VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing July 19, Wednesday Psalm 94:16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
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The largest health insurance company in the U.S., UnitedHealth Group, exceeded its quarterly-profit expectations in the second quarter of 2017, as it continues to make gains after the provider decided to almost entirely opt-out of the Obamacare state exchanges. United’s second quarter net-earnings were $2.28 billion, up from $1.75 billion in the same quarter of 2016.…
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Dear Tennessee Star, There are a lot of people calling, writing and visiting our two Senators, urging them to vote against the American Health Care Act and instead, repair the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). I have news for these folks: There is nothing left to repair. I know it must be frustrating to see that the hallmark Democratic achievement of the last eight years has, as we predicted, collapsed under its own weight. More and more insurers are leaving the health care exchanges: in fact, of the 95 counties in Tennessee, 47 – over half – will have NO INSURER left beginning next year. Nearly two million Americans have dropped their Obamacare coverage so far this year. Is it not bad enough to pay taxes and penalties for refusing to buy health insurance you can’t use? Do you remember the promise that premiums for the average family would decrease by $2,500 a year? In reality, premiums for many families have doubled (or more) and are expected to increase dramatically again in the next year. Clearly, the Affordable Care Act is neither affordable, nor does it provide care. The government, and insurance companies, need to get out of the…
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In the last moments of Metro Council’s debate over the second reading of the now withdrawn sanctuary city ordinance before the June 20 vote, Nashville Council Member-at-Large Erica Gilmore, tried to assert non-existent local authority over illegal immigration, claiming “[w]e make the laws. We decide whether something is legal or not.” When the vote was held later that evening, Gilmore was among the 25 members of Metro Council who voted yes. Only 8 members of the Metro Council voted no. Had it not been for a vast grassroots uprising, an unfavorable legal opinion from Metro Legal Director, and a letter signed by more than 63 members of the Tennessee House of Representatives telling the Metro Council the Tennessee General Assembly would not let such an ordinance stand, the ordinance may have passed on a third reading. But the ordinances sponsors, Council Members Bob Mendes and Colby Sledge permanently withdrew the ordinance in light of the public backlash, and it never came to a vote on a third and final reading. But on the evening of June 20, Gilmore let her constituents know exactly where she stands on the issue. “I’m concerned when we have to talk about what’s American,…
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The more than four hundred people who attended the annual Williamson County Republican Party BBQ in Thompson’s Station on Saturday proved once again that Republicans know how to have fun. The record-setting crowd at the event showcased an organizational tour de force for Williamson County Chairman Debbie Deaver, Vice Chairman Stephen Siao, and host and owner of Little Creek Farms Bob Beck, a sign that the grassroots in Williamson County is alive and well and ready for political action. Featured speakers and gubernatorial candidates Bill Lee and State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) offered two different visions of the future of Tennessee under their leadership in brief talks that captured the attention of a very engaged audience ready for the 2018 political season to begin. Lee won the gubernatorial straw poll, and Beavers finished second, but the event was about fun, food, and entertainment as much as it was about politics. A key theme of the day was the importance of political engagement, which both Chairman Deaver and Vice Chairman Siao emphasized in their talks. Deaver noted that in the past several years, the highest number of new arrivals to Williamson County are coming from the states of California…
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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed a 40-year-old woman in the alley behind her home Saturday night has been identified as Officer Mohamed Noor. Meanwhile, state investigators have confirmed that they did not find any weapons at the scene. Noor, 31, joined the department in March 2015 as the first Somali police…
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A Massachusetts police officer who is one of the state’s leading authorities on identity theft by illegal aliens ripped GOP Gov. Charlie Baker on Sunday, saying he has backed off from his promises to get tough on illegal immigration. Saugus Police Officer James Scott said Baker “talks a good game” but has been reluctant to make…
