Civics and School Choice Elements of Governor Bill Lee’s Education Agenda Make Their Way Through the State House

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Elements of Governor Bill Lee’s focus on education, which he talked about on the campaign trail, his inaugural address and more recently in his first state of the state address, including an emphasis on parents having more school choice as well as civics education and “unapologetic American exceptionalism,” are making their way through the State House committee process. “Administration bills,” as they are called, are those that are initiated by the Executive Branch of the state government. That could be the Governor as the chief executive, or any of the numerous state departments within the executive branch. It is one role of the Majority Leader of each legislative body to be the primary sponsor of an administration bill, which would be Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and Representative William Lamberth (R-Cottontown) in the Senate and House, respectively. As House Majority Leader Lamberth explains it, the bills are most often “carried” by another member in the House, although, in his role, he would ensure that the administrative process is properly executed. Generally, the first co-prime sponsor of a bill in the House would be the Assistant Majority Leader, in this case, Representative Ron Gant (R-Rossville). In the case of…

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Commentary: From Brexit to Trump, Elite Contempt Shines Through

by Christopher Gage   Not long ago, to support Great Britain’s departure from the European Union remained the hoppy heady preserve of the corduroyed English fruitcake. Only the niche, and utterly mental clung to such opinions. Those trifling oddities, blimpish and better suited to reliving colonial exploits in faraway lands, were not of polite society. To be a Euroskeptic invited the label of weirdo, or, if they liked you—“eccentric.” That argument was settled. Britain, and indeed the world, owed and pinned its future not to outdated concepts such as nationhood, borders, or common culture­­—oddities, pined for by oddities. To be British was embarrassing, and old hat. David Cameron, our ex-prime minister, an alleged conservative, pretended himself to share this turbulence of brain. That Euroskepticism. Until he won his leadership election. Then he called such people, “fruitcakes, loonies, and closet racists.” Then he called for a European referendum. To settle the issue for generations. To smite, finally, those surely dwindling numbers of decaying old white men who still believed in that fatuous list of oddities they held so pathetically dear. Of course, the weirdos won. And ever since, the Camerons of this world have worked tirelessly to overturn our decision. Like…

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The Supreme Court May Soon Decide on Transgender Bathrooms in Public Schools

by Kevin Daley   The Supreme Court will decide whether it will hear a challenge to a Pennsylvania school district policy that allows transgender students to use locker room and restroom facilities that align with their stated gender identity. The case joins one of several petitions relating to LGBT issues that are currently pending before the Court’s newly-entrenched conservative majority. The case arose in the Boyertown Area School District, which is one hour northwest of Philadelphia, when school officials began permitting trans students to use the bathroom and locker room facilities corresponding with their stated gender identity on a case-by-case basis. That policy change was not announced and has not yet been codified in writing, according to the school district’s legal filing at the high court. The petitioners are several unnamed high school students who claim the district’s policy violates their privacy rights. One plaintiff, called Joel Doe in court documents, is a male student who objected to changing in a locker room with trans-men. Doe, while partially dressed, encountered a trans-male student changing next to him before gym class. Thereafter, Doe declined to change his clothes for gym class and has since left the school. Another plaintiff is a…

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Christopher Steele’s Deposition Shows How Little Research He Did on Dossier Target

by Chuck Ross   Christopher Steele acknowledged in a July 2018 court deposition that he relied on a “random” article posted to a CNN website as part of his research for his infamous dossier. In the July 13, 2018, deposition, Steele was asked about the research he did into Aleksej Gubarev, a Russian tech executive who Steele accused of hacking into Democrats’ computer systems. According to a transcript of Steele’s deposition unsealed Thursday, Gubarev’s lawyer asked Steele what information he had gathered on Gubarev or his companies, Webzilla and XBT Holdings. Gubarev sued Steele and BuzzFeed News for defamation for publishing what he claims are false allegations that he hacked Democrats. Steele responded to the lawyer, Evan Fray-Witzer, by citing a July 28, 2009, article published at CNN’s iReports website. Fray-Witzer pointed out to Steele that CNN’s iReports articles “are nothing more than any random person posting things on the Internet.” Steele said he was not aware of that. “No, I, obviously, presume that if it is on a CNN site that it has some kind of CNN status. Albeit that it may be an independent person posting on the site,” said Steele, who admitted the iReports article was the…

