The mayor of Philadelphia inserted himself into national politics Wednesday, calling President Donald Trump a “bully” for ending an immigration program for Haitian refugees. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney was speaking to a group of immigration advocates when he went after Trump in his speech, according to the local NBC affiliate. “There is no compassion whatsoever in…
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she supports repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate to hold insurance, giving a notable thumbs up to a contentious piece of President Trump’s tax overhaul, though she stopped short of a full endorsement of the tax plan. Ms. Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who helped sink the GOP’s Obamacare repeal efforts over the summer over…
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Sen. Rand Paul’s wife fired back Wednesday at media reports minimizing the attack that left her husband with several broken ribs. “This was not a ‘scuffle,’ a ‘fight’ or an ‘altercation,’ as many in the media falsely describe it,” Kelley Paul wrote in an op-ed for CNN. “It was a deliberate, blindside attack. The impact left…
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At The Brownstone restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey, the founder of a small but mighty nonprofit organization and its sponsors gathered on November 14 to honor Rich Farley and other veterans. Farley received Jack — a highly trained service dog — a few years ago, thanks to the work of J.T. Gabriel’s nonprofit organization, K9 Soldiers,…
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by CHQ Staff Last Friday, in an action to further uphold the rule of law in the executive branch, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo prohibiting the Department of Justice from issuing guidance documents that have the effect of adopting new regulatory requirements or amending the law. The memo prevents the Department of Justice from evading required rulemaking processes by using guidance memos to create de facto regulations. In the past, the Department of Justice and other agencies have blurred the distinction between regulations and guidance documents. Under the Attorney General’s memo, the Department may no longer issue guidance documents that purport to create rights or obligations binding on persons or entities outside the Executive Branch. This is a huge change from the lawless Obama administration when Attorneys General Eric Holder and Lorretta Lynch issued “guidance” almost at will to circumvent Congress and the checks and balances built into our Constitution. The Attorney General’s Regulatory Reform Task Force, led by Associate Attorney General Brand, will conduct a review of existing Department documents and will recommend candidates for repeal or modification in the light of this memo’s principles. “Guidance documents can be used to explain existing law,” Associate Attorney…
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Many of the states refusing to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s election commission aren’t in compliance with federal law on maintaining voter registration lists, according to government watchdog groups. So far, 18 states and the District of Columbia have declined or are still considering whether to provide election data to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election…
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by Richard M. Ebeling This time of the year, whether in good economic times or bad, Americans gather with their families and friends and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together. It marks a remembrance of those early Pilgrim Fathers who crossed the uncharted ocean from Europe to make a new start in Plymouth, Massachusetts. What is less appreciated is that Thanksgiving is also a celebration of the birth of free enterprise in America. The English Puritans, who left Great Britain and sailed across the Atlantic on the Mayflower in 1620, were not only escaping from religious persecution in their homeland. They also wanted to turn their back on what they viewed as the materialistic and greedy corruption of the Old World. Plymouth Colony Planned as Collectivist Utopia In the New World, they wanted to erect a New Jerusalem that would not only be religiously devout but be built on a new foundation of communal sharing and social altruism. Their goal was the communism of Plato’s Republic, in which all would work and share in common, knowing neither private property nor self-interested acquisitiveness. What resulted is recorded in the diary of Governor William Bradford, the head of the colony. The colonists collectively…
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After months and months of baby bump pictures and beautiful showers and photo shoots, the time has come to finally meet Oakley Dillon. And let’s just say, she is a doll.…
