Mozilla Investigation Finds Cars Are Collecting Data on Driving Habits, Routes, and Even ‘Sexual Activity’

The Mozilla Foundation recently investigated the privacy practices of 25 major car brands through its ongoing series, *Privacy Not Included. The research uncovered the automotive industry as the worst category the group has looked into yet when it comes to protecting consumer privacy. Across all manufacturers reviewed, excessive collection and misuse of personal data was rampant, with car brands systematically ignoring driver consent. Vehicles now contain numerous sensors and constant connectivity, enabling persistent tracking of location, driving habits, in-car activities, and more. Data collected encompasses highly sensitive details like medical history, sexual activity, and music taste. Car manufacturers claim to use this trove of information internally for purposes like research and marketing. However, most also admit to sharing or selling data to third parties such as data brokers. Despite industry principles advocating “data minimization” and “choice,” the report claims car companies act in blatant disregard of users’ privacy. Compounding the risks, an alarming majority of brands had a history of security failures, with hacks and breaches exposing driver data. The researchers investigating the privacy practices of auto makers were unable to confirm even basic functions like full encryption of personal information on vehicles. The most disturbing findings the report lists…

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Maricopa County Judge Dismisses Mark Finchem’s Election Lawsuit, Affirms Fontes as Arizona Secretary of State-Elect

In a 13-page decision Friday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit challenging the certified election outcome by former Republican secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem, KOLD News 13 reported.

Julian’s ruling rejected Finchem’s allegations of misconduct and election administration errors, goes on to forbid Finchem from refiling a future complaint on the same grounds. Judge Julian also and affirmed Democrat Adrian Fontes is the state’s Secretary of State-elect.

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Tennessee Star Entertainment Writer Bethany Bowman Named Academy of Country Music Member

The Tennessee Star’s entertainment reporter Bethany Bowman was named a member of the Academy of Country Music this week. 

“The Academy’s membership is made up of so many essential voices in our Country community, and with our growing membership, the Academy is even better able to serve as a powerhouse advocate for fans, artists, and our industry as a whole,” Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside.

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Consumer Group Targets BlackRock over China Ties: ‘We Cannot Allow This to Continue’

A new ad targeting investment giant BlackRock’s ties to China was released Thursday by Consumers’ Research, a non-partisan, consumer-oriented advocacy group.

“No amount of woke posturing can hide what BlackRock is really up to. The idea that an American company is taking billions of dollars and using it to bet on China’s success is extremely concerning,” Executive Director of Consumers’ Research Will Hild said in a statement.

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The New York Times Claims It Has Obtained President Trump’s Tax Returns, Trump Organization Attorney Says ‘The Facts Appear to be Inaccurate’

The New York Times published a lengthy report over the weekend based, they say, on tax documents they obtained from “sources.”

Breitbart News reports that The Times “found no evidence of any links to Russia,” as has been consistently claimed by multiple news outlets over the course of the Trump’s term in office. However, they add that the documents do show the extent of the entrepreneur’s Russia connections are limited to the 2001 Miss Universe pageant held in Moscow – which were “the most profitable Miss Universe during Mr. Trump’s time as co-owner, and that it generated a personal payday of $2.3 million.”

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U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Admitted to Intensive Care with Coronavirus – UPDATED

Boris Johnson

UPDATE: The Office of the Prime Minister issued the following statement late Monday:

Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of coronavirus.

Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.

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U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Hospitalized with Coronavirus After 10 Days in Self-Quarantine

The UK’s Office of the Prime Minister announced in a brief statement Sunday that Boris Johnson has been hospitalized on the advice of his doctor.

“The Prime Minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests,” the statement said, adding:

This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus.

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ACQUITTED: The Senate Votes to Acquit President on Both Articles 52-48 and 53-47

In an historic vote Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Trump on both Articles of Impeachment.

Falling far short of the necessary two-thirds majority needed to expel a sitting president, Trump was acquitted 52-48 on the House of Representatives’ Article One charge of  “abuse of power.” The President was acquitted on the Article Two charge of “Obstruction of Congress” by a vote of 53-47.

