Fired Williamson County Teacher Sues to Clear Her Name

FRANKLIN — A former teacher dismissed from her job in Williamson County wants the people who allegedly helped to get her fired to retract a written statement they made about her. And that woman, Nedra Finney, is using the courts to try to make that happen. Finney and her Nashville-based attorney Michael Clemons filed a defamation lawsuit against two parents she says wrote a letter that cost her her job. The parents, who are unidentified, allegedly wrote a letter to members of the Franklin Special School District and accused Finney of mistreating their child and acting unprofessional on the job. Finney told The Tennessee Star the accusations are untrue. On Tuesday, Finney and Clemons attended a hearing where those parents, who did not attend, made a motion to dismiss the lawsuit Finney filed against them. In her lawsuit, Finney said all she wants is for the parents to write a letter retracting the statements they made about her — and to cover the cost of her legal fees while she tries to exonerate herself. “My understanding is the parents refuse to write a letter of retraction of the false statements,” Finney said. “I didn’t pay much attention to the (Brett)…

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Forbes Calls Tennessee Part of a ‘Southern Taxpayer Safe Space’

Tennessee is one of four states with a governor that has taken state tax hikes off the table, according to a new article in Forbes. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina are the other three states, according to Patrick Gleason, vice president of state affairs at Americans for Tax Reform. Gleason is also a senior fellow at the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee, a free market think tank. Gleason said these four states “have experienced some of the nation’s most rapid population growth in recent years.” This is advantageous for people in those states, particularly now, Gleason said, in his Forbes article. “Congressional Democrats who control the U.S. House of Representatives are already pushing to ratchet up the federal corporate tax rate and hike the top personal income tax rate, which hits a large share of small business income, as high as 70%,” Gleason said. This, while a new lineup of Southern governors carry out low tax and other free market policies in their respective states, Gleason wrote. “One thing that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp all have in common, aside from the fact that they’re all Republicans, is that each one of them signed a…

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Commentary: The Party of Death, Out in the Open

by Ned Ryun   Safe, legal, and rare was a lie. President Bill Clinton in 1996 told Americans abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” That was then. Now the cult of death, pro-abortion movement has taken over the Democratic Party whole-cloth, and the result is the infanticidal law passed in New York on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Now the party line has shifted to abortion on demand, paid for by taxpayers, at any time, even up until moments before birth: witness what just took place in New York state. The Empire State no more; New York is now the Abortion State. The laws just signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo are as vile as they are expansive. New Yorkers are now legally able to end the life of their unborn child up until the moment of birth. In cases which threaten the health (even the mental health) of the mother or when the unborn child isn’t considered “viable,” a woman now has the right to have lethal injection performed on the child, ending its life just moments before it would enter the world. And you don’t even need a doctor to conduct this abortion; New Yorkers can have…

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New Evidence Refutes Adam Schiff’s Theory About Trump Tower Meeting

by Chuck Ross   The Senate Intelligence Committee obtained phone records showing Donald Trump Jr. did not speak with his father from a blocked telephone number in the days before the infamous Trump Tower meeting in June 2016. The finding, first reported by CNN, undercuts Democrats’ theory Trump Jr. might have told his father in those phone calls about the Trump Tower meeting, which was held June 9, 2016, with a group of Russians who had offered dirt on Hillary Clinton. Democrats led by California Rep. Adam Schiff long theorized the phone calls were between father and son and that they could have discussed the meeting. “We wanted to get the phone records to determine, was Donald Trump talking to his son about this meeting,” Schiff told CNN in November 2018. “It’s an obvious investigative step, but one the Republicans were unwilling to take because they were afraid of where the evidence might lead.” Phone records provided to the Senate Intelligence panel shows the calls were between Trump Jr. and two business associates, according to CNN. The calls were made in the days before the Trump Tower meeting. Another call occurred several hours after the meeting. The identity of the…

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MTSU Professor Guest Lecturing at Belmont Plays “F*** Trump’ Song

A Middle Tennessee University music professor apparently went off script during his guest lecture at Belmont University this week and played the song “F**k Donald Trump” over the loudspeaker. Belmont, of course, is a Christian university. Joseph Morgan was the MTSU professor in question. Belmont spokesman Greg Pillon confirmed the incident in an emailed statement to The Tennessee Star. “On Wednesday, an outside speaker appeared at Belmont University and shared content about politics and popular culture that was biased and disrespectful. Some of the content presented, including the presentation title which was different from what had been approved by university officials, was outside the lines of what was expected,” Pillon said. “The university feels betrayed by the deception implicit in the actions of the guest speaker. Belmont University does not endorse the message that was delivered and also strongly objects to the obscene language that was used. We apologize to anyone who was offended as today’s event was not reflective of our Christian identity nor of our institutional commitment to civil political discourse.” According to CampusReform.org, Belmont marketed the event as a music and discourse lecture titled “Popular Music and Presidential Politics.” Morgan instead reportedly delivered a lecture titled “Popular Music…

