Tennessee Star/Triton Poll: Nashville Voters Are Pro-Medical Marijuana, Strongly Disapprove More Tax Dollars Being Paid to Corporations Moving to Nashville

  A new Tennessee Star/Triton poll indicates that while the Tennessee the Legislature was not willing to move forward with legislation legalizing the sale and distribution of medical marijuana in the state, Nashville voters are very supportive of the idea. 550 Likely voters in Davidson County were asked: “Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate who supports legalizing the distribution and sale of marijuana in Tennessee if strictly limited to prescribed medical use only?” 60.2% were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported legalization of medical marijuana; 18.4% were less likely; 16.1% said it would not impact their vote and 5.3% were unsure. After law enforcement officers voiced disapproval of a bill legalizing medical marijuana that was sponsored by State Senator Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville) it was pulled from consideration this year.  Dickerson says he will bring it back next year. Another hot issue with Nashville voters is the tax dollars being paid to corporations to move their headquarters and operations to town. Many voters clearly feel that companies are relocating to Nashville and Middle Tennessee without needing the lure of taxpayer dollars. That view is clearly tied to the opinion that affordable housing…

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Tennessee Star/Triton Poll: Briley On-Street Parking Meter Privatization Plan Very Unpopular with Nashville Voters

  A plan proposed by Mayor David Briley to privatize on-street parking meters in Nashville, which would include higher fines for parking violations, elimination of most free parking times, and expand meters into additional neighborhoods, is extremely unpopular according to a new Tennessee Star/Triton poll. The Briley plan is currently on hold after a lawsuit led to a court order delaying the implementation. 550 Likely Nashville voters were asked their opinion of the Briley parking meter privatization plan: Mayor David Briley has proposed a plan to privatize on-street parking meters in Nashville. Would you be more or less likely to support Briley’s plan to privatize on-street Nashville parking meters if it increases parking fees and fines and also de-creases free parking times and spaces? 7.3% were more likely to support such a plan, 83.1 less likely, 7.2% said it would make no difference, and only 2.4% were unsure. The survey also indicates that 77.1% would want the Metro Council to reject such a plan, while only 10% supported it. Ultimately the Metro Council would have to approve or reject the Briley plan. Perhaps more importantly, the issue could have a severe negative impact on Briley’s bid for reelection in August.…

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Commentary: Democrats’ Fantasies of ‘Barr Perjury’ Defy Logic and the Record

by Paul J. Larkin Jr.   Disappointed with, frustrated by, and angry at special counsel Robert Mueller’s unhelpful conclusion that President Donald Trump was not in cahoots with the Russians during the 2016 campaign, Democrats are desperately searching for something, anything, that they can use to impeach the Mueller report by impugning the integrity of Attorney General William Barr. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi went so far Thursday as to accuse Barr of committing perjury when he answered a question by Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., of the House Appropriations Committee on April 9. She is flat wrong. Crist started by asking Barr several questions about the statement in his March 24 letter that the special counsel’s report does not “exonerate” Trump. After the attorney general answered those inquiries, the following exchange occurred: The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >> Crist: Reports have emerged recently, General [Barr], that members of the special counsel’s team are frustrated at some level with the limited information included in your March 24 letter, that it does not adequately or accurately necessarily portray the report’s findings.  Do you know what they’re referencing with that?…

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Arizona Mayor Meets Trump, Seeks Help for Overwhelmed City

by Fred Lucas   An Arizona mayor anticipates getting more federal help to transport illegal immigrants out of his overwhelmed city, where he declared a state of emergency last month. During a visit to Washington this week, Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls met with President Donald Trump, acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, and members of Arizona’s congressional delegation. “We talked about what needs to be done in the long term and in the short term. In the long term, we’ll need congressional action,” Nicholls, a Republican, told The Daily Signal. “But in the short term, we need [the] Border Patrol to provide more transportation out of Yuma soon.” In the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector, apprehensions of migrant families are more than three times higher so far in fiscal year 2019, which began in October. The number has shot up from 6,487 apprehensions in the same period the year before to 24,194, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. The Border Patrol reported Thursday that 700 illegal aliens surrendered themselves in Yuma. 700 illegal aliens surrender themselves to #USBP #YumaSector Border Patrol agents over the course of Tuesday. @CBP #SouthwestBorder pic.twitter.com/AhR8BX6QJZ — CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) May 1, 2019 KTAR-FM…