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An Episcopal priest in Birmingham, Alabama, has been arrested for possessing child pornography. Michael Glenn Rich previously taught journalism at Auburn University, reports AL.com. He became a priest in 2006 and in 2014 began serving St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Birmingham. After learning of the charges, Rich was immediately suspended from the ministry, said Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan, bishop for the Diocese of Alabama. “Our community prays for all who are victims of exploitation,” said Sloan in a statement provided to the media, including AL.com and ABC 33/40. “The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Alabama are committed to guarding against sexual misconduct in all its ugly abusive forms.” Rich was one of two Jefferson County men arrested in a sting operation carried out by authorities in Alabama and Georgia. Rich was arrested Nov. 16 and charged with three counts of possession of child pornography. He was released from jail the same day. Authorities said Rich was arrested after they received a tip that prompted an investigation into his internet use. Investigators found multiple images of child pornography on his electronic devices. The investigation is ongoing and more charges could be brought. The five-day sting operation led to more than…
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More than 400 students at a Knoxville high school are being asked to retake the ACT because of a testing mishap last month, reports WBIR Channel 10. Bearden High School administered the test Oct. 17 with test booklets it received intended for Oct. 3. ACT has not responded to questions about how the incorrect materials were sent to the school, but says it can’t validate the scores because of the “misadministration” and the theoretical possibility that students could have received test answers from others. Students have been directed to retake the test Dec. 9. Students are worried about missing deadlines for college admissions and scholarships. A handful of students received their scores from ACT, only to have them pulled by the testing company. In Tennessee, all juniors are to take the ACT, with retakes being offered in the fall of students’ senior year. The Knox County PTA and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett have tried unsuccessfully to fight ACT’s decision not to certify the scores from Oct. 17. Candice McQueen, the state commissioner of education, submitted an appeal but it was denied. Others at the state level have also been notified of the situation. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) told WBIR…
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The bribery scheme was hatched in the halls of the United Nations in New York and spanned several continents. Chi Ping Patrick Ho, a Chinese national, and Cheikh Gadio, a one-time foreign minister of Senegal, plotted to bribe high-level African officials to secure business rights for a Shanghai-based energy and financial conglomerate. Their targets: Idriss Deby,…
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The White House confirms the weekly presidential radio address — a fixture for decades — is on indefinite hiatus. “We received quite a few comments and a lot of feedback that the weekly address wasn’t being used to its full potential,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in response to a VOA question during…
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An atheist group has its hackles up over an annual event that it calls unconstitutional – the blessing of the animals at the Bergen County Animal Shelter. The group, American Atheists Inc. of Cranford, claims in a federal lawsuit that the Teterboro shelter’s event, in which animals are blessed by a Franciscan reverend, violates the First…
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A day after Gabby Douglas added her name to the list of star gymnasts who say they were molested by Dr. Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges and will face at least 25 years in prison. The 54-year-old Nassar, who also served as a sports doctor for Michigan…
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Headlines all around the world stopped just short of announcing impending doom. “Deadly earthquakes could hit a BILLION people next year because of Earth’s slowing rotation,” warned The Daily Mail. “Upsurge in big earthquakes predicted for 2018 as Earth rotation slows,” The Guardian also read. But that’s misleading at best, and fear-mongering at worst. Here’s…
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By Robert Romano China ($11.2 trillion) and Japan ($4.9 trillion) combined make up 21 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, according to the World Bank, having benefited from preferential treatment in global trade deals, and are still being treated as “developing” nations under world trade rules. At institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), developing economies do not have to play by the same rules on tariffs, subsidies and other trade barriers as developed economies like the U.S. The policy, called “special and differential” treatment, has been a mainstay of world trade rules since at least the Tokyo Round of GATT that began in 1973, when developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region argued for special protections. Back then, the concept was called “non-reciprocity.” It states, “The developed contracting parties do not expect reciprocity for commitments made by them in trade negotiations to reduce or remove tariffs and other barriers to the trade of less-developed contracting parties.” And specifically, that “the less-developed contracting parties should not be expected, in the course of trade negotiations, to make contributions which are inconsistent with their individual development, financial and trade needs, taking into consideration past trade developments.” Now, more than 40 years…
