Left-Wing Activist Justin Jones Says Nashville DA Glenn Funk Treats Him Unfairly

Justin Jones, the left-wing protester charged with assaulting Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, said on social media this week that members of Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk’s office treat him unfairly. As The Tennessee Star reported this week, members of Funk’s office filed to revoke Jones’ bond. Jones attends Vanderbilt Divinity School. Last week, Jones allegedly threw a beverage — possibly coffee — at Casada and State Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington. Jones was already out on bond for allegedly disrupting a Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senate rally in Nashville last October. Jones, though, said members of Funk’s office filed to revoke his bond, not because officers arrested him a second time, but because he allegedly contacted Casada after the second arrest. As The Star reported, court officials ordered Jones to have no contact with Casada or Moody. On his Twitter page this week, Jones said this: “The DA filed a motion to revoke my bond on the basis of false evidence from the Speaker’s Office,” Jones said. “They claim I sent him an email on March 1st- when I did not. I urge the DA to release this alleged email to the media and public, since it…

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The Tennessee Star Report: State Senator Kerry Roberts Describes Female Protestor on the Hill Accosting a Sixteen-Year-Old Guest Because of Her Skin Color

On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Host Steve Gill spoke to Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) about the escalation of protesters and how the disruption is cause for concern at the Capitol. They then went into full detail about how one of the protesters was outside videoing herself yelling at a state trooper and then directed her attention to a sixteen-year-old girl who was innocently taking a tour of the capitol with her parents. Roberts went into detail about how the woman was yelling “racist” and making “Klan” references at both the officer and the young teen. The men agreed that this type of behavior in no way was looking for or favoring any real political change but was created only to seek “five minutes of fame” for disruptive YouTube wannabe hopefuls. Gill: Earlier this week we’ve covered the story that again the mainstream media again hasn’t covered. The Tennessean and the rest, they just can’t find the news. It seems that Justin Jones, the guy who assaulted people at a Marsha Blackburn rally in October waiting for his trial.…

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The Pro-Life Heartbeat Bill Passes the Tennessee House, Despite Protests From Planned Parenthood and Democrats

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The majority of State House members voted for a pro-life Heartbeat Bill that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, although the bill’s passage wasn’t without protests from Planned Parenthood and opposition by House Democrats. As reported by The Tennessee Star, the Heartbeat Bill, sponsored by Representative Micah Van Huss (R-Jonesborough) as HB 0077 passed in the House on Thursday by a vote of 65 Ayes, 21 Nays and 7 Present Not Voting. But, before the bill was presented and voted on, legislators were met with Planned Parenthood protesters in the rotunda of the Capitol outside the House chambers. Pro-life supporters were overwhelmed by pro-abortion protesters in both numbers and volume. Pro-abortionists, organized by Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood’s Executive Director Francie Hunt and Community Organizer Elizabeth Thomas as a “Healthcare not Hangers” event, numbered about two dozen. All presented hand-written signs with disturbing messages describing supposed methods a woman would take if she were denied the right to a legal abortion. One pro-life supporter, Brenda Catanach, pointed out to The Star that the signs represented actions that are all self-inflicted by a woman’s own choice and not imposed upon her against her will. In addition…

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Commentary: Leftist Indoctrination in Maine Gets Green Light from Republican Legislators

by Lawrence Lockman   Should teachers in Maine’s public schools be allowed to push partisan politics and ideology in the classroom? I don’t think so, and neither do many parents who have contacted me. That’s why I sponsored LD 589, proposed legislation directing the state board of education to draft a Code of Ethics for K-12 teachers. Simply put, the Code of Ethics would forbid teachers from endorsing candidates as part of their classroom instruction, from introducing controversial material not germane to the subject being taught, and generally from using their classrooms as bully pulpits for political, social or religious advocacy. The bill I sponsored is based on model legislation drafted by the David Horowitz Freedom Center. There’s abundant evidence that students in Maine’s K-12 government schools are being subjected to Leftist indoctrination in the classroom. “Progressive” teachers, administrators, and textbook publishers have been working overtime to ensure that students practice “correct thinking” on subjects such as racial guilt, gender identity, illegal immigration, and other controversial issues. As soon as the Code of Ethics bill was referred to the Education committee for a public hearing in late February, all the usual suspects announced their opposition. The head of the statewide…