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Lynn Ahrens, the Artist Behind Schoolhouse Rock’s ‘The Preamble’

  Thanks to the wildly popular Schoolhouse Rock! cartoon series, if you were a child of the 1970s or 1980s, chances are you hum a certain song whenever anyone mentions The Preamble. In fact, you’re probably humming it right now. In three minutes, the folksy tune with the catchy chorus provides viewers a foundational understanding of the what the U.S. Constitution – and especially The Preamble – are, exactly and why they’re important. Schoolhouse Rock! was the brainchild of David McCall, of the advertising agency McCaffrey & McCall. The idea came to him as he watched his young son struggle to learn his multiplication tables, but could rattle off all the lyrics of the latest Rolling Stones hit without a second thought. McCall realized he if he could place good educational material inside of catchy music with kid-friendly animations,  he would be able to help children just like his son.  In true free market fashion, he pitched his idea to ABC television – his biggest client at the time. The network behemoth bought the idea, and the 3min shorts were headed for air a few months later. The first-ever installment of Schoolhouse Rock – “Three is the Magic Number” – was broadcast January 3, 1973. The…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Lee Would Veto the In-State Tuition Bill

Bill Lee

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee reiterated his strong opposition to extending in-state tuition discounts to illegal immigrant students in a statement to The Tennessee Star on Wednesday: It is unfortunate that Washington and Congress have failed us on this issue. While I have deep compassion for any young person facing challenges, I believe a governor’s primary duty is to enforce and defend the rule of law. And extending a taxpayer-funded benefit to illegal immigrants that we would not extend to an American citizen makes the problem that congress has left to the states even worse. For those reasons, I would veto this bill. The bill to which Lee is referring is HB2429, sponsored by State Rep Mark White (R-Memphis), which would provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students by changing the definition of “public benefit.” White’s bill passed the Education Subcommittee Tuesday on a voice vote without discussion. This is not the first time Lee has spoken out against proposals to provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. As The Star reported in January, while at the SCORE Gubernatorial Forum, one of the questions posed by moderator Rory Johnson asked the candidates about their positions on the controversial idea, and answers fell along…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Was Scheduled to Travel With Lover Rob Forrest to Attend the Grammy Awards in New York

After repeated denials that taxpayer money was used to fund and then cover up the years-long affair between Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her security chief, Rob Forrest, WMSV reported that newly released documents the show the illicit couple was set to travel to New York together in order to attend the Grammy Awards on January 26. “Within the last two hours, we obtained more records from City Hall,” reporter Allana Autler began: We’ve just learned that there was another trip scheduled for the Mayor and her bodyguard for January 26 – just a few weeks ago. It was for Barry to attend the Grammy Awards in New York. Records show the trip was approved on January 10th. The Mayor’s spokesman says he can’t say when in January it was cancelled. But he did say she changed her plans and came home instead. We now know that’s the weekend before news of the affair broke. This new bombshell revelation appears at the end of the video embedded below, which contains a two-and-a-half minute report of an one-on-one interview by Aulter of Barry regarding a number troubling details surrounding the affair between the Mayor and her security chief, and the potential misuse of taxpayer money.…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry a ‘Broken Record’ with Non-Answers about Lover’s Daughter’s Job as City Attorney

WSMV reporter Alanna Autler caught up with embattled Mayor Megan Barry to ask several questions regarding the creation of a single job in the Metro Nashville Legal Department that was summarily filled by Macy Amos Forrest, the adult daughter of Mayor Barry’s paramour and erstwhile security chief, Rob Forrest. Autler asks Barry a straightforward question about the unusual hire, and instead of a direct response, the Mayor replied with a non-answer that Forrest’s daughter, “was qualified,” for the job, and that there were “lots of people who stepped forward and said she should have this job, and I was happy to lend my voice.” WSMV edited the video of the interview for the news broadcast into what is essentially a ‘highlights’ reel of the most scintillating parts of the interview. However, in a separate post, the station published the entire transcript of the encounter between Barry and Autler. The video version does a good job of showing Barry’s clearly rehearsed non-answers to the young journalist’s questions. But when the segment is compared to the unedited video and full transcript, the extent of the Mayor’s stonewalling behavior is laid bare. Part Two – The Hiring of Rob Forrest’s Daughter, Macy Amos Forrest FULL TRANSCRIPT (‘highlight’ quotes…

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Mayor Megan Barry Repeatedly Refuses to Answer Questions from WSMV Reporter About Taxpayer Resources Used to Send Her and Lover Rob Forrest On Luxury Trips

WSMV reporter Alanna Autler caught up with embattled Mayor Megan Barry to ask several questions regarding the possible misappropriation of taxpayer funds and other resources used to support and then cover up Barry’s years-long affair with the head of her security detail, Rob Forrest. Despite several attempts by Autler to get a straight answer regarding records showing overseas travel and luxury accommodations with Forrest, Mayor Barry refused to deliver any kind of answer, and instead hid behind the lawyerly response that, “in cooperation with the TBI investigation we continue to provide them the answers, and I look forward to knowing that were no taxpayer dollars misused in any way.” WSMV edited the video of the interview for the news broadcast into what is essentially a ‘highlights’ reel of the most scintillating parts of the interview. However, in a separate post, the station published the entire transcript of the encounter between Barry and Autler. The video version does a good job of showing Barry’s clearly rehearsed non-answers to the young journalist’s questions. But when the segment is compared to the unedited video and full transcript, the extent of the Mayor’s stonewalling behavior is laid bare. Part One – Travel to Greece and San Francisco…

