school has a Doctrinal Statement that upholds the core theology of protestant Biblical Christianity , a Mission Statement focused on training students in Christian and politically conservative ideals , and a student code that bans sex outside of traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Falwell Jr. did succeed in boosting the school ’ s sports programs .
Falwell endorsed Trump , who spoke at the school .
However , alleged scandals involving sex and alcohol surfaced repeatedly , painting Falwell as someone who didn ’ t believe in the rules Liberty University enforced on students .
With the board unwilling to look the other way , Falwell was eventually forced out .
“ On the first day of classes of Liberty University ’ s fall term , Jerry Falwell , Jr. , agreed to resign as its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but following media reports about the resignation , withdrew it , ” the board said in a press release on August 24 .
In October , Falwell sued the school for defamation and breach of contract .
According to Fox News , the lawsuit said , “ When Mr. Falwell and his family became the targets of a malicious smear campaign incited by anti-evangelical forces , Liberty University not only accepted the salacious and baseless accusations against the Falwells at face value , but directly participated in the defamation .
This action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused to the reputation of Mr. Falwell and his family.
” With Falwell ’ s departure and the lawsuit ended , the board is free to follow its own vision for a more conservative Christian school like Bob Jones University .
Falwell hinted that he might re-file the lawsuit , but didn ’ t say what action he was hoping for from the school .
In his statement , Falwell said , “ We are waiting to see if Liberty does the right thing .
We are keeping all our options open.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Jerry Falwell Jr. ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .
Background Photo “ Liberty University Campus ” by Liberty University .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Three Ohio Cities Rank High Among Cities Needing the Most COVID-19 Vaccines

With COVID-19 vaccines expected in states throughout the country next week , some communities need more than others , according to a recently released study , and Ohio is home to three of those cities .
According to the personal finance website WalletHub , Cleveland , Toledo and Cincinnati rank among the top 10 of 90 large cities in the United States in terms of vaccine need based on 13 key factors , such as frontline healthcare workers , nursing home residents , essential workers , residents diagnosed with various diseases and other things .
While federal , state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine as critical to returning to normal , it will not have immediate impact , according to WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez .
Eventually , though , she believes it will slow the spread .
“ Vaccination is crucial for reopening the economy because if a significant portion of the population is vaccinated , it will drastically slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and thus make public spaces safer , ” Gonzalez said .
“ Once we have a wide rollout of a vaccine , we can proceed to a full reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money into the economy and give businesses the resources they need to hire again.
” Cleveland ranks as the city needing the second-most vaccines .
Toledo ranks fifth , while Cincinnati is ninth .
Columbus , the state ’ s largest city , ranks 34th .
Earlier this week , Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine outlined the state ’ s vaccine plan , which includes vaccinating frontline health care workers , long-term care facility staff and residents and EMS workers with the first round of doses .
The study ranks Detroit as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , followed by Cleveland ; Birmingham , Alabama ; Memphis , Tennessee ; and Louisville , Kentucky .
Irvine , California needs the least , according to the report .
Followed by the California cities of Fremont , San Francisco and San Jose .
Seattle ranks fifth on that list .
An Ohio native , J.D .
Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio , Georgia , Alabama and Texas .
He has served as a reporter , editor , managing editor and publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Center Square .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Chase Caves on Convention for Virginia GOP Nomination

Six days after the Republican Party of Virginia ( RPV ) decided to hold a nominating convention instead of a primary , gubernatorial candidate State Senator Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) finally declared that she would run in the convention , and not as an independent .
“ My team and I have received thousands of communications across the Commonwealth this past week asking me to continue to run as the next Republican Governor of Virginia , ” Chase said on Facebook on Friday .
Last Saturday , immediately after the RPV State Central Committee ( SCC ) had voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s official .
While I am a Republican ; I will be seeking the nomination in a primary as an Independent.
” Chase ’ s statement , combined with anger over the GOP choosing a convention , led to a firestorm of harassment within the RPV over the past week .
Had Chase run as an independent in the general election , she would likely have ruined the GOP ’ s hopes to occupy the Governor ’ s Mansion in 2021 .
In response to criticism , Chase said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Members of GOP Establishment and Elite knew my stance for MONTHS .