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Evidence Mounts Against Climate Prediction That Inspired ‘Day After Tomorrow’ Disaster Flick

by Michael Bastasch   New evidence casts further doubt on model-based predictions that global warming could halt the Gulf Stream currents as part of an alarming scenario that inspired the 2004 disaster film, “The Day After Tomorrow.” For years, scientists warned global warming could halt the Atlantic’s “conveyor belt” and foment extreme weather and raise sea levels from North America to Europe. That prediction is based on climate models that, the new study found, may be analyzing the wrong thing. “Some of these models are producing five times the amount of Labrador Sea water they should be producing, based on observations,” lead author Susan Lozier, a professor at Duke University, told The Washington Post Friday. Lozier’s study found that climate models overestimate the role of the Labrador Sea west of Greenland in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). The study found the Nordic Sea east of Greenland played a dominant role in the AMOC. Lozier led an international effort to measure AMOC in the North Atlantic. Scientists from 16 organizations launched the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP) in 2014, and now released data collected during the first 21 months of operations. Some researchers cautioned that 21 months…

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Commentary: Democrats’ Nutty Ideas Doomed to Drive Americans Back to the GOP

by Jeffrey A. Randall   Democrat leaders’ outlandishly rude behavior during and after the recently halted government shutdown brought to mind a memorable quote from the classic 1990’s bowling comedy Kingpin: Roy Munson: “Brother Thomas, you know what it says in the Bible about not forgiving people.” Thomas: “Why don’t you tell us all what it says Brother Hezakiah.” Roy Munson: “Well, it’s a… It’s against it.” You’re forgiven if you chuckled at lovable dunce Roy Munson’s ignorance of scripture (the actual scene clip is here); the over-the-top goofy movie wasn’t intended to directly make fun of religion, though there’s been plenty of that lately from the usual loony leftist sources…and it isn’t funny. The point here is “forgiveness” has been in awful short supply these days, with Democrats and their fans in the establishment media preferring the more recognizable and odious route of out-and-out resistance to President Donald Trump’s sane governing overtures. Trump’s position on the necessity of a border barrier has been ridiculed and lampooned by many of the same Democrats who were more than happy to be caught on tape over the years extolling the virtues of a border wall and the need to quell the flow…

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Boy Scouts Welcome Girls Into Their Ranks

The Boy Scouts of America welcomed girls into its ranks Friday. For almost a year young girls have been able to join the Cub Scouts. But starting Friday, girls 11-17 years old can participate in the Boy Scouts program, now called Scouts BSA. That curriculum is the path to becoming an Eagle Scout, the organization’s highest rank. Co-ed troops, however, are not planned for Scouts BSA. Boys and girls will be able to earn the same merit badges and advance through the same ranks. According to a statement on the the Boy Scouts of America’s website, “The leadership of the BSA determined that the best way to welcome girls and serve today’s families was to offer a unique model that builds on the proven benefits of our single-gender program, while also providing character and leadership opportunities for both boys and girls.” – – –                 VOA News

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Oak Ridge, Tennessee Plans to Fight School Vouchers

Members of the Oak Ridge Board of Education say they are drafting a formal resolution opposing school vouchers, and they plan to forward it to state legislators. This is the second known local government entity in Tennessee to take a stand against school choice. According to the most recent draft of the Oak Ridge resolution, board members complain that, under school choice, private schools have standards to enroll or remove any students they wish. Board members also complain “voucher programs divert critical dollars and commitment from public schools to pay private school tuition for a few students, including many who already attend private schools.” Board Chairman Keys Fillauer (pictured above: second from right) told The Tennessee Star Friday he also opposes school vouchers for other reasons. “I can even see that opening up some areas where it (vouchers) can almost be used as a recruiting tool for athletes, for example,” Fillauer said. “I don’t feel like vouchers would allow students, if they go to private schools, some type of special education training, either for physical or academic reasons. Finally, I am not sure those who are in favor (of vouchers) have looked at the issue of what transportation needs might…