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Davidson County Residents Post Petition Calling on ‘Megan Barry to Resign Immediately from the Office of Mayor’

Less than 36 hours after Metro Nashville Mayor Megan Barry admitted to a years-long affair with top staffer Rob Forrest, some Davidson County citizens have had enough and are calling on Barry to step down. Backers are careful to note that while the Mayor’s infidelity in her marriage belies a systemic, ethical shortcoming, it is not chief among their concerns. What is, is the fiscal impact her relationship with Forrest had in terms of overtime payments, travel arrangements, and other costs associated with his many cross-country and overseas trips with her – all paid by Metro Nashville taxpayers. At least one observer noted that since these additional payments occurred over an extended period of time, Forrest’s retirement pension could be further enriched due to how the City calculates the benefit. A petition, hosted at ipetition.com has been posted calling for Mayor Megan Barry’s resignation. It reads: A PETITION FROM THE RESIDENTS OF DAVIDSON COUNTY We, the undersigned residents of Davidson County, Tennessee, state that, based on evident facts which have recently come to light, it is wholly appropriate under the rights accorded to free people under a free government that we protest the fact that: 1. A relationship of a sexual nature has existed…

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Republican State Senator Todd Gardenhire Re-Re-Re-Files Bill to Grant In-State Tuition Benefits to Illegal Alien Students

Gardenhire White

State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) filed bill SB2263 Thursday which would grant in-state tuition discount benefits to illegal alien students. Dubbed ‘Tuition Opportunity,’ the measure was unsurprisingly co-sponsored by the Chattanooga-area lawmaker’s friend and ally, State Representative Mark White (R-Memphis), who filed HB2429, a state house version of the same bill. The bills’ summary reads: Education, Higher – As introduced, exempts certain students from paying out-of-state tuition at state institutions of higher education. – Amends TCA Section 4-58-102; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9. This year will be the fourth time the duo has sought to extend the education benefits. In 2015, the proposal passed the state Senate and failed in the state House by a single vote. Gardenhire and White tried again in 2016, where is failed to pass out of committee, despite and emotion discussion leading up to the vote. Last year, in 2017, they tried yet again, and the proposal did not make out it of committee. Nashville-based refugee, immigrant, and illegal alien advocacy group, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refuge Rights Coalition (TIRRC) celebrated the bill’s introduction with a statement: For months, we’ve been fighting to defend DACA and to fight for Dream Act…

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District Attorney Glenn Funk Requests TBI Investigate Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Affair

Fallout from Wednesday’s bombshell admission by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry that she carried on a years-long affair with the head of her security detail, Rob Forrest, continues. Serious questions as to the taxpayer funds that Barry may have funneled to Forrest in the form of overseas trips and overtime payments has triggered District Attorney Glenn Funk to ask the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter to determine if there was–and the extent to which there may have been– any criminal wrongdoing by Metro Nashville’s chief executive. “District Attorney Glenn Funk has asked TBI Director Mark Gwyn to investigate whether Mayor Megan Barry and/or others, including Sgt. Rob Forrest, violated any criminal law including misappropriation of public funds and official misconduct,” Funk spokesman Steve Hayslip told The Tennessean Thursday morning. “As with any TBI investigation, agents will collect any and all relevant evidence and interviews and, in turn, submit investigative findings to the district attorney general for his further review and consideration,” TBI spokesman Josh DeVine confirmed to The Tennessean. Meanwhile, Rob Forrest’s wife, through her attorney, requested the former security chief’s cell phone and its contents be held and preserved by the Metro Nashville Police Department. MNPD spokesperson Kris…

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Mark Norris Continues His Duties in the State Senate as He Awaits Confirmation by the US Senate to the Federal Bench

While State Senator and Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) is awaiting US Senate confirmation to become the next United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee, he will continue to serve his constituents in state Senate district 32. “I’m not going to resign the seat which my constituents have elected me or this leadership for which you elected me.” Norris told the Tennessean. “It’s very constructive to be crucified for the sins of others, to see what other people who demonize us say about us and how they see us.” Mark Norris was tapped by the Trump Administration in July 2017 to fill the federal judgeship that was vacated a few months prior in March. “I am honored by the nomination and appreciate the President’s confidence in me,” he said at the time. “This is just the first step under the Constitution, and I look forward to the Senate confirmation process. In the meantime, I will continue to serve the citizens of the 32nd District who elected me to the Senate and my Senate colleagues who elected me as their Leader.” Five months later, Norris’ judicial nomination was supported by a 11-9 party-line vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee at the…