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GOP and Democrats Clash Over The Green New Deal On Senate Floor

by Michael Bastasch   A rhetorical brawl over climate change broke out on the Senate floor as Democrats chided Republicans for criticizing the Green New Deal without proposing an alternative plan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other GOP Senate colleagues took to the chamber’s floor to criticize the Green New Deal, ahead of a planned vote on the sweeping resolution to massively expand government control in the name of climate change. Democrats, however, are trying to turn the tables on Republicans to side-step being tied to the Green New Deal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer chided GOP lawmakers for not offering their own climate policies. Schumer even interrupted GOP Texas Sen. John Cornyn to ask whether he believed “climate change is real” and ask him to say what policies he’s for, instead of what he’s against. “We know what he’s not for, what is he for?” Schumer said while Cornyn spoke on the Senate floor. “I’m not for socialism,” Cornyn responded. “I’m not for Washington, D.C., thinking they know better than what my constituents know.” I've been looking all over for it, but I still can't find the Republican plan to tackle climate change. When will they tell us…

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Ted Deutch Says Fellow Democrats Are Going Soft on Ilhan Omar’s ‘Anti-Semitic Lies’

by Peter Hasson   Democratic Florida Rep. Ted Deutch criticized Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Thursday for spreading “classic anti-Semitic lies” and said his fellow House Democrats aren’t doing enough to hold her accountable. Deutch criticized Democrats for changing a House resolution condemning anti-Semitism to include other forms of hate. “Why are we unable to singularly condemn anti-Semitism? Why can’t we call out anti-Semitism and show that we’ve learned the lessons of history? It feels like we’re only able to call the use anti-Semitic language by a colleague of ours, any colleague of ours, if we’re addressing all forms of hatred. And it feels like we can’t call it anti-Semitism, unless everybody agrees it’s anti-Semitism,” Deutch said in a passionate speech on the House floor. Referring to Omar, the congressman added, “when a colleague invokes classic anti-Semitic lies, three times, then this body must condemn that anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is worthy of being taken seriously on its own. It’s worthy of being singularly called out.” Congresswoman @IlhanMN deleted these anti-Semitic tweets today. pic.twitter.com/Vz7nn0W9WM — Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) February 26, 2019 “Jews control the world? Jews only care about money? Jews have dual loyalty and can’t be patriotic members of the…

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Cardinal Barbarin Offers Resignation to Pope After Francis Convicts Him of Abuse Cover-Up

by Joshua Gill   Cardinal Philippe Barbarin offered his resignation Thursday to Pope Francis after a French court convicted him of failing to report a pedophile priest. Barbarin is the first cardinal to face trial on charges of covering up child sexual abuse. The Lyon court convicted him of covering up the crimes of Rev. Bernard Preynat, who recently confessed to abusing several boy scouts between 1970 and 1980, after an alleged victim, Alexandre Hezez, warned Barbarin of Preynat’s abuse several times beginning in 2014. Prosecutors said they suspect Preynat abused 85 young boys. Barbarin said after his conviction that he would meet with Francis to tender his resignation. “I have decided to go and see the Holy Father to offer him my resignation,” Barbarin said, according to The Associated Press. He also said that he is keeping the alleged victims in his prayers and that he has “compassion” for them. The court ruled that Barbarin had an obligation to report Preynat to the authorities after Hezez informed him of the priest’s predatory behavior and warned him that there were probably other victims. Ecclesiastical privacy did not apply to Hezez’s report, since Hezez intended the information to be made public,…