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A federal judge in California blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order reducing funding for sanctuary cities Monday, limiting the administration’s ability to punish municipalities that violate federal immigration law. The permanent injunction follows a preliminary ruling, issued in April, in a suit filed by the city of San Francisco and Santa Clara county. “The Counties have…
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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry defended her controversial mass transit plan Monday at a Rotary Club meeting, reports the Nashville Business Journal. And on Wednesday she raised the cost – from $5.2 billion to $5.4 billion. Barry’s plan has faced a growing chorus of critics who have questioned its costs and practicality. But in her speech to the Rotary Club’s Nashville chapter, Barry tried to dispel three myths she said critics have created about her proposal, which involves building a light rail network, improving and expanding bus service, and building an underground tunnel downtown. She wants Davidson County voters in May to approve four tax increases, including a sales tax hike, to help fund the project. The project’s price increase is the result of new plans to extend the Charlotte Avenue light rail corridor. Resources have already been found to cover the expense and the proposed tax increases won’t change, Barry said in a press release. Barry said Monday the three false ideas promoted by critics are that transit ridership is falling, Nashville doesn’t have the density to support light rail, and self-driving cars will eliminate the need for mass transit. Saying that it’s “disingenuous to dance on transit’s grave,” Barry pointed to…
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After struggling with dementia and cascading organ failure, David Cassidy has died, as confirmed by his publicist. He was just 67 years old. The Los Angeles Time reports: The singer and actor died in Fort Lauderdale after being hospitalized in Florida for multiple organ failure, including his liver and kidneys. His death was confirmed by Jo-Ann Geffen. The singer had also suffered from dementia in recent months, and had announced he would stop performing as the disease worsened. “I will always be eternally grateful for the love and support you’ve shown me,” he said in a statement earlier this year. “I still love very much to play and perform live. But it’s much more difficult for me now. I’m not going to vanish or disappear forever.” Cassidy had booked small acting gigs before he first shot to fame playing singer Keith Partridge on ABC’s “The Partridge Family,” a gentle sitcom take on the family-band genre. The series, which also starred Cassidy’s real-life stepmother, Shirley Jones, debuted in 1970 and ran for four seasons. Frustrated by his “Partridge Family” persona, Cassidy sought to shed his character’s clean-cut reputation and embrace the culture and politics of the far-left hippie movement, which led to his notorious…
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It isn’t Thanksgiving time if you haven’t yet watched “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” Luckily, ABC makes it easy for people to do just that by airing the special each year right around the holiday. The network normally airs the holiday special the day before Thanksgiving, and this year is no different. It will be broadcast Wednesday,…
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Carly Pearce named Pandora Artist to Watch 2018 Reigns Atop Canadian Mediabase & Billboard Country Airplay Charts
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Tracy Lawrence and Friends Announce the 12th Annual “Mission:Possible” Turkey Fry at the Nashville Rescue Mission followed by a concert at the Wildhorse Saloon featuring Halfway to Hazard, Ben Gallaher, William Michael Morgan, Luke Combs, Jamie O’Neal and Clay Cormier. Enlisting help from fellow Nashville music, sports and entertainment celebrities, as well as a host of volunteers, Lawrence and friends will fry up to 600 donated turkeys ensuring a warm meal for those less fortunate this Thanksgiving. States Lawrence, “When their kids are out of school, so many families don’t have food to eat.” Mission:Possible and other outlets deliver to government housing along with the Men’s and Women’s shelters to help ensure they have something to eat. The Mission:Possible Turkey Fry started twelve years ago on a Thanksgiving morning when Tracy Lawrence met with friends and family and decided this would be a good way to give back to our community. “It started small and the next thing you know, you get sponsors and it turns into this big amazing thing and it’s starting to spread around the country.” This year LouAna Oil is helping by donating oil for the fryers and Blue Rhino is donating all of the propane. Sam’s Club is also…