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President Trump received a glowing performance review Monday from the head of the National Border Patrol Council. Brandon Judd appeared on “Fox and Friends” on Monday to discuss illegal immigration, Mr. Trump’s plan to build a border wall with Mexico, and morale within the agency. The union president said that agents have a new “energy” to…
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The Senate health care bill appeared to stall late Monday for lack of votes needed to pass. Last week, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said he was encouraged by the direction of the bill, while Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said he had concerns about its effects on Tennesseans and was waiting to see a report from the Congressional Budget Office. The bill was to have been considered this week, but was delayed until at least next week to give Arizona Republican Senator John McCain time to recover from surgery to remove a blood clot. McCain’s presence was needed to advance the bill, which has faced growing opposition. Then news broke late Monday that the bill in its current form has been brought to a halt after more senators stepped forward to say they wouldn’t support it. That means leaders will need to revamp the bill or scrap health care legislation this year. Some senators are opposed to the bill because they say the proposed cuts to Medicaid are too steep, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says it keeps too much of Obamacare intact. Paul mounted a campaign to convince fellow Republicans that the bill is not a repeal as promised. The bill has…
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No one will out work State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) as he continues to campaign throughout the Sixth Congressional District in his quest to win the Republican nomination for Congress and the general election in 2018. On Monday, he spoke to a gathering of the Fairfield Glade Republican Party in Cumberland County. Matheny touched on the conservative themes that have been the key message of his campaign since his formal announcement last month. He pledged to focus on national security, state sovereignty, and better healthcare, transportation, and housing for our rapidly growing senior population, a topic of particular concern for residents of Fairfield Glade, a well known and popular retirement community. Matheny also told the audience about his personal background in law enforcement and the military, as well as his fifteen years as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He provided some detailed information about the recent session of the Tennessee General Assembly, which saw a battled over the gas tax increase, which he opposed, but which ultimately passed, was signed into law, and went into effect on July 1. Matheny also focused on one of his key pledges to improve communications between Washington and the state government…
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Restoring the federal judiciary to its constitutional moorings is what many Americans call Job 1, and it was on this issue they put aside their considerable reservations about Donald Trump, swallowed hard, considered the alternative, hoped for the best, and cast their votes for him. On this score, he has redeemed their faith. The president came…
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The Nashville Tea Party and a Vanderbilt University economics professor are raising concerns about the $6 billion regional mass transit plan for Middle Tennessee. Much of the plan is still tentative and designed to be phased in over 25 years. However, in her State of Metro address in April, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry committed to starting work on light rail along Gallatin Pike immediately. She also said she would have a referendum on the ballot in 2018 to raise taxes to help fund transit projects. The Gallatin Pike plan calls for putting train tracks in the middle of Gallatin Pike from Briley Parkway south to the downtown bus station. The Nashville Tea Party sees problems with that. “This will mean many years of construction noise, choking dust and major traffic disruption,” the tea party chapter said on its Facebook page last week. The regional transit plan also calls for light rail along Charlotte Pike, Nolensville Pike and Murfreesboro Pike and for light rail connecting Nashville and Clarksville. The Nashville Tea Party posted a study by Malcolm Getz, a Vanderbilt University economics professor who is critical of the regional transit plan primarily because of its heavy reliance on trains, though the plan…
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VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing July 18, Tuesday Psalm 5:9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. 3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