So they voted for secrecy instead of transparency .
( No surprise there ) .
” As a result of her passionate base , Chase would have performed well in a primary — but she ’ s also expected to perform well in an unassembled convention .
Chase ’ s attraction is more persona than policy — she ’ s known as a fighter who doesn ’ t give up .
The SCC is expected to hold an unassembled convention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations across Virginia to drop off their ballots .
It will also use ranked-choice voting , a system where delegates can choose multiple candidates for a seat and list them in order of preference .
As candidates are eliminated , their ballots go to people ranked lower on the ballots .
As a result , it ’ s important for candidates to not alienate another candidate ’ s base or they risk not picking up votes as other candidates are eliminated .
Chase is well-known across the state , and has a passionate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention .
To win the nomination , potential candidates Pete Snyder and Glenn Youngkin will have to find a way to paint Chase as unelectable in the general election .
A potential method is indirect attacks through third-party independent expenditures , highlighting flaws in Chase as a candidate without angering her base .
Gubernatorial candidate Delegate Kirk Cox ( R-Colonial Heights ) is taking a more direct approach , and has already publicly attacked Chase .
When Chase said she was running as an independent , Cox called her a demagogue and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s antics have long grown more than tiresome.
” However , Chase has a head-start on Cox .
She has 134,250 followers on Facebook to Cox ’ s 10,776 .
In a Facebook video posted on Friday , Chase reiterated her concerns about conventions hurting democratic ideals .
However , she said she has experience helping other candidates in a convention .
By Saturday evening , her video had one thousand comments , showing high engagement from her followers .
“ I know how to win for the people of Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in this for myself .
Trust me .
I ’ m in this for you.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-13--Marsha Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Defund Businesses Linked to the Chinese Military

U.S .
Senator Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) has introduced legislation to prohibit U.S. pension investments in Chinese companies .
This , according to a press release that Blackburn ’ s staff emailed this week .
“ There is no line between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese businesses .
Companies like Huawei prop up and assist the regime in their genocide of the Muslims Uyghurs , Inner Mongolians , Tibetans , and other religious and ethnic minorities , ” Blackburn said in the press release .
“ American dollars should not be used to violate human rights.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act would require a specific rule as it pertains to China .
Under this legislation , the Secretary of Labor would prohibit the Employee Retirement Income Security Act-covered pension plans from investing in any persons or entities on the list of Communist Chinese Military Companies .
This , according to Blackburn ’ s press release .
“ Chinese companies can be required , under penalty of law , to share technology with the Chinese military .
In turn , some of these companies produce technologies for the repression of human rights , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China , ” the press release said .
“ Because of the inclusion of these companies in publicly traded index funds , this threat affects over $ 10.7 trillion invested in private American pension plans , covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
” As The Tennessee Star reported in August , Blackburn said the United States has a way to hold China accountable for unleashing COVID-19 upon the world .
Blackburn said this during a tele-town hall with then-U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty .
Hagerty is now Tennessee ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she has talked with the White House and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about China holding more than $ 1 trillion of U.S. debt .
“ I think that negotiating that payment , maybe waiving that payment , is something that we have to put on the table .
The Wuhan virus has cost us now over $ 6 trillion .
In the state of Tennessee for every one person that contracted the virus we have 33 Tennesseans that have been adversely impacted economically and financially by being furloughed or losing their job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Blackburn said at the time .
“ At this point , what we need to say to China is ‘ Look .
You took our jobs .
They went to China .
You sent us a virus , and we ’ re going to hold you accountable for this.
’ That debt is a great way to do it , to hit them in the pocketbook , if you will , and to hold them to account.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-14--Marsha Blackburn Urges Congress to Reject Price Controls on Surprise Medical Billing

The Washington , D.C.-based Taxpayers Protection Alliance has accused big insurance companies of trying to push a bill through Congress that aims to ban Surprise Medical Bills .
The TPA , in a new ad , said those companies are “ really just lining their own pockets.
” TPA members , in their ad , also said that Congressional efforts to address Surprise Medical Billing are really just “ a handout to the big insurance companies that would leave our frontline doctors out in the cold.