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Illegal Immigrants Are Trying to Starve Themselves to Death in Hunger Strike

by Tim Pearce   Nearly a dozen illegal immigrants at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas are refusing to eat as part of a hunger strike against alleged verbal abuse by guards, The Associated Press reported. ICE officials confirmed Thursday to the AP that 11 detainees at the El Paso Processing Center have refused to eat at least nine consecutive meals. Detainees and others connected with those inside the facility say roughly 30 men are actively participating in the hunger strike. Officials at the El Paso facility have inserted nasal tubes into six detainees to force feed them and keep them alive. Hunger strikes at ICE facilities are scarce and situations where a court order is obtained to force feed a detainee is almost unheard of, an ICE official told the AP. “Nine of the 11 detainees missed their ninth consecutive meal, triggering hunger strike protocols, in late December and early January,” ICE spokeswoman Dani Bennett said in a statement, according to CNN. ICE did not comment on the motivation for the hunger strike, the El Paso Times reported. “It’s just the discrimination. They observe it, they see it. That’s what sparked that,” Michigan-based lawyer Ruby Kaur,…

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New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker Launches 2020 Bid

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on Friday declared his bid for the presidency in 2020 with a sweeping call to unite a deeply polarized nation around a “common purpose.” The New Jersey Democrat, who is the second black candidate in a primary field that’s already historically diverse, delivered his message of unity amid an era marked by bitter political division. “I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind; where parents can put food on the table; where there are good-paying jobs with good benefits in every neighborhood; where our criminal justice system keeps us safe, instead of shuffling more children into cages and coffins; where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame,” Booker said in the video, subtly jabbing at President Donald Trump. “It is not a matter of can we, it’s a matter of do we have the collective will, the American will?” he added. “I believe we do.” Booker enters what’s shaping up to be a crowded presidential primary, with three of his fellow Democratic senators – Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York –…

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Trump Calls Border Wall Negotiations ‘A Waste of Time’

by Carla Babb   President Donald Trump is calling bipartisan congressional talks over border wall funding a “waste of time.” In a White House interview with The New York Times Thursday, Trump again hinted he may declare a national emergency in order to bypass Congress and build the wall without its approval. “I’ll continue to build the wall and we’ll get the wall finished. Now whether or not I declare a national emergency, that you’ll see … I’ve set the table, I’ve set the stage for doing what I’m going to do.” Shutdown? National emergency? If there is no deal on border security in less than three weeks that Trump would sign, there could be another government shutdown. If Trump does declare a national emergency, Democrats who don’t want any money for a border wall will probably immediately challenge Trump in court. The president had strong words for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who has said many times that she will not agree to give Trump the $5.7 billion he wants for a wall. “I think Nancy Pelosi is hurting our country very badly by doing what she’s doing,” Trump said, adding that while he has always gotten along with her,…

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Ohio Sells 42 Pounds of Medicinal Marijuana in First Weeks of Legal Sales

Ohio sold $330,000 of medicinal marijuana in 12 days. According to the Marijuana Business Daily, that’s almost double the sales rate of, both, Hawaii and Massachusetts when they legalized the drug. These strong numbers are made all the more impressive by the fact that Ohio marijuana prices are almost five times more expensive than if bought illegally and that only four locations are currently open and selling in Ohio. While it’s too early to say what is driving these strong numbers, Ohio’s complicated relationship with other drugs might be a major motivating factor. Of Ohio, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, Ohio, by far, has the highest opioid prescription rate as well as the highest opioid overdose death rate. While many Ohioans may be concerned that marijuana legalization is simply victims of drug addiction switching from one drug to another, it actually has positive implications for the future of the Buckeye State. Marijuana use does carry side effects, however, these effects are far less severe than opioid abuse. Furthermore, a heroin user is 19 times more likely to have started out by abusing an opioid prescription. Marijuana is somewhat more complicated. While historically it has been considered a “gateway drug,” new reports and insights reveal that…

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North Carolina’s Flagship Public University Under Legal Fire for Overly Race-Based Admissions

North Carolina’s flagship public university is under legal fire for the allegedly over-use of race-based admissions policies. Specifically, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is being accused of over-selecting minorities in their admissions and related policies. Students For Fair Admissions (SFFA), a non-profit based in Virginia, filed a motion for summary judgment against UNC-Chapel Hill in January. “UNC’s use of race is the opposite of individualized; UNC uses race mechanically to ensure the admission of the vast majority of underrepresented minorities,” says the SFFA motion. UNC-Chapel Hill responded to the motion in their own brief, stating that the school has a “longstanding commitment to diversity.” “In its academic judgment, the university has determined that pursuing the educational benefits of diversity is integral to fulfilling its mission to prepare the next generation of leaders,” said UNC-Chapel Hill’s response. In addition to filing suit, a dedicated website called uncnotfair.org has been set up by SFFA.  “Were You Denied Admission to the University of North Carolina? It may be because you’re the wrong race,” the website’s front page reads. SFFA’s plaintiff is an unnamed white male from North Carolina who applied for and was denied admission for the Fall of 2014.…