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Commentary: The Progressive Ideas That Fueled America’s Eugenics Movement

by Bradley Thomas   Progressive ideology focuses on the “common good” while devaluing individual rights. This mindset, however, has disturbing consequences: when you elevate the “common good” over the rights of individuals, individuals become expendable. Such a mindset can lead to some disturbing practices. Eugenics and the Progressive Era Indeed, American progressives in the Progressive Era had quite an affinity for eugenics as a means to improve the stock of society by “scientific” means of control. Princeton University scholar Thomas C. Leonard documents this in his 2016 book Illiberal Reformers; Race, Eugenics & American Economics in the Progressive Era. The Progressive Era in America is typically recognized as the three to four decades after 1890. Eugenics is commonly referred to as a movement to “improve human heredity by the social control of human breeding.” During the Progressive Era, Leonard notes, it was quite fashionable in scholarly circles to openly discuss eugenics. “In 1928, 376 college courses were dedicated to the subject of eugenics,” he wrote. During that time, popular economist Irving Fisher co-founded the American Eugenics Society, which was accompanied by the American Race Betterment Society established in 1906 and the American Breeders Magazine that began publication in 1910. “Hundreds,…

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A Proclamation In Support of Israel, Initiated by Senator Mark Pody, Signed by Governor Bill Lee

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – In a ceremony held in the former Supreme Court chambers of the State Capitol, Governor Bill Lee signed a Proclamation honoring and commending the Nation of Israel, which was initiated by Senator Mark Pody. The Proclamation was originated by Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) through Senate Resolution SJR 0058 introduced in January. The primary sponsor in the House was Representative Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster). The Senate Republican Majority announced on its website that Pody’s Resolution that reaffirms Tennessee’s friendship with Israel and expresses unequivocal support for the nation, passed unanimously in February. This, as the U.S. House has been struggling with how to deal with condemning anti-Semitism on the heels of Democratic Representative from Minnesota Ilhan Omar’s comments charging allegiance to a foreign government by those who support the nation of Israel. Her Excellency, Judith Varnai Shorer, the Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, was joined by distinguished members of the local Jewish community as well as Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Secretary of State Tre Hargett as speakers during the ceremony. The Star Spangled Banner was sung by Irline Mandrell, one of the Mandrell Sisters. The closing prayer was offered by country and bluegrass…

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Georgia Moves to Ban Abortions in Presence of Fetal Heartbeat

by Grace Carr   A Georgia House committee approved a bill Wednesday that seeks to ban abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detected, marking a significant push to expand abortion restrictions in the state. The House Health and Human Services Committee approved the measure by a 17 to 14 vote along party lines, The Associated Press reported. The bill makes exceptions in cases where the mother’s life is in danger. It also allows for abortions in cases of rape and incest, but only if a woman files a police report. A heartbeat typically becomes detectable between six and nine weeks of gestation. Many women do not know they are pregnant at six weeks. The bill’s approval comes after Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp promised to pass the “toughest abortion laws in the country,” during a campaign stop, according to the AP. “We know life begins at conception. I think that’s worthy of full legal protection,” said state GOP Rep. Ed Setzler who authored the bill. “Certainly we can come together and recognize if there’s a human heartbeat, that child’s worthy of protection.” Those opposed to the bill argue it will contribute to more unsafe and self-induced abortions and put…

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Paul Manafort Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison in Fraud Case

by Chuck Ross   A federal judge in Virginia sentenced Paul Manafort to 47 months in prison on Thursday on tax and bank fraud charges, a term much lighter than the sentence that the former Trump campaign chairman faced under federal sentencing guidelines. U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III said that guidelines calling for 19-24.5 years in prison for Manafort were “excessive.” Manafort, 69, said in remarks before the sentence was handed down that his life is in “shambles.” He will be sentenced next week in a separate case in Washington, D.C. where the judge in that case, Amy Berman Jackson, will determine if Manafort can serve a sentence in that case concurrently with his Virginia sentence. Manafort was convicted on eight fraud-related charges on Aug. 21, 2018. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 to conspiracy charges related to his consulting work for the Ukrainian government. Manafort worked as a press relations guru from 2004 through 2014 for Viktor Yanukovych, who served as Ukraine’s president from Feb. 25, 2010 to Feb. 22, 2014. None of the charges against Manafort involved allegations of collusion with the Russian government, as Ellis noted during Thursday’s hearing. “He is not before the court…

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House Democrats Derail Rep. Green’s Attempt to Protect Free Speech By Voting Down His Amendment to Bill That Would Give Feds Control of Elections