” As The Tennessee Star reported last year , Surprise Medical Billing happens when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or her knowledge – either in an emergency or during a visit to an in-network facility .
Weeks later , insurance companies send bills demanding patients pay money for services they assumed insurance would cover .
The TPA said this bill would ban Surprise Medical Bills through something called “ benchmarking , ” which sets prices based on the average for a provided service .
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) , in a letter to members of Congress , urged them to reject proposals to impose price controls as a method @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is broad agreement that patients should be held harmless from surprise medical bills .
However , a recent legislative proposal goes beyond holding these consumers harmless , and introduces a government-centric rate setting approach based on median in-network charges .
Make no mistake – rate setting in health care , particularly when the rates are ratcheted downward for future fiscal reasons , will result in fewer providers and therefore less access to health care by American patients , ” Blackburn wrote .
“ There is an active debate about bipartisan alternatives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eliminate surprise bills while protecting patients .
Short circuiting the Senate ’ s work on this topic by including rate setting in a must pass end-of-year legislative vehicle will leave patients with fewer choices , and will embolden those who believe the federal government should manage complex health care matters.
” Blackburn went on to say that members of Congress should not include any Surprise Medical Billing legislation that includes rate setting in any spending or legislative package before the end of the 116th Congress .
In their own letter to Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these proposals are not ‘ market-based ’ as some have claimed .
They are straightforward price controls that will inflict great damage on the healthcare system during a global pandemic.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Senator Marsha Blackburn ” by Marsha Blackburn .

by Virginia Allen
Republican governors are sending National Guard troops to the southern border.
Governors of Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia announced this week they will send troops and resources to Texas to support the work of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Operation Lone Star to secure the southern border.
“President [Joe] Biden’s failure at our southern border puts the entire country at risk,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. “States must now step up where the president has failed to repel illegals, fight the cartels, and stop human and drug trafficking.”
Sanders is sending 80 National Guard troops to the border in July. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will send troop but has not clarified how many, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also announced Thursday that he will send 100 National Guardsmen to Texas to help secure the southern border. Gov. Mike DeWine says he will send 14 State Highway troopers and supervisors to Texas for two weeks. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she will deploy about 50 National Guard troops to the border this summer.
Arkansas, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota join nine other GOP governors who have already pledged to send troops and resources to Texas to help secure the state’s border with Mexico.
“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement Wednesday.
“Given the intensive resource demands on Texas, the dangers posed by the fentanyl crisis, and impact of the border crisis on criminal activity to the Commonwealth, Virginia will do its part to assist the State of Texas’ efforts with the coordinated deployment of Virginia National Guard soldiers to assist in key aspects of their mission,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin is sending 100 troops and 21 supporting personnel to Texas from the commonwealth.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is sending up to 50 National Guard troops and airmen to the border for up to 30 days. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster says he will also send troops to the border but has yet to announce how may.
“The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison,” McMaster said in a statement Wednesday.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that she will send 100 National Guard troops and 30 Department of Public Safety personnel to the border.
The Republican governors’ decision to send troops to the southern border comes in response to Abbott’s request for states to join Texas and help secure the border through the work of Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security plan.
Nine GOP governors met with Abbott in Austin, Texas, on May 22 to discuss the border crisis. The meeting was held about a week after Abbott sent a letter to fellow governors asking them to help Texas secure the border.
The Texas governor applauded Idaho and Florida for already having sent border security resources and personnel to the Lone Star State to help secure the border and invited more governors to join in the “mission to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and send all available law enforcement personnel and resources to the Texas-Mexico border to serve alongside our thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers.”
Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced he will send 100 National Guard troops to the border and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen committed to send 10 state troopers to Texas to “help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border.”
Florida, Idaho, and Mississippi were among the first states to answer Abbott’s call for help.
On May 17, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced he was mobilizing a National Guard unit to the border.
“To keep Mississippians safe and limit the impact of our nation’s open borders, the Mississippi National Guard’s 112th Military Police Battalion has been mobilized and is supporting Customs and Border Protection officers and agents along the Southwest border.”
The day before Reeves’ announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida had “over 1,100 assets and resources available” to aid Operation Lone Star, including 800 National Guard soldiers and 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers.
