State Senate Candidates Shane Reeves and Joe Carr Spar over NRA, Tennessee Firearms Association Ratings

Former State Representative Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) and Murfreesboro businessman Shane Reeves clashed again on Wednesday, this time, over a claim by Reeves that Carr is absent in his support of Tennesseans’ gun rights. The latest exchange between the two GOP rivals came just two weeks and one day before Republican primary voters select one of them at the polls on January 25 to be the party’s nominee in the March 13 special general election to elect a successor to former State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), who resigned in November to take a position in the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture. Wednesday morning, Reeves’ campaign issued a press release stating that the National Rifle Association has “a question mark” with regards to fellow Republican and rival Joe Carr’s support of 2nd Amendment rights: Today the National Rifle Association (NRA) released their grades for the 14th senatorial district special election. Businessman, Shane Reeves, received the highest grade that can be given to a first time candidate with an “A” rating. Former State Representative, Joe Carr, received a “?” from the prominent gun rights organization. “I am honored to receive the NRA’s highest rating for a non-incumbent candidate. I have a long history of supporting our…

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‘Let’s Talk Transit’ Event With Mayor Megan Barry Long on Slogans, Short on Substance

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – At a “Let’s Talk Transit” Nashville Chamber of Commerce event sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas on Wednesday , keynote speaker Mayor Megan Barry delivered a number of campaign slogans and one liners, but her address was short on the substantive details about her proposed $9 billion mass transit plan. Mayor Barry was introduced by Jennifer Carlat, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Policy, at the nicely appointed Nissan Stadium West Club where about 500 pre-registered guests were in attendance. Carlat said that most people attending said their “commute was easier than they thought,” and added that the Chamber is looking to engage members and their employees and get them the information they need before the vote on May 1. After recognizing several Metro Council members that were in attendance after a late public hearing on transit held the previous night that went from 6 to 9:50 p.m., Mayor Barry gave a “shout out” to the Titans for hosting the event. She joked that Kansas City barbecue would be coming her way, as a result of the Titans wild card win last weekend, and that she was looking forward to  receiving some “Boston clam chowder,”  after the Titans’ game…

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Army Boosts Air Defense, Key To Joint & Allied Fight

The shift from low-intensity land wars and the concepts of operations associated with them to getting ready for higher tempo and higher intensity operations are key to the transformation of U.S. and allied forces. The challenge facing the liberal democracies was well put in a recent presentation by a senior Finnish defense official: “The timeline for early warning is shorter; the threshold for the use of force is lower.”

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Commentary: How Trump Can Win a Government Shutdown Over DACA, The Wall and Ending Chain Migration

By Robert Romano   There is a good chance that Senate Democrats will attempt to filibuster whatever 2018 spending bill comes up next week, with funding running out on Jan. 19. The result will be a partial government shutdown. Congressional Democrats complain that President Donald Trump is not playing along with their desire to permanently legalize illegal immigrants from former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Democrats still want amnesty, and expect to get it in return for almost nothing. President Trump, for his part, has been adamant on his terms for a deal, calling for an end to chain migration, the visa lottery and he wants long-term funding for the southern border wall. At a Jan. 8 speech to the American Farm Bureau in Nashville, Tenn. Trump promised, “We are going to end chain migration.  We are going to end the lottery system, and we are going to build the wall.” These battle lines were more than on display at a bipartisan meeting at the White House with members of the House and Senate on Jan. 9. So far, Trump is sticking to his guns. And he should. The President has the upper hand. Democrats possess no majorities in the…

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Lawyer: Cliven Bundy May Sue the Feds for Malicious Prosecution, Civil-Rights Abuses

Rancher Cliven Bundy no longer faces federal charges in the 2014 Nevada standoff, but that doesn’t mean his legal fight with the Justice Department is over. Attorney Larry Klayman said Mr. Bundy is considering filing lawsuits for malicious prosecution and civil-rights violations stemming from the court battle that ended Monday with a federal judge dismissing all charges against him over “flagrant prosecutorial misconduct.”

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US Slaps Tariffs on Canadian Paper Imports

The United States hit Canada with yet another round of punitive import tariffs, this time for as much as 10 percent on paper used to print newspapers and books. The US Commerce Department said in a statement late Tuesday night that the tariffs on uncoated groundwood paper came after an investigation launched in August found Canadian producers receive subsidies giving them an unfair advantage in the US market.

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Defense Department Audit Is Overdue

At the beginning December 2017, the comptroller of the Department of Defense (DoD) David Norquist announced that DoD would conduct its first ever audit. According to Mr. Norquist, “It is important that the Congress and the American people have confidence in DoD’s management of every taxpayer dollar.” Given that President Trump subsequently signed the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act – authorizing nearly $700 billion for DoD and that the Pentagon has an estimated $2.4 trillion in assets – an audit is long overdue.

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Education Issues May Dominate 2018 Legislative Session of the Tennessee General Assembly

Tennessee Star

Several contentious education issues may highlight the legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly that convened on Tuesday. And if a recent Tennessee Star Poll of likely GOP Primary voters is any indication, Republican legislators need to be sure they are on the right side of the issues if they want to return to the Legislature next year. IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGALS. Another effort by State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R- Chattanooga) to resurrect a plan to allow illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition at Tennessee colleges and universities is under consideration. A Tennessee Star Poll conducted in December 2017 that focused on GOP Primary voters underlines how support for using taxpayer funds to subsidize tuition for illegal aliens may be for Republican candidates facing primary opposition. Those polled were asked: In 2018, the Tennessee state legislature is expected to reconsider a bill to make tax-payer subsidized in-state college tuition available to illegal immigrant students. Do you support or oppose providing taxpayer subsidized in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students? The question resulted in an astronomically high level of opposition, with 88.3% opposing in-state tuition for illegals while 6.4% were supportive and only 5.3% were undecided. The poll results are…

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