House Democrats on Thursday voted down an amendment by U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) to protect free speech in House Resolution 1, which seeks to change campaign finance, election and lobbying laws. Tracking information on H.R.1 is here. “Free speech should be protected,” Green said in a hearing at the Committee on Oversight and Reform. “House Resolution One is a misguided bill with many problems. One problem in particular has united everyone from the Heritage Foundation to the ACLU. It’s the bill’s assault on free speech.” Video of Green’s speech is available here from C-SPAN. Green pointed out a statement by the ACLU that the bill will “chill speech essential to our public discourse.” “When the ACLU admonishes a Democrat bill … everyone should take notice,” he said. Green said his amendment reaffirms the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.” The congressman tweeted, “I offered an amendment on the House Floor today to H.R. 1 expressing the sense of Congress that free speech should be protected. Why are Democrats opposing an amendment simply reaffirming free speech? https://www.c-span.org/video/?c478503″ I offered an amendment on the House Floor today to H.R. 1 expressing the sense of…

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China’s Huawei Sues US Government Over Ban

Chinese tech giant Huawei has sued the U.S. government, arguing that legislation Congress passed last year that restricts its business in the United States is “unconstitutional.” The case, which analysts see more as a public relations move, is but the latest in an intensifying effort by the telecommunications company to fight U.S.security concerns, which Huawei argues are unfair and unfounded. In its lawsuit, Huawei argues that Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act violates the constitutional principles of separation of powers and due process. By singling out the company and punishing it without a trial, the company also argues that the law violates the Constitution’s bill of attainder clause. Section 889 bans federal agencies and their contractors from purchasing equipment and services from Huawei as well as another Chinese telecom company ZTE. It was signed into law last year by President Donald Trump. “This ban is not only unlawful but also harms both Huawei and U.S. consumers,” Huawei’s rotating chairman, Guo Ping, told reporters at news conference in Shenzhen on Thursday. “This section strips Huawei of its due process, violating the separation of powers principles, breaks U.S. legal traditions, and goes against the very nature of the constitution.” Guo…

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Biden Says He’s Almost All in on 2020, But Worries About Trump’s Take-No-Prisoners Approach

by Chris White   Former Vice President Joe Biden is almost totally prepared to announce his bid for the White House, according to media reports. There’s just one big thing keeping him from pulling the trigger: concerns that President Donald Trump will play too rough during the general campaign. Biden’s chief strategist, Steve Ricchetti, is signaling that the Delaware Democrat is about 95 percent committed to running, officials connected to the former vice president told The New York Times Thursday. There are several issues tossing a monkey wrench into Biden’s plans, however, chief among them is concern that Trump will exploit his personal life. “I don’t think he’s likely to stop at anything, whomever he runs against,” Biden told TheNYT on Feb. 26, referring to the president’s street brawling style of campaigning. He is worried about putting his “family through what would be a very, very, very difficult campaign.” Biden believes Trump might try to exploit his tumultuous private life — his son’s checkered romantic history could be the chief reason. Operatives worry Hunter Biden, the former VP’s 49-year-old son, would inevitably become an ongoing issue if Biden were to join an increasingly crowded presidential race. Hunter’s romantic relationship with…

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US House Democrats Struggle over Rebuke to Lawmaker for Israel Comments

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are struggling to decide how or whether to rebuke a new Democratic lawmaker, a Somali-American Muslim who has criticized Israel in ways that many find offensive. The House could vote Thursday on a resolution that condemns both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, a statement that at first was clearly aimed at Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, one of two Muslim women who were elected to the 435-member House last November and took office in early January, but does not name her. But the debate over the resolution about the 37-year-old lawmaker from the midwestern state of Minnesota has evolved into questions into over whether the statement was needed at all, whether she as a Muslim, a distinct religious minority in the U.S., was being unfairly singled out or whether her remarks about Israel needed to be disavowed since the House had already recently adopted a statement condemning anti-Semitism. Omar has incensed many fellow Democrats for her comments calling into question long-held U.S. support for the Jewish state that has been a bedrock belief of Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike since the country’s inception in 1948. Numerous Democrats, with a few exceptions, say her comments are anti-Semitic and…