“At my direction, state agencies, including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard, are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes,” DeSantis said. “While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”
Since the start of the Biden administration, Customs and Border Protection reports encountering more than 5.5 million illegal aliens at the southern border. Since fiscal year 2023 began on Oct. 1, CBP has encountered more than 1.4 million illegal aliens, about triple the number encountered at the southern border during fiscal year 2020.
CBP has seized a record 17,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border so far in fiscal year 2023, which ends Sept. 30, more than triple the total amount seized in all of fiscal year 2020.
– – –
Virginia Allen is a senior news producer and podcast host for The Daily Signal. She is the co-host of “The Daily Signal Podcast” and “Problematic Women.”
Photo “National Guard” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-14--Commentary: Trump Can Stop Biden from Funding Left-Wing Groups

Joe Biden promises to bring the Obama years back with a vengeance .
One thing that ’ s likely to return is government slush funds for left-wing groups .
Unless Trump takes decisive action , one of the biggest piggy banks for the Left will come from the Federal Housing Financial Agency ( FHFA ) .
The Supreme Court recently heard Collins v. Mnuchin .
The case is a complicated matter that involves government management of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and how independent it is from the administration .
The federal government placed both under conservatorship – meaning federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The agency in control was the Federal Housing Financial Agency .
A federal appeals court previously ruled FHFA ’ s structure unconstitutional .
The slush fund angle came into importance in 2012 .
That year , the Obama Administration enacted a rule to give 100 percent of Fannie and Freddie ’ s profits to the federal government , allowing liberal bureaucrats to dole out the money as they see fit .
A ruling in Collins v. Mnuchin could put an end to that practice .
But an easier way to keep future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to take Fannie and Freddie out of conservatorship .
The Trump Administration ’ s own FHFA appointees support this and are trying to make it happen ASAP .
This will ensure a possible Biden Administration can ’ t launder the profits to radical left-wing groups without any oversight or accountability .
This is a serious problem across many government agencies .
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions waged war on these slush funds when he served in the Trump Administration .
Sessions ended the Justice Department ’ s slush fund that lavished such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department ’ s slush fund was funded by large donations from corporations as part of their settlement agreements with the government agency .
The Environmental Protection Agency was another agency that ran a similar slush fund arrangement .
Likewise , Fannie and Freddie also operated left-wing slush funds under the Obama Administration .
The two mortgage giants were ordered by then-FHFA director Mel Watt in December 2014 to dole out their profits to the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund .
These two funds ostensibly focus on low-income housing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Democratic constituencies .
“ Director Watt ’ s decision to activate the Fannie and Freddie slush fund may be an early Christmas present for Acorn-like , liberal housing activists , but it ’ s a lump of coal in the stocking of every American taxpayer , ” then-Rep. Jeb Hensarling ( R-Texas ) said at the time .
These payments are pretty much guaranteed to resume if Biden gets his way .
In fact , a President Biden would likely expand Fannie and Freddie ’ s generosity to left-wing causes .
Bridging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ racial homeownership gap ” are some of Biden ’ s top priorities .
That likely means he will expropriate more of Fannie and Freddie ’ s profits to advance his goals and enrich left-wing groups at the expense of the taxpayer .
Trump officials are considering the end of the federal government ’ s conservatorship , much to the horror of liberal think tanks and activists .
These figures are particularly upset that Trump would end this practice to deny Biden access to Fannie and Freddie ’ s billions of dollars .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty to ensure the money faucet for liberal housing activists is never turned off .
There will be many terrible aspects about a possible Biden Administration and the Trump Administration must do everything it can to mitigate these disastrous policies .
We should not allow liberal bureaucrats to direct billions of dollars in legal compensation and mortgage profits to fortify the leftist power structure .
There ’ s an easy fix to prevent this nightmare : end Fannie and Freddie ’ s conservatorship .
This arrangement wasn ’ t meant to last forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortgage giants went out on their own with minimal help from the taxpayer .
The taxpayer isn ’ t served by profits going to amnesty advocates and promoters of Section 8 in the suburbs .
This outdated arrangement only serves the interests of liberal elites .