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Mueller Agrees To ‘Tentative’ Date To Testify Before House Judiciary, Democrat Says

by Chuck Ross   Special counsel Robert Mueller has set a “tentative” date of May 15 to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline told “Fox News Sunday.” Democrats have ramped up calls for Mueller to testify to Congress in the wake of Attorney General William Barr’s testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 1 about his interactions with the special counsel’s office regarding the release of the Russia report. Mueller, a former FBI director, was unable to establish that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election. He declined to make a decision on whether President Donald Trump should be charged with obstructing the investigation. That left the decision up to Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who decided against pursuing an obstruction case. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, offered Mueller a chance Thursday to testify before that panel if he feels the need to correct any statements made by Barr. Mueller sent Barr a letter on March 27 raising concerns about a four-page memo that Barr sent Congress summarizing the main conclusions of the special counsel’s probe. Mueller claimed that Barr’s letter lacked “context” and had…

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Trump Administration Ends Unions ‘Skimming’ $100 Million a Year from Medicaid

by Bethany Blankley   A final rule change has been implemented by the Trump administration to ensure that Medicaid providers receive complete payments as required by law. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Medicaid Provider Reassignment Regulation final rule that removes states from being able to divert portions of Medicaid provider payments to third parties – including unions – outside of the scope of what the statute allows. The final rule came after CMS considered more than 7,000 comments from the public, healthcare providers, unions, state agencies, and advocacy groups during the public comment period after the changes were proposed. “State Medicaid programs are responsible for ensuring that taxpayer dollars are dedicated to providing healthcare services for low-income, vulnerable Americans and are not diverted in ways that do not comply with federal law,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. “This final rule is intended to ensure that providers receive their complete payment, and that any circumstance where a state redirects part of a provider’s payment is clearly allowed under the law.” Section 1902(a)(32) of the Social Security Act generally prohibits states from making payments for…

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Trump: US to Impose Higher Tariffs on Chinese Exports

Donald Trump, Xi Jinping

  President Trump, looking to pressure China to speed up talks on a new trade agreement, says that starting Friday he will impose sharply higher tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese exports to the United States. Trump said Sunday on Twitter, “For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods. These payments are partially responsible for our great economic results.” He said, “The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!” ….of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! — Donald J.…

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Madison County Health Official Indicted on Theft Charges

  A grand jury has indicted the former Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Program Director on one count of theft over $1,000 and one count of official misconduct, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released this week. “During the period July 1, 2014, through October 1, 2018, Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Program Director Rachel Thomas improperly returned various items purchased for the TennCare Kids program,” according to the audit. “As program director, Thomas was responsible for purchasing materials that would benefit children of the community and handled all purchases and all vendor receipts associated with the program. This allowed her to create an eReceipt after the purchase that she would later use to return the purchased items for cash ($903.61) or gift cards ($429.23) instead of remitting the refunds back to the program.” The audit went on to say Thomas completed 33 return transactions, which resulted in her receiving $1,332.84 that she kept for personal gain. Thomas returned $149.09 after JMCRHD officials questioned her about her returns. That left an outstanding balance of $1,183.75 owed to JMCRHD from the return transactions. Thomas lost her job in September of last year, auditors wrote. “On April 9, 2019, Thomas admitted to…