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Vice President Mike Pence will be the keynote speaker for this year’s annual Tennessee GOP Statesmen’s Dinner to be held Thursday, Aug. 3. “This is an exciting time for the Tennessee Republican Party as we continue to grow and gear up for 2018’s critical elections,” said party chairman Scott Golden in a news release. “With Vice President Mike Pence as our Keynote Speaker and Governor Bill Haslam as our Dinner Chair, we expect this will be one of the largest and most successful Statesmen’s Dinners to date.” The event will be held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville, with receptions beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and program starting at 6:30 p.m. Attire is business professional. Individual tickets are $250 and can be ordered online at secure.anedot.com/tennessee-republican-party/tngop-statesmens-dinner. If you would like to purchase tickets to the Congressional Reception at $5,000, Keynote Photo line at $10,000 or Vice President’s Reception at $25,000, contact Ashley Harbin at [email protected] or 615-269-4260. Past Statesmen’s speakers include former South Carolina Governor and current U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (2016), former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (2015), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (2014), U.S. Senator Tim Scott (2013), former Vice President Dick Cheney (2002) and former Vice…
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LOS ANGELES — Martin Landau, Oscar-winning actor for “Ed Wood,” has died at 89. He died Saturday at UCLA Medical Center where he experienced “unexpected complications” during a short hospitalization, his publicist confirmed. “We are overcome with sadness to report the death of iconic actor Martin Landau,” a statement said. The Oscar-winning veteran appeared in classic…
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One of The Tennessee Star’s cameras captured this interesting photograph at the annual Williamson County Republican Party BBQ in Thompson’s Station on Saturday: As The Star reported earlier, Williamson County businessman Bill Lee won the straw poll at the event with 63 percent of the votes cast. State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) finished a surprising second with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) with 7 percent of the vote, Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville), with 3 percent, and Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd with 1 percent. House Majority Leader State Rep. Glen Casada (R-Franklin) was there and participated in the straw poll. Take a close look at the second jar on the table where Majority Leader Casada is dropping in his red gumball. In front of the second jar is the name Congresswoman Diane Black. The name of Speaker Beth Harwell, who announced her candidacy for governor on Sunday, is in front of the fourth jar.
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LOS ANGELES — It was the night of April 4, 1968, and George A. Romero was driving to New York City from Pittsburgh on a mission: In the days to come he was to meet with film studios in hopes that one might buy the horror film he was lugging in his trunk, “Night of the…
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House Democrats failed in a last-minute attempt Friday to prohibit funds allocated to the Defense Department’s $696 billion budget from going toward the construction of the border wall President Donald Trump repeatedly promised to build. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led the Democratic charge to reinstate language that House GOP…
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Talk about a bureaucratic nightmare. Stacy Harp, who hosts Bible News Radio with her husband, Randall Harp, is just trying to transfer the Social Security payments for her father, Clayton Perrotte, from Florida to Tennessee. Sounds pretty straight-forward – yes? Well get this: Harp can’t get it done. Because somewhere along the line, somewhere in the…
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The New England Patriots have enjoyed a massive amount of on-field success over the past two decades, with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady teaming up to form the most dominant partnership of the 21st century in the NFL. Well before that, though, Vito “Babe” Parilli was a key cog in the Patriots wheel as a quarterback…
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This is the twelfth of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. To modern eyes, the Third Amendment seems anachronistic. To the Founders, however, it was a critical protection of individual liberty: No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. The unwelcome quartering of troops was fresh in the minds of newly independent Americans, who rankled at the memory of their homes being taken over by British troops, almost always against the wishes of the owners, during the American Revolution. “The Third Amendment seems to have no direct constitutional relevance at present; indeed, not only is it the least litigated amendment in the Bill of Rights, but the Supreme Court has never decided a case on the basis of it,” Professor Gordon Wood of Brown University, a leading expert on the Federal Era of the new American Republic, wrote: The federal government today is not likely to…