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Great America Committee, a newly-formed PAC controlled by Vice President Mike Pence, has begun cutting checks to a number of Republican candidates for office in the 2018 midterms, Politico reports. Representative Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN-07) Senate campaign is among those first recipients of the funds, along with some 36 other elected office hopefuls, many of whom have a long history of loyalty to the White House. Via Politico: The vice president is giving financial support to a slate of high-profile candidates that includes Missouri Senate hopeful Josh Hawley, Nevada gubernatorial contender Adam Laxalt, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is eyeing a potential Senate bid. Not on the list: besieged Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who is facing accusations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with teenagers when he was in his 30s. Looking to reward those who have been loyal to the administration, Pence is wading into several prospective primaries. Among those getting checks are Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Senate hopeful who is facing a fight for the Republican nomination, and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso. Several potential Barrasso primary opponents have emerged, including investor Foster Friess and Blackwater founder Erik Prince. “I am honored to have the support of such…
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Country music singer Neal McCoy’s newly released single about the NFL is climbing the charts, but you’ll probably never see the song performed at halftime. Released Nov. 10, “Take a Knee My Ass” was ranked first on Amazon’s digital country songs and fourth on the iTunes Top 100 Country Songs Chart as of late Sunday. Mr.…
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Fourteen students at Overton High School in Nashville faced charges Tuesday after a massive fight broke out on campus. Police said the brawl was between male students of Latino and Kurdish descent ranging in age from 14 to 19. There were no serious injuries. Twelve juveniles were charged with disorderly conduct, with one also charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. The student put his hand on the officer’s holstered gun during the struggle, according to a spokesman with the Metro Nashville Police Department. All twelve were taken to juvenile detention. Two adult students, 18-year-old Bayar Abdullah and 19-year-old Azad Abdullah, were charged with disorderly conducted and issued misdemeanor citations. Located on Franklin Road north of Brentwood, Overton High School is one of the most diverse high schools in the South with hundreds of immigrant and refugee students. The school was placed on lockdown around 11 a.m. because of the fight. WSMV News 4 reported that the fight broke out upstairs in one of the freshman hallways and bathrooms. According to WSMV: A student told News 4 there is one hallway inside the school that is referred to as the “Kurdish hallway,” and another is referred to as the “Mexican…
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Senator Lamar Alexander called the decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to restore the medicare billing privileges for Dr. Bryan Merrick “good news for the people of McKenzie and Dr. Merrick” in a statement given to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Alexander called on Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to hold hearings in the Senate Finance Commmittee he chairs on the Obama-era regulation that was used to revoke Dr. Merrick’s Medicare privileges in March. “This is good news for the people of McKenzie and Dr. Merrick, and I am glad that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has resolved this situation. I especially appreciate the hard work of Representative David Kustoff to solve this problem — his efforts to fix this problem were very important to all of us,” Alexander said in the statement. “I’m happy to hear that CMS has decided to do the right thing and allow Dr. Merrick to return his attention to his patients and the people of McKenzie,” former Congressional candidate Dr. George Flinn told The Star. Flinn was one of many West Tennessee community leaders he advocated on behalf of Dr. Merrick after his Medicare privileges were…
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Tennessee education commissioner Candice McQueen has announced the reconvening of a special task force on student testing and assessment. The state for the past few years has struggled with problems with testing vendors and growing concern among parents and others that students are overtested. McQueen started the task force after taking office in 2015 to get feedback from educators, parents and stakeholders and has made it an annual practice. Past recommendations from the task force have included shortening some state tests and eliminating the SAT-10, Explore and Plan exams, among other suggestions. “This task force has been critical in our work to improve the testing experience for students while providing better information to teachers and parents,” McQueen said in a news release Monday. “As in the past, I am confident that this group will continue to provide meaningful, actionable recommendations for improving both district and state assessment programs.” Many new participants will join the third annual assessment task force. Here is a list of task force members, with an asterisk beside the names of new participants: Candice McQueen, Tennessee Commissioner of Education Sara Morrison, Executive Director, State Board of Education Dolores Gresham, Chairman, Senate Education Committee John Forgety, Chairman, House Education…