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Commentary: The Democrats Are Humanitarian Frauds on the Border

by Rachael Bovard   The evidence that Democrats are now an unapologetically open borders party is piling up, and Republicans need to start calling them on it. From opposing expanded detention facilities, actively blocking legislation to fix family separation policies, and even voting against legislation that would prohibit illegal immigrants from voting, it’s becoming abundantly clear what Democrats want out of U.S. immigration policy: open borders, new voters, and a system that never actually gets fixed, so they can use it as a cudgel against Republicans. Consider that just days after the family separation policy erupted, Republicans brought bills to the floor to fix the 1997 Flores settlement—the governing legal agreement which doesn’t allow children to be detained longer than 20 days. In practice, this means that individuals or families who show up with a minor are either separated from that minor and detained for processing, or the entire family unit is simply released into the interior of the country while awaiting a court date. Republicans brought legislation to the floor of the Senate which would vitiate the Flores settlement and allow family units here illegally to be detained and processed together. But Democrats, after howling about the cruelty of…

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Oil Markets Shrug Off Venezuela’s Political Unrest Thanks to U.S. Energy Boom

by Michael Bastach   When Juan Guaido launched his coup attempt, oil markets didn’t do what they typically do in the face of supply threats. Instead, markets largely shrugged off Venezuelan unrest instead of sending prices soaring. That’s because of two factors: mismanagement by Venezuela’s socialist government and the U.S. energy boom. At the turn of the century, Venezuela’s daily oil production was around 3 million barrels per day, but output dramatically declined during the reign of former President Hugo Chavez, a former military officer who took control in 1999. Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves. “Venezuela’s oil production has collapsed in recent years,” Juan Carlos Hidalgo, a policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute who specializes in Latin America, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Years of mismanagement, corruption and underinvestment are taking a toll,” Hidalgo said. “Oil has long been a terribly distorting factor in Venezuela’s political system.” Chavez, who essentially ruled as a socialist dictator, took several actions early on that crippled Venezuela’s long-term oil prospects, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, including firing thousands of experiences oil workers and subsidizing oil shipments to Cuba and other countries. Venezuela was also burdened by high inflation, corruption and…

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Illinois Governor Pritzker Announces Plan to Legalize Marijuana

  Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Saturday that he’d reached an agreement with key lawmakers on a plan to legalize recreational marijuana in the state starting next year. The legislation would allow adults 21 and older to legally buy cannabis for recreational use from licensed dispensaries. Illinois residents could possess up to about an ounce (30 grams) of marijuana, while nonresidents could possess about half an ounce (15 grams). The measure also would automatically expunge some marijuana convictions. If it passes, Illinois would join 10 other states, including neighboring Michigan, in legalizing recreational marijuana. While the Illinois law would take effect Jan. 1, the first licenses for Illinois growers, processors and dispensaries wouldn’t be issued until May and July 2020, the governor’s office said. Pritzker was joined by fellow Democratic lawmakers in Chicago to announce the deal, which comes after years of discussion among state legislators. They said the measure would be introduced Monday, kicking off debate at the Legislature, where Democrats hold a majority in both chambers. The proposal “starts righting some historic wrongs” against minority communities that have suffered from discriminatory drug policies and enforcement, the new governor said. “This bill advances equity by providing resources and second…

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Imam Of Peace Mohamad Tawhidi Calls Out Tlaib and Omar Amid Palestinian Rocket Fire

by Molly Prince   An Iranian-born Australian Shia Muslim imam, known as the “imam of peace,” called out freshman Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib on Saturday for remaining silent amid an onslaught of Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. “Remember that time [Omar] and [Tlaib] condemned Hamas’ terrorism?” Imam Mohamad Tawhidi tweeted. “Neither do I.” Remember that time @Ilhan and @RashidaTlaib condemned Hamas’ terrorism? Neither do I. — Imam Mohamad Tawhidi (@Imamofpeace) May 5, 2019 Tawhidi, who is the president of the Islamic Association of South Australia, was responding to the nearly 600 rockets that have been fired into Israel from across the Gaza border over the last 24 hours. The Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas has already claimed responsibility for three Israeli deaths, according to The Jerusalem Post. Neither Omar nor Tlaib have commented on the attack. Omar and Tlaib became America’s first Muslim congresswomen when sworn into office in January. Their time in office has been embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism and anti-American sentiments. Omar has defended anti-Israeli statements, such as ones invoking Allah to expose Israel’s “evil doings” and faced criticism from both sides of the aisle for promoting age-old anti-Semitic canards such as that Jews’ support of Israel is…