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The Senate Judiciary Committee cleared four of President Trump’s judicial nominees Thursday, rejecting complaints by Democrats who said that one of them called a Supreme Court justice a “judicial prostitute” and that the other equated the high court’s legal rulings to slavery and abortion. Two of the picks were approved easily, but Democrats said John Kenneth…
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Sen. Rand Paul accused “big-government Republicans” of going “back on their word to repeal Obamacare” by supporting the revised Senate health care bill. “The real problem we have is, we won four elections on repealing Obamacare, but this bill keeps most of the Obamacare taxes, keeps most of the regulations, keeps most of the subsidies, and…
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The White House would be required to hold at least a couple on-camera press briefings each week if a Democratic lawmaker musters support for a House bill being offered. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut introduced the Free Press Act on Thursday, a legislative proposal that aims to increase transparency within the Trump administration by mandating two…
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell late Saturday said he will postpone votes on the Obamacare replacement bill that was scheduled to hit the floor this week, after Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said he needed time to recover from surgery for a blood cot, depriving the GOP of a critical vote. “There are few people…
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Eleven members of the Metro Nashville Council who voted “yes” on the second reading of the sanctuary city ordinance on June 20 are in re-election jeopardy for 2019 because they are in favor of a policy that many of their constituents oppose, according to the results of a recent Tennessee Star Poll. Five are at-large members, and six represent districts in which their constituents opposed the now withdrawn sanctuary city ordinance by a significant margin. As The Star reported last week, the poll, conducted between June 28 and June 29, found that likely voters in Nashville were evenly divided over the proposed sanctuary ordinance, not in “overwhelming support,” as one of the co-sponsors At-Large Council Member Bob Mendes claimed: When asked, “Metro Nashville Council was scheduled to vote on a proposal next week that would, in effect, turn Nashville into a sanctuary city where illegal immigrants are protected from arrest and deportation. Do you support or oppose the proposal for Nashville to become a sanctuary city?,” 49.4 percent supported, while 47.1 percent opposed, a statistical tie since the 2.3 percent differential is within the poll’s 4.2 percent margin of error. Though the poll found that voters were in a…
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VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing July 17, Monday John 15:5-8 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us
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Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee in a statement released by her campaign at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning. “Tennessee needs someone who possesses the experience from day one to lead our state to the next level and who has a steady hand when challenges come our way,” Harwell said in the statement. “As Governor, I will lead on jobs, cutting taxes, guaranteeing every child has a great school, and ensuring our Tennessee values are protected. Every Tennessean should have every opportunity to succeed and prosper in our state. That’s why I am running to be Tennessee’s next Governor,” she added. According to the statement: Harwell, a longtime conservative and former Tennessee Republican Party Chairman, has presided over the Tennessee House of Representatives as the legislature has enacted some of the most conservative reforms in the country. Harwell and her colleagues are the only legislature in the United States to eliminate three taxes: the death tax, gift tax, and a phase out of the Hall Income Tax. She also oversaw cuts in business taxes and taxes for elderly and veterans. In addition, the General Assembly passed, and…
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WKRN is reporting that Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) may be in the race for the Republican nomination for governor as early as Sunday. “Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell has been quietly calling people over the last week telling them she is definitely running for governor,” WKRN reported late Saturday: News 2 has been told by several state and local officeholders that the longtime Republican Nashville lawmaker is looking for their support in a 2018 gubernatorial bid. One of the public officials says a formal announcement could come as early as Sunday from Harwell who is the first woman ever elected as House speaker in Tennessee. The announcement has long been expected as Harwell has attended a variety of local political events all over the state in recent months. There have been rumors for some time that Harwell would announce a run for governor, but she has yet to pull the trigger on the race. Back in the spring, one of her close allies let slip that she would be announcing for governor soon, but that announcement did not come. This time, most political observers believe it is likely that Harwell will jump in the race soon, simply due to the…