Paul Bradford is a Capitol Hill refugee now earning an honest living .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-14--Commentary: The Political Ambush of State Rep. John DeBerry

The year 2020 will go down as being known for COVID-19 , social-distancing , and the political ambush of State Rep. John DeBerry by the Tennessee Democratic Party .
DeBerry , a Memphis Democrat and respected statesman in the House of Representatives , was ousted by his own party back in May by a 41-18 vote by members of the Tennessee Democrat Executive Committee .
Rather than letting voters take him off the ballot , a committee of Democrats who probably never visited his district cast him out for being conservative on social issues .
But it seems when God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opens another and He had a bigger plan for DeBerry .
Gov .
Bill Lee announced on Nov. 30 that DeBerry would join his cabinet as a senior advisor beginning Dec. 1 .
His office will be at the State Capitol and he ’ ll receive an annual salary of $ 165,000 .
DeBerry will play a key role advising the governor and shaping policy when it comes to important issues impacting Tennesseans .
DeBerry , a faithful Democrat since 1970 and representative for House District 90 since 1995 , is an honorable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He dutifully served his district for 26 years , never wavering from the same core beliefs voters elected him 13 times to uphold .
“ I think the agenda is to sanitize the Democratic Party to where it is a mindless group of folks who simply follow an agenda that is placed before them , ” DeBerry told Morning Host Robyn Walensky of Memphis KWAM News on June 22 .
“ I see them going backwards trying to sanitize the country .
We are going down a dangerous path .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to lead us exactly where our enemies said we were going to be in the ’ 60s , ” DeBerry said .
The “ lamestream media ” barely covered the DeBerry political ambush when it happened .
Do you know why ?
The reason is that the narrative doesn ’ t line-up with the agenda of the lying left , who tout themselves as the party of tolerance .
DeBerry is a victim of religious persecution at the hands of an ever-growing leftist Democrat Party .
A party who has become anti-Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others views .
Democrats ’ dwindling base further demonstrates how out of touch the left is with the majority of people in our state .
What the Tennessee Democrat Executive Committee did to Rep. DeBerry is wrong , and creates a slippery slope on free and fair elections .
The voting rights of the people of Memphis were more than suppressed ; they were forbidden to vote for their 26-year state representative who has represented them with integrity and character .
Shame on you NAACP , ACLU , Tennessee Democrat Executive Committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blind-eye to this racist , anti-Christian bigoted atrocity .
Thankfully , an overwhelming majority of Tennesseans can plainly see that the Democratic Party has become the party of intolerance and will only move our state backwards .
State Rep. Mike Sparks serves the 49th Tennessee House District .
Mike can be reached at [ email protected ] or 615-741-6829 .
Photo “ Gov .
Bill Lee and Senior Advisor John DeBerry ” by Gov .
Bill Lee .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-14--Biden Is Reportedly Considering Andrew Cuomo for Attorney General

Joe Biden has added New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s name to his short list of candidates to serve as attorney general , according to reports .
Biden is considering three other potential nominees to lead the Department of Justice : Alabama Sen. Doug Jones , former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland .
The Associated Press and New York Times reported Friday that a person with knowledge of Biden ’ s cabinet selection process says he has recently put Cuomo under consideration for the DOJ post .
Cuomo would likely face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process over policies he enacted during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic that critics say caused thousands of nursing home deaths .
Cuomo enacted a policy on March 25 that required hospitals to send long-term care residents back to their facilities even if they had coronavirus .
Cuomo implemented the order to clear up hospital beds to grapple with what was expected to be a surge of coronavirus cases in the Empire State .
More than 6,000 nursing home patients died in New York after Cuomo enacted the policy , and before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intense public pressure .
Cuomo has vehemently denied that his policy caused nursing home deaths .
He has cited a report that the New York Department of Health released in July which said that nursing home staffers infected with coronavirus were the primary cause of the virus outbreak in New York ’ s nursing homes .
The New York Times reported that Cuomo is still considered a long-shot for a Biden nomination .
The Trump Justice Department ’ s civil rights division has for several months been conducting a preliminary investigation into whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including New York , caused a spike in coronavirus cases in long-term care facilities .
The Justice Department requested data from the states in August .
The status of the investigation is unclear .