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Ohio’s Cuyahoga County Council Expected to Pass Countywide Ban on Plastic Bags

  The Cuyahoga County Council is showing signs of supporting an ordinance that would ban the use of single-use plastic bags in the county. The council’s Education, Environment, and Sustainability Committee discussed the ban during a meeting last week, and all members expressed support. Council President Dan Brady told The Cleveland Plain Dealer that he supports the ban, meaning the measure now has the six votes necessary to secure a majority of the 11-member council. “We as a council dealt with this issue for quite a while some time ago. We’ve learned a lot, we’ve worked it through. I believe we’ve got a proposal with broad consensus, and so I just wanted to indicate that I’m certainly in support and I would like my name to be added as a cosponsor,” Brady said to applause during Wednesday’s committee meeting. If passed, the ban wouldn’t go into effect until October 1 so that retailers have time to adjust to the ban. For each day a retailer fails to comply, they would be subjected to a written warning, followed by a $100 fine and a $500 fine. “We’ve heard from the community, there’s broad support and I think it’s time to move…

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Minnesota House DFL Voted Down Amendments to Make Sure Financial Aid Goes Only to Legal Residents

  The DFL-controlled Minnesota House voted down two amendments to its omnibus higher education finance bill last week that would have ensured state financial aid goes only to legal residents. One of those amendments was introduced by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and would have made sure that only legal residents qualify for in-state tuition rates. “Members, citizenship is under assault,” Franson said on the House floor. “There are perks to being a citizen to the state of Minnesota, one of which is state grant dollars and in-state tuition. Taxpayers, though, should not be burdened with extra benefits that go to non-citizens.” Franson argued that “student citizens are hurt by the preference given to those here in this country illegally.” Her amendment was ultimately voted down, as was one introduced by Rep. Eric Lucero (R-Dayton). Lucero’s amendment would have guaranteed that, in the event of funding cuts, illegal immigrants would lose state financial aid before the family members of wounded or deceased first responders and veterans. The language surrounding financial aid for illegal immigrants stems from a bill introduced earlier this session by Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul). His bill, which was incorporated into the omnibus higher education finance bill, would…

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Tennessee Star/Triton Poll Shows Re-Elect Troubles for Mayor David Briley

  A new Tennessee Star/Triton poll of 550 likely voters in Davidson County indicates that he will face some stiff headwinds in his bid for reelection in August. His first challenge will be addressing a favorability/unfavorability deficit of 35.5 favorable, 44.6 unfavorable and 20.1 undecided. More specifically, if the August Mayoral race was held today, Briley would lead the way into a runoff with less than a third of the vote, 30.6%, followed by conservative former Vanderbilt Professor Carol Swain at 21.1%, Metro Councilman John Cooper at 11% and State Representative John Ray Clemmons with 10.5%. 26.9% of those surveyed were undecided at this point. Briley won the last Mayoral race a year ago without a runoff when he carried 54.4% of the votes. Swain finished a distant second with 22.9%, slightly more than she recorded in the new Tennessee Star/Triton poll. Four other candidates in that race received about 5% of the vote each. The most recent fundraising reports from the candidates last month showed Briley with a huge 4-1 advantage over both Swain and Clemmons. Cooper had initially passed on a race for Mayor and only announced his plans after the last fundraising reporting deadline. However, he can…

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