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On this day 54 years ago, November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, a wild-eyed Communist with delusions of grandeur. Instead of typical recitations of the events of President Kennedy’s last day and its gruesome end, here is a list of some of the more noteworthy accomplishments during our 35th president’s short time in office… Broke the ‘Catholic Ceiling’ Although many questions surround the 1960 presidential contest between Republican nominee, Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John Kennedy, the Democrat won the day, becoming the second-youngest chief executive in our nation’s history (the youngest is President Theodore Roosevelt, who was 42). But what made Kennedy’s election groundbreaking was that he was the first Catholic to hold the presidency in our overwhelmingly Protestant nation. Pro-growth economic policy and tax reforms Upon assuming office, the United States’ economy was weighted down by a nagging recession. Kennedy’s pro-growth economic policy positions led to the most significant tax reforms since President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. The cornerstone of JFK’s bold plan was an across-the-boards tax cut and a new investment tax credit. Throughout the Eisenhower era, the average GDP had grown an average of only 2.2% each year – a paltry rate…
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Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone. Those African nations are notoriously associated with the gruesome ritual of female genital mutilation—but it also occurs in the U.S. where an alarming number of women and girls are subjected to such torture that Immigration and Customs Enforcement pledges to stop, according to an announcement Monday. It’s estimated more than 500,000 women…
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Poor and starving people are not particularly appealing news stories, but fighting poverty is and should be a moral imperative for citizens in our cities, state and nation. Educators are often on the frontlines.
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The opioid crisis is killing thousands more Americans than previously thought and its economic toll reached half a trillion dollars in 2015, the White House said Monday in a report that reexamines the reach of the prescription drug and heroin epidemic. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury death in the U.S., outnumbering car crashes…
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An administrator with Metro Nashville Public Schools has been put on paid administrative pending an investigation into charges of sexual harassment. Moreno Carrasco, executive officer for priority schools, received a letter from employee relations last week citing “accusations of harassment committed by you towards female staff members at MNPS.” The letter noted that “this period of administrative leave is not a form of disciplinary action, it is just for the purpose of investigation.” Carrasco was tapped by Superintendent Shawn Joseph in summer 2016 to lead efforts to turn around the district’s lowest-performing schools. Joseph had recently been named superintendent and knew Carrasco from when they both worked in Maryland. Carrasco held positions in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland as a central office administrator and school principal. In 2007, he won the Met Life High School Principal of the Year award for Maryland, given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. In a Metro Nashville Public Schools newsletter at the time Carrasco was hired, Joseph called Carrasco “one of the strongest school leaders I have worked with.” “He can be a coach, a strategist and a mentor, which is exactly what our highest priority schools need,” Joseph said. “He learned…
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Conservative leaders on Monday blasted a request by a pair of former top IRS officials for a court order to keep sealed their testimony related to the agency’s targeting scandal. Lois Lerner and her deputy Holly Paz cited fears for their personal safety in asking a federal judge last week to keep tapes and transcripts of…
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President Donald Trump’s administration will end a temporary quasi-amnesty program for almost 60,000 Haitians, but only after a long delay, senior officials said Monday. Officials speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters that Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke had decided to end the program for victims of the 2010 Haitian earthquake but delay its implementation…
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Screenshot – Dale Jr It’s the end of an era. Dale Earnhardt Jr. handed his racing helmet over to team owner Rick Hendrick following his final lap at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20, and thus ended his career behind the wheel. Watch the video Although Junior is part of a racing legacy with his dad, NASCAR…
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Supporters of allowing DACA recipients to remain permanently in the U.S. will hold a vigil this evening outside the Nashville offices of Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Bob Corker (R-TN) on West End Avenue. The vigil at 6:30 p.m. is organized by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and JUMP (Jóvenes Unidos por un Mejor Presente, or Youth United for a Better Present). A similar vigil sponsored by TIRRC and the Memphis Youth Association will be held at City Hall in Memphis at 6 p.m. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was started by former President Obama with an executive order and granted illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. if they met certain criteria. In September, President Trump rescinded DACA and turned the issue over to Congress to consider a legislative solution. Nearly 800,000 young people nationally have been granted DACA status and there currently are around 690,000 recipients, including more than 8,300 in Tennessee. Activists want Congress to pass a “clean” DACA bill granting residency without approval for the legislation being contingent on funding for a border wall and strengthened interior immigration enforcement, as President…