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Rep. Diane Black Pushes Back on Glamour Magazine’s Lauding of ‘Glorious’ Re-Edit of Word War II Film, ‘Saving Private Ryan’

When Glamour Magazine proudly tweeted a link to an article featuring a “feminist” re-edit of the landmark film, ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ Representative Diane Black, whose father fought in World War II, shot back: It's hard to imagine a more out of touch display of identity politics. The real heroes were the brave Americans like my father who risked their lives fighting for our freedoms in WWII. #RealWWIIHeroes https://t.co/BPkTnkx8S3 — Diane Black (@DianeBlackTN) January 23, 2018 Released in 1998, the Steven Spielberg movie, with its harrowing opening scene of the invasion of Normady, is widely considered to be the most realistic depiction of the horror and sacrifice the coalition of soldiers led by Americans suffered through and ultimately surmounted. The hard-won beachhead gained on the beaches of Normandy was arguably the turning point that would eventually lead to the defeat of the Nazis. Twenty years after the film’s release, any modicum of recognizing the immensity of the Normandy invasion has been pushed aside to make room for this latest demonstration of political correctness by Glamour Magazine’s “internet hero,” Logan Smith, who re-edited the film to remove all the men. Glamour wrote of the effort: “In response to the MRA douche who…

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Two Republicans, State Sen. Steven Dickerson and State Rep. Jeremy Faison, Introduce ‘Medical Cannabis Only Act of 2018’

Much to the delight of the pro-pot activist base, Tennessee State Sen. Steven Dickerson (R-Nashville) and State Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) introduced a controversial measure Thursday that seeks to legalize a certain form of marijuana to be used for medical purposes, dubbed, “Medical Cannabis Only Act of 2018” (SB1710). The Nashville Business Journal reports that the Act requires several safeguards to closely monitor and restrict the manufacture, distribution, prescription, and dispensing of the drug: According to the bill, an electronic verification system would be established through which qualifying patients would receive a registration identification card. Using card readers, cannabis establishments and law enforcement would be able see, in real time, how much cannabis the patient was allowed to purchase, as well as when and where the purchase occurred. Once reaching their dosage per month, the patient would not be able to use the card for the remainder of the time. If a patient possessed more than the dosage amount, criminal drug possession laws would then apply. Furthermore, the Act empowers counties to opt-out from allowing dispensaries to operate in their jurisdictions, and for those counties that do, local governments may choose – through a local referendum – to allow (or not) dispensaries. The Journal reports the…

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Cloud Hill Withdraws from Controversial Fort Negley Re-Development Project After Archaeological Report Finds ‘Likely’ Graves

The Cloud Hill real estate development partnership announced Friday in a short statement it has withdrawn from the Fort Negley/Greer Stadium mixed-use project, citing concerns over an archaeological report which found that there is a great likelihood that the graves of slaves who build the historic fort are still resting on the grounds. At issue is a final report released by Tennessee Valley Archaeological Research (TVAR), a “consulting firm is located in Huntsville, Alabama [that works] closely with State Historic Preservation Officers and their staffs . . . to provide clients with an efficient process to comply with historic preservation laws and regulations,” which found that among the undisturbed soils along the periphery of the property indicate “that impressed slaves were likely buried in these areas during the construction of Fort Negley, it is highly likely that human remains are still present in these areas.” The proposal submitted by the Cloud Hill Partnership “accepted by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry to redevelop Fort Negley Park calls for affordable housing subsidized by government programs including tax credits and Section 8 vouchers,” The Tennessee Star reported in July, noting: The plan by Cloud Hill Partnership has already drawn fierce opposition because of concerns about historic preservation.…

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Judge Declares Mistrial in Bundy Case

Cliven Bundy

Reuters is reporting Chief US District Judge Gloria Navarro is declaring a mistrial is the government’s highly controversial criminal prosecution of Cliven Bundy over a range-land dispute that led to a days-long armed standoff in 2014: Bundy, two of his sons and another man had been charged with 15 counts of criminal conspiracy and other violations stemming from the confrontation, which galvanized right-wing militia groups challenging federal authority over vast tracts of public lands in the American West. U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro told federal prosecutors that they had willfully violated evidence rules and failed to turn over pertinent documents to the defense. Navarro had warned prosecutors last week that she might declare a mistrial after listing documents previously undisclosed by prosecutors that could be used to impeach government witnesses or bolster defendants’ arguments that they felt surrounded by government snipers prior to the standoff. In a stinging rebuke on Wednesday, Navarro said prosecutors knew or should have known of the existence of memos from FBI agents that may have been helpful to the defense. Those memos and other documents, some 3,300 pages in all, were not turned over until well after an Oct. 1 deadline, and then only after repeated efforts by…

