Aziz Sayyed Arrested On Terrorism Charges in Huntsville, Alabama

Police in Huntsville, Alabama, last week arrested a man who was charged with soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism, reports WHNT News 19. Aziz Sayyed, 22, of Huntsville, was taken into custody Thursday after police received a tip. Police say he is a North Carolina-born U.S. citizen. “We successfully mitigated a threat today with this arrest,” said FBI agent Roger Stanton in a news conference. The Huntsville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are working together on the case with support from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. No specifics on the threat were disclosed, but officials said the arrest eliminated any threat to the area, including Redstone Arsenal. Police Chief Mark McMurray encouraged the public to let the police know when something doesn’t seem right. “If you see something, you need to tell us,” he said. “You need to say something. This investigation actually started as a tip.” Sayyed was staying at an apartment complex near the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He faces state charges but no federal charges as of Thursday.

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Beacon Center Releases Documentary On Corporate Welfare

The Beacon Center of Tennessee is getting the word out about a short documentary it produced to educate the public about corporate welfare. Called “Rigged: The Injustice of Corporate Welfare,” the documentary runs just under 20 minutes. It takes a look at the impact of corporate welfare on small business owners struggling to compete against corporations receiving taxpayer dollars. The Beacon Center is a Nashville-based nonprofit that promotes free market research and solutions. “Beacon Center’s hope is that the documentary will be a useful tool for people who are either undecided or against us,” said Mark Cunningham, the center’s director of marketing and communications, in a press release. “It offers a look at the issue from a perspective they may have never considered. They have heard about all the ‘job creation’ and economic benefits of corporate welfare deals. Our goal is to tell the stories of the real people whom tax incentives and handouts negatively affect—stories that haven’t been told. We believe that, for far too long, free market types have merely tried to dispute the economic claims and have failed to humanize the issue. The human cost is front and center in our video.” The documentary features interviews with two furniture store…

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Despite Washington Shootings, Republican Leadership Not Requesting Review of Security at Tennessee’s Legislative Facilities

Despite the horrific attack in suburban Washington D.C. on Republican legislators, regular protests at Tennessee’s legislative plaza and death threats made against at least two Tennessee legislators, there have been no requests by legislative leadership for additional review of security procedures, in general, or the Cordell Hull Building, specifically, as the legislature prepares to move there from Legislative Plaza/War Memorial Building later this year. The Tennessee Star requests for comment from Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) as to whether they had requested a security review in light of these events, were referred to their respective communications person, and, in turn, referred to Connie Ridley, Director, Office of Legislative Administration. Ms. Ridley’s response began with reassurance, “The General Assembly takes the security of members, staff and the general public seriously,” but continued generically, We review our policies and procedures and make updates as appropriate on an ongoing basis.  As you might expect, a thorough evaluation of all our security policies and procedures is a large part of the ongoing transition process to our new facility. There has been cause for concern at the current facility, starting with a change this year to the security policy where…

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Jay Sekulow, President Trump’s Lawyer from Franklin, Says There’s ‘No Investigation’ of the President

A member of President Trump’s legal team on Sunday said that there’s “no investigation into the president of the United States. Period.” “Let me be clear: The president’s not under investigation,” Jay Sekulow said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “As [fired FBI director] James Comey said in his testimony that the president was not…

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Steve Scalise Upgraded to ‘Serious’ Condition, Able to Speak to Family: Hospital

Rep. Steve Scalise, the congressman wounded this week by a left-wing zealot gunman, is now in serious condition and is showing signs of improvement, doctors said in an update Saturday afternoon released by the congressman’s office. MedStar Washington Hospital Center said Mr. Scalise had another surgery Saturday, the latest in a series of operations that’s stretched…

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Commentary: Do Nothing Congress Creating Deadly Enthusiasm Gap For GOP

by George Rasley, ConservativeHQ.com Editor Donald Trump’s historic election handed Republicans control of Congress and the White House for the first time in a decade, and after six years of divided government it was assumed a united Republican Party would be able to pass the largely conservative agenda campaigned on by Donald Trump and Republican congressional candidates. However, despite their firm control of the legislative and executive branches of government Republicans have produced almost zero in terms of legislation that fulfills their campaign promises, leaving it to President Trump to do his best to advance the conservative agenda via Executive Order and Cabinet action. The predictable result is that while President Trump stands around 47 percent in the polls, with his base still strongly approving of his performance – not bad for a President under daily attack by the establishment media. In contrast to President Trump’s approval, Congressional approval stands at 20 percent, less than half of the President’s approval rating, with some 74 percent of Americans disapproving of the job it is doing. A different poll, this one by Pew, found that 54 percent of Americans disapprove of the job the Speaker Ryan is doing. Twenty-nine percent approve while…

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Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander Silent on Federal Contractor Failing to Provide Services to Refugees Dumped in Murfreesboro

Tennessee Star

The same day that The Tennessee Star discovered complaints publicized on YouTube by the refugee service volunteers in Murfreesboro made against refugee resettlement contractor World Relief for failing to provide basic and essential services, both Sens. Alexander and Corker’s offices were contacted for comment. Sen. Corker’s office never responded and while Sen. Alexander’s media contact asked for and was given additional time to look into the matter before responding, days later no comment was ever received. During the March “Murfreesboro Muslim Youth” (MMY) meeting soliciting help for refugees brought to Rutherford County by World Relief, refugee service organizer Melissa Sohrabi started crying while detailing the contractor’s neglect and failure to provide even basic survival services to the refugees they placed in Murfreesboro: [the third family] had nothing but a mattress and sheets, no blankets. They didn’t know how to work the thermostat, they were freezing. They were scared and they were so relieved because Saffi knew their language. They had been there for several days with no contact with anyone. They did not know how to get in touch with their caseworker and with no language skills they didn’t know where to go or who to ask to even how to get help. We immediately…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Monday, June 19

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing June 18, Sunday 2 Corinthians 6:14–18 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

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