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Lift the Vote, a non-profit project that focuses on Christian voter engagement, is encouraging Christians throughout the Volunteer State and the country to support the “#RedWednesday” effort organized by two Christian organizations based in Great Britain that calls attention to persecuted Christians around the world by using the color red on Wednesday “as a symbol of Christian martyrdom.” As Breitbart News reported, “On 22 November, churches and public buildings around the world, including the houses of the British Parliament, will be lit up in red as a sign of solidarity with persecuted Christians across the globe,” adding: Numerous studies have shown that Christians are by far the most persecuted religious group in the world, with some 90,000 Christians killed for their faith in 2016 alone, while as many as 600 million were prevented from practicing their faith. The event known as #RedWednesday calls attention to the plight of Christians in hostile situations around the globe by using the color red to evoke the notion of Christian martyrdom. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Catholic organization that assists persecuted Christians, has organized the event in conjunction with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). “We are supporting this movement and encourage churches…
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Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall is seeking a fifth term as sheriff. A Democrat, Hall announced last week that he is preparing to run in the May 1 primary. The general election is Aug. 2. First elected sheriff in 2002, the Nashville native is currently serving his fourth consecutive four-year term. Before becoming sheriff, Hall was chief deputy for the sheriff’s department. Earlier this year, Hall opposed efforts by Metro Council to pass sanctuary city bills. Proponents of the legislation wanted the sheriff’s department to get court-approved warrants to detain illegal immigrants who come into contact with law enforcement instead of simply following procedures set forth by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The proposed legislation was withdrawn because of public protest and the opinion of Metro’s law director, who said that under state law, the council can’t stop the sheriff from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Hall has also drawn attention for his efforts to decriminalize mental illness. He oversaw the design of a behavioral care center that will sit next to the new downtown detention center. The center will be for people for whom it is deemed more beneficial to receive therapy than serve time in jail for misdemeanors. Both facilities are set…
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When it comes to the steps he takes to safeguard his marriage, Vice President Mike Pence can’t get a break. Not even after the recent flood of revelations about indecent behavior on the part of power players in Hollywood and Washington, D.C. In March, the Washington Post ran a profile of Pence’s wife, Karen, which recalled how Pence in 2002 told The Hill that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and won’t attend events with alcohol if she’s not with him. Both Pence and his wife are evangelical Christians. The Washington Post piece prompted a backlash, even among some evangelicals, who said Pence’s approach goes too far and insults women. Many conservatives are saying news stories this fall about entertainment figures and politicians behaving badly proves the wisdom of Pence’s rule. But not Katelyn Beaty, a Christianity Today editor who took Pence to task in an op-ed for the New York Times last week titled “A Christian Case Against the Pence Rule.” Beaty wrote: I know many Christians who keep some version of the rule. These men have good motives. Their stated intent – marital fidelity – is noble, and one that I respect. But the Pence rule is inadequate to…
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a Little Rock audience over the weekend that her husband’s first White House bid was successful in large part because Fox News Channel did not exist. Bill Clinton, his wife, and long-time ally James Carville convened at the Clinton Foundation on Saturday night to celebrate the 25th anniversary of…
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Former President Bill Clinton continues to remain silent about the 26 flights he took aboard convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet, dubbed the “Lolita Express,” which reportedly offered underage girls to passengers to rape. Fox News wrote in 2016 that the Lolita Express, a Boeing 727 jet, was “reportedly outfitted with a bed where passengers…