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State Senator-Elect Mark Pody and Gubernatorial Candidate Mae Beavers Applaud the Exoneration of Wrongly-Convicted Lawrence McKinney

Gubernatorial hopeful Mae Beavers and state Senator-elect Mark Pody issued a joint statement Wednesday praising Governor Bill Haslam for his decision to exonerate Lawrence McKinney. McKinney was wrongly convicted in 1978 for the brutal rape of a Shelby County woman and sentenced to 100 years behind bars. Throughout the trial and conviction, McKinney maintained he did not assault the woman in any way. Decades later, The Innocence Project took up his case, and in 2008, DNA testing proved that of the samples collected by law enforcement at the time of the crime, none belonged to McKinney. In June of 2009, McKinney’s conviction was vacated and he was released a month later. In all, he served 31 years in prison. Despite his proven innocence of this heinous crime, however, Governor Phil Bredesen declined requests to exonerate McKinney – a move that would qualify him to file a unlawful imprisonment claim with the Tennessee Board of Claims. That all changed with today’s decision by Governor Haslam. Here is the full text of Beavers and Pody’s statement: Gubernatorial candidate and former State Senator Mae Beavers as well as State Senator Elect Mark Pody expressed extreme gratitude to Governor Bill Haslam, who earlier Wednesday formally exonerated Lawrence McKinney…

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Lynn Ahrens, the Artist Behind Schoolhouse Rock’s ‘The Preamble’

  Thanks to the wildly popular Schoolhouse Rock! cartoon series, if you were a child of the 1970s or 1980s, chances are you hum a certain song whenever anyone mentions The Preamble. In fact, you’re probably humming it right now. In three minutes, the folksy tune with the catchy chorus provides viewers a foundational understanding of the what the U.S. Constitution – and especially The Preamble – are, exactly and why they’re important. Schoolhouse Rock! was the brainchild of David McCall, of the advertising agency McCaffrey & McCall. The idea came to him as he watched his young son struggle to learn his multiplication tables, but could rattle off all the lyrics of the latest Rolling Stones hit without a second thought. McCall realized he if he could place good educational material inside of catchy music with kid-friendly animations,  he would be able to help children just like his son.  In true free market fashion, he pitched his idea to ABC television – his biggest client at the time. The network behemoth bought the idea, and the 3min shorts were headed for air a few months later. The first-ever installment of Schoolhouse Rock – “Three is the Magic Number” – was broadcast January 3, 1973. The…

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Andy Ogles Announces Challenge to Bob Corker for U. S. Senate

  Long time conservative activist Andy Ogles announced Thursday he is launching a campaign for the U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). “In less than a year the Republican primary will give us an opportunity to make choices that will impact future generations of Tennesseans,” Ogles said in a statement. “Conservative leadership means more than making promises, it means keeping them.” Andy Ogles is perhaps best known at the leader of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a position he’s held since 2013. During his tenure as the state director, the grassroots army defeated Obamacare expansion twice, led the fight against Common Core and prevented multiple attempts to inflict so-called “Washington DC values” on Tennesseans. The volunteer organization worked to hold politicians accountable for bad votes, regardless of party affiliation. Unlike Senator Corker, who has repeatedly put himself at odds against President Trump and his policy goals, Ogles is aligning himself closely to the president’s ‘Drain the Swap’ message. “Over the past several months it has become increasingly clear that too many of our elected officials in Washington are failing our country, failing to fulfill their promises, and failing our future,” Ogles said. “Sadly, Republicans who promised to…

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Is a Mark Green Senate Primary Challenge to Bob Corker Back on the Table?

Tennessee Star

  Senator Bob Corker was greeted Friday morning with another withering rebuke by President Trump, in response to a series of criticisms hailed at the President over the past ten days, for which Corker – who is up for re-election by Trump-friendly Tennesseans next year – staunchly “stands by.” Meanwhile, State Senator Mark Green’s (R-Clarksville) refusal to rule out a run against the struggling incumbent could signal a re-consideration to challenge Corker in the 2018 Republican primary. “I’ve already told Senator Corker my thoughts about his comments about the President and that’s as far as I intend to go at this point,” Green told Breitbart News Friday afternoon. Earlier this year State Senator Green was eyeing a run to replace the termed-out Governor Bill Haslam when the Trump Administration nominated him for Secretary of the Army. The move was met with the broad support of the Senate and wildly popular Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. However, after a sustained, two-pronged attack by leftist groups against Green’s nomination using inaccurate accounts of remarks he made having to do with the so-called “bathroom bill” and the threat of radical Islam to the American way of life, he withdrew his nomination. In early August, Green announced that he…