Chuck Ross is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Joe Biden and Andrew Cuomo ” by Andrew Cuomo .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-14--Trucks Carrying COVID-19 Vaccine Roll Out from Michigan Pfizer Plant

Video footage showed the first shipment of the coronavirus vaccine leaving Pfizer ’ s Michigan location on Sunday .
UPS , Boyle and FedEx trucks were captured on video leaving the facility located close to Kalamazoo , Michigan .
The vaccines are expected to reach locations in all 50 U.S. states on Monday and are essential to ending the coronavirus in the country , according to Fox Business .
Pfizer and BioNTech announced in November that their vaccines were over 90 % effective in their Phase Three clinical trial .
The first shipment of the vaccines will be delivered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to 450 sites , FOX Business reported .
The shipments should arrive early enough Monday for health workers to get vaccinated before they start to inoculate others .
The pandemic has led to 1.6 million deaths and 71 million infections worldwide , FOX Business reported .
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for the Pfizer vaccine Friday after a key agency panel overwhelmingly endorsed its safety .
After the endorsement , President Donald Trump tweeted at FDA Commissioner Dr. Steven M. Hahn to “ get the dam vaccines out NOW.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarly approved vaccinations .
The U.K. administered the first vaccinations outside of a clinical trial Tuesday .
Mary Rose Corkery is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Image “ Vaccine Rolls Out ” by Pete Muntean .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-14--Commentary: Play the Game or Be Played Like a Chump

By now , you may have forgotten the story from all the way back in August when various bugmen and D.C. lizard people convened to run a series of “ war games ” on the upcoming presidential election .
Dubbed the Transition Integrity Project , the group of Democratic Party operatives , Bushite neocons , and lawfare swamp creatures warned of a tumultuous Election Night at the end of which neither candidate would concede , followed by a months-long political and legal battle , going all the way to Inauguration Day , that would stress our republic to its breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the group was founded by a former Pentagon official and board member of George Soros ’ Open Society Institute – don ’ t read anything into this ; just an interesting factoid I thought I ’ d share .
The highlight of the New York Times ’ summary of the group ’ s “ leaked ” findings was the third of four potential election scenarios where John Podesta , in his role as Joe Biden , loses the Electoral College but wins the popular vote “ closely mirroring the 2016 result , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandate of Heaven so intolerable that Podesta qua Biden responds by plunging the country into a constitutional crisis in which California , Oregon , and Washington threaten secession until congressional Democrats and state officials , spurred on by the media and grassroots activists , collude to eliminate the Electoral College and retroactively award Biden the presidency via a slate of hand-picked electors .
Normal stuff .
Democracy as it was meant to be practiced .
But you do not have to remember this particular story to recall how the stage for a prolonged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the upper reaches of our political power centers and sense-making institutions far , far in advance .
You may instead remember a long-list of eyebrow raising pronouncements by Trump adversaries from throughout the summer , including , as deplorable right-wing conspiracy theorist and intellectual criminal Michael Anton had the impertinence to chronicle at the American Mind , Hillary Clinton imploring Joe Biden not to concede under any circumstances , a flurry of more and less subtle intimations by the flag officer class that the military wasn ’ t and would not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ex-judicial contest for the White House , and the curious emergence into the popular lexicon of the CIA ’ s favored regime-change tactic , the so-called “ color revolution ” ( which was only brought to our attention to debunk it , of course ) .
You might also recall certain Democrat swing state officials meeting privately in the week before the election to triage the impending mail-in “ vote counting fiasco ” ( their words ) , at that exact juncture a prominent DNC media firm invented and astroturfed the term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump might appear to be the winner on Election Night but over the course of days , weeks , months if need be ( after all , it takes an indefinite amount of time to count an indefinite amount of ballots ) , Biden would eventually take the lead .
You might remember talk of Biden ’ s “ Legal War Room ” and their preparations , outcome independent , for taking the election fight to the Supreme Court .
You wouldn ’ t have to remember , because it ’ s happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s ongoing attempt to resolve the election in the courts , election-related , DNC-backed lawsuits currently outnumber conservative ones , four-to-one .
But we do not all suffer from Twitter-induced goldfish brain .
Some of us even remember the last presidential election .