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Ohio Judge Recommends Resignation for Disgraced ‘Gang of Five’ City Council Members

County Judge Robert Ruehlman called on five Cincinnati City Council members – all Democrats – to resign Thursday following revelations the group, the so-called “Gang of Five” violated several Ohio Sunshine Laws. On April 9, 2017,  a conservative watchdog group filed a startling lawsuit. Mark Miller, Ohio citizen and treasurer of the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) was accused Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, Wendell Young, Chris Seelbach, Tamaya Dennard and Greg Landsman, (all Democrats) of “attempting to decide matters of great public import behind closed doors and in secret communications, and subverting the public’s right to know and understand the actions of its public officials.” According to court documents, per Ohio law: Article II § 5 of the City Charter of the City of Cincinnati declared that “[t]he proceedings of the council shall be public,” and that “[t]he council shall keep a journal of its proceedings which shall be a public record.” Likewise, R.C. § 121.22(C) requires that “[a] 11 meetings of any public body are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times,” and further declares that “[t]he minutes of a regular or special meeting of any public body shall be promptly prepared, filed, and…

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Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke Calls Ilhan Omar the ‘Most Important Member of the U.S. Congress’

Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke called Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) the “most important member of the U.S. Congress” in a Thursday tweet. Duke’s statement comes amid a tumultuous week for the House’s Democratic majority, which struggled to unite around a resolution condemning Omar’s anti-Semitic comments. As The Minnesota Sun reported Wednesday, House Democrats were prepared to vote on a resolution that was drafted in response to Omar’s controversial comments, but the vote ultimately fell apart after Omar’s progressive allies rallied to her defense. Now, Democratic leaders have prepared a new resolution that broadly condemns all forms of hate, which was overwhelmingly passed late Thursday afternoon. Throughout the affair, Duke, a fervid anti-Semite, praised Omar for her criticisms of the Israeli state. “Ilhan Omar is now the most important member of the U.S. Congress,” he wrote on Twitter. “I made this provocative statement cause the worst enemy of the USA, Europeans, and the Middle East and the whole world and true peace are the Zionist tyrants who rule media and politics. Sadly, this 100lb girl has more guts than any white member of Congress.” I made this provocative statement cause the worst enemy of the USA, Europeans and…

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Court of Appeals Grants Stay Request By North Carolina Lawmakers On Lower Court Ruling

The North Carolina Court of Appeals has granted a stay of a Wake County Judge’s ruling pending review of the Writ of Supersedeas filed this week by state lawmakers. The order from the Court of Appeals grants a stay motion requested by filed by Speaker Tim Moore and Senator Pro Tem Phil Berger and the ruling by Wake County Judge Bryan Collins is temporarily suspended. The order also says that the court will consider the Writ of Supersedeas “upon the filing of a response to the petition” or no response is filed in the proper time frame. March 1, Superior Court Judge George Bryan Collins, Jr. ruled that two out of four state constitutional amendments passed by North Carolina voters in 2018 were invalid because the State Legislature was itself “illegal.” “An illegally constituted General Assembly does not represent the people of North Carolina and is therefore not empowered to pass legislation that would amend the state’s constitution,” Collins wrote in his ruling. “Although the ruling only directly invalidates the two laws that were challenged in the suit, under Judge Collins’s theory every act passed by the General Assembly between June 5, 2017, and December 31, 2018, is invalid,” says…

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Minnesota’s State Attorney General Ellison and Department of Human Rights Sue Plasma Center for Denying Transgender Donor

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit Thursday against CSL Plasma for turning away a transgender donor. According to a press release, Alice James, a biological male, began donating plasma in 2011 at the company’s collection center in Duluth, but was required to list their biological sex on an intake form. James, however, refused, and continued to identify as female on all company forms. Then, in June 2015, James was told by an employee that CSL Plasma did not allow transgender individuals to donate and prohibited James from making any further donations. As a result, James filed a discrimination complaint with the Department of Human Rights, which found “probable cause” that CSL Plasma discriminated against James in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. “Refusing to allow James to donate her plasma solely based on her gender identity is unlawful and constitutes a clear violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Our agency is committed to ensuring that the civil rights of all Minnesotans, including transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, are upheld so they can thrive and succeed,” Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman said Thursday. The lawsuit, filed in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Court…