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Newt to Mooch: Slow Your Roll, Learn the Job

Tennessee Star

  Newt Gingrich leveled a heavy rebuke of the erratic and unproductively bombastic outbursts by President Trump’s new White House Communications Director Anthony “Mooch” Scaramucci Thursday, in two separate appearances with conservative talker Laura Ingraham. The first was on The Laura Ingraham Show, where he admonished the freshly-minted Communications Director to ‘learn to do the job.’ Here is a transcript of the exchange: INGRAHAM: …What do you take away from this most recent 24 hour period with Scaramucci? GINGRICH: I think that Scaramucci had better be a lot more careful than he has been. He obviously likes the lime light he obviously likes being in the media. I would say right now he is being more pugnacious than effective. He ought to slow down a little bit and learn what he is doing. I think that he things he said about Reince, if he said them, where is his proof? I mean it’s totally unhelpful having someone going around starting family fights in public and if he is going to be that divisive I’m not sure if he is going to be that useful to the president. INGRAHAM: Apparently he called into CNN and it could be the sole purpose of questioning Preibus. He…

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Transportation Coalition of Tennessee Set to Air ‘It’s Smart’ Ads to Promote Gas Tax Hike

Tennessee Star

  The Transportation Coalition of Tennessee (TCofTN), will launch a series of radio ads touting Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017”, the Times Free Press reports. With the legislation heading to the state House and Senate floor as early as next week, the Transportation Coalition of Tennessee plans to begin airing the 60-second spots starting Thursday, going through April 21. The $127,000 buy’s hits the Chattanooga, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Tri-Cities markets. TCofTN describes themselves in a statement announcing the ads as a coalition of “businesses, citizens, community leaders, public officials and organizations that are interested in continuing Tennessee’s transportation infrastructure for the long haul.” Their membership includes senior citizen’s insurance group AARP, auto club AAA, the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the American Heart Association, Tennessee Road Builders Association and some 33 others. The series, called “It’s Smart,” feature spots voiced by a comforting, grandfatherly persona praising the Governor’s plan, saying: Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act responsibly funds important road and bridge work in all of Tennessee’s 95 counties. The IMPROVE Act funds transportation infrastructure and, at the same time, gives a tax cut to all Tennesseans through a 20 percent tax cut on food. Listen: All the ads are available to enjoy here.…

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Speaker Harwell Says She ‘Cannot Recall a Bill from the Finance Subcommittee’

Tennessee Star

  Tennessee State House Speaker Beth Harwell’s office contacted The Tennessee Star Tuesday morning in response to our story Monday about State Representative Jerry Sexton’s press conference. In that press conference, Rep. Sexton (R-Bean Station) called on Speaker Harwell to send back the Gax Tax bill to the House Transportation Subcommittee. “I saw the recent Tennessee Star article entitled “State Rep. Sexton Tells Speaker Harwell: ‘Hit The Restart Button’ On Gas Tax, Send It Back to Subcommittee ‘To Be Debated Fairly and Openly’” and wanted to clarify something,” Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Policy Kara Owen wrote. Ms. Owen continued: The Speaker of the House cannot recall a bill from the House Finance Subcommittee to the House Transportation Subcommittee, per our House rules. This takes a motion on the House floor by a member, and 66 votes (two thirds) for the motion to prevail.    

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Former Tennessee Trade Secretary Tapped for Ambassador to Japan

Tennessee Star

  The Associated Press reports President Trump has nominated William Francis Hagerty IV as Ambassador to Japan. Bill Hagerty, the co-founder of private-equity firm Hagerty Peterson and Company, is not a newcomer to politics. Earlier in his career, he served in the HW Bush Administration as a White House Fellow, reporting directly to the Vice President on matters of international trade, commerce, treasury, defense and telecommunications. After serving as Mitt Romney’s national finance chair in 2008, the Tennessee native was tapped by the newly-elected Governor Bill Haslam to serve as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. His three-year tenure from 2011 – 2014 was hailed for its successes of significant investments by companies like Bridgestone, Calsonic Kansei and Nissan into the Volunteer State. In total, Hagerty’s term oversaw the addition of more than $15 billion in capital and 90,000 jobs. Hagerty was a Jeb Bush supporter early in the 2016 presidential election cycle, but switched to Donald Trump after he cinched the nomination. Soon after, Hagerty became instrumental in the Trump campaign and was eventually named as the transition team’s Director of Appointments in August of 2016. News of his official nomination is not a surprise to political watchers. President Trump first mentioned…

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House Intelligence: “Reports Clearly Show That the President-Elect Was Monitored”

