thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Bill Hagerty Named to Advisory Board to Help Trump Reopen Economy

U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty of Tennessee announced Tuesday that he has been named to an advisory board that will help the president reopen the nation ’ s economy .
President Donald Trump is expected to make a formal announcement imminently on his plans to reopen the economy , but Hagerty revealed in a Tuesday statement that the president has asked him to help .
“ I have always sought to answer the call to service , and in doing so , I ’ ve served my state as Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and served my country as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , President Trump has asked me to help on the economic advisory board .
Team Hagerty will continue to volunteer in Tennessee as we fight the spread of the coronavirus and deal with its effects , ” Hagerty said .
Hagerty will continue his Senate run while serving on the board and said he looks forward “ to returning to the campaign trail soon.
” “ I ’ m running for Senate because I want to fight for Tennessee families and preserve the American way of life we love so much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me to do that is to work alongside President Donald Trump to get our economy growing again , ” he added .
The president said Monday that the White House is setting up “ a number of different councils or committees ” focused on reopening the economy and lifting the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic .
“ And we have a lot of smart people .
I think that they will give us some also good advice .
But , no , we want to be very , very safe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get our country open , ” he said .
“ Our people want to get back to work , and I think there ’ s a pent-up demand like there hasn ’ t been in a long time.
” He said Tuesday evening that the “ plans to reopen the country are close to being finalized ” and the White House will “ soon be sharing details and new guidelines with everybody.
” Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

A new bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour is emerging in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Representative Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg), the bill as described in a memorandum appears similar to legislation Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) is spearheading in his chamber. It contrasts with a more radical measure authored by Representative Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) that would hike the wage floor to $16.50 in July 2025 and gradually increase it to $21 by mid-2028. The Rabb bill would also apply the state minimum wage to prisoners, vastly boosting their pay.
In her memo pushing for a $15 hourly floor, Kim (pictured above) lamented that the commonwealth last hiked its minimum wage to $7.25 in 2009. She cited data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicating that 30 states, including all of those that neighbor Pennsylvania, mandate higher wage minimums. Her $15 rate would take effect in January 2024 and would tie future minimum-wage rises to inflation.
“Too many people have worked too hard for too long to not be able to pay their bills,” Kim said at a House Majority Policy Committee hearing on the issue in late March. “We want to tag a cost-of-living adjustment on this, so we never have to wait years and years – or wait for a once-in-a-century pandemic – for this issue to have a bright light shined on it.”
While free-market advocates generally oppose minimum wage increases, some in Harrisburg expect Republicans like Laughlin who now champion a hike will insist that such a policy come as part of a broader deal that will include regulatory reform. Governor Josh Shapiro (D) has urged enactment of a new $15 floor and many Republicans have sensed an opportunity for dealmaking, particularly insofar as they control the state Senate.
Advocates of an increase often cite a Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Advisory Board report indicating that 63,800 individuals — less than two percent of the state’s workforce — earned $7.25 per hour or less in 2021. Nonetheless, wages have risen markedly over the last two years and many who continue to make so little are teenagers working one of their first jobs.
After House Democrats began clamoring for new pay mandates, the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation (CF) issued a backgrounder in March opposing the idea. CF cited calculations from the nonpartisan Independent Fiscal Office suggesting that even raising the floor to $12 per hour would kill 5,000 jobs.
And the think tank fears the proposal could disadvantage even workers who keep their jobs insofar as employers may compensate for the new mandate by cutting worker hours and benefits. An example of this was observed nationally in 2018 after Amazon set its own low-end hourly wage to $15 but nevertheless suspended workers’ monthly bonuses and stock options.
Instead of raising the minimum wage, CF suggested, the commonwealth should focus on lowering impediments to employment by reforming licensing and permitting processes as well as improving public-assistance programs so they reward those who secure employment.
– – –
Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Pennsylvania Daily Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Patty Kim” by Rep. Patty Kim. Background Photo “Pennsylvania Capitol” by Ad Meskens. CC BY-SA 3.0.


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Commentary: The Left Can Never Forgive Nor Forget Phyllis Schlafly

The release of the Hulu-produced movie “ Mrs .
America ” reminds us once again of CHQ Chairman Richard A. Viguerie ’ s observation that Phyllis Schlafly may have been the most important conservative who was never elected to public office .
And , as Mr. Viguerie wrote on the occasion of Mrs. Schlafly ’ s death in 2016 , it probably seems like ancient history or some obscure chapter of a long-forgotten college textbook to today ’ s young conservatives , but Phyllis Schlafly , perhaps even on a footing equal with Ronald Reagan , was the savior of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 1972 , the month March , just three short months before the Watergate break-in that eventually brought down Richard Nixon , Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment ( ERA ) with substantial Republican support .
Only a handful of conservative congressional Republicans and Democrats opposed the ERA and , upon its passage by the 92nd Congress , President Nixon immediately endorsed the ERA ’ s approval .
It looked like ERA ’ s passage in the state legislatures was a foregone conclusion until one principled conservative voice stood up and said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phyllis Schlafly .
Mrs. Schlafly was one of the first , if not the first , to organize opposition to the ERA and in so doing to define a new kind of anti-feminist conservatism that recognized traditional western values and the nuclear family as central to a successful society – those ideas ultimately became core principles in the conservative agenda .
She also gave conservatives a much-needed organizing principle and boost in morale as the Nixon presidency imploded in the Watergate scandal and President Ford , long accustomed to going along with Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a river of Big Government legislation and spending .
Conservatives had never embraced Nixon , and Bill Buckley ’ s dictum that conservatives should support him as someone open to conservative ideas soon proved a disaster .
However , John Ashbrook ’ s insurgent conservative primary challenge went nowhere and conservatives who had hitched their wagon to Nixon , and the Big Government Republican party he led , were brought down in the collapse of his presidency .
But in opposition to the ERA conservatives now had a principle that was outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in total opposition to the policies of the establishment Republican Party – around which to organize and rebuild .
Phyllis organized women across the country to stand-up and speak in favor of traditional values and the nuclear family and in opposition to the ERA .
She eventually grew these ad hoc groups into one of the largest and most effective conservative organizations in the country – the Eagle Forum .
And , she used her legal training and skills to define a legal case against the ERA , making it clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits they currently enjoyed were the ERA to pass .
With Phyllis Schlafly ’ s organizing skills , media savvy and indefatigable energy conservatives , women and men , did begin to organize and rebuild the conservative movement around what were then called “ the social issues ” and what we now think of as the cultural agenda .
Many of Phyllis Schlafly ’ s early successes against the ERA were built upon bringing women ’ s church organizations and leaders out in opposition to the ERA and this opened the door to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the larger conservative coalition .
It would not be unreasonable to say that in organizing opposition to the ERA Phyllis Schlafly introduced conservative Christians to the idea that they must take political action to maintain a society that respected their values and beliefs , and in so doing she opened the door to the creation of the Moral Majority and helped facilitate the addition of social conservatives to the Reagan coalition .
The mid-to-late 1970s , as Nixon was battered into resignation and Ford floundered from defeat to defeat , were dark days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And in those dark times the most important thing Phyllis Schlafly did was to give conservatives much-needed victories on a conservative agenda that was separate from that of the establishment Republican Party .
No matter how bad things looked on Capitol Hill during the 1970s , hope and encouragement came from Phyllis Schlafly and her legions of women who defeated the ERA state-by-state and in so doing showed conservatives what effective political organizing and bare-knuckle politics could accomplish when it was separated from the drag of the Republican establishment .
Operating outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schlafly ’ s success in defeating the ERA .
It was a point she made in “ A Choice Not An Echo , ” the 1964 book that rocketed her to fame , and she summed up her philosophy of leadership this way : What you learn from my life is , first of all , that anybody can be a leader .
You can be a leader .
I wasn ’ t born that way – I developed it , I worked at it .
And also , that the grassroots can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that be and defeat them .
That is the lesson .
In the long run , that ’ s what may have been even more important than defeating of the policy goals of the Equal Rights Amendment .
Phyllis Schlafly , through the Eagle Forum , demonstrated that millions of culturally conservative American women could be leaders , and would stand for their values , and that politicians could only ignore them at their peril .
In that very real sense through her battle to defeat the ERA Phyllis Schlafly saved the conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values and protecting the nuclear family to the conservative agenda – and the Left has never forgiven her for it .
We have yet to see “ Mrs .
America ” but from what we ’ ve seen of the trailers we will likely give it a skip .
If you want to know the real Phyllis Schlafly , pick up a copy of the 50th Anniversary edition of “ A Choice Not An Echo ” because “ Mrs .
America ” does not appear to be very likely to paint a fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or produce an accurate assessment of her importance to the conservative movement and her impact on American politics and culture .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Manny Sethi Commentary: The National Media is Wrong, It’s About Prevention Not Discrimination