Some of us remember “ experts ” ( not conspiracy theorists , importantly ) insisting that voter fraud had tipped the balance for Trump in 2016 and that Hillary Clinton must take her fight to the Supreme Court .
We also recall op-eds in places like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Election Really Was Rigged.
” We remember the faithless electors , calling themselves the “ Hamilton Electors , ” represented pro bono by luminaries of Harvard Law School and encouraged by all corners of the liberal press and cringe celebrity advocates , casting their electoral votes , at a scale unprecedented in a century , for a third-party compromise candidate contravening the popular will of their respective states .
We remember , in other words , November and December 2016 , when Hillary Clinton and her army of backers from the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic , and political landscape did everything that Trump is being accused of now ( and worse ) to challenge the results of the 2016 election .
Finally failing at these “ norm-defying ” efforts to usurp from Trump his duly-elected right to claim the White House and thereby subvert the franchise of his more than 60 million voters in 2016 , we also regrettably remember the four years of # TheResistance .
We remember the mainstream denial of Trump ’ s legitimacy from the start .
We remember the “ 17 intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually revised down to just three agencies ( but who ’ s counting ? )
and not before planting the seed that would lead to more than two-thirds of Democrats believing Russia tampered with vote tallies to get Trump elected .
We remember the outgoing administration spying – wait , I mean , no , not “ spying ” .
.
.
that ’ s another false conspiracy theory .
.
.
rather a joint effort by Obama ’ s FBI , NSA , and CIA to closely surveil and monitor the activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s team in an interagency probe that enjoyed broad autonomy and legal latitude despite dozens of proven omissions by the FBI to the FISA court , which is definitely not spying , got it ?
– which then laid the groundwork for a subsequent years-long Russiagate scandal to further invalidate his presidency and hamstring his agenda .
We remember the Cold War fan-fic Steele dossier peddled by organs of “ official knowledge ” as serious intelligence .
We remember the New York Times giving over their pages to drug-addled mental defectives to perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the asylum walls .
We remember a symposium of Yale psychiatrists breaking all manner of medical ethics rules to declare that Trump suffered from a “ dangerous mental illness ” and should be removed from office .
We also remember the half-baked impeachment .
We remember the Hawaiian judges .
We remember the collusion between Big Tech and the media to silence and intimidate Trump supporters .
We remember all of the many lies , half-truths , and demonstrations of hard and soft power alike to deny Trump the full permissions of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neatly summarize in less than a book-length project , and the many breaches , big and small , of the consent of the governed to do so .
Put aside for a moment the perfectly reasonable inference any neutral observer might make about the motive to commit voter fraud in light of the above – Trump , as our intellectual betters have told us for years , is a fascist after all , the greatest threat to our nation perhaps ever .
If one is justified in suffocating baby Hitler in his crib @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots to ensure that “ literal Hitler ” not be reelected is an easy moral calculation .
I contend that this alone is enough to shift the burden of proof from fraud believers to fraud deniers , and that the mere appearance of fraud , by statistical anomaly , unexplained stoppages in the counting , the wild swings on election night reflected in the betting and FX markets that left even election pros scratching their heads , let alone the testimonies of on-the-ground-witnesses , suggest that fraud happened , even if the scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In any case , weighing the various claims of fraud is not the point .
The point here is to explain how and why we fight .
In recent weeks , Ross Douthat and Michael Brendan Dougherty – who I mention specifically here not because they are alone but as an olive branch , because they are the most likely of those expressing this view to take the point – have expressed their doubts about election fraud .
They wonder why various conservative factions – factions all on the outside of the official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue in the “ unhinged ” and “ insane ” belief that something is rotten in Denmark and the election was rigged .
The upshot of these articles , and the general thrust of elite conservative media , is that Trump supporters specifically , and the Right broadly , should accept the “ reality of Trump ’ s electoral defeat ” and go about the business of licking their wounds and devoting their energies to the next campaign ( sans Trump , of course ) .
The only explanation for continuing the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the mind trap of their fevered echo chambers .
But this is missing the point by a mile , perhaps on purpose .
Let ’ s return to the Transition Integrity Project for a moment .