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State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) was one of the featured speakers at the regular quarterly meeting of the Tennessee Alliance of Liberty Groups held in Lebanon on Saturday. Matheny was originally scheduled to speak about the fight over the gas tax in the state legislature this session, and addressed that topic first in his 45 minute talk that featured a healthy exchange of questions and answers with the group, which is made up of local liberty group leaders from around the state. “I relayed to them we in the Tennessee General Assembly were not set up to ask the public for $300 million in a $2 billion surplus budget,” Matheny told The Tennessee Star. Matheny also told the audience several anecdotes about the fight against the gas tax, which ultimately was unsuccessful. “We were a tight group in opposition, but we didn’t have the numbers in the end,” Matheny said. The conversation soon turned to the race for the Sixth Congressional District Republican nomination. Last month, Matheny announced that he was in the race to win in 2018, whether or not incumbent Rep. Diane Black decides to run for governor. “As I’ve matured as a state legislator, I’ve tried…
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by Jeffrey A. Rendall In the earliest days of email I, probably like everyone else, received a great many unsolicited messages from people I didn’t know. These notes sounded enticing in the subject line but upon further examination of the contents turned out to be…well, fraudulent. This phenomenon is a thing of the past because I no longer open the communications much less respond to them as I did on a few occasions way back when (I never fell for the scams, by the way). According to a cross-sampling of faux emails these days I am supposedly the sole heir of some royalty overseas who died and their Donald Trump Jr.estate’s executor just needs me to wire a couple thousand bucks to them to claim my bounty. From the sound of it Donald Trump Jr. wasn’t as inclined to reject an overture from a friend who wanted to introduce him to a Russian source (in early June of 2016) who promised to provide dirt on the Hillary Clinton campaign, purportedly to help his father win the election. Everyone knows by now Trump Jr. fell for the ruse and along with then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and son-in-law Jared Kushner…
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Top public universities pay administrators with jobs related to diversity initiatives an average of $175,088 per year, substantially more than other professors and faculty members, according to a Campus Reform investigation. A sheet compiling the salaries of the top diversity administrators at 43 of America’s top public universities shows that virtually all are paid at least…
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Judicial Watch released 448 pages of documents Friday showing further incidences of Huma Abedin, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s former deputy chief of staff in the State Department, allocating special treatment to Clinton Foundation donors while Clinton served as Secretary of State. Clinton’s use of a private email server to conduct government business clouded her…
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A religious nonprofit organization is suing Parkland School District in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, after Parkland High School deemed a pro-life student club too controversial and subsequently refused to approve its charter. The national public interest law firm Thomas More Society filed a lawsuit against the school district, high school, and three administrators Tuesday after Elizabeth Castro…
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Former Vice President Al Gore compared the fight to end man-made global warming to the abolishment of slavery and the push for gay marriage. “The abolition of slavery, woman’s suffrage … and more recently the gay rights movement,” Gore said Thursday about the importance of staying ahead of the curve on environmental issues. The mission to…
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A Maine state lawmaker who is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service over a threatening online comment about President Trump has been removed from two legislative committees as punishment, the state’s House speaker announced Friday. Democratic Rep. Scott Hamann has been kicked off the Health and Human Services Committee and the Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee,…