The national media and the left never allow a crisis to go to waste in their attempts to divide our nation .
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of COVID-19 recently found that over 40 percent of those who have been hospitalized are African-American and Hispanic — even though these groups make up a combined percentage of less than 27 percent of the general population .
The media makes the claim that these patients are dying at higher rates and contracting the virus due to discrimination .
If there was ever a time to bring our country together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead when you turn on the television or read the papers , you are hit with nonsense meant to split our nation in a time of crisis .
As a surgeon dealing with this crisis firsthand , I have lost personal friends in New York on the front lines , and I have watched families grieve .
The truth is this : the media is pointing out statistics , like those from the CDC , and then offering baseless explanations for them .
Here are the facts : this coronavirus preys upon people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems in their lungs or heart , patients with diabetes , folks with immune system issues .
Many health disparities exist among our minority populations , especially the diseases mentioned above , that put these communities at a much higher risk to suffer the wrath of the coronavirus .
These communities are at a higher risk , not because of any sort of intentional discrimination , but instead because of their existing health challenges .
It is for this very reason that I have traveled the state with my wife Maya over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our nonprofit Healthy Tennessee .
We are trying to get folks to think about getting on the front side of their own health through prevention .
Many places we traveled are food deserts , places with no physicians , and areas with no green spaces or places to take a walk .
Our challenge in America is that we spend so much time treating disease , we never talk about prevention and promoting wellness .
The healthcare industry will pay $ 10,000 for diabetes management , but we won ’ t spend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big medical bills certainly make sense for the lobbyists and Washington politicians taking healthcare special interest money , but for everyone else it ’ s a bad deal – plain and simple .
Preventative healthcare is more critical now than ever before in the face of this coronavirus pandemic .
Lack of health education dramatically increases the risk of disease , and if we are to do battle effectively we must get healthy .
Basic lifestyle modifications can get our country healthy again , save billions of dollars , and make us stronger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If we are to truly make a difference in the lives of the African American and Hispanic populations , let ’ s do something meaningful and tackle these health disparities and focus on prevention .
Let ’ s not let this crisis go to waste .
Dr. Manny Sethi is a trauma surgeon and conservative outsider running for U.S. Senate here in Tennessee .
You can learn more about him at DrMannyforSenate.com Photo “ Manny Sethi ” by Manny Sethi .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Coronavirus Task Force Official Fauci Walks Back Previous Comment on Early Mitigation Efforts

In two interviews on Easter Sunday , White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci seemed to fault President Trump for not adopting mitigation policies for the coronavirus earlier .
After Fauci told CNN host Jake Tapper that the country “ could ’ ve saved lives ” if it had started mitigation efforts earlier , Trump seemed to hit back by retweeting a post calling for him to be fired .
The White House , however , claimed in a statement Monday that Trump has no intention of firing Fauci , and he remains “ a trusted advisor ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union , ” Fauci was asked about a recent New York Times report claiming he and other infectious disease experts had recommended social distancing guidelines to the president in the third week of February .
The scathing report was based on “ dozens of interviews with current and former officials and a review of emails and other records.
” “ The administration didn ’ t announce such guidelines to the American public until March 16 , almost a month later.
” said Tapper .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jake , as I have said many times , we look at it from a pure health standpoint , ” Fauci answered .
“ We make a recommendation .
Often , the recommendation is taken .
Sometimes it ’ s not .
But we — it is what it is .
We are where we are right now.
” Fauci clarified his remarks during Monday ’ s coronavirus task force press conference , telling reporters that the president immediately acted on the experts ’ recommendations .
When Tapper asked whether lives could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been adopted in the third week of February instead of the middle of March , Fauci demurred , saying it was difficult to answer “ what would have , would have ” questions .
But he acknowledged that “ obviously , you could logically say that if you had a process that is ongoing and you started mitigation early , you could have saved lives .
Obviously , no one is going to deny that , but what goes into those decisions is complicated.
” He added , “ But obviously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had—right from the very beginning—shut everything down , it may have been a little bit different , but there was a lot of push-back about shutting things down back then.
” Later Sunday , Fauci told MSNBC ’ s Al Sharpton that it first became clear to him in “ the middle to end of January ” that COVID-19 could become a major problem in the U.S. “ As soon as it became clear that there was community spread , which means that it isn ’ t just a travel-related case , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community under the radar screen , then it became clear that we were in real trouble , ” he said .
While Fauci on MSNBC claimed that it was clear to him as early as mid-January that COVID-19 was a serious threat and “ we were in real trouble , ” he publicly downplayed the virus ’ potential impact in the U.S. repeatedly throughout January and February .
On Jan. 21 , for instance , he emphasized that it was unclear whether the virus could spread from person to person : “ Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustained ?
We ’ re not quite sure yet.
” Two days later , the infectious disease expert said in an interview that there was “ no chance in the world ” America would see city-wide shut downs .
In a Jan. 23 Journal of the American Medical Association podcast , Fauci pointed out that all five cases in the U.S. at the time were travelers from China and noted that the number of infections was likely much higher than official counts because of limited testing in China , so the death rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than feared .
Fauci was still downplaying the threat of the virus in the U.S. as late as Feb. 18 , calling it a “ hypothetical danger ” that was “ just minuscule ” compared to the “ real and present danger ” of the seasonal flu .
During an interview on NBC ’ s Today morning show on February 29 , Fauci expressed concern about the dangers of community spread within the U.S , but stressed that there was no need for anyone to change their lifestyles yet .
After the CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back at Fauci , retweeting a former Republican congressional candidate ’ s post calling for the infectious disease specialist to be fired .
“ Sorry Fake News , it ’ s all on tape , ” he tweeted .
“ I banned China long before people woke up.
” The White House pushed back on the Times ’ report later on Sunday .
White House spokesman Judd Deere said that in January and February , Trump “ took bold action to protect Americans and unleash the full power of the federal government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand testing capacities , and expedite vaccine development when we had no true idea the level of transmission or asymptomatic spread.
” “ The President remains completely focused on the health and safety of the American people and it is because of his bold leadership that we will emerge from this challenge healthy , stronger , and with a prosperous and growing economy , ” Deere said .
During the White House task force press conference late Monday afternoon , Fauci clarified that President Trump agreed to increased mitigations to prevent the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fellow task force member Dr. Deborah Birx recommended them .
CBS reporter Paula Reid actually asked Fauci if he had made the remarks voluntarily .
“ Everything I do is voluntarily , ” he replied .
“ Please , don ’ t even imply that.
” Some on the right have become suspicious of Fauci ’ s intentions , especially after an email surfaced that he sent to Hillary Clinton aid Cheryl Mills on January 23 , 2013 , revealing the doctor ’ s admiration for the then-Sec .
of State .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Secretary ’ s stamina and capability following her illness had those doubts washed away by today ’ s performance before the Senate and the House , ” Fauci wrote .
“ She faced extremely difficult circumstances at the Hearings and still she hit it right out of the park .
Please tell her that we all love her and are very proud to know her.
” The hearings to which Fauci referred were held to examine the Obama administration ’ s inadequate response before , during and after the Sept. 11 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearances , Obama officials promoted a false narrative surrounding the attack on United States government facilities in Benghazi , Libya , claiming the violence stemmed from a spontaneous outburst of mob anger over an anti-Muslim YouTube video .
It would eventually become clear that it was a premeditated terrorist attack on the facilities .
Four Americans were killed during the sustained attack ; Christopher Stevens , Sean Smith , Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty .
Clinton did perform well during the Benghazi hearings months later , infamously exclaiming , “ what difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson about the motive for the attack .
“ Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night and decided they ’ d go kill some Americans ?
What difference—at this point , what difference does it make ?
!
” Although the nation would not learn the truth about the attack until well after the 2012 elections , Clinton and other Obama officials knew it from the beginning .
In an email on the night of the attack , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that an al-Qaida faction was actually responsible for the bloodshed .
By January of 2013 , it was clear that the the Obama White House had chosen to deceive the nation rather than risk the public relations nightmare of admitting terrorists had again struck Americans on 9/11 , less than two months before Obama ’ s re-election day .
In retrospect , it ’ s hard to see how anyone other than a partisan Clinton stooge would be impressed by her appallingly mendacious performance at those hearings .
The Benghazi hearing email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had expressed his admiration for Clinton in writing .
In a June 2012 email to Mills , Fauci gushed about a speech Clinton had delivered in Oslo Norway regarding women ’ s health .
“ Wow !
Very rarely does a speech bring me to tears , but this one did it .
Talk about telling it like it is .
This was a bases- loaded home run .
Please tell the Secretary that I love her more than ever you guys too , of course , ” Fauci wrote .
Legendary talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci of being a “ Hillary Clinton sympathizer ” who is trying to undermine the president .
“ Jonathan Karl yesterday brought in a China-sympathetic reporter to that press briefing .
That China reporter in there from Phoenix TV — that ’ s a Chinese dominated company — Jonathan Karl of ABC runs the White House Correspondents ’ Association , so he brought the reporter in there , ” Limbaugh said on his program Tuesday .
“ And I don ’ t know if anybody noticed it , but little Dr. Fauci at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thumbs-up like a ‘ job well done ’ kind of thing.
” “ We got all of these Hillary Clinton sympathizers still on the medical expert team here .
And we know that one thing has not changed , and that is these people ’ s desire above everything else to get rid of Donald Trump , ” Limbaugh continued .
Investigative reporter Paul Sperry has also expressed doubts about Fauci ’ s objectivity .
In a show of support for Fauci , White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the official .
“ This media chatter is ridiculous – President Trump is not firing Dr. Fauci .
The President ’ s tweet clearly exposed media attempts to maliciously push a falsehood about his China decision in an attempt to rewrite history , ” Gidley stated .
“ It was Democrats and the media who ignored Coronavirus choosing to focus on impeachment instead , and when they finally did comment on the virus it was to attack President Trump for taking the bold decisive action to save American lives by cutting off travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci has been and remains a trusted advisor to President Trump.
” The president announced on Friday that he is assembling a new council of business and medical leaders intended to guide his administration toward reopening the U.S. economy .
Trump said the members of the “ opening up the country council ” would be announced on Tuesday .
The White House is hoping to reopen parts of the country by May 1 .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Principal Rachael Bradley: Thales Academy of Franklin Is Now Offering FREE Online Learning Courses f