Tennessee Star

  Once again, statements by President Trump once characterized as “a lie” or “wrong” is proved to be, in fact, accurate. Moments ago House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes had to awkwardly walk back previous statements flatly denying any “wiretapping” of Donald Trump or Trump Tower prior to the inauguration. At about 2:15 (minutes:seconds) into to video clip above, Representative Nunes (CA-22) states, “I have seen intelligence reports that clearly show that the President-elect and his team were, I guess, at least monitored…” The House Intelligence Chair said more information is forthcoming Friday. The full C-SPAN video report is here: http://cs.pn/2mtozcM    

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Outraged Vanderbilt Students Demand Wendy’s Ouster in ‘Boot the Braids’ Protest

Tennessee Star

Vanderbilt students, outraged by purported unfair farm worker labor practices took some time to take a walk outside to get some fresh air protested forcefully against fast-food giant, Wendy’s. Nashville’s News Channel 5 reports: Vanderbilt students hit the streets to demand the school cut ties with the fast food chain Wendy’s. The group, which also included Nashville residents, marched from Vanderbilt’s campus to the Wendy’s location on West End. The event was organized by the group “Nashville Fair Food.” The march was part of the “Boot the Braids” campaign led by students at universities across the country. Their parents must be so proud.

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Senate Passes Joint Resolution to Elect Tennessee’s Attorney General

Tennessee Star

State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) successfully began the process to amend the Tennessee Constitution to allow the State Attorney General to be elected by a popular vote, with the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 57. “Currently, the attorney general is twice removed from those he or she is supposed to represent – the people of Tennessee,” said Senator Beavers aid in a statement disseminated to media by Republican Press Secretary Darlene Schlicher.  “It is time we let the citizens have more of a say in their government.” The Senate Join Resolution passed overwhelmingly 22 – 8. To amend the Tennessee Constitution, the proposal will require a simple majority by the 110th General Assembly currently in session, and then a two-thirds majority in the 111th General Assembly elected in 2018. After passage in 2018, the amendment would go to a statewide referendum in 2022. Finally, in order to be adopted, a proposed constitutional amendment needs 50 percent-plus-one votes more than the number of votes cast in the gubernatorial election. The statement reads: [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Beavers-elected-AG-2017-floor-vote.pdf” title=”Beavers elected AG 2017 floor vote”]  

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6 True-Life Facts About St Patrick to Impress Your Friends (and Deepen Your Faith)

Tennessee Star

  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…

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Snowflake Flurries Blown Away by Nashville’s Trump Supporters

  A little over one hundred protesters – mostly left wing “snowflakes” in their twenties – gathered in front of the television satellite trucks in front of the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday as an estimated 10,000 supporters heard from President Trump inside. “There were a few protesters who were clearly trying to get the attention of the media, and the media was obliging them with more attention than their numbers deserved, ” one Trump supporter who was outside the Nashville Municipal Auditorium just before the event started told the The Tennessee Star. The Trump supporter said all the energy of the day was with the large pro-Trump crowd, not the few anti-Trump protesters. “In terms of crowd enthusiasm, the Trump rally was bigger than anything I’ve ever seen in Nashville,” he said. “This was a huge crowd that came out to support President Trump,” another person who attended the event said.  “Nashville saw nothing like it on the various occasions when President Obama came to town – and this is a Democrat-majority city. Supporters of President Trump vastly outnumbered the protesters. In a Democrat city.” But despite their best efforts, the protesters were largely ignored by the pro-Trump crowd. The…

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RIGHT NOW: Nashville Welcomes President Trump

Tennessee Star

  As the afternoon rolls on, an estimated 30,000 people are lined up to see President Trump speak tonight at 6:30pm. We have pictures coming in from the airport where Gov Haslam is waiting to welcome Air Force One, as well as in and around the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. UPDATE:       UPDATE:   UPDATE: First video from inside the venue…     Developing… – – – The Tennessee Star is on-the-ground now with RIGHT NOW coverage all day.    

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Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway Previews President Trump’s Agenda for Upcoming Nashville Visit

Tennessee Star

White House Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway spent a few minutes this morning on Fox and Friends discussing President Trump’s visit to Nashville. She outlined the president’s agenda for Wednesday’s rally, which included Obamacare repeal and replace; job creation; energy and infrastructure investments; budget; and tax reform. Experienced political observes may note Conway did not specifically mention Speaker Ryan’s current healthcare repeal-and-reform proposal – an indication that the widespread panning by conservatives has reached the White House. In addition to the long list of action items the president is tackling, Mrs. Conway noted that President Trump’s unique ability to communicate and connect directly with people is perhaps the only way to nullify the mainstream media’s consistent strategy of what she dubbed, “the noise and the silence.” “Sometimes they don’t want to cover anything at all what he’s doing – that’s the silence. And then there’s the noise: things that are either misinterpreted or under-covered, or, frankly, just unfairly covered. “I think Donald Trump is at his best as the president when he takes his case directly to the people. He is the most brilliant communicator and most natural connector I’ve ever seen; and so the more he can do that and get…