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Klobuchar Regrets Lack of ‘Due Process’ in Al Franken Controversy

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reflected back on her handling of the sexual harassment allegations against her ex-Senate colleague, Al Franken. Klobuchar, now a presidential candidate, said it “really wasn’t that close a call” when she decided not to speak out against Franken, unlike many of her female colleagues. “We had long talks during that time period, including that day. And I always believed—maybe naively, given what happened—that it would go through the ethics committee. I still believe that was the right thing,” she said. “For some of these things, there should be due process, and I felt like this was one of them.” The three-term Minnesota senator also opened up on her viral exchange with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings, which many now describe as her ticket to the spotlight. “I really just wanted to get him on the record and answer the question, as opposed to just rage,” Klobuchar said, referencing when she asked Kavanaugh if he’d ever blacked out while drinking. “The click that went on in my mind was, ‘I am not going down there with you. I am going to take the keys away from…

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Commentary: Yes, The Southern Border Is at the Breaking Point

by CHQ Staff   You know things are bad when the New York Times runs an article with the headline, “Border at ‘Breaking Point’ as More than 76,000 Unauthorized Migrants Cross in a Month.” We could quibble and point out they are illegal aliens, not “unauthorized migrants,” but why argue details when your enemies are finally helping you by telling the truth for a change? National immigration reporter Caitlin Dickerson wrote: The number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has once again broken records, with unauthorized entries nearly double what they were a year ago, suggesting that the Trump administration’s aggressive policies have not discouraged new migration to the United States. More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, an 11-year high and a strong sign that stepped-up prosecution, new controls on asylum and harsher detention policies have not reversed what remains a powerful lure for thousands of families fleeing violence and poverty. “The system is well beyond capacity, and remains at the breaking point,” Kevin K. McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, told reporters in announcing the new data on Tuesday. McAleenan said processing centers filled to capacity, border agents struggling to meet medical…

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The Tennessee Star Report: State Rep. Robin Smith Discusses Her Position on the Fetal Heartbeat Bill and the Escalation of Violent Protesters at the Capitol

In a discussion on Thursday morning’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Steve Gill talked exclusively with Robin Smith who is a former cardiac nurse and current State Representative.  Smith chatted with long time friend and host Gill about her view on the Heartbeat Bill. Towards the end of the segment, Gill and Smith touched upon the recent the odd disposition of some Bishops in regards to the Heartbeat Bill and the Tennessee Right for Life group.  Smith ended the show by giving Gill a visual version of what happened to Glen Casada last week at the Tennessee Capitol when the Speaker was assaulted by now two time offender, Justin Jones. Gill: State Representative Robin Smith former Republican party chairman in Tennessee and legislator from down in the Chattanooga area. She’s on our news makers line with us right now. Robin good to have you with us. Smith: Good morning, how are you this morning? Gill: Good and you guys are going to go into session here in about an hour and a half. And this is one of the first bills…

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Thinking ‘Conservative’ in Tennessee a Major Health Risk, Vanderbilt University Professor Says in New Book

White Tennessee residents endanger their own health by rejecting government health care programs and by embracing pro-gun and anti-tax policies, according to a new book a Vanderbilt University professor just released. The book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland, even says “explicit racism” can motivate certain white people to cling to these conservative points of view. This, according to a press release Vanderbilt officials put out this week. Vanderbilt Professor Jonathan Metzl wrote the book. Metzl, according to Vanderbilt’s press release, is a professor of sociology and medicine and a professor of health and society. Metzl did not return The Tennessee Star’s repeated requests for comment this week. Metzl said in the press release that he set out to “understand how white Americans reconciled support for anti-tax, pro-gun policies in regions struggling with the impact of poor health care and education and high rates of gun death.” He said he focused on three specific areas — Medicaid expansion in Tennessee, school funding in Kansas, and gun laws in Missouri. Metzl said in the press release that he has lived in all three of those states. “In his book, Metzl explains that today’s skepticism…

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