Principal Rachael Bradley: Thales Academy of Franklin Is Now Offering FREE Online Learning Courses for Local K-5 Kids

Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcasting live from Music Row on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by Thales Academy-Franklin ’ s principal Rachael Bradley .
Leahy : We are talking with our good friend and all-star panelist Rachael Bradley .
She is the principal of Thales Academy-Franklin .
Rachael , you said something very important in our earlier segment .
And that is the importance of continuity in maintaining the learning going on and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think that ’ s a problem right now with kids who have been out of school for several weeks now .
What ’ s the best way to address that for parents who are there right now ?
What ’ s the best thing they could do ?
Bradley : Well Mike , we have a solution .
I think everybody has thought about what can we do at this moment to be of service and help our communities .
At Thales , we decided what we could do was open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so what that means is the full scale online learning program I mentioned in the previous segment that is open to our eight campuses in North Carolina .
We are going to allow new families to join those courses so their children can continue learning for the remainder of the school year .
Leahy : You mean parents with kids right here in Middle Tennessee , Williamson County today could go and sign up and get this online learning for their kids right now .
Is that right ?
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How do they do that ?
Bradley : They just need to contact me directly at [ email protected ] You can find our contact information at www.thalesacademy.org or our Facebook page .
In fact , I really want to encourage families to visit our Facebook page for Thales Academy-Franklin .
And I posted a quick video of my son and his online learning session yesterday so you can see what that looks like and how amazing it was .
Leahy : What a great idea that is .
By the way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook page by going to the tennnesseestar.com .
We have banner and side ads for Thales Academy .
Just click on those links and it will take you to the Facebook page and you can get to Rachael communicating with her that way .
And your email address for clarification is [ email protected ] Do I have that right ?
Bradley : You do .
Thank you .
Yes .
And I want to be clear that this is a courtesy for families .
That ’ s at no cost .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child to continue learning during this time .
And of course , we hope you will enjoy it and see how excellent our teachers are and consider choosing us in the future .
Leahy : Let me give you that email again : [ email protected ] ( Leahy spells out email ) .
Question .
When you open up in July this will be kids K-3 that can participate in it .
Is this open for only K-3 to do online lessons now ?
Or is it for a broader number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a broader number , Mike .
I ’ m happy to support any children K-5 .
And if families reach out and they have older children in grades 6-12 we can certainly look at that as well .
Again , all eight North Carolina campuses which range from kindergarten to 12th grade started their online learning program yesterday .
Leahy : If you are in our listening audience right now and you ’ re thinking , oh how do I keep my kid ’ s education activities going and if you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even fifth as you say .
If the public schools here aren ’ t offering online learning you can go to thalesacademy.org or email [ email protected ] .
Or you can go to the tennesseestar.com and click on the link and boom !
You can have a conversation with Rachael to get set up to do online learning at no cost .
Bradley : No cost !
I would love to talk to any family about it .
As I said , I ’ m really proud to be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
We have amazing teachers .
The courses that I would be opening up to families are led by the teachers at my previous K-5 campus in Apex , North Carolina .
I know all of them very well and have led them for the last five years .
And I ’ m really proud of the high-quality lessons they ’ ve prepared for all of our children to continue learning for the last quarter of the school year .
Leahy : If I ’ m a parent of a young child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m listening to this program I ’ m going to run to get lined up .
I think parents are running out of things to do with their kids .
Bradley : Absolutely .
I ’ m speaking to you not just as an educator and an administrator but as a mother .
And even being an educator it ’ s challenging to teach your own child .
Everybody needs to take advantage of a program such as what we ’ re offering .
There ’ s only so much you can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I want to hear more about this .
We ’ ll do this next week when you are back here on The Tennessee Star Report .
Rachael Bradley , principal of Thales Academy-Franklin and our newest all-star panelist .
Thanks so much for joining us today .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Once Tennessee Economy Reopens, Will State Quarantine Patients, Trace Contacts?

With Tennessee possibly moving toward an economic reopening in May , one looming question is what , if anything , will the state do with people who continue to test positive for COVID-19 , especially ensuring that they are staying quarantined .
Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee announced Monday he will extend the state ’ s stay-at-home order through April 30 , but he also said government and private-sector officials are working to reopen the state ’ s economy in May , The Tennessee Star reported .
Lee said this at a televised press conference , adding “ we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it could be some time [ before we are ] .
” “ Until a vaccine or a therapy is widely available to Tennesseans , this virus will be a present reality to us to manage and consider whenever we are making decisions , ” Lee said .
Lee said that last month he started working with leaders of industry to understand how this pandemic would impact the state ’ s businesses .
• Will there be a protocol for what happens after someone tests positive ?
• Will public health workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find others who were possibly infected ?
• Is the state laying plans to hire and train tracers ?
• Does Lee have a budget for all this ?
The Star on Tuesday emailed a Lee spokesman these questions , but has not yet received a response : • Is Unified Command or the new economic task force planning to set up a tracing system for positive COVID patients ?
• Are they creating a plan to isolate patients and ensure compliance with quarantine protocols ?
• What would a quarantine scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days in isolation , inclusion of the rest of the household ) ?
• Is the administration looking at a budget for such a system , and would there be federal dollars available ?
If Lee wants expert advice on tracking and isolating the novel coronavirus , one possible source is the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle , which says it is home to three Nobel laureates and interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists who seek new and innovative ways to prevent , diagnose and treat cancer , HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trevor Bedford , is working with public health agencies to understand and track the coronavirus such as in Washington state , the Associated Press said .
Bedford was involved in the decision to ban large public events in part of the state .
Fred Hutchinson has been researching how the virus escaped from China in the first place .
Then there is a Swiss expert .
Dr. Emma Hodcroft at the University of Basel in Switzerland studies virus and bacteria changes .
Hodcroft recently tweeted , “ As we all grow weary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem to plateau , there ’ s restlessness towards ending these to limit economic harm & ‘ get back to normal ’ Let me be very , very clear : There is no cheap or easy way out of this pandemic.
” Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Senator Marsha Blackburn: ‘Our Message in Senate Bill 553 is to Hold China Responsible’ for Hiding C

Senator Marsha Blackburn: ‘Our Message in Senate Bill 553 is to Hold China Responsible’ for Hiding Coronavirus Pandemic Information