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THOMPSON’S STATION, Tennessee–Williamson County businessman Bill Lee won the gubernatorial straw poll conducted Saturday at the Williamson County Republican Party annual summer BBQ at Little Creek Farms with a whopping 63 percent of the 243 votes cast. State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) finished a surprising second with 26 percent of the vote. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), who has not announced her candidacy, won 7 percent. Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell (R-Nashville), who has also not yet formally her candidacy, took 3 percent of the vote, and Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd took in slightly more than 1 percent of the vote. More than four hundred guests attended the sold-out event, which was a record crowd for the annual BBQ, and a great success for new Williamson County Republican Party Chairman Debbie Deaver and Vice Chairman Stephen Siao. “While straw polls are not always necessarily reflective of the electorate, tonight’s straw poll provides a good early pulse check of who influential Republicans in Williamson County and other mid-state counties are supporting in the gubernatorial race. Tonight’s attendees included influential conservative activists, prominent donors, party leaders, and over two dozen elected officials. Attendees cast their straw poll ballots with gumballs,”…
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VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing July 16, Sunday Matthew 6:5-14 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: 9 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” 14 For if…
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Southern Baptist leaders object to the U.S. Army’s new mandatory transgender sensitivity training, reports Baptist Press. The training follows last year’s repeal of a ban on transgender men and women serving openly in the armed forces. Former President Obama’s defense secretary set a deadline of July 1 for fully implementing the new policy across all branches of service. Current Secretary of Defense James Mattis recently announced a six-month delay in enlisting transgender people, but those currently enlisted are allowed to transition. Soldiers are being told they must accept soldiers of the opposite sex who feel they have a different gender in barracks, bathrooms and showers. Andrew Walker, director of policy studies for the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), told Baptist Press that Army leaders’ acquiescence “to the demands of transgender activists is misguided.” “Most problematically, the Army is complicit in advancing a worldview that tells fundamental distortions about what it means to be a man or a woman,” Walker said. “The Army’s actions overlook the protests of dissenting soldiers uncomfortable with the idea of sharing private spaces with members of the opposite sex, which also pose risks to religious liberty. “It is unfortunate and lamentable that a venerable…
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OMB Director Mick Mulvaney introduced “MAGAnomics” in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Thursday. “If we enact the president’s broad agenda—if MAGAnomics is allowed to work—we will have set the stage for the greatest revival of the American economy since the early 1980s. It will remind people—including those who have forgotten, or those who don’t want you to remember—what a great America means. That is driving everything we do,” Mulvaney wrote: If the Trump administration has one overarching goal, it’s to Make America Great Again. But what does this mean? It means we are promoting MAGAnomics—and that means sustained 3% economic growth. For most of our nation’s modern history, a healthy American economy meant one that grew at roughly 3.5%. That was the average growth rate between the late 1940s and 2007. Since then, it has hardly topped 2%. The difference between those two growth rates is staggering. If the American economy had grown at only 2% between the end of World War II and 2000, average household income would have been roughly $26,000 instead of $50,000. Over the next 10 years, 3% growth instead of 2% will yield a nominal gross domestic product that is $16 trillion larger, federal…
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A record number of Williamson County Republicans are set to meet at Little Creek Farms in Thompsons Station for the 2017 Annual Summer Event, Middle Tennessee’s largest political event of the season. The county’s new Chair, Debbie Deaver, told The Tennessee Star the group’s marquee event taking place Saturday, is sold out. “A record 400+ guests have purchased tickets,” the group announced in a statement. “In addition to remarks from special speakers, guests will participate in the first major gubernatorial straw poll of the 2018 cycle.” All announced and likely Republican candidates will be on the ballot. This year’s BBQ will feature U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Mark Green, Sen. Jack Johnson’s band, The Austin Brothers, and gubernatorial candidates Bill Lee and Sen. Mae Beavers. Co-hosts include the Davidson County Republican Party, the Tennessee College Republican Committee, the Republican Women of Williamson County, the Williamson County Republican Career Women, and the Williamson County Young Republicans. Platinum sponsors of the BBQ are U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Mark Green, Sen. Jack Johnson, and Bill Lee for Tennessee. Organizers say the straw poll results will be announced around 6:00pm CT.