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Democratic Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is not planning to resign amid allegations he groped and made unwanted sexual advances towards news anchor Leeann Tweeden. A spokesman for Franken told The Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Saturday that the senator was not going to resign, but the sexual assault claims have made him do “a lot of reflecting” on…
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If Congress moves forward with repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate through tax reform, it would likely not lead to the coverage losses that some of the program’s supporters tout. The Senate is currently proposing repealing the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that all Americans purchase health insurance or pay a penalty through its tax reform proposal, a proposal…
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by Jeffrey A. Rendall It may be a little hard to remember now, nearly ten months later, but the newly sworn in President Donald Trump created waves throughout the country when he introduced a little known federal judge from Colorado as the prospective replacement for the late legendary Justice Antonin Scalia at the end of January. Neil Gorsuch and his wife Marie Louise stood patiently behind President Trump as the announcement was made to the country. The Justice-to-be then delivered a brief but stirring tribute to the man whom he would succeed and promised, if confirmed, to do everything in his power to maintain Scalia’s tradition of upholding the original meaning of the Constitution. Because of his conservative textualist philosophy Gorsuch endured a grueling senate confirmation battle at the hands of the desperate Democrat opposition which ultimately ended in the slim Republican majority’s “nuking” of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, which then paved the way for the appeals court judge to elevate to the high court with 54 votes. It’s safe to say Gorsuch has not disappointed conservatives ever since, and many see the newest Supreme Court Justice as the most successful fulfillment of any of Donald Trump’s…
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CMA Country Christmas airs Monday, November 27th on ABC.
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Curtis Acosta, an activist and former high school teacher involved in promoting a controversial Mexican-American studies program in Tuscon, Arizona schools, will speak at Vanderbilt University Dec. 7. In 2010, in response to criticism of the instructional program, Arizona passed a law banning materials that promote overthrowing the U.S. government and inculcate racial resentment and ethnic solidarity. Most of the law was upheld by a federal judge when challenged. The case was appealed and went back to trial and in August the same judge ruled that the ban is racially discriminatory and violates students’ constitutional rights. “Acosta’s presentation will focus on that victory by examining the connection between the racist and dehumanizing policies in Arizona with the current national political climate that is affecting youth, people of color and other marginalized communities,” says a Vanderbilt University news release. The Tuscon Unified School District in 2012 dropped the Mexican-American studies program so as not to lose state funding. But controversy continued over instructional materials as educators pressed to teach the same themes as part of a “culturally relevant” curriculum. The Daily Caller reported that teachers received approval to use texts including “Occupied America,” “Message to Aztlan” and “Chicano!” There also was controversy over Rage Against the Machine’s “Take…
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The Salvation Army Sally Awards Rest in peace, Della Reese. The “Touched By An Angel” actress and music legend passed away on Sunday, Nov. 19, according to PEOPLE. She was 86 years old. “On behalf of her husband, Franklin Lett, and all her friends and family, I share with you the news that our beloved Della…
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Charles Manson, the evil man who orchestrated ten murders committed by his cult of followers in 1969, has died and gone to hell at the age of 83. The end came for Manson at a hospital in Bakersfield, California. Convicted of the murders in 1970, Manson has been in a California prison ever since. The Associated Press recounts the crimes and subsequent trial: A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of L.A.’s rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war — an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song “Helter Skelter.” The slayings horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at California’s Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself…
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The country music world is mourning the passing of another legend. Country music great and distinguished singer-songwriter Mel Tillis passed away on the morning of Nov. 19. According to a statement from his publicist, Mel died as a result of respiratory failure. He was 85 years old. …
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Texas has allocated $20 million in its 2018-2019 budget to go to a pro-life program that offers alternatives to abortion and provides services to new parents. “If they’re self-sufficient through the process of childbirth and afterward, that saves the state money and makes for much happier women and children and families,” Texas Alliance for Life Executive…
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