In an interview Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed U.S. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to the newsmakers line .
During the third hour , Senator Blackburn explained how she felt China is to blame for the coronavirus pandemic and detailed Senate Bill 553 which she and Senator Tom Cotton have co-sponsored holding China responsible for its dishonesty and lack of transparency .
Leahy : We are joined now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee Marsha Blackburn .
Good morning Senator Blackburn .
Blackburn : Good morning !
I hope you are doing well and staying safe !
Leahy : We are staying safe .
We are sheltering in the studio .
( Blackburn chuckles ) I ’ ve got my gloves and I go in and out with my mask .
In a separate room our producer Katie is in her own room with glass separating us .
We are being safe here .
I hope you are being safe in Tennessee where you are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our part to stay safe and all of our team .
I ’ d like to remind all of our listeners that all of our offices and phone calls are being answered and we are working every single day .
Leahy : So , you have a message for China .
Tell us about that .
Blackburn : Yes , I do .
( Leahy laughs ) China needs to be held responsible for this global pandemic .
And I just finished reading a report that is in today ’ s Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an article by Josh Rogin .
He goes back into 2014 and 2015 and looks at the security of both of these labs in Wuhan , China and the concerns that our diplomats expressed over the security and safety of those labs .
And the world knows that this continues to be a point of discussion the Chinese contained to blame others .
They blame us .
They blame Italy .
But they don ’ t take responsibility themselves for the outbreak .
So we know that China because they hid information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create blame with different entities and place blame .
And now they ’ re going back and re-writing history .
What we know is that they are getting online and removing articles and reports and communications so that people do not know this was a problem at the Wuhan labs where they were researching coronaviruses .
Where they were researching the next generation of viruses that would come after SARS in this coronavirus family .
Our message in Senate bill 553 is to hold China responsible and let them know that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this and they ’ ve made a global pandemic worse .
And we ’ ve seen those reports that if China had released their information earlier we would have had 65 % -85 % fewer cases .
Leahy : And there is also a report that the Chinese government has said now nobody can do any research into the origins of this Wuhan coronavirus .
Blackburn : That ’ s correct because they are wanting to re-write history and that the virus has expanded into over 180 nations around the globe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ start in Wuhan , China .
Now it looks like there is growing information that the lab , not the wet market , but the lab may have been the genesis and the wet market may have been the expansion or the accelerator on this .
Leahy : I ’ ve seen these reports as well and they are very troubling .
In this bill that you are the co-sponsor of , what will be the penalty that China will have to pay for their dishonesty in handling this Senator Blackburn ?
Blackburn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got is a series of things .
The resolution that I wrote simply says that it ’ s the sense of the Senate that China caused this and China should be held responsible for this .
The second thing that we are working on is returning our pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States .
Securing America ’ s medicine cabinet is bi-partisan .
Senator Mendes out of New Jersey is my prime Democrat co-sponsor on this .
What we are seeking to do is incentivize the return of manufacturing for the active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the U.S. so that we don ’ t get into another situation where we need a pharmaceutical ingredient to create a pharmaceutical compound such as we ’ re doing with the anti-viral and the vaccines for the coronavirus .
And then we also have a 100 million grant pool for institutions of higher learning that want to partner up with pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and some of our nation ’ s pharmaceutical companies working for what we can bring back .
This is a national security issue .
It is a national stockpile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Senator Tom Cotton have been really the leaders in the United States Senate as far as I can see in terms of push back against China .
It ’ s a little unusual in the sense that you ’ ve only been up there for a year or so and you are a first-term senator .
What have you done to expand your influence in this particular area to be one of the leaders in the United States Senate on the issue ?
Blackburn : What has happened is that through my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about needing to return our supply chain to the U.S. because China was stealing our intellectual property .
They were trying to hamper the growth that we had in so many different areas of our supply chain .
Look at what they ’ ve done with technology .
They are trying to use their technology Huawei to build out a global spy network .
And we see them doing this all around the globe .
I ’ ve been active in that .
Active in expanding high-speed internet services domestically and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 5G deployment and setting the standards in these technologies .
That is vital for us .
And we ’ ve seen China ’ s aggressiveness .
We have also seen it in other supply chains .
And as I ’ ve worked with research and development components of that that are in our state whether it ’ s in the auto industry or in the healthcare space .
Or its in the technology space .
What you see is manufacturing that goes to China ends up infringing on those copyrights .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Look at the problems we have had with entities like Gibson Guitar .
And entities like our entertainment groups and music that is piloted or stolen .
See , this is all a part and parcel in China ’ s game plan .
They are not new at this .
What you see is that same deception by the Chinese Communist Party being used in pharmaceuticals and healthcare .
Thus you have them hiding information and not being transparent .
Then trying at the end of February that they may withhold from us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed for the development of a vaccine .
And then finally they decided to release that ingredient to us .
Why are they withholding it ?
They are the only place on the face of the earth that makes it .
And that is the kind of vulnerability that we need to stop .
Now , also with this , China owns over a trillion dollars of our debt .
So what are we saying there ?
We are pushing to find a vehicle and a way to have China forgive or wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of lives , suffering , liable .
Not to only our country but also to others .
And yes indeed , China caused this .
China should pay for it .
Leahy : I find it interesting that you and Tom Cotton and President Trump clearly see China as an adversary .
Joe Biden actually doesn ’ t really see China as an adversary .
He wants to continue to strengthen that relationship .
Can you imagine a President Joe Biden ?
Blackburn : No .
I can not .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And as you know we have some on the left and some of the media on the left that have adopted this revisionist rhetoric .
Leahy : Absolutely .
I refer to them as the Manchurian Media .
( Chuckles ) Listen to the third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Background Photo “ Xi Jinping ” by Global Panorama .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Two Million Americans Missing Mortgage Payments as Coronavirus Shutdown Takes Its Toll

Roughly 2 million homeowners in the United States have skipped their monthly mortgage payments as the coronavirus pandemic takes a heavy economic toll on the country , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association .
As more Americans are losing their jobs , being furloughed , or experiencing reduced income , a growing number of home loans are being left unpaid .
The latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that many borrowers are choosing to go into forbearance , an agreement with a lender that allows them to momentarily forgo payments .
Around 3.74 % of home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 5 , according to The Wall Street Journal .
This statistic is up roughly 2.73 % from the previous week .
The number of borrowers opting to skip their monthly payments is only expected to get larger .
“ [ T ] he number of borrowers asking for forbearance will likely continue to rise at a rapid pace , ” Mike Fratantoni , the chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association , told TheWSJ .
The Mortgage Bankers Association , which represents nonbank companies like Freedom Mortgage Corp. and Quicken Loans Inc. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for borrowers who make monthly payments for their home and the lenders who receive the payments .
The group ’ s polling data reflects a sample size of around 27 million loans .
President Donald Trump signed a $ 2.2 trillion relief package in late March .
The stimulus provides $ 1,200 to every single adult in the United States who makes less than $ 75,000 , and provides forgivable loans of up to $ 10 million to every small business in the country .
However , the relief package does not provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pose a major problem if this trend continues .
These companies say they might have to locate tens of billions of dollars to meet payroll with their investors if more homeowners quit making their mortgage payments .
More than 547,000 people across the country have tested positive for COVID-19 since the crisis began .
Of those who have tested positive , more than 21,600 have died from the virus .
The rapid spread has prompted states to go under lockdown , forcing businesses to shut down .
The result has been more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jason Hopkins is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Foreclosure Sign ” by respres .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--States Dole Out Millions for Illegal Aliens While Veterans Struggle: Study

Many states and the federal government are spending millions in taxpayer dollars on illegal aliens while veterans across the country still face a slew of issues like homelessness and long waits for primary care , a newly-released study found .
While the federal government will spend roughly $ 217 billion on the Department of Veterans Affairs this fiscal year , the net financial burden of illegal aliens on taxpayers annually is nearly $ 132 billion , according to an analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform ( FAIR ) .
The study was exclusively provided first to the Daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Terrorism has resulted in more veterans who have experienced overseas combat deployments than at any time since the end of World War II , ” the study said , adding that this has resulted in more veterans than ever before needing services from the U.S. government .
“ But , due to America ’ s foolhardy immigration policies , our government is now spending more and more money on services for illegal aliens — foreigners who have no right to be in the U.S. — resulting in a squeeze on resources available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country , ” the study continued .
FAIR looked at where the majority of homeless veterans lived and reported how much taxpayer funding illegal aliens in those localities received .
There were an estimated 37,085 homeless veterans in January 2019 , according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development .
Over a quarter of these homeless veterans lived in California , another 1,585 lived in Washington , and 1,270 lived in New York .
In California , it ’ s not always easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the study found .
Veterans in San Jose waited an average of 50 days before landing an appointment with a primary care VA clinic , and the average wait time in Modesto was 95 days , according to the study .
California , however , spends more than $ 23 billion on undocumented individuals and their children every year , according to FAIR .
In regards to health care , California lawmakers passed legislation in 2019 that sets aside taxpayer-funded health insurance to illegal aliens between the ages of 19 and 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 98 million in its first year .
Another state home to many homeless veterans has also chosen to prioritize the undocumented community .
State lawmakers in New York — which spends $ 7.5 billion on illegal aliens annually — allotted $ 27 million in college tuition assistance for the children of illegal aliens in April 2019 , but didn ’ t add several hundred thousand dollars to an initiative that provides university education assistance to the children of disabled and deceased veterans .
“ That is perhaps the most egregious example of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are putting veterans in competition with illegal aliens , ” the authors said of New York ’ s educational priorities .
Beyond health care and education , the study also highlighted examples of jurisdictions doling out millions in legal assistance for the undocumented .
In Oakland , California , a $ 300,000 fund was established in 2018 to help undocumented immigrants fight removal from the country , according to the study .
A larger fund was established in Los Angeles , which has so far spent over $ 7 million in legal aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltimore approved $ 200,000 in 2018 to support aliens facing deportation , and Montgomery County , Maryland , has allotted $ 370,000 , according to the study .
Meanwhile , FAIR found that more than 6,000 veterans committed suicide in 2017 , including 491 veterans in California and another 78 in Maryland .
“ If states cared more about veterans than illegal aliens , many of those 6,000 Americans may still be with us today , ” the study stated .
Altogether , FAIR concluded that there were 14.3 million illegal aliens living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burden of $ 132 billion annually for their health care , educational , and other welfare services .
In comparison , there are 19.5 million veterans in the U.S. , and their needs will cost the country $ 217 billion this fiscal year .
FAIR concluded that , should the illegal population continue to grow , the cost to meet their needs will surpass those of veterans .
“ Americans who care about the members of our armed forces should ask , ‘ Why are we spending billions of dollars catering to illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking care of the men and women who risk life and limb to protect us against all enemies foreign and domestic ?
’ ” the authors said .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Thales Academy Offers Free Online Coursework for K-5 Students