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The campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee issued a statement on Friday that it has raised $1.375 million during the fiscal quarter ending June 30, the first since Lee announced in April. The campaign says it has $2.5 million cash on hand: Republican gubernatorial candidate and conservative Williamson County businessman and cattle farmer Bill Lee announced that his campaign for governor has raised over $1.375 million in a little over two months of active campaigning, with over $2.5 million cash on hand to end the report period. In addition to what was raised, Bill and his wife Maria committed to match in the amount of $1.375 million due to the overwhelming level of enthusiasm and support he has received across the state. “Maria and I are truly humbled and honored to see the outpouring of support from across Tennessee with folks wanting to help this campaign,” said Lee. Lee continued, “Since we announced on April 24th, we have traveled the state meeting everyone we can and sharing my vision for Tennessee. The response has been so overwhelmingly positive, we felt compelled to match the donations in an effort to thank everyone for their support and show our continued commitment…
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President Trump attended the Bastille Day parade Friday in Paris, where U.S. and French troops marched together to mark the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into World War I. Mr. Trump and first lady Melania Trump joined French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte in bright sunshine on the reviewing platform to watch the parade of…
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by Chris Butler, Tennessee WatchDog Yet another California artist gets taxpayer money for TN public art. A Los Angeles artist will design one of Memphis’ most expensive public art projects at taxpayer expense, according to Memphis TV station WREG. The “I Am a Man” art project will cost $700,000, the station reported, adding it’s one of the city’s most expensive public art projects. As Tennessee Watchdog reported last year, city officials paid another California artist $300,000 to create a 103-foot-tall sculpture near the Memphis International Airport. As Tennessee Watchdog also reported, Nashville officials paid $300,000 last year for an exhibit commemorating the Civil Rights movement, but the artist lived some 2,000 miles away in Oakland, California. Three years ago, Nashville taxpayers paid $750,000 so an abstract artist from California could construct large multi-colored sticks and place them partially upright near the Music City Center downtown. Meanwhile, “Tool Fire,” built in 2013, consists of several shovels, rakes and pickaxes glued together and placed on display along the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. For that project, the city paid an Alabama artist $30,000. Nashville taxpayers also paid two Seattle artists $350,000 to create a sculpture at Nashville’s West Riverfront Park symbolizing the…
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A man believed to be the nation’s oldest World War II veteran arrived in Memphis on Thursday from his native Texas to great fanfare. Richard Overton, age 111, was greeted at Memphis International Airport with a water cannon salute from the Memphis Fire Department and well-wishers who wanted to shake his hand. He was then escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders to the Peabody Hotel, reports WREG News Channel 3. Overton was scheduled to serve as honorary duckmaster at the hotel Friday before being the guest of honor at a special ceremony at Overton Park. His visit is sponsored by Forever Young Senior Veterans and The Peabody, according to The Commercial Appeal. Overton, who has attracted the attention of local documentary filmmaker Genene Walker, had been expressing a desire to visit Tennessee. Overton’s grandfather was born a slave at John Overton’s Nashville-area plantation, Travellers Rest. Overton was one of the founders of Memphis. Richard Overton’s family took his name after leaving the plantation. Overton is planning to attend a family reunion in Nashville this weekend. Overton enlisted in the Army in 1940 at age 34. He served in a segregated unit in the Pacific theater for five years, earning an expert rifle marksmanship…
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The Democratic Party has no ideas to present to the American people, and so it has made the choice to try and destroy the people that do have them. Once it was definite that Donald Trump was going to be the president and not Hillary Clinton, the attacks came with a vengeance and haven’t let up.…
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The administration on Friday said it will appeal directly to the Supreme Court after a lower federal judge, for the second time, ruled against President Trump’s updated travel ban policy. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii ruled late Thursday that cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, as well as grandparents and grandchildren, all count as…
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VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing July 15, Saturday James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
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Metro employees now have the option of paid family leave, a benefit that has been promoted by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. The plan was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Civil Service Commission and goes into effect immediately. The benefit allows Metro workers to have around six weeks of paid time off upon the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for a seriously ill spouse, parent or children. It is available to employees who have worked for Metro government for at least six months. There previously was no paid family leave of any kind. “No parent, spouse, son or daughter should have to choose between providing care to their loved ones in their time of need or being forced to go without pay or quit their job,” said Mayor Megan Barry in a news release. “Paid family leave will help to ensure our Metro employees don’t have to make that choice while also helping Metro government recruit and retain great public servants.” Metro Council recommended a study on paid family leave last year, and Barry, a progressive Democrat, promoted it in her State of Metro address in April. Barry’s office worked with her Council on Gender Equity to research and…
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A new list of approval polls for all 50 U.S. senators released this week seems to indicate the Republican senators with the lowest popularity among voters at home are those who have been the most vocally critical of President Donald Trump — and who have historically supported amnesty for illegal immigrants. The least popular GOP senators,…
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