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Indeed Employment Website Ranks Advance Financial Eighth in Top Workplaces

  If you’re looking for a job, employment search website Indeed has a suggestion: Advance Financial. Nashville-based Advance Financial recently ranked eighth on an annual nationwide list of top workplaces for compensation and benefits, placing ahead of companies like Apple, GEICO, Comcast, AT&T, Boeing, Starbucks and ALDI. Indeed’s list of top employers is available here. “They say money can’t buy you happiness … but it’s still a crucial consideration whenever you’re looking for a job,” Indeed says in its announcement. Indeed compiled the list by analyzing more than 100 million employer reviews and ranking the companies based on their average rating and number of reviews in the last two years. This is the first year Advance Financial has been selected. “What an unbelievable honor to be ranked among some of the most successful companies in the world for our compensation and benefits package,” said Tina Hodges, chief executive and chief experience officer of Advance Financial. “It may sound cliché, but we truly wouldn’t be where we are without our employees.” Advance Financial’s employee benefits include: 40 hours paid time off to volunteer in the community, an onsite nurse, gym, weekly yoga classes, above market starting hourly rates, 401(K) matching plans,…

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Bernie Sanders’ Presidential Campaign Will Be the First to Unionize

by Molly Prince   Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Friday that his 2020 campaign voluntarily recognized a bargaining unit organized with a labor union, making it the first major party presidential campaign to do so. “I’m proud that our campaign is the first presidential campaign to unionize. We cannot just support unions with words, we must back it up with actions,” the Independent senator tweeted. “On this campaign and when we are in the White House, we are going make it easier for people to join unions, not harder.” I’m proud that our campaign is the first presidential campaign to unionize. We cannot just support unions with words, we must back it up with actions. On this campaign and when we are in the White House, we are going make it easier for people to join unions, not harder. https://t.co/JNv3dpss6D — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 15, 2019 A majority of the Sanders campaign staffers decided upon United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 as the representative union. The union primarily represents food and retail service workers, however, it also represents employees of Solidarity Strategies, which is Chuck Rocha’s consulting firm, reported The Huffington Post. Rocha has a close relationship with…

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Commentary: Why We Still Pray, Even After New Zealand Attack

by Katrina Trinko   Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted after the horrific attacks on two New Zealand mosques that led to at least 49 dead: At 1st I thought of saying, “Imagine being told your house of faith isn’t safe anymore.” But I couldn’t say “imagine.” Because of Charleston.Pittsburgh.Sutherland Springs. What good are your thoughts & prayers when they don’t even keep the pews safe?pic.twitter.com/2mSw0azDN8 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 15, 2019 Of course, Ocasio-Cortez’s desire to end these kinds of tragedies is understandable and laudable—although she and I would probably differ on the right ways to address this. But, regardless of tragedies, prayer matters. Ocasio-Cortez’s comment shows an understanding of prayer that sees it as about results achieved. But prayer isn’t about results—it’s about a relationship with God. After all, in Christianity, one of the largest religious traditions, we believe that the Son of God died on a cross—hardly an escape from suffering. At the end of the day, I believe our prayers are good, are worth doing—even as we are speechless and silent in horror after attacks like the one in New Zealand. So I’m reprinting here an essay I wrote in 2017 for The Daily Signal about…

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Beto O’Rourke Apologizes for Writing Fictional Fantasies About Plowing Over Children With a Car

by Chris White   Beto O’Rourke apologized Friday night for writings the former Texas representative made as a teenager describing fantasies about running over children with a vehicle. “I’m mortified to read it now, incredibly embarrassed, but I have to take ownership of my words,” the Democratic presidential candidate said during a taping of the “Political Party Live” podcast in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Whatever my intention was as a teenager doesn’t matter, I have to look long and hard at my actions, at the language I have used, and I have to constantly try to do better.” His comments come after a report Friday revealed O’Rourke wrote prose when he was a teenager describing a scenario in which he would accelerate a car into a group of children while hearing them scream. The report also showed he was a secret member of a hacking group called the “Cult of the Dead Cow,” which focused on showing people how to hack Microsoft computers. “It’s not anything I’m proud of today, and I mean, that’s — that’s the long and short of it,” he said. “All I can do is my best, which is what I’m trying to do. I can’t control…