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Commentary: Republicans Should Remember the Lessons of the Scurrilous Path to Obamacare Passage

By George Rasley, CHQ In 2009 Democrats, flush with victory in the 2008 election and in control of the White House, Senate and House – a victory won largely on jobs and economic issues – embarked, not on the passage of a job creation and economic reform agenda, but on a costly and politically debilitating government takeover of the healthcare and insurance industries. The legislation, written behind closed doors by a handful of Democratic leaders in consultation with liberal consultants, was rammed through Congress by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-President Barack Obama. Pelosi famously said at the time, “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy” and Obama spent enormous amounts of his political capital framing the healthcare takeover as one of government acting to improve and reform the healthcare insurance market and selling the socialist utopian idea that access to healthcare unlimited by market forces is a “right.” Both of these sales points turned out to be lies and everyone on the inside knew them to be. MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, the architect of the bill said that if Americans knew the truth “the…

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Representative Scott DesJarlais Joins Large Majority in Support of $584 Billion Defense Bill

Tennessee Star

Wednesday, Representative Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (R-TN-04) voted to boost troops’ numbers, pay, training, and equipment in the 2017 Defense Appropriations bill that passed the House of Representatives by a wide margin. The $584 billion defense spending measure for this fiscal year is the first of a series of appropriations bills the House will likely pass before April 28 – the date the continuing spending resolution expires. The final vote tally was 371-48, with five Republicans and forty-three Democrats voting to oppose. The military funding bill reverses the Obama Administration’s proposed troop reductions and includes $1.6 billion over the previous president’s budget request. President Donald Trump and the new Republican Congress have made rebuilding the U.S. military a centerpiece of their agenda, along with a stronger foreign policy to deter aggression. Politico reported on some specific line items of the bill: It notably includes a $6.8 billion boost in procurement funding above the Obama administration’s final fiscal 2017 budget request, including more fighters, helicopters and ships. That includes $979 million for 12 Boeing-made F/A-18 Super Hornets, $750 million for six additional Navy and Marine Corps F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and $495 million for five extra Air Force F-35s. Appropriators also added nearly $3 billion for Navy…

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The Tennessee Star to Host RIGHT NOW Coverage of President Trump’s Visit to Nashville Wednesday, March 15

Tennessee Star

  President Trump is coming to Nashville next Wednesday, March 15, and The Tennessee Star will be there to cover all the pageantry, protesters, and most importantly, the president and “We the People.” This is going to be a large event, and we recognize that there might be moments we miss, and so we are excited to announce we have set up dedicated channels to receive pictures, video, reports, and recordings from YOU! We call it RIGHT NOW Coverage. Here’s what to do: – At the rally, use your smartphone to take a picture or short video – Text your picture/video to The Tennessee Star at 615-538-8526 – Include your name (first name, last initial) and your hometown – Also include a short description of your picture/video Optional: Email your picture/video and description to [email protected] Example: “Three generations of our family are here to support President Trump! ~ Sarah T., Franklin, TN” We will have staff standing by to post your pictures and reports live and in REAL TIME all day – from before the Nashville Municipal Auditorium opens until the last protester leaves (about 2pm – 10pm). If your haven’t already, get your tickets to attend the event here. We are…

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Veterinary Board Rule Change Threatens Fines and Jail for ‘Unlicensed Horse Massage’

Tennessee Star

The Beacon Center Legal Foundation announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. The Vet Board recently defined “animal massage” as a form of veterinary medicine, meaning that merely rubbing horses now requires a veterinarian license. The Beacon Center – a nonpartisan, independent organization dedicated to developing and supporting free market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee  – believes this law is unconstitutional and has filed suit on behalf of Martha Stowe and Laurie Wheeler of Franklin, as both of their careers and livelihoods depend on horse massage therapy. Continuing to practice horse massage therapy subjected them to fines and even potential jail time. The Beacon Center warned the Vet Board in a letter of its intention to sue, should the Board keep the bizarre rule change. The two weeks passed, the Vet Board kept the licensure requirement, and the Center, in fact, filed suit. This is the third lawsuit the Center has filed, winning its first lawsuit against the city of Nashville for its unconstitutional homesharing regulations. The group also looks likely to get a second legal victory after its challenge of a Haslam Administration expansion of a similar licensing requirement for shampooing. A repeal of that rule is in the works. Beacon Center Litigation Director Braden…

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