Thales Academy in Tennessee is offering free online learning coursework to families in the Franklin area to help offset the government-mandated shutdown of schools considering the coronavirus , the academy announced on Wednesday .
“ Our mission at Thales Academy has always been to provide the highest quality education at the lowest possible cost for as many children as possible , ” said Bob Luddy , founder of Thales Academy , in a statement .
“ We hope by offering remote learning free of charge that Franklin area families can help their children continue to grow academically during this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firsthand.
” The free courses are offered to students ages kindergarten through fifth grade .
The academy also announced that it would be offering reduced tuition at its new Thales Academy Franklin campus to offset the economic effects of the pandemic .
The tuition will cost $ 5,300 per year , and the Franklin campus will initially offer grades kindergarten through third grade in the upcoming school year .
“ Thales Academy students at our various existing campuses in North Carolina returned to their fourth quarter classes this week via remote learning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thales Academy Franklin , in a statement .
“ My second grade son is benefiting from this online coursework despite our recent move to Franklin , and I realized it would be a great service to Franklin area families to offer our strong educational platform to other residents while our local schools are closed.
” Thales Academy is a college preparatory network of independent schools for students ages pre-K through 12th grade .
It currently operates eight campuses across the state .
Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee originally closed schools in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they stay closed through April 24 .
Tennessee currently has more than 5,800 confirmed cases of the coronavirus , according to the state ’ s Department of Health .
The death toll in the state is 124 .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ Thales Academy Classroom ” by Thales Academy .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Tennessee Department of Health Not Providing Number of Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations

The Tennessee Department of Health said 633 residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19 , but that figure is a cumulative – not current – number .
“ This number indicates the number of patients that were ever hospitalized during their illness , it does not indicate the number of patients currently hospitalized , ” the Department of Health notes in its daily COVID-19 briefing .
During a Monday press conference , health officials said Tennessee has 12,000 staffed hospital beds , about 5,700 of which are currently occupied .
“ They all have a surge capacity of just over 17,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it stands today , ” Director of the COVID-19 Unified Command Stuart McWhorter said Monday .
The Tennessee Star reached out to the Tennessee Department of Health for the number of current COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state , but didn ’ t receive a response .
Other states , such as Minnesota , are providing information on both the cumulative and current number of hospitalizations .
The Minnesota Department of Health notes that a total of 405 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized , but only 177 are hospitalized as of today .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase by 54 between Monday and Tuesday from 579 to 633 .
As of Tuesday , only 11 percent of cases required hospitalization .
The University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ’ s ( IHME ) coronavirus model predicts that Tennessee will reach peak resource use on April 16 .
According to IHME ’ s predictions , the state will need 632 hospital beds on that date and will have 7,812 beds available .
Tennessee now has 5,823 confirmed COVID-19 cases , 1,969 of which have recovered from the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tested 78,831 individuals , meaning about seven percent of Tennesseans who are tested end up testing positive .
A total of 124 Tennesseans have died from the virus , about two percent of the total caseload .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Commentary: It’s Time for the President to Address Our Economic Relaunch

It is clear that the time is approaching that will be absolutely decisive for this presidency and for the country ’ s near-term future .
The president will have to decide on an economic relaunch plan , and this will make or break him and his opponents .
The vast amount of posturing and accusatory liberties that already surpass what is normal in even the most contentious of election years will be of no account , depending on the outcome of the president ’ s decision of when and how to conduct the United States back to normal life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaving plenty of room to impute to them political as well as public health motives .
Obviously , if the country strangles itself into a profound and lengthy recession , the Democrats ’ electoral chances improve .
The longer such a state of affairs continues , the harder and less relevant it will be to recall President Trump ’ s achievement in generating an immense economic boom and one that profoundly bettered the lot of the lower half of American income-earners , whose real income had stalled for over 15 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , one of the senior medical advisers of apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden , has advised an 18-month shutdown to await a vaccine .
Of course , this is nonsense .
But Biden is calling for mass-testing and intensive and time-consuming research and consultation , obviously stretching for months , before even a very partial reopening of normal activity .
And he has joined the inevitable Democratic chorus that this further extension of the present shutdown is necessitated by the administration ’ s complete failure to prepare for such a crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by pre-electoral standards , given that the previous administration had done absolutely nothing to develop a quick test or decentralize the evaluation of test results , and that Biden and almost all senior Democrats blasted the president ’ s suspension of direct flights from China on January 31 and from western Europe on March 11 .
The president will announce this week the composition of a task force to recommend and monitor a reactivation strategy .
It is clear that the official Democratic position , that the president ’ s negligence is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has blundered into a public health crisis that can only be successfully addressed by a more severe economic collapse than the country has ever had , is nonsense .
From the start , the Democrats have pounced like fire-breathing rabbits upon any suggestion of calculating when it would be possible to reopen the country as a cynical and dehumanized monetization of the value of life .
The implication all along has been that any amount of economic hardship was bearable to spare even a single life .
This is such an explosive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership in Congress have been very cautious about when the country could start going back to work and school and normal activity .
The United States has approximately a thousand newly unemployed people for every fatality from the coronavirus .
The average age of the deceased is in the upper 70s .
All lives are of equal moral value , but the demise at a fairly full age of a retired person is not economically or strategically equivalent to the ruination of the careers and lives of a thousand people in their prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the case the president is going to have to make .
The waters are muddied because there will never be the time necessary to develop testing to a point of precision about how many people died from the coronavirus as opposed to dying with it , and with clarity about the principal cause of death .
Nor will it be possible to discover on any practical basis how many people have had the coronavirus but survived it without it being identified as having afflicted them .
There may possibly be time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine , which the president has emphasized and the Democratic media have ignored , except when they were able to disseminate the myth that someone had died from using it .
( It turned out the man had actually self-administered a very different chemical that is used to clean aquarium fish-tanks ) .
We may also be a little further ahead in being able to deliver a therapy of injected antibodies developed by the 97 percent of people who have successfully fought off the coronavirus .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the polls , not a drastic fall , but it indicates that the country wants an economic relaunch plan and may be tiring of the president ’ s rambling and often self-serving performance in his daily press briefings ( though they have become a good deal tighter in the last week ) .
President Trump has accepted that he must decide – Harry Truman ’ s famous assertion that the “ buck stops here ” with the president .
President Trump said he would consult the senior experts in every relevant field , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the decision would be his , and he volunteered that it would be “ the most important decision of my life.
” That is what presidents are elected and paid to do – make the most important decisions that vitally affect the national interest and the lives of everyone in the country .
He acted wisely in bringing in public health experts , to squash the Democratic argument that he was anti-science , and to gain public support for “ flattening the curve.
” He has rightly received credit for the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 95 percent from the original dire predictions .
He handled the financial assistance issues well , and now comes the biggest decision of all .
There is not the slightest chance to conduct testing on the scale Biden is calling for in an acceptable time before reopening the economy , even with the Abbott Laboratories ’ simple test , and Biden and his advisors know that testing on the scale he is calling for is impractical .
As we have known all along , we are going to have to live with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and distributed .
In the meantime , we must reinforce the segregation of immuno-compromised people and continue some restrictions on crowds and the proximity of strangers to each other .
The therapies , if they really are helpful , as seems likely , must be generously distributed .
The president must remind the country that though it is often a very nasty affliction , something like 99 percent of people with ordinarily robust immune systems survive the coronavirus .
The anti-Trump media can not be allowed to get away with headlining every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of manslaughter by the president .
And he should take a leaf from President Nixon ’ s “ Silent Majority ” address of November 3 , 1969 , when , after outlining his plan to withdraw American forces while maintaining a non-communist government in Saigon and saying that he believed it would succeed , he added : “ If it does succeed , what the critics say now won ’ t matter .
If it does not succeed , what I say then won ’ t matter.
” The country will hope for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may want the pandemic to flare up again , but can ’ t say so , and the people don ’ t .
If necessary , tighter controls may be reimposed locally from time to time , but the country must get over the cold terror that has been instilled in it .
If the president acts carefully and puts the issues squarely , he will succeed , the economy will recover quickly , and he will be invincible in November .
He knows the gravity of what he must do .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears of disaster that will be expressed by his opponents , one more time and for the greatest stakes of all , will not occur .
Conrad Black has been one of Canada ’ s most prominent financiers for 40 years , and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world as owner of the British telegraph newspapers , the Fairfax newspapers in Australia , the Jerusalem Post , Chicago Sun-Times and scores of smaller newspapers in the U.S. , and most of the daily newspapers in Canada .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Scott DesJarlais Is ‘Impressed’ with the Way President Trump Has Dealt With the Coronavirus