While all the press around these exercises went to Podesta ’ s ersatz Caesarism , there is an equally remarkable section of the 22-page report that acknowledges in these various election scenarios that above and beyond any material outcomes , “ winning ‘ the narrative ’ would be the decisive factor , ” and that whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contest the results , be it in the courts , in Congress , or even on the streets , would succeed – or not – based on whichever side could “ substantially change how key decision makers and the public view the ‘ facts.
’ ” Did you get that ?
Ross , Michael – are you listening ?
The facts on the ground do not dictate the terms of the fight .
They don ’ t now and they never did .
Not to our adversaries , anyway .
The “ facts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one decided in the middle of the night after the country had gone to bed – were only ever contingencies to be exploited or manipulated where they could be , and discarded and denied where they couldn ’ t .
This piece of the simulation and the recommendations that follow from it , of course , reveal much about how this election and its aftermath is understood by TIP ’ s D.C. insiders and their rearguard of media info-warriors now currently attempting to maintain their narrative frame – that voter fraud is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discreditable conspiracy theorist , and even if there is some evidence of fraud , it ’ s the wrong kind of evidence or insufficient to overturn the results .
Even if there might be the possibility of legitimate evidence , it ’ s all moot because Trump is a fascist so he deserves to lose anyway .
But we also know , because they ’ ve not only told us explicitly , but demonstrated it over the past four years , that the if the shoe were on the other foot , these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their power to flip the results back to Biden – norms and electoral integrity be damned – including riling up their mobs to burn and loot the cities ( no , really , it ’ s in the report – not that after this summer you need any additional proof ) .
They would also have attempted “ a capital strike and a work stoppage as part of an overall effort to push corporate leaders to insist that all ballots be counted.
” We are fighting an asymmetric war .
Our opponents have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the stakes and operate by a different set of rules than we do .
Trump is and always has been a threat to the establishment ’ s monopoly on rulemaking .
For this , they want to banish him from the game , and same for his supporters .
“ Truth and reconciliation.
” “ De-Trumpification.
” We hear those things , too .
And what obligation to abide by the “ rules ” exists for those of us whose electoral interests are deemed illegitimate by those same rules ?
Why do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because it is .
And you are a fool , at best , not to see it .
If you are not yet convinced there was voter fraud within the margin of contestation , that ’ s fine .
I ’ m confident that the full slate of evidence , whenever we know it , will overwhelm your skepticism .
In the meantime , there is nothing improper about prying and probing .
It is perhaps a strike against your moral vanity , but well within the established framework of our politics to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communist plot to hack the voting machines .
At this stage , the Right should be throwing whatever might stick against the wall .
We should be riling up the base , calling upon QAnon and the MAGA truck corps to take to the streets .
National Review Online , rather than printing embarrassed confessions , should be giving headlines to our own schizoid anons and autistic statisticians .
I can already hear the hyperventilations , that what I ’ m recommending here requires a betrayal of the edict to “ live not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as completely as I reject the frame that voter fraud is a myth .
Dare to reconcile the competing impulses that you are both a man of “ good faith , ” and a player in the game .
It is the lot you have chosen .
You may wish the game were played differently , as do I .
But it ’ s not .
So it ’ s play , or lose .
Wartime Lomez is a writer .
Follow him on Twitter @ L0m3z .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-14--Texas Lawmaker Will Introduce Referendum to Secede from U.S.

A Texas state lawmaker has vowed to introduce a referendum for voters to cast their ballots on whether to secede from the United States .
On Tuesday , Rep. Kyle Biedermann ( R-Fredericksburg ) told his supporters on Facebook that he is committed to authoring legislation in the 2021 legislative session .
“ The federal government is out of control and does not represent the values of Texans .
That is why I am committing to file legislation this session that will allow a referendum to give Texans a vote for the State of Texas to reassert its status as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ The faith of the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation of a republican form of government , and , subject to this limitation only , they have at all times the inalienable right to alter , reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient.
” Efforts to secede have been championed by the Texas Nationalist Movement , an organization who have promoted the idea for 20 years , and the 87th Texas Legislature has seen hundreds of such motions presented to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the Union once before .
After becoming a state in 1845 , the Lone Star State left the United States and joined the Confederate States of America in 1861 .
After the Civil War and Reconstruction , Texas was fully readmitted into the Union in 1870 .