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Ilhan Omar Says She ‘Chuckles’ When Americans Call Israel a Democracy

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) said she “almost chuckles” when people refer to Israel as a Democracy in a recent tell-all interview with Yahoo News. In the interview, Omar advocates for “having an equal approach” to dealing with Israel and Palestine. “Most of the things that have always been aggravating to me is that we have had a policy that makes one superior to the other, and we mask it with a conversation about justice and a two-state solution when you have policies that clearly prioritize one over the other,” she said. When challenged to elaborate on specific policies, Omar simply deferred to America’s “relationship really with the Israeli government and with the Israeli state.” “So when when I see Israel institute law that recognizes it as a Jewish state and does not recognize the other religions that are living in it, we still uphold it as a democracy in the Middle East. I almost chuckle because I know that if we see that in any other society we would criticize it, we would call it out—we do that to Iran, we do that to any other place that sort of upholds its religion,” Omar continued, saying she’s “aggravated” by “those…

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Minnesota SOS Warns of ‘Bad Situation’ as Hundreds of Votes Go Uncounted in Special Election

Democrat Stu Lourey defeated opponent Michelle Lee by 233 votes in the DFL’s January 22 Senate District 11 primary, but new reports indicate that more than 400 mail-in ballots went uncounted. Duluth News-Tribune first reported that hundreds of ballots arrived January 25, three days after the election, and thus were not counted. Because of the “truncated timeline” for special elections, administrators and county auditors struggle to deliver mail-in ballots to voters in a timely manner, a spokesman for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office said. Under Minnesota law, just 35 days can pass between a governor’s issuance of a Writ of Special Election and the date of the general election. State law further stipulates that only ballots received on or before a general or primary election will be counted. “If I’m a voter, it’s frustrating,” Auditor Paul Gassert told Duluth News-Tribune, noting that mail-in ballots continued to arrive the Monday after the primary. A majority of the late ballots (250) came from Carlton County where Lee defeated Lourey 1,161 to 896 votes. As a result, Secretary of State Steve Simon (D-MN) announced Tuesday that he will begin working with the Minnesota Legislature to extend the time frame for future special…

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North Carolina Middle School Promotes ‘Black Lives Matter In School Week of Action’ to Staff

A text message sent out to staffers of a middle school in Wake County, North Carolina is promoting the upcoming “Black Lives Matter In Schools” week of action. Staffers at the West Cary Middle School were sent a text message by Assistant Principal Charlesa Peoples with information about the week of February 4th being “Black Lives Matter In Schools” week of action. “Yes, I know all lives matter,” wrote Peoples in the text message. “But the week of February 4th is focused specifically on our black students ok? “And if we don’t see why this is important, we are part of the problem,” Peoples wrote. The text message sent to West Cary Middle staffers also informed teachers that they could obtain materials such as the “13 guiding principles of Black Lives Matter” from the “Teaching Tolerance” website, which is a project of the controversial Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The “13 guiding principles” have been assigned to activities throughout the week of action: Monday: Restorative justice, empathy and loving engagement Tuesday: Diversity and globalism Wednesday: Trans-affirming, queer-affirming and collective value Thursday: Intergenerational, black families and black villages Friday: Black women and unapologetically black The website BlackLivesMatterAtSchool.com provides a ‘starter kit’ for teachers and…

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Volkswagen Reportedly Demanded Things from Tennessee Officials Before Announcing Chattanooga Electric Car Plant

Tennessee officials reportedly made concessions to Volkswagen to get the company to construct a new electric vehicle plant in Chattanooga, according to The Chattanooga Times Free Press. But, as the paper went on to say, state residents may not yet see a list of those concessions, which are apparently financial. For that, they will have to wait until new Republican Gov. Bill Lee presents his first proposed state budget in March, according to the paper. Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe told the paper Lee will deliver that proposed budget March 4. “Rolfe’s comments came following his budget presentation to Lee in which he asked for a $126.2 million increase in departmental spending for the 2019-2020 budget, which would take effect July 1,” according to The Chattanooga Times Free Press. “The VW project wasn’t included. The commissioner said the amount was determined as part of the negotiations with the German auto manufacturer.” Rolfe told the paper that Volkswagen officials “wanted a definitive number before they made a commitment to expand in Tennessee.” “We are aware they (Volkswagen) had conversations with a couple of other states.” Rolfe told The Chattanooga Times Free Press. As The Tennessee Star reported, last…

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