Rep. Scott DesJarlais ( R-TN-04 ) said on The Jeff Poor Show Monday that he supports the way President Donald Trump has been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I don ’ t know what they could have done differently .
I think they are handling it well , ” DesJarlais said .
“ I am impressed with the president and his team in what they ’ ve done and how they are trying to salvage the economy , ” the representative added .
“ I do think things will open up and brighter times are not far away.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy again , DesJarlais favors the idea but he realizes more data is needed to get a better idea of when to reopen things .
The representative said there will be criticisms regardless of when the economy is back open .
“ If you reopen , there ’ s going to be a surge or a spike in new cases , and deaths — and that means you did the wrong thing , ” he said .
“ At some point , we ’ ve just got to look at the overall costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give up in terms of our freedom .
I hear a lot of my more conservative friends giving everything from conspiracy theories to ‘ we weren ’ t meant to have this much government , and give up this much freedom.
’ And then you ’ ve got to weigh it against the human life factor.
” This week Americans will receive stimulus checks , however , DesJarlais said these checks will only help a little , and will not cover everything for people who have been out of work for two or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this Chinese virus , DesJarlais said America can ’ t be dependent on China , and the country has to hold them accountable .
“ We [ America ] need to do things a lot differently .
We need to get a lot of pharmaceuticals back home and things were we don ’ t so dependent on China , ” he said .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Mark Green: Hopeful Signs for COVID-19 Vaccine, but Continue Your Social Distancing

U.S. Rep. Mark Green ( R-TN-07 ) , who is also a physician , said Tuesday that researchers continue to advance toward a vaccine for COVID-19 , but he also encouraged his constituents to keep up with their social distancing .
Green said this Tuesday during a Tele-Town Hall with constituents .
He said recent medical literature suggests COVID-19 has a genetic component .
“ There are some folks who have a different formation of the receptor on their lung lining that either allows for protection or a lack of protection for the virus inserting itself into the cells .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green said .
Researchers are also trying to understand why Senator Rand Paul ( R-KY ) and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who are roughly the same age and have similar health histories , ended up with COVID-19 but under different circumstances .
Paul was asymptomatic , while Johnson ended up in ICU , Green said .
Green also said one company researching a vaccine will transition to Phase Two within the next few days , although he did not name the company .
During the call , one of Green ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a flight attendant for an international airline , said COVID-19 killed certain of her friends .
She asked Green whether authorities should require people to wear gloves and masks in public .
“ I dress for battle when I go out .
But I can not tell you how many people I see when I go to a grocery store or a warehouse store [ who are not dressed for battle ] .
I observe all the precautions , ” the woman said .
“ Yet others don ’ t follow any precautions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No six-foot rule .
No gloves .
No masks .
It seems like something that is so simple that we can require people to do when they choose to go not to a park but into a store.
” Green encouraged his constituents to stay physically apart from one another and to continue to sanitize their hands .
“ We do know the disease is spread through large respiratory droplets , so coughing and sneezing and those kinds of things , ” Green said during the call .
“ People often ask ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They do , even if they don ’ t have an N95 [ mask ] .
Even if they don ’ t , they should still put something over their face as it is somewhat protective.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--‘I Don’t Endorse Biden:’ Bernie Sanders’ Supporters Let Loose After Their Candidate Bows to Biden

Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ s biggest supporters are criticizing Joe Biden after the democratic socialist endorsed the former vice president .
Sanders ’ s campaign press secretary , Briahna Joy Gray , and several other surrogates are expressing their displeasure after Sanders endorsed Biden on the presumptive Democratic nominee ’ s live stream Monday .
Gray explained on Twitter shortly after the announcement why she ’ s not on board .
“ With the utmost respect for Bernie Sanders , who is an incredible human being & a genuine inspiration , I don ’ t endorse Joe Biden , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went on to note that Biden does not support any of the big-ticket items underlying Sanders ’ unsuccessful campaign .
“ I supported Bernie Sanders because he backed ideas like role # MedicareForAll , cancelling ALL student debt , & a wealth tax , ” Gray noted .
“ Biden supports none of those.
” “ I can hardly believe what I am watching , ” Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King wrote in a tweet Monday before suggesting that Biden was reading off of a teleprompter during his livestream conversation with Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my life have I seen a leader require a Teleprompter and script TO HAVE A CONVERSATION with someone .
It ’ s insulting .
It ’ s bizarre.
” CNN commentator and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed also weighed in on Sanders endorsement .
“ There ’ s no way around the disappointment that Bernie Sanders won ’ t be President , ” El-Sayed tweeted Monday before explaining why he thinks the coronavirus pandemic changed everything about the Democratic primary .
“ Biden ’ s message was about the past .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1/10 Americans were uninsured , gigs displaced jobs , & action on # climatechange was halting is a NONSTARTER after # COVID showed just how broken ‘ normal ’ really was for too many , ” El-Sayed added .
The comments come as Democrats try to avoid an internal fight between the progressive and moderate wings of the party .
Sanders , for his part , told his followers Monday before the live stream that he was joining Biden on the livestream and would make an announcement .
“ We must come together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern history , ” the Vermont senator said .
Meanwhile , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez noted in a New York Times interview published Monday that she would continue pushing Biden to adopt positions aligned closer to Sanders ’ s .
“ The whole process of coming together should be uncomfortable for everyone involved — that ’ s how you know it ’ s working , ” she said .
Chris White is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photos by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Nashville Officials Say They Aren’t Testing Asymptomatic People for COVID-19

Nashville officials will not test most people who might have COVID-19 but are asymptomatic , even though one new report suggests they should .
Officials with the American Enterprise Institute , a Washington , D.C.-based think tank , said in that report that testing asymptomatic people is crucial , regardless .
The Tennessee Star asked city officials why they are not taking on more robust testing on asymptomatic people .
“ There are certain groups of asymptomatic individuals in Nashville , particularly those who have had direct contact with known clusters of confirmed COVID-19 cases , that are receiving testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Davidson County would not be the most beneficial use of limited resources .
We want to be sure that we ’ re able to test as many symptomatic residents as possible at this time , ” said Metro Nashville spokesman Chris Song , in an email Tuesday .
“ We are also broadening our list of indications for assessment and testing every day to ensure that residents know when they may have symptoms of COVID-19 .
Just this week , we added loss of smell and diarrhea to the list of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Todd told The Star Tuesday that city officials would test asymptomatic people who live with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 .
A panel of experts writing for AEI , in a recent report recommended increased diagnostic testing capacity for rapid sharing of results — including testing asymptomatic people .
“ Same-day , point-of-care diagnostic testing ( widely available in outpatient settings ) is crucial for identifying cases , including those with asymptomatic and mild infections , ” said researchers Scott Gottlieb , Caitlin Rivers , Mark B. McClellan , Lauren Silvis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released the report , titled National Coronavirus Response : A Road to Reopening , on March 28 .
According to the report , researchers suggested moving from community-wide interventions that focus on large populations to case-based interventions that target and isolate individual people who are infected .
Capacity , they added , should be sufficient to test the following : • Hospitalized patients — researchers said rapid diagnostics are needed for this population • Health care workers and workers in essential roles , or those in community-facing roles in health and public safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is best accomplished with point-of-care diagnostics in doctors ’ offices with guidelines that encourage widespread screening and mandated coverage for testing .
“ We estimate that a national capacity of at least 750,000 tests per week would be sufficient to move to case-based interventions when paired with sufficient capacity in supportive public-health infrastructure ( e.g.
, contact tracing ) , ” the researchers said .
“ In conjunction with more widespread testing , we need to invest in new tools to make it efficient for providers to communicate test results and make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain future outbreaks.
” As The Nashville Business Journal reported Tuesday , Nashville Mayor John Cooper said he ’ s planning to relax business restrictions he imposed to halt the spread of COVID-19 .
“ Beyond that , Cooper said Nashville needs to ensure there are sufficient levels of PPE , or personal protective equipment .
Reopening the economy also will require COVID-19 caseloads flattening and more thorough work identifying and isolating people who may have come in contact with someone who has coronavirus , ” the website reported .
“ Cooper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ‘ Safer at Home ’ order , which urges residents to stay home and closes certain businesses deemed ‘ non-essential , ’ through April 30 .
The order is currently set to expire April 24.
” Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Ohio Health Director Amy Acton Is Preparing Volunteers to Help with Contact Tracing