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Churches Open Doors to Victims’ Families and Those Affected in Wake of New Zealand Massacre

by Grace Carr   A number of churches opened their doors Friday to the families of victims killed or wounded and to all those affected by a deadly terrorist attack in New Zealand. Churches of varied faiths welcomed Muslims and all persons after authorities directed mosques to close following Friday’s massacre. The alleged gunman, 28-year-old Australian man Brenton Tarrant, attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 49 people and wounding numerous others. Te Atatū Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand opened its arms to Muslims in a Friday Facebook post. St. Paul’s Cathedral in London welcomed persons of all faiths to come to the place of worship. At our services today we will offer prayers for those affected by the shootings in New Zealand and for Muslim communities. All are welcome to join us. As always, St Dunstan’s Chapel is available for private prayer and reflection throughout the day. pic.twitter.com/8BvUGAjZ0r — St Paul's Cathedral (@StPaulsLondon) March 15, 2019 The Archbishop of Canterbury also called for Christians to attend Friday mosque with their Muslim compatriots in a rejection of hatred. As Christians we are called to be good neighbours. Let's get behind this simple act of kindness and reject hatred…

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US Eliminates Coveted 5-year Tourist Visa for Cubans

The U.S. State Department said Friday that it is eliminating a coveted five-year tourist visa for Cubans, dealing a heavy blow to entrepreneurs and Cuban members of divided families, who used the visas to see relatives in the United States and buy precious supplies for their businesses on the island. The elimination of the visa cuts a vital link between the U.S. and Cuba by forcing Cubans to make a costly and complicated trip to a third country like Mexico or Panama every single time they want to visit the U.S. That’s because the U.S. withdrew most of its non-essential diplomatic staff from Havana in September 2017 and stopped issuing visas of almost any type in Cuba. “This affects every Cuban but especially entrepreneurs who have to travel to get products that don’t exist here,” said Niuris Higueras, who brings salt, hand towels, candles and other products from the U.S. for her restaurant Atelier, one of Havana’s most successful private eateries. Change announced on Facebook Until now, Cubans who saved the money and mastered the complexities of successfully applying for a visa in a third country would receive a visa eliminating the need to apply again for another five years.…

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Minnesota House Democrats Introduce Bill to Lower Voting Age to 16 for Local Elections

Two Minneapolis House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 for local elections. The bill, House File 2423, proposes an amendment to the State Constitution that would allow a “county, municipality, or school district” to “lower the voting age to 16 years of age for local elections.” “A person under the age of 18 may only vote for offices and ballot questions for the jurisdiction that has adopted the lower voting age. A person under the age of 18 must not be allowed to vote for any state or federal office or state ballot question,” the bill clarifies. It would also require election officials to prepare separate ballots for voters under the age of 18 so that they only vote “for local offices or questions where the voter is authorized to vote.” Although doomed to go nowhere in the Minnesota Senate, the bill would, if passed, be placed on the 2020 ballot for voters to decide on. “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to allow political subdivisions to lower the voting age to 16 years of age for local elections?” the ballot proposition would state. House File 2423 was introduced by Rep. Raymond…

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From Prisoner to Saint: The Unexpected Path of Ireland’s Best-Known Missionary

Saint Patrick’s Day is here, and so it goes we join millions across the globe to don our best green garb and imbibe in a panoply beverages from the unnaturally verdant Shamrock Shake to the local pub’s green draft – all in a joyous tradition to cheer one another in the name of a spiritual hero of Ireland. But did you know the true-life story of the man who would become St. Patrick is as harrowing as any high adventure you might find in the pages of a Batman comic? Here are 6 facts you might not have known about the life and times of St. Patrick: (1) St. Patrick was not Irish. St. Patrick’s only known name prior to his canonization is “Patricius.” He was a born late in the fourth century in Roman Britain – most likely the modern Wales region, although some scholars say it was Scotland. Like many Romans of that era, his family were devout Christians. His father, Calpurnius was a deacon, and his grandfather Potitus, was a priest. (2) St. Patrick did not share his family’s faith, and was a skeptic. In his book, Confessio, St. Patrick writes that as a boy, he was not…

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Ohio House Democrats Question ‘Fiscal Stability’ of Republican Governor’s $69 Billion Budget Proposal