Ohio Department of Health ( ODH ) Director Amy Acton announced during Monday ’ s press conference that the state is training volunteers to help with “ contact tracing , ” which is a process that helps identify people who may have contacted an infected person .
The ODH has been working with medical and professional schools to help train these volunteers in an attempt to better allocate state resources for the coronavirus .
“ Let ’ s just say we have the testing .
You want to know someone is infectious the second they are .
So , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very first step , ” Acton said .
Soon , Ohio will deploy mobile units of volunteers who can go around and to hotspots and quickly investigate people .
Acton said that Ohio will be using a new Google software that allows for great contact tracing .
Acton did not say how many volunteers Ohio has , but she did say she had an “ army ” of them .
“ We really need to do this part professionally and well , so that we don ’ t see a rebound , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described Monday that there may need to be a place in the future for people to recover when they can ’ t go back to their homes .
The health director said during Tuesday ’ s press conference that she is expecting flareups in Ohio until a vaccine is developed .
To help Ohio battle with the coronavirus , ODH is using $ 39 million , which was approved by Ohio ’ s State Controlling Board , for “ procuring supplies for statewide specimen collection and specimen collection kit manufacture , medications to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract services for external testing and temporary laboratory staffing and laboratory equipment , ” the Akron- Beacon Journal reports .
This new contact tracing method is part of a broader resource plan that the ODH director has been working on in the last few weeks .
One of the plans Acton mentioned when speaking on Monday that talked about contact tracing was the American Enterprise Institute ( AEI ) ’ s one released on March 28 .
Acton said AEI ’ s plan , along with McKinsey and John Hopkins Center for Global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best plans.
” For testing , the institute said advancing diagnostic testing capability is important so tests have the ability to give back same-day results .
Getting everyone tested for the Chinese virus will help move from “ community-wide interventions that focus on large populations to case-based interventions that target and isolate individual people who are infected , ” the report said .
The policy experts in this report said that if America did 750,000 coronavirus tests a week , then the country could move to case-based interventions .
Once testing reaches the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be to get a tracking system that can monitor trends once an uptick in cases occurs when social distancing measures are less restrictive .
To do this , the report said to establish a “ comprehensive national sentinel surveillance system , supported by and coordinated with local public-health systems and health care providers.
” This system would trace the virus ’ s infection background rate and help identify areas of community spread when it is still small .
If people test positive under this system , they need to be isolated at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .
Home isolation can be done by GPS tracking on cell phone devices .
AEI recommends giving people options who want to self isolate from their family an option of a hotel room .
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media .
If you have any tips , email Zachery at [ email protected ] Photo “ New York National Guard Member ” by The National Guard .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Whitmer Joins Coalition of 12 Governors To Ask Trump to Open Insurance Enrollment

Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer has joined a coalition of 12 governors to ask President Trump to allow for a special enrollment period to allow for increased access to affordable health care .
Whitmer is joining the governors from Delaware , Illinois , Maine , Montana , New Jersey , New Mexico , North Carolina , Oregon , Pennsylvania , Virginia and Wisconsin in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services .
The letter asks for a special enrollment period of at least 30 days on the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , we must do everything we can to ensure access to quality , affordable health care , ” Whitmer said in a statement .
“ That ’ s why we ’ re calling on the Trump Administration to do the right thing , reconsider its decision , and allow for a special enrollment period , and it ’ s also why we ’ re taking action in Michigan to expand opportunities for safe , quality care.
” The governors ’ letter raises concerns that residents are not obtaining coronavirus testing and treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Too many of our constituents are uninsured or underinsured despite the steps we ’ ve taken at the state level , ” the governors said in a statement .
“ …It is essential that we remove every barrier as quickly as possible to ensure those in our states and across the country are able to access the treatment they need.
” The letter echoes a similar request from Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox on March 12 , as well as from U.S. Sens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gary Peters ( D-MI ) on the same day .
The DIFS announced on April 10 that nearly all of Michigan ’ s health insurance companies would waive copays , deductibles and coinsurance for COVID-19 testing and treatments .
“ We will continue to work with our partners across both state and federal government , as well as those in the private sector , to ensure Michiganders everywhere can access the care they need , ” Whitmer said .
Read the entire letter from the governors here .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ” by Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--State Rep Nino Vitale Calls On Gov DeWine, Dr. Amy Acton to Ease Restrictions on Elective Surgery in

State Rep Nino Vitale Calls On Gov DeWine, Dr. Amy Acton to Ease Restrictions on Elective Surgery in Ohio

State Rep. Nino Vitale ( R-Urbana ) issued a call to action Friday to ease restrictions and reopen hospitals and medical centers to elective surgeries in Ohio .
“ My request is we allow the doctors and nurses in these fields to immediately open back up and treat Ohioans that need medical care , which is getting more and more critical by the day because of these restrictions , ” Vitale wrote in an open letter .
The state of Ohio is currently under an extended stay-at-home order , which is set to end May 1 .
All but those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some lawmakers are starting to pressure DeWine to reopen the economy .
Vitale points out that even with the intensity surrounding the “ C-19 situation , ” medical professionals tell him “ they are shut down , getting laid off , or unable to properly treat patients who have other critical care needs.
” “ We can not be so focused on one pandemic that we create 3 to 5 other health care pandemics , ” he wrote ; adding : All health conditions are important , not just those with C19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health and welfare of people who have heart problems , lung problems , colon issues , prostate or bladder surgeries , and other conditions that are not C19 related .
There are many Ohioans that are in desperate need of care , and their situations , which were not critical 3-4 weeks ago , are now critical according to the doctors and nurses contacting me .
These Ohioans deserve care as well .
Vitale warned that Ohio could see a collapse in the state ’ s health infrastructure , with “ up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which are either days or a week from closing their doors permanently.
” “ We must protect the health of our health care network , ” he wrote .
DeWine has repeatedly said the stay-at-home order is saving lives and reopening businesses too soon could lead to an increase in cases just as the state is seeing progress .
Samantha Witwer is a reporter at The Ohio Star .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Authorities Plan to Issue Citations Against Ohio Amish Community for Holding Wedding Reception

Ohio authorities plan to issue citations against residents who planned an Amish wedding reception last week , various local outlets reported over the weekend .
According to WKBN , the Trumbull County Combined Health District will file a “ notice of violation ” against an Amish community in Mesopotamia , Ohio for holding a gathering of more than 10 people .
Kris Wilster , director of environmental health in Trumbull County , said it will be left to local law enforcement to decide if any charges should be filed against the people who gathered for the reception .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule for religious ceremonies , but can for the reception held after the wedding ceremony .
More than 30 people were in attendance at the Thursday reception , a violation of the 10-person maximum laid out in Gov .
Mike DeWine ’ s stay-at-home order .
“ Our first step would be just to talk to them , try to get them to understand the importance , you know , of this contagious disease .
The importance of the social distancing , washing your hands , the sanitizer , having products readily available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of things , ” Wilster told the outlet .
A report from the Trumbull County Sheriff ’ s Office said it received a 911 call last Tuesday about the wedding celebration , The Vindicator reported .
The caller said that food preparation for the ceremony had started and claimed that 300 people were expected to attend .
Wilster said health officials provided door hangers to the Amish community with information about the coronavirus and the state ’ s restrictions on social gatherings , but it ’ s unclear if they were aware of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of the governor ’ s stay-at-home order is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $ 750 fine .
During a March press conference , DeWine discouraged residents from calling 911 to report violations and said he doesn ’ t “ want a lot of arrests or citations.
” Instead , he encouraged residents to contact their local health departments to report a violation .
“ The law is an instructor and a deterrent , ” he said .
“ You hope the law doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Ellison and U.S. Attorney Form Minnesota ‘COVID-19 Action Team’ to Enforce Walz Orders

U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald and Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a Monday press release that the new “ action team ” is a “ coordinated statewide effort focused on investigating and prosecuting unlawful activity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and enforcing all state and federal laws and executive orders to put an end to it.
” They said the goal of the Minnesota COVID-19 Action Team , which they ’ re calling the MCAT for short , is to “ protect the citizens of Minnesota from any wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
” Ellison and MacDonald urged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , scams , cybercrimes , hate crimes , or “ other unlawful activity ” to the Attorney General ’ s Office .
“ Together , we are living through an extremely challenging and unprecedented time .
Unfortunately , there are bad actors who seek to exploit these challenges by preying on vulnerable individuals for a quick financial profit , launching a myriad of insidious cyber scams , or carrying out bias-motivated acts of violence .
This type of criminal activity is reprehensible and will not go unpunished , ” MacDonald said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve as a “ clearinghouse ” for any reports or complaints the public submits to “ any federal , state , or local agency.
” Additionally , the MCAT will provide for a “ swift and coordinated law enforcement response ” and facilitate “ the sharing of information about COVID-19 related unlawful conduct occurring anywhere in Minnesota , ” she said .
“ Now is the time for Minnesotans to turn toward each other , not against each other .
The vast majority of people and businesses are doing that : they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their customers , and communities , and we thank them , ” Ellison said .
“ But for those who aren ’ t – for those who are profiteering off the pandemic or using it as a pretext to attack other people – we ’ re not standing for it .
We ’ re pooling all our resources to come after them and to help all other Minnesotans afford their lives and live with dignity and respect , ” he continued .
Ellison ’ s office has already sued multiple landlords who pressured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Minnesota Sun reported .
He also said his office has received hundreds of complaints about price gouging throughout the state and ordered several businesses to comply with an executive ban on price gouging during Minnesota ’ s peacetime emergency .
Gov .
Walz has issued 35 executive orders related to the coronavirus pandemic since March 13 and extended the state ’ s peacetime emergency for another 30 days on Monday .
According to a Tuesday report from The Star Tribune , at least 23 Minnesotans are now facing charges for violating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of the order is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $ 1,000 .
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star .
Follow Anthony on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Ohio Attorney General Files Suit Against Man Selling N95 Masks at 18 Times Market Price

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Tuesday that he had filed a lawsuit against several people selling personal protective equipment for a markup online .
Yost filed against Mario Salwan of Chagrin Falls and others for operating an eBay store under the now-deleted username “ Donkey476.
” The group sold N95 masks , hand sanitizer and toilet paper for nearly 18 times the retail price .
“ There ’ s another word for donkey that immediately comes to mind when thinking about these folks , ” Yost said in a statement .
The group acquired more than 1,200 N95 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 N95 masks to 15 purchasers at prices between $ 360 to $ 375 — roughly $ 36 per mask .
N95 masks typically sell for $ 2.05 per mask .
The eBay seller was initially discovered by an emergency room nurse , who originally reached out to Salwan to ask him to reconsider his prices .
The attorney general said he plans to prosecute Salwan under the Valentine Act , Ohio ’ s antitrust law , which allows Yost ’ s office to “ foster fair and honest interstate and intrastate competition.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ violated the Ohio ’ s Consumer Sales Practices Act “ by offering goods for sale at prices substantially increased because of an increased demand for the products caused by this national emergency.
” “ We will continue to take action against anyone else in this state price gouging during this pandemic , ” Yost said .
Ohio currently has more than 7,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state , according to the Ohio Department of Health .
The cases have caused more than 2,000 hospitalizations , more than 600 admissions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
There are currently nearly 580,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
There have been more than 22,000 deaths from the virus .
Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star .
Follow her on Twitter at @ JordynPair .
Email her at [ email protected ] Photo “ Dave Yost ” by Dave Yost .


thetennesseestar--2020-04-15--Governor Lee’s Stay-at-Home Order Extension Sparks #ReopenTennessee Movement

The extension of the statewide stay-at-home order until the end of April by Governor Bill Lee Monday , a # ReopenTennessee movement has started in the state .
The governor ’ s original Stay-At-Home Executive Order No .
27 was scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday , April 14 , but was extended Monday by more than two weeks to April 30 , The Tennessee Star reported .
The Twitter account @ ReopenTennessee , with a tagline , “ Tennessee must be free .
Reopen the state immediately ” started Monday night with an initial Tweet , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unit for the common good of the citizens of our state .
We will oppose this gross government overreach and demand for the state to open immediately .
Too many people are suffering the financial impact and loss of freedom of the gov .
Lock down.
” A tweet that links to a petition – “ Bill Lee : Protect the 1 % at risk , and let the 99 % return to work ” – speaks to the heart of the issue .
Started by Jason Hall , the petition opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective of a healthcare professional .
“ It is safe to say that the most pressing issue that the State of Tennessee is facing right now has progressed from a pandemic to an epidemic .
As a physician and surgeon , I am not speaking of a viral epidemic , but one of a more insidious nature : an epidemic of fear , ” the petition says .
The petition is not at all dismissive of the seriousness of the disease .
“ Make no mistake , SARS-Cov-2 ( COVID-19 , the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness that demands our attention as a community.
” It also makes the point that over a month of dedicated data about the virus is now available .
With all of that data available , the petition speaks directly to Lee to say , “ Unfortunately , the statistic that is most talked about , and apparently which you and other leaders use to make decisions is the one that is the most meaningless : total number of cases of SARS-Cov-2.
” The number of cases is called out as a “ vanity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear and panic and sell newspaper ads , but says nothing about who is at risk of serious consequences if they contract the virus .
The 290,000 cases of laboratory-confirmed cases of flu since September 2019 is compared to the 427,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of SARS-Cov-2 infections , one of which is totally ignored by the news media and “ decision makers , ” while the other is cause for a national shutdown .
“ Both numbers are eye-opening , but tell us NOTHING about the seriousness of either disease process.
” The hospitalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly that of the at-risk population , which is those over 65 years of age and/or with a weakened immune system .
With SARS-Cov-2 , that rate is 16.8 per 100,000 , whereas it is 195.4 per 100,000 with influenza .
The conclusion that the petition draws : “ Clearly , the data shows that SARS-Cov-2 causes , for the majority of the population , a mild illness.
” The mortality rate is an even more important data point that must be used to help guide decisions .
Current mortality estimates for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 65,000 .
As of April 9 , the U.S. has had just over 4,100 confirmed deaths , with 1,800 – over 30 percent – in New York City alone .
( emphasis added ) Meanwhile , there have been 16 laboratory-confirmed SARS-Cov-2 deaths in Tennessee .
( emphasis added ) It has been reported that Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force confirmed that in the U.S. , with a positive test , deaths by any cause occurring during the pandemic are reported as a coronavirus fatality .
Using “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16,800 nationally and 79 in Tennessee , both well below this and the past few influenza season mortalities .
The reality is that the mortality rate from SARS-Cov-2 is higher than influenza , especially among the at- risk group .
For those over age 65 , the SARS-Cov-2 mortality rate of between 2.5 and 25 percent is 3 to 30 times higher than influenza .
However , 90 percent of those had “ co-morbid conditions ” of obesity , heart disease and pre-existing lung disease , making them more medically fragile than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the under 65 population , mortality rates are similar to influenza at less than one percent in each age group .
Tennessee Department of Health data proves that out , with 84 percent of the deaths occurring in those aged 61 and older .
Population density being another important factor , the petition points out the extreme conditions in New York City – the leader in hospitalizations and deaths from the novel coronavirus .
New York City has a peak population density of over 56,000 inhabitants per square kilometer , while the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a population density of 20,000 inhabitants per square kilometer .
In stark contrast , Nashville and Memphis – by far the leaders in SARS-Cov-2 mortalities in Tennessee and the highest population densities – peak at 4,000 inhabitants per square kilometer .
And , the rest of the state has population densities averaging less than 100 inhabitants per square kilometer .
The petition goes on to that there is a need to develop “ herd immunity , ” and that mass quarantine “ has never , in the history of recorded time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy.
” Consistent with recent news reports of the IHME model ’ s drastic reduction from millions to tens of thousands of projected deaths , the petition points out that “ to date , there have been exactly ZERO accurate computer models of this disease process , ” and cautions Lee , “ to continue to listen to academic ‘ policy makers ’ and professional consultants who have yet to make an accurate prediction is tantamount to malpractice.
” In a Twitter thread Monday , Sean Davis , co-founder of The Federalist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of states .
Specifically regarding Tennessee , Davis said IHME ’ s modeling was in a class all by itself for being “ horrifically wrong , ” when it comes to coronavirus-related hospitalizations .
His graphics illustration demonstrates that with an actual 567 cumulative hospitalizations ( that is total number of hospital admissions , including those who have been released and are no longer hospitalized ) as of Easter Sunday versus the predicted 12,000 , the IHME model was “ off by 2,000 % .
” Unlike many protest-type petitions , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how to proceed .
“ We need to focus on getting our population back to work to prevent economic and societal collapse.
” “ At the same time , we can target our resources to protecting the vulnerable , ‘ at risk ’ population until this disease ‘ burns out ’ as spring progresses to summer .
The petition ’ s three specific recommendations to Lee for his action are : 1 .
Repeal Executive Orders 17 , 21 , 22 , and 23 .
Focus on protecting the “ at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work and school .
2 .
Repeal Executive Orders 18 and 25 .
Allow the resumption of all surgical and dental procedures – elective as well as emergent .
Physicians and surgeons are infinitely more capable of making risk/benefit decisions for their patients and their community than any politician .
We do so every day without interference from the state .
3 .
Protect the “ At Risk ” population – those over 65 and/or with fragile immune systems .
Individuals with suppressed immune systems ( ie : those on chemotherapy or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of age should be encouraged to stay at home until at least 5/15/2020 .
Limit visitation to nursing homes and hospital wards .
Encourage expedited and delivery services for those who must be protected by sheltering .
Government mandates don ’ t work – allow private enterprise to do what it does best : innovate and solve problems .
Encourage it with tax breaks and expedited business policies .
Meanwhile , similar activities are taking place across the country in displays of civil disobedience for actions that may be unconstitutional by elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state stay-at-home orders have stirred protests nationwide amid fears of economic collapse .
To protest Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s tyrannical new guidelines to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state , at least 15,000 cars and trucks are expected to descend on Michigan ’ s state capitol Wednesday in a drive-by demonstration to gridlock Lansing .
# ReopenNC began last Thursday , and already had 21,000 members by the time of the Monday report .
The Ohio Star reported that approximately 150 people gathered outside the State Capitol in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeWine and Health Department Director Amy Acton , “ You ’ re getting a paycheck , we ’ re not ” and “ Open Ohio Now !
” Laura Baigert is a senior reporter at The Tennessee Star .
Photo “ Bill Lee ” by Bill Lee .