Ohio House Democrats are raising concerns over the “fiscal stability” of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s $69 billion budget proposal released Friday. House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) said that while her caucus was “encouraged by the governor’s commitment to supporting Democratic policies of investing in families, maintaining access to quality, affordable health care, and cleaning up Lake Erie,” she had concerns about the proposal’s “fiscal stability.” “We have serious concerns regarding the fiscal stability of the current proposal. We can’t build a budget on broken economic assumptions or wishful thinking. We need to be honest and realistic about where new spending comes from,” she continued. Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire), the House Democratic budget panel leader, said he was “heartened that the governor is stepping up on a number of issues Democrats have been pushing,” but had similar concerns about its “fiscal assumptions.” “That promise is sacred, and it can’t be built on shaky economic ground or faulty fiscal assumptions. The governor is proposing investments, but it’s unclear where the additional spending will come from,” he said. Cera went on to claim that “investing in education and children is important,” but the state needs “to be realistic about [its] fiscal…

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Federal Agency Approves Ohio Work Requirement for Medicaid

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Ohio’s work rules for “able-bodied” recipients of Medicare Friday. Obamacare included a requirement that all 50 states expand Medicare eligibility to cover every individual whose income was up to 133 percent of the poverty line by January 1, 2014. In 2012, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court voted to uphold much of the law while ruling the Medicaid expansion requirement unconstitutional. They found that the federal government couldn’t force the states to expand Medicaid with the threat of withdrawing existing Medicaid funding. Instead, each state would have the option to voluntarily opt into the expansion or not. After months of deliberation, then-Ohio Governor John Kasich announced he would push to accept the expanded Medicaid in March of 2013. The once tea-party supported governor faced significant conservative pushback and criticism for accepting the expansion, most significantly for its high cost and potential government overreach. In 2017, Kasich added provisions to the Medicaid expansion, but stipulated that certain work requirements be met before “able-bodied” men could use the program. They had to work 20 hours a week, be actively looking for a job, receiving education or training, or engaged in community service. These measures, while supported in the state, received significant pushback from advocacy groups who…

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Klobuchar Campaigns Across Iowa: ‘Everyone Has to Clap for That’

2020 Democratic contenders descended upon Iowa over the weekend, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who made stops in Dubuque, Waterloo, and Independence. “I followed the Mississippi River down from our snowy announcement and ended up in Dubuque! Great conversations with Iowans who are looking forward to 2020,” the Minnesota senator wrote on Twitter. I followed the Mississippi River down from our snowy announcement and ended up in Dubuque! Great conversations with Iowans who are looking forward to 2020. pic.twitter.com/ut8V71DnKW — Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 16, 2019 Politico’s Elena Schneider was on the ground following Klobuchar across the state and reported on a humorous gaffe Klobuchar made while visiting Dubuque. “Everyone has to clap for that,” Klobuchar told a crowd gathered for the campaign stop, immediately prompting comparisons on Twitter to Jeb Bush’s infamous “please clap” moment. Klobuchar started the day by stumping for Eric Giddens, the Democratic candidate in a Tuesday State Senate special election who was also joined by Democrat Beto O’Rourke Saturday. .@amyklobuchar in Waterloo for canvass launch for Eric Giddens, State Senate special election candidate. pic.twitter.com/5DUraIogRs — Elena Schneider (@ec_schneider) March 16, 2019 During a stop at a Pizza Ranch in Independence, Klobuchar was asked about the…

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Big Problems Reportedly Found with Metro Nashville Public Schools’ Spending

Shawn Joseph

There are reportedly problems with the Metro Nashville Public Schools’ spending habits, according to Nashville Public Radio. “Last month, the district claimed victory when an audit found most allegations about its vendor contracts were ‘unsubstantiated.’ But those findings have been clarified in a revised audit,” according to Nashville Public Radio. “Now using different language, Metro Auditor Mark Swann says district leaders made mistakes. They failed to use a competitive process in picking some vendors and paid more money than contractually allowed to two companies. All told, instead of two critical findings, the auditor now notes nine.” Metro Nashville Council member Bob Mendes, who serves on the Metro Audit Committee, reportedly wanted the auditor to clarify the initial work because the prior report repeatedly used the word “unsubstantiated,” even when there was evidence of policy violations. “So now it’s clarified: Schools Director Shawn Joseph and his top staff were not found to have intentionally circumvented rules about procurement; nor did they commit fraud,” according to Nashville Public Radio. “But they did break policies.” As reported last month, The Nashville-based NewsChannel 5, quoting a confidential report, said the school system, under Schools Director Shawn Joseph “faces seriously low morale and